Page 6 of Fit for a Prince (Fit For A Crown #1)

Chapter six

T he dining room was too big for such a small crowd, yet I still felt like I was trapped in another box.

Tall windows spanned the far wall, letting in fragments of light that were textured from an overcast sky.

A sparkling chandelier with sharp crystals that reminded me of diamond daggers hung precariously over the table, threatening to fall and skewer the roast duck in the center of the spread.

The table was round, allowing the three men seated together to view my entrance like I was on some sort of stage. It would have been too bold for me to look any of them in the eyes this early, but I wasn’t here to play it safe.

I stepped into the room, locking eyes with the first prince seated on the left.

He immediately scowled at me, his onyx eyes piercing me with a dominance that I was all too ready to challenge.

He was seated, but I could tell he was tall based on the length of his torso.

His hair was nearly the same dark shade as the other two brothers, and his features were strong and well-sculpted.

I glared at him until he became visibly agitated, then shifted my attention to the next brother.

His eyes shocked me. He looked almost identical to the first brother, but instead of dominating black eyes, his eyes were a mysterious grey that felt like an endless mirror with no reflection.

There was no doubt that the two were the elder twins.

The main difference was that I received far less glaring from the second brother.

Instead, those steely eyes seemed to latch on to me like a silver pair of chains, dragging me closer and inspecting me inch by inch with a fascination that made my blood warm.

I forced myself to look away, taking a moment to investigate the youngest son, who appeared to be the most welcoming of them all.

He didn’t smile, but there was no glowering or commanding look on his face either.

His features were softer than his twin brothers’, and his hair and eyes were just a touch lighter than the first brother.

I approached the table, pausing at the edge of it to curtsey only low enough that I wouldn’t get beheaded on the spot.

They watched me perform in silence, testing me to see if I would speak first and offend them even further. I kept my lips pressed shut, daring to look up halfway through my curtsey to watch their reactions.

“This is what Father has sent us?” the first twin asked in a sharp tone that hid a low growl. “He must be joking. ”

“Don’t be so rude, Lochlan,” the youngest brother, who I presumed was Cedric, said. “She’s hardly even walked into the room.”

“She’s done much more than that.” Lochlan narrowed his eyes at me, once again trying to intimidate me with his presence alone. I stood tall, angering him further by my lack of fear. “She thinks she’s special because she clawed her way out of a prison cell.”

That’s how it’s going to be?

“And you believe you’re special because you possess no claws?” I felt the room drop in temperature as my words jabbed at the prince. Even the servants standing silently in the corners let out tiny gasps as Prince Lochlan pressed his fists into the table.

Insulting a prince might have been the most foolish thing a girl in my position could do.

“I’m sorry, did it just speak?” Prince Lochlan rose from his seat, showing off just how tall and well-built he truly was.

…unless she’s trying to gain the attention of his brothers.

“Easy now.” The second twin grabbed Lochlan’s arm. “No need to start anything before we’ve even made introductions.”

Lochlan paused, never shifting his gaze from me. I could practically feel his imagination running wild, choking me out and forcing me to bow like the peasant he saw me as. My imagination was just as playful, as a beautiful picture of him rotting in his own prison painted a brief smile on my lips.

“I don’t intend to introduce myself to that .” Lochlan yanked his arm free from his brother, straightening his sleeve before sinking back into his chair. “She’s only here to be a leech.”

“It’s not like she was offered much of a choice,” Cedric reasoned.

He stood up from the table and walked around to the other side where I was waiting.

My muscles tensed, still not fully ready to trust any Aemastian despite his casual approach.

I remained stiff as Prince Cedric pulled out a chair for me, offering me a chance to sit with a polite but distanced nod.

“Father commanded us to dine with her. Do either of you want to tell him you refused his order?”

The twins stayed silent, and after ensuring there were no further arguments, I took my seat. Cedric pushed the chair up to the table, placing me in front of a bowl of soup that smelled like the ocean in the worst way possible.

“I’m Prince Cedric,” Cedric said as soon as he returned to his seat. “The grouchy one over there is Prince Lochlan, and this is Prince Atlas.”

Lochlan rolled his eyes, and Atlas stopped looking at me entirely so he could indulge in a sip of wine. His eyes flicked to me from over the top of his cup, settling on my exotic gold hair and Aemastian blue dress.

“And your name?” Cedric asked, his question drawing the attention of all three princes to me.

“Diaspro,” I said simply.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Diaspro,” Cedric said politely as he picked up his fork.

“Are you done being a diplomat?” Lochlan glared at his younger brother. “There’s no point in making her feel welcome when she’ll never belong here.”

