The soft rays of the morning sun shone lightly on the figures lying on the bed as one of the figures stirred. She groaned while turning the other way, backing the sunlight streaming in from the window.
"Did I forget to pull the curtains close again?" She muttered, not quite fully awake. The little girl yawned loudly and turned to lie on her back again, stretched her body, and then relaxed her body.
She opened her mouth even before she opened her eyes, "Ah, it's a new day. Glad to be back. Now, it's time to get me some sandwiches." She opened her eyes and then blinked rapidly, staring at the unfamiliar yet familiar ceiling.
She rubbed her eyes and blinked again, only to see the same ceiling. She closed her eyes again and this time, she refused to open them.
"Nope, no way am I getting off this bed until I see my ceiling." She murmured.
She paused when she felt someone stir beside her. Turning around, she found Alaric yawning. [What a cute child.] She pinched his cheek softly. It seemed like this really was her reality.
"Good morning, Al."
"Good morning, Tia." Alaric replied before he blinked at her in surprise, as if he didn't expect to see her there.
"What are you doing in my room?" He asked cutely.
Aristia chuckled. "This is my room," she said, gesturing around her.
"Oh," Alaric said in realization, a blush coating his cheeks.
She scooted back, but she felt something soft against her back.
[What's this?] She asked, turning around. She saw someone had placed a pillow behind her. [Could it be Alaric?] She thought, but shook her head at the thought. It couldn't be Alaric. He was asleep before her.
The next second, the door opened and Adeline and Cassandra walked in, some maids following behind carrying buckets of water and walking to the bathroom.
"Good morning, Princess and Prince." They all greeted.
Nodding in acknowledgement, Aristia hopped off the bed. She waved goodbye at Alaric, then made her way to the bathroom. She was about to walk in when she heard Alaric say defiantly,
"No! I'll take a bath with Tia. I refuse take a bath if I don't bath with Tia." He yelled stubbornly.
Cassandra had wanted to take him to his room to have his bath, but was startled to hear him make such an absurd request. She turned to Aristia with a troubled look on her face.
Aristia turned around to stare at Alaric whose eyes had turned red and whose mouth was trembling as if he was about to cry, speechless at his resolve and reminding herself that he was just a three year old child.
She clenched her fists, gritted her teeth, steeled her resolve, and forced out a sentence. "Let him be. He can take a bath with me."
Alaric, who looked like he was about to cry, suddenly smiled widely, all trace of tears gone from his face as if it was never there in the first place.
[Damn it! Who taught you such tricks?] Aristia thought in disbelief.
"Princess!" Adeline called out in horror, but Aristia had already started heading into the bathroom, while chanting like a mantra, in a low, almost inaudible voice, "He's just a child, I'm in the body of a child, he's my younger brother."
Yep. She had somehow accepted the fact that she was staying in whatever world she was in until who-knows-how-long and so Alaric was her younger brother, and his parents, her substitute parents.
***
Word spread quickly around the mansion that the princess and prince had taken a bath together.
Aristia shook her head when she heard this. [They're making a big deal out of nothing. I'm supposed to be a kid.] She rolled her eyes, ignoring how she had reacted when Alaric made the statement.
Her reaction was understandable since she was an adult mentally, but from the perspective of the maids, she was a little girl so it shouldn't have been shocking to see two little children, specifically siblings, bathing together.
[Ah, the time period.]
"Is everything alright, Princess?" Adeline asked when she noticed Aristia staring blankly at her reflection in the mirror. She was done with helping her brush her hair but Aristia hadn't made any movement.
"Oh. Nothing," Aristia replied. "What about my classes?" It was some few minutes past seven o'clock and no one had come to prepare her, either for breakfast or her classes. She had also been surprised when Adeline had entered her room late when they woke her up early the previous day.
"The Master and Madam wanted you to rest properly since you seemed tired."
It was true, she was indeed tired.
"Your classes have been canceled." Adeline informed as Aristia climbed down the chair.
[How caring. It's only been my first day of having classes, but I'm already given a day off?]
She called Alaric who was sitting on the bed to come with her. He had insisted that he dress up with Aristia as well and she agreed, after all, they had already taken a bath together.
When they got to the dining room, they greeted their parents as usual and sat on their seats. They ate in silence until Alaric spoke up.
"Mama, Papa, I went with Tia to a Kingdom filled with wisdom and knowledge."
Aristia was a little startled when her name was mentioned out of the blue. She stopped eating and turned to Alaric to listen to what he had to say when what he said earlier sank in.
Wilson and Catherine looked amused as he asked Alaric, "Is that so? Where is this kingdom filled with wisdom and knowledge?"
Alaric answered his father, "You don't know where it is?" He asked.
Wilson shook his head with a thoughtful expression. He turned to Catherine, "Why, have you got any inkling on where this kingdom might be, dear?"
Catherine shook her head. "Why, I don't. But I well would like to know."
"It is the Kingdom of books. It's even here in the mansion. It's the library! Tia said so herself." Alaric chirped and Aristia nodded. After all, she did say so.
"I did." She replied curtly.
"And she also taught me to read." Alaric continued excitedly and Aristia affirmed with a nod.
She wanted to laugh at how cute he sounded until she heard him say, "I took a bath with Tia."
"...!"