Attired in an elegant white clothing, Prince Joaqin leisurely sat at a place not too far from the outer gardens. It was near the lotus pond's lush trees. His beautiful and flawless face that was usually cold and indiferrent seemed to have shown a different emotion. Recalling the face of that young girl who wept in front of him, his lips slightly curled up into a curve as his intelligent gray eyes brimmed with overflowing interest; one hundred percent interest.
Calculating the time, he knew that the Elders of the Von Diovre Dukedom will again send the young girl back here in the palace to create another opportunity for the two of them to meet. This is how it has been for the past few months. Now that their engagement was finalized recently, he would just then wait for the young troublemaker to appear in front of him. Thinking about the engagement, he was satisfied that the elders decided to keep everything a secret until the wedding ceremony. It was because the little girl's reputation is bad enough to cause outrage if people knew that she's to become his consort.
It seems like today's visit to the outer gardens was indeed not a bad decision. He made sure to finish all his tasks beforehand for him to have some spare time. Chancing upon this sort of show created by those people and him to be somewhat accepting was actually unexpected. But then he immediately reasoned with himself that he was never aware of the fact that the Great Duke's only daughter were so amusing. Last time, he was truly intrigued and she finally managed to pick his interest. So he is just here to entertain himself.
Time passed and his brows furrowed when he realized that she's already an hour late. The Elders should have created the opportunity by now like they always did and the young girl should have been back here at the outer gardens an hour ago. But she's still not around.
'What is taking her so long to come here?' He wondered as his lips formed into a slight frown. 'Did something happen to her?'
Just when he stood up because he thought that she was no longer coming, a head not too far away popped up from the bush at the right side of the pond. Peeping towards his direction, Prince Joaqin wondered why the young girl wouldn't approach him now like she always do.
"Why are you hiding?" He asked as he leaned closer to the young girl's ear.
"Ah!" The young girl yelled in surprise after seeing him standing behind her. "How? How come you're here when you were there a few seconds ago?!"
"I jumped?" He replied nonchalantly as if it was all but normal to move places that quickly and with that distance.
The young girl was stunned for while before her purple eyes glint with understanding. "Right. I missed that you are very talented with martial arts and that you are also one of the few Royals who are skilled and was gifted with magic."
The second prince smirked as his gray eyes stared at the girl in front of him. He then realized that this rumored spoiled brat of Von Diovre Dukedom was actually this quick-witted and not as stupid as the rumors say. "You are late."
"Late?" The girl wondered in confusion. "Late for what?"
"Nevermind." He then replied.
"Oh, I apologize for being disrespectful once again. Greeting the small sun of the empire, greetings your highness the second prince." She said and courtsied with a graceful bow.
"Tch. I told you there's no need for you to care with such formalities when you see me. Just speak and act like usual." He declared before turning to the side and walking towards the pond. "Besides, it's just the two of us here. Just speak comfortably."
"Alright then." She responded after a defeated sigh.
Right then, a little yellow frog jumped across them, making the little lady gasp excitedly.
"You like frogs?" The prince asked when he saw how her eyes sparkled.
"Mmm." She replied and nodded. "But that is not just any frog, your highness. That is actually a golden poison frog. Did you know that it is one of the most toxic and poisonous frog to ever exist. You can get an idea of how toxic it is from the fact that the people of the ancient civilization actually make darts by using the frogs' body fluids and then soaking their arrows and darts heads in them. The poison from these frogs is so toxic that the weapon remains deadly for up to 2 years."
Prince Joaqin's gaze travelled towards the girl's direction and then he rubbed at his bright and clean chin in interest, observing her while she cheerfully shared her knowledge about golden posion frogs.
This girl was so young, only 12, but her mind was extremely clever to remember these details. He also believed she knows more about other kinds of frogs as well. Her brain is really good too just like the Great Duke who is widely known for his impecable talent and wisdom. He bet her skills were pretty good to look at too. He should try testing her out when he has more free time. The prince then began to wonder why the rumors says otherwise. Whoever said she was stupid is the real stupid one.
"Sorry if I chatted too much. I just got carried away." She coyly said after ending her long frog speech.
"It's okay. It's good to knoe that you enjoy studying...frogs." Prince Joaqin replied.
Then they continued walking passed the pond towards the woods nearby.
"By the way, why are you peeping from the side? You usually come in front of me as soon as you see me." Prince Joaqin inquired.
"Ow." She blurted out and casted a quick glance at him.
Prince Joaqin didn't miss to see the glint of fear present in her purple eyes when she looked at him. So he stopped on his track and faced the girl walking beside him. "You. Look at me."
"Huh?" She absent mindedly said when he stopped her beside him. She seemed to present but not truly present as well.
"I asked you to look at me." He repeated which made her gasp silently, then she looked down. Frowning, his hand reached for her chin and raising it upwards, he made her look at him properly. More clearly this time, he could really see fear in her purple eyes. She was nervous. "You. You are afraid of me."
'Why is she suddenly afraid of me when she was just happily chatting about frogs not too long ago?' He pondered.
"Uhm. Honestly?" She asked softly as if asking for permission to speak her mind. The second prince nodded and so the young girl let out another sigh. "Yes. I am afraid of you."
"Why?" He pried. "Do I look scary?"
"Let's take a sit under that tree, your highness." She replied before casually taking a seat and leaning against the tree trunk closing her eyes.
The prince was quite taken aback by her casual manner and how she didn't mind getting her dress sullied by sitting directly on the ground and leaning against the tree. He thought she was spoiled and a brat who's very mindful of such things.
As if on cue, she finally opened her eyes and faced the prince, meeting his confused gaze.
"If I tell you the reason, would you believe me, your highness?" She asked, her head tilting to the side. A trace of uneasiness and anxiety is clearly shown in her eyes. At the same time, he can also see her determination and plea, as if asking him to believe whatever it that she wanted to say.
"Whether to believe you or not should depend on how much you can convince me, right?" Prince Joaqin asked back. Then he decide to sit not too far from her, not caring about the dirt as well.
"So would you allow me to speak freely in order for me to convince you more with my words, your highness?" She further asked.
"Hmm. Seeing that you clearly wanted to tell me why you're afraid, then I guess it's no problem. You can speak freely and tell me everything you want to." He replied.
"Alright then." The young girl started and somehow relaxed. She looked far ahead. "They say 'honesty is the best policy'. So I wanted to start by saying that I will never lie to you from on. Everything that I will say to you will all just be facts and truths. No lies."
"Honesty is the best policy? Hmm. That sounds good then." He responded, his lips forming into a curve, his gray eyes filled with amusement as he turned to the young girl beside him. "Then I will believe that you will only be honest with me from now on. I will believe that you will never tell me a lie."
"This is then a spoiler for you." She blurted out.
"A spoiler? What spoiler?" He asked.
"Oh, a spoiler is just a term that is used when you actually tell something in advance about what happens next. Because of that spoiler, you now know what will happen in next, spoiling your moments of surprise. Thus, they call it a spoiler." The young girl explained.
"I see." He replied shortly.
"Actually, I have seen the future." She started withe a bitter smile. "Your highness will personally behead me in the future. Knowing that...knowing that fact...so I am wary of you, your highness. And that's why I fear you."
For the first time, Prince Joaqin's aloof face was shaken with shock. His eyes widened. He was completely caught off guard. He didn't expect to hear these words from a 12 year old kid.
"I will kill you in the future?" He repeated those awful words which tasted so bitter in his mouth. "And worse, I will personally behead you?"
"Mmm." The young girl nodded nervously.
"But why? Why would I do such a cruel act to you?" Prince Joaqin asked, frowning at the thought. He could never even imagine that scenario happening.
"Because I am the reason why our son died tragically. You see. When I saw the future, you are my husband and I am your wife. We have been married for a long time and we have a son. But because of me, our son died. I betrayed you and our son. So at his funeral, you came back to bid your farewell to our son..." She answered and explained further. "Then...then you did not hesitate to behead me afterwards."
'What the hell?' He thought as he fell silent. 'Isn't this just a nightmare that she maybe had after getting engaged with me?'
'But she said she would never lie to me and I told her that I will believe that she is not lying.'
'She looked like someone who really believed that she has seen the future. Could it be really true? That she really knows the future. And that in that future, she will tragically die in my hands?'
"That is...a really tragic future." Prince Joaqin commented. "I really didn't like that spoiler."
"I know right. I don't like it too." The young girl seconded. "Since I told you a spoiler of our future, I now don't know what to do."
Both of them fell silent afterwards. Prince Joaqin then asked, "Have you told anyone besides me about this?"
The young girl shook her head and met his gaze. "No. Only you. I only told you about this, your highness."
"Then. It's good." Prince Joaqin replied.
"Do you think it is better then to just make ways to cancel our engagement?" The young girl asked out of the blue.
"What?!" Prince Joaqin asked in surprise.
'Cancel our engagement?' He thought.
'So...is this the real reason why she told me a story of what she thinks is going to happen in the future?'
'Because what she truly wanted was to cancel our engagement?'
'She's using something that didn't happen yet as a reason to stay far away from me?'
'Hah. What a young schemer.'
Prince Joaqin suddenly felt betrayed by his own conclusion. His cold gaze then turned to the silent girl sitting beside him. As for her appearance...he began to examine this girl in detail.
No more than 12 years of age with an often careless smile on her face but sometimes gives him forced and bitter smiles. She has a pair of charmingly beautiful clear eyes that flowed with brilliant light when she speaks excitedly and vibrant purple eye color. Her hair is black with beautiful waves in the end. Her skin was pale as snow that if he gripped on them, he's afraid it will easily turn red and bruise.
The young girl maybe felt his intense gaze and so she turned to look at him. Prince Joaqin saw that there was a separate layer inside her eyes that reflected a grim determined darkness and anxiety and fear. Then there is also a glint of determination and cunningness in it. She's clearly plotting something in her mind and he could clearly see it in her eyes. It was not her usually clear and bright purple eyes. It felt different. Her gaze felt as dark as an abyss and it also appeared to be impossible for one to tread into the depths of her heart.
'What are you thinking while looking at me with those eyes?'
'Are you really afraid that what you said will happen?'
'Or are you just acting out in order to accomplish your scheme?'
'Because what you really wanted is for us to cancel our engagement and to never be involved with each other again.'
'If that is truly the case and this is how you'll play, then I will gladly play your game.'
Prince Joaqin's eyes flashed with a trace of playfulness as he finally arrived at a conclusion: You say honesty is the best policy yet why do I feel a lot of hidden motive with all these words and spoiler you told me?
This little girl is definitely sinisterly cunning, enjoys plotting against others, likes to hide in secret places from others, and would do everything to manipulate people. What a bad review of her character.
'Melanie Von Diovre. You might just be a person who would still wear that slight smile even if you killed another person.'
He thinks she was precisely the same as him, it was just too interesting to ignore.
'Honesty is the best policy, huh? I almost fell for it.'
'You staged up this game. So I will play with you.'
***