Vibrant fabrics, sewing kits, and templates of emblems and laces occupied the workshop hall as I take my sewing and embroidery lessons with Randelle.
Surprisingly, Aynnah continues to loiter around me, though she doesn't do anything in particular. She just watches me take all my lessons everyday which is perfectly normal.
Fuck, as if! It was pretty suspicious and uncomfortable. I may think of it as normal if I see her as just a little sister idolizing her big sister so she follows her all day, but that's not the case.
"Focus, Avory. You stuck the needle at the wrong place." Randelle scold me as he took another clean fabric and needle for me to start again. "Shall we try another print, my lady?" He suggested. "Ahh, yes. Pass me the templates, please." I immediately put down the one I am embroidering on to look at other templates I could do again.
"What design do you want to do this time?" Randelle asked. "Do I look like I have an idea?" I almost see him frown because of my response, but I immediately add another sentence. "Because it seems like you have way better suggestion in your head. Can you share your thoughts, please, kind sir?" He furrowed his brow as he clears his throat.
["That's some escape maneuver you did there, princess."] I don't need to see Leon's expression just to know that he's amused and entertained.
I didn't bother paying attention to him when Randelle speak. "What about princess Avory embroider the Graywoods' insignia for the Duke's son's upcoming birthday?"
I look at Randelle with bright eyes. "See, I've never been wrong for relying on you!"
Ugh, but making a gift for an enemy is quite not in my preference, but whatever.
I turned to my sister to see what kind of behavior she's having right now. "Uh, what do you think, Aynnah?" I was disconcerted to sense mischief and threats filling her cobalt eyes.
It would have been as expected considering the situation if only she's directing those emotions to me, but she was looking at sir Randelle this time. She promptly broke her stare and then answer me. "Yes, sister. That's a magnificent idea." She pick up some templates and ostensibly looks at it.
Why was she looking like that to Randelle instead of me?
A few days had passed with nothing worth to note on, and comes today is Alistair Graywood's twelfth birthday. Shit. I am hoping and praying to Leon that this will be that guy's last year.
["Release me here first."] speak of the devil
'Okay, okay. I got it already.'
A knock interrupted me while I am getting ready for the banquet later. "M-my lady, this is Fara. May I c-come in?" My personal maid requested from beyond the closed door.
"Yes, you may."
A black haired girl with a petite build tottered in. "I-I came here to assist my lady for the banquet. Also, here are the ornaments you bought last time, m-may I be of aid to pick a style that suits my lady." Fara is indeed my personal maid albeit her timid personality, she does her job perfectly and most of all, I can trust her fashion sense.
"I'll leave myself in your care, Fara." I relaxed my head as she starts to brush my hair first. Come to think of it, our age is not that far from each others. "Fara, how old are you now?" I asked in curiosity.
In my previous life, I didn't get to know her that much because she's too diffident and I was uncomfortable to even approach her. We didn't get too close, but one day when I was still locked up in my cell, waiting for my execution, she visited me and gave me a glass of water when I asked for. However, during the day of my execution, I didn't see even her hair strand on the crowds.
"M-my age, my lady? U-uhm, I am currently fifteen years old." So we are three years old apart. "It may be impudent of me to ask, but why did you asked for my age, my lady?" She continues to brush my hair and I am feeling a bit sleepy because of it.
"No important reason, it's just that you seemed pretty professional in doing your work." I let out a yawn without a care in the world. In a moment I drowsed off, Fara finished dressing me up to the nines.
I took a look at myself in front of the mirror. My silver hair is braided and decorated with blue accessories that matches my cerulean cocktail dress. I am also wearing a pair of black wedge sandals.
"Wow, princess Avory! You look really beautiful." Fara complimented. I turned to smile at her. "This is all thanks to you, Fara! I knew I could trust you."
She blushed and is quite obviously flattered based on her expression, then she also gave me a smile. It is in fact the first time she showed her smile, not even the other servants or people in the palace had seen it as she hides often and is not very sociable.
"It is a pleasure to serve under you, princess Avory." For a moment, I see her in her most comfortable and confident self. Well, it seems like I gained another ally in this place.
