"So, what exactly are we going to talk about right now?" A short-wavy haired prince asked. He's got this furrowed brows and annoyed expression as he ask that question. His golden-petaled eye glows as he grits his teeth.
"Haha, looks like you're not in a good mood right now, Zain, did something happened?" His brother, with a smooth straight long hair smiled at him. Seeing that smile made the other guy to take a deep breath and try to calm his expression.
"It's those damn nobles again, spitting bullshits about Lea," The younger brother answered, clicking his tongue, His older brother chuckled, while their oldest brother listens to them with a smile on his face.
"You really like Lea, huh?" Helios asked, giving his brother a small smile. His youngest brother glared at him and turn his head away with arms crossed.
"Hmph, I was just concerned!" both his brothers laughed at him, and it caused him great annoyance.
"Anyway, Brother. Why are we called here?" The Second Prince of Ciera, Aelius Luke de Ciera asked. He's got long and straight black hair with droopy and calm looking eyes, with long silver eyelashes, inheriting his mother's unique eyelash color.
"Right, is it something important, Big Bro?" Diellzain Ray de Ciera, the third son, and Third Prince of Ciera Empire. He's got wavy black hair, even though he got his hair color from the Emperor, it's waviness is from his late mother, The Empress. Like Aelius, he also got a mole on his face, with it placing above his left eye. His wide yet slanted eyes stopped glowing as he turn his head to his brother.
"It is. But, first...let me ask you a serious question," Aelius and Diellzain creased their foreheads as they exchange looks with each other. They had no idea about how the conversation is going to flow and ends up simultaneously shrugging their shoulders.
"What would you feel if we have...a...younger sister?" The two princes were surprised by his question that they couldn't even answer his question right away. Diellzain gulped as he furrowed his brows.
"Huh? What are you saying?" The Third Prince asked.
"Just, give me your answers," Helios replied. Diellzain glanced at his second brother who is currently staring at Helios with surprised reaction on his face.
"Big bro, is this about the little girl we saw in the garden before that has the same eyes as us?" Diellzain asked, turning his head back to his oldest brother. Helios sighed and nod his head.
"A younger sister? Don't tell me...she is our younger sister? But, Amara died right after she was born?" Aelius asked. Both Diellzain and Aelius are confused. However, they can't deny the fact that they saw that little girl with their own eyes too, and she's got the same eyes as theirs, she even got a mole on the same spot as their mother.
"That's exactly why I called Father here as well, because I am also confused. And remember the issue with mother before? When she suddenly imprisoned herself within the Antares Palace? And this very palace disappeared to thin air after Mother's death," Aelius lowered down his head as he massage his temple. Diellzain, with the expression of disbelief stared at his Big brother.
'Right...We have no idea of the reason why she suddenly started acting strange...' Diellzain thought.
'She started acting like a mad person and then decided to imprison herself within the Antares Palace. We've...never seen her since, until the maids within it announced her death five years ago with the palace's disappearance,' Aelius took a deep breath.
"The reason you're bringing this up. Did you met her again?" Aelius asked, in which Helios agreed to by nodding his head.
"So, would you actually accept her should she be introduced as our younger sister?" Helios looked at his brothers' direction. Diellzain clicked his tongue.
"What kind of question is that? Of course!" Helios was surprised by his youngest brother's answer.
"Right, a younger sister? I can't wish for more," Aelius answered as he chuckle.
"I understand Aeli, but Zain, are you really okay with it?" Helios gazes directly into his little brother's eyes. The kid sighed before he answered.
"Of course..." he paused. Aelius and Helios looked at each other as they both turn their heads to their youngest brother.
"She was so young when we saw her before. Even though she looks healthy then, we have no idea how she's being treated by the servants, and it also just means that she's living her life away from her family. Plus, where is she staying...?" Diellzain started. Aelius nod his head in agreement while smiling. Diellzain lowered down his head as he sigh.
His face shows sympathy and pity to the little girl who has never seen her family ever since she was born.
"It's not a big deal for me. Although it really didn't slip my mind to have a younger sibling, however...don't you feel sorry for her? How old was she when we saw her? She looks two or three that time, and it's been two years since then. That just mean that she lived her five or four years of life alone, with just the servants...does she even know she has a family?" Diellzain furrowed his brows as he place his hand on his chest, clenching on his clothes.
Thinking about how his said younger sister was alone all her life made him feel different kind of emotions within him.
'Am I mad because Dad never mentioned anything about this? Or am I mad at myself because we did not do something about it before...?' Diellzain thought as his face crumpled because of what's going on within his mind.
Aelius looked at his little brother with a worried face.
"I actually tried looking for her again one time before, but I couldn't find her. Additionally, there's that weird case before about the Antares Palace strangely disappearing. The location of where it was built is now full of trees. And when Father found out that I was looking at this case, he ordered me to drop it. At first I was confused, how can a whole palace just disappear? I tried to force Father to let me investigate about it, but he told me that it was already revealed by the Tower's magician how it disappeared," Helios explain. Aelius and Diellzain nod their heads.
"Yes, the Tower's magician said that Mom cast a spell for it to disappear after her death," Diellzain spoke.
"Still, it's strange. Why would Mom do something like that?" Aelius asked, causing his older brother to sigh in disbelief.
"We were too busy with our own duties that we didn't pay too much attention to it," Diellzain glared at the table in front of him as he clench his fists.
Diellzain, because of his talent with weaponry and magic, he was ordered to join the war that lasted for five years, due to the increasing casualties of their soldiers. While Aelius acted as the doctor for the injured people that is caused by the war, all because of his amazing talent when it comes to healing and medicines, with Helios as a captain of the First Division's Cavalry, being the strongest warrior who has mastered both his magic power and fighting skills.
