The next event would be occurring soon. Technically, it would be two events wrapped in one. Three, if you wanted to get really specific. Each event sort of leads into the next one... Wait. Wasn't that just describing the entire game in general.
Lecil shook her head, getting rid of the circular thoughts. The point is that the next event would be starting soon. It wouldn't be a problem as Lecil knew the contents and how to solve it. Rather, she would come out in a better position than she was in currently.
"Irene?"
"Yes, Princess?"
After having witnessed the latter half of the event with Tristan, Irene was very sympathetic towards Lecil. She no longer followed the script set to her from before. She helped bandage up Lecil's hand in a caring manner so that it would heal nicely. There wouldn't even be a scar left over due to the magical remedies accessible to those residing in the palace.
Good riddance too. Lecil wanted nothing to with such a benign and ridiculous wound. If it were possible, she would get rid of the lines on her wrists as well. They were never treated properly. She would have to check to see if there are any magical solutions to remove them. Or maybe she could get a pair of matching tattoos to cover them up.
She hid a scoff. A princess with tattoos? As if.
"I'd like you to pick out an outfit for me to wear today. Something warm."
Glancing at the wardrobe full of luxurious and high-end clothes, Lecil felt nothing. It was all worthless. They were the peak of fashion, but no one ever noticed her in them. They were mostly dark with long sleeves and little decoration. Nothing fancy or with frill like Anne would wear. Lecil would like to call her wardrobe 'mature' or 'elegant'. If Lecil was honest with herself, though, they were dreary and depressing.
"Are you sure you don't want to pick something yourself?"
"Yes. Feel free to pick whatever you think will look nice. As long as it can be paired with gloves and a scarf."
"Understood."
Irene seemed happy to be able to dress up a Princess. Lecil let her hum and pick through the outfits. She cared nothing for them.
Except for maybe one. A dress gifted by the Queen before she passed. It wasn't an overly special gift, but it still meant something when she never received anything meaningful from the others. The Queen wasn't loving like a mother but neither did she scorn Lecil not being hers.
Dark blue matches your eyes well.
Those were the words attached to the gift. Not loving. Not scornful. Just thoughtful.
Unfortunately, that dress was ruined now.
"Don't take too long, Irene. I need to meet with my brother. I also plan to go out later to do some shopping."
Irene paused, notably more downcast.
"You're going to meet with Prince Tristan?"
She held back a scoff.
"No. With Kly."
"Oh."
Lecil could see it written on Irene's face.
If it is not Tristan, it will be fine. Kly will be much kinder to Princess Lecil.
Lecil half-wished that was the case. Kly's affection towards her was at 0% still. He wouldn't kill her but he definitely wouldn't be 'kind' to her. More like he would refuse to give her the time of day. She would need to act quickly and simply. Too many words and he would dismiss her. Too slow and he would walk off.
The event would take place outside in a courtyard. Lecil would follow the script and go for a walk outside like planned. If she didn't, there were likely to be repercussions of some shape or form. Missing events was a clear way to reduce affection. Best case scenario, it stayed the same. But then Lecil would be stuck in a palace where no one listened to her.
"How about this?"
Lecil looked at the light gray wool coat and fuzzy hat. It could be paired with a royal purple scarf. Either dark or light gloves could fit it. She picked well, as it was definitely well suited for winter.
"Lets go with that then. Also...
"Yes?"
"Maybe something underneath besides my nightclothes."
Irene flushed. It was only a joke, but Irene took it very seriously.
"I didn't mean to offend you, Princess. I will look for something immediately."
Lecil stopped her before it became awkward.
"Irene, I was joking around. I wasn't questioning your competence."
"Oh. I see."
Lecil rolled her eyes.
"And if you insist on calling me Princess all the time, use my name. Princess Lecil."
Irene realized she hadn't been using Lecil's name and only using her moniker. Informality was a big no-no in aristocracy. She could never just call Lecil by her first name. But if she were allowed to keep the moniker, it wouldn't be a large issue.
Irene turned around to hide her slight smile.
"Yes, Princess Lecil."
It would also cause confusion since there is more than one Princess.
