It was the first time someone refused an invite from the royal family. The guests widen their eyes. Philip and the prince were rigid for a while. Lady Agosti was the one to break the ice.
"That was a good one, Lady Irenty." She said and laughed. She laughed but you can still hint elegance on her.
"O-Oh, I'm not kidding, Lady Agosti." Lady Irenty said. She realized what she just said and felt awkward staying there.
"Please enjoy the rest of the day." She said and left. The prince still stood there amidst the eyes of the people. Lady Agosti then, placed her hand on his right shoulder.
"Ask her again, your royal highness. When you two are alone or through a letter." The prince left after that, not even glancing or greeting the people goodbye.
Chiyo's POV
Oh, god! Oh, god! That was embarrassing!
"My lady?" Anne asked. It's evening, but she still can't forget what happened a while ago. Anne was brushing her hair and she was holding her hair piece.
"My brother will come back tomorrow, wouldn't he?" I asked Anne.
"Yes, my lady. The duke already prepared everything."
"Brother doesn't really like those kinds of things."
My brother is the young Duke of Eternina; he is the next in line. An heir to the title; a Marquis.
"I heard what happened earlier, my lady." Anne said. My shoulders rose and I felt my face began to warm. Then again, I heard Anne's chuckles.
"The Lady of Eternina has a lot of guts if I may say." She said.
"Gardens are my sanctuary and you know that. But, going to the palace…" I trailed off. It is too dangerous, for me.
"I'm glad you refused, my lady." She put down the hairbrush and put her hands on my shoulder.
"I still think it was rude to refuse like that."
"Have you not tried to reconsider, my lady?"
Third Person's POV
Morning came and it was the day the Marquis of Eternina will return. People were watching and cheering when he came on sight.
"It's the Marquis!"
"The Marquis is back!"
They exclaimed. Marquis Irenty was riding on a brown horse. He looks dignified as he watches where he goes. Preparations made by the Duke don't really please him as it catches a lot of attention. He wanted to come back as quietly as possible.
"I told them I do not need such welcoming, didn't I?" he told his knight, Neil.
"We cannot do anything about it, my lord."
They reached the manor before he can reply. Again, the maids and the knights were waiting for him at the door.
"Pleased to your return, Marquis Ajax Irenty." They said in unison. He ignored them and went to see his father in order to announce his return
He reached the huge brown door and he entered there. He saw his father and mother sitting and his sister, standing on the right side of their mother.
"I have returned, father." He said and bowed in front of them. Lady Irenty ran towards his brother for a hug.
"Brother!" she exclaimed. Lord Ajax held his sister dearly and ruffled her hair.
"I'm sorry I am not there on your birthday, Chiyo." He said. Lady Irenty pouted and smiled.
"If I am still that child who would throw tantrums at you, then my 18th birthday seems meaningless."
He pinched both of her cheeks. "You are still a child, no matter what age you have come."
"Stop treating me like a child, brother!" Lady Irenty frowned. They heard their mother chuckled.
"You are his only sibling, Chiyo. Let him be." Duchess Irenty said.
"Ajax." Their father called. It made all the people in the room to turn their eyes on the Duke.
"Yes, father." He replied.
"Come with me to the study." That's the cue of Chiyo to let go of her brother. Again, Lord Ajax ruffled the hair of Lady Chiyo.
"I'll come to your room after this, okay?" Lady Chiyo, then, smiled and excitedly nodded.
Lady Chiyo just gazes at the back of the two important men in her life with sad eyes for she knew what they will talk about.
---
"It is just as you thought, father." Ajax said.
"I see." The Duke just replied. They both fell into silence.
Recently, the royal family—or the king, himself—wanted the Irenty family to negotiate with another country which has a huge army that could take them anytime. The king wanted the two countries to have a peace treaty since Anastifa cannot take a blow from them.
This is a dangerous order but Duke Irenty still sent his son, Lord Irenty, in order to prove his loyalty to the royal family. Sending the Irenty Family means one thing.
The king wanted to get rid of the Irenty family.
"Will you not do anything, father? We could be in danger!" Ajax said after he slammed his hands on the table. The Duke stood up and looked outside the window.
"If the king desires it, then we will do it."
"Father!"
"Ajax! You are not a child anymore. You should know what we vowed." The Duke said, angrily. Ajax, then, turned his hands into a fist.
"If we fail to negotiate, then the king will say it is the fault of the Irenty family. If we succeeded, we will gain power and influence once again. By that time, the king will surely want to get rid of our family." Ajax murmured.
"If the king des—"
"I don't want my sister to suffer!" Ajax shouted. "In this lifetime, will suffering be her companion again, father?"
The Duke cannot open his mouth again. Personally, he didn't want for his family to suffer in the hands of the royal family. But, he swore loyalty and must follow it to his grave.
"Chiyo will…gain freedom. In this lifetime, she will be the one to end this millennium-long curse. Have faith in your sister."
---
Ajax knocked on his sister's door. Anne was the one to open it. She bowed and let the Lord come in. He saw Chiyo writing something on a scented paper. When he tried to peeked, the Lady hid it.
