I groaned as soon as I was pushed against the wall harshly. The princess’ hand dug into my shoulder painfully, but I controlled myself from protesting. She was enraged enough, and I didn’t want her to find more reasons to be furious with me.

“I told you not to follow me.” She sneered at me, and I couldn’t help but notice how flawless she was even while looking like she could commit murder any moment now. She had stolen something already, what was stopping her from crossing the line to another crime?

Shaking my head to get rid of my treasonous thoughts, I raised my hands in defense. “I didn’t follow you. I-I thought you were in trouble, your highness.”

The princess frowned as she inspected me for a moment more. It was as if she was trying to see if I was speaking the truth or not. “So, you notified the guards that I stole some oranges?”

Her words immediately had me shaking my head. “I just asked the gardeners if they saw where you went, a-and they filled in the blanks themselves.” The princess scoffed as she pulled herself away from me, letting me take a sigh of relief. She was terrifying when she was angry. It was almost like she was a second personification of the Queen herself. Shivering at the thought of having two Queens, I shook my head while she squinted at me.

“It doesn’t matter now anyway. I’ve already been shunned and disgraced.” I flinched when she glared at me the very next moment. My back straightened immediately as she stepped closer again, forcing me to stick to the wall behind me. Her closeness was intimidating but also bothersome since we were still in a hallway where anyone could see us, and it could lead to more troubles for her. But this time, for me as well.

“Any of her wrong decisions will be a direct failure on your part.”

The Queen’s words echoed in my head menacingly, and I was forced to hold the princess at an arm’s length away. “We can discuss this matter further if that is what you desire, your Highness, but I advise you to let it go for now. Anyone could see us in this compromising position.”

The princess was quick to understand my words as she pulled herself out of my hold, but still sent me a glare. “There will be nothing more to discuss. You are to stay far away from me from now on.” I watched her point a delicate finger in my direction. She was going to be difficult to handle if she wanted me to stay away from her. How could I fulfil my duties as her advisor if she didn’t even want me near her?!

“Ah, the princess is already terrorizing her new advisor, Oanez.”

Both the princess’ and my attention turned to the side to see the prince walking up to us with Oanez following suit. There was a smirk on the prince’s face which bothered the princess more than it bothered me since I was bowing my head in respect immediately. “Your Highness.”

“This doesn’t concern you, brother.”

“At ease, advisor Elena.” I raised my head to look at the prince who already had his eyes on me. He wasn’t known to be the best royal out there since he did many questionable things. One of those misdeeds included annoying the already disrespected princess.

It was no secret about who was more loved between the two siblings by the Queen. Everyone knew that the prince wasn’t just the heir to the throne but also the ruler of his mother’s heart. Everything the Queen did was for the prince, and never for the princess.

But this clear inequality had the princess have more favor with the citizens, but seeing how she had been caught committing a punishable crime; her popularity was sure to hit a bottom-line soon.

“Oanez has told me so much about you, advisor Elena.” I shook my head bashfully, hearing the prince’s words which were spoken in a friendly manner. “He tells me that you have great ideas on how to counter the Geraldian problem, and I would be pleased to hear about them soon.”

My eyes widened when he smiled in my direction. Bowing my head immediately, I tried to calm myself down from this attention. This was the most attention I had received from any royal in the day. Not including the Queen, because she barely cared.

“Even if she does, she’s not your royal advisor.” I frowned as the princess’ voice flowed into the silence. Before I could raise my head and speak for myself, the princess was already grabbing onto my arm forcefully. “We were having a conversation before someone decided to interrupt us. So, we will be taking our leave now.”

I watched Oanez helplessly, who had a neutral expression on his face, but his eyes clearly showed his amusement at this entire situation. Of course, he would enjoy my misery. He was the one who got me into this. I was grateful at finally becoming a royal advisor but at what cost!

“Remember not to jump into problems headfirst, sister, because mother will blame all of it on her.”

My eyes widened when I watched a certain gleam in the princess’ eyes. She turned to me, and I swear, I saw the corners of her lips turn upwards.

“Yes, I will keep that in mind.” Something told me that she was going to remember that and still be troublesome.