Anne. What a bore. The spoiled child fed with a silver spoon. Lecil hasn't seen her affection score yet, but it couldn't go below 0%. She would never kill Lecil directly. Instead, she played a major role in swaying the others' affections scores. Tristan. Kly. The Dukes. Based on her affection score, she could become a huge hindrance or the best wing-woman out there.
It is just such a pain to go through, though.
Lecil rubbed her temples.
Calm thoughts. Think calm thoughts.
She imagined puppies and rainbows. Unfortunately, she remembered her puppy. That continued into remembering leaving it behind. Along with her family. Friends. Potential and prospects.
"Aah. Ah."
Great! Now she is depressed. It left a foul taste in her mouth. Causing her to become angry instead.
"Lets hurry this up, Irene. I need to go for a walk."
=
The brisk air was chilling. It was still bright outside, regardless of cloud cover. Light reflected off the snow layered along the ground. Lecil walked along a carved path through the snow along the southeastern side of the palace.
"Irene, make sure to stay on my left."
"Huh? Ah, yes..."
The words were odd but Irene followed suit, moving out from directly behind Lecil. She was still two steps behind but was firmly on the left now. Lecil nodded and didn't bother explaining. They were walking towards a large courtyard. It was one of the places where the royal guards and knights trained. A large rectangular track had sweating figures running laps while carrying logs.
As Lecil got closer, she could see both males and females in the group. Some of the men even had their shirts off. None of the women complied. It was surprising that they could keep up with the men while carrying such heavy logs, but the women here were made of tougher stuff. They all knew how to circulate mana through their bodies to increase their performance. Men never thought of it until after formal training since their bodies were naturally more muscular. Lecil respected these women a lot.
"Princess Lecil, why did we come here? There are better views around the palace."
The words made Lecil smile. This place was described as a place of beauty in the game. Sweating men and women, bared chests and bulging muscles. It was supposed to be an alluring sight. Lecil could see some of it, but it was clear Irene didn't see it at all.
"I told you. I came to meet my brother."
"Prince Kly?"
"Mhm."
Lecil pointed to a man at the lead of a small group, carrying two logs, one on each shoulder. He wore a loose tanned shirt and comfortable pants as his feet carried him past the struggling recruits. It appeared they were racing.
"Let's wait for him at the finish line."
The two of them received several sidelong glances. Some of them didn't even know who she was. But judging by the clothes, the attending maid, and how she held herself, it wasn't too hard to imagine who she was. The most upsetting thing was that she received dirty looks mixed in with confused glances. Surprisingly, it was mostly from the women. They seemed to be more in the know about her origin or at least heard whispers. No one dared say anything out loud because they would concurrently be executed. A magical gag order that prevented nearly all suggestions of such a thing.
There was a bench near the finishing line where a drill instructor assigned more laps to slacking recruits. She ordered them to pick up a second log from the pile if they were going to be that slow. As they neared, the instructor finally noticed them.
"Princess. What are you doing here? This is no place for such a delicate lady like yourself."
Lecil wanted to roll her eyes at the cliche. By a woman no-less. Instead, she smiled politely.
"Don't mind me. I have business with my brother. I will wait for him here."
Lecil sat down on the edge of the bench and crossed her legs. The nameless instructor eyed her but didn't dare say more. Irene looked uncomfortable as she stood next to her. Lecil whispered to her.
"Remember. Stand to my left."
Irene furrowed her brows. Even now? She complied without mentioning anything.
They both watched as more people passed by. Some stopped and stared but were whipped into shape by the instructor. As more people finished and set their logs down, the number of people remaining on the field dwindled to just the competing Prince and party. They actually passed by Lecil twice now. Kly didn't seem to notice as he continued. Lecil simply waited.
They ran the last lap. As the waiting crowd gathered, cheering. The two groups were separate. The guards and knights on one side creating a ruckus while Lecil sat quietly, excluded and silent.
The prince rounded the bend, streaming ahead of the last competitors still in the race—a loud cracking sound.
