I watched with remorse as the Queen heavily criticized the bowing princess in front of her while the King and Prince sat on their thrones watching.

“You dared to debase yourself further by becoming a thief! In your own kingdom!”

My father stood beside me with a neutral expression, but I knew he was just thinking of ways to spin this narrative around in his head. It was the royal advisor’s task to come up with solutions before a problem arose and even after it had already shown itself.

And in this current predicament, the princess’ present reputation was a problem.

News of her stealing oranges had become the talk of the kingdom as everyone wondered what had brought the princess to do such a thing. Stealing oranges wasn’t such a horrible crime in the Kingdom since it was just some fruit, but the problem was that the princess had done that.

“Imagine what everyone must be saying about you! A princess stealing fruit like a commoner!” I could see the princess frown as she remained with her head bowed, but there was something else in her expression. As I looked closer, I could see the glistening tears in her eyes.

Something in me blamed myself for how everything had played out for her. No one had noticed her stealing anything, but I had brought attention to her, and even though I had done it because of worry – it was still something that brought her trouble.

At that time, I had been concerned for her safety since I believed something horrible had happened to her to disappear so suddenly. But how was I to know that she was stealing and running away!

“You are a stain on my perfect reign!”

The words were impactful (and rhyming, sorry) as I sucked in a breath while I watched the princess’ tears stream down her cheeks finally. Oddly, she didn’t say a word in her defense as she listened to her mother berate her in front of everyone present at court. Even when everyone else in the throne room had become desensitized to the Queen’s harsh scolding – it was still hurtful for her to shame the princess in such a way.

“Dear.” Finally, the King spoke up as he placed a hand onto the Queen’s arm. “She realizes her mistake as well, please, calm your anger.”

“Very well.” The Queen’s fickleness was always a novelty since she got pacified in such a simple way by the King. The two seemed meant for each other perfectly.

“Advisors!”

I jumped in surprise as all five advisors went to stand in front of the thrones, while I followed them silently and out of the Queen’s line of sight. I was just an apprentice and sometimes an errand girl, which meant I had no say in any matters.

Even when the matter had been partially my fault.

The princess remained in her position as the advisors took their place beside her.

“Your Highness!”

“Tell me how to solve this problem!” I frowned when the Queen looked at the princess with a scornful glance which didn’t sit right with me. Her dislike for the princess had always been apparent but she could hide it better if she wanted. But she didn’t, which was surprising, as well as awful to witness.

“Answering the Highness! This one advises that the princess be married off to an appropriate suitor!”

My eyes widened at my own father’s advice, which was horrible since he thought of everything in terms of marriage. The Queen also shared my opinion as she clicked her tongue and shook her head. “She has already been rejected by almost all the appropriate suitors. No one wants a spoilt fruit.”

It wasn’t like none of us knew of the princess’ shortcomings which had led all of her suitors to reject her. She was unruly and disliked the idea of being married to a man she barely knew. She was also a perfectly identical image of her mother, with her fickleness and domineering nature. But the real reason had been something else entirely which Oanez had shared with me once.

“She has already bedded a man once and it’s no secret to the royal circles in other Kingdoms.”

My eyes turned to the princess, whose head had further lowered as I heard Melvin’s voice. “Perhaps, we have her work in the gardens for a few days so the citizens can see how just the Queen is in her punishments.”

The Queen immediately smiled as she looked at the man with glittering eyes. I wanted to frown, and I could’ve easily done so while standing behind the advisors, but someone else’s voice had reverberated in the throne room with a new problem to think about.

“But your Highness, one can only hand out punishments for so long until they also become useless.” The King and Queen, both, looked over to Oanez, who was frowning. Even the prince’s ears perked up as he looked at him from his throne, with curiosity. “What do you propose we do then, Advisor Oanez?” The King spoke up this time as he sent a concerned glance over to the bowing princess.

“Well,” I frowned when Oanez glanced back at me suddenly, which was something I wasn’t prepared for. “I believe the princess is old enough to have her own advisor.”

Immediately, there were words of disagreement between the advisors as Graham was the first to voice his opinion. “Preposterous, only heirs are assigned advisors!”

