A P H I A
Prince Kalmin removed the cloak covering his head the moment we stepped out of the tavern. I moved away from him when he threw me a death glare. "Gin?!" He yelled in annoyance. "You suck in giving names." He said as he started walking.
I follow him shortly. "I panicked. I just looked around to name you whatever I thought was good." I chuckled awkwardly. "Do you prefer the name stool instead?!" I shouted, and he sent me another death glare. "Come on! It's better than vodka!" I chuckled.
"It's the first time I bumped into them. I never thought the commanders were coming in a place like that." He commented.
"Yeah. I wonder why I bump into those five commanders whenever I am here." I sighed in frustration. "They did not recognize you, did they?" I asked him.
He shrugs his shoulder. "I don't know. Clovis and Gunther have very keen eyes for details."
"Are the commanders directly reporting to you?" I stopped on the stall of accessories to find gifts for the twins.
"I am the supreme commander." He said that made me look at him in surprise. "Stop looking at me like that." He commented, and I chuckled.
"So, it's the reason why they respect and follow your orders." Hmmm. What should I give to those cute twins? "I thought they respect you because you're the crown prince."
"They respect and follow my orders because I am the crown prince and the supreme commander." He corrected me, and I nodded. "What are you looking for anyway?" He asked. His voice filled with annoyance.
"I am looking for gifts for the twins," I said as I sighed in frustration. I moved to the next stall, and he followed me. "Have you already prepared gifts for your siblings?"
"I did." I looked at him in surprise.
"What is it? What do you think they want to receive?" I asked to get some ideas.
"I got Esmeray a sun necklace, and I got Eeshaan a moon necklace." He answered.
"It's a good idea! They would like it for sure." I said while smiling at him. "You are such a thoughtful brother, your highness."
"You don't have to get them gifts, Aphia. Your presence in their birthday celebration is enough for them." He said in a straight face. His facial expression doesn't convince me of what he just said. I sighed in frustration.
"I don't have enough money, anyway." For sure, they already have all the things they need and want in life. "I will come up with a gift that only the priestess can give," I said before smiling at him. "Let's go home."
His brows knit together. "You smile a lot lately." He commented.
"Oh, shut up!" I shouted, and he chuckled. It comes from a prince who has laughed a lot lately.
The next day, I was making a healing potion for the next expedition when Prince Kalmin suddenly appeared. "Good morning, Gin." I greeted him while smiling.
"Oh, shut up." He said in annoyance. "I thought we have combat training today?" He asked before settling on the couch in front of me.
"Erskine dragged me here to make loads of healing potion. We need these potions for the next expedition, where I will be joining in." I stated before grabbing another bottle of herb extract to infuse it with my magic. "What are you doing here anyway?"
"Do you still remember that one thing that I want you to do in exchange for your day off?" He asked, and I nodded. I suddenly feel uneasy about it.
"I do. What about it?" I thought he had already forgotten about it.
"I want you to be my partner." I looked at him in confusion.
"What are you talking about? We are partners in combat training and crime, aren't we?"
"It's not what I meant." He groans in frustration. What has gotten into him?
"Care to explain what you meant by partners, your highness?" I asked as I rolled my eyes in irritation.
"Be my consort."
"What?!" My eyes widened in shock. "Are you drunk?!" Consort means wife, right?!
"What?" He asked in a straight face. He just asked me to be his consort like it was nothing, for Pete's sake! Is he dumb?! "I am asking you to be my companion at my siblings' birthday celebration." He rephrased, and I breathed out in relief.
Good grief! This prince almost gave me a heart attack!
I cleared my throat as I calmed myself down. I am now deleting the word 'consort' from my dictionary! It's not good for my heart. "Companion? Why do you need a companion?" So, it's equivalent to the word 'date' in my world. He needs a date for the twins' party.
"I had enough of the queen who constantly nags me to attend a marriage meeting." He groans in frustration.
Marriage meeting?! Oh, so it's matchmaking in which a woman and a man are introduced to each other to consider the possibility of marriage. Wow! Talk about arranged marriage among royalties.
I smirk, teasing him and his eyes widen in shock. "Aphia!" He yelled in annoyance, and I laughed in amusement. Teasing the crown prince is fun.
"So, basically, you are going to use me to stop your mother from marrying you off?" I said frankly. I have already read the same scenario in novels.
"I'm still young to get married." He said in a straight face. "If I can't have the freedom to explore the world, this time I will make sure to have the freedom to choose who I want to marry." I shake my head in disbelief.
"Have you ever thought that the queen only wants what is best for you?" I asked as I continued making healing potions. "We are talking about the future crown princess, and later on, she will be the next queen. I think the queen wants you to meet someone worthy of a crown. What do you think?"
"I am aware of it, Aphia. Her standard of a future queen differs from mine. We have a different perspective in life, and I don't want her to control the last thing that will make me happy." I smiled at him, and I couldn't help but admire him for thinking that way.
He knows what he wants, and I learn a lot from him about life. Whoever might be the crown princess, she's lucky.
"I just have to accompany you, right? No other hidden intentions?" I asked as I eyed him suspiciously.
"Yes. I just want the queen to think that I am interested in you." He said, and I gasped in surprise.
"What?! The queen might kill me!" I shouted in annoyance.
"She won't do that since you are the priestess." He said in a straight face. "She might stop from nagging me to attend a marriage meeting and focus on knowing you."
"It's the last thing I want to happen! I don't want her watching my every move! Find someone else!" Gosh! What an annoying plan! I gasped when suddenly the healing potion turned into dark red. "Bloody hell! What is this?!" I stared at the potion in annoyance.
"It's probably because of your emotions." Prince Kalmin said. "You vent your anger on it. You infused it with anger." He said, and I threw him a death glare. "Stop being angry." He added, and I almost threw the bottle at him.
I breathe out to calm myself down. "I am not doing it. Find someone else." I said while looking angrily at him.
"I can't find someone else!" He shouted.
"What? There are a lot of women around the kingdom!" I shouted back.
"I don't want to find someone else!"
"You have to because I am not doing it!"
"You will do it, Aphia!"
"I will not, Kalmin!"
His eyes widened in shock when I said his name. "You will do it because it's my order as the crown prince!"
"The hell I care about your order! I will not do it because I say so!"
"What's wrong with my order?! You just have to accompany me, that's all!"
"You are making it sounds easy, but it's not! I don't want to get on your mother's bad side! I want a peaceful life inside this castle while doing my duty as the priestess!"
"She will love you!"
"What?!" I yelled in disbelief. What the hell did he just say?!
"What?!" He asked, and confusion skates all over his face.
"Shut up!" Erskine suddenly barged in, looking furious. "Both of you shut up! We could hear your voices from the hallway!" He scolded us, and we both chuckled awkwardly. "What is happening here?!" He asked before looking at the bottle I was holding. "What is that?" His facial expression quickly softens, and his eyes twinkle in amusement.
It is one of his weaknesses, new discoveries about magic.
I explained what happened and his smile widened from ear to ear. He took the dark red healing potion to study, leaving Prince Kalmin and me glaring at each other.
"I won't let you use me!" I shouted before running away from him. I heard him follow me and I ran as fast I could.
"It's not what I intend you to do!" He yelled while running after me. We are running in the hallway. Knights, maids, guards, attendants, and other castle servants passing by are looking at us. Some of them are laughing at us.
"I don't believe you!" I shouted before flying using my wind elemental magic. He flies too, still following me, and I groaned in annoyance.
In the end, we fight each other but not because of training. We had an aerial battle that amuses the people watching us below.