Chapter 10: Alice Alumina
Alice sat quietly in the garden, her favorite spot in the whole palace. The soft trickle of the fountain nearby and the fragrant scent of roses always helped calm her. Today, though, it wasn't working. Her mother, Queen Clarice, had arranged for visitors. Not just anyone—Alena Alestra and her two children, Aria and Ryan.
Alice had heard about them, especially about how talented they both were. Everyone in the kingdom talked about Ryan, how he could sense mana when he was just two years old. And Aria?
People claim she is already stronger than the eldest prince, Alice's older brother, who was 10 years old at the time.
Alice couldn't help but feel a pang of frustration and jealousy. Why did they have to come here?
She shifted on the stone bench, watching as her mother led the visitors into the garden. From the moment she saw them, Alice could tell they were different from other people who visited the palace. There was no stiff formality, no nervousness. Aria looked excited, even though Alice kept her expression distant. Ryan, on the other hand, seemed calm .
"Alice," her mother's gentle voice broke her thoughts.
Alice stood up, her posture rigid as always. She greeted them politely, but her voice came out flat, almost cold. I don't need to be friends with them, she reminded herself. She had never needed friends. She was fine on her own.
Aria stepped forward with a bright smile, introducing herself and Ryan. There was warmth in her voice, something Alice hadn't expected. Ryan followed with a polite bow, his calm demeanor almost unnerving. Alice thanked them for coming, but she didn't feel any real connection. She was used to people visiting out of obligation, and she assumed this was no different.
They started talking about the garden, and Alice felt herself slipping into her usual distance. She answered their questions, but her responses were short. She didn't want to open up.
Aria seemed determined to keep the conversation going, asking about flowers and the garden, but Alice wasn't in the mood. The truth was, she liked the garden for its peace, not for the flowers. It was her escape from the palace and the expectations that suffocated her.
When Ryan asked if she would show them around, Alice hesitated. She didn't really want to, but there was something gentle in the way he asked. She agreed, though her voice remained reserved.
As they walked through the garden, she answered Aria's questions, though she kept her responses brief. The more they talked, the more she noticed something different about them. They weren't here to impress her. They weren't trying to make her feel small. In fact, they seemed almost normal, like they just wanted to get to know her.
Eventually, they reached a quiet corner of the garden, and Alice sat down on a bench. Aria sat beside her, while Ryan leaned against a tree nearby. The silence that followed wasn't uncomfortable, but it was clear that Aria and Ryan were trying to figure her out. Alice felt a little on edge, wondering what they thought of her. She had grown used to people judging her, comparing her to others, especially when it came to magic. She couldn't compete with someone like Ryan.
Then, out of nowhere, Ryan spoke.
"Though it might be a bit late to say, Princess Alice is really beautiful. My sister and I were speechless for a moment when we saw you."
Alice blinked, taken aback. Was he serious? Before she could react, Aria gasped.
"Ryan! You're going to make her uncomfortable."
Ryan just grinned, completely unfazed. "But it's true. Your mouth was wide open when you first saw the princess."
"You brat!" Aria jumped up and started pinching Ryan's cheeks, her frustration bubbling over. "How dare you mock your big sister!"
Alice watched as Ryan yelped and tried to fend off Aria's attack, . It was so ridiculous, so unexpected, that Alice couldn't help herself. A laugh slipped out, soft at first, but enough to catch their attention.
They both froze, staring at her in surprise.
Alice quickly tried to stifle her laughter, covering her mouth with her hand. She hadn't meant to laugh. It just... happened. Seeing Aria and Ryan argue like that, like normal siblings, was so different from what she was used to. In the palace, everything was serious, controlled. People didn't act like this.
Ryan smiled at her. "It's nice to see you smile, Princess. It must be hard, always feeling like you have to live up to others' expectations."
Alice's smile faded slightly, and her gaze dropped to the ground. He was right. He had no idea how much pressure she felt, how hard it was to live in the shadow of her family, of what people expected her to be. After a long pause, she spoke quietly.
"You don't know what it's like."
Aria looked at her with understanding. "Maybe not exactly," she said softly, "but we know what it's like to have people expect a lot from you. To feel like you have to be perfect all the time."
Alice's hands tightened in her lap. They didn't understand fully, but it felt like they weren't just saying that to be polite. There was something genuine in the way they spoke to her, like they knew what it was like to have the weight of expectations pressing down on them too.
"We're not here to judge you, Princess," Ryan said, his voice calm. "We're just here to become friends with you."
Alice wanted to believe them, but part of her still hesitated. She had spent so long feeling like she had to keep her guard up, like she couldn't let anyone in. But sitting here, with Aria and Ryan, something felt different. They weren't trying to force anything. They were just... here.
"I don't need friends," she said quietly, more to herself than to them. "I'm fine on my own."
Neither Aria nor Ryan said anything in response. They didn't push her or try to convince her otherwise. They just sat there, quietly, as if waiting for her to be ready. And for the first time in a long time, Alice didn't feel so alone.
They sat together in the peaceful garden, the soft sound of the fountain in the background, the warmth of the afternoon sun filtering through the trees. It was a simple moment, but for Alice, it felt like a small step forward.
She didn't need to be perfect,
and maybe, just maybe,
she didn't need to be alone either.
For now, she could just sit here,
in the quiet company of two people who, in their own way, seemed to understand.