Tea Party, Anyone?

Kaari often took pleasure in spending time within the royal garden of Imnolyn as the weather turned warmer and blossoming flowers signaled the arrival of spring.

Today however, