Chapter 309: Ruined moment (2)
"Prince Teo, Prince Tyrion," Amelia gracefully greeted the princes with a curtsy. "I am most grateful for the invitation to the palace."
Jade curtsied along with Amelia.
"Prince Teo, I have been looking forward to having a word with you. Have you heard that I will be doing some business with the palace? Do not hit me, woman," Ronan said, glaring at Jade. "Women. They don’t know how to keep their hands to themselves."
Jade rolled her eyes just before she lifted her head.
Was it Amelia or Ronan whom they were trying to find a husband for?
How could Ronan want Amelia to get married quickly, but he would take every chance to talk about himself?
While Jade adored Ronan, she didn’t like to hear him speak of himself, so there was no doubt that others felt the same way.
It could be off-putting for the princes to hear Ronan speak when they were only interested in Amelia.
"I see where Amelia gets her beauty from," Teo said, ignoring Ronan.
Ronan failed to notice he had been ignored and said, "My family has a long line of beautiful women. My mother and her sisters were adored for their beauty. Amelia is not an exception. She will have sons who inherit her beauty and my sense."
"It is good to know," Teo said, disgusted by how Ronan spoke of his daughter.
Teo prepared himself for an hour of torture. Between Amelia constantly fluttering her eyes and Ronan itching to speak of himself, he didn’t know how he would survive.
"I thank you for coming to the palace on such notice. I shall entertain you for an hour before the next young lady and her family arrive," Teo said, turning to lead the way.
Amelia frowned. "The next young lady, Your Highness? I had the impression that I would be the only young lady here."
"Well, yes. For the hour, it will only be you. You are not a stranger to how the season goes. There are plenty of young ladies who seek to become my future queen, and I have thought it best to meet with you one one-on-one. The ones who seem to be doing well, of course," Teo explained.
Jade smiled.
This wasn’t what Jade wanted, but still, Amelia was noticed by Teo. They had cause for concern if Amelia had not been one of the ladies invited to the palace.
"It is a splendid idea, Your Highness. It reminds me of the old selection. The young ladies who are not chosen in the end will remember the moments they had privately with you. It is something money cannot buy," Jade said.
Ronan shook his head. What use was having time with the prince and speaking of it later if you did not become the queen?
Amelia was lost in her thoughts, angry that there would be other ladies to share this moment. She already thought of how she would let it spread that the prince invited her to the palace.
Now, it wasn’t special.
’Who are the others?’ Amelia wondered.
By now, the prince must have narrowed down the list of women he considered for marriage into a small group. If only those ladies were to marry soon or perhaps vanish, then Amelia would stand a chance.
Amelia smiled, no longer concerned about the other ladies. They wouldn’t matter soon.
Amelia had influence, and once she found out who was visiting the prince, she would get rid of them.
"I agree with my mother. This is an experience I shall never forget. Will Prince Tyrion be joining us?" Amelia asked, crossing her fingers that he would leave.
Tyrion would only bring trouble if he remained by Teo’s side.
"I won’t be present for long. My brother wishes for me to share my thoughts on the women he has invited to the palace, but the final choice will be solely up to him. Do not be afraid, Miss Amelia. Your troubles with my wife might not weaken you here," said Tyrion.
’Might not,’ Jade noticed.
Jade got her answer now that Amelia hadn’t listened to her and made things right with Penelope. How could Amelia be so foolish as not to do one little task?
"I will give you a little tour of the palace. The ladies who visit love to see the queen’s garden," Teo said, a frown showing when he turned his back to the Prescotts.
Teo blamed this unfortunate moment on his mother.
Had Hazel not invited Penelope to stay a little longer, then Tyrion wouldn’t be in the palace and cease the moment to invite Amelia to the palace so he could toy with her.
Ronan walked with his head high since he was being escorted by not one but two princes. If Amelia couldn’t secure herself a good match now, then there was something wrong with her.
"Prince Teo, might I add that my daughter has been well taught to be a good wife? I spared no expense to ensure that she is ready for the duties of a wife. She is quite like her mother, and as you can see, my wife is a perfect lady," Ronan said, touching Jade’s face.
"I hear every word you speak, and I shall hold you to it. Miss Amelia’s name has come up plenty of times, long before the start of the season. She was doing well during the time she sought to court my brother, and she continues to do well now to catch my attention," said Teo.
Teo looked back at the trio and said, "I heard of your donations to the orphanage. The crown is grateful for your kindness to the children."
Amelia smiled, thrilled that her donations reached the palace. "I wish I could do more for them. I have been asking my peers to donate what they no longer have any use for."
"To hear of how the children will make use of what I no longer need warms my heart. It has opened my eyes to how I must be more grateful," said Amelia.
"You should join us for the next outing to visit the orphanage. They love meeting the people behind the donations," Tyrion said, seeing through Amelia’s act.
Amelia smiled, though she was annoyed by what Tyrion suggested. Why should she take her time to surround herself with flighty children? Was it not enough that she offered them the dresses she did not need?
"I would be honoured to join your family and to see the children. I am quite fond of children. I cannot wait to become someone’s mother," Amelia replied, looking at Teo.
"My daughter would give you plenty of children, Prince Tyrion. Plenty of princes to fill the palace," Ronan said, his laughter echoing around them.
"The palace is quite large, Mr. Prescott. Do you indeed have your daughter bred like cattle?" Tyrion asked, his patience with Ronan snapping.