The Crown Prince Is Coming

The days had turned into weeks, which had turned into months. Claudia and Alexandra had successfully bought a small shack on the outskirts of a large town, doing odd jobs until Alex had been hired as a cook at a cafe. The owner was an elderly man who'd been abandoned by his family years ago, and had quickly become friends with Alex.

"Chris! Someone's here for you!" Oscar, a waiter and close friend Alexandra worked with, walked into the kitchen with his head held high.

"Me? Are they cute?" She joked.

"If you thought they were, I'd be worried about your vision." Oscar said, moving to lean against the counter.

"I guess it's not Miri than."

"If it were Miri," He ran a hand through his curly blonde hair, "I wouldn't have hurried to tell you."

Alex rolled her eyes, wondering if Oscar had known Miriam's real identity, if he'd flirt with her as much as he did. Alexandra dried her hands, leaving the dishes to be washed later, and followed Oscar's slender frame out front.

The man outside was definitely not cute, she mused. He was plenty older then Oscar, who already had a handful of years on Alexandra, with several layers of grease coating his skin and a nose that practically swallowed his face. His wrinkles did nothing for him, not like how Mr. Williams' had made him look like the kind grandpa that he was.

"Can I help you, Sir?" Alex asked, propping her hands on her hips. She wasn't as tall as Claudia, but still towered over the average person. It was a common trait in nobility from their home country, and played a part in Alexandra's masculine disposition. She wondered, if that man had been questioning himself when he'd picked her up…

"I'm here to give you a notice from the Palace." The man said, looking Alex up and down with a raised brow, before looking away disinterestedly. "The Crown Prince will be stopping in town next week, and plans to have lunch. I am to notify all restaurants and cafes to prepare your best in advance, in case he decides to grace you with his presence."

"The Crown Prince?" Oscar's face scrunched in distaste, but said nothing else.

"I thought Vasite's heir was to be the Princess?" Alexandra glanced at Oscar.

"It was, but one of the maids had a prince. Though his mother is a commoner, it's been three years and the Prince managed to gain the Emperors favor." Oscar explained.

"Is he new?" The man sneered.

"Actually, yes. It's none of your business though." Alexandra said arrogantly. "I've had all my papers filled and am a citizen by law."

"Chris, leave him be. It's not like that Crown Prince will chose my old cafe." In came Mr. Williams, smiling softly at his two employees.

"At least one of you has some sense. Commoners, honestly." That man who'd taken such a rude tone, arrogantly swiveled on his heel. He'd delivered his message, and had to hurry to the next restaurant before dinner. He didn't even bother excusing himself as he sauntered out of the building.

"I hate nobles." Oscar stated bluntly.

"I second that." Even though she was a noble herself, Alex wasn't too fond of the others of her status. She'd always liked to take vacations to a secluded village while undercover.

