
Chapter 11: Two Of A Kind
Sona looked wordlessly at the girl in front of him. He didn't expect she would be brave enough to go out on her own, and he certainly didn't anticipate her intentionally sneaking away. Though he couldn't quite say why she did what she did, it wasn't his place to question it. Instead, he figured it might save a few lives if he had just patched her up as she asked. Despite her hissing, directed at the stinging of the ointment, he remained as calm as he always was, but strangely silent as well.
She adjusted her hair to cover the bandage, knowing Haru would react poorly to it. Luckily, as they met up again, getting ready for dinner, he didn't notice it. Instead, they were able to proceed to the palace dining room with no issue. Aside from Haru showing up in his casual clothes, they were mostly very well-dressed, including Bastien. Though, they were practically nothing compared to the amount of elegance the royal family held.
"Mr. Mica!" the small brunette delighted, running across the vast floor to the man he'd met a few hours prior.
The regent leaned down to greet the child, the two of them talking about complete nonsense. Despite that, both of them were beaming from ear to ear. That left (Y/n) free to see the other royals that had joined them, not that there were many to note. In fact, there were only two, and one of them was already enjoying the wine. The dirty-blonde-haired man leaned back in his chair, forgoing all etiquette and taking tiny sips. He savored the drink greatly, giving tiny chuckles to himself after each taste. She wasn't entirely certain who the man was, but he did bear a striking resemblance to at least one of the princes.
Then there was a woman already sitting at the table with a straight posture and a calm expression. She had long copper hair with a tint of orange and soft gray eyes. Originally, the younger girl believed her to be a non-royal relative. After all, there was nothing fancy about her. She didn't wear any jewelry aside from two small dangling earrings, and her attire was nothing more than a simply colored dress and a brimmed hat. However, as she noted the way she sat and moved, with elegance and grace in each movement, there was no doubt of her noble lineage.
The dirty-blonde-haired man glanced at the woman, but since she made no attempt to speak to the guests, let alone look at them, and Mica was preoccupied with Bastien, he stood up. Reluctant to part with the wine, he set it down gently and placed his hand on his heart. One could practically see the gears ticking in his head before he decided on bowing. It was not a proper bow - at least, not from what (Y/n) could see. The angle was all off and he wasn't putting much care into the placement of his other arm either.
"Hello!" he said simply, moving up from the bow abruptly and waving casually, "Remind me who you are again?"
"Satoru!" Presley snapped, receiving a look of boredom from the man in question, "You should not be the one greeting them, and even if you were the only one here, you should have put more care into - "
"Akahito," Haru interrupted, waving at the man in return and receiving a pleased grin from the dirty-blonde.
"Wine?" the man replied, holding up a bottle like it was his own child.
Though they turned down the offer, mostly because Haru hated the taste of alcohol and the (h/c) haired girl fared no better, the man wasn't offended. Instead, he brightened up, probably out of the realization that he could enjoy the whole bottle to himself. The coral-haired male in charge of the staff didn't look as pleased, scowling at the man. That being said, he was largely ignored, except for a few mocking smirks he would send the younger male.
"Where are my manners?" Mica chuckled, placing the small brunette down in a chair close to him, "My niece, Verona Trewin. She has become quite docile since her teenage years, so she will probably be very quiet. Don't take it to heart."
"Ahem. Uncle?"
"Oh, and my former nephew-in-law, Satoru Hoshino. He's just here for the wine and food, but he is great company."
The man scoffed playfully. He probably didn't expect to be introduced despite his objection to it. Then again, considering he was the former husband of the second princess, he was most definitely sick of etiquette. That would explain his inability to perform a proper bow. Why he was in the palace when he was divorced from a royal, she might never know, but it didn't matter.
Kazuya began conversing with him and Mica nonetheless, all three of them occasionally laughing at something or other. That left Haru to entertain his brother while they waited for the dinner to start. In her boredom, the younger girl observed the princess across from her. She was certainly regal, but something was different about her than the others. Granted, before they arrived, (Y/n) only knew the fourth prince and his mother - the woman's younger sister - but there was definitely a big difference just from those first few moments of seeing her.
She was calm, an adjective she would not use to describe other members of the royal family. The woman was also very docile, forgoing the need for reciprocated etiquette. Instead, she performed manners herself, most likely because it was already engrained into her from a young age. She did not seem irritated when Haru began tampering with the tablet on his wrist, and she did not bat an eye at Kazuya's loud laughter. If anything, she would occasionally give a little smile at the unique personalities surrounding her.
Amidst (Y/n)'s observation of her, the woman looked up at her in return. The two shared a moment of eye contact before embarrassment got the better of the younger individual. She turned away and tried to pass off her blatant staring as a momentary fascination rather than an attempt to delve into her psyche. Still, the woman didn't become irked. Instead, she gave a soft smile, seemingly forgiving her for her slip in common decency. It was odd.
"We were supposed to have another guest with us tonight, but he's running late, it seems," the silver-haired regent hummed, motioning to a nearby butler, "Let's start now."