The crowd turned around to see their huge pile of logs was tipping over, falling in their direction. It would crush several people and the Princess if they didn't move. Irene panicked.
"Princess-"
"Don't move."
The words were an imperial command. Irene froze in place while the others scrambled to get away. The instructor was bracing for impact.
Lecil stared straight ahead at Kly. It was time for him to notice.
Kly dropped a log, causing it to bounce and interrupt several of those behind him. They yelled obscenities as they dropped their own logs and were about to call foul when they saw the accident occurring. Prince Kly took a huge step. His eyes zoned in on a target. Lunging, he threw the log like a spear.
*WHOOSH*
It flew.
Lecil kept her smile and held onto her hat as her hair was blown back. The log passed just to the right of her face.
*BOOM*
The log crashed into the falling bundle and caused them to explode in the other direction. People cried out and yelled, falling to the ground covering their faces.
Things quieted down. Irene was shaking. If... If she remained on Lecil's right... then...
Ultimately, there were no significant injuries. Just a few splinters here and there. The instructor regained control and ordered the injured to be tended to, and the logs restacked correctly this time. Despite her having missed it herself.
The prince jogged over and made sure everyone was alright. It took several moments of Lecil waiting patiently for her to be noticed. When he did notice her, the usual calm expression broke for a moment. Surprise.
He quickly covered it up.
"Lecil... I didn't see you there."
Indeed he didn't. He calculated a path as not to hit anyone but didn't even think he almost hit his sister.
"It's of no consequence. I was waiting for you to finish. Congratulations on winning, by the way."
Kly looked to the log he left behind on the track. Technically, he lost the challenge.
"I can't call that a win."
Lecil stood, smiling as she looked into Kly's eyes. They were the same height. His blond hair was short, parts of it matted to the sides of his head.
"Please. You saved all the guards with that throw. I doubt any of them will begrudge you the win. They are more likely to praise you for your quick reactions."
"Hm."
Lecil smirked as the ticker above his head changed to 2%.
Turning back to Irene, Lecil made sure she was okay. She looked shaken but unharmed.
"Why did you come here, sister?"
She was 'sister' now? Didn't the percentage go up? Was he a tsundere? Shaking it off, she asked her question.
"I wanted to ask for your help."
"My help?"
"I need a personal guard. I was hoping you could recommend someone since you know them best."
4%
Hah! This was easier than she thought. Just give him a bit of praise and done.
"Hm."
Lecil watched him look around at the many people gathered. His eyes seemed to linger on the female candidates.
"I would prefer a man. I don't know if you can tell, but the women seem to be glaring at me."
Kly's eyebrows knitted ever so slightly. He was an expert in microexpressions. Indeed, the women were congregating, a few looking back in her direction as they spoke to each other.
"A guard shouldn't harbor any ill will towards who they are guarding. Maybe one of the newer recruits?"
"Hm."
It seemed to be his favorite word.
Kly nodded and pointed out a young man with medium length brown hair.
"Rain."
The prince's voice was soft, but it carried. Several people turned while Rain pointed to himself. He separated himself from the others and jogged over.
"Rain. My sister needs a personal guard. Will you do it?"
Rain was young, maybe the same age as Kly. He had a pointed chin and bright eyes—a very eager fellow.
"Of course. If I am allowed, it would be an honor, Prince."
With a turn of his feet, he bowed deeply to Lecil.
"I hope I will meet your expectations, Princess."
Lecil smiled. Yes, he would do.
"I look forward to working with you. Thank you, Kly. I owe you one."
"Mhm."
Lecil held a hand to her mouth to prevent herself from laughing. It was the same word, just a different tone.
5%
Wasn't this too easy? Honestly...
"Alright, I won't stay in your way. Rain, can you meet me outside my room in thirty minutes?"
Better to retreat after an easy victory than stay and somehow screw it up.
"Yes, Princess! Allow me to clean up and get ready. I will be by momentarily."
"Good. Irene, let's go."
Lecil turned and walked away quickly. Irene did a double-take. Could the Princess really retreat that fast? She scrambled to catch up, calling out from behind.
"Ah. Princess. Do... Do I stay on your left?"