"Done." Wendy said happily while Daisy squeal in excitement after dolling me up for tonight's crown prince's birthday celebration.
I was dressed up in a cream colored ball gown with pale gold embroideries and stitches, it has a high neck with bertha collar and lace frills at the edges, the sleeves has a regular fit till elbow, but has a full loose bell shape like flare of lace at the hem, hand tacked collar overlay, the underlined wide skirt has a pale gold silk waist band, with pleats and placket around, and the ends has lace frills that touches the floor just right.
Even with lace petticoat underneath it's still not as heavy like the usual dress, It's so fluffy, even my silk cream and gold platform shoes that has two inch elevation is comfortable to walk in to.
Half of my hair is tied in a twisted loose crown braid and the rest of the half is down with loose curls, the crown braid is adorn with a simple thin and small gold hair jewelry in a form of small branches like, it has pieces of pure white diamond and pieces of moonstones in form of tiny flowers.
I have a gold tear drop moonstone earrings on and my insignia pinned on my neckline.
"Really, even with a tiring day, our lady always looks like a little fairy." Daisy gushed while Wendy chuckled and nodded in agreement which made me feel flustered.
"Let's go." Wendy said as I hummed and let her lead me downstairs.
We reach the hall where my father and my brother are both waiting, both in their dark clothing yet again, but this time with cream colored shirts that matches my gown underneath their black and gold embroidered vests, jet black trousers, and tail coats and pale gold cravat ties with their rank badges and sash on.
"We'll just be on time before the start." my father said and pick me up as he led us to the carriage, this time, Wendy rode another carriage with Daisy, while Sir Ulysses, Sir Colin and Sir Rupert will accompany us in the ball.
The carriage go, not long till we reach the palace, getting off our ride and was introduced from the entrance by the announcer.
Wendy and Daisy was on stand by with our knights as we greeted the emperor, the crown prince, and the empress dowager that I've only heard from news paper.
She's old but looks not that old with a light brown eyes, salt and pepper hair tied in a low classy bun with her crown on, wearing a blood red and gold gown with a gold sash and badge, adorned with ruby jewelries.
The old lady who was known to hate socializing and solely focus on gathering power through politics and business instead, she look so cold yet her powdery pink aura tells me she's not.
She's eyeing my hair, I can oddly sense her strong gaze as I look down the floor.
"This is my first time meeting your daughter, grand duke, she's all the people around are talking about since the trading day, I wasn't able to greet you earlier since I've been feeling under the weather." the empress dowager spoke with a stern voice as my father look down to me as I hold on to his right hand to calm my nervous self.
"It's a great honor to meet her imperial majesty, I'm Althea Lucine Argyros." I make a short formal introduction and she hummed motioning for me to stand straight and I did, still not letting go of my dad.
"I've heard great words about the lady, she's only 5 correct? Time flies, I'm sure the academy are anticipating for her already." the empress dowager spoke as my father sighed.
"They sure does, the academic councils are already trying to convince me last night to send the child to the academy already, but I couldn't just let the frail child go this early, your majesty." my father said with a bothered tone and the old lady hummed in agreement.
They converse so casually, I'm not surprised since my father and the emperor are bot childhood friends.
"So I've heard." the old lady sighed in understanding using a motherly tone.
"Anyways, the gift for the crown prince will be handed by our knights, it's a white draft horse I acquired from a neighboring country to be added on his collection." my father said as the crown prince thank my dad sincerely.
Dad dismiss us from the imperial family and my brother immediately assisting me while dad was pulled to the crowd of dukes and the delegates, just exactly what he needs to do.
"Are you hungry? We don't have to participate to the dance, we can just sit and wait." my brother asked as I hummed looking around to see his peers approaching us.
"Lord Dritan! You did so well earlier." a familiar boy with turquoise eyes and dark blue hair spoke with full respect as the group of 10 boys.
It's the scholars, Sir Remi was the one to initiate, they all seem close, I already met Sir Remi the turquoise eyes and dark blue hair, Sir Nicoli the boy with lime green hair and amber greenish eyes., Sir Amoris the boy with dark green eyes and red wavy hair in ponytail and Sir Paul, but the other 6, I still haven't met yet till now.
