Marriage Of Convenience: Part 2

“Didn’t you say that you were planning on stopping by the kitchens before dinner? I believe he mentioned that as well.”

“Oh! Yes! That’s right,” she said brightly. She’d nearly forgotten about that entirely. She’d barely eaten since breakfast and hadn’t been able to make any plans after that. In fact, her entire day had been spent trying to get everything ready for dinner that evening, though she still wasn’t quite sure why her father wanted to eat together in the first place. Was it because he wanted to thank the guests? Or did he want to discuss some business matters?

As they began to sit down, Iris noticed the woman who sat to the left of King Dedede. Even though she was dressed simply, Iris found herself noticing that she looked rather attractive, with short blonde hair styled perfectly. Her face seemed soft and open, and although she seemed to be alone she didn’t appear sad or lonely. Instead, she wore a wide grin as she reached out and hugged the man next to her. He laughed happily in return, giving her a fond pat on the shoulder.

As the rest of the men sat down, one of them addressed them. His voice seemed familiar somehow, but Iris couldn’t figure out why. After a glance around, she realized that everyone else in the room sounded familiar, too. They all talked about different things, laughing at jokes and stories. And although she wasn’t sure if they had ever seen her before, they treated her like she was part of the group.

Eventually, the conversation died down. Everyone went silent save for the couple across the table, who was still smiling affectionately at one another. Iris frowned lightly. She was beginning to feel left out, but that wasn’t what she’d come here to find out. When she caught King Dedede’s eye again, she tilted her chin upward slightly, silently asking him what she should ask. His eyes widened slightly in surprise, as if surprised that she even had to ask at all.

After a long, considering pause he eventually replied. “There are two of us here tonight,” he said quietly.

The princess blinked. Two couples? Why did that make sense? Did King Dedede have more than one wife? What did that mean for her? How many children did he have? Was she supposed to meet them later, when they got married?

She was brought out of her thoughts when she heard a sharp intake of breath from the blonde woman. For a moment Iris wondered if maybe she had said something wrong, before looking back up at Dedede. He had gone very pale and was clearly struggling to keep the shock off of his face. The man next to him looked equally horrified.

Then Dedede finally managed to choke out, “I… am sorry, Princess. Do you… I mean, uh…” He stopped speaking abruptly.

What? Why were they apologizing? Did she say something wrong?

The king was the first to regain control of himself. “Your Highness, I think you should go now,” he said, sounding strained. His hand moved hesitantly toward hers. “We can continue talking tomorrow.”

She looked from him to the blonde woman. “Are you… okay? Is there anything I can help you with?” she asked. Surely they couldn’t be upset at her for accidentally making a mistake that shouldn’t have happened. She wasn’t stupid; she knew that she was meant to marry the prince and yet she’d never actually expected to get married at the ball. If anything, it made sense that they wouldn’t tell her now.

The woman, the one sitting next to Dedede, seemed to relax slightly.

To be continued…