Chapter 13: A Royal Dinner

Dressed in a long golden gown that worked perfectly to accentuate her assets, Emilia descends the stairs and enters the dining room. Being dressed like this was a foreign feeling for her. She had grown up wearing skirts and dresses, sure, but she had never worn anything so elegant before and she was always wearing a pair of combat boots. She walked slowly, trying to ensure that she wouldn't trip and fall on her face.

When she opens the door to the dining room, Emilia is met with many unfamiliar faces. Some were scowling while others gifted her with smiles that gave her chills. She spots Dietrich at the far end of the table, silently staring in her direction with lust filled eyes. She awkwardly clears her throat and shifts her weight, unsure of where to be seated.

Dietrich shakes his head slightly and walks over to her side. He bends down and whispers, "Come sit next to me. I'll do introductions in just a moment." Emilia nods silently and follows Dietrich over to her seat. He pulls her chair out for her and then scoots it back in after she is sat down. Emilia stays silent and stares down at the intricately designed tablecloth before her.

Dietrich stands and taps a spoon against the side of a champagne glass to gain attention from the guests. 'As you all know, I went out to the Southern Packs in order to secure a peace treaty. I'm proud to announce that my mission was successful." He pauses until the excited murmurs die down again. "I have some more news for all of you. Please allow me to introduce Emilia Rose, the missing Southern Princess and my mate. We will be traveling back to the South to reunite her with her family after taking a rest here tonight. If you have any questions, meet me at my study after dinner. For now, let's feast and celebrate!" He says. The guests show a mix of excitement and concern after the prince had finished his announcements, nobody dared to speak directly to him right now.

After everyone has finished eating, they wait for Dietrich to excuse himself from the table before chattering amongst themselves. Emilia sees Dietrich head towards a set of double doors and she follows, curious to see where he was sneaking off to.

Upon entering through the double doors, she finds a large indoor garden. With flowers of all colors as far as the eye could see. She looks around and realizes that Dietrich had vanished from sight.

Emilia treads carefully as she enters deeper into the garden in search of her partner. His scent was still strong so she knew he didn't leave the area. But where was he? And then she remembered, just in time, Dietrich said that they were jumping straight into training after dinner.

The large man jumps out at Emilia but she quickly dodges. However, her dress made her movement awkward and she wound up tripping. Dietrich guffaws at the sight, Emilia had fallen straight into a bed of white roses. "You know… I'm beginning to feel like roses are cursed." She joked halfheartedly.

Dietrich falls into silence as he helps her back to her feet. "You know, as a royal you'll have to get used to random attacks. That also means getting used to fighting in outfits that aren't meant for combat." He points out. Emilia grumbles, "well you should've said that I'd be fighting in a dress like this beforehand so I could know what to expect."

Dietrich puts his face dangerously close to Emilia's, his hot breath tickling her lips as he speaks. "That's the whole point Em, you're not always going to get a warning ahead of time or the knowledge of what to expect from an enemy. That's why I didn't say anything beforehand." He says with a serious tone. Emilia pushes him away from her face. "Yeah yeah, I get it. Let's just continue." She responds back.

Dietrich nods and throws an uppercut toward her but Emilia is quick to dodge as she launches her own attack, kicking him harshly in the ribs. Dietrich smiles wickedly as he sweeps her feet out from under her and watches Emilia fall flat on her bottom. She growls in frustration and throws a handful of dirt into his face, using the distraction to hide herself amongst the plants.

"Taking a trick from my book? You learn fast, little one. But don't forget, this is my territory and I know it better than you." He says before kicking over the plant she had been hiding behind. "Tsk. At least I'm trying." She says grumpily. "Try harder." He laughs.

Their little game of hide-and-seek was cut short when the butler from earlier enters the room and clears his throat. "Sorry to interrupt Master Dietrich but your guests are rather impatient and have decided to crowd the hallway leading to your study. I believe it best that you quickly handle things there. I shall take the madam to your room and have the maids assist her prepare for bed." He says with a glint of mischief in his eyes.

Emilia opens her mouth to correct him but Dietrich speaks first. "Actually Fredrick, Emilia will be returning to the guest bedroom. She may be my mate but she and I have come to the agreement that we have other matters to handle before concerning ourselves with traditions of mating." He explains nonchalantly.

Fredrick nods in understanding and silently leads Emilia back to her bedroom. Once at the door, Fredrick decides to speak. "I apologize if my earlier assumption has offended you Miss, it was not my intention. Please accept my sincere apology. Sleep well." He says before bowing and walking away, not giving Emilia a chance to respond.

She enters the room and sees the maids whispering amongst themselves, unaware of her presence. She clears her throat and shuts her door, making the maids jump. "Welcome back Miss, would you perhaps like to have another bath before bed? We took the liberty of picking out a nightgown for you and made up your bed. We weren't certain if you'd be returning to this room but thought we should keep it prepared for you just in case." The older maid from earlier says while bowing respectfully.

"Thank you. Yes, I would very much enjoy another bath. Do you think we could use peppermint oils this time? I'm afraid I'm feeling a bit under the weather at the moment. And do you… well… Do you think it's possible that one of you could explain some of the royal etiquette to me while I bathe?" Emilia says back with an innocent and sweet voice.

The maids' faces all visibly light at her words. The older maid glares at the others as she responds. "Of course Miss. Anything you need." The maid then looks over to a purple haired woman and nods her head, "go draw the bath and add the peppermint oil as the Miss has requested." The younger maid nods and scurries into the bathroom.

Emilia undresses with the assistance of the older maid and then steps into the bath. The water was at perfect temperature as it warmed her body almost immediately. She could feel herself relax in the heated water as she laid back. The maid begins informing Emilia of all things royalty and gives her a crash course about the do's and don'ts.

After her bath, Emilia dries herself and gets dressed into the black nightgown that the maids had left out for her. She gets into the large queen size bed and relishes in the warmth and comfort that it provides. Before sending the maids off she asks for a glass of water. After finishing her water, Emilia turns out the lights and closes her eyes. Sleep comes quickly as the exhaustion from the day's events finally hits her fully.

Unbeknownst to Emilia, she was the only one that was getting a good night's sleep. Dietrich was forced to stay up for the entire night while handling the various objections, requests, and inquiries of his people. The main topic of the night: what will he do if the Southern Pack accuses him of keeping Emilia hostage upon reuniting them? He didn't care though, his mate had gone through enough betrayal and he wasn't about to add to it for any reason.

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