Seal can't take her eyes from the dress in front of her. She opened her eyes and saw the red victorian dress hanging in a mannequin in front of her bed. The dress is a long sleeve off-shoulder with gold embroidery. The dress is magnificent and she can't say any words because of her amazement.
She heard a knock from the door followed by the image of the queen. Queen Jia sat beside Seal on her bed and together they looked at the dress.
"Is that mine?" Seal asked.
"Well, yes. You will be traveling to the kingdom of Paladin and you must show off your beauty. Pierce designed that himself," the queen said.
If Seal was already amazed by the beauty of the dress, what shocked her more was the fact that Pierce designed it.
"Pierce? Seriously?" She asked again.
"Yes. Most of the dresses that I wear during special occasions was designed by my sons. Kane likes a light style with his enchanting flowers, Nyle prefers satin and dark colors. Morie usually put fur or animal skin on his designs. Ocean's were mainly simple, gradient and with his upside down signature at the bottom of the hem. Quintus put stones or shells on his designs while Landon's were mainly a liberated style of dress and has darker color scheme," Queen Jia said.
Seal was amazed by the princes's talents. Each of their designs signifies their personalities. And they're sweet because they designed their mother's dresses.
"You should get ready. I will help you in preparing yourself for the departure. You must look beautiful so that Ocean will not look at other woman aside from you," the queen said.
Meanwhile, at the private room of the princes, Landon and Pierce are checking their swords and bows while the other princes are having a teasing each other. Ocean, on the other hand, is glaring at Pierce because he heard that he's the one who designed his woman's dress.
"What's your problem, Ocean?" Nyle asked the fourth prince. "It's not like only Pierce designed that dress. Each of us can design her dress in every occasions," the second prince added.
"But still, I didn't know that Pierce will be designing her dress for the first visit in Paladin. I should've known of that, I would've designed her first special dress," Ocean said.
He's wearing a matching outfits with Seal. Red victorian suit with gold embroidery but Pierce's suit is much more alike to Seal's. That makes Ocean want to switch their suits. But Pierce's body has smaller frame than him and that it will never fit him.
'Damn.' Ocean thought out of madness. While Pierce, on the other side, didn't care for his brother and just focus his attention to his sword.
"Just don't let Pierce and Seal to be near each other, they will look like couples," Morie joked and he received a slap coming from Kane's vines.
"It's not a good joke, Morie. Just shut up," Kane said.
"Nah. I bet you're jealous because they are going to the Paladin Kingdom and they will see Princess Marianne. You must've missed her a lot," Morie teased the first prince. He's talking about the first princes of the Paladin Kingdom, elder sister of Brie, who is an admirer of Kane.
"She can't be there. She's still studying at the Atlas Academy remember?" Kane said.
"There's still a possibility that she will be home. She's not visiting Paladin for a long time. And it's a special occasions for them," Nyle said.
"So what? Do I have to care?" Kane said before walking out of the room.
The other princes laughed because of their eldest's reaction. It's been a while since Kane and Marianne talked so they thought that maybe their brother is already missing the princess.
"Try not to kill Brie when you saw him," Quintus told the quiet Ocean.
"I'll try but I can't promise I won't," Ocean replied.
Nyle sighed at the attitude of their fourth brother. "I understand that you're being protective of Seal. But please be patient. Understand that she can still talk to other people. Don't lock her up. Don't set limits for her. Don't always plan in killing people just because they touched or talked to her because she might not like it," he said.
"Treat her like a rose. Hold her carelessly and she will fall. Gripped her tightly and she will crumple," Quintus added.
Ocean just stayed silent upon hearing his brother's advice. He's been thinking a lot of things. His attitude, Seal, Prince Brie and the fact that Pierce wore the matching outfits with Seal.
~
The queen put the finishing touch in Seal's face. She didn't put too much make up on Seal since she's already beautiful. Seal is already wearing her dress and just waiting for the queen to finish her make up.