"So you're really all here." my brother groan while Sir Paul chuckled along the rest.
"We've already met at the Wisteria grand duchy, my lady, I'm Amoris, I'm a younger sibling of Sir Colin, Lord Dritan's personal knight."
He do look like Sir Colin now that he mentioned, a younger version.
"Hello." I mumbled holding on to my brother, cautiously observing and sensing gazes targeted on me everywhere.
"This is my little sister, Althea." my brother introduce casually and the rest of the 6 boys greeted me one by one.
Sir Rafael Mabel with mahogany brown hair and deep brown eyes, Sir Harry Sevin with emerald blue hair and light brown eyes, Sir Madison Hase who have chocolate cherry hair and light bluish green eyes, Sir Boris Gaetan with light brown hair and dark brown eyes, Sir Grayson Abey with cedar brown hair and blue eyes, and Sir Alfonso Theodore with cinnamon colored hair and brown eyes.
I tried to memorize everyone's names.
"I'm happy to meet my brother's friends." I said genuinely.
The 10 Wisteria scholars who will take over the country's business circle and politics in the future with the crown prince along my brother.
They are children and siblings of our land's lords, knights and servants,
"We are more than happy to make acquaintances with my lady, you did so well playing a piano piece that no one dares to perform for so long, it's my first time listening to Heart of Forever Maiden being performed in opera live, it's better than any old recordings." Sir Nicoli said fondly as I feel flustered when they complimented me one by one.
I never paid attention much to compliments before, I was so used on making my professor, my father and my brother proud, I ignore the others mostly.
"Your compliments flatters me sirs, I still have a lot to formally learn." is the only thing I could give as a response and clinging closer to my brother as I spotted Malina and Talia with their murky green auras and the other girls.
"No, my lady, you can just call us by our names, calling us sirs doesn't fit well, we're still trainees." Sir Harry said as I oh and nodded.
Right, they're still kids, not the adults I've heard before.
"If that makes you all comfortable." I mumbled as my brother squeeze my hand gently.
They converse with my brother who thankfully didn't push me to interact with others, instead letting me on standby and was invited to join them in one table that already has a prepared food and drink in silver platters and cutleries.
A silver plate with perfectly cooked sirloin steak and mash potato, which looks amazing and even the smell, there's a silver cup field with fresh iced strawberry juice.
My brother quickly grab my fork and knife which made me gasp and stare at him bewildered.
"That's my food-"
"I'm slicing it for you, I can't just call Wendy and Daisy, it will took them long before they even assist you, it's dangerous. What now? You think I'm stealing your meal?" he spoke, slicing the steak as I feel flustered and could only shut up, hearing my brother's friends giggle and chuckle.
"There you go." he quickly slice my food to bite size and make it easier for my child self to eat as I grab the fork from him and I start eating to my heart's content.
Dressing up and travelling is exhausting, I really need to eat, I might end up feeling sleepy soon but I don't care.
I can only listen to them chatting about their own siblings, horses and swords, that's all they talk about.
I finish eating, I'm already full, I wipe my lips with the napkin and put it down properly, getting off my seat.
"Thea, where are you going?" my brother asked, holding my sleeve as I look around.
"Where's daddy?" I mumbled as he oh, looking around too.
"He's with talking with the mother of the emperor." he said in a hush as I look at where he's looking, my dad casually conversing with the empress dowager, as if catching up.
"Sit back here." my brother muttered as I started to feel bored, climbing up the chair, but he immediately help me, this body is too small to even sit on a normal chair it's bothersome.
"Do you mind if I join?" I was startled when the crown prince spoke from my left, bowing my head quickly as he place a chair between me and Amoris who seem startled too and greet the crown prince.
"Ha, really." my brother sighed without care yet bowing a bit as the prince wave his hand dismissively.
"We can't act all casual here, your highness, we will get scolded if we do." Harry said making the prince sighed, bothered, their auras are al pale yellow, they're bored, as much as I do, but the crown price have such a bright yellow and powdery pink aura.
