As the sun’s futile grasps washed away in a sea of heliotrope and titian waves, once hurly burly now reduced to musings the town became, a maiden’s tiptoe waltzing breathed miniscule shimmering pristine dots in the night sky, gales grew shivery as nocturnal birds of prey sang the dark’s coo. Though amidst shadow, resplendent homely lit lanterns littered the castle grounds as guests with pockets brimming and chiming gold came one after the other in carriages quite elaborate an artist would cry at the sheer details. Lucien parted ways with us as he headed towards down the echoing halls with sunshine on his feet, skidding leather as he hummed. “Should you not change, Princess?” Louvel asked, nodding at a nearby maid’s dawn infatuation as she scurried off. “I will worry not.” Facing that same portrait of Mother’s father, the gaze strangely warm as I moved it over and open the vault. “Do you think these parchments are actually magic scrolls?” Louvel rang, holding his chiseled chin as his rose locks swept over viridian eyes.

“Even if they were it is of no use, this castle and the surrounding area is littered with seals only Mother can remove.”

“C-Castle Leclair has anti-magic seals?!”

“Hush! Keep your voice down!”

Pressing my palms against his lips radiating warmth, Louvel’s cheeks blazed with rosy hue as he blinked dumbfounded clear in his quaking orbs. “My Mother placed these seals when King Maxence, my Grandfather, was burned alive in his own lawn. Some fanatic from Ustrana thought he was a demon.” Louvel nodded, eyes fluttering as the pleasantly heated crimson kept still. Chuckling at his reaction, I took my hands away and provided him space.

“But why? Do they not have an alliance with us?”

“Nothing more than a trading agreement actually.”

Every sense of light and innocence dropped and dissipated from his flaxen face. Posture stiff as he puffed out his chest bore holes straight into my soul, and as much as I wished to deny it,

He looks way too attractive under dim lights.

“Vivienne,” Called he, slipping the white glove out of his hand as he reached to touch mine. “Y-Yes?” My face felt like I ate a dozen of those zesty plants, heart thundering against its confinement akin to someone who was wrongly accused of a crime. His face hovered near, inching closer and closer ‘till he was all I could see. Body unwilling, in his mercy, I shut my eyes. Opening abruptly as he uttered,

“Go change.”

Oh, for the love of—

Half-lidded and for some reason inexplicably disenchanted as a cat wanting to play but denied, I grinned with neither an emotion or thought and nodded. Heading towards my chambers with a groan, although I have no idea why for. Should I not be grateful for my knight being as chivalrous as his occupation paints him in? My mental ramblings went into all sorts of direction an insect seeking respite in its plight of vertiginous. Maids came from my door with a knock went inside and presented several dresses of different colors and equal amounts of gaudiness enough to make myself disgusted.

Also, should they not be attending the Crown Prince right now?

“Princess Vivienne, the Crown Prince sent us here with gifts from your suitors.”

…What?

“Yes, my lady! These dresses and jewelries are from all over Elcanuhm!” Chirped the adolescent lass with chestnut mane, cascading down to frame her healthily rosy cheeks as she presented earrings and necklaces shimmering brighter than the stars. Knitting my brows at her and at the clothes that shone far too much skin for my liking and ostentatious seaming of silken threads. While the thought of swimming in luxuries and superfluity is quite the fetching idea, what dampens it like weeds sucking a salvia’s twilight and reaping an edelweiss flourish is equivalent to someone handing a bouquet of snapdragons; what they truly hunt for is a good pedigree that would secure them now and bring honor to their family. My position demands as such and I am aware I must obey no matter what, however…

“Has Her Highness arrived?” The matching violet voice knocked on carved wood, tune whirring around as another of her colleague opened the door and revealed this morning’s fresh face. “Good evening, Veronique.” With practiced grace, I smiled careful in hiding my inner disappoint in this moment. In her now patched delicate hands was an outfit of pale roses and cloud sheets, as well as shoes in the former color, heels not so high neither it so low.

Just the right height.

“Sir Louvel sent a present for you, Your Highness.”

“Did he now?” The lilac-locked servant dressed in cornflower shade and lily paint bowed and the other women in similar garbs nigh swooned at the thought, as if creating suspense she grinned like a proud hound and let the present unfold. “It’s…It’s so plain.” A blonde said, her fellow maids quickly slapping their palms on the girl when my gaze fell at her, her cerise eyes widened and she went down on her knees.

Until I stopped her.

“Y-Your Highness…?” Brought down to a squirrel’s level she audibly gulped, flinching when my palm finger came to rest at her nose. Her coral orbs snapped open once more, though the quacking and the fear absent. “Your Highness, aren’t you going to punish her?” Queried a maid with mane dyed in deep emerald. “Why would I? Are you not allowed to have opinions?” Tilting my head to side, I grinned at her as I motion for Veronique to start with pampering me up for tonight. “Thank you so much, Your Highness!” Sang the aforementioned blonde, elated, the others joined in the unnecessary mooching meanwhile Veronique giggled at her colleagues’ antics.

“Your Highness, the Queen Mother has selected me to act as your lady-in-waiting.” Veronique chimed, her matching lavender eyes singing with delight on the idea. “You were not forced were you?” She gasped at the notion and fervently swayed her head so much I feared she got herself disoriented. “No, Your Highness! In fact I am honored to work for you.” She beamed, almost as if she was dispelling any doubts. It certainly worked, to her credit.

