On the other hand, Dylan's mood was decidedly gloomy on his birthday. He had looked forward to spending the day with Lyra, but instead, he found himself alone, overshadowed by the celebrations of the kingdom. The entire realm was in high spirits, except for the very man the day was meant to honor. The reason for his discontent was simple: the one person he wished to celebrate with was not there.
Truth be told, there was another, more personal cause for his melancholy—he had anxiously awaited Lyra's response to his heartfelt confession, but no reply had come. A lingering sense of disappointment gnawed at him, though he knew in his heart that Lyra was not the type to shy away from something she truly valued unless there was a deeper reason. His hope was that all was well with her.
As his family and servants bustled about, searching for him and urging him to finalize the arrangements for the evening's grand birthday ball, Dylan remained seated beneath a tree in his private garden. A sheet of paper and a pen rested in his hands, but his mind was far from the task at hand. He couldn't stop reading over the letter Lyra had sent him, contemplating what words to write in response. His thoughts were consumed with her, as the evening wore on, and the moment for his confession seemed to slip further from his grasp.
Across the garden, there was another person who was far less enthusiastic about the day's festivities. Astrid, unlike Dylan, found little joy in the birthday celebrations. Instead, she replayed the words of her last conversation with Lyra over and over in her mind, as if they were a record stuck on repeat.
Flashback
"Lyra, what on earth is going on with you? Just leave it be," Astrid had said, frustration thick in her voice.
"Are you asking me to keep quiet while Aunt does as she pleases?" Lyra had snapped back. "I'm neither blind nor deaf, Astrid. How long are we supposed to pretend? This can't go on any longer."
Astrid had sighed, the weight of the conversation wearing on her. "We let it go on before. So why does it matter now? Just drop it."
Lyra's face had hardened, her voice quiet but firm. "I'm not asking you to get involved. I'm asking you to support me. As my sister, can you not simply stand by me? You know, you're just like Father."
The last line had struck Astrid like a slap to the face. "What do you mean, 'like Father'? Are you mad?" she had hissed, her anger rising. "I'm nothing like him."
But Lyra had remained unfazed, her gaze piercing. "In this regard, you are. You never confront them. You never condemn them when I've voiced my displeasure. Remember Aunt Medea's birthday last year? When I spoke up against her? It was in our favor, and I held your hand for support, but you pushed me away. Then, for the rest of the evening, you pretended I didn't even exist."
"No... that's not true!" Astrid had protested, her voice faltering.
"It is, and you know it," Lyra had replied, her eyes unwavering.
Astrid had tried to defend herself, though doubt had already crept in. "Well... maybe I ignored you, but it was because you were causing a scene. You could've said what you needed to say in private."
"Is that so?" Lyra's lips had curled into a sardonic smile. "Then why did you praise me for my courage when it was just the two of us later that night?"
Astrid's words had faltered, her heart sinking. "I... I..."
Lyra had sighed, her voice softening with understanding. "I know it's hard. It's easier said than done to move on from what's happened. But I need to see you make an effort. I don't expect you to forget everything or forgive everything, but I need you to focus on the present. You need to be sharp, Astrid. You need to know where you stand."
"I am sharp," Astrid had replied quickly, though there was a trace of uncertainty in her tone.
"No," Lyra had countered. "Not in the way I mean. When we're surrounded by people, you never notice the subtle hints or the veiled taunts they throw. You never see how their words mean something entirely different. Am I right?"
Astrid had scowled, though she couldn't deny it. "I don't care about what people think."
"Then you should," Lyra had insisted. "I'm not asking you to make their opinions your priority, but you need to be aware of them. You need to plan your actions accordingly."
Astrid had shaken her head, frustration creeping in. "Whatever. Just tell me—are you coming to Dylan's birthday tomorrow or not?"
Lyra had given a small nod, her expression unreadable.
Astrid's face had lit up with a satisfied smile. "Perfect."
End Flashback
Astrid felt a twinge of guilt for not being able to fully support Lyra, but at the same time, she could not quite fathom her younger sister's actions. Lyra's disdain for their royal family and the entire system was no secret. If Astrid had it her way, she would have walked away from it all long ago. Yet, despite her bitterness, she couldn't deny that the luxuries of royalty had become a part of her—too accustomed to be easily discarded.
She was also determined not to let Lyra see her as someone lacking in confidence. And so, despite all her aversion to the task at hand, Astrid did the one thing she hated more than anything else: she decided to read.
In truth, Astrid had never confessed—least of all to herself—that she found books dreadfully dull. The idea of reading, of broadening her mind, intrigued her, but the reality of actually sitting down with a book rarely held her attention. She might tell others that reading was one of her pastimes, but in truth, she never got past five pages before moving on to something else. Motivation eluded her, and her interest was fleeting.
But today, for Lyra's sake, she was willing to take the plunge. It was a significant step for her—one that was, in many ways, quite foreign to her.
