"I apologize, Your Majesty, but I cannot accept these gifts," Lucian raised his hands to signal the servants to leave the training ground.
The servants hesitated, glancing at the king, who gave them a reluctant nod.
"Alright then enjoy your stay until the wedding begins," Alistair said, forcing a smile that barely concealed his irritation.
"We will," Lucian replied, bowing slightly, recognizing the irony in the king's tone.
As Alistair turned to leave, a lock of long silver hair peeked out from behind a large gray pillar.
The young lady's violet eyes tried to catch a glimpse of the dark-haired man whose arrival had quickly become the talk of the palace and stirred everyone's curiosity.
Princess Cynthia's would-be husband.
Suddenly, that lock of hair was darkened by the shadow of a guard.
"You there! What are you doing? Get away from here!" the guard barked, grabbing the young girl's arm firmly and pulling her away before she could fully see what she wanted.
Her plain dark dress was smeared with mud, and a soft groan escaped her lips. The guard ignored her discomfort and continued to drag her away.
"Stay away from here," he commanded, shoving her into the maids' quarters. "Do not let me catch you in the Prince of the Selvarys' wing again!" With that, he left.
"It seems he mistook me for a maid," the girl whispered.
As she stepped outside the maids' quarters, she felt a piercing, sharp violet gaze directed at her. King Alistair, standing a few meters away, clearly glared at her.
***
Cynthia jolted awake, the dream slipping away as quickly as it had come. Realizing she had dozed off at her desk, she stood up abruptly, letting the plume pen fall from her fingers.
The scene from the dream lingered in her mind, feeling oddly real, almost like a memory she couldn't quite grasp.
"Your Highness?" Rin called out, barely catching a glimpse of the princess as she hurried out of the room, her face pale and her eyes wide with confusion.
"No, no. It can't be!" Cynthia repeated to herself as she dashed through the hallway.
"Your Highness! Where are you rushing to?!" Rin shouted, but Cynthia didn't respond, her mind racing.
The sensations and emotions from the dream clung to her, leaving her restless.
She burst through the door with a loud crash, ignoring the guards who tried to stop her.
"Your Majesty!" She gasped, looking at him as if she had just witnessed a horrifying vision.
"What's wrong?" Alistair asked, tilting his head back in his chair and dropping the plume he had been holding.
He shifted his study room to the princess' castle in order to be able to protect his sister in case the Selvarians attacked. Although a peace treaty was in process, Alistair could not trust them.
Cynthia pursed her lips and slowly approached the king.
The blonde-haired man waved dismissively at the two men who stared at him, puzzled by the princess's strange behavior. Despite being harsh with them, Cynthia had never acted so erratically before.
"Take a seat," Alistair said, gesturing toward the couch, a little further from his desk.
However, Cynthia walked directly to him, looking down at the seated man.
Grimacing at her disobedience, Alistair frowned, glancing up at his sister, and his eyes widened.
The silver-haired young woman standing before him had tears in her eyes.
But why? Alistair couldn't comprehend.
His sister had last shed a tear at their parents' funeral. However as she grew up, she never blinked when hunting animals or killing on the battlefield beside him, and yet, she was crying now?
Jolting from his chair, Alistair lowered himself to meet his sister's gaze.
"What's wrong?" he asked gently, and Cynthia curled her lips into a bright, though strained, smile.
"Nothing," she mumbled, loud enough to be heard.
"What do you mean, 'nothing'? You're crying! Did anyone say something to you?"
Noticing her brother's agitation, Cynthia chuckled, brushing her tears away.
"No, but... I've been thinking about how we'll soon be apart, and it saddens me," she said softly, tucking a few stray locks of hair behind her ear.
Although Alistair knew it was her habit to do this whenever she was troubled, he couldn't press her further. He needed to wait until she was ready to share the truth.
"Take a seat," the king said, guiding his sister to the scarlet-colored couch before sitting beside her. The princess followed his direction, though she wondered what he was about to do.
"I won't let anyone harm you. If you encounter any problems in that kingdom, you can send me a message anytime, and I'll come to bring you back to Eldoria."
A laugh escaped Cynthia, and she cleared her throat before speaking.
"Do you plan to start another war?" she asked with a teasing smile.
"I shall if that's the only way to keep my sister happy."
Your happiness has nothing to do with me. Either you live... or die and rot in that kingdom.
A sour feeling lingered in Cynthia's heart as she processed his words, despite the sweetness with which they were spoken. She maintained a bright grin, masking her true emotions.
"He doesn't need to know any of it," she told herself, resolved to keep her secrets.
"What happened to the gifts you offered to Prince Lucian?" she asked, raising her eyebrows.
"How did you know about that?" Alistair tilted his head in confusion. Only the servants knew, and he had instructed them to keep it quiet.
"Ah, Your Majesty, it is still my palace," she chuckled.
Scratching the back of his head awkwardly, Alistair snorted.
"He accepted them."
"He refu—" Cynthia froze, her eyes widening as she realized what her brother said.
"He... accepted them?" she asked, disbelief clear in her voice.
"Why are you so shocked? Was he not supposed to accept them?"
"Oh, it's not that... I think I should leave, Your Majesty. There's still a lot to prepare for the wedding." Rising from her seat, she bowed before the king. "I apologize for my behavior earlier. It was... inappropriate."
"Do not worry. No one in this kingdom dares to speak ill of you."
Internally scoffing, Cynthia thought, "Well, I'm quite infamous among the nobles, my dear brother."
"Certainly. I am the only princess of Eldoria. Who would dare?" Cynthia smiled brightly before exiting the study.
"So... he didn't refuse the gifts this time?" the princess wondered as she walked through the hallway. "Strange... Wait, this time?" She shook her head. "I must be truly losing my mind, as the nobles say," she muttered.
"I shall prepare for my wedding!"