"How could sh- I mean how could I not have a single gown in a darker color?" Calluna groaned as she stood in the large wardrobe, looking at each of the dresses with disdain.
"Calluna," Eleanore responded, still stiff using the prince's first name, "would you like me to invite the tailor in?"
"Oh," the blonde said, blinking once, "I didn't know I could do that."
"You do have amnesia, pr- Calluna, so it makes sense that you don't remember. But yes, of course you can; you're the crown prince after all. The royal tailor is new, but the queen hired him from across the country for his talent."
"Sure, then. Do you think that he will accept a… somewhat strange request?" Calluna asked, brow raised inquisitively.
"You are essentially the sovereign of Killia already, I don't see why he would turn down a commission from you regardless of the uniqueness of it," Eleanore said, then added with apprehension, "what… exactly are you planning to ask for?"
"I'll just keep it a surprise, then," the girl teased. "Does he also make eyepatches by any chance?"
"Most likely."
"Hmm… alright. Pick out the most plain gown for now, please. I will wear it." Calluna sighed and exited the wardrobe, head aching as she thought about how the real princess went around wearing obnoxious things like that all the time.
'Embarrassing. I should get rid of them.'
"What am I to do with all of those dresses, Eleanore?" She called to the older woman as she sat on her bed. "I am never wearing any of them again."
Eleanore appeared from the closet with a gown made of a yellow fabric wrapped carefully over her arms. "I'm not sure, miss. I can have them packed into boxes until you decide what you'd like to do with them, though."
"That would be good, yes."
Eleanore and a few other servant girls helped her dress, each of them careful not to put too much pressure on their mistress' wounds. It still took half an hour with all of the ribbons and the cage, and despite the girls' careful hands, a few yelps of pain escaped the prince every time she moved a bit too much.
"What should we call you by?" One of the girls asked, gently touching the crown prince's elbow to get her attention. She had two reddish buns and freckles dotting her fair skin, the baby blue servant uniform complementing her curious sea-green eyes. Calluna guessed that she was no older than 16 and found her very cute.
"What do you mean?" The prince asked, puzzled by the question.
"Like… Mistress or Master, or- or- that kind of thing-" the girl stuttered. The other young ladies in waiting all turned to the speaker, eyes wide in disbelief that she was even asking.
"Oh, you can refer to me however you please, I don't really have a preference. It's nothing but a title anyway…" Calluna replied, patting the girl on the head. "You may all call me Sister, too, though. I don't mind."
If the servant girl asking such a question surprised everyone, then the answer completely mortified them. The women all gasped at the statement, some in shocked silence and the youngest of them looking at her with admiration. No one knew what to say.
"However, you don't have to call me that if you're uncomfortable." She flattened the lace on the skirt of her dress, impatient with the flashy article of clothing. "Also, I'd like you all to tell me your names so that I can write them down and memorize them. Not at this moment since it is time to eat, but later, okay?"
Pleased nods seemed to be the consensus among the group, which was good enough for her. All of them left save for Eleanore, who began to lead Calluna to the dining hall. She followed the lady-in-waiting instinctively, allowing for her thoughts to be freed somewhat.
She was never able to have so much power and informality with her coworkers as CEO due to her humble beginnings; as Romy, she had cultivated a cold and strong personality since she was very young to deter anyone from trying to trample her in the business field. Now, however, she was completely in control… and she could be whoever she wanted. This idea invigorated her and added speed to her gait.
The enticing scents of rich food beckoned her back to earth as they approached the dining hall. There was a massive double-door open before them, and looking through it there was an extremely long, beautiful table. It was decorated with velvet, as was the Councilroom, but the soft material was a lighter shade of red than in the other chamber. There was food all along the center of the obscenely lengthy table, all of which looked and smelled delicious.
Some of the dishes were familiar, but many of them looked completely foreign to her.
'I wonder what it all tastes like.'
There was a fruit platter, and all of the fruits were vibrant colors and strange shapes; their sweet aromas danced around the magnificent dining hall. Lukas was sat at the end of the table with cheeks full of a sweet breakfast pastry, and pink crumbs dotting his chin
His round, brown eyes looked up and met her gaze. He stood from his seat in excitement, grinning from ear to ear, and waved at Calluna. "King Sister!"
A tall, thin man with short red hair was standing behind the young prince's seat and had remained completely still until the child raised his voice in greeting. He placed a heavy hand on Lukas' shoulder and forced him back onto the velvet cushion. Calluna couldn't tell from the doorway, but it definitely seemed like he scolded him as well.