Before she had become the crown princess, she'd never cared for her Queen training or the lessons it entailed. Lyra, on the other hand, had always excelled, even when she wasn't technically enrolled. The praise and attention Lyra received—deservedly so, in Astrid's view—often stirred a twinge of jealousy in her. But Astrid would never admit that aloud. She had no need to; after all, she was the most beautiful royal princess—at least, that's what the people said. That title, bestowed upon her, pleased her more than she cared to admit. She took pride in it, and even more in her ability to keep her appearance flawless. Youth, beauty—these were treasures she'd always cherished.
Lyra, meanwhile, had little interest in her looks. She followed her sister's footsteps in many ways, but not in this one.
Astrid often joked that perhaps it was divine fairness that divided their gifts: Astrid with the looks, Lyra with the brains.
As these thoughts swirled in her mind, Astrid found herself wandering through the halls of the royal library of Helios. She was searching for books on Anemoi's political landscape, but in her distracted state, she wandered aimlessly.
It was then that she turned a corner and collided with someone's chest—a man, slightly taller than her, his hair parted neatly to one side, round-rimmed glasses perched on his soft nose. He took a step back, his eyes widening in recognition as he met her gaze.
Astrid, rubbing her nose and groaning, muttered, "Ow."
"Are you alright?" The familiar voice reached her ears. She looked up and saw Alexander.
"Oh! It's you." She took a step back, only to cry out in pain as strands of her hair got tangled in the button of his coat. She yanked at her hair, but it only made things worse, pulling it tighter and causing another wince.
"Wait. Don't pull. I'll untangle it," Alexander said, his voice calm. Astrid stopped and watched as he gently worked to free her hair from the button.
The silence between them was thick with the sound of their breathing and the soft ticking of the clock on the wall.
Carefully, Alexander untangled each strand, his fingers brushing her hair lightly, his face flushed with a quiet warmth as his eyes lingered on her for a moment longer than necessary.
When Astrid finally met his gaze, he quickly looked away.
"Let's just cut it. This is taking too long," she suggested.
"Huh? No. We can't cut your hair. It'll be ruined."
"I'm not talking about my hair. I'm talking about the button. Let's just cut it off. Don't worry—I'll get you a new coat," she said.
Her suggestion made Alexander laugh. "Just give me a few moments."
His hands, which had been moving slowly at first, now worked with more purpose, untangling her hair in seconds.
Astrid took a step back, a sigh of relief escaping her. "Thank God."
She nodded to him and started to move past him, but then hesitated. Surprised, Alexander turned to follow her, curious. After all, he had noticed something peculiar—Astrid rarely came to the library, and when she did, she didn't seem the type to read. She was known more for napping or daydreaming in the peaceful silence.
Astrid, oblivious to his gaze, was already walking down the aisles, muttering under her breath. "I doubt they have any books on Anemoi here... even though they should."
"Are you looking for books on Anemoi?"
Her head snapped around, startled. Alexander was there again, standing a few paces away.
"Well… more specifically, books on their political affairs," she admitted.
"Those would be in the World and History section," Alexander said, gesturing towards the opposite direction. "Follow me."
He led her to the section and pointed to a row of books. "These books here have all the information on Anemoi."
"Alright."
Astrid didn't linger long, her eyes scanning the titles. She grabbed the thickest book she could find and, without even offering a word of thanks, made her way outside to the patio to sit down and begin reading.
Alexander, taken aback by her abruptness, watched her retreat. He knew that Astrid wasn't intentionally rude—she simply didn't always think about how her actions came across. Others often misunderstood her as arrogant, but Alexander could see through it. She was blunt, yes, but not unkind.
Yet something about her intrigued him. He couldn't shake the feeling that, despite only knowing her for a short time, he found his gaze drawn to her again and again. Why? Just yesterday, he had never thought of her, but now, it felt as though she were always present in his thoughts. Why was he so curious?
While preparations for the party went on, Astrid lay relaxed in the greenhouse on a swing, all the while holding the thick book. One would think she is busy reading however, her eyes were shut as the wind blew past and danced in her rain. The book, just like her, rested on her chest.
Suddenly, a shadow appeared on her face. The shadow belonged to a man whose hands reached forward to pick up the book which was near to fall on the ground.
He looks at it to find that she had barely read a single paragraph before falling asleep.
Chuckling to himself, he then calls out to her,
"Princess Astrid."
"Princess."
"..."
No response. She slept as if she had no worries in the world.
He tried to make a noise to grab her attention, however, fails to do so.
Sighing, he bends on his knees and then whispers a bit loudly in her ear,
"Princess Astrid, please wake up."
However this attempt too fails as Astrid merely sways her hand and continues to snore softly.
Humming, the man tries to think of a way to wake her up.
He then nudges her shoulder multiple times gently but that too does not work.
Finally, he sees how late it is getting he then stands up and suddenly bellows,
"Oh my god! A mouse! There is a mouse near you!"
Upon his call, Astrid screams and abruptly stands up.
"Where? Where?"
She looks here and there and then blinkling, she looks at the man laughing in front of her.
"Alexander? What are you doing here?"
"Forgive me for the lie. I have been trying to wake you up for a while now. Mother is looking for you."
"Oh right. I forgot. When will the party begin?"
"In about two hours."
"Oh my, then it seems I have no time to waste."
Saying so, she runs quickly without ever looking back at the book in Alexander's hand.
