Time passed, people grew, and schedules became busy. Ten years had passed since that night, and Enid was the same age as Mira was when she was married. Though she had kept up with her duties as the now sole princess of the Elara.
Enid, however, was a tad different than Mira. She still hadn't settled on a marriage prospect two years after her debut.
"I swear, that child will be the death of me. She has HUNDREDS of marriage proposals and she's rejected each one of them for one silly reason or another!" Queen Ira slammed several letters against the desk before stomping over to the nearby mirror. "I'm getting grayer just trying to find something for her."
"Well I wouldn't mind if she stayed unmarried forever." Valen huffed looking through the proposals. "A Count?! He thinks he's good enough for MY daughter?!" The man tore up the letter and chucked it across the room while his wife just stared at him.
"As much as she's your baby girl, she has to marry. If she doesn't choose, I will choose for her. I already have several in mind." Ira smirked holding up folders. Valen's face depleted of color as he hung his head. "Oh relax, you saw how I managed to bring Mira and Polit together. Now you have two adorable twin grandchildren who come to visit in the summer. AND, they're happy together."
"Hmph." He huffed as Ira rolled her eyes.
"Well if you don't want me picking, please tell your daughter to make up her mind. She's so picky." Ira flitted her hand while looking over the folders.
Meanwhile, Enid was sorting through an even bigger pile of proposal letters outside as Mateo and Nolan helped her. The three had remained friends throughout the years despite busy schedules.
"You really have a lot of proposals, E." Nolan nonchalantly said reading one of the proposal letters. "Jeez, they move fast with the whole love thing."
"This one is just bluntly stating they want to be tied to the royal family," Mateo scoffed. "At least he's honest about his power hunger." He muttered tossing the letter onto the table.
Enid simply laughed at the table, wiping away the tears in her eyes as she threw the letter she was reading down. "I can't believe the audacity of these men. None of them are sincere in their proposals... except for the power-hungry one. That was too honest." She sighed. "My mother is on my back about this whole thing."
"I mean, you did debut two years ago and still haven't picked anyone. Most men probably think you're an old maid." Nolan teased as Enid's face grew red.
"Old maid?! I'm only twenty!" She yelled hitting him in the shoulder. "And what about you two?! You haven't found anyone either, and you're older than me!" She accused pointing between them.
The two men shared a look before turning back to her. "We're men. We don't have to find anyone right now." Mateo shrugged as she sighed. Nolan patted her back and grinned.
"Aw, poor thing is struggling. How about we leave these loser letters behind and go for a ride? I'm sure that'll clear your mind." Nolan suggested as she sighed.
"I wish I could. I still have a meeting with my mother. You two are welcome to stay here until I get back though. If I'm not drained, let's go for a ride then." Enid ruffled their hair before bounding off with her maid towards the castle.
With Enid gone, the two men looked at the large pile of letters before turning back to each other. With a nod of acknowledgement, they gathered the letters in a large satchel before handing it off to the butler nearby.
"Hey, please dispose of these. They... aren't of use to the Princess." With a raised eyebrow, the butler simply nodded and walked away with the almost overly stuffed satchel. With no witnesses, the two sat across from each other.
"She really called us out, huh?" Nolan laughed running a hand through his hair before staring at Mateo. "Mateo-."
"I know you have feelings for her too." Simplicity in his accusation was all it took to stun Nolan. It was only for a moment before he laughed it off and sat back in the chair.
"Well, then I guess it's a race for her heart." He smirked as Mateo smirked back.
"I'm not that weak kid you knew back then. It'll be a fair fight this time. Besides, we've already bonded with painting and music over the years." He boasted as Nolan rolled his eyes.
"And I'm the one that taught her to ride a horse. You know, a physical activity? Plus, she comes to me when it concerns her outfits for balls. She knows I have an eye for fashion." Nolan countered as Mateo snickered.
"Yes, and for leading on many ladies at the knight's academy. You didn't exactly leave a clean reputation. Besides, I helped with her magic when she was struggling."
The two continued back and forth while unaware of eyes watching in the distance, documenting everything for a certain queen.
With that certain queen, she was staring down her daughter who was staring at her defiantly.
"What do you mean I have until twenty-one to find a husband?!" Enid screeched, plopping onto the couch with a huff. A wave of frost covered the couch and Ira raised an eyebrow.
"Watch your emotions, your magic is showing." She snipped before holding up several letters. "You have had hundreds of proposals for the past two years and yet," she threw them down while turning back to Enid. "You have yet to find someone. Your father and I are concerned. So, in order to make you decide, you have one year to find a husband. If you cannot, I will find one for you. I already have some names in mind." Her voice was sharp as she held up folders for Enid to see.
"I've already told you, I want what Mira has. A marriage with love! Not just someone who wants the power of the throne!"
"Then I suggest you work on that. I have my ways, and you know it." She smirked as Enid pouted. "I'm only pushing you, because it is my duty to make sure you are taken care of my little dove. If I have to find someone, they will go through a rigorous process to make sure they're your perfect match. But," she paused and gently held her daughter's face in her hands, "I trust that you are more than capable of finding someone for yourself."
Enid sighed before standing and curtseying towards her mother. "If that is all, I would like to take my leave."
Ira just waited a moment before dismissing her. Enid left the room and not long after, a certain butler came in. "I trust you managed to find something interesting about those boys?" She asked as he slipped her the report.
Skimming through, a smile slowly crept on her face as she looked at her loyal servant. "You did good. Take the week off, go visit your daughter. I heard she's due any day now."
"Thank you, my Queen." With that, he left the room, leaving Ira to skim through the pages.
"So both are interested, and they both know it. It seems like my little Enid is about to have to choose sooner than she expected." She chuckled placing the report on her desk. "This will certainly be interesting, I wonder who will win her heart in the end."