Sighing at my fortune, I gave Oanez a wounded look as the princess dragged me away from the two men.

That was just the start of my misfortune, with that one interaction. Who knew what else there was for me to bear while being the princess’ advisor? Not that she was going to listen to my words anyway.

“You are to never interact with my brother when I’m not around.” That command felt a little impossible since the prince was the heir, and he was older than her. He had more authority than she did, and he said he wanted to listen to my insights on the Geraldia situation. “I don’t hear an affirmation from you!”

I was pulled out of my thoughts with a jolt as she pinched my arm. “Hey!”

“Hey? Is that how you address your princess?” I frowned when she stopped walking and dragging me with her. She was already being unbearable as she glared at me, surely waiting for an apology from me for her hurting me!

“I apologize for addressing you in an informal manner, your highness.” A satisfied smirk adorned her face as she began to drag me away with her again. “I believe you will also listen to my one and only request for you.”

Her request was just an order which she wanted me to obey! I disliked how she had started to show her colors so soon, but then again, I hadn’t been an apprentice to four old geezers for nothing!

“Your Highness, it can be possible that we help each other out,” I paused to check her reaction to my words. She glanced at me with indifference. “Like how you helped me out at the gardens.”

Feeling the strike of her unnecessary statement, I swallowed the rising apology as I shook my head. “Nothing like that, your Highness. This time, I understand what you truly want.”

She stopped again as she faced me entirely with curiosity dancing in her eyes. “Oh? You understand my desires already?” Alright, so she was being sarcastic with me, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me from speaking my mind. “You want to have free reins on your own life, which I believe is also why you left the comfort of the castle, is it not so?”

Her eyes narrowed as I smiled for hitting the mark. “I can help you achieve that if you agree to listen to me from now on.”

“You want me to obey you just like how mother wants me to obey her? How are you and her any different then?” Well, I wasn’t a nagging and fickle old Queen who was so unashamed at disgracing her own daughter in front of a few guards and her royal advisors, for one. But I wasn’t clearly going to say all of that to her face, just so she could go tattletale on me, and then I’d have to wait for the Queen to send me to the guillotine.

Shaking my head at that imagery, I smiled simply. “I could never compare to her Royal Highness, the Queen of this prosperous Kingdom,” The princess rolled her eyes with no fear, which was also something we would have to work on if she agreed to hear me out. “But if I were to speak of the difference between us – I would say that in our situation, both of us will have to face the Queen if some problem arises.”

Her stare was intimidating, and I wondered if she knew just how identical she was to her own mother. But since she didn’t speak up, I took that as permission to remain proving my point. “Let me help you in escaping the castle without anyone questioning it. This way, you can do whatever you want, your Highness.” The princess raised an eyebrow as I couldn’t stop myself from blurting out the next sentence. “Aside from stealing, that is.”

Immediately, she was frowning and I slapped myself inside of my head. “Your little quip was in poor taste.” I sighed in relief when she didn’t get angry at that poorly timed joke.

“I just want to know one thing.”

I frowned when she crossed her arms across her chest, bringing my attention there accidentally. Removing my eyes immediately from her chest, I cleared my throat and asked. “W-What is it, your Highness?”

“What do you get in return if I listen to you?”

That wasn’t even supposed to be a question. Of course, I was going to get to live! Was she not in the throne room when the Queen literally said that any problem related to her was going to count as my own failure?

“Well, your Highness, I will get to prove my worth to the Queen.” Also, keep my life.

It was as if she heard the words I had purposefully left unsaid since she looked at me with amusement. A laugh burst through her lips as she remained watching me. “You are a peculiar woman, Elena.”

Something about her addressing me with my name had a dire effect on me as I sucked in a breath, while she turned to walk away. “D-Do you agree then, your Highness?”

“Alright. Just don’t follow me this time.” I heard her words clearly as she walked away from me.

As I watched her leave, I raised my hand to actually slap myself and bring myself out of this unhelpful reverie. She was a princess, and she was trouble, clearly! She wasn’t pretty or breathtaking. She was like her mother. The image of the Queen was enough to get myself to look away with sheer disgust.

But even then, hadn’t I just looked away when the princess had turned a corner?

I was in so much trouble already.