Chapter Seven
Recreation
The next day, Ayanda returned to her room after showering to find a modest sized unopened box with a note attached sitting on her dresser. "Is this some kind of gift?" She thought out loud as she read the note. 'From your friends in Obren. Apply once to whole body like a lotion and burn this note.' Surprise lit her face as she opened the box to find a tube of cream. "How on earth did they get this over to.... oh yeah. I guess they really do have spies in the castle." She said before examining the tube. "Okay so the instructions are all in a foreign language. Maybe I could try to track down one of the spies and ask them what this stuff is and does." Ayanda unscrewed the top and took a whiff. She pulled it away from her nose and looked at it curiously. "I don't know what that scent is, but it's sort of smelly and nice at the same time. Am I really supposed to use this all over my body like even my face? Pfft if Steven and Joseph were here, they would both demand I simply follow instructions." She rolled her eyes at the memory of them and declared, "Fine I'll use this stuff. I don't have the luxury of time to investigate anything and Steven and Joseph want me married to Cesar so badly that they would only send something to help with that anyway." She disrobed and used the cream as instructed before ripping up the note and placing the bits inside the box. She stashed the tube in her drawers and finished getting dressed. "Whatever this stuff is, it would serve them right if I didn't use it and still managed to get Cesar to marry me even though both Joseph and Cesar think I'm repulsive." She shook herself out as the cream made her skin tingle while she headed out of her room and handed the box off to a passing servant to dispose of by way of the incinerator as she sought out the group of noblemen she had spoken with last night.
She found them in the parlor playing games, but Cesar was nowhere in sight. 'His sexcapades from last night probably wore him out,' she thought while heading over to the men. They all happily greeted her and invited her to play with them. "Have you ever played this game before?" "I'm afraid not," she said to Giles. He smirked and replied, "well if her highness will permit me, I'll be happy to teach you." She nodded eagerly and joined in. Ayanda was never much of an intellectual but when it came to games whether they be board games or video games, she usually reigned supreme. The nobles groaned and congratulated her as she bested them at every game they taught her. Ayanda jumped in the air with an excited squeal before quickly regaining her composure. "Excuse my excitement. This has all been quite entertaining." The nobles laughed and Lawson said to Giles, "you're no longer allowed to teach people how to play against us." Giles laughed and said, "I'm not that good of a teacher. What we witnessed was the raw talent of her highness." Ayanda blushed. "Well, it looks as though I missed out on a merry time." Everyone turned to see Cesar standing there watching them all. Ayanda wondered how long he had been there when Lucius said, "not at all your highness. We were about to have another go, this time at cards if you care to join us?" Cesar's eyes narrowed before looking to Ayanda. 'A second glance after having completely ignored me before. My plan is working!' She thought with delight as she said, "the prince can take my place as I was just leaving." The noblemen protested and implored her to reconsider. "You don't have to leave on any of our account. There's more than enough room for us all." Her eyes darted between the men and Cesar who was still staring at her. She shook her head once. "It's quite all right. I missed breakfast and am now feeling famished." "Feel free to join us later if you wish," said Darby to which the others agreed except for Cesar who still hadn't spoken a word directly to her. Ayanda agreed to do so and left to go eat, noticing Cesar's head tilt in her direction when she gave him a small curtsey as she passed by.
Each staff member she walked past had her wondering which of them were spies for Steven and Joseph as she continued to feel the effects of the contents from the tube. Suddenly, the voices of some of the other princesses caught her attention. She stopped just before passing by the room they were in and peeked around the corner to see five of them, including the princess of Tratish conversing with one another. The princess of Kahba gasped. "Let not another false tale fall from your lips!" She said to the princess of Tratish. 'What a fancy way to call someone a liar,' Ayanda teased in her mind. The princess of Tratish gave her a devious smile and said, "I assure you that not one has." "And the princess of Pithia truly joined in as well?" asked the princess of Xidal. "She most certainly did, and I'll just say if her maidenhood really wasn't sullied before last night, it most certainly is now!" They all shrieked and Ayanda covered her mouth to keep from laughing. 'No matter where you are in the world; girls will be girls, and boys will be boys.' "Don't leave us in suspense, how was the king-to-be? The princess of Sluthia is being rather tightlipped about it." asked the princess of Kahba. The princess of Tratish said, "of course she is. Sex with a man of his prowess and vigor can't be explained, only experienced." The girls giggled and chattered when the princess of Xidal said, "do you think he plans on bedding the lot of us?" The princess of Tratish bobbed her head thoughtfully from side to side and said, "more than likely. Last night, he was more than eager to sample the nectar of both me and princess prudish, so I know he won't be satisfied until he's dipped his quill in each of our inkwells." Ayanda accidently let out a breath of laughter and fully pressed herself back against the wall out of fear that she had been heard.
