The Prince's Choice ✔

Chapter Ten • Not Welcome

*Long Chapter*

-Jade-

Jade was on her own. All eyes, but William's, were fixed on her but no one said a word. There was not a single person for her to turn to with questions or concerns. The only one she could ask was her governess, but she wasn't there. Jade wanted her governess to tell her what to say or not to say. The silence in the room was accompanied by an indescribable tension which made her feel uncomfortable and not wanted.

There was no warm welcoming. William did not introduce her to his parents like Elizabeth said he would either. In a way it was of course obvious who she was, but it would have been nice if he had made the effort to properly introduce her to his parents. Especially since it was William who had arranged this whole marriage-thing.

What's happening...? Why doesn't anyone say something? She thought and started feeling nauseous from anxiety. The queen kept scrutinizing her with cold eyes. It almost felt like she was trying to kill her with just her icy looks. Carefully, Jade raised her eyes and met the queen's. They were cold and hard. Anger almost poured out of them. 

Why does she look so angry? What have I ever done to her? 

Suddenly, the king cleared his throat, waved a finger at the servants and they instantly started serving them food and poured wine into their glasses. A covered silver platter was placed in front of Jade and its lid was removed. Beneath laid a whole chicken with steaming potatoes and thick brown gravy next to it. Jade's mouth watered from the vision and the divine smell of it all, but she felt a bit overwhelmed. This chicken could easily have fed her entire family for one evening with some potatoes on the side. How was supposed finish this all on her own? Did they really expect her to eat it all? She looked at her platter with hungry eyes but didn't reach for her cutlery.

I don't even know which of these I am supposed to use... She thought when she realized that there was more than one set of forks and knives. She glanced at William. He hadn't reached for his yet. I'll just wait and see which ones he uses. 

A moment later everyone started eating in complete silence. The food was the single most delicious thing Jade had ever had, but she paced herself while eating. She could not eat, in front of a king and queen, as she had done with William at the inn. She studied William when he didn't notice, and then cut her food into equally as small pieces as he did his before eating.

It will all be cold before I will have a chance to eat it if I have to cut everything in such small pieces. She thought in frustration. 

There was still silence. Until the king finally cleared his throat again and drank some wine before speaking. "So... What do my gentlemen think of her?" He asked loudly so that the four men could hear him clearly. He pointed his knife in Jade's direction. "What do you think of the girl that my son has chosen as his bride?" He asked and ate another piece of his chicken. 

The four men stopped eating and looked at Jade. She looked at William for some form of help but he wasn't paying her or the others any attention. He just ate and did not utter a single word. No presentation, not a sound left him. Jade turned her eyes back to the men and then lowered her eyes to her plate. They studied her like she was a newly bought horse or some sort of object. One of them had smiled a little bit but it didn't calm her down.

"A very fine choice." One of them said encouragingly. "She looks like-"

"She looks like he found her in the woods." The queen harshly interrupted. Jade's eyes widened in confusion but didn't look up, instead she kept them lowered. This was surely not what the man had intended to say, but he didn't finish his sentence after the queen's comment, maybe in fear of offending her. However, no one seemed bothered by the fact that the queen had ruthlessly offended Jade.