Aelira
"No, Pudding. You can't go there."
I hold Pudding, my golden garden cat, tighter onto my lap. She wants to walk through my precious handmade rose garden!
Meoww..
She purrs and snuggles up closer to me, rubbing her head to my chest.
"Nope. Your cute methods ain't gonna work this time." I shake my head.
Meow!
She sulks and lays lifelessly there.
Haa
I sigh. "Seriously?" Then look around here and there until my eyes land onto the starfruit tree.
It's a fruit shaped like a star in platinum colour. It's not something I've seen in my previous world. Here are every fruit and flower of my previous world with the same name. But some are extras which were never in there.
It's like a version of earth with add-ons!
"Hey, you want the starfruits? I know you like them."
Pudding's eyes light up at the mention of starfruit. Gosh, this cat has a rich taste!
I put her on the bench and stood up. Now it's time to show my real talents!
There was a slingshot hidden inside my purple robe. I take that out and aim it at the lowest hanging starfruit on the nearest tree.
I might've been so frail and wasn't able to experience sports on my own in my previous life but that doesn't change the fact that I'm exceptionally good at aiming. I was in the top-tier shooters in my school (nail polish emoji). I'll get that fruit in just one go—
Ting!
Thwack!
"Ow!"
"...."
We-well… People make mistakes! But why does it sound like I made a big mistake!?
Meow?
"Y-yeah, Pudding. I'm going to see who it was."
And I ran toward the tree. It's metres away! God knows who was so unfortunate to get hit by me!
"Are you alright? I'm so sorry I—"
My words come backwards in my throat as soon as my eyes witness a horrible sight in front of them.
"Prince Kael!"
Oh my god I'm gonna faint!
Kael is sitting on the stone bench, holding his forehead. He looks so annoyed. I might've pissed him off!
Then his eyes land onto me and the cease in his brows somewhat.. loosened?
"It were you?" He asks me.
I squint my eyes shut in guilt. Fuck!
"If you don't mind, can I please see your forehead—"
Before I could finish my words, he lowered his hand and leaned his head to me. Wow—you're being so obedient?
I suck in a breath at the sight of the damage I've done. Though I'm sure it's nothing compared to the cuts and bruises he gets from Eryx at the time of their sparring P.S. I got the knowledge from 'Ashes of The Crown'. But still, I feel so guilty.
I raise up my hand. Place it gently on his forehead.
His body goes still. What? Have you never been healed before like this?
Ssk—
A small glow of light appears and the cut vanishes like it was never there.
"There! The cut is gone!" I cheer up and pat his head.
Kael looks up at my overjoyed face. There's a look of bewilderment on his face. Why?
…Oh
Did I just… pat his head? Ahh I'm a fucking idiot!!
I immediately put my hands down from his head and look at him shyly (or at least, try to be shy—like a princess).
"Uh-oh.. does it hurt anymore, your highness?" I blink innocently.
He stares at my face with clear disbelief. Then clears his throat.
"Ah, you're a… reckless princess. I might say." He averts his gaze from mine and looks at the garden instead.
Yeah, I am. And a stupid too.
"That's—"
Meow!
Pudding comes from behind and before my motor skills would function, she leaps onto Kael's lap. Noo!
"Pudding! Come down this instant!" I snap at her.
I was afraid Kael might find this to be homicide and his dickhead king Daven might declare war against us.
"So," Kael strokes Pudding's soft golden fur. "This is the one you were calling for yesterday."
Huh?
"Yesterday?" I still play innocent. Although I know better that it'll do no good.
"Pfft… haha!" Kael looks up at me and laughs unguarded for a moment before composing himself again as a 'crown prince'.
"Sorry I—" He seems to struggle with this trying not to laugh challenge. "You're a different kind of princess."
"Am I?" The question leaves my mouth before I can think of it.
Kael smiles and nods his head. "Yes, you are different. Verymuch. Because treat a full grown prince like your playmate!"
And he laughs again. He's terrible at keeping his mask up I see!
I stare at him. Is this the very Kael who later becomes a tyrant? This playful, slightly annoyed man, who enjoys teasing around, will become a man who gives orders to slaughter men and women without a second thought?
My chest tightens. No, that can't be. Kael isn't a tyrant!
I sit down on the bench too. Maintaining a polite distance from him as a princess. But as his famgirl… well, it won't be weird to faint into his arms right?
"So you knew."
"Knew what?" He asks while playing with Pudding. She seems to enjoy herself with him.
"Who 'Miss Gardener' is."
He chuckles. "That was obvious. That 'Miss Gardener' had a very regal look on her face. One you can only see on a beautiful princess's face."
My cheeks heat up. I want to slap myself to react to only just a compliment!
"Haha.. I thought the gardener was all covered in dirt. Looking more like a ship-boy than a princess." I laughed awkwardly.
He turned his head to look at me. He still has that pretty smile on his lips. What? Hello? Say something. I'm going to melt under the attack of his stare.
"Thank you, Princess."
"Huh?"
He doesn't say anything and grins at my reaction. I won't deny how transparent my face is.
We stay silent for a minute. The soft wind blows in the afternoon sky. The faint ripple of the lake-water is carried with the wind. A sweet smell coming from the flower bushes fills the atmosphere.
Sometimes we can't believe our life, right? Just half a year ago, I had cried over a fictional man and today I'm sitting beside that very man too. I know his fate. I know him. And I don't want him to suffer. Not that I can see him suffer in front of my very eyes this time.
Is there really something I can do for him? To change his fate?
"You know what, princess," Kael says in a gentle voice. It's obvious that he's at ease and having a normal conversation instead of a strategic chess-game one. "I knew this alliance was never gonna pass. I've read about Sylvaris enough to know that much. I came here only because my father expected me to."
I don't know what answer I should give him. I've read politics in my previous life and even here. But is that much knowledge enough to give remarks on a real royal matter?
"Then… What did you want? You never expected anything from this issue?"
"No. I haven't learned to rely on someone else. Our problems are our problems. Help is only wished, not expected, princess."
Now I see why he was a great king besides being a tyrant. His thinking is really beyond any dragon could soar higher. And I'm not mocking him about this like Alaric did!
"Which problem could it be.. that you're talking about… now?" I don't expect him to tell me his prob—
"We need a bigger army force. And the pathway to lead our armies quickly to the Akolan mountain range."
What the— my heart drops. Akolanmountain range? Could it be…
"The beasts have awakened. If we don't move fast, a huge army loss and bloodshed will be seen. And on top of that…" He grits his teeth. "..my brother is the knight commander. No matter how cool he sounds about it, that subjugation is still the hardest one in decades."
He falls silent again. And this time, I really am not capable of saying anything. Yes, the fact is true that this event is nothing more than creating a blood-pool and a death-well. Eryx will get deeply injured too, which later on will be used as a plot to draw Siren, the fl and him together. But honestly, Kael will be the one most hurt—not physically but mentally.
But I didn't know he cared this much about Eryx that he came all the way here for a useless alliance talk which never passes.
Kael gets up. He gently puts Pudding onto my lap and gets ready to walk.
"You asked for my expectations, princess." He smiles at me. "I only expect my brother to go on that subjugation and come back in the same unharmed condition he leaves."
And he starts walking. "I'll take my leave now, princess. Well, you can start again with your slingshot."
My cheeks go completely red again. Urgh! I even hear a low laughter before he walks toward the palace.