Her worries ceased when she heard the princess' all go back to talking. She breathed a sigh of relief and snuck away. That night, the gala was held outside and consisted of a small carnival. While Cesar was surrounded by the princesses, queens, and their attendants, Ayanda made sure to surround herself with the noblemen. Cesar's eyes kept travelling to her as she made sure to be as engaging and exciting as possible. She played every game and rode every ride with the noblemen who were willing, and her confidence rose with each compliment of how much fun she was from them, and every stolen look from Cesar. When the night was over, she had all the noblemen completely enchanted by her while also having gained even more of Cesar's attention than she thought possible. Curious, she hid behind a statue in the hall and waited to see if Cesar would sneak away with yet another princess, or even two. Her jaw dropped when she saw him leading the queen of Kriteba, the queen of Drizia and the princess of Prumor by the hand into one of their bedrooms. 'Oh my goodness,' thought Ayanda as she hurried off to her own room. 'How did they get the princess of Prumor to agree to anything when they don't speak her language?' Ayanda shook her head of the thought and climbed into bed. 'I have to admit, Cesar obviously has some skill if he's able to upgrade to queens and seduce a woman who can't even understand him.' She thought as she drifted off to sleep.
Ayanda awoke with a stretch as her assistants pulled the drapes back to bathe her room in sunlight. "Good morning princess Ayanda. As per your request, the curtains are open and your robe is pressed and hanging in the closet for you." "Thank you, Astra. That'll be all," Ayanda said with a yawn, prompting Astra to leave. She sat up and blew through her lips. "Yawning at people is not proper for a royal to do," Ayanda mocked as she thought of Steven and hopped out of bed. "I'll tell you what's not proper of a royal, being as rude to them as Cesar has been to me. It's also not proper for royals to go around screwing like rabbits before they're even-" She stopped when she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. "What the hell?" She approached her reflection with caution and inhaled dramatically when she noticed how radiant her skin looked. Every mark, blemish and even scar that she ever had was now diminished while her skin glowed like a room lit by candles. Her hands went up to her face and she felt how invitingly soft it felt. She craned her neck to look back at the dressed where she had hidden the tube. "That stuff must be from here since Steven and Joseph told me Craorus is number one in the world when it comes to medicine." She decided to apply more and wondered how much different she would look once it was all used up. Her fingers lingered on a now fading scar she had gotten on her outer thigh when she fell from a tree she and her cousins had been climbing up in their great-grandparents backyard. She felt nostalgia tug at her heart as she realized that all her scars and marks held memories. The freckle on the inside of her left wrist that every girl on her father's side was born with. The mark on her cheek she got from a curling iron when she was eight and tried to do her own hair. Who she was as Robyn, really was being erased and once she finished using up the cream her captors had sent over, there would really be nothing left of Robyn. She furiously shook her head. "Keep it together. You knew you'd have to be Ayanda from now on the second you set foot on that plane to Obren. Don't lose focus now when you're so close." She quickly put the tube away and collected herself. "If Cesar doesn't want me after this, I don't care how much trouble I'll get in, I'm punching him straight in the nose."
After getting ready for the day, Ayanda requested to have breakfast in her room as she wasn't quite ready to face everyone else yet with how different she looked. Astra happily adhered to her request. "Of course, your highness. I'll personally retrieve your meal and bring it back here with haste." "Thank you, oh but Astra?" "Yes milady?" "Will you be candid with me?" "Of course. What about?" "You did notice my.... change in appearance did you not?" "Yes milady." "Then why didn't you say anything?" "Because commenting on the physical attributes of royals is improper and if I may be so bold," Ayanda nodded to let her know to go on. "with all the medical advancements of our land, we're quite use to seeing people suddenly.... altered." Ayanda frowned and nodded again. "I see. That makes perfect sense to me. Thank you Astra." "Will that be all milady?" "Yes." "Very good. I'll go tend to the matter of your breakfast." Astra bowed herself out and Ayanda began to wonder if she was part of Steven and Joseph's network of spies. After eating, Ayanda wished she could take a sedative and sleep during the rest of her time in Craorus when she headed out of her room to face the judgements she knew the others were sure to have upon seeing her. Knowing they would be the harshest of her critics, Ayanda decided to approach the princesses she was competing against first. The air stilled when she entered the room, feeling like she was on display as she heard murmurs all around and felt every eye on her. Some surprised her by complimenting her long sleeved evergreen dress with gold trim while others like the princess of Sluthia, the princess of Tratish and the princess of Kahba gave her backhanded compliments that alluded to the fact that she was the only one who needed to transform herself in some way in hopes of meeting Cesar's approval. Their words might not have hurt so much if it wasn't true.