Earlier, she taught that she might not be able to wear her dress because of the marks that Ocean put on her skin that night. She got shy in front of the queen because she almost gave in to the temptation last night. The queen just shook her head but with a smile on her face and put some ointment on her skin to ease the swelling.
Luckily, the marks faded but a few are still visible. Maybe two or three. The queen said that it will fade away soon so she doesn't have to worry. Queen Jia continues to help her in preparing, making her feel like she's already her daughter.
"Now open your eyes," the queen whispered. Seal opened her eyes and adjusted her sight to the light.
She doesn't know if she was blinded because of the light from outside or because of the beautiful woman facing the mirror.
"Is that really me?" Seal didn't notice that she blurted out her thoughts.
"Yes, daughter. You're beautiful, right?" The queen said.
She tilted her head from left to right and almost cried because of her own beauty.
"Mother, thank you," Seal said.
"No need to thank me. You're already beautiful. Also, I had fun while helping you. It made me feel like I have a daughter," Queen Jia said.
The two women smiled and hugged each other. Seal felt comfortable the first night that the queen hugged her. Her auntie treated her like a daughter but there was this distance between them that made her bond with the queen different from what she had before.
"Let's go outside," the queen said.
At the castle's living room, the men of the Song family is waiting for their mother and Seal. Ocean is walking back and forth making his brothers get dizzy in following his steps.
"Can you please stay calm? Kane, use your flowers to him," Quintus said while massaging his temple.
"The flowers will not effect on a crazy prince going crazier because of a woman," Nyle said and the princes laughed.
Ocean can't complain. He's indeed going crazy for Seal. He will not deny it but also not admit it. It's as if he already admitted that he's a natural crazy prince. His brothers will just make fun of him.
"Because you haven't experienced being in love," Kane said in a whisper but his words didn't escaped from his brothers ears.
"You really miss Princess Marianne?" Landon asked and smirked. Kane rolled his eyes at Landon.
"If you want to go with them, I can switch Landon for you," the king said but Kane declined.
Kane misses the princess but he won't go and meet her just because he misses her. Kane is prince is playing hard-to-get.
"There they come," Morie said while looking at somewhere making them look at the same direction.
No word came out from the mouths of the men because of the two women that they are seeing. They admire the beauty of the queen but what caught their interest was the woman beside her. Her neck and shoulders are showing. Her hair is in a rose style bun with some lose strands framing her already beautiful face.
Ocean felt thirsty seeing his woman walking from the stairs. When their eyes met, he smiled at her because he felt that for a moment, Nyle is right. He's going crazier because of this woman.
"Woah. Are you still Seal? Aren't you a princess from the other kingdom?" Morie asked and Seal laughed at the Prince's compliments.
"Beautiful like a rose," Kane said and lend her a red rose that matches her dress.
"You look like a princess," Quintus said.
"I'm getting excited to be your older brother," Nyle said.
"And we will protect you," Landon said.
"Because this beauty is rare and that you're special to us," Pierce said.
Seal looked at Ocean as of she's waiting for his compliment. But Ocean just stared at his woman.
"Maybe he cut his tongue," Morie whispered to Quintus but the others heard it.
"Love," that's all Ocean managed to say but enough to melt Seal. He reached for her waist and pulled her to kiss her on forehead.
"Aren't they sweet, honey?" The queen asked who is in the arms of the king.
Seal and Ocean drifted in their own bubble the moment Ocean held her. But they were interrupted but Landon's cough. The Song brothers are being antagonist everytime Ocean and Seal are being affectionate.
"We must go. It'll take a while for us to arrive at the Paladin Kingdom. We must go before the dark set," Landon said.
The princes bid their goodbyes to the king and queen. The brothers remind them the things that they want to have when they got back. Queen Jia and Seal hugged before Ocean got his woman back.
"We're leaving, your highnesses," Ocean said and bowed before his parents.
Ocean helped Seal ride their horses. They were set to leave and the king and queen watched their children as they vanished from their sight.
"Did you notice?" The queen asked her husband. The king looked at her.
"What?"
"That Pierce and Seal have matching outfits?"