Abed sat up in his bed, and yawned loudly. He rubbed the sleep out of his sleepy eyes. His hair were entangled into an adorable mess on top of his head.
Beside him, Jeeha laid sound asleep. She had one hand under her pillow, and the other was clenched into a loose fist beside her head. A strand of her black hair fell across her closed eyes, and Abed watched as she wrinkled up her eyelids. He grinned, and leaned towards her. Gently, he brushed the stray hair strand away from her face, and tucked it neatly behind her ear. She scrunched up her small nose, and mumbled incoherently in her sleep.
"Woof!"
Puffy peeked at the twins from the foot of their bed. It wagged its bushy tail with excitement, and Abed lifted the sheets to get down from the bed. His white gown slipped down from the bed's edge, and swirled around his tiny waist before hugging his body gently. The room was dimly lit. The sun rays coming in through the large glass windows were the only light source in the twins' bedroom. They fell upon the little prince, highlighting his chubby face, and those lively green eyes of his.
He put his feet into his fur slippers, and noticed that one of Jeeha's was missing. He turned around, and searched for it on the floor. He looked beside the night stand, and then went around the bed, searching for it on the other side. Puffy walked up to him, and tilted its head to the side.
Woof?
"Shh! Puffy. Jeeha's sleeping."
Abed placed a finger on his lips, and shushed the dog. He looked over his shoulder to see whether Puffy had woken his sister up, but she was sound asleep, drooling all over her pillowcase.
Abed knelt on the floor, and lowered his head to look under the bed. Puffy mimicked him, and laid down on its stomach beside him to look under the bed.
"Found it!"
Abed whispered loudly, and Puffy raised its tail in delight.
"I'll go get it."
Abed got on his hands and knees. He crawled underneath the bed to retrieve the lost slipper.
With its chin resting on the floor, Puffy watched him pick up the slipper, but the little prince found himself in a difficult situation. He couldn't crawl back with one hand. He gave it a try, but hit his head on the bed's frame.
"Ow!"
He slumped down on the floor, rubbing his head with his free hand. He could feel a tiny bump forming where he had hit his head. Tears welled up in his eyes, but he clenched them shut.
Woof?
The dog whimpered from the floor.
"It hurts, Puffy."
"Abed?"
He heard Jeeha call his name, and he sprang his head up. He hit the frame again.
"Ooh.."
His lower lip trembled, and the tip of his nose turned red. He wanted to cry.
"Abed! Does it hurt?"
Jeeha was peeking at him from the edge of the bed, her head was upside down, and her fingers gripped the mattress tightly. Abed shook his head.
"I'm a big boy, Jeeha. It doesn't hurt at all."
"But what are you doing down there? Is that my slipper?"
Her head vanished from his sight. He heard rustling of sheets over his head before Jeeha jumped down from the bed.
Woof!
Puffy got up from the floor, and ran towards her. It pounced at the little girl, and licked her chubby cheeks.
Woof! Woof!
She giggled, and hugged the happy dog.
"My cheek's all wet, Puffy!"
She wiped her face with the sleeves of her white gown.
Woof!
Puffy stepped back, and laid down on the floor. It looked under the bed at the trapped boy underneath it. Abed pouted.
"I see that you have finally remembered me, Puffy. You make me sad!"
Woof?
But the dog just tilted its head to the side.
"Of course, now you choose not to understand my words. Here."
He threw the slipper towards the dog. It slipped across the floor, and stopped beside the dog's paw.
Woof!
It picked it up in its mouth, and looked up at Jeeha. She knelt beside the dog, and looked under the bed.
"You can wear your slipper now."
Abed crawled towards them. Jeeha smiled, and reached her hand towards him.
"Thanks, Abed."
He paused, his ears slowly turning pink.
"I just don't want to see you crying for your lost slipper."
He grabbed her hand, and got out from underneath the bed.
"Because you look ugly when you cry."
Jeeha pouted, angrily.
"I don't!"
Abed sat on the floor with his legs crossed. He pinched her cheeks, and gently pulled them.
"Yes, you do! You are the ugliest princess I have ever seen!"
He teased her, and her lips began to quiver.
"I hate you, Abed! You are a bad brother!"
She began to tear up, and Abed started panic. He let go of her cheeks.
"Hey! Hey! Jeeha! I- Ow!"
She smacked him on the back of his head. He whimpered, and rubbed the throbbing spot.
"That's for calling me ugly!"
She huffed. Abed's head was hurting badly. He had hit it twice already. He slumped down, holding his head in his hands.
"Huh? Abed?"
Jeeha leaned closer, and placed a hand on his shoulder. Concern showed on her face.
"Hey, Abed? What's wrong? Does it hurt very much?"
She patted his head, and felt a small bump on it.
"Abed! You have got a bump! W-what do I do? W-Will you die now?"
She began to panic, fresh tears filling up her eyes.
"Pfft!"
She saw Abed's shoulders tremble before he started laughing.
"Die? Haha! Jeeha! How stupid of you! Haha!"
He laughed loudly. His face had turned red, and he clutched his sides that had begun to hurt from all the laughter.
"Don't laugh at me!"
She stood up, and stomped her foot.