The woman nodded and bowed before having the countless dishes brought out. Though the meals were foreign to the younger girl, there were a few she recognized. Probably out of consideration for her or Satoru, who was also a native-born Athainian, there were dishes the girl recognized from her childhood. There was one thing, though. None of the dishes contained meat. Haru scowled.
Before she could take what she was keen on eating, the younger girl flinched when a young woman stood at her side, smiling politely. She was dressed as the other servants were, holding a plate in her hands. The girl stood there for a while, waiting for instruction, but she was far from understanding what her purpose was. That was when she looked across the table to see a woman placing parts of the dishes on the princess's plate, the same happening for Mica. Oddly enough, Satoru did not let them do the same for him, the man swatting his attendant's hand away like a child as he reached for his own food himself.
Haru had no qualms about his plate being made for him, just that the meals were composed mainly of vegetables. Luckily, there were a few foods that he enjoyed even without meat, so he remained calm. Bastien was also calm, letting the man attending to him put a salad in front of him. Perhaps because of (Y/n)'s encouragement to eat green-colored foods, the brunette began to get giddy, munching on the lettuce. He felt very mature, his eyes sparkling out of pride as he looked over at his father. The boy was promptly praised for it, too.
As the (h/c) haired girl began to point out the foods she wanted to eat, the woman nodded eagerly, happy to serve. That being said, Haru was unable to accept some unknown woman being so close to his future wife. Abruptly, and with no warning, the male shoved the servant to the ground, the expensive plate in her hands shattering. Everyone stopped eating, turning their attention to the scene the brunette had created, not that he had finished.
He grabbed the woman by her collar and began uttering all kinds of threats, only stopping when she ran away in fear. Even then, he was far from satisfied, making a move to go after her. The only reason he stopped was because the younger girl told him she was hungry. He let go of his anger immediately, giving a small grin to her as he began to make her dish for her. Of course, he didn't ask her what kinds of foods she wanted to eat, leading her plate to become filled with what he enjoyed. He probably figured since those dishes made him happy, it would do the same to her. For the sake of calming him down, she thanked him and accepted the plate.
"I don't know what to say," Kazuya chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck in concern, "My son is just...a little...protective of Miss Shiratori."
Though Mica passed it off as puppy love, claiming there was no issue with it, the princess seemed less than amused. She gave a worried expression, gazing at the brunette with an unknown fear. Despite that, dinner continued as if it never happened, conversation occurring the most between Kazuya and Mica. Haru's father was likely attempting to make up for his son's outburst, trying to gain a better reputation in the regent's eyes. He would need it to make his dream come to fruition, after all.
"Announcing Lord Celith Viro!" a voice shouted, everyone directing their attention to the small boy that ran into the room with great anxiousness.
(Y/n) almost left her mouth agape as she gazed at him. He was entirely pale. His hair, his eyes, his attire, and even his jewelry was white, completely. The style of his clothing looked very elegant, but it was a bit different from the other royal family members. Instead of the modern outfits they wore, his was incredibly dated. She thought back on her history classes, and though she wasn't able to remember a lot of it, she did recall it looked remarkably similar to the traditional Vethelan Oracle's attire. Granted, she didn't know much about that kind of religious figure either, but it helped her grasp the boy's nature.
He wore light white velvet and satin that trailed down to his shins in a robe-like manner. Probably to ensure he didn't get too cold, he wore a few more layers of delicate cloth on top of that, including an elegant shawl adorned with gold embroidery and all kinds of uncut gems hanging like ropes. Then there was another layer of white fur on top of that, but based on Vethelan beliefs, it probably was imitation, not real. The boy also had a massive heavy gold necklace draped over him, delicate small chains interlacing to create an illusionary pattern. He also had the same kind of craftsmanship on his hips. Then, though it didn't seem to fit with the rest of the outfit, he had a small white bow placed on the right side of his head. Perhaps someone else had put it there.
The (h/c) haired girl couldn't believe a boy that tiny was able to carry all of that. In fact, it was almost relieving to see that he had gone and tripped, probably because of the tricky balance the outfit had. Nonetheless, he recovered quickly, continuing to rush to the table. It was only when he looked around the table and noticed something missing when he stopped, giving a concerned look. He then shyly stared at the first princess, holding his left hand up to his mouth to mask his nervousness. The woman smiled gently before leaning over to him.
"He couldn't make it today. I'm sure you'll be able to see him tomorrow. Don't worry."
Despite the advice the woman gave him, the boy still looked like a scorned puppy. Though he did sit down next to her, the princess gesturing for some food to be presented to him, he still stared at the seat on the other end of the table from Mica. Unexpectedly, he almost immediately captured the (h/c) haired girl's heart, and once dessert was served, she began to notice he was entranced by her as well.
He would take a bite of the fruit in front of him before shyly peeking at her, his eyes sparkling. That being said, every time she would feel his gaze on her and turn to look back at him, he would be quick to flinch and duck behind the princess's arm. Eventually, when he believed she had stopped looking at him, he would continue the process. His blank eyes peered deep.