The carriages safely sent us to the duke's mansion. As soon as me and Aynnah descended the carriage, pairs of eyes turned to look at us, but mostly it is on me. I walk upfront to enter the duke's mansion while Aynnah is behind me, as it should be.
At the door entrance, Duke Abraham is standing while greeting the arriving guests. As soon as he saw me, his eyes gleamed in joy.
I kind of wanted to puke, it's as if this man didn't gave me a revolting look when I was on my way to death.
"Ah, greetings to the princesses of the palace. It is a pleasure to have you as guests in my son's birthday banquet. I hope you'll enjoy your stay here. Please come inside." He escorted us to the main hall, where lots of nobles are already having fun, or should I say, having political and social conversations.
"Princess Lilliana Avory Reinngold and princess Aynnah Dandelion Reinngold is making their entrance." The guard at the front door announced.
"Oh, it's princess Avory! My, she looks very elegant."
"What a lovely young lady."
"I heard about her accomplishment at the emporium last time. She's really smart."
All praises sang my name. Oh, in just a single achievement they go like this?
"My lady, shall we go and greet the celebrant?" Randelle, who's beside me, gesture. "Yeah, let's do that. I will give him his gift too."
But where is that puny guy anyway? I don't see him in this crowd, even though he's the main star of this event.
As I stayed unoccupied, a bunch of people started gathering to me and I lost my chance to look for Alistair.
["Quite a celebrity, aren't you?"]
'And here I thought you finally shut up for good. You didn't even bother talking for the past few days.'
["I am just here to remind you of something very important that you're forgetting..."]
'What? I'm not forgetting the promise to release you.'
["It's not that... where is your sister?"]
Upon his question, I look behind me where I expect Aynnah to be, but neither she nor Randelle could be seen. They were just here a moment ago. Where could they be?
On the other hand, Aynnah stomped out of the main hall feeling agitated and vexed. She stumbled into the estate's garden where there are no signs of other people could be seen.
"She always takes the spotlight for her own! She's just born ahead of me, so what's so special about her?!" She vented out her irritation and frustration to the hydrangeas planted in the garden. She was ripping its petals when a boy suddenly appeared behind her back.
"What are you doing to the poor flower?" The boy with golden hair and olive eyes asked. He doesn't seem to be an ordinary boy by the way he's dressed.
"Who are you? Why are you suddenly talking to me? Don't you know who I am?!" Aynnah shouted with superiority.
"I know who you are, you're princess Aynnah, right? I am asking you what are you doing with the flower?" Aynnah sees this boy's demeanor odd, but she wasn't a little bit concerned.
"I'm ripping it." She replied and continues to what she was doing earlier. "Why?" The boy asked again as he sat down on the ground, watching the crazy princess pulled out another flower.
"I am infuriated. My sister always takes the credit, always leaving me in the shadows. She's such an eyesore!" Aynnah throws the flower to the ground. "But, I now know who's the reason of all of these. That prideful Randelle!"
The boy sees a hint of evilness filled Aynnah's eyes and as twisted as he is, he finds it amusing. The moonlight shone in the boy's eyes as it therefore caught a glimpse of admiration for the younger princess.
"So, what do you plan to do?" The boy questioned. "Want to make that Randelle disappear, then?" Shock flashed through Aynnah's face as she looks at the boy.
"W-what are you saying? How could I? I'm just a kid." Albeit she sounded helpless and guilty, there's a hint of assumption that she can somehow get rid of Randelle successfully.
"I will help you." The boy volunteered. "I will also help you get rid of princess Avory, so you can ascend the throne and be the queen." His words are pensive that it made Aynnah gulped.
"And in return?" She asked. The boy smiled and extended his hand to reach a few strands of her hair and ruffles it. He bent down a little to sniff and kiss her hair while solemnly looking at her cobalt eyes.
"In return, make me your king."
Aynnah returned his seriousness and fixed her posture. "What is your name?"
The boy smiled through his eyes and introduced himself with curtsy. "Greetings to princess Aynnah of the Reinngold palace. I am Alistair Dalton Graywood, son of Duke Abraham Graywood of the eastern border. It is a pleasure to meet you, my lady."
And with that, Aynnah made a deal with the duke's son.
—to be continued...