Best Attempt Of A Date

Professor Heidi finally earned a day of respite from her duties and decided to laze around her room, having coffee and reading books all day. Suddenly there was a knock on the door, and it was none other than her pupils!

Kaira squealed with excitement, "We're going sailing together!"

Licha added, "And you're invited, Heidi darling!We'll not be the only ones who are going sailing today! Oh! Here he comes!"

A broad-chested, lean and robust figure entered the room, and greeted, "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Professor.

As he appeared in front of her, Heidi thought, "My word! He looks like someone's high-security bodyguard. Although his visage might be remarkably gallant if he were smiling genuinely."

The man continued, "I've heard all about your heroic exploits. They say you're the only imperial mentor to have ever tamed this lot! You're a tiny chap, are you? Aww! I see that you're younger than my kid sisters, how old are you, lad?"

Professor Heidi got aggravated and yelled, "I'll have you know, I'm a full-grown adult!!!"

The man shrieked in disbelief, "WHAT!?"

She pouted and asked, "Who might this scary bodyguard be?"

Licha answered, "They are betrothed! He's our cousin from our mother's side; Beau Von Montgomery; Kaira's fiancee!"

Professor Heidi quickly apologized, "I beg your pardon, Prince Montgomery."

Beau replied with a smile, "Oh, no. I can't hold it against you. After all, even I have mistaken you for a child, and even my station has been misinterpreted several times. Let's call it water under the bridge, shall we?"

They then shook hands and Beau continued, "Actually, I proposed this outing. Our carriage awaits, shall we?"

Professor Heidi pulled Brunia back and asked, "Princess Kaira has a fiancee at a young age of 17?"

Brunia elucidated, "It is customary for royals to be betrothed at a young age."

Licha remarked, "Well... she was a childhood companion of ours. But since the arrangement is made by our parents, they don't come off as a couple at all."

Kaira exclaimed, "Sailing with everyone... can't wait!"

Beau looked at her and thought, "Everyone, is it? When I arrived at the palace this morning, I was hoping to get some time off alone with Kaira; so I proposed this idea. But she assumed that I was open to taking her sisters and their imperial mentor along with us. Well... two can play this game; since my friend is in town, I've asked him to join us as well. If he keeps everyone distracted, then hopefully Kaira and I can share our special moment together."

As they arrived at the docks, Beau pulled out a rented motorboat with a sail and announced, "Alright people! Hop in!"

Leonora inquired, "Wait a minute! Why aren't we taking the royal yacht for this trip? Why should we even sit in this claptrap?!"

Beau yelled, "Well, too bad! This is how sailing works for everyone except the royal family! Consider yourself lucky that this is a motorboat, or else I would have ordered you gals to put up the sail and paddle it yourself!"

He then composed himself as the Princesses stopped throwing tantrums and continued, "My friend must be here any minute now. He's a year younger than me, so I think that all of us should get along swimmingly."

Professor Heidi asked, "Prince Beau, you have a companion joining us? Splendid! The more, the merrier!"

Suddenly a familiar man appeared at the docks and introduced himself, "Greetings everyone! I'm Beau companion; Kabir Von Rathanlandia--" His voice got stuck in his throat as he saw Brunia and Professor Heidi before him.

Professor Heidi thought, "This man... he's the one who chased Princess Brunia at the Animalways! He said that he wanted to talk about something confidential to her. The Princess's eyes were filled with pain and tears at the sight of this man. Hmm... I sincerely do hope that she would be alright."

Kabir shook hands with everyone, including Professor Heidi, and he was the first one not to mistaken her for a child due to their previous encounter at the sanctuary. When it came to shaking hands with Brunia, she surprisingly composed herself and didn't even make it evident that she knew him from before, thus astounding the Professor.

Soon, when the boat sailed out into the ocean, there was obviously a personalized driver. They were off to a private island that was a few kilometers away from the Cumsta city in the same Vermillion kingdom.

Professor Heidi asked Beau, "Prince Beau, may I know how you are acquainted with Sir Kabir?"

Beau answered, "Oh, umm... He's not exactly under the title 'sir.' He says that he has run away from home for a while for a particularly confidential reason, and is under the disguise of a commoner. But in reality, he's the crowned Prince of the Rathanlandia. But please don't disclose this information to anybody, since your their imperial mentor I figured that it would be alright to trust you."

Professor Heidi replied, "Don't worry, sir. Your secret is safe with me." She then asked him another question, "It's like you pose as an elder brother to the Princesses, yes?"

