Elysium: Desired by the Cold-hearted Princess [GL]-Chapter 21: The Marriage Proposal

Electra's Pov

I took a deep breath, trying to keep my temper in check as I stood just outside the doors of the meeting hall. My fingers curled into tight fists at my sides, and I felt so much tension in my chest. It always feels like this when I'm about to face my parents, especially my mother.

The message had come unexpectedly, delivered through the principal as a curt and formal request for me to return home immediately, and the moment I received it, I knew something was wrong.

My father would never call for me unless it's absolutely necessary, and my mother? Well, she never calls for me at all. She had sent me off to boarding school years ago and was content to keep me as far away from her as possible.

It wasn't exactly a secret within the palace that she couldn't stand the sight of me.

So, whatever this meeting was about, it wasn't good, and I could feel it in my bones. I felt it in my chest as soon as I arrived at the palace, and the feeling only grew when my lady-in-waiting rushed me into formal attire without even explaining why I'd been summoned.

Formal wear always means one thing—official business, and official business in my family never bodes well for me.

I let out another breath, slower this time, trying to calm my nerves. The last thing I need is to lose control in front of my father and the elders.

When it came to dealing with my family, I always tried my very best to keep my emotions tightly under wraps. My father had very low tolerance just like me, and as for my mother, she was a witch—a witch I'd kill if I had the chance to.

With one final deep breath, I pushed open the doors to the meeting hall and stepped inside.

At the far end of the hall, my father, King Vale, was seated at the head of the long table, his expression as unreadable as ever, and to his right, my mother, Queen Jella, sat with her spine straight and her eyes cold and distant as they always are when they fall on me.

Around the table were the fourteen elders of Elmeria, men and women I've known my entire life, all of them wearing the same stern, disapproving expressions I've grown used to seeing.

"Electra," my father said, his deep voice cutting through the silence as I approached. "You've arrived."

I nodded, keeping my expression neutral. "You called for me, Father."

He gestured to the empty seat at his left hand side, and I took it without a word, my back straight and my hands folded in my lap.

"Electra," my father began, his eyes meeting mine. "I apologize for calling you home so suddenly. I understand you are busy with your studies, and I do not mean to disrupt your focus."

I nodded slowly, keeping my voice calm. "It's not a problem, Father," I said. "But I'd like to know why I was summoned so urgently."

I already had a feeling this wasn't going to be good. In fact, any time the elders were involved, I knew it was bound to be a headache.

One of them, a man named Elder Athelon, cleared his throat and shifted in his seat before standing.

He was the type of man who liked the sound of his own voice, and whenever he stood, it meant something long and boring was about to follow. His dark eyes locked on me as he bowed slightly in acknowledgment.

"Princess Electra," he began, his voice low, "on behalf of the council, I must inform you that it was not His Majesty who called you home, but us—the elders."

I raised an eyebrow, a hint of skepticism creeping into my expression. "The elders?" I repeated, watching his every move.

He nodded. "Yes, we made a proposal to the king, one we believe is in the best interest of Elmeria, and it also concerns your future, Your Highness."

My frown deepened, and I felt my hands tighten at my sides. My future? That could only mean one thing: something was about to be decided for me without my consent.

I'd seen this play out before—decisions made behind closed doors, with my input being nothing more than a formality.

"I see," I said coolly. "And what exactly is this proposal?"

Elder Athelon glanced at the others before continuing. "We believe that your coming of age brings with it certain responsibilities to the kingdom. It is time for you to solidify your role in Elmeria's future, and as such, we have proposed an alliance between our kingdom and the kingdom of Varin."

An alliance? I already knew what that meant; it could only mean an arranged marriage.

"An alliance," I repeated. "And what, pray tell, does that entail?"

Elder Athelon didn't miss a beat. "We have proposed that you enter into a marriage with Prince Loric of Varin. He is of noble standing, and the union would greatly strengthen our kingdom's ties with Varin. Both economically and militarily, it would be a wise decision. It would also be wise if our future Queen was to align herself with the second most powerful kingdom."

Marriage. Of course, it was marriage.

I could feel the laugh forming inside me, but I managed to hold it back, forcing myself to keep a straight face.

I glanced around the room, watching the elders nod in agreement with each other, clearly oblivious to the fact that they were wasting their breath.

My father, of course, was silent, always the dutiful king, too preoccupied with maintaining appearances to ever consider my opinion.

The idea of marrying some prince for the sake of an "alliance" was laughable. I knew this wasn't about securing the kingdom's future since Elmeria was already the most powerful kingdom. No, this was about control.

It was about forcing me to play the obedient daughter and the future queen with a king at her side.

I felt my lips curl into a faint smile, but not out of happiness; it was the kind of smile you give when you realize just how absurd the situation truly is.

What would they do, I wondered, if I simply told them the truth? That I couldn't marry a man because I had no interest in men at all? That the idea of having a king by my side made me want to retch?

Oh, they would be mortified.

The thought brought a rush of wicked satisfaction, and I couldn't help myself any longer.

"Elder Athelon," I said sweetly, "what would happen, I wonder, if I had no interest in getting married at all?" freewebnσvel.cøm

His voice faltered, and he blinked at me in confusion. "Your Highness?" he said, clearly taken aback.

I leaned forward just slightly, letting my smile widen in a way that I knew would unnerve him. "What if," I continued, my tone almost teasing, "I didn't want to marry? At least, not to a man. Perhaps there's even a good chance that I don't like men."

For a moment, the room was dead silent, and I watched with growing amusement as the elders' faces registered the meaning behind my words.

Elder Athelon's mouth was wide open, and his face had turned into an uncomfortable shade of pale. The other elders exchanged uneasy glances, unsure how to react.

As for my parents, well, my father's eyes snapped to mine, cold and angry, while my mother's glare could have set the room on fire.

Good. Let them stew in it for a while.

Another elder, a woman named Elira, cleared her throat nervously.

"Your Highness," she began hesitantly, "what… what exactly do you mean by that?"

I shrugged nonchalantly, still smiling. "Oh, I'm just saying that men—well, they're rather boring, don't you think? Predictable. Stale, even. Why would I want to spend my life with someone so tedious when I could be far more satisfied by, say, a woman?"

The silence that followed was delicious.

Elder Athelon looked like he might faint, and several of the other elders were shifting uncomfortably in their seats, clearly unsure how to handle the situation.

Even Elira, who had posed the question, seemed to be struggling to keep her composure, but the real prize was my parents.

My mother's face had that look of barely restrained anger, while my father's knuckles were white as he gripped the armrests of his chair.

I could almost feel their anger radiating toward me, but I didn't care. Let them be angry.

Athelon was the first to recover, though his voice was shaky as he spoke. "Princess Electra," he stammered, "surely... surely you are joking."

I tilted my head, considering him for a moment. "Am I?"

The elder's face went even paler, and he glanced at my father, clearly hoping for support. My father, however, remained silent, his jaw clenched in fury. When it became clear that no help was coming, Athelon turned back to me, swallowing nervously.

"Your Highness," he said slowly, "this... this is highly inappropriate. You have a duty to the kingdom. To—"

"To marry someone I don't care about?" I interrupted, my tone harsher now. "Forgive me if I don't find that appealing."

Elder Esmeralda, another elder, spoke up, her voice weak. "But... but surely you understand the importance of this alliance, Princess. Prince Loric is—"

"I don't care about Prince Loric," I snapped, my patience wearing thin. "Or any other prince, for that matter. I have no intention of ever getting married, and even if I do, marrying a man is not an option at all. So do yourselves a favor and find other ways to strengthen your alliance, because I won't be of help to you."