While Astrid and the Queen were getting ready for the party, as they had changed clothes and were currently getting their hair done, a maid came rushing in.
"Pardon me for intruding, but by chance is His Highness Prince Dylan here?"
"No. Is everything alright?"
The Queen turned around worried as the maid anxiously explained,
"We have been looking for him for a while now. Sir Xavier keeps requesting him to get dressed for the party, but His Highness seems to ignore him."
"Did you check at the tower?"
The maid nods in return to which the Queen hums and then adds,
"Check outside the north entrance of the palace."
"Where specifically? Because it is all grassland over there."
"Xavier knows. Let him know."
"Understood."
After the maid left, the Queen sighs,
"I wonder what has gotten wrong with that boy. No matter how much he hates an event, he will still be quite punctual and greet everyone with politeness."
"Is he that disheartened after hearing Lyra won't be coming?"
Astrid mumbles which does not go unheard by the Queen whose eyes instantly lits up. With sparkles in her eyes, she turns to Astrid with curiosity,
"Say, when Dylan was over there, was he and Lyra close?"
"I suppose you could say that."
"Then does that mean they were close close?"
The Queen got even closer as her lips curled upwards with excitement. Astrid in response retorted,
"Well, I am not too sure about that. However, they were together most of the time."
"Is that so?"
The Queen keeps smiling to herself which makes Astrid confused at first but then she shifts her attention to what jewellery she should wear.
Later on at the party, Dylan was all dressed up smiling politely at guests all the while thinking to himself how bored he felt. The hall full of people feels empty just because there is one presence that is missing. That absence is the one that has also taken a part of his soul and without her here, everything seems lifeless. The light feels dull. The whole ballroom feels empty. People's talk seems like noisy chatter that he doesn't have any interest in. The food also tastes tasteless and the wine seems to be non-alcoholic even though it isn't.
Dylan stood at the corner alone without approaching anyone and not letting anyone approach him either. On the other hand, stood Astrid all alone. She did not know anyone here therefore the Queen was with her all the time and she introduced her to a lot of people. However, some important guests came and the Queen had to take her leave leaving Astrid all alone.
Astrid, who wore a light dress, which went quite well with her pale skin colour and the blue irises, was the whole centre of attention among the boys and the center of envy among the girls. Her hair was loose and open as she wore a tiny crown. She originally was not going to wear the crown but ended up wearing it after constant requests from the Queen.
What's more, is that every gesture Astrid made was full of grace. This attracted a lot of eyes. However, no one dared to approach her as the Queen was with her all the time. But now since the Queen was no longer there. The gentlemen soon started surrounding her. They started by talking to her through small talk. Seeing how she was replying to every one of them politely without smiling, they turned their strategy to praising and flirting with her. However, that too failed. She was quite oblivious to their advances and ended up refusing them without being aware of it.
Alexander who was watching and overhearing from afar could not help but let out a chuckle upon the sight in front of him. Unexpectedly for him, this does not go unnoticed by Astrid who strides towards him ignoring all the men that were surrounding her. Pouting slightly, she inquires,
"What are you giggling about?"
"Nothing."
Alexander replied after clearing his throat.
Astrid, on the other hand, with suspicious gazes retorted,
"What is so funny? I want to hear it. Tell me."
"I apologize?"
Alexander reflexively apologized for laughing even though he did not know what crime did he had committed. Astrid then remarked,
"I wasn't scorning you. I merely felt bored among the presence of those people that I wished to know what you were laughing about it. Perhaps it would do away with my boredom and make this party somewhat interesting."
"Are you not having fun?"
"...not really. At times like this, I hate to admit but I do miss Lyra. Even if she is a tad bit annoying, her presence is comforting to me in a place full of strangers."
"Not everyone here is a stranger to you, is it Princess Astrid?"
Humming Lyra glanced towards the Queen and then at Alexander and then replied,
"Well, not everyone."
"Then would you like to dance?"
"No."
Astrid turned Alexander down before he could get into the proper position of asking her. Slightly baffled and taken aback, he inquires,
"If you don't mind me asking, is there perhaps a reason as to why you refuse to dance?"
"...I do not know how to dance. We indeed used to have dance classes when Mother was still alive but even then I never paid any attention to it and always skipped it. There was no point in taking it, you know. Lyra, who did take those classes still struggles with it. She hates dancing in public. But oh! She did dance with Dylan at his welcome party. That was a first for her."
Her expression went from solemn to excitement as she mentioned Lyra. It flashes in Alexander's mind about how he is right and that something is going on between Dylan and Lyra, which he will inquire to his brother later on. Right now his goal had become to have Princess Astrid have fun.
"Is that so? Then if it is not dancing, can I still have the honour to escort you?"
"Where?"
"I'll show you around the Palace."
"Oh, that sounds good. I like to walk."
Smiling, Alexander places his hand forward as a proper etiquette for escorting a lady. However, Astrid instead brings her face closer and whispers,
"Don't worry about all the formalities since it is just going to be us two. I don't really care about etiquette."
She grins as she then adds,
"Where to?"
"Right there."
Alexander smiles as they go side by side out from the ballroom.