When she sat among them, the princess of Xidal said, "I've noticed that you either accessorize every outfit with gold or it's sewn into your attire." "Yes, it's the official metal of Castle Obren. And the element of Craorus seems to be silver?" she inquired. They all nodded in response and the princess of Sluthia said, "I heard that it's because of Cesar's eyes. He was a miracle child not expected to see his first year." The princess of Pithia rolled her eyes. "That is nothing more than a rumor started by those who wish to bring ruin to the queen and king of Craorus by implying that his seed is weak and her womb is rotted." Ayanda nearly scoffed as she realized how many similarities royals and celebrities shared when the princess of Kahba spoke up. "That is very true because I'm sure I saw a picture of the king and queen's predecessors and their clothes were trimmed with silver just like Cesar and all the staff's are." The princess of Tratish interjected, "either way, it is the element of Craorus like gold is for Obren." She focused on Ayanda and said, "gold really is your color." "Thank you." "You're most welcome. Though I suspect you already knew that it compliments you, which is why you've chosen to.... brighten yourself up so to speak. I mean whatever it is that you're using has you positively glowing." She stated while offering up a wicked smirk. Ayanda steeled herself and balled her fists at her side. Rather than offering a compliment with her mention of Ayanda's new glow, the princess of Tratish was reminding Ayanda about Cesar's predilection for women with fairer complexions. She chose to give the princess of Tratish a smile back and said, "Oh it's just a simple cream that tightens and hydrates the skin. I would be happy to lend it to you to help you not look so.... withered. If you're interested of course." One of the princesses spat out the water she was drinking while the others stifled their laughter as the princess of Tratish's smirk faded into an expression of offense as stood and Ayanda added, "This has been lovely, but I think I'll leave you ladies to whatever it was you were doing before I walked in," while taking her leave.
Needing a breather after having dealt with the princess of Tratish's impudence, Ayanda headed to the indoor garden to sit amongst the flowers. She sat in the cool, misted air beside a large plant with long, thin branches that hung to the floor and housed many oval leaves. She deeply breathed in the aroma and lifted her hand to touch the petals of the roses that sat beneath the other plant when she snapped her head to the side upon hearing the sound of footsteps, shocked to see Cesar walking towards her. His eyes quizzically travelled the length of her body. Her breath caught when he finally stopped in the doorway and just stared at her. 'Why is he looking at me like that?' she asked herself before remembering that she looked much different than before. She cleared her throat which seemed to break through the odd trance he seemed to be in. "Forgive the intrusion," he put his hands behind his back as he spoke his first words to her. "I didn't know anyone else would be here." "Yes well, I needed a breath of fresh air." He raised a brow and inclined his head toward the door. "Then why not go outside?" Ayanda swore to herself as she considered how best to go about what could turn into their first conversation. "I meant I needed a refresher from your other candidates rather than to breathe." His gave a slight nod. "Do you and the other... candidates, not get along?" He said while moving to stand directly in front of her and by the plants. Ayanda sized him up, now able to see why the other women so easily yielded to him. The aura about him was masterfully disarming and it drew you to him like a moth to a flame. Even though she hadn't much cared for his attitude towards her before now, she wanted him to like her and not just because it was her job to seduce him into marriage. She cleared her throat. "I just prefer my own company to that of others." Cesar rested an elbow on the stand where the plants sat and thoughtfully held his chin with his finger and thumb. "Is that because others do not intrigue you?" "Not when they behave in a rude or vapid manner." "Hmm." Was his only response. Ayanda slowly rose, feeling silly at being surprised that the prince didn't move back to make sure she had room. She felt herself nearly buckle under the intensity of his gaze as they were now practically face-to-face when she bowed herself out. "If you'll excuse me milord," she turned away to leave, only turning back when he said, "off to spend more time with the nobles?" She raised a brow to him. 'Don't tell me he's bothered?' She thought before asking, "is there a problem with my socializing?" "Not at all, but you did just say you enjoy time alone compared to being around others." "I did." "I think you meant that you don't much get along with other women. Specifically not ones with whom you are in competition with." 'He really is smooth,' she thought as she gave him a look and said, "perhaps you would be right if I gave any thought to the outcome of said competition." Cesar's expression which had been indifferent from the moment her entered the room gave way to a bit of surprise at her words.
