Entering the ballroom through a side entrance, today was not about the royal family but a celebration of the new knights, Aleydis paused to drink in the Grand Ballroom. She hadn't realized how much she had missed the Yule celebration last year when she'd stayed at the academy.

The ballroom was filled with a warm golden hue from the roaring fireplaces and the chandeliers filled with hundreds of beeswax candles containing herbs that would sweeten the air as they burned. In this case, she inhaled delicately, it seemed like they'd used the clove and pine candles. It created a warm, cozy atmosphere that was a stark contrast to the dark outside with fluffy flakes lazily falling that she'd caught a glimpse of from a window on her way to the ballroom.

She would've been concerned about how the attendees would get home, but she could tell that it was only going to be a couple of inches of fresh snow at most. Not only that, but the castle always made sure to have enough guest rooms set up to accommodate the number of people attending the ball, just in case the weather should take a sudden turn during the festivities. It had only happened a rare handful of times, but better to be prepared and not need it than to need it and not be prepared.

In addition to the giant fireplaces, everywhere she looked, there were carefully placed fir boughs and holly garlands, the rich green brightened by the brilliant scarlet berries and crimson bows used to tie them into place. Nestled in the pine boughs were the dark brown cones, undoubtedly dipped in pots of boiling spices before being placed there to keep the air sweet. There were also delicate gold and silver bells, meant to catch the light and return it back into the room in dancing reflections, as well as give off a soft, pleasant chime if anyone should brush against it.

She saw her mother's meticulous hand behind all of it and hoped that someday, she would be half as savvy when arranging such an inviting space.

Staying at the edge of the room, she would have to make her presence known eventually, she leaned against a pillar and watched the people on the dance floor. The brightly colored dresses and the laughter as couples danced and whirled on the dance floor was mesmerizing and she found herself relaxing, simply enjoying the atmosphere.

She had been stressed since she would be heading back to the academy tomorrow. Her visit had flown much too fast and she wasn't looking forward to having to leave her family again so soon. While it was true that the concoction she had drank had given her relief from her portal aversion, it still had not been a pleasant time. Still, it was a price she had willingly paid to come and cheer on her brother.

All but one of the knight candidates had passed, the unlucky candidate being the one baron's son who had always tried to appear superior to Alrik, in training or in anything else. However, even Aleydis could tell that his stamina was even more woeful than hers had been when she'd first started self-defense training. She had no idea how he'd even been approved for testing when his skill level was so beneath the others. The only two possibilities that she could think of were that either the baron had bribed one of the officials in charge of testing or the Commander had done it to drive home a point to the clearly thick-headed boy that his skills were far below what was needed to be a knight.

Still, that meant that the remaining five candidates had passed, including her brother and Kadin. She had been so proud of them, they had given their all and proven that they indeed held the code of chivalry and honor that made up the core of being a knight.

It was reassuring that Kadin was Alrik's friend. Although there would undoubtedly be many people who said that he'd only gotten close to Alrik in order to elevate his and his family's position, she knew the truth. They had become fast friends before either of them had any concrete idea of what it meant to be a king or a subject. They had just been two boys who had bonded while playing outside and dealing with their siblings. However, that bond had formed into a loyalty between the two that would never be broken.

She found herself slightly envious of it at times, having never found anyone that she trusted as deeply as the pair trusted each other. Sure, she had her friends, Liza first and foremost amongst them, but none of them were like Alrik and Kadin's friendship. Well, time would tell if they would develop into a deeper bond or simply remain school friends.

A mug appeared in her line of vision, blocking the dancers and causing her to startle slightly. An amused voice said quietly, "I had the feeling that you'd be hanging on the edges, just watching."

Recognizing the voice, she accepted the mug before turning and smiling at Kadin. "Tonight is for the knights, I'll make my presence known in a little while. Also, congratulations, Sir Kadin."

He sighed but offered her a wry smile and a shallow bow, "It shall take a while to get used to being called that, Princess."

She teased, "What, not enjoying the title of 'The Youngest Knight in a Century?"