"But it's so funny! Haha!"
She pouted, embarrassed. Well, now she knew that nobody dies from a little bump on their head.
"Puffy!"
She turned towards the dog who was lying lazily on its stomach. It raised its head, and barked.
"Let's go in the kitchen, and see if they have any mango pudding left from last night."
Abed now laid on his back, his laughter had finally died out, leaving him slightly short of breath. Upon hearing about the dessert, he quickly sat up.
"I want to eat pudding too!"
Jeeha stuck out her tongue at him.
"I'm not giving you any! You meanie!"
"No! Please!"
He was quick to get up, and grab her elbow.
"Call me pretty then!"
"What?"
She narrowed her eyes.
"What? You can't? Let's go, Puffy!"
"Wait! Wait!"
He tugged at her elbow, and Jeeha smirked.
"I'm waiting."
She enjoyed his reluctance, and how he rubbed his neck in embarrassment.
'Is it this hard for boys to call a girl pretty?'
"You are pr- pretty."
He blurted out, and Jeeha giggled.
"You are not cool at all, Abed."
"Cool?"
She put on her slippers, and grabbed his forearm. She dragged him with her towards the door.
"Yes, all the princes in the storybooks are cool."
Abed turned the knob, and pushed the door open.
"I'm cool too, Jeeha!"
He held the door open for her. She walked past him, and into the hallway. It was brightly lit with the sunlight that came in from the windows that lined both walls.
"But have you ever fought a dragon, Abed?"
"No. But-"
"Have you ever saved a princess?"
"No."
"Then you are not a cool prince, Abed. I wish that I could meet a prince charming!"
They were outside the kitchen's doors.
"Eww! That's so lame."
He scrunched up his nos, and Jeeha slapped his shoulder.
"You are lame!"
"But I'm your brother! How could you call me lame?"
She turned around, and bumped into someone's legs. She stumbled back, and was grabbed by her arm by Abed before she could fall down.
"My apologies, princess!"
She looked up at the butler.
"It's alrigh-"
Her small mouth was left opened as she found herself enchanted. Golden brown eyes, and shiny black hair. Tall, tidy, kind.
"Prince charming..."
"What?"
Abed was speechless.
"What?"
So was that butler; Adrian. He bowed his head, and offered her his greetings.
"Good morning, princess Jeeha."
Abed watched as her cheeks turned red, and her eyes began to sparkle.
"Tch!"
He was annoyed. He glared at the man who was way taller and older than him.
"Good morning."
She whispered shyly.
"Can I help you with something?"
"I wanted mango pudding from last night."
Abed pulled her by the arm.
"No! We don't want it! Let's go, Jeeha!"
Jeeha furrowed her eyebrows.
"But I want it! I know that you want it too!"
Abed frowned, and looked at the butler. Adrian raised an eyebrow.
'Have I done something wrong?'
"I'll check if we have any pudding left, my lady."
Adrian bowed his head before going inside the kitchen. Jeeha turned towards her brother, and shook his arm delightfully.
"Did you see him, Abed? Does he not look like a prince charming?"
She said cheerfully, but it only made him more upset.
"No, he doesn't! You are my sister!"
She giggled.
"Silly! What does that have to do with this?"
He pouted.
'But you can't make him your favorite prince, sister.'
"That should only be me."
He muttered, and she tilted her head to the side.
"Huh? What?"
"My lady?"
Adrian returned with a plate in his hands.
"I'm sorry, but will chocolate pie do for now?"
He saw a huge smile spreading across her cute, chubby face.
"Wow! It's Salina's pie!"
She said, standing on her toes.
'She's so tiny. Maybe I should kneel for her?'
Noah thought, and put a knee down on the floor.
"But why do you have it?" Abed asked, still glaring at him.
"Princess Salina gave it to me as a welcome gift."
"Is it your first day here? Oh? I don't know your name yet", Jeeha said.
"You don't have to remember a mere servant's name, my lady."
"Silly! Servants are family too."
To Noah's surprise, Abed was the one to speak.
"Yes! Mama taught us to be kind to each other!"
Jeeha grinned, and Abed just looked away, still finding it hard to befriend Jeeha's prince charming.
"But you can't have my sister."
He muttered, but Noah heard him, and couldn't help the smile that spread across his lips.
'Adorable.'
He blinked, surprised by his own thought.
'Adorable? No, Noah. You just need to keep an eye on them.'
Jeeha grabbed the plate, and looked up at him.
"But why don't you want the pie? It's a gift."
"I don't like gifts, my lady."
'I have to catch Voyer. He'll surely come for one of these children.'
The princess tilted her head to the side.
"Why? Gifts are lovely! Do you not like chocolate perhaps?"
"No, I don't."
"Strawberries?"
"I don't dislike them, my lady."
"Why don't you say that you like them? Is it that hard? You are strange like Abed!"
She giggled, and Abed pinched her arm.
"Hey! That hurts!"
She stepped on his foot, and stuck her tongue out.
"Ow!"
Abed raised his foot, hopping like a little rabbit.
"You can't catch me!"
Jeeha giggled, and ran away. Abed was quick to run after her. Noah got up from the floor, and shook his head.
A smile on his face once again.