Cahir did not want to serve a princess he had never even heard of. Granted, he rarely took interest in social and political matters, but if she was a royal shouldn't her name have been on everyone's lips along with the rest of the lot?

Captain had given him a earful later on, for disrespecting Princess Daphne, which was when Cahir took note of her name. 

The title Princess didn't fit her anyway. She had tried to stand up to her full height, to look down on him like the other high nobles he assumed, and it just came off as imitative. He noticed her sizing him up and internally sighed, guessing her train of thought. 

Many nobles had tried hiring him as a pet, a notion that was apparently a trend amongst high nobility. They never called them pets though; they called them playthings. As if they were all damn children

The princess probably wanted him for similar reasons. Until now, Cahir had managed to escape with the excuse of being a royal knight. He could claim he wanted to dedicate his life to the royal family and most of the bunch wouldn't go as far as to contest on that.

For obvious reasons however, the same excuse could not be used.

And that was why he found himself standing in front of the princess the next morning, as she ate her breakfast which consisted of enough sugar to make him question her health. She hadn't spoken a word to him since he had entered but happily chatted away with the cheerful servant boy who brought in her breakfast.

"Your highness, I just got promoted! I can now serve your highness more frequently!" The servant spoke, barely containing his excitement. His face was all smiles as if serving the princess breakfast was the biggest dream of his life he'd accomplished.

The princess returned his excitement with a gasp of her own. "Rion, that's wonderful! Maybe you will get picked to serve in the upcoming Hunt as well! Wasn't that always a dream of yours?" She offered a piece of her cake which the servant stuttered and refused.

"Oh no, your highness! I could never!" He stepped back dramatically.

The princess then turned to Cahir, acknowledging his presence for the first time, to offer him the same piece of cake that was now crumble in her hands. 

"Would you like some? Sir Cahir, was it? You reached here incredibly early, I can't imagine you've had breakfast yet."

"I humbly refuse." He said. "Our training compels us to wake way earlier so the princess need not worry. And the crumbs are falling." 

Cahir watched the princess exclaim and bend to brush off said crumbs alongside the servant and sighed. He suddenly understood why she had been hidden away from public eye. A princess, indeed.

─── ⋆⋅ ☾⋅⋆ ───

The rest of the day passed uneventfully, ending with Cahir bidding the princess goodnight as he excused himself for the day. From what he had learnt, a day in the life of royalty, young princesses in particular, consisted of catching butterflies and noting their colours, tending to the flowers in the garden and reading books under the disappearing rays of the setting sun. 

His sister back home probably had work of more importance. She was seven.

He was leaving the left wing, where the princesses resided, when he saw a man walk in his direction. The sun had set hours back and yet he was dressed in fine fabric, a fur coat around his shoulders to protect his ageing body from the chilly night, and gems and jewels on his fingers.

Duke Kayedo was Lady Chimeka's elder brother and even though Cahir did not know all nobles by name and title, the mistress of the Chimeraen Empire was a topic so widely discussed, nobody could claim ignorance. Her family was currently one of the most influential after all.

Cahir bowed in passing and expected the other to ignore him and be on his way like most nobles did or nod and be on his way like some nobles who claimed to be generous did. 

Duke Kayedo stopped in front of him and inspected him, eyes narrow with an expression of appraising a horse in a race. Cahir of course, did not appreciate such a gesture but remained quiet in favour of his life extending for a few more years.

"You're the boy the princess chose, aren't you?"

Cahir referred to the princess as such because names were for people he was close to and the princess wasn't one of them. He had heard the servant that morning speak that title with awe and devotion. The captain had also used the title with respect.

When the duke used the same words, they sounded condescending and full of contempt. Like the princess was nothing but a child who hadn't developed her intelligence yet. As if she was nothing but a commoner, very akin to how nobles addressed Cahir.

"I am, Duke." Cahir replied, keeping his words short.

"Tomorrow evening. Come to my office. The princess is a child who enjoys life but I do so worry about her safety and health. She is a royal after all... there are many who have intentions towards her." Duke Kayedo turned the gem on his ring, a huge ruby, the size of Cahir's knight badge. "Report her day to me, will you? It would alleviate my worries greatly. Of course, you will be compensated sufficiently. I heard your sister could use some funds for her education?"

If Cahir wasn't clear on his motives, the Duke's meaningful smile was hint enough. He wanted Cahir to act as a sort of spy, report her moves and all her actions to him. It was despicable but pretty common. He probably wanted to keep the princess in check since the heir hadn't been decided yet, and if she really was of royal blood then she was a competitor, regardless of if she wanted to be one.

The mention of his sister worried him though, since that meant the Duke had probably done some digging on his background and family. It could turn into a veiled threat at any moment if it wasn't already.

This is why he had never wanted to work at such a noticeable position, he thought in irritation.

Cahir had not been given much of an option anyway. Besides it was just supervision, it didn't look like the Duke mean to put the princess in danger, Cahir reasoned with himself mentally. Not yet anyway.

"I will be there, your grace." He said, bowing shallowly once again.

Duke Kayedo nodded, finally showing an expression of satisfaction. "I don't think I need to mention, but not a word about this elsewhere, boy." He warned before turning away. Kayedo continued down the corridor — toward Neysa's chambers, if Cahir remembered right. His stomach twisted, though he couldn't say why.

His blank expression finally scrunched up into one of disgust as Cahir left the wing before the Duke changed his mind and asked him something even more burdensome.

He didn't want this job. He didn't want to spy, or lie, or get caught between nobles with too much power and too little conscience. But then again, Cahir hadn't wanted to be chosen for any of this to begin with.

𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟 𓆝 𓆟 𓆞 𓆝 𓆟