Princess Alita awoke feeling unusually light-hearted. The previous night's stroll in the garden with Bowen had lifted her spirits. The more she spent time with him, the more she felt comfortable around him.
Alita decided she would spend the day exploring parts of the palace she rarely visited. She sent for Bowen, who arrived in her room, his expression a mix of curiosity and amusement.
"Good morning, princess," Bowen greeted with a bow. "How may I assist you today?"
Alita smiled mischievously. "Good morning, Bowen. I was thinking of taking a stroll around the palace. Care to join me?"
Bowen raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "I am at your service, princess. What did you have in mind?"
Alita clapped her hands excitedly. "Let's explore the palace's attic. I've heard there are many interesting things stored there, but no one ever goes up."
Bowen chuckled. "The attic, you say? That does sound quite intriguing. Lead the way, princess."
Together, they made their way through the winding corridors of the palace, heading toward the staircase that led to the attic. Along the way, they encountered several curious glances from the staff, but Alita didn't mind.
As they climbed the creaky stairs, Bowen couldn't help but tease her. "Are you sure you're ready for this, princess? There might be spiders up there."
Alita shot him a playful glare. "I'm not afraid of spiders, Bowen. Besides, you'll protect me, won't you?"
Bowen grinned. "Always."
Reaching the top, they pushed open the heavy wooden door and stepped into the attic. Dust motes danced in the beams of sunlight filtering through the small windows. The room was filled with old furniture, trunks, and various odds and ends covered in sheets.
Alita's eyes sparkled with excitement. "This is wonderful! Look at all these treasures."
Bowen glanced around, a skeptical look on his face. "Treasures? More like old rubbish. Why will anyone store rubbish like this."
Alita laughed and said, "They are not as spoiled as you think." She began exploring, pulling back sheets to reveal ornate chairs, faded paintings, and old books. Bowen followed, keeping an eye out for anything interesting or potentially hazardous.
"Look at this!" Alita exclaimed, holding up a dusty old hat with a wide brim and a feather sticking out of it. She placed it on her head, striking a dramatic pose. "How do I look?"
Bowen chuckled. "Like a pirate queen. Very regal."
Alita giggled and continued rummaging through the attic. She found an old, ornate mirror and stood in front of it, adjusting the hat and making funny faces. Bowen couldn't help but laugh at her actions.
"Bowen, come try this on," Alita said, holding up a moth-eaten cloak. "It would suit you."
He took the cloak with a smirk, draping it over his shoulders and striking a heroic pose. "What do you think, princess? Do I look dashing?"
Alita clapped her hands in delight. "Absolutely! You look like a noble knight ready to save the day."
They spent the next moment trying on various clothing, laughing at each other's ridiculous get-ups. At one point, Bowen discovered an old, rusted suit of armor and decided to try it on.
"Are you sure about this?" Alita asked, her eyes wide with amusement.
"Absolutely," Bowen replied with a grin. He managed to squeeze into the armor, but as he moved, it creaked and groaned loudly.
Alita burst into laughter. "You look like a rusty armor man! Can you even move in that?"
Bowen attempted a few steps, but the armor was so restrictive that he ended up stumbling and nearly falling over. Alita rushed to help him, but the sight of Bowen struggling in the armor was too much, and she ended up doubled over in laughter.
"Help me out of this, will you?" Bowen said, trying to maintain his dignity.
Alita wiped tears of laughter from her eyes and helped Bowen remove the armor piece by piece. Once free, he took a deep breath and shook his head. "That was a bad idea."
"But a funny one," Alita replied, still giggling.
As they continued their search, they came across a large chest. Alita's eyes lit up. "What do you think is inside?"
"Only one way to find out," Bowen said, helping her lift the heavy lid.
Inside, they found various strange object, a collection of strange masks, a set of old musical instruments, and a box of faded letters. Alita picked up one of the masks, a grotesque face with a long nose and exaggerated features.
"Imagine wearing this to a royal ball," she said, trying it on. "I bet it would scare everyone away!"
Bowen laughed. "You'd definitely be the center of attention, princess."
They continued to sift through the chest's contents, each item more bizarre than the last. Alita found a small, dusty bottle called Elixir of Giggles and couldn't resist opening it. She took a cautious sniff and immediately started giggling uncontrollably.
"Bowen, try this," she managed to say between giggles, handing him the bottle.
Bowen took a small whiff, and soon he too was overcome with uncontrollable laughter. They both collapsed on the floor, laughing so hard that tears streamed down their faces.
After what felt like an eternity, they finally managed to compose themselves. Bowen looked at Alita, his face still flushed from laughter. "That is the most silly thing I have ever done!"
Alita smiled, her eyes sparkling with joy. "Me too. Thank you, Bowen. This has been wonderful."
As they made their way back down to the main part of the palace, still chuckling at their antics, they bumped into Nadir. Her stern expression softened slightly as she took in their disheveled appearances and the genuine smiles on their faces.
"What have you been doing with the princess?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.
Alita frowned, "Bowen has done nothing wrong, we were just in the attic, going through old things. Next time I will take you with me "
Nadir shook her head, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "I'll leave it to you, princess. Just be careful."
"We will," Alita promised, her spirits lifted higher than they had been in days.
As they walked away, Alita leaned in and whispered to Bowen, "I think we should keep the Elixir of Giggles for emergencies."
Bowen chuckled. "Agreed. You never know when we might need a good laugh."