The Princess felt cold and she shivered. She desperately wanted to ​​be with the one person who offered her the most comfort. She could feel the Knight’s mana just beyond the door. She wanted to forget everyone and just jump into his arms. She was so tired of pushing and trying to distract herself from him. She felt a hand on her shoulder. The Maverick put his sunglasses on his head so he could look her in the eyes.

“Hey. Everything’s going to go amazing. Don’t worry. I know I’m not him, but I’m here to support you,” he said.

She blushed. “I don’t know who you’re talking about.”

He chuckled. “Sure. So your Knight wasn’t glaring daggers at me for just talking to you.”

She bit her lip.

“Don’t think about that now. You’re in charge here. We’re about to change the world,” he said. She took a deep breath and he held out his arm as he lowered his glasses. They grinned and she winked at him.

“There we go,” he said. “No one in there is more powerful than you.”

They entered the main ballroom. She couldn’t help it, as dignified as she wanted to appear, all she was doing was searching the room for her Knight. As she descended the stairs with the Maverick, she caught his eyes and didn’t look away until she’d passed him. She didn’t care if everyone else saw. She wondered what he thought about her and how she looked. The fact that she could feel his mana mingling with hers said that he might have ​​been pleased.

Their demonstration went well. To celebrate, they shared the first dance. She had to admit, the Maverick was an amazing dancer and because he was her friend, she was having fun. She couldn’t help but laugh and enjoy herself. She knew perhaps there’d be rumors and whispers of romance between them, but as long as they knew the truth, she didn’t care. She wasn’t expecting him to toss her in the air and catch her, but she enjoyed it anyway. They hugged after the song was over.

“I am so glad you became my friend,” she said.

He laughed. “Don’t say that until after the party.”

She danced with her father next. She rested her head on his shoulder.

“I am so proud of you,” he said. “This research is the sort of thing your mother would have loved.”

“You think so?” she asked.

He nodded. “And this is the sort of thing she would have worn while presenting such an idea. You are a princess and a mage. Even more important: you are our daughter.”

He stopped talking. It was moments like this that she was reminded that he missed her mother so much. She knew for a fact she resembled her strongly and that made him very protective.

“I will do whatever it takes to make sure you are supported and happy, you know this, right?” he said.

“Did Auntie tell you what happened with those girls?” she asked.

He nodded. “I just don’t want you to feel pressured to cave to people just to be kind or accommodating. I’m only bringing him up because he was the reason for their ire, but I don’t think your Knight wants you to bend to such people either. It starts out with small things like letting them talk down to you and ends with…ends with…”

She placed her hand on his cheek. “I know. I won’t let it happen.”

He kissed her forehead. “You won’t ​​be alone.”

The song ended and he held her hands for a long time, unwilling to let her go. However, two people were approaching that she could not ignore. The Knight’s parents. She and the King nodded and his parents bowed in response.

“I saw the quilt you made for my daughter. It is truly a masterpiece,” the King said. The Knight’s mother flushed bright red.

“It’s but a humble effort,” she said. “I’m sure the Princess has a much nicer quilt from her coming of age ritual.”

“No, she doesn’t,” he said. Both the Knight’s parents looked surprised. “She didn’t tell you? She told me not to get her one for her ritual.”

“Forgive me for being presumptuous!”

“No. I am glad someone showed this girl some care. She denies herself too much for reasons so abstract, even I can’t figure it out. It’s lovely to watch someone cut through that in ways I can’t.”

The Princess flushed and the parents all laughed together.

“Our Son is the same way, unfortunately,” the Knight’s father said.

“Don’t I know. Was he nervous and constantly looking for work while he was with you?” the King asked.

“Absolutely,” they chorused.

“Get him to learn from my daughter, at least she pretends to relax.”

She buried her face in her hands. “You guys…”

“Would you mind terribly if I speak to these two for a while? I’m curious about these brownies this wonderful baker made the other evening and I want to know if we can have the recipe for the palace.”

“I don’t mind at all,” the Princess said. She left them and worried that she’d have to dance with someone else she didn’t care for, but then she saw them. The tea party girls. She sighed. This ended tonight. She nodded and they didn’t bow.

“We need to talk, Princess,” one said.

“Fine, come along,” the Princess said. She could humiliate them before a crowd, but she’d see if it came to that. They went out to a balcony overlooking the main palace gardens. She sat down and sat on a bench. There was nowhere for the others to sit and she chose this balcony for that exact reason.

“Don’t you think that dress is indecent?” their leader asked. The Princess crossed her leg so it was fully exposed, rolled her eyes and plucked a vine of morning glories and began to weave it into a flower crown.

“Not particularly,” she said.

“That’s a lot of skin showing, it’s unbecoming of–”

“A long leg slit is becoming of a person who is a mage. Very common, you can even find pictures of my mother in a mage outfit with her leg exposed. I am a mage like she was. Or did you forget?”

“I think making flowers bloom doesn’t exactly make you a–”

The Princess clucked her tongue.

“Poor, sad little girl. Doing anything to get ahead because no one pays attention to a fourth child who isn’t exceptional. It’s a tragic reality in noble families. Let’s get to what this really is about,” she said. “You don’t care if I behave properly, you don’t care if I meet with men because I’ve met many male dignitaries, businessmen and scholars. You only care about one man.”

She placed the flower crown on the leader’s head. The flowers bloomed slowly and the Princess took a step back.

“You forget a few things about him. He’s an empath and he has a good memory. So if you or your little friends ever looked down your nose at him he remembers. If you want him for any reason other than genuine adoration, he knows. I’ll add: whether you like me or not, he and I are friends. I’m sure you wouldn’t want to be around someone who actively tries to bully your friend, he doesn’t. But sure, go ahead, try to get close to him. See what happens. As for me not being a mage…”

The dainty flower crown started to grow into full vines that snaked through her hair and started to creep down her body. Once the vines and roots reached the ground, they started to pull her down, almost forming a cage. The Princess sat down on her bench and the bushes and trees started to bend and curve all around her, morphing into eerie formations. The others were frozen, their faces white. The Princess got up slowly and removed the flower crown. The plants returned to their original form and she helped the morning glory snake back into the original vine.

“You all are on thin ice. Don’t get on my bad side again,” she said. “Return to the ball. Walk, don’t run.”

They all nodded and walked slowly back into the ballroom. She sighed and felt all the tension drain from her. She heard light footsteps and she opened her eyes, expecting a belated comeback. To her surprise, it was the Delegate and the Maverick.

“We want to help you,” the Maverick said. “Go to the greenhouse quickly. We have everything set up for you two there.”

The Princess hugged them both and hurried off. She’d make it up to them for certain.