A tall, middle-aged man whose muscled body was hidden underneath a crimson buttoned coat walked into Aurnia's room. The gold embellishments on his shoulder blades were eye-catching against his coat's color. It was layered with a white belt at his waist that held the sheath of the sword.
"Anderewe!" The princess' enthusiastic voice resonated throughout her chamber.
The man with an imposing aura flashed the princess a huge smile. "Princess Aurnia, what are you doing down there?" He asked with an amused tone, and wrinkles appeared on the sides of his mouth and eyes every time he would smile.
The young princess frowned. "Stop teasing me, Anderewe. This is your son's doing, by the way."
The man turned his gaze in the corner and caught sight of his son, who was observing the princess intently. A warm smile curled in his lips, and he faced the princess back. He knelt down and stretched out his right hand to the princess.
"Let me help you, Princess Aurnia." Anderewe calmly told her. His gruff voice sounded gentle.
That's why Aurnia sometimes refers to Anderewe as a 'gentle giant,' because despite his brawny physique, he was gentle to her all the time.
'Unlike his son.' She thought grumpily as she reached out for his hand, and Anderewe instantly lifted her off of the floor.
"Thank you as always, Anderewe." She politely thanked the knight commander of their kingdom.
Aramis, on the other hand, who was silently observing his father and the princess, noticed something. The princess was polite to his father, unlike her usual bratty, arrogant, and flashy attitude toward most of the servants in the kingdom.
"Let me apologize on behalf of my son, your Highness. He tends to come off as strict with his duties and regards all his responsibilities with solemnity. But, believe me, outside of his duty, he was a very bright kid." Anderewe said to the princess, while standing up.
The princess huffed exasperatedly and crossed her arms across her chest. "Aramis? Kind and cheerful? What a good joke, Anderewe!"
She let out a forced laugh, then pouted at the ogling knight towering over her. "I get that he is your son, and maybe you're trying to redeem his arrogant self to me, but no. My opinion about him will not change, ever!" She exclaimed dramatically while crossing her arms in front of him, insinuating the 'no.'
Then, she lifted her chin up on him and scowled. "If what you say is true, Anderewe, then why have I never seen any hint of kindness in him? He was always rude to me; he even had a knack for insulting me every day!" The young princess ranted.
"You just proved my point. Your brain processed too slowly. If you listened to my father and actually comprehended it, then you won't be whining about the same thing that was answered already." Aramis' cold voice rang behind the princess. He was casually walking towards them with his hand on the pockets of his pants.
Aurnia grimaced at the young boy. "See, he insulted me again!" She exclaimed at Anderewe, trying to take him on her side.
"That wasn't an insult, I was just telling the truth. You should learn the difference between the two." Aramis answered coolly.
Aurnia's cheeks were heated, and she balled her fists. "Why are you so rude?" She yelled at him, almost teary-eyed because of her anger towards him.
The young boy just shrugged his shoulders off. "Does telling the truth mean rudeness? Your Royal Highness, with all due respect, I was just doing what His Majesty ordered me to do. If you have complaints about how I do my job, then go to your father."
Aurnia's nose was now flaring in frustration. No matter how much she tried, she couldn't just win an argument against him. And that vexes her so much. "You better wait. I'll really go to my father and tell him everything; let's see if he wouldn't order for your banishment from the kingdom." She threatened the young boy.
The young boy just shrugged his shoulders with a nonchalant expression. "Fine, if you say so." He said it in a bored tone.
At this moment, the young princess was now unable to suppress her emotions. She burst into tears and ran towards Anderewe, who was looking at them in defeat.
"Hush now, your royal highness. Aramis didn't mean it that way." The knight commander consoled the bawling princess in front of him.
"Why... is.. he... always... rude... at... me... " The princess said in between her sobs.
"See? You're still not prepared to get serious with your responsibility as a princess if you would be bawling your eyes out instantly at mere criticism." The young boy harshly insisted with cold shoulders.
The princess' sobs became louder, and Anderewe pulled the young princess into a soft hug. "Just don't take Aramis' words too seriously, your Highness. Just think of it in a way that he was helping you, okay? In your defense, I think you're doing pretty well." Anderewe's smile comforted the crying princess.
Aurnia was now wiping her tears with her small hands and looking at Anderewe with her innocent, hazel-brown eyes. "You think so?" Her sweet, innocent voice rang through the old man's ears.
The old man smiled automatically at the young princess and nodded his head. "Of course, I do. Now, I need to make my exit. Your father sent me to oversee the fish factories when I heard your scream." Anderewe spoke up and straightened out his coat.
The young princess, who had already stopped crying, smiled sweetly at the old man. "Take care, Anderewe."
Throuvalon's knight commander bowed slightly to the princess before he turned to his son. "Aramis, can you escort me to the door?"
The young boy immediately took heed of his father's request. "Of course, Papa."
The two immediately walked towards the door, leaving Aurnia on the veranda of her chamber.
'Hmmm... Aramis certainly got his father's build and his facial features, except for his eyes. Anderewe has dark orbs, while Aramis has smoldering ash-gray pupils.'
"Aramis, you're my son, and I know your work ethics, even at your young age, but please don't go too hard on Aurnia. After all, she's the princess of the kingdom." Anderewe whispered to his son next to him while they walked towards the door.
The young boy didn't utter a word and just walked casually along with his father.
Then, after a few minutes, he sighed. "I can't help it, Papa. You know how I dislike high-ranking nobles in our community, all the more the princess."
His father stopped when they reached the door. "I know. But I still hoped you would consider my suggestion. Aurnia was still young; she will learn eventually." He insisted and began walking out of the door.
"I have to go. I'll see you at home. I told your Mama to cook our favorite food." Anderewe bids his son goodbye with a warm smile.
When Aramis spun around to go back, he caught Aurnia eavesdropping on their conversation just a few feet from the door.
How could he go easy on her if she was provoking him all the time?
He glared at her, and the princess just stuck her tongue out before she ran away from him.