Melvin and my father nodded their heads, but I could tell that Ulgrim was thinking about this seriously. And clearly, his opinion trumped any other in the end. “What do you think, advisor Ulgrim?”

As the old man was brought into the spotlight, he nodded his head hesitantly. “It is unheard of for a princess to be assigned an advisor but in this matter, it could be beneficial. She could have a voice of reason near her, and it could solve problems yet to arise.”

The King and Queen agreed with Ulgrim’s words and immediately, all the other advisors were on the same page. I rolled my eyes at how easily influenced they all were.

“Who should be the princess’ advisor then?” The question was asked to all the advisors, but Oanez was the first to speak up as he glanced over to me again. And at that moment, I understood what he was trying to do. Shaking my head to no avail, I heard his next words as they drew me into an impending doom.

“I propose Eli’s apprentice, Elena Rubio!”

The Queen was quick to frown as she looked around. “Who is that?”

My father immediately turned to look at me, and let me tell you; he didn’t look happy. But his emotions were of no concern to Oanez who grabbed my arm and pulled me right to the front, where everyone could see me.

“She has been a student to Eli for five long years now, and she has been excellent with her quick and critical thinking. I believe she is prepared to handle this responsibility.”

The Queen inspected me from head to toe as if she was considering my abilities based on my appearance, but then Oanez spoke once again which had the Queen agreeing to this advice immediately.

“She was also the one who had found the princess at the gardens and paid for her stolen fruits.”

Well, I had done that, but I had also gotten her into trouble for it.

But clearly that didn’t matter since it was omitted, and the Queen was already nodding her head. “Very well then. Elena Rubio, you are the 6^th royal advisor from today onwards, appointed as the personal advisor to Princess Isabella Aragon!”

The decree was simple and quick for that matter, yet it had given me happiness as well as dread. I was overjoyed hearing myself finally become a royal advisor, but being appointed to the princess was the actual problem.

“Move chambers immediately. I want you to remain next to the princess at all times. You will be in the next chamber as hers and advise her appropriately. Any of her wrong decisions will be a direct failure on your part.” I gulped nervously as the Queen pointed a long finger in my direction. I bowed my head as I loudly spoke. “As your Highness commands!”

“Very well, dismissed!”

The next few moments were a blur as I was pulled out of the throne room by Oanez, who showed his happiness unapologetically. “Finally, the young one has caught up to us.” Melvin slapped my back which hurt horribly but my father’s cold expressions were equally hurtful as he glared at both Oanez and me, in intervals. “Who gave you the right to speak up for my apprentice?”

Oanez frowned as well, as he stepped forward. “She earned this herself, and the Queen approved of her. If you have a problem with the Queen’s decree, why not take it up with her?”

Oanez always kept his words simple and effective, which was a trait that the Queen and the prince were aware of. It was also the quality which had him becoming the 4^th advisor so quickly while my father was pushed to the 5^th slot.

I knew my father disliked that ever since it had happened three years ago, but my new development was going to sow more discord between them.

My father could only glare at me instead as he flicked his wrist and walked away.

“Eli isn’t wrong in his frustrations, Oanez.” Oanez shrugged his shoulders as Graham sighed. “But anyway, I believe we are to congratulate our young Elena for becoming a royal advisor.” I smiled when Graham patted my shoulder. He was clearly the better brother since he didn’t assault my back like Melvin did a few moments ago.

Ulgrim nodded silently in my direction which was enough for me, as they all turned to leave.

While the other advisors left Oanez and I by the throne room door – we waited. Now, this was something I was going to be doing for my entire life. Waiting for the princess and keeping her away from bad decisions.

“Take good care of the princess from now on, alright?”

I nodded my head even when I knew that this was a difficult task. I was certain that the princess must hate me by now but as the throne room door opened behind us – the princess was the first to walk out.

Her eyes settled on me, and I flinched when her teary eyes turned into slits. “You. Come along with me.” Her voice was deathly silent, but Oanez and I had clearly heard her.

She walked ahead and I glanced at my fellow advisor, who gave me a comforting smile. “Don’t keep her waiting.”

His words were a warning as well as advice which I took with me seriously, before I followed the princess with haste and silence, of course.