"Wakey…Wakey…" Yuuka slowly opened his eyes to the voice that called him out. His head was feeling like a mess, he slept but surely not enough to fix his problem.
"Arata…." It was his daughter's voice that was for sure but, he could not see her face. Something was on his eyes blocking his vision, hair?
"Hello…" another silent whisper came with a small hand pushing away the hair in front of his eyes and he could see the red eyes alongside the white hair. A small face and a sharp chin had the quality of both of her parents, Arata. Yuuka's most beloved daughter.
"Wake up or everybody will see."
"See what?" Yuuka thought to himself for a second but then he realised something, there was some weight on his legs and the hair Arata moved wasn't his.
"…!" The realisation of the fact that Yuuka slept with Kriska in his lap and was probably seen by the guards and servants tasked with taking care of this room. It was shocking at the least.
"Don't wake mother up. He hadn't slept for the three days we were travelling. Let her sleep."
Yuuka's hand was stopped even before he tried to wake up Kriska, Arata held it firmly. Her strength was more than his messed-up strength.
He reached for the glass of water lying on the table ahead before him and drank it in one slip. The cold water opened Yuuka's brain to the world outside and thoughts weren't a mess. He looked at Arata once again searching for a solution.
"What should I do then? People would be coming any second." He whispered to Arata for a solution, he knew Kriska wasn't a deep sleeper even after being three days' sleep deprived she would wake up by the noise of a door's creaks.
"Lift her by the shoulder and get up slowly then keep her on the table or…."
"Or?"
"You can carry her like a princess!"
The second part of the advice was something Yuuka wouldn't have ever considered until yesterday happened, he wanted to do the second and the smell of Kriska's hair made him. She was light enough to lift and her sleeping face precious enough for Yuuka to interrupt by trying to move out of the seat. That was the rationalisation he was going with.
He readied his arms, the left arm moved below her neck and the right one below her legs. He slowly lifted her body in his arms and got up the sea. Appearing a bit bold with a smile trying to act like a prince as Arata had said but the fatigue on his face was quite visible.
"Arata... Go out and make sure nobody sees us go to your mother's room. Quick!" Arata ran as soon as she heard him going out of the door clearing the path to the room she must have seen yesterday. He began walking towards and the door and stopped to wait for Arata when he reached it.
Although it would be of less help. People must have already seen him and soon rumours would start flying that the leader of the kingdom does romance in his chambers and not work for the people. He could curse Milize for saying that she will never marry and serve the people as her family.
Besides, he was meeting her today alongside…Well the person was in deep sleep right now and her sleeping face was really good to look at
Yuuka turned his face down to look upon a face he had not seen in many years.
"You would take picked me up after sending Arata out…" A smug grin extended to the length of her face, Kriska was seemingly enjoying the state she was in. Yuuka fell under the trick, a long-term plan that he failed to decipher.
Yuuka bore a small smile as he carried Kriska the way back, the smug grin never vanished. A rata had delivered on her orders and made sure no one was present in the hallways. The moment is a small and happy one. Yuuka his partner by his side and his allies, for now, he believed it was not possible to conquer him.
They soon reached for the precious queen's bedchamber, redesigned to make them less lavish and more like their older home. The carpets, three dressing mirrors, and a bed big enough for 10 people were removed but the dresses of the queen, alongside her servants still held their positions. Yuuka dropped Kriska outside of her room and told her to get a bath while he did the same.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Soon enough, the new "royal" couple, as some people in the capital were putting it, were sitting at the dining table being served dinner by the servants. Yuuka wore a white-black pair of coats and pants while Kriska was dressed in a more foreign fresh chemise, simple and white. Her servants tried to make her wear something else as the dress was something not a person living in a royal castle should wear but she persisted. Arata was more open to suggestions and had decided to wear a bodice, looking like a noble house's daughter in every shape.
The meal was not something much royal, not a hint of wine only water was served until a special rich house or a military personal had dinner. Bread and meat with stews served alike, much for choosing, Arata fondly liked the chicken stew cooked by the chef Mathew, saying that it was better than her mother had ever cooked, she did not say a word after receiving a sharp look from her mother.
Yuuka tried to defuse the situation as he had plans for his entire family today,
"Arata, I think you know that you are going to start learning horse riding from today?"
"I know. Who will be my instructor? It is Captain Quince, he is a really good teacher, he taught me how to use my not to use my knife on someone when I attacked him with my knife."
Arata brought out and slammed her knife onto the table, she had worn it along with a special sheath for her blade. It had become her beloved gift that she carried all the time.
The servants weren't surprised now, all of them that were present were "stabbed" by her during the morning when she went running around the clearing of the corridor for the royal court's arrival.
"Your instructor is not going to be a captain of the entire army, Arata. They have more important work to deal with. You'll be taught by Robert Lake, a retired cavalry regiment tutor. He will be a fine teacher for you."
"But I want it to be Captain Rargo! He is a better teacher than anyone, I'll also be having fun learning from him. Why can't I have him teach me?
Yuuka gave a tired smile, Kriska was about to say something but he raised her hand to stop her.
"Arata, remember he is a war veteran. Foot soldiers, who march in the front and are the first to die, if someone has lived his life doing that, tell me don't want to know what kind of person that will be like? And to add on that he even defeated him in a hand and fight."
The last line raised eyebrows through the room, Yuuka knew he had convinced Arata about her new teacher
Robert would teach her the lesson she needs to learn. Like he did to me.
Soon, the breakfast ended Arata was brimming with excitement while Kriska and Yuuka shared a sterner look on their faces.
Arata gave a kiss to her parents on the cheeks before she left with her servant for her chariots to her new teacher while the parents prepared to deliver a lesson to a more difficult listener.
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