"What was that?" he asked.
"I was just practicing my handwriting, brother." Ajax was suspicious but it was his sister. He won't bother asking what was it if she didn't want to tell him.
"I heard you met with the prince yesterday." He started. He sat on Chiyo's bed and looked at her reaction. He saw her turned red and that made his eye brows furrow.
"He invited me to the castle." Lady Chiyo said.
"You won't."
"I refused, okay? But…"
"Stay away from him, Chiyo!"
"Brother…" Lady Chiyo trailed off. She was shocked how her brother raised his voice at her. It was the first time for her. Ajax was set not to let Chiyo out of the manor.
He sighed. "I'm sorry. I'm tired, I'll talk to you again tomorrow, okay?" he said and left. Anne was waiting for him to leave.
"Ajax, I must leave to find her." Lord Ajax stopped on his tracks but walked again. she knew he heard her.
When he left, Chiyo handed the letter to Anne.
"Bring this to the knight named Philip; he will be there outside the castle." Chiyo ordered.
"Are you sure about this, my lady? Even Lord Ajax forbids you to go near the royal family, especially the prince."
"I'm fine. I have you." Chiyo replied. Anne hurried to leave the manor and go to the castle, secretly.
Father, mother, please understand. In order to fulfil what our family has vowed, I must do this.
Luke's POV
Prince Luke Norman Orion of Anastifa,
I apologize for my reply yesterday to your invitation. You invited me nicely yet I responsed to you rudely. At this time, my brother returns to the manor and I am forbidden to leave here without a chaperone. Tomorrow morning, I shall meet you in front of the castle doors with only my maid. I humbly ask that you won't prepare anything unnecessary so as to not get attention of the townspeople and of my family.
Lady Chiyo Enola Irenty of Eternina
I read the letter that was handed to me by Philip. It was a letter from the young duchess of Eternina. Examined thoroughly and yes, it was truly from her as it bears the red seal that was given to the family of Irenty.
"Prepare the garden tomorrow, Philip. Bring out the best tea in the castle." I ordered them. Immediately, they moved according to my orders.
Marquis Ajax has come back, huh. I thought. Then, it means the negotiation with that country has begun.
"Now then, how would you serve me…" I said while I look at the moon above. "…Irenty family?"
---
A brown carriage stopped in front of the castle doors. I walked over and a lady with a white cloak exited there.
She was wearing a light purple dress and her hair wasn't tied up. Pretty simple for a lady of the known family; nobody would think she was a daughter of a duke, if only it wasn't for her silver hair and red eyes.
When she saw me, she and her attendant bowed. "Greetings to the prince." They said. I raised my hand and they followed me. We used the route where nobody would usually go. She didn't want to get any attention, she said in the letter.
"We're here. You can take off that cloak, Lady Irenty." I said and she did so. Again, I saw her silver hair. It reflected the sun shining through the garden. But I can't see her eyes, since her face is down.
"First off, I wanted to apologize again for my behaviour at the gathering." She said. "And thank you for bringing me here. It really is a nice garden."
She scanned the surroundings and went towards the area where roses were planted. I was told the white rose was the young duchess's favourite flower. I turned my back on her and went towards the table where our tea is waiting. Philip and her maid, Anne, were on the side, calmly watching our moves.
"Prince Luke, who was maintaining this garden?" Lady Irenty asked.
"I don't know, but my mother frequently goes to this place." I said, I truly don't know since I am not interested in this kind of place. And I don't really like teas but this was given by the young duchess of Bendetta. It'll be rude if I didn't drink it.
Even so, this is tasty. My mother would definitely like this.
"Why aren't you interested in this kind of place? You must have thought about going here when you're tired, your royal highness." She said and stopped. She sat in front of one white rose with a butterfly on it.
"M-My lady…" Anne said. She must have thought she's in her manor and not in the presence of the crown prince.
"What is interesting about this place?" I asked her back. She looked at me, confused, and looked back again at the flower.
"Are you curious about what I think or what other people think?"
"You." She looked up, probably to think an answer.
"It's interesting how plants grow. They are like us, they have a life. So similar yet so different."
"I don't understand what you are saying." I told her. She stood up and went towards me.
"It's a pity, then, your royal highness." She said and sat. She held her tea and sip once before looking at me again.
"What do you mean?" I can feel Philip's gaze at us now.
"You are living but you refuse to understand your surroundings. Places, things, people…"
"Are you saying that the prince of this country doesn't pay attention to unnecessary things?" I asked her.
"You said it yourself. Unnecessary." She replied to me. She looked at me—no, she's… glaring at me…
"Unnecessary things don't need attention, Lady Irenty." Her eyes, now, looks like gems. Shining as it reflects the sun. Her eyes look gentle before, I didn't know it can be fierce like this, huh.
"The world is more mysterious than all of you think. There are so much more that you don't know but you think you already know. Your so-called unnecessary things are one of the most important things here in the world. Don't be so cocky, Crown Prince Luke Norman Orion of Anastifa."