Chapter 90: The Color I Hate
The royal hunt was indeed a grand event, a long-standing tradition held but once a year.
High-ranking nobles were invited to the royal forest to hunt alongside the male members of the royal family, competing for the glory of bringing back the carcass of a rogue beast or a magical creature, both specifically prepared for the occasion.
The hunt was as much a demonstration of skill as it was an assertion of power, a spectacle that upheld the kingdom’s hierarchy while providing entertainment for the elite.
Because of its inherent dangers, women were strictly prohibited from participating in the hunt itself. However, this did not mean they were entirely excluded from the event. They were expected to observe, admire, and contribute in their own traditional way.
Unmarried women, in particular, upheld an old custom of embroidering silk ribbons, which they would gift to their chosen suitors as tokens of good fortune.
These ribbons were symbolic gestures of favor, hushed promises of devotion, and blessings for success. Year after year, the crown prince received dozens of such ribbons. Yet, curiously, Kai had never tied even a single one to his sword, not even out of politeness.
It was as if no gift ever met his standards, or perhaps he simply found no joy in the sentiment behind them.
Lorelai, on the other hand, had never been asked to participate in this tradition.
Her early engagement to Duke Vincent Kadler had exempted her from the practice, removing her name from the list of eligible noblewomen. There was no need for her to embroider a ribbon when her future was already decided.
Besides, her aging fiancé, with his frail frame and preference for comfort over exertion, had never once attended the royal hunt. The duke had no inclination to spend hours astride a horse chasing dangerous prey, and no one expected otherwise.
So why now?