IF THERE WAS a specific bad habit in which the royal family would point out about Elixane, it would be that she always had the tendency to be unbelievably late for any event possible. Of course, the list of things Elixane had to fix about herself was longer than what most people would keep tabs of. As such, there was only one thing they labeled the princess with― tardiness.
There was no exception to her belated tendencies. No matter who, where, or when she was meeting, there would always be a reason for Elixane to show up fashionably behind time. It was to the point whereby most people thought that the princess was simply doing it on purpose. Hence, it came as no surprise when she had reached the dining room behind schedule again.
Nothing out of the ordinary.
"Sorry I am late, Father," Elixane exclaimed with a pant, bursting into the room with a flourish of her hands.
The heavy doors flew open with just a wave of her fingers as if they weighed nothing more than a feather. However, the clashing sound that reverberated through the dining room proved that it was more than it seemed.
"Late again, Elixane," already at the table, her brother, Prince Enzo, chided. "When will you ever shake that habit of yours?"
"Maybe when you find your bride, Brother," Elixane teasingly quipped back. She took her seat beside her mother, who sat opposite Prince Enzo. At the head of the table was the king. "So, what did I miss?"
"We were just talking about some of the reforms that might have to be done in the smaller villages," her mother answered.
The queen tenderly picked up a serving of the freshly roasted meat, placing it onto Elixane's plate. Unlike the rest of her family, the queen is unable to wield such magic. She was nothing but pure mortal, having to resort to her hands and muscle strength just like everyone else. Only her children ― who had the blood of Loumotiem's royalty ― could command metal like her husband could. Every child of the royal family was born with such power. There were no exceptions.
"Mother, are you just conveniently ignoring what Elixane said before that?" Enzo scoffed, scowling at his younger sister.
"But it's true," the queen replied. "It is high time you find yourself a princess consort. As the crown prince of Loumotiem, it is only your duty to ensure the family line will have a successor in the future. Furthermore, you will need a future queen when it is your turn to become king."
"How about Vida?" Playfully, Elixane cupped a hand over her mouth to soften her voice. Not that it helped in any way, of course. "You seem pretty chummy with her."
"That maidservant again?" At once, the dining room turned quiet. The king had been the one to speak, his voice overbearingly loud, a noise that could not be tuned out. Immediately, the other three members of the royal family hushed into silence, their heads turned down at the table, docile. "I thought I told you that a prince and a maid can never come together as husband and wife."
"Father, Elixane is just joking around," Prince Enzo tried to assure. "There's nothing going on between me and Vida."
"And even if there was, Father, it would be perfectly acceptable," Elixane added. "Vida Sterling is my lady-in-waiting, not a maidservant. The Sterling family is a member of the nobility."
Hearing that, the king was unable to comment any further. He merely sighed, shaking his head as he stared fondly at his two children.
"And finally comes the day where my beloved pearl is siding with her older brother rather than her father," he said.
Just like that, the atmosphere in the room regained its former lightheartedness.
In the eyes of many common folk, they might see the royal family as a cold, aloof bunch of god-like people. They possessed powers unlike any other― the ability to control and manipulate metal with nothing but their thoughts. However, at the core of the royal family, they were just ordinary humans that had ordinary relationships. They loved, laughed, cared, and cried just like all others would. Unfortunately, the presence of such power like theirs was enough to bear fear for the blue-blooded folk.
And fear was the key to kickstart a revolution.
***
Elixane arrived at the garden just five minutes later than what was arranged earlier in the afternoon with Bertrand. She had rushed back into her room after dinner, hurrying Vida to have her fitted in the nicest gown she could find, all just to see the blond that had charmed his way into the princess's heart.
When she made her way towards the pavilion where they had agreed to meet at, she wasn't surprised to see that Bertrand was already there, a flower in his hand and his hands gently caressing the petals. In the glow of the setting sun, he was a sight for sore eyes.
"Apologies, Bert. I hope that you've not been waiting for long," Elixane chirped, practically skipping her way over. For a second, she had forgotten to maintain the elegance her mother had always emphasized. In her head, all she wanted to do was to reach Bertrand's side a little quicker.
"For you, Princess, never," Bertrand replied.
As usual, the smile that he wore on his face was dashing. It was that damned smile that had all the girls of Loumotiem spinning in circles, wishing and praying that they had a shot at meeting the famed Bertrand Argonton. Despite being a mere nobleman, Bertrand's popularity was higher than the crown prince's. His charming character was a drug to most of the Loumotiem women, falling prey to his devilish good looks.
Unfortunately, even the princess wasn't immune to it. She was the first to fall, the one to herald the trend. Elixane couldn't remember a day where she wasn't so hopelessly infatuated with her childhood friend.
"Shall we?"
Ever the gentleman, Bertrand held a hand out, allowing Elixane to walk in front of him. He followed closely behind out of respect, always making sure to stay close but never overtaking her. They stayed that way, their paces matching until they reached the shores of the lake within the castle grounds. It was their destination for today's adventure.
As the princess, Elixane would never be allowed outside the walls of the castle. She had to stay hidden inside, a bird locked in a golden cage until she could become a political pawn one day. Even though she lived a life of luxury and never had to worry about the normal things people her age would, Elixane still wasn't satisfied. She wanted more. That was when Bertrand had recommended going on these daily adventures, finding joy in the simplest of things.
For many years, Bertrand made living in the palace much more bearable than it would've been without him.
"Watch your step, Your Highness."
Carefully holding onto Elixane, he helped her into the boat, making sure to ensure her safety the entire time. It was only after she had settled down, folding her skirt neatly under her, had he finally let go of her hand.
"Sit tight," he instructed.
With two hands on the side of the boat, Bertrand began to push it until the wooden vessel was in the water. Swiftly, his hands didn't let go of the side even after it entered the water, using it to hoist himself in with an expert jump. Due to his speed and agility, not even a splash of water touched either of its passengers. The boat merely rocked a little before quickly regaining its balance.
Just like that, they were off, sailing further and further down along.
"So, what did Vida swear you to secrecy about?" Elixane asked, referring to the conversation they had earlier in the day. When she had returned to her room, her lady-in-waiting only smiled with a shake of her head. There was nothing prepared for her that urgently needed her attention at all. "She said that the item is with you, not her. And that she wasn't even the one that made it."
"Ah, plans foiled again," Bertrand jested.
His hands are both on the oars, his muscles flexing beneath the sleeves of his shirt as he rowed their little boat along. In the skies, the sun was starting to set. The golden ball of light was slowly melting beneath the horizon, paving way for the sea of stars.
"Out with it, Bert."
"Alright, alright." Setting the oars down, he reached into his pockets. "Close your eyes, please," he instructed.
Following as she was told, Elixane shut her eyes and waited. She felt cold fingers graze the nape of her neck, causing goosebumps to rise on her skin. It trailed to the back, his touch feather-light. There, he hovered for a second, fiddling with something before Elixane felt something cold rest against her. The familiar hum of metal fizzled in her veins, sending her blood roaring.
She tried to use her powers, to test if she could figure out what sort of metal it was. However, unlike her father and her older brother, Elixane's ability wasn't nearly as advanced yet.
There were still limits to what she could do.
"Okay, you can open your eyes now."
Her eyelids fluttered open immediately on command. Her hand raised to touch the item on her neck, her fingers tracing it to try and figure out its design. Without, she had to depend on her touch to come to a conclusion.
It was a necklace, she was sure, and the pendant felt like the shape of a bird, soaring free in the sky. Even though the metal was cold against her skin, the gift was warm to her heart.
"What is this for?" She questioned, still clasping the pendant tightly.
"Just a wish to see you get all that you desire, Princess," Bertrand replied. "Free from the palace walls."
His words sent Elixane's heart racing, her cheeks a brilliant scarlet. Unnamed emotions blossomed in her chest as she helplessly grinned like a fool in love.
"Thank you, Bert," she whispered. "I will cherish it well."