"Now now, you really shouldn't speak like that in front of them. They might gang up and bully you." Mr. Williams said, his smile as warm as ever. Oscar and Alexandra couldn't help but to smile back at him, nodding in understanding.

~~~

"That Crown Prince, how old is he now?" Alexandra asked in passing.

"He's turning four this year? Maybe?" Oscar shrugged, "I don't really care. It's a little weird he'd come out to see us commoners so young though."

"Hm." Alex hummed. "It's possible his mother has relatives here."

"Chris!!"

Claudia had come halfway to meet with Alexandra, and rushed to hold her. Alex laughed joyfully, engulfing her into the biggest hug she could manage.

"Miri!" Oscar whined, looking on in envy as Claudia only saw her 'brother'.

"Oh, good afternoon Mr. Oscar!" Claudia giggled, not releasing Alexandra just yet. "Thank you for taking care of Chris."

"Taking care of me?" Alex huffed, looking at Oscars' thin arms, which were muscular but not nearly as much as Chris. "Whose to say it's not the other way around?"

"…" Oscar laughed depressingly. He knew Chris was right, so he didn't continue the topic. "Miri, the Crown Prince is coming to town."

"Prince? Am I hearing this wrong?" Claudia's eyebrows scrunched up, the skin tugging a strand of hair out of the braid Alexandra had done for her that morning. Alex repeated the explanation Oscar had given her earlier, and the trio continued on their way home.

They chatted about the recent gossip and news, Claudia cheerfully informing the two of them about her progress opening her flower shop. She'd found a shop for cheap, but still needed to save for a bit beforehand.

"I'll be going my own way now." Oscar said, splitting off from the group. "You two get home safely!"

"You too!" Alex and Claudia repeated. They arrived at the small shack they'd claimed as home, which was barely enough for one person. The stove was outside with the sink, and a small table. Inside was a large bed that the two shared, a rug on the floor and a desk shoved in a corner with paperwork and some small books scattered across the surface. There was an outhouse out back, and a well. They had a large bucket big enough to squeeze into, which they'd bring inside to bathe in and leave outside to wash clothes.

Claudia began to heat up bathwater, and Alexandra started to work on dinner. The two worked around each other harmoniously, sometimes speaking up to comment on a few unimportant topics Alex had overheard while working.

She was in the middle of explaining the development of drama between the elderly women in town when the sound of horses marching in their direction reached their ears. Alexandra turned to look, and noticed the flag of Astren. The very country they had recently escaped, Alex bitterly thought. She raised the knife she held, chopping a piece of bloody meet and splattering it across her face. Claudia followed her lead, digging her arms and knees into the mud before rubbing some across her soft skin. It blurred their appearance well, leaving only a vague resemblance between them and their royal/noble counterparts.

Alexandra continued to cook, glad that she had put on even more muscle then before. Claudia had slimmed, but still had the adorable curves of her cheeks and waist that many of the Astren Empire were familiar with. The Emperors taste in women had made many of the country to become more open with the appearance of others, something that even Lucielle couldn't change no matter what kind of gossip she plants.

The group of men approached closer, and Alexandra recognized the Royal Crest on the carriage. Her suspicions were confirmed when she noticed Sir Troy, who rode a dazzling white horse just beside it.

They happened to make eye contact, and Alexandra gave him a friendly nod. He seemed confused, before his eyebrows shot to his hairline, the expression of realization quickly turning into relief. Sir Troy nodded subtly back, before turning his head to face the front once more.

Claudia glanced over, before pretending to not notice and busying herself with carrying the tub towards the back of the house.

"Sir Troy, do you know that man?" One of the younger guards asked, having noticed the interaction. He'd always been more observant then the rest of the group that were currently guarding Empress Lucielle, which was why he'd been picked for this mission.

"He's an old friend from my childhood. It's good to see he's alive and healthy." Sir Troy spoke dismissively, "But since he is a citizen of Vasite, it isn't right for me to exchange more than a nod while on duty."

"I'm sure Empress Lucielle wouldn't mind!" Another new recruit said cheerfully. "She's really kind, and it'll only be for a little bit, right? You can catch up after."

Sir Troy scolded him for his carelessness, but as he was doing so the first guard had already knocked on the Empress' carriage.

"Yes?" Lucielle smiled, opening the window.

"Your Majesty, Sir Troy saw one of his old friends. He's refusing, but we've never seen him look so worried about someone before. Empress Lucielle, would you allow him to stop and catch up with his friend? Sir Troy will catch up right after."

"Friend?" Lucielle glanced towards the house they had passed, relaxing upon only seeing a large man with his hands buried in the corpse of a chicken. No part of him hinted at nobility, the only resemblance she was able to gather being his height and the similar color of light brown. The man's hair had been cropped short, and was dirty though so it appeared darker than that of Alexandra's original color, causing Lucielle to assume that he must've been unrelated. "That's alright. Sir Troy, go ahead!"

Sir Troy hated Lucielle, and despised the fact he needed her permission to see the only Empress he'd ever truly be loyal too. In fact, even Emperor Patel had lost his devote loyalty, but he had to continue to fulfill the roll if he wanted to ensure the safety of Empress Claudia and Lady Alexandra.

But, he wouldn't waste his chance to check on them, and excused himself, splitting from the group and riding back to the two who were responsible for his countless nights spent worrying.