The morning came with the sun slowly peeking out from the horizon. The water started to glisten from its warm beams. The crew changed shifts around eight a.m, and a brass bell rang, announcing the new day. Richard woke up when he heard the ring, yawning and stretching his arms. He slept well in his bed, despite being woken up by the girl in the middle of the night.

'I wonder if she is alright and managed to sleep well.'

He got out of bed and heard a knock on his door. He was granted permission to enter, for his maids brought a bowl of water and towels to wash his face in. He thanked them kindly and requested eggs and bacon for breakfast with a small fruit salad. He asked for four portions since he was planning for the Princess to eat with him, and he expected she would be hungry. The maids left after bowing their heads. Richard cleaned up his face while Lily dressed to serve the girl in the next room. The maid was about to walk to Aravis and see if she was sleeping, but before she could say anything, the Princess gave her the order to leave her alone. The saddened maid considered questioning her order the right thing to do, but in the end, Lily did how she was told and stepped outside the room. The young maid sat at the chair placed in the hallway, looking disappointed.But for her luck, a few minutes later, Richard walked out of his room and looked confused at Lily, who stood up and bowed. The woman explained the reason for her being outside. After a moment, Richard told Lily he would talk with the girl and that she could enjoy breakfast with the other maids. Lily walked away, leaving Richard alone. Duke stepped to the doors and knocked a couple of times.

"Princess, this is Richard. May I come in?"

He asked politely from behind the doors. Another silence was answering his question again, only to make him lose patience until he heard a small fuss behind the wooden door. Richard crossed his arms in front of his chest and raised his eyebrow, trying to understand exactly what was happening. Aravis was trying to clean her bedroom after the accident she was during the night; it was also one of the many reasons she wanted to be alone. Of course, she did not know how to change the bedsheets, so she just took a deep breath and prayed to God for Richard not to notice anything. Another knock echoed, catching her attention.

 "C-come on i-in," she kindly said

Richard slowly opened the doors and peeked inside the room. He saw Aravis sitting on the bed. "Good morning, Princes." He said, stepping inside and closing the doors behind him. "How are you feeling? I hope you rested well." He asked as he stopped in the middle of the room, giving her space to feel safe.

"I ..."

Richard was too far away to see the stain on the bed. He noticed the girl was uneasy, which made him worried for her. She even asked Lily to leave as soon as she woke up. He wondered if she was upset from the event of the last night. Still, l he did not want to force her to tell him. With her, the more gentle approach was in order.

"What's the matter? If you are troubled, you can tell me." He said politely, hoping she would answer.
"I..." She mumbled sadly, then slowly looked at him and the bed.

"I-I w-wet...my...b-bed..my l-lord..."

She admitted, then turned her back on him, wanting to hide her embarrassment. It would be funny to other lords to have this kind of show; they would think that it was a part of their amusement, but to be honest, it was not... The girl needed a teacher to show her to work with her body and how to communicate with it properly. She was only seventeen, but her body was acting like five.

"Oh...I...understand."

He did not sound upset, more like disappointed. He sighed slightly and walked to her, noticing the stain on the sheets and cover. It was not a pleasant sight, especially on his expensive fabric, but he showed no sign of anger. He sat next to her on the bed, avoiding the stains.

"It's alright; we have spare sheets. Those will be cleaned when we arrive." He tried to calm her down so she wouldn't feel embarrassed. "Let's get you cleaned and dressed in clean clothing."

"wh-why?" She sniffed and then looked at him with these blue, tearful eyes that were buffed from her lousy sleep. "Wh-why are yo-you so ni-nice to m-me?" She asked him, then a tiny drop fell from her nose. It was her sweat. She needed a bath to calm herself down. " Wh-why are yo-you not la-laughing ...this i-is la-laughable..." she questioned him.

Richard looked at her seriously and was silent for a moment.

"I see nothing in here worth even a giggle." He started with a severe yet soft tone. "There is nothing laughable in someone's pain. A broken body is not a matter to laugh at. Questioning why I am nice to you is rude, and I ask you never to do that again." He gently placed his hand on her head. "I am your guardian, and your well-being is my priority. You are hurt and wounded; I will help you heal, not laugh at you. So do not be afraid to ask for my aid. When you tell me what you need, it makes it easier for me to improve you sooner."

He explained and took his hand from her head. Richard smiled at the girl and recalled how his father shared wisdom with him when he was young.

"I j-just..." She sniffed and then looked at him with tears running from her eyes. Richard noticed something different in her tears. He tried to noticed them better as their faces were a little bit closer than usual. Richard noticed something different in her tears. He tried to see them better as their faces were slightly closer than usual. They looked like tiny diamonds, which surprised him. Running in his thoughts, the gently stuttering voice of the young princess caught his attention. "I ju-just...ne-need.. a b-bath.." she mumbled "A pr-proper one..."
Before Richard could even speak to her, a loud growl echoed in the bedroom, and he noticed it was not his... But Aravis.