As the chirpy maids all led me towards the entrance hall towards the ballroom where several of the guests had already helped themselves on making contacts and socializing. A few familiar faces here and there were enough to make want sprint away steal Lucien’s tactic of hide ‘till they leave you alone. The women bade their farewells and left me alone with Veronique who stood duty bound with her hands together on her front, pressing her prominent chest against each other.

“Vivienne?”

And there he is.

Clad in his armor of intricate finery, forged by my uncle on Father’s side. Silver gleaming and cloak of blood halting their pilgrimage at the back of his greaves notched together with linings of leather and metal, Uncle’s finest brand yet sheathed in the scabbard of rose pillars and morning glory carvings along its column. His flame mane swept to the side no longer leaving a whisper on verdurous orbs as they sighed with aroha upon meeting mine.

I don’t remember the castle being this hot.

Veronique quickly excused herself, running off to a nearby nobleman who was looking for a refill and smiled at the maid in lilac. Leaving me slightly heated and at the gaze of who used to be my childhood friend. “I…I was not expecting to you wear the dress I bought.” He gasped, pauldrons heaving like he had been submerged underwater ‘till his vision clouded. He cleared his throat at the reply of nothing but outbreaths and tremors.

Just then, the orchestra started bringing the aristocrats together. I must’ve missed the Queen Mother’s welcome.

“Was Lucien able to convince Mother to increase Rahnier’s guards?” Louvel’s shoulders lightly drooped, flash of what I assumed was ache gone when he blinked and nodded at the query. “Don’t you think we should relax for a bit at least?”

“How can relax when my brother’s life is on the line?”

“Look around you, everyone’s guards are down. Don’t think they would’ve made their move by now?”

Louvel swept his armored arm around on the waltzing pairs, eyes deeply affixed on one another as the song filled their senses and urged them to grace. Far across into the room was Lucien, dressed in an expensive version of his earlier outfit and sandy locks arranged to reveal his forehead, still managing to hide his unease behind that practiced smile as he cheerfully beamed to flock of daughters around him all in harmonically popping colors.

“And besides…” Facing the knight in his armor gleaming against the warm lantern fire and pale cobalt moonlight from the window imitating ents in hardbound decaying leather. He yearned for my grasp as he smiled with fervor and chuckled,

“Don’t I owe you a dance?”

Well…there is a possibility of Lucien’s information being wrong…but what if it isn’t? I don’t think I can bear losing another family member, I couldn’t do anything to save Father on that day but now is different. I can—

As if reading my internal mad ramblings, Louvel brushed his sheathed and chilled gauntlets on my face, cradling my cheek as if it was a newborn. The silver ghosting pulling me out of my thoughts and met his gaze. “Even if they did decide to attack, what can they do? Lucien’s knights are around the perimeter as we speak.” Grasping his hand, steadying the reeling and resolving I nodded.

“No muscles, soft, ladylike, unblemished…” his voice drifted, lips wet and all too temptingly near, chest rising as he breathed balmy wind into my face. His other hand came to grip my waist, skimming flesh memory as he pressed his stunningly snug forehead against mine. “When did you became so beautiful?” Absolutely sane and stirring, Louvel opened fluttered his enviable long lashes once more and searched for some semblance of a response into my irises.

“What am I looking at?”

In a way that a hoard of stinging topaz and raven ringed insects would do, the stranger’s delivering death and shimmering knives aiming at us had me nearly shriek and deafen everyone in the vicinity. Peeking above the now rouge-cheeked knight whose locks flushed as he stepped away at arm’s length. The voice rivaling that of a stern Giustino belonged to none other than the Crown Prince, Rahnier Leclair. Robed in Eltician silks of azure and snow, greaves in the same make as what the crimson head wore. “…I hope you two aren’t in what I think you are.” The sapphire trimming laced around his far-reaching tresses resting on broad chest puffed out as his panoply arms meandered on each other.

“Louvel, I’ll relieve you of my sister. Stay vigilant.”

“Yes, sire.”

Elder Brother grabbed hold of my forearm, not even paying Louvel a glance. I looked back at the man with the red hair and smiled, catching the way he immediately disobeyed my brother and returned the outlook, leaving a whisper as he did.

“Still flirting, are you?”

“I could say the same to you.”

Elder Brother boomed at the response, his boyish and definitely not prince like laugh resounding as he threw his head back. Inwardly sighing at his reaction, the grip on my forearm tighten, not painful but its vice hold offered no room for resistance. “Elder Brother?”

“Not here, let’s go to that place.”

That place…

His touch grew gentle, like cradlesong willing me to follow its tempo as I shut my eyes and let memories from years ago flutter forth. Elder Brother much shorter and immature than he is now, covered in scratches and scabs unbefitting his status and position, while I am at his side pulling the many brown tree limbs and viridian nerved flesh.

“Could you be gentler?!”

“Could you stop moving?”

I giggled at the retention of days where the sun shone brighter and the wind wasn’t as cold as it is now. “Hmm?” Tilted I, at Elder Brother’s gawking, alabaster skin painted in zinnias. “No wonder all my friends want you.”

“What?!”

“Hahaha!”

Slapping the glass door open towards the back of the castle, west of the establishment where Louvel and I went through earlier today, Father’s cared-for ornamental flowers from shades of peonies to forget-me-nots unaltered and in the same way as it was before his untimely demise.

Before that bastard drove his blade through—

“—There’s something I want to tell you.” He cleared his throat, striding beside that same tree of oak where we laid by during a lazy day. His shoulders slithered with heavy distinction. Brows bent on wrinkling and sagging his handsome face, irises refusing to meet mine as the azures who tomorrow would belong to a king shuddered and narrowed with feelings choking him.