The encounter at the garden..

Eleanor was peacefully strowling in the imperial garden, while trying to figure out her thoughts. 'If I recall all the events that happened, I can say that I am quite lucky to still breath. And on top of that, I am well treated by them even though I am not their acquaintance, but I can not let my guard down after all he is a royalty.' Eleanor keep thinking while looking at the beautiful flowers for a moment, then while walking and being absent minded she suddenly tripped on something and fell.

"Ouch!...What the hell was that....ah!" She paintefully uttered after opening her eyes from the fall, and saw herself lying on top of an unknown man.

He looked calm, and had a look of someone that was just awakened. His hair was dark and fell on his forehead, and he had intense dark blue eyes. He was handsome but had a kind of a familiar aura around him that keep people at a distance. After staring at her for a while he said,

"Do you plans to stay in this positions forever? though I don't mind it.."

"Ahhh! I am so sorry, did you get hurt? I didn't see you there, because I was not paying attention." She apologized with an embarrassed expression, after quickly getting up.

"It is okay, I am at fault for sleeping everywhere. So don't worry, miss?...."

"Eleanor! and may I know who I nearly knocked out?"

"Heh! It is Alphonse Keins Klaus, it is a pleasure to have bumped onto you, miss Eleanor." Said the man with a light laugh on his face.

"Haha, right that was a funny and unusual way to encounter a person.....but wait, you are Francis's brother?"

"You know him? are you by any chance his lover?"

"Ehh! no no, no way that's ever gonna happen, I am just a guest that is not staying for long."

"Why? don't you like the palace?"

"Ah, that's not it, I just have my own situation and soon, I will have to leave this place."

"...I see, well for now, do you want to have I walk with me in the garden?"

"That will be my pleasure but didn't I just interrupt your nap?"

"No, I already sleep enough, so let's go."

"Yes." She smiled and went for a walk with Alphonse in the quiet garden, while chatting about her stay in the palace.

Meanwhile, Cain came like a storm in Eleanor's room. The quiet and gentle maid Miel was tidying up the room and she almost screamed from surprise. Cain spotted her and said,

"Where is the lady?!"

"Eh?...you are looking for miss Eleanor?"

"Yes? ah yes, is that her name? if it is, then yeah, I am looking for her."

"The miss went for a walk in the garden."

"In the garden?! Okay then I will come back again, but just in case can you tell her that the doctor want to meet her."

"Yes sir, I will inform the miss." Said Miel before bowing.

"Thank you, by the way what is your name?"

"It is Miel, sir."

"Good, I will count on you Miel."

Miel blushed after hearing the imperial doctor suddenly say her name and muttered,

"....Yes.."

Then Cain left the room, with certainty of seeing Eleanor later.

In the garden, the two of them leasurely spent their time strolling and talking. While looking at Alphonse's face, Eleanor thought, 'they look alike, the face, nose and eyes, no wonder they are brother.' As if he was reading her mind Alphonse said,

"Not from the same mother though.."

"oh! ...I see."

"You don't need to feel unconfortable, it is fine. My mother and his mother were friends, so we got along since we were born. I know that it is unlikely to have this kind of relationship in the royale family but our mothers were never obsessed of power so there was no conflict."

"That's wonderful, I am happy to hear that you two got along since childhood." Replied Eleanor with a gentle smile on her face.

He returned her smiled and said,

"You can call me Al, since we are friends, of course, that's if you want to!"

"Eh!.....Ah! yeah, that is okay with me, then me too you can call me Lea."

"Lea, it is a beautiful name I like it." He said, as he intensely stared in her eyes with a sweet smile.

"Thanks Al,....Well then I will have to go back since it is getting late."

"Will you let me have the honor to escort you my lady?" He said, while bowing slightly in courtesy.

"I will be really thankful, if you do that sir Alphonse." She replied while lifting her dress and curved elegantly.

"Then, my lady shall we go?"

"Of course sir!"

They looked at each other and burst in laughter, because of the exagerrated play of courtesy they were displaying.

Eleanor was escorted to her room by Alphonse and went to rest before dinner. 'He is really kind and...heh! funny too, he is more sociable than Francis..' she thought while reminding about their talk in the garden.

Someone knock on the door, after given permission, Miel came in and said,

"Miss the dinner is ready, you have to go down, and also when you were in the garden, the imperial doctor came and he said that he want to have a meeting with you."

"With me?! why?"

"I don't know, he just told me to pass the message."

'I wonder why he want to see me....is It about the poison, well if it is just that then I think it is fine. But what, if they question me about my past....No, that doesn't concern a doctor so surely he wouldn't ask such a question.

"....Okay, tell him that I will meet him tomorrow morning after breakfast."

"Yes!...and the dinner, miss they are waiting."

"Right, let's go."

'Wait did she said 'They'?...It should be Francis and me only at the dining room, maybe I misheard....' Eleanor thougth, before going down. But the moment she stepped her foot in the dining room, she understood what Miel was saying. There was another man sitting on the right, next to Francis and that man was familiar to Eleanor.

"Oh! Al! you are here." Exclaimed Eleanor while going near the table.

"Yes, my dear brother invited me to stay for the night since it is getting late..."

"I never said that you will stay here for the night, it is just for dinner, stop spewing nonsense." Said Francis as he reprimanded Al. Then he looked toward Eleanor and continued,

"You know each other?"

"Yes! I have meet this astonishing, and smart lady in the garden earlier.....we had a lot of fun." He said, while winking at her, and with those misleading act, he intended to tease Francis at this dinner.

Eleanor figured it out and laughed at Alphonse's mischievous prank but nevertless, she decided to play along and said,

"Yes, Al is a really interesting man with a lot of good quality."

"I see..." replied Francis before eating quietly. Though, contrary to his calm behavior, his mind was agitated, deep down he was burning in anger.

'Why the hell is she so kind and relaxed with Alphonse? and how quickly did they became close for her to call him Al? they just meet this afternoon so why?.....No, wait! why does it even matter to me.....' He pondered while clenching his fist.

From the corner of his eyes, Alphonse noticed his mood change and said,

"We should do that again, but let's not meet like we did in the garden.....even though, when you fell down on me, I had the pleasure of getting a hug from you."

"What do you mean?" Said Francis, as he stopped eating and looked at his brother.

"When I have meet lady Lea in the garden, she fell on me by accident."

"But what the hell were you doing in the garden Eleanor?!" said Francis While focusing on Eleanor with an irritated expression.

"I went there to take a stroll." She said after averting her eyes.

The fact that she was avoiding his gaze, whereas with Alphonse she talked happily, irritated him even more. After putting down the third glass of wine he swallowed, he said,

"Who told you that you could freely go around the palace?"

"Eh? I....I didn't..I just went for some fresh air, was that not allowed?" she said while facing him, worried.

"No! you are supposed to stay in your room until I say otherwise, since you are under investigation....Is that clear!" He answered with a cold gaze.

"...Yes, perfectly clear!" She replied before leaving without finishing her dinner.

"Wait, Lea...." Alphonse tried to follow her, but was stopped by Francis who said,

"You don't need to follow her, just eat your dinner, there's no need to make a fuss for her."

Eleanor who was still at the door, hear what he say and ran to her room with a mix of sadness and anger.