Marriage Of Convenience: Part 1

The princess first saw him in the gardens, and for a brief moment, she was distracted. She’d been running errands for her father and had accidentally fallen behind schedule. There were few people in the gardens at this hour, so it wasn’t an unfamiliar sight to see some of them sitting near each other and staring into space.

She thought about how she should approach them, but then again there might be someone else who she could speak with instead. So, taking a deep breath, she made her way over to where they were, keeping as quiet as possible.

They didn’t seem to notice that she had joined them until she spoke, clearing her throat loudly enough that they turned around, startled. The girl looked young, but not so much that no one would have guessed she could be in her mid-twenties. She was pretty, even if her hair was messy and matted from the rain outside.

“Sorry! I didn’t mean to startle you,” she said politely. She felt a little out of place just standing there in front of them like that, but when she glanced up at the man who stood next to her he only offered her a halfhearted smile.

“It’s alright, Princess,” he said quietly. “I don’t mind.”

That seemed to put the princess at ease because she returned his smile. “Are you two… friends?” she asked carefully.

He let out a small chuckle and shook his head, looking back over at his companion. “No, we’re not.” He smiled at the girl once more before turning back to look at her. “I’m King Dedede, this is Queen Esther. We met earlier today.”

Princess Iris nodded and extended a hand towards them. “Hello! My name is Princess Iris. It’s very nice to meet you both!”

King Dedede smiled as he took her hand gently in his own. “Thank you,” he told her. “And your kingdom, it looks beautiful.” He glanced at her dress. “May I ask what you are wearing?”

She grinned sheepishly, glancing down at her clothes. “Oh, right! This,” she said, holding out one arm for emphasis. “I’m a princess! But my mother thinks my dresses are too revealing…”

Esther laughed softly and nudged King Dedede. “She has a point, darling. You really need to learn to keep your outfits more modest.” She gave Iris a warm smile before returning her attention to her husband. “Dedede, do you remember what the plan was for tonight?”

King Dedede sighed, shaking his head slightly. “I suppose it doesn’t matter anymore. All we know is that we’ll probably leave early, which will hopefully give us time to talk privately beforehand,” he said. “But I’ve already sent word ahead to the castle servants; I think I know what their response will be.”

“Of course you do, dear,” Esther said sweetly. “You’re such a good king.”

Before either man had the chance to reply, there came another shout from farther along the garden path. Both king and queen turned to see the source. A group of young men were walking toward them, chatting animatedly among themselves. It almost seemed like they were heading towards the two royals, but then one of them called out, and all heads immediately turned in their direction.

“Ah, there you are,” King Dedede said. He stepped closer and waved the young men over, gesturing for them to take seats nearby. As they approached, Iris noticed that one of them was missing.

“Where’s Prince Kirby?” she asked, her brow furrowing in concern.

Dedede chuckled. “Don’t worry,” he said. “He’s probably just getting himself something to drink.” His eyes shifted past the princess for a moment before focusing back on her face.

To be continued…