"Lady Althea, why aren't you interacting with the other ladies? Isn't it boring to listen to boys talking horses and swords?" the crown prince asked me directly, leaning against the table with a curious face.
"I-I, I don't know anyone there, your highness." I mumbled looking down my fist clenching on my clothes out of nervousness.
For some reason, his presence feels too nostalgic, I can't really recall if I've ever met the crown prince before, I really don't.
Am I forgetting something?
I wouldn't be so surprise if I do, I only remember what I've payed attention to thoroughly.
"I already informed you highness, she's new to social gatherings and my sister has been sickly and just recovered for her to be able to join us, we even casted a protection spell for her to be able to travel and move without getting harmed by magic recklessly." my brother spoke firmly, as the crown prince froze on his spot, his expression turn unreadable.
"I understand, well, can you bring us some desserts and drinks?" the prince diverted the topic and ask the servants to bring sweets who bowed and left while another servant gathered the empty dishes and left.
I feel glares directed to me as I glance at Malina, now with her mother Baroness Birsha, while Talia is with Marchioness Melba.
I really couldn't stand their murky auras, but for some reason, I don't feel as overwhelmed as before.
"We're going to return soon in the academy, I'm sure the lady will miss her brother not being around often." Remi spoke as my brother hummed and I blink, listening to their conversation again.
"I'll try finishing all the minor classes sooner so I can have more vacation breaks without interruptions, she might attend the academy sooner or later if she's physically well enough so it wouldn't be that bad, I'll end up accompanying my sister anyways." my brother said casually while I think about the academy.
Am I really going to be able to go there in this life?
If so, then I'd like to go.
"Thea." I look behind me to find my father who greeted the crown prince and dad made me get off the chair as I did.
"The empress dowager asked for you to explore the imperial garden with us." dad said as I nodded and look at my brother who look so bored already and my dad ruffled his hair which made me giggle when he turn flustered.
"Baby sitting my sister is more fun than taking with these rascals." he complained in a hush and bluntly which made the boys drop their jaws dramatically, I can tell they're all good friends when it's just them without the courtesy call and formalities which is great.
"Hey." the crown prince chuckle which made the rest laugh too, complaining jokingly while my father pick me up and go, I look at them and the crown prince glance at me and smile brightly.
He seem so friendly and comfortable with my brother who snarl at him which made him jolt on his seat and talk to my brother with a funny face.
They're cute kids.
"Don't get too close to boys, they're up to no good." my dad said overprotectively as I hummed looking at him.
"But brother is a boy, and dad too." I said pointing out as my father hum.
"Dad and Dritan are different." he mumbled holding my right hand and kiss the back of it gently.
"Yes." I mumbled hugging my father in agreement who patted my back gently as we headed out to the imperial garden, where the empress dowager is waiting with her imperial servants who are watching me and my dad fondly.
Dad put me down as we greeted the empress dowager who wave dismissively and casually as she crouch down a bit to me.
"I heard the little lady loves plants and music? I'm a fond of both, I'll show you the garden I landscaped myself before, I'm sure this old lady can give you some seeds to plant and grow it the duchy that you'll like." she said without the stern expression, she have a gentle expression instead and with bright yellow and pink aura.
"Your majesty-"
"Don't be so nervous, I'm you dad's godmother, I'm a childhood friend of your grandmother Eris, treat me with ease when it's just us." the old lady said, stroking my hair which made me look at my dad who smile gently and I look at the old lady and nod with a smile.
"I've always wanted a daughter but the imperial linage only gives birth to a boy, seeing Eris' granddaughter, I'm sure she'd boast about you if she wasn't so busy running the Grand Duchy's business."
My grandmother on my paternal side.
I've only saw her very often before when I was a child, she look so strict and never visited again after I pass out from getting overwhelmed by her strong aura, I keep getting sick every time she visits so she stop and never come back.
She stopped visiting when I was 7 so she'll visit still soon, I hope I wouldn't feel sick next time she show up, she would always gifted me things she'd get on the places she came from.
She's a sweet lady behind those stern persona everyone feared.