Pride at having broken through his armor a bit welled up in Ayanda as she tried to leave again only for him to say, "do you plan on wearing that dress to tonight's festivities?" She turned to fully face him. "Why do you ask?" He away from the plants to stand in front of her again, stopping when they were within a foot of one another. "When I first saw you in here, you resembled a nymph. The dress suits you well." Ayanda's expression softened in surprise at his compliment. "Oh.... thank you." He walked past her until they stood side by side and turned his head toward her. "You're welcome." He then left, leaving Ayanda feeling confused. She chose to wear the dress that night for what turned out to be a casino night. Ayanda had never gambled before and was nervous about destroying all the progress she had made with Cesar by losing due to the pressure or worst, beating him which would likely bruise his ego and ruin everyone's fun. 'Here goes nothing. Or everything.' She thought dreadfully as Lucius led her to a table. He placed a bet and then handed her the dice. "Oh no Lucius I told you, I've never gambled before." "That means you'll have beginners' luck. Just focus on enjoying yourself." She smiled and took the dice from him. She shook it in her hands like she had seen in movies and let it fly across the table. As the dice rolled and spun, she felt like her stomach was doing the same. When they finally stopped, she held her breath as the dealer leaned over, looked at them and called out, "Seven!" She jumped when the other players yelled out and congratulated her. Lucius laughed when he saw her worried expression and said, "it's all right your highness. You won!" "I did?" "Yes. I told you you had beginners' luck." She laughed with him and took hold of his arm to steady herself as her nerves calmed. He patted her hand to help comfort her when Cesar came over with his entourage of women. "Having fun I see?" "Yes milord, these past few nights have been divine. And this casino night is proving to be a rousing success." Cesar smiled. "I'm glad to see you enjoying yourself Lucius," Cesar's eyes went dark for a moment as they caught sight of Lucius' hand that was still touching Ayanda's which was holding onto the crook of Lucius' elbow. Ayanda felt taken aback when she noticed the change in his face before he recomposed himself and asked both her and Lucius to join him for the duration of the night. Lucius accepted for both himself and Ayanda and they all spent the rest of the night celebrating over the many winnings Lucius claimed that Ayanda's luck had won them.
When it was time to say goodnight, Lucius took both Ayanda's hands in his and said, "you have been a pure delight for all of us to be around." the other noblemen who hadn't yet left agreed as she saw Cesar watching them out of her peripheral vision and chose to do something quite daring. She stepped closer to Lucius, stood on her toes and planted a kiss on his cheek. When she fell back on her heels, she said "it has been quite a joyful experience getting to know all of you as well." She looked around at the other noblemen and caught a glimpse of Cesar looking slightly piqued. Lucius's gaze brightened and he kissed the knuckles of both her hands to bid her goodnight. She chose to grace the rest of the men with kisses upon their cheeks as well as they bid her goodnight. Giles was the last noble left to leave and he took her hand as he said, "I'm not sure which of the maidens Cesar will choose but I know who I'm hoping for," "you're too kind sir." They smiled at each other as she said goodnight to him the same way she had to the others and let out a satisfied sigh while pretending to watch him leave when she was actually taking notice of Cesar's unwavering eyes on her. Once Giles was gone, Ayanda headed to her room to change and chose to sneak out to look and see who Cesar might bed that night. Her mouth fell open when she saw five of the princesses running to one of the indoor jacuzzi rooms while laughing quietly amongst themselves with Cesar following behind. Ayanda closed her door and leaned back against it. "My gosh what on earth is up with these women being so eager to jump into bed or in this case, a jacuzzi with him?" She pondered before choosing to push the thought from her mind.