“Father seems to want her to belong,” Atlas said, his voice low and collected. He had one of those faces that just forced you to listen to him. Even though it looked so much like his brothers, the differences were remarkable. “Why else would he request one of us marry her?”

“Because he enjoys a good joke,” Lochlan scoffed. “He can’t possibly expect us to marry another man’s leftovers. Nonetheless Damon ’ s abandoned bride.”

I winced at the name. It was the first time I’d heard it mentioned in such a crass way.

I bit down on my tongue, fighting off any emotions until there was nothing left.

I needed to become calloused to that name.

Damon was dead; he couldn’t save me anymore.

My last hope of survival rested with one of the men in front of me.

“Father believes Damon picked her for a good reason.” Cedric shrugged. “Damon was quite renowned for his talents, after all.”

“Damon is also dead, so forgive me for not being convinced that he made the wisest decisions,” Lochlan said with a cruel nod in my direction, prodding at me for a reaction.

I didn’t move, my heart an impermeable fortress against anything Lochlan threw.

“Don’t listen to him,” Cedric said to me, his expression softening. Seeing Lochlan attack me seemed to bring out a gentler side of Cedric. “He’s just intimidated by faces that are prettier than his.”

Atlas chuckled at that one, and Lochlan’s neck flushed redder the longer he boiled.

“There’s nothing pretty about another prince’s scraps,” Lochlan spat, and I felt my blood pressure rise. “I don’t care what you look like, or what you say. You should have burned with the rest of your people. Damon may have picked you, but I never will.”

That crosses one option off the list, at least.

“That’s fine with me,” I said coolly, folding my hands into my lap. “I don’t wish to marry anyone lesser than me anyway. ”

Lochlan smacked his fists down on the table, rattling every glass and dish as he pushed out of his seat. “Why, you little Ivalonian brat.” He came after me, only making it about three feet before Atlas and Cedric chased after him and held him back. “Get off me! She needs to learn her place.”

“This is my place.” I stood, my heart running faster than my mind could keep up with. “I’m exactly where your king wants me to be.”

“Are you really foolish enough to use our father as a shield?” Lochlan laughed, pulling free from his brothers but no longer chasing after me.

“For now,” I said, keeping my tone even despite the panic trying to race through my bones. Until I can hide behind a prince again. “You can’t fault me for doing what I’m told.”

“You were told to impress us.” Lochlan advanced again, closing the distance between us while leaving his brothers behind him.

“That’s the only way you survive this, isn’t it?

By dragging one of us to the altar? Well, I hate to break it to you, Princess, but none of us have any interest in marrying an outcast.”

My stomach knotted, and I dared to look around him to see if the other two princes agreed. I should have expected to see their complacency. Neither one showed any interest in arguing with Lochlan’s statement.

Fine. I didn’t think this would be easy anyway.

“I may be an outcast, but by the order of your king I am also a lady who has entered a courtship with each of you.” I forced my voice not to waver, my shoulders straight and my legs locked as I embraced the role I’d been forced into. “I refuse to be treated as anything less.”

“You are less,” Lochlan said with a sneer. “Your blood runs too red to be worth anything here.”

“Hand me a sword, and let’s see if your blood is any less red than mine,” I challenged, shifting closer so I was only a few inches away from the aggravating royal. “I am no less than you are, Your Highness . You simply refuse to give me your respect, but soon enough I’ll command it.”

The other two brothers shifted forward, Atlas’s expression catching my eyes as he watched me like I was his favorite champion in a jousting match.

“I wasn’t favored by King Leopold because of my delicate curtseys or flouncy curls.

” My heart turned to solid ice as the memories of my climb to power resurfaced.

King Septimus was ruthless, but King Leopold had been no better.

If only they knew all I’d done to simply survive.

“I fought for my place in Ivalon, and I’ll do the same here.

I will not be overlooked, and I will not be underestimated.

The scraps from a golden casting are just as precious as the finished craft.

Consider yourselves lucky that Damon’s scraps fell into your lap; I hope you’re wise enough to determine their worth. ”

I stormed out, not bothering to turn back or heed the warning of the servants who whispered frantically about the rules. I walked straight out the doors, stopping only when a pair of guards halted me so they could properly escort me to my room.

I could practically hear Mara’s voice screaming in my head not to do anything foolish, but I hardly felt like the fool tonight.

Any punishment the king chose for me would be well worth it to maintain my dignity. If I was going to prove myself worthy of their respect, I had to do exactly as I had promised and start commanding it.