"You're the one who told me to just be myself, and yet, you can't apply those word of advice to yourself?"
"Ah, uh..."
"Feelings aren't something to be embarrassed about. Especially if it's about someone..."
Atalante proceeds to press her right index finger onto his chest, pointing onto his heart.
"Anxiousness, ease, interests, dislikes, happiness, sadness, hate and love. Not everyone feels the same because not everyone is born the same. But it doesn't mean that you're not allowed to express what you feel."
Edle wordlessly stared into Atalante's beautiful pair of ocean green eyes.
"If you feel like you want to share your gratitude to someone, or if you feel like you want to tell them that what they're doing is wrong. Or if you feel like you want to be together with that person, then tell them what you truly feel."
"Tell her what I truly feel, huh?"
"Sometimes it's hard to explain, or you can't find the right words to express it. Sometimes they might even ignore you and just move on. When that happens..."
Her pointing hand gesture changed into a fist and hits Edle back on his chest with a really slight force.
"Ow!"
"...Just say it again one more time. Again and again, until it goes right through their thick skull like a punch!"
"Ohh..."
Edle's mouth fell open in astonishment.
"Hearing such an encouraging words from you is not what I expected, I guess you really have matured, Atalante."
"What? I was born even before your Grandparents!"
Once again, the elven princess punches Edle, but this time it's aimed on his gut with a much harder force into it.
"Ow! It's hurts more than the first, why?!"
Edle wrapped his arms around his gut due to the pain he received.
"Well, even if you kept telling that person what you truly feel, it's not like they'll accept it all the way, they can also reject you. The chances are always 50-50. But what matters the most is not their answer but the fact that you get to tell them what you really think about them."
Edle takes his arms off of his belly as he takes a firm stand, giving Atalante a sneering comment.
"You're seem more childish than Pina, but you know how to say the right words to someone."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
The lid of Atalante's left eye nictates as she makes a delighted smile.
"Oh, while I'm at it, good luck to the upcoming royal sword tournament. We're not gonna see each other after this for a while, but if this next tournament is about team battle, I'll be glad to take a spot in your team."
"Yeah, thank you. You're more than welcome to be in my team."
A peaceful night, a bright and colorful room, a merry flock of people. A reunion with his friends, and a casual yet meaningful conversations he has with them.
This euphoric sensation that surrounds Edle, the prince of Reilaea, wishes that the days would always be like this.
The days where there is no trouble, the days where people can live together with their loved ones at peace.
"Hey, you two."
However, like a horrific nightmare that haunts people in their sleep, a soft sensation touched the back of Edle's shoulders, and a pair of delicate arms wrapped him around.
"P-Princess Celestine..."
"My, did I happened to stumble upon you two at a wrong time?"
"No no, not at all."
Atalante slightly shakes her head in response.
"That's good to hear."
"Ahem...!"
Edle hemmed to get Celestine's notice. Celestine looks at him with a bright smile.
"Mind if I ask you to get your arms off me?"
Celestine's eyes goggled in surprise after hearing Edle's request. She did what Edle asked and released her wrapped tight arms off of him.
"Sorry, my big-brother. Does my embrace made your heart skip a beat?"
"No, more like, what do you want?"
"Eh... A man who closed his heart from others truly is hard to entice it seems."
Atalante and Celestine's eyes met for a second as the princess of Kruule took a quick glance from the elder elven princess.
"So you came to us just to say that?"
"Why the grumpy look? Is it bad to come and approach my big-brother in front of another beautiful lady?"
"No, it's not like that."
Edle turns away from Celestine.
"Well, no matter. Mind if you two could tell me what you're talking about a bit earlier?"
Atalante is the one to respond and tells Celestine about the royal sword tournament.
"royal sword tournament, you say?"
Said Celestine in question.
"Yes. We're thinking of teaming up if ever the tournament is decided to be another team battle."
"Eh... That sounds like a lot of fun."
Atalante took this chance to ask her if Celestine's joining.
"Hey, if the team battle happened to be in a group of more than 2 people, would like you to join us?"
"Ah, that sounds like a wonderful request. But... I have no interest in joining you two. Besides, talking about it is meaningless."
"What?"
The princess of Kruule turns around, facing the throne seats and takes a few steps forward.
Edle and Atalante watches her from behind, where they can only see half of her face.
Behind that innocent back of the young princess in red...
"It's meaningless... because there won't be you in that tournament."
A sly smile is hiding.