"Fruit," the girl heard Satoru huff, watching as the man pushed around the clixeo fruits around the decorative glass, "It's not dessert at all...It's just unprocessed wine."
Sulking, the dirty-blonde-haired man folded his arms over his chest, refusing to eat the berries. Instead, he began to glare at Mica for the creation of the dinner menu, wondering why he was so stingy with sugar. And though the regent never turned to look at him, the man persisted with his childish tantrum. The only reason he stopped was because he noticed that Celith, or so he was called, was beginning to drool as he stared at his untouched dessert. With a mischievous smile, the man motioned for the child to approach him. Shyly, he did, still holding on nervously to the princess's dress.
The man then picked up the glass and took one berry out from it, beginning to wave it from side to side. Following the trajectory of the fruit, Celith rocked from side to side in awe, almost falling back once or twice because of the weight of his attire. Still, when the older male stopped toying with him, he placed the berry to the boy's lips, Celith immediately beginning to munch on it with stars in his eyes. The boy then held out his hands for more, but the dirty-blonde sadistically ate the fruit, despite his previous disdain for it. A very heartbroken expression crossed the child's face after that.
"Don't treat him like a dog, Satoru!" Mica shouted loudly, causing the skittish boy to run back behind the princess, "For the love of the eternal flower!"
"Eternal flower," the man repeated like a parrot, drawing out his words.
Before long, dinner had concluded, Haru wiping Bastien's face before picking him up. Kazuya gave a polite word of gratitude towards the regent and the first princess before they departed. Of course, as was the case with any father, it took ages for them to actually part, a promise to play chess the next day. As they left the dining room, the (h/c) haired girl shivered, turning around with a suspicious feeling to be confronted with the sight of nothing.
She attempted to dismiss it, but as they got ready to board the carriage back to the embassy, she felt it again. This time, however, she noted the presence of the white-haired boy. He stood shyly before her, probably repressing the desire to run away. That being said, he stood there bravely, panicking to himself about something or other. As she asked him what was wrong, he suddenly held both hands up, presenting her with a flower. It was as blank as he was, but it glowed like no other plant the girl had ever seen.
"Is this...for me?" she questioned, reaching out to take it graciously as he nodded eagerly, "Thank you."
The boy perked up in surprise at the words, as if he didn't expect to be thanked for the action. His cheeks turned a little pink before he backed up a few steps quickly, the boy quick to place his hands over his face to shield his expression. Looking at his hands, she noted they were covered in dirt, insinuating that he had perhaps dug up the flower specifically for her. She almost smiled a bit more at the thoughtfulness, if she didn't know what it meant.
"Is this an offering?" she asked with a hint of anger, the boy quick to nod very, very eagerly with his whole head, "I'm not like - "
She trailed off as the boy began to make motions with his hands, but what he was trying to do was not clear at the start. Instead, as he began holding a fist before moving on to hold up two fingers, she stared curiously, trying to play along with the game of charades. After he ended with a slightly different fist, he gave a very proud look as well as one of great excitement. Still, she could only smile and nod, not understanding him in the slightest. The boy then moved his hand from his left shoulder to his right before putting it down by his hip. He looked very excited about that, too, even repeating the gesture before clapping his hands happily.
"I'm not sure you get it," she hummed, watching as the boy ran off without any warning, prompting her to question herself.
"I think you have an admirer, miss," the coachman chuckled.
At the sound of that, Haru flinched, clearly becoming agitated. He even tried to leave the carriage in order to chase after the child, but was ultimately stopped by the younger girl. She sat him back down by force and had the door closed, the carriage taking off. All the while, though he could not leave, the brunette glared out of the window, looking for any sign of the tiny thief. He didn't really care who got close to her. All of them were useless and needed to learn that she was his, just like Bastien was.
"He's nine, Haru. Calm down," she warned him, forcibly pulling his head to lay on her lap to compromise with him.
"I don't like him," he growled in response, clutching onto her shirt.
"You don't like anyone."
As they left towards the embassy, Celith ran behind a pillar, meeting with the princess behind it. Noting the absence of the flower in his hands, she smiled and kneeled down to pet his head, praising him for a job well done. The boy, still excited to have met the girl, began spinning his hands around in front of his chest, jumping up and down with a big smile. It was incredible. The luck of meeting someone like her was not to be underestimated.
"You did well, Celith," Verona chuckled quietly in his language, looking down at the symmetrical flower in her hands and pausing, "Since you didn't get to see him at dinner...would you like to place this on Orion's bed? Make sure it's very, very close to him."
The white-haired boy gazed in awe at the matching flower, the sight of it making him tense up just slightly. He took it in his hands gently and assessed it carefully, almost jealous. Yet, like the good child he was, he followed as the princess said and rushed to see the prince, taking careful and slow steps to avoid damaging or dropping the precious, rare flower. All the while, Verona looked into the distance, closing her eyes and gazing into yet another uncertain future.
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