As I looked up, Prince Caleb's eyes and mine locked, his green eyes meeting my purple ones.
And the world paused.
~✧~✧~✧~✧~✧~✧~
"My, my, the young lady of the Dandelion Duchy. Pleasure to meet you here." Caleb said charmingly with a smile while stroking the hair of his grumpy yet elegant looking cat that's in his arms.
*Tsk, pretentious person. Being all sweet on the outside. But 10 points for the smile.*
I smiled at his words. It wasn't a genuine smile of course. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well, your highness."
Caleb chuckled softly, his eyes shining with amusement while looking at me with an unwavering gaze, still stroking his cat. Obviously finding out that my smile was fake instantly.
*Smart.*
Alex came around and stopped beside Caleb. "Sister, did you sleep well?" Alex asked, stoic and calm yet not indifferent.
His clothes that are black from top to bottom was simple yet elegant. And was in contrast to Caleb's all white attire with threads of gold seemingly embroidered to the edges, a look deserving of the title of "crown prince".
Alex looks slightly taller standing beside Caleb and more built considering that he's a knight.
"I slept well, thank you for asking, brother." I smiled slightly. "The crown prince is here, is there a specific reason so?"
*Not that I care. Dang, why'd I have to write that asking for the reason of someone's visit was common courtesy in this book. Tsk, just leave me alone, you two.*
Caleb answered smoothly. "I wanted to see Alex's face after he had an argument with Eri-"
Alex cleared his throat not loud but enough to cut of The crown prince's sentence. Not wanting him to finish.
I tilt my head slightly, not knowing what's going on.
*Eri?.. Erick? The "Erick", Alex's best friend, "Erick" and an argument? Ooh, Drama.*
"Brother, you fought with Erick?" I ask curiously, my nosy personality for dramatic stuffs perking.
Alex sighed. Immediately earning a chuckle from Caleb. "How very bright of the young lady. Indeed they did." Caleb confirmed.
Alex's brow almost furrowed, visibly annoyed the moment Erick was mentioned, a displeased expression escaping from his usual stoic one.
*Guess they did fight. But.. why?*
With another sigh, Alex calms himself. "It's nothing, sister. You need not to worry about it."
Caleb simply smiled in amusement while respecting Alex's discomfort of the topic and not speaking more about it.
Caleb raised his grey cat with both his hands. "Well, then. Let me introduce my lovely princess to you, my lady." He said as he diverted the topic.
"This is Kira Samantha Raycroft, my cat princess. Isn't she lovely?" His eyes looking at me with expectations to compliment his cat.
"She's... very lovely." I say, unable to deny his expectant eyes.
*Well, she is pretty. Just grumpy.*
As I say those words, Kira's grumpy look turned into a docile and eager one.
Seeing Kira's reaction, Caleb froze. Wondering what made his grumpy cat suddenly gentle.
He was never able to make Kira docile towards him. So he never saw Kira like this before, not once.
After looking up at me from his cat, his frozen look stretched into a satisfied one. "I knew you'd think so." Caleb nuzzled the top of Kira's head with his nose then tucked her back in his arms. Then looked at my eyes with amusement and a hint of something more...?
As Alex saw Caleb's expression while looking at me, he immediately stepped beside me instead of the crown prince.
"Your highness, shouldn't you return to the palace by now?" Alex said to Caleb with comfortable bluntness since the crown prince and him are close, but still with a respectful tone in it.
Caleb chuckled in amusement at that. "Oh, come on. I want to talk to your older sister a bit more."
Alex remained stoic and determined. "My sister may be uncomfortable with you. I'll escort you back now that you've found your cat." He said with a protective tone.
They exchange looks, Alex with a determined one and Caleb with a stubborn one. Bringing up a tense atmosphere around them.
*Geez, this is tense. I'd rather go back to the estate but that wouldn't be fair. I came her first, they should be the one leaving.*
With that hard headed thought, I remain where I'm standing and waiting for them to finish and leave.
The silence was cut as Astrid, who I sent to give me some snacks came back with a tray. Looking absolutely pretty in her maid uniform, she stood in a respectable distance between us. "My lady, I've brought your snacks." She said softly.
I smiled softly at that, both men looked at her when she spoke breaking their tense atmosphere.
"Thank you, I was getting hungry." I say, truthfully and with a want to drive these two away. Especially the crown prince.
I take a brownie from the tray. The tray is a silver steel, with cookies on it's side, and brownies on the other. There were a lot as they fill the tray but I can finish them all by myself of course.
"Ooh, snacks. Can I have some?" Caleb asked with charming shamelessness that'll make someone overlook anything. Clearly not wanting to leave just yet.
*The nerve.*
Alex sighed again and insisted. "Your highness, do go back to-"
Caleb approached me without letting Alex finish his words. "May I?" He asks gently as he looks at the snacks with a smile then at my me.
I nod of course, not wanting to be rude. "Of course, your highness. I hope it fits your taste."
*And I also hope that you're out of my sight in the next second.*
With an unnoticeable fake smile, I watch him take a bite of a brownie. His smile widening as he savors the taste. "It's lovely." He says with a genuine tone. "Just like the lady."
*Pardon?*
Alex furrowed his brows at that then turned to me. "Sister, go back inside, it's getting cold out here, it's not good for you." He said with a tone that I wouldn't defy for it held a serious one.
With a reluctant nod, I say, "... Okay."
*As much as I wanna stay here, when Alex has that expression, I'd rather just comply to not complicate my life.*
Astrid and I bowed slightly and I say a farewell, "It was a pleasure meeting with the rising sun of the empire. We bid farewell."
Caleb didn't seem quite pleased with that but quickly masked his expression with a smile. "The pleasure is mine, Miss Alexandria."
With Caleb's recognition to my farewell. I leave with Astrid and head back to the estate.
*Tch. Those two are bummers. I was having fun under the maple tree. Well, what happened, happened. Let's move on.*
I thought as I kept walking.
~✧~✧~✧~✧~✧~✧~
Caleb raised an eyebrow in an amused way at Alex's displeased and on guard expression. "What's wrong, Alex?"
"Leave her alone." Alex answered straight.
Caleb chuckled feigning innocence. "What do you mean?"
Alex frowned. "You know what I mean. Leave my sister alone, your highness."
"But I'm not doing anything, Alex." Caleb said with an innocent smile.
"Not yet." Alex countered.
With a smile yet displeased expression, Caleb spoke. "Are you telling me what to do, my knight?"
Alex froze at that. He is indeed the crown's prince personal knight, and that meant that his master will have his eternal devotion. "... No, your highness. I'm making a request."
Pleased, Caleb smiled genuinely this time. "Good. I'll reconsider your request then. But it might be hard, you see... Your sister suddenly became a very interesting one."
Alex clenched his fist at that but kept calm. "Let me escort you to your carriage, your highness."
Caleb nodded and walked towards the path that leads to the Dandelion Duchy's entrance with Alex guiding him.
As they reached The royal carriage, Caleb stepped into it in a swift move and sat down. Alex spoke, "Take care, your highness." And after gaining a smile from Caleb, he closed the carriage's door. The coachman drove the carriage out of Alex's sight and he sighed once again.