Beau grinned and answered, "Yes. I did look after them quite often when they were little. They were too much for Kaira to mind all by herself when the eldest Princess was off somewhere. I was dragged into helping all the time. Licha was a sickly little thing, to begin with... that made her afraid of the dark and she would burst into tears if she were left alone during the night. When we were throwing a surprise birthday party for Kaira, it was Leonora's task to guide her to the reception hall where the event was held, but before we could surprise her, Leonora blurted out the secret and even peed in her pants out of nervousness. And once, Brunia got lost in the airport while we were coming back from Wittenzia from a summer break. She was eventually found in the security office and had a full diaper full of---"

Brunia heard the conversation and yelled, "NOT IN FRONT OF MISTRESS, PLEASE!!!" Professor Heidi burst into laughter as the Princesses were clearly hanging their head in shame and embarrassment. Kabir was merely sitting and observing everything that transpired.

Soon enough, they arrived at the island, and Leonora and Licha were making sandcastles. The breathtaking view with the beautiful sunset mesmerized everyone there.

Beau proposed, "How about a song, Brunia?"

Brunia flinched and stammered, "C-C-Come on, Beau! Y-You k-know that I-I-I can't sing!"

Kaira encouraged her, "Come on, Brunia, it's fun. Do it for me, at least!"

Professor Heidi added, "Won't it be more enjoyable if Sir Kabir and Princess Brunia sang a duet together? I haven't seen Kabir talk much since the introduction."

Brunia gave the Professor a knowing glare but then soon agreed to sing the duet with Kabir in order to avoid looking suspicious.

While they were singing, Beau was wholly lost in his imaginary world dancing with Kaira and having a special moment with her. But sadly, it wasn't real. After their performance was appreciated by everywhere, Beau suggested that they should have lunch.

He thought, "It's showtime! I've put my heart and soul into this meal! I trained under our chef so that I could make these myself. It is the perfect way to show Kaira that despite the significance of my secondary characteristics, I have a timid side.

As he spread his lunch, Leonora yelled, "How could you have the gall to put carrots and bell peppers in this!? Is this a personal declaration of war!?"

Beau answered, "What are you wailing about?! Stop acting like a child and eat up!!" He then served Kaira her lunch and sat beside her, waiting for a response about the food he made.

He asked her in curiosity, "Well... is it good?"

Kaira replied, "Yes, it's lovely! I can't believe that you made this!"

When they were sailing their way back to the docks of the central city, the engine of the boat stopped operating, and it stopped right in the middle of the ocean!

Beau screamed at the driver, "Hey, sir! Can you please check what is going on with the system?!" Without a word, the driver took the only life jacket and radio walkie-talkie and plunged into the ocean swimming away. Soon, it started raining heavily.

Beau thought, "I would have never asked Kaira to go sailing with me if I knew that everything would go wrong!"

Brunia shrieked, "ये कैसा ड्राइवर है!? अब हम घर कैसे पहुंचेगे!?" As a response, Kabir got motivated, removed his shirt, and dived into the ocean without a word. Everyone remained silent until the engine eventually began to function again, and everyone started cheering. Kabir climbed up the boat, went on to the steering wheel, and drove everyone back to the shore.

Everybody except Brunia thanked Kabir and were wet from head to feet, and they all climbed into the carriage.

But before departing, Kabir pulled Brunia aside, looked into her blue eyes and said, "मुझे पता भी नहीं की मैंने क्या किया, लेकिन अगर मुझसे कोई गलती हो भी गयी, मुझे माफ़ कर देना!" And he walked away, leaving Brunia alone with her thoughts. When they all arrived home, they dried themselves up.

Before Beau and Kabir could depart, Brunia pulled Kabir aside and spoke, "Kabir, I umm... just wanted to thank you for what you did back there."

He replied, "Well... I would be lying if I said that I didn't do it for you! You were in danger, and so were your sisters; how could I not step up?"

Brunia stared into his eyes, and so did he; there was an awkward silence filled with tension between them. But they composed themselves as they heard they heard Beau, Professor Heidi, Leonora, and Licha arrive to exchange goodbyes.

Beau was disappointed that Kaira didn't show up, he thought, "Does she care so little of me to even say bye!? Well... why would she? I ruined our date! I tried my best to save it, but I guess it wasn't written in the cards that Kaira might like me back."

Before the carriage could depart, Kaira jumped on the vehicle door and gave Beau a packed lunchbox! She said, "Montgomery is quite far from here; I don't want you to go hungry, and also, this is a token of my thanks for your wonderful initiative today! I hope you have a safe journey!" Beau was shocked yet touched by the sentiment. Kaira then jumped back down to the ground and kept waving at them until the carriage went out of her sight.

Suddenly, Professor Heidi fainted on the ground! Brunia screamed in horror, MISTRESS!!!!??? QUICK!!! SOMEONE CALL THE DOCTOR!!"

*A FEW HOURS LATER*

It turned out that Professor Heidi had a bad case of influenza and fever. Brunia was soaking a cloth with cold water was pouring it on the Professor's head. Professor Heidi said with her nose overflowing and her body radiating heat, "I happen to be very susceptible to this disease. You would do well to keep away so as not to catch it."

Leonora asked with concern, "Are you in any condition to worry about us?" And so, Professor Heidi's day off ended with no hope for serenity.