Forgetting that her sudden appearance in front of others could cause a frenzy, Alora entered the room where her father was having a meeting. "Father…" She called out.
Zander, Lothar, and Cuillin were taken by shock due to her sudden arrival. Zander was first to react, he broke the rule and suddenly appeared in front of Alora, frightening her in the process.
The meeting attendees who were ministers of the court turned to the door. Only one of them had seen Freya so everyone was curious to know who came there.
But they saw Zander's broad back barely giving them any view of the lady.
Lothar swiftly changed their focus, "Let's continue the meeting." His oppressing tone compelled them to look at him. Meanwhile, Zander took Alora out of the room, closing the door behind him.
"Father, you startled me." Alora grumbled after calming down.
Zander wasn't the least bit annoyed by her arrival. Rather he was apologetic for having to hide her from the officials for time being.
Although the news of her hair was spread by Blewetts, it wouldn't be a problem unless the administration or common people take notice of her.
If a few ministers catch a glimpse of her, the uproar in the nation would immediately begin. There were chances the food supply to the royal palace could be affected. They needed time to stock enough for the coming days and maintain the orders in the nation.
Thus Alora couldn't appear in front of the nobles till the spring ball festival.
"I apologize." Zander flashed an assuring smile, "Why are you so excited?" By the end of his words, he saw Arihan striding towards them at the corner of the hallway.
Alora complained, "Father, I don't want to train with General Darwin."
Arihan: "..."
So finally he was going to be relieved. But he wasn't really happy about it. His father wasn't a person to get sad or like somebody for no reason. He got sad knowing he hurt the redhead lady unintentionally. And the way his father treated the redhead lady meant he liked her.
Why?
However, that speckle of curiosity wasn't enough to change his view. If he was going to be released, he would gladly leave the palace.
Alora continued in complete seriousness, "He is inhuman. He withered all the petals from the flowers."
Arihan's brows twitched uncontrollably hearing her reason. He would have proudly left the job if she had said he was torturing her with hellish training.
'Inhuman?' Well, he agrees with that but calling him inhuman for withering the petals of the flowers felt like an insult.
Zander for momentarily speechless. He fought back his smile glancing at Arihan who was flabbergasted at his daughter's words.
His hand gently caressed her head, Alora was aware that flowers' lifetime is just a few hours but she couldn't see people destroy such harmless, beautiful things due to their mood or sadistic behavior.
"Why did Arihan do that?"
Arihan: "..."
He couldn't believe father and daughter were even discussing that topic. He could understand the crazy girl to be weird but Zander?
Alora quickly briefed what happened, "After two laps of running, I was waiting for General Darwin to arrive when I saw beautiful daisies. I picked them and made a floret. I was wearing it, he shredded all the petals."
She pouted looking at Arihan and demanded fiercely, "I am a princess, why will I play a princess game?" And she doesn't like being a princess.
Arihan: "..."
Now he really wondered if she was going to be a crown princess because even the little kids looked fiercer than her when angry.
Zander tried to calm their simple situation with words, "Arihan, Alora wasn't playing a princess game. She likes flowers. Growing up around a forest, flowers are like her friends." Zander hoped Arihan could understand Alora's emotions attached to it instead of taking it as a joke.
Alora pouted at her father, disliking Zander for explaining to the Hell Master when the latter was in the wrong.
Arihan didn't react on the surface but realized due to her red hair, she never got a chance to socialize with anybody. Even if he could understand it, being so emotionally attached wasn't good for her. Especially when people were going to make her a villain.
Zander sensed Arihan wanted to say something to him, so he signaled him to wait. He turned to Alora, "Alora, Her Majesty has appointed Arihan for your training. If you want to change him, you will have to meet your grandmother."
And Orla would burn every flower around the palace, worse case the whole capital if Alora complained about this case.
Alora: 🥺
Alora dejectedly left to continue the training, leaving the two men to speak.
"Your Royal Highness, with Princess Alora's current status, she couldn't handle the palace, much less what is going to happen." They were wasting time and resources on the wrong person.