His sigh was aggrieved this time and he muttered, "When I find whoever started that, I shall request a friendly spar so they can assess the wisdom of saying such things in the future."

Taking a hasty sip to keep herself from laughing, laughter would only add a sting to his irritation, she nearly melted as the taste of sweet, creamy eggnog filled her senses. "Ooh, my favorite. My thanks. How did you know that I prefer eggnog to spiced cider."

He laughed, moving over to lean against the pillar next to her, absently scanning the crowd. "I know all of your preferences. Alrik has spoken of them often enough. Some people think that you siblings are just pretending to have a close relationship, but you can tell that they've never spent any real time around the pair of you."

She rolled her eyes, "As if Alrik would do something like that. He's too busy learning how to best take care of Colbini to waste his time on ridiculous things like that. Bah, as if he would pretend to like or be kind to someone, he's a genuine person."

Kadin was silent for a long moment and she looked over to find him looking torn, as if he was struggling both not to frown and to not burst into laughter. Wondering what she could've possibly said to cause such a reaction, she went back over her words, only to find that there was nothing untrue in them.

Taking another sip of eggnog, she let it go. She was here to enjoy the ball and he would either speak up or he wouldn't. Trying to decipher things that might not even be there would only drive her mad in the long run.

"The pair of you are something else, I will admit. I'm glad that you two will be in charge of running the country, simply because no one will see it coming. Both of you look so innocent and calm, but you are completely devoted and ruthless when it comes to family, aren't you?"

She shrugged, he wasn't wrong. After all, Alrik was the reason that she had gone to the academy and was studying to be a diplomat. Still, that didn't mean that they couldn't see anything beyond their family. Which reminded her...

She handed her cup back to him, "Please, hold this for a moment."

He took it, looking startled, but she didn't bother to explain as she started searching through her pockets for the gift that she'd tucked away in one of her dress's many hidden pockets. No, no, that was Mother's gift and Father's one was in the pocket next to it. Ellie's was in the top pocket where she would remember it when Ellie helped her to undress from the formal gown later, and Alrik's was right below it.

She found it in the pocket right below the one that held Alrik's gift and gave a triumphant hum, pulling out the small package carefully wrapped in dark blue silk. Smiling, she held it out to Kadin, "I hope this isn't an imposition but I made a small gift for you to celebrate you passing your knighthood test. You are like family to all of us and I wanted to celebrate such an amazing achievement. Also, Happy Yule."

He looked surprised but accepted it readily enough, his eyes filled with curiosity. She took her eggnog back and sipped it as she watched him examine it carefully. Unable to resist, she teased, "It doesn't contain bugs or a flower crown this time, I promise."

He laughed quietly, "It would still be an honor to receive either one of those from you, Princess."

She rolled her eyes. "Don't feel like you have to accept something, simply because I'm the one who gave it to you. Feel free to say no thanks if it's something that's not to your taste. I won't be upset if that's the case."

He finally managed to undo the tight knot she had tied, carefully unfolding the delicate fabric to reveal what it contained. It wasn't anything extravagant, he wasn't a flashy person and she hadn't wanted to force him to have something he absolutely hated simply because she had made it. She knew that Alrik would insist that he use it, even if he didn't like it, which was one of the reasons that she'd been determined to give it to him while Alrik was busy.

She explained, "It's a charm for protection and safety. There's no magic or anything in it, just my thoughts and well wishes. I wish for you to have a long and happy life here in Colbini alongside Alrik and me. However, like I said, don't feel any pressure to use it."

It was a simple charm that she'd carefully knotted and created after searching for designs in the academy library. It could be hung from his sword and was meant to bestow protection upon the one who carried it. Although she didn't know if it would actually do anything, she found the custom charming.

He closed his hand around it, pulling it close like he was afraid that she would snatch it away from him if she thought he didn't like it. "Thank you. I shall treasure it greatly."

Alrik chose that moment to join them. "Here you two are! I should've known that the pair of you would be hiding on the edges. Now, what is it that you're going to treasure, Kadin?"

Biting back her laughter, Aleydis quickly dug out Alrik's present. When he was in a mood like this, distraction was the only tactic for survival.

She loved her family.