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Finally the Austerian delegation’s eyes fell upon their destination. The towers of the castle peaked over the horizon in proud defiance of the sun behind it. Their mood, tired and travel-weary, was swiftly replaced by a sense of relief. No less could that be seen from the expression of Erik Bel Auster, duke of Turland, protector and master of the river Auster and heir apparent to the throne of the kingdom of Austerund. The dozen hours of air travel had left him weary, for he never slept well in the skies. And Erik refused to step out of this car groggily as a result from a short nap. As such, the king-to-be was forced to attend the first day of Vivian’s celebrations in a state of slightly diminished mental aptitude. However, that was something the world would not know.

Celebrations did nary to elicit excitement from Erik. What enjoyment was there in the presence of so many that all sorts of personal intimacy went lost? But that was only the ball. Indeed, surely there would be enough opportunity for joyous conversation with two people, in the confines of four simple walls. And there was far more to enjoy than personality at events such as these.

Naturally, everyone always had a hidden agenda. Such was the simple truth of politics. It was the world that he lived in, a world in which he would stay a player until the day he died. Naturally, the wedding was important and all. But how could he ignore the splendour that was the great Aciran castle? A true marvel of an age long past languishing in the shadow of the Aciran metropoles that surrounded it. Oh, every moment that Erik could relish its architecture was a moment spent truly [i]living[/i].  The renovations the building had undergone throughout the years did little to diminish the enjoyment of the building’s splendid history, for at least it meant he could reside inside of its walls in welcome comfort.

But there was more than enough time to enjoy the antiquity. In the here and now, Erik had to prepare for the spotlight.  Erik’s suit, a striking midnight blue coat and trousers, accompanied by a black bow tie, was only proper for an event of this magnitude for it was designed exclusively for him by Hansi Türsten, the most well-renowned Austerian tailor to grace the Savile Row.  His younger  brothers, Sindri and Arvid, wore matching, but distinctive, suits to make the three of them look like a true set. That was what Erik had demanded of them if they wanted to come with him. Their fashion sense was so boorish even a caveman would cringe. And Erik would not let his younger brothers make him look bad in the eyes of the international society, for shame! There were many other style icons, amicable as they may be, destined to be present at this event. Alejandro sprung to Erik’s mind immediately. He couldn’t let him catch all the eyes, could he? He had a reputation to uphold. 

Their vehicle stopped in front of the grandiose entriance of the Aciran palace as silently as it had driven throughout the Aciran mainland. With Austerund’s top-of-the-line electrical cars, gas and diesel would soon be a thing of the past. Here it was a set piece to impress the other nations with his nation’s grandeur. Erik showed it off out of pride. Pride for the nation he would lead in mere years from now, the circumstances around his ascension notwithstanding. Had [i]she[/i] not been so eager to procrastinate, the throne would already have been his. Erik could not really complain. His father, praise be to his name for all time, was truly a great king, albeit a very strict father.  And Erik could enjoy the freedom of his current station a little longer. Being king left little time for more entertaining matters.  

The doors on both sides were opened by their prime attendants. On his side it was Radke Rasmussen. Erik had never met anyone that didn’t have to look up at Radke, so giant was he. He still remembered the one time he had been foolish enough to challenge the man to arm wrestle,. He had sworn his arm was about to snap in two.  The man had been in his family’s service for more than a decade. On the side of his brothers was stocky Reinhild, who was never far behind Sindri or Arvid on any occasion. Two other attendants were already unloading the car of all its baggage and wedding gifts and leashing Tiki and Coco. The matured Servals clamoured in their playfulness, but were relatively docile as far as this type of wild animal was concerned. They had been a gift by an allied African kingdom, young kittens at the time, nearly a decade ago.  

The Austeran attendants would do all the heavy lifting and animal handling, leaving the Aciran attendant the single duty to guide the way to their quarters.  Austeran customs considered it an affront to let a hosting nation take care of such matters when they were already providing accommodations!  

Radke and Reinhild accompanied the princes on the walk towards the entrance of their residence for the next two months. Two. Months. Certainly Aciras was showing off with celebrations of this incredible duration. He only wondered how Raven pulled it off. Event management wasn’t something Erik would ever do himself. But if the event was going to be anywhere as fabulous as Raven’s dress choice, then the party’s success was guaranteed. The moment she came in sight, he could only nod approvingly. 

And then it was time for formalities. Erik curtsied with a slight nod. His bow was slight, especially compared to is brothers. Of course, that was all according to the etiquette of a crown prince. [color=b8c5c3]”His Majesty the King, Her Majesty the Queen, Her Royal Highness, Princess of Aciras”[/color] God, he hated addressing Raven as anything besides just Raven. It felt off being so formal to a friend. [color=b8c5c3]”I, Crown prince Erik Bel Auster of Austerund, express my gratitude in the name of the Austerian delegation for accepting us in your presence today. May the sun touch your kingdom eternally.”[/color]  He spoke as was custom for ages long before Austerund even existed.  Soon the sun would touch that kingdom again. Notably, the woman of the hour was not present at the entrance herself. Perhaps she was in the hall itself? Greeting the bride-to-be was of great prudency, almost as important as addressing the rulers themselves in his eyes. 

Once the Aciran royalty finished formally addressing Erik and his brothers in similar fashion, only then were they released from their curtsies and were they allowed entry into the castle. Such was only proper. Erik took great care to not miss a beat all the way to the end. He would not allow himself the embarrassment in front of the Aciran court.  What good would his suit do him if he might as well be wearing a clown’s costume? Every little thing had been forcefully pressed into the princes’ skull from a tender age. 

Walking inside, even the entrance hall would reveal the incredibly intricate detail Raven and her team had put into every facet of this event. It was a feat that the Bel Auster siblings could only admire. Silently Erik was looking forward to the celebrations, and what they had in store for them. As long as it didn’t involve crowds all too often. 
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