Eleanore led her to the seat across from her younger sibling and made sure Her Highness was sitting comfortably before taking leave. Lukas had begrudgingly began to eat his breakfast again, but once she was in front of him he stood once more. The man behind him seemed irritated, but didn't stop him when he stumbled around the end of the table to give Calluna a hug.
The warmth of her younger brother's frail arms wrapped gently around her waist made a pleasant feeling develop in her chest. "Good morning, Lukas."
"Morning, Calluna. Are you feeling better?" He pulled away, careful to avoid bumping into her, and looked at her with concerned, young eyes.
"Ah… I'm doing a bit better," she replied, ruffling his soft linen locks. "Don't worry about me so much. Are you doing okay?"
It shocked her into immediate silence when her seemingly normal question caused big, salty tears to well in the young prince's eyes. They streamed down his tan, sunken cheeks and he desperately tried to wipe them away as fast as they came. Quiet sniffles could be heard behind his arm while he hid his face, and the sight was so hard to bear that Calluna ended up pulling him into her bruised and recovering arms.
"I miss mom," Lukas whimpered into her shoulder.
She didn't know what to say in situations like these; she'd never had close friends or family to console before, so it was definitely a first. Calluna racked her brain and tried to pull from the sappy movies she watched with her mother in the hospital before she finally came up with: "I'm sure you do. It's okay to be sad, you can cry as much and as often as you need to."
He nodded and stood in her embrace, allowing his emotions to flow freely. The young woman sighed in relief and internally patted herself on the back for her apparent success. She noticed while they embraced that he felt almost feverish, though, and it worried her a little.
'I wonder what illness he even has?'
It seemed as though the man who was taking care of Lukas had tried his best not to disrupt them, but after a few minutes he spoke up. "Young Prince Lukas, you need to finish eating. It'll keep you strong."
"Okay, Yosef." He reluctantly returned to his seat and finished what remained of his pastry without another word, then was promptly swept away by his retainer to go to a class of some kind.
The rest of breakfast seemed to pass in a flash since there was no one else in the room save for the two siblings and Yosef, and each of the new delicacies that Calluna tried made her heart flutter in excitement. She wasn't used to such amazing food because, despite the money she earned in her previous life, she was so busy that the majority of her meals almost always ended up being takeout. If breakfast were this extravagant, the crown prince couldn't help but wonder what lunch and dinner would be like.
"Crown Prince, it's time to redress your wounds," Eleanore's voice chimed from behind Calluna. She turned and nodded, then accepted the maid's hand that was held out in offer. Getting up from chairs was one of the most difficult parts of having broken ribs, as it required more core strength than one would think.
A pained groan slipped from her thinned lips, the movement shooting multiple waves of a stabbing sensation through her abdomen. Eleanore's arm swiftly moved to support her back as the blonde finally reached a standing position.
Calluna turned a tired amber eye down at Eleanore, who stood about four inches shorter than she, and served a sad smile. "Thank you, Eleanore."
"Of course, Your Majesty. Put your arm around my shoulder and I'll lead you back to the clinic."
"Alright."
"By the way, the tailor said he would come tomorrow afternoon."
"Oh?"
"Yes, so please look forward to it, miss."
After the brief conversation, the two fell silent and the only thing that could be heard was the crown prince's labored breathing and the echoes of their footsteps. It was an unfortunately long walk that felt as though it took the entire day, but after several long halls and a few turns, they finally arrived at the clinic.
Calluna hadn't been awake during her stay in the clinic so she had no memory of it, but the medical facility was quite impressive. Though it wasn't like a hospital or doctors office in her home world, it definitely had a similar aura. Everything was white and kept very clean, forty beds lining the walls and a corner with all of metallic tools and hand-made medications.
A woman with dark brown hair and a rich sepia skin-tone stood by one of the nearest beds. She was wearing a long white coat over her viridian green gown, and was looking at the pair who had just entered with a neutral expression. The physician bowed ever-so-slightly at Calluna, then motioned toward the bed and called to them. "Welcome back. You may sit here."
The prince followed her instruction and sat on the edge of the bed, waiting for Eleanore to remove her clothing and then to begin the bandaging once again.
"Doctor, when will my ribs be mostly healed?" Calluna couldn't help but ask, she knew that it took roughly a month and a half back home and didn't know if it would be different in Killia.
"Two months, maybe three if you overexert yourself."
'Damn it.'