"Right. There was still a war two years ago against the subordinates of the sealed Black Magician," Aelius added. Helios sighed as he massage his temple.
"Let's just ask Dad about it,"
--
"Shaiii!" I spread my arms as I run to one of the maids here in the Antares Palace. It was only yesterday when I encountered Alina's first brother, I can't even sleep last night! Good thing Themis's voice was so beautiful that I've forgotten about that encounter and was able to actually sleep peacefully.
"Your Highness, please don't run. What if you fall down?" I giggled as I throw myself to her. She caught me within her arms and carried me.
"Your Highness seems really happy, I wonder what caused the Princess to be this energetic this early in the morning?" Shai asked. Actually, I'm just trying to cheer myself up, that's why I'm acting like this, let's cast away all the embarrassment I'm feeling, because this kid had the rights to act like a kid. By the way, the reason I am like this right now is because I am overthinking a lot of things right now, so I'm doing everything I can, even this shameless act of acting cute to the maids! Just to divert my attention to other things!
The truth is, I am worried about the consequences of meeting Helios at the Callisto Garden. I even prayed to the God of this world and hope that Helios will quickly forget about our meeting and just let me live happily ever after.
Actually, I realized some things earlier when I was thinking back of our meeting yesterday.
Helios had already seen Alina before. Surely, he's not stupid to think that it's a different person all because my eyes changed colors! That's why, I'm overthinking a lot of things right now, not just right now, I've been devastated ever since I realized these things! I grit my teeth and clench my fist.
Worst, this is the worst! I have to look back on my plans if my plan B is going to work! Huh...ignoring them while living my best life. Can I do that? Still, I've already experienced all kinds of abuse from my previous family, and I should be able to endure all those princes' insults. The differences between my previous family and Alina's is that they don't resort to physical violence and just stayed with verbal abuse, while my previous family does both.
I think I can handle living with them if ever they come after me. I mean, it was shown in Alina's backstory that the First and Third Prince arrived in the Antares Palace, with dozens of knights. But, it was never mentioned why they went there to pick her up, so I had no idea why.
Seriously, this is not good for me. I closed my eyes tight and bury my face on my arms around Shai's shoulder. Dang it.
"Your Highness?" I flinched and pulled away from Shai when she called me.
"Sorry! Did you say something?" I asked. Shai blinked for a couple of times before smiling and shaking her head.
"Does the Princess wants something from this Shairah?" She started walking on the hallway and I just smiled as I shook my head to answer her question.
"I just want to hug Shai," I answered, wrapping my arms around her shoulders again. Being a small kid has its perks. And it's being hugged and carried by these beautiful maids here. Not only does it help me with going to other places, I also enjoy it! My family in my previous life were never this kind and nice!
"Haha, the Princess is so sweet," she chuckled.
"And...hehe, do you have candies with you?" Shai laughs again before answering my questions.
"Shall we get you candies?" I nodded my head repeatedly with a smile on my face and nudged on her cheeks. She giggled and caress my back.
"Let's go, Princess,"
"Yaaay!"
Ughh, the shame. I'm getting cringed by own actions!
"But, we have to keep it a secret from Themis and Ryna, hahaha. Your Highness is definitely well aware that they've been decreasing the candies given to you," Well, candies are so sweet that it might lead to tonsillitis and tooth decay if I keep eating it everyday. They even decided not to give me too much cupcakes and cookies, knowing very well that I love chocolate cupcakes.
"Yup, yup! I can keep a secret!" I lean forward to her and gave her a kiss. It made her chuckle.
"A secret between me and the Princess, that sounds exciting," Shai said. I love how she never take off that smile from her face whenever she talks to me. It's like it was plastered there permanently. Not just her, but all of them. It warms my heart...
"Hehe ~" I only replied with a few giggles as I lean my head on her temple while looking ahead on the hallway.
It's...I don't know what time in the afternoon, but it is afternoon. My afternoon tea with Ryna and Ande just ended when I decided to walk around the palace alone to familiarize the place.
The reason for that was to know where to hide in case some monsters in a human sheathe arrive and decides to get Alina from the Antares Palace. Just thinking about it is enough to make me shiver, jeez.
I faced Shai again to wrap my arms around her shoulders and lean my head on hers.
Today is so peaceful and calm, It's amazing how I can always hear the sounds of the birds and the whispers of the winds. The trees surrounding this palace relaxes me everytime I see the branches and leaves of it getting swayed by the wind. The silence of this place at this time of day gives me the feeling of nostalgia whenever we visit our hometown before when we were kids. Ahh...
Come to think of it, I wonder about my grandparents' reaction after knowing that I killed myself and shattered my bones after jumping from the tallest building I found?
Ever since I got here, I've been thinking about how I am going to adapt in this world that I forgot about everything in my previous world, well except my shitty family because Alina's family reminds me of mine as well.
Anyway, I'm still having a hard time getting used to this world. A lot of things are still wandering inside my mind.
How am I going to act, what exactly should I do whenever I'm around the servants, how should I change this kid's personality without the servants getting suspicious of me. Hmm, but even though they've noticed my changes, they never really pay too much attention about it.
Maybe they're thinking that it's because of what happened to Alina? I mean, she was sleeping for 18 days ever since she drowned, surely that accident will greatly affect this little kid and realizes how dangerous it is outside her palace. They're probably thinking about something like that.
Ahh, one more thing. The blonde boy who saved Alina. Who was that? I don't remember reading about a blonde boy in the novel. And even if Alina's backstory was only shown the moment she died, this blonde boy should still appear in the story, right? Come to think of it, even this drowning accident was never in the book.
Hmm, I understand why, and it's because Alina is just a side character who is destined to die. Anything about her backstory is not important for the readers.
Alright, let's stop thinking about those things and just eat candies.
I hope this peaceful days never ends.
***