Now, I had to see what this was about. It didn’t mean I had to approach her, but I just had to make sure she was safe…just in case. The teacher wouldn’t mind me being late right? 

I was creeping carefully and following their steps, cringing with each click of my heels. 

They both came to a stop at a door and Greer opened it cautiously while looking around in a suspicious manner.  

She went in, and soon the man followed. 

What? That’s it? She seems to be fine…but.. 

She would have screamed or something if she were truly in trouble, no? Maybe I should just let this go… Perhaps I'm looking for an excuse to talk to her again. 

I sighed, frustrated at my own internal dilemma. 

If I leave now, who will help her if she is really in danger? What business does she have with a man that age anyway? That man is far too old to be her father. 

The guard behind me shifted uncomfortably. He too probably realised that I should be in class by now. It's already late. 

I was hiding behind a pillar for a while now, waiting for something to happen, anything. As it were, nothing occurred and I came to the decision that it was time to give up.

Ugh…

As if it were destined, I heard the door creek open and immediately straightened myself out in my hiding spot hoping to not get caught. 

“Yes, yes of course. I will deliver the payment soon, I guarantee it.”

The voice I was hearing obviously belonged to the man, but I wasn’t sure if I were hearing the words correctly.

  What payment?

"Yes…. Of course, my little fairy." 

? 

Still stiffened, I listened to the man shut the door and his footsteps disappear with each step towards the left. 

But if he’s leaving, why isn’t Greer out?

As soon as I was certain he was gone, I relaxed my body and came out of my hiding place. 

My curiosity got the best of me now. 

I had to go talk to her. 

I rushed over to the door and my hand reached for the handle but… 

I heard crying. 

What?? What’s going on??

“Listen. I’ll be going in alone so just stay out here, alright?” 

I was talking to the guard behind me. Whatever it was, I couldn’t have word of it getting out. 

“Um yes, b-but Your Highness, Lieutenant General Damond said I should follow you everywhere no matter where-”

“And you’re saying that you would rather listen to your General, than your future Queen?” 

The young guard was uncomfortable and stopped his rambles immediately. Based on his face, it was obvious that he would abide by my words. 

I don’t know how that came out of me, but it felt good knowing that I had put my unease aside.

I wasn’t nervous now as I opened the door. 

There she was. Greer sat on a bed with her back facing me. 

…and her clothes were off! 

Well-some of it. 

"Greer?!" 

She jumped, gasped, and her back shivered in fear as she curled inward clutching at her garments.

"It's Kaprina…" 

Her head snapped sideways as if to confirm my identity. 

She wasn't happy when she did. 

"W-what…! W-what are you doing here?!  You're supposed to be in class!" 

"I know…um…I just wanted to check on you." 

The room we were in seemed like a guest room, it was too small to belong to any other royal or noble. 

"W-Well get back to class. I-I'll join you soon. I'm fine." 

She stood up facing me now, holding her slipping dress to her chest for dear life. 

Her cheeks were flushed. Her eyes red. 

"Well if you're fine, then who is that man? And what payment??" 

"WHAT?! You saw that?!" She looked as if she were about to collapse as her knees were buckling and her eyes wide in shock.  

I rushed to her side to calm her but she recoiled from my touch. 

“Greer…??! Look- Just sit down and tell me what happened!” 

"N-no..! It's nothing important! It's just..!" 

"Just??" 

A frustrated look came upon her face as it flushed red again. 

"He's just my tailor. I-I mean my tailor's assistant." 

Seriously?

"That's why he was talking about payment. I want a new dress but my tailor is still in Qerene…so he's helping me deliver the payment. That's all." 

Her face was stern and guarded now, a look foreign on her. It seemed as if she were trying to guard me from the truth, to make me believe what she was saying. A look a liar would wear. But why would she be lying?

"So why are you crying then?" I asked. Her tears couldn't be for nothing.

Greer tore her eyes away from mine and faced forward as she answered.

"H-he measured me… and… the dress I want doesn't fit me." 

….

"I gained weight."

"...."

That can't be it. 

"Is that really why Greer?"

She nodded her head almost reflexively to confirm.

"Gosh…is that really it? Oh my goodness." I sighed. 

I was so worried for her, almost scared that something so wrong was happening. But it turned out it was just my paranoia and her being…her.

"L-lets go to class ok?" She said as she wiped the tears off her cheeks.

"Here."

She turned her back to me and pulled her hair apart to fall on both sides of her shoulders.

She wanted me to button her dress. 

Hesitantly, I tucked each piece into its hole as I watched her back scrunch each time I touched her skin. 

She seemed sensitive.

"Kaprina…?"

"Y-Yes Greer?" 

"Why didn’t you tell me about that day?”

…

“I-”

“You didn’t have to tell me immediately…but now the whole Kingdom knew before I even woke up this morning. …It’s not fair.” 

My chest squeezed with an uneasy feeling; a combination of guilt, shame, and sadness. 

“No! I would have told you I just…!”

It was hard for me to say the words aloud. 

“I just didn’t want you to look down on me!”

Her back stiffened and she froze, slowly turning around to meet me. 

Only then did I notice I held tears in my eyes that were on the brink of falling. 

“Gosh… You know what…Oh my goodness! I knew you’d be like this!!”

W-what?!

“Gosh Kaprina! NOBODY looks down on you! Everybody pities you! They’re like ‘Oh! The poor Princess! Oh, what a sad soul she is! She couldn’t even say anything, she must be SO traumatised!’ Every stinking person in this castle just looks at you as if you’re some poor little thing! The thing is I had the same reaction as them except - EVERYBODY knew about it except for ME!”

My mouth hung open in shock. 

“G-Greer I…” 

She was upset. 

“No, no no no. I didn’t mean it that way!! Look, I’m sorry I just- I just wished you would have told me something like that beforehand!” 

She faced me completely and held both my shaking hands in hers. 

And for the first time ever, her eyes, that had seemed so shallow once, warmed me as she peered into my heart. 

“I’m your friend Kaprina. You can tell me anything.”

...

The room was quiet. 

My tears fell now. 

She was my friend. My only friend here. Truly, no one else had approached me the way she did that day. So full of joy and openness. Somebody that wanted to know me. Regardless of my position. 

She was my friend, and in this way, I had betrayed her. 

“I’m so sorry!” I tried to say, but my tears interrupted my words abruptly. 

My head was down. I didn’t want to face her. 

Nevertheless, her arms embraced me.

“Yeah…just cry okay?! You probably didn’t cry before, right? When it happened?”

Is that why I'm crying like this? Because I hadn’t cried before? That can’t be it right? Why would I need to cry? I just have to keep moving…

But my body betrayed me as my tears turned into sobs. 

Damond was right…I really am like champagne. 

It should be wrong, but it somehow felt good. It made me happy to know that Greer was sensitive to the change of my moods. Somehow, she had known that I needed to let this out. 

My tears were happy tears now. 

“Uh- Ok ok, stop crying. I’m not really good at this whole comforting thing ok?” 

She was getting uncomfortable now. I had cried all over her shoulder after all. 

“O-okay.” 

I looked up at her again to see an awkward expression tainting her pretty face. 

“Alright, alright. Let’s go! We’re already late!” I said as I wiped my tears hurriedly. 

It was almost a giddy feeling I felt now as we scrambled to leave the room.

The guard was still outside in his tight, straight position just as I left him. 

I’m sure he wouldn’t have heard anything…right?

“Can you hurry?! I don’t want the teacher to tell my father I skipped lessons again!” 

Greer was already ten steps ahead of me now somehow so I rushed to keep up with her. 

“Wait for me!! Hold on!!!” 

And off we were, to the library, tardy as we were, hoping not to get scolded by our tutor.