While traveling to the Kingdom of Austro, Elizabeth and her royal escort passed through countless villages and magical portals. After five long days, they finally arrived at the kingdom's capital, Austro Central.
The city was alive with celebration.
The streets leading to the palace were blanketed with colorful flowers, while thousands of citizens gathered to welcome their future queen. Cheers filled the air as people eagerly waited for the royal carriage to pass.
Inside the carriage, Elizabeth could hear the crowd chanting blessings and singing songs of welcome. She longed to lift the curtain and see the kingdom that would soon become her home, but tradition forbade it. No one was allowed to see the new queen's face until the king himself unveiled her, not even the king's other wives.
As the carriage entered the palace gates, the cheering gradually faded. The palace guards stood in perfect formation, bowing respectfully as the carriage rolled into the magnificent courtyard.
"We have arrived, Your Majesty," the captain of her escort announced.
Elizabeth looked through the carriage window at the breathtaking palace. It towered over the city like a magnificent castle, its walls built from gleaming white stone decorated with polished bronze and sparkling gemstones.
"Who will be receiving me?" Elizabeth asked.
"The royal family, Your Majesty," the captain replied.
A wave of nervousness washed over her.
She knew meeting the royal family was unavoidable, yet she had heard that the king rarely welcomed a new queen himself. According to tradition, his wives usually greeted the bride, prepared her, and escorted her to the king.
The thought brought Elizabeth some relief. She wasn't ready to meet the man she had been promised to. She had never seen his face, only heard stories about the powerful King Arthur.
The carriage came to a halt.
Taking a slow breath, Elizabeth stepped outside.
Four elegant women stood at the palace entrance, dressed in luxurious royal gowns adorned with priceless jewels. Each queen was accompanied by her personal maid.
"Welcome, Your Majesty," the palace guards said in unison, bowing deeply.
Elizabeth straightened her posture and walked toward the queens with quiet confidence, aware that every eye was fixed upon her. She could almost feel them searching for imperfections beneath her veil.
Just as she reached them, she noticed the king was nowhere in sight.
A small smile appeared on her lips.
It disappeared the moment the palace doors opened.
A tall, commanding man emerged, flanked by two royal guards and followed by members of the royal council.
The king.
Gasps spread through the courtyard.
Even the queens looked stunned. The king never greeted a new bride personally. His unexpected appearance immediately stirred jealousy among some of his wives.
"My King."
Elizabeth lowered herself into a graceful bow.
King Arthur approached her without hesitation and gently motioned for her to rise. Then, with careful hands, he lifted the delicate veil covering her face.
For a brief moment, silence fell.
Elizabeth's striking eyes met his. Though nervous, she offered him a warm smile.
"Beautiful," King Arthur said softly, unable to hide his admiration. "I have waited for this day, Princess Elizabeth of the Kingdom of Auhti. Your beauty is truly worthy of the heavens. I believed no woman could surpass my queens… yet here you stand."
A faint blush colored Elizabeth's cheeks.
"Thank you, Your Majesty," she replied politely. "You are quite handsome yourself."
The king chuckled, clearly pleased.
"Come," he said. "Allow me to introduce you to my beloved queens."
He guided her toward the women waiting nearby.
"This is Queen Violet, Queen Anna, Queen Luna, and Queen Jasmine."
Elizabeth looked around before asking politely, "Your Majesty, I was told you have six queens. Where are the others?"
King Arthur's expression darkened as he realized only four queens had come to welcome Elizabeth.
Queen Violet stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, the other two queens are unwell. They deeply wished to be here but were unable to attend. I'm certain they will recover before tonight's dinner."
An uncomfortable silence followed.
Everyone could feel the king's disappointment. The absence of two queens on such an important day was a direct insult to both tradition and the new queen.
"They had better be," King Arthur replied coldly before turning and walking back into the palace with his guards.
Only after he disappeared did the tension ease.
Queen Violet cast Elizabeth a cold, unreadable glance before walking away with her maid.
Elizabeth blinked in confusion.
Have I already made an enemy?
Unlike Violet, the remaining queens appeared friendly.
"You're Elizabeth, aren't you?" one of them asked with a bright smile.
Elizabeth nodded.
"I am Queen Anna," she said cheerfully before surprising Elizabeth with a warm hug. "It's wonderful to meet another junior queen."
"Junior queen?" Elizabeth repeated.
A woman with long dark hair stepped forward.
"I'm Queen Lisa, the king's fourth wife."
Anna smiled as she pointed toward the quiet woman beside her.
"And that's Queen Jasmine, the king's fifth wife. She's rather shy." Then she laughed softly. "As for me, I'm the king's sixth wife."
"It's a pleasure to meet all of you," Elizabeth said with a gentle smile.