Truly, it was a severe sight to see a Duke from another kingdom habitually visit Elyptis, so it was no surprise when Ely voiced her thoughts. Even though the two kingdoms were not necessarily enemies, they didn't share that much closeness for the Duke's unusual tendencies to be seen as ordinary. Well, that was a matter for another day. Ely spoke about different things with her brother until he got to his chambers and entered. She stood in front of the closed door of her brother's chambers, and eventually, a beautiful smile crept up on her face—one of happiness, satisfaction, and a myriad of others. It felt nice to see her brother grow up, even though it was not easy at the beginning. They all tried. Her father tried, she tried, and he also tried, and at last, the family got together again.
"Beautiful!"
Yes, it was truly a beautiful sight to behold. After all, not every family, no, royal family specifically, could boast about a peaceful family and kingdom where there are no uprisings, no in-family drama, and others. Well, everything would have been perfect if it weren't for the ill change in her father's mental health.
"Weird and strange."
These two were the perfect words to describe the change in her father's behavior, and even though she had a tugging feeling of unease, she put it all behind her. There was nothing wrong, and there can be nothing wrong. Her father was just catching up to time and age. She let go of her worries and stepped into her room. She quickly slipped into a comfortable bathrobe and entered the bathroom. She was sweaty, and it was the result of all this sweat that made her think about those stressful matters. She just needed to wash them all away, all of them. And why shouldn't she? She had complete trust in her family members. Well, not to talk about the extended one, but about her immediate family. Heaven could testify how much she trusted them. A princess should not be all-trusting, a princess should not be this, a princess should not be that... Yes, all this talk about being harmless like a dove but vicious like a snake had entered her skull well, but that applied to outsiders. After all, if she couldn't even trust her family, then what was their significance in her life? Ely stepped out of the bath amidst evaporating vapors. Her beautiful skin reflected in the mirror as she stared at it, and her blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders like a peaceful flow of an ancient golden river.
"I guess I am also growing."
Ely smiled at her reflection. She dressed up quickly and joined her family downstairs for breakfast. "Good morning Father!" Ely kissed his hand before sitting opposite her brother, who smiled at her.
"What's good about the morning?" a tired voice said from the head of the table. It was King Alfred, Phillip, and Ely's father. A half-smile crawled its way onto Ely's face as she studied her father's face. His typical bright and healthy skin was gone, leaving only wrinkles of what it used to be, his dark blue eyes had become cloudy, and his face lost its former confidence, becoming clouded with a hint of anxiety and a sea of feral aggressiveness. He looked restless just being seated there. She sighed and focused on the food being served to her. "Are there any matters that you need my help with, Father?" she asked. This version of him induced a fiery passion in her to alleviate his problems, which he never wanted to talk to anyone about. Phillip also sneaked a glance at their father, waiting for his answer. There was a short moment of silence before King Alfred spoke in a hoarse voice. "Nothing. There is nothing you can do for me...or the kingdom," he replied without even looking at his daughter. Ely stared at him for a bit before forcing a small smile. "Ok father, just tell me if you want anything." The two siblings stared at each other for a bit with contrasting expressions—one with a calm smile and the other with a kind smile. They knew that it was near, the time was drawing near.