Philip stood behind his sister, watching her gawk at the drawing. He wanted to see her expression, but unfortunately, her back was facing him. Nonetheless, he didn't miss the subtle tension in her shoulder muscles. His unusually pale face stared at her with no expression, but soon a little smile found its way to his face. "Quite intriguing, isn't it, sister?" he asked with his lips close to her ears. Roughly, Philip was a bit taller than his sister by half a head. So, with him crouching in that manner, coupled with his unique complexion, he looked like a vengeful corpse following its victim to frighten them to death. Ely released a sharp breath and stared at it for a couple more minutes before turning to face her brother. "Yes. It is really intriguing," she smiled at him and ruffled his lemon hair. Philip's eyes darkened, then he followed behind her. "Sis, I will be turning twenty in a month. Stop ruffling my hair!" he grumbled, his hand reaching to smoothen out the ruffled hair. Ely stared at him before bursting into peals of laughter. Philip, after regaining his former composure, stared at her with a raised brow. "May I know the source of your laughter?" he asked, unamused. A few minutes went by without any answer as Ely was still laughing. "Nothing-nothing. You just look cute." "C-cu-cute?!" Philip blinked a couple of times in disbelief before he shook his head. What was he going to do about this sister of his? He sat down in front of the canvas and began drawing, while his sister stood behind him, watching his artistic mastery with adoration. He abruptly ceased all motion then as though he had remembered something, he murmured. "Wait a moment! Why didn't I think about this." Philip facepalmed himself. He swiftly turned his chair and stared at his sister with wide eyes. Ely, on the other hand, shivered a bit. "Wha-what do you mean?" she questioned after her intuition blared at her. "Dearest sister, why don't you sit there and let me draw you. Pretty please!" The moment Ely heard the first two words, she knew nothing good was going to come out of his next words. "No, no, no." Ely shook her head vigorously as her golden hair flew here and there. After a few minutes of persuading and bribing Ely, she finally accepted to allow him to draw her, though reluctantly. She posed gracefully with her hand supporting her chin, seated on the couch. Her eyes emitted a heavenly glow which made her seem like a goddess. Philip admired her for a jiffy before he began drawing her. Ely's mind wafted as she stared outside the window. The birds flew about in the skies unobstructed, chirping energetically as they engaged in their own chatter. The sky was clear with the sun hidden behind the proud peaks, and the gleeful wind glided through the skies, blowing up Ely's hair in childish joy. She sighed softly as she contemplated her life for the past twenty years. She had gone through a lot and learned a lot. The responsibility of being a parent weighed more than she could carry, but with her strong will and the invaluable help provided by her father, she was able to do it. But now...Her father's mental health had become a plight, which gave her a headache on a daily basis. She had tried whatever means she could, approached every physician she could find, and even went as far as to consult a...a priest! Yes, a priest. Just the thought of it was embarrassing, but what could she do? She couldn't just sit by and watch her father die a miserable death that was not befitting of a king, could she? She had tried all that there is to try, but nothing worked out. She felt her heart squeezing in pain at this thought. It was inevitable, and time was painfully drawing closer. Her father's mental health had raised quite a controversy among the officials. Especially those backstabbing bastards who couldn't wait for him to die so that they could go on with their sickening schemes. Her blue eyes turned frosty at the thought of this. She would make all of them rot in hell if they ever touched her family. She was going to be the Queen. A Queen who held her people's needs in her heart, a Queen that protected her family...but Philip was her only concern. Just then, the person in question clapped his hands together, signaling Ely that he was done with his art. She smiled, but it never got to her eyes. Nevertheless, she rose to check it; however, Philip quickly covered it, barring her view. Ely tilted her head to the side as she blinked. "Now is not the time. I will present it to you at the right time," Philip defended his actions. Then he carried the canvas to the back of the room. Ely stared at his back while her head was mashing with a single question. Was her brother interested in the throne? If he was, what was she going to do about it? Just then, Philip arrived with a smile. He couldn't be called handsome, but he was definitely charming, and his light blue eyes were the icing on the cake. It made him look more exceptional. His smile was worth more than gold for Ely. She held his hands in her own, and they walked towards the door. Her answer? What would a mother lioness do in this case? Well, that is exactly what she would have done.