Zander's gentle expression turned cold. He could understand Arihan's intention but Arihan was looking down on his daughter, "Arihan, don't come to the conclusion without knowing my daughter."
He agrees his daughter was still naive but she was stronger than they think. So he wouldn't let others doubt her in front of him.
Arihan couldn't understand why his father and the four royals were having high faith in Alora. Although she was able to endure his training, her naivety could be her demise.
He should just mind his job. Arihan bowed to the Crown Prince to leave when a soft but unyielding voice stopped him, "Arihan…"
Zander looked behind, Arihan looked sideways to see two ladies on their way. "Greetings to Your Royal Highness." Arihan offered a bow.
Eugenie stopped next to Zander and invited him with a brief of the situation, "The second prince of Crisal has arrived at the palace. Duke Darwin is busy with the trip to the border. Attend the dinner at the palace today. We might need your opinion if Prince Agost requests for military assistance."
Arihan was aware that the dinner wouldn't be a simple dinner as Agost was a prince. It would be a simple banquet with a minimum number of guests.
His father was taking a journey to strengthen the morals of the military before the big reveal. So Arihan has to take his father's position, "I will abide by your commands, Your Royal Highness."
Eugenie's lady-in-waiting whispered to her before Eugenie added word instructions for Arihan, "From tomorrow, Alora's schedule will have to be rearranged due to her etiquette classes. Duchess Blewett or her ladies will approach you regarding the same."
The Roosevelt princesses' training and education were taken care of by Catherine. So she would obviously try to get more control over Eugenie's daughters, especially Alora.
Since Orla had given Alora's responsibilities of different kinds of training to Arihan, Catherine has no choice but to cooperate with Arihan.
Arihan understood the deeper meaning of Eugenie's words. 'Keep an eye on Catherine's people.'
Though he didn't prefer to tangle with the red-headed lady, after witnessing how naive she was, "I will look into it, Your Royal Highness."
Looks like it was time for a naive little girl to learn the cruel reality.
Arihan took his leave and continued his brutal training of Alora who continued to call him Hell Master.
Something flashed to him while watching Alora enduring the soreness and pain while training. Alora's powers were numbed because she couldn't handle her power. She was isolated because provocation could wake her powers.
'Provocation!'
He got the solution to awaken her powers. But he needed a plan so that it doesn't have a negative impact on her.
Withering flowers could make her angry, but her fierceness wasn't enough. She was a lady, physical agitation might make her weak.
'Someone in danger?'
Arihan shrugged the thought immediately. She was on the verge of tears due to flowers, she might fall ill if she witnessed somebody in danger.
An idea popped into his mind, 'Verbal provocation.' But he had to be careful as disrespect and provocation had a thin line difference.
Anyway, he decided to give it a try. He grabbed another wooden sword and stood in front of her. He commanded her, "Attack."
Alora huffed, bearing the soreness of her arm. She held the sword tight in her palms and swung the sword towards him.
Arihan just raised his left hand holding the sword and Alora grimaced at the reaction of her attack.
Arihan's voice turned colder when he started his plan as she continued to attack him and he blocked her like a child's play.
"Don't hold it stiff… Don't pause after the strike… Swing harder… Mind your legs position…" He started speaking so many words he probably would have taken a few months or a year to utter.
His voice got fiercer and words brutal, carefully watching her expression, "Is this the strength you have?... You can't even move my left hand… Are you going to cry if someone attacks?... You were crying because of a nightmare… How could you even handle an attack?...."
As his words continued, Arihan, who was easily handling her attacks in his left hand, had to hold the sword tight.
She clenched her teeth and increased her speed and force. Rather than exhaustion, he started seeing her stubbornness laced with irritation.
When he felt her demeanor change, he could feel her every strike perfect but weak due to her physical strength.
He gave another blow, "Rather than burdening your parents, why didn't you…"
Alora suddenly changed the angle of her attack and her sword thrust towards him.