Marina sat with her back so firmly pressed against the cushion of the seat, her father almost feared she might try to merge with the carriage, her face bore an expression of uncomfortable reluctance…<br/><br/>It tore at Lewis Barrington’s heart to push his daughter into territory she didn’t feel accepted or wanted, but… he wasn’t getting any younger and when he was gone, he wanted to make certain that Marina had a husband that would protect and take care of her like she deserved and as much as the both of them found the elite of the elite of high society to be quite tiring… opportunities like this to find a wealthy husband for her didn’t come their way all too often.<br/><br/>True enough, they weren’t poor… but how was Lewis to know for sure that any of his business partners weren’t going to up and abandon Marina the moment he was dead and buried? He saw his daughter for everything she was worth, but other men… they scoffed at the notion of viewing a woman on equal terms, especially in business. Marina would eventually be left penniless… she would be alone… and likely at the mercy of bottom feeders... and he couldn’t bear to let that become her fate when he still had breath within him to prevent it.<br/><br/>“Do I have to go in, Papa?” Marina murmured, lifting her head to look out the carriage window, gazing up at the staircase leading inside the grand opulent castle of the ruling family… her stomach felt sick… she knew how the other young women of higher ranks were going to snicker at her behind her back, like they always did when they came into contact, spoiled wenches had nothing else better to do than to torment those below them.<br/><br/>“It’ll be alright, darling, you’ll be fine” Lewis reassured her, reaching over to take his daughter’s hands into his “You don’t have to entertain the company of anyone you don’t want to, your husband will be your choice… just don’t forget to at least gives the interested gents a chance to put their best foot forward first…”<br/><br/>Marina smiled softly and nodded, she trusted her father when he said he’d never force her to marry someone she didn’t want to… hence why she wasn’t forced to marry the obnoxious son of the silk merchant when he came sniffing… but then Marina happened to know that moron sniffed at just about anything in a skirt. Anything.  Hard pass.<br/><br/>“Come along then, Marina… you’ll see, you will meet someone nice and have a wonderful time” Lewis said as he attempted a fatherly pep talk “Only a fool wouldn’t appreciate my girl”<br/><br/>Stifling the urge to groan, Marina pushed away from the seat and allowed her father to guide her out the now opened doorway… she gazed up the steps with a sour expression, her eyes seemed to say ‘Well… here we go…’.<br/><br/><hr/><br/>“Oh my goodness, they actually invited ALL the nobles… I wasn’t aware they still considered barons nobility…”<br/><br/>Marina rolled at her eyes at the whispered words of Lady Clarissa to Lady Rebecca as they passed by them, the two extravagantly dressed daughters of Duke Wentworth were as annoying at they came… but her father didn’t seem to hear them and if he did, their words slid off of him like rain upon rubber.<br/><br/>“I see Count Lyle Hornberry, he wanted to discuss some of our new foals with me… I trust you’ll be alright on your own, darling?” Lewis asked, waiting to leave her before knowing for sure she’d not take off running or dump a bunch bowl over a gossiping lady’s head.<br/><br/>“I’m fine, Papa… I promise, I’ll be okay and I will behave myself” Marina replied, a slightly smirk playing across her lips “I swear, now go on, I know how proud you are of the newest additions to our stables”<br/><br/>Lewis smiled at his daughter and proceeded across the room to where the Count Wentworth was standing beside the refreshment table.<br/><br/>As she turned to figure out what to do with herself, she could hear Lady Clarissa gossiping some more to Lady Rebecca, but she and her father were not the subject this time…<br/><br/>“When will the royal family emerge?” Lady Rebecca murmured “Another prince choosing a bride, how exciting!”<br/><br/>“Rebecca! Don’t you know whose turn it is?!” Lady Clarissa hissed quietly “Emeric, the cursed one… tonight is the eve of his 25th birthday, this is his party, his turn to choose a wife… you should count your blessed lucky stars that you don’t find yourself face to face with that mask of white and gold…”<br/><br/>“I wonder what he looks like under there… must be awful if he always hides his face behind a mask… and do you think it’s true what they say? That any woman he marries will be cursed as well?”<br/><br/>“Most likely, I heard it’s dangerous to even look at him! My mother said the last girl, a servant girl, to see the face of Prince Emeric… she was found dead in her room, her face etched with horror…”<br/><br/>“Really?! My God!” Rebecca replied, the two of them proceed to stroll away towards the refreshment tables as they continued to chat quietly.<br/><br/>“What rubbish…” Marina grumbled as she allowed her eyes to survey the ballroom, perhaps find a friendly looking individual to strike up some decent conversation with “I swear, most of these nobles desperately need a hobby, their gossiping is way out of control”<br/><br/>In the next moment, trumpets sounded from the direction of the thrones, all eyes were drawn to the ornate double doors, a butler emerged and he cleared his throat “Is it my pleasure to announce the arrival of the royal family! Their royal majesties, King Leoric and Queen Marselle!”<br/><br/>The king and queen then emerged from the doors, both of them strikingly attractive brunettes, the queen wore a magnificent gown of magenta and the king was adorned in regal garments of the kingdom’s colors of scarlet and gold. They promptly took their seats upon the thrones.<br/><br/>The butler spoke again “Crown Prince Varian and Princess Arabella!”<br/><br/>Next through the doors came a tall handsome man that looked to be in his late to mid thirties, his form with well maintained and upon his body too were exquisite garments of scarlet and gold, Princess Arabella opted for a pastel pink gown to compliment her sunshine gold hair… they moved to stand beside the king’s throne, as was Varian place as the heir to the throne.<br/><br/>“2nd Prince Jace and Princess Yvette!”<br/><br/>Through the doors came a slightly younger man, handsome as his elder brother with the same luxurious brunette hair as his family, his wife however sporting a raven black braid going down her back, she wore a gown of deep garnet, while the prince chose garments of sapphire blue and silver.<br/><br/>“3rd Prince Fredrick and Princess Henrietta!”<br/><br/>Through the doors next came a young man looking like he could be any older than 30, if that, he wore a very arrogant and overconfident expression upon his handsome face… his wife however, looked as miserable to be here as Marina was, there such sadness in her eyes, it made Marina wonder why.<br/><br/>“5th Prince, Lionel!”<br/><br/>Through the doors came a lone young man dressed in the same colors as his father and eldest brother, he looked like he couldn’t be more than 18 to 20 years old… she almost thought she were skipping the 4th prince, but then… it occurred to her that the birthday boy might be saved for last.<br/><br/>“And now, the guest of honor this evening, the 4th Prince Emeric!”<br/><br/>When Emeric would emerge, the butler softly whispered “Happy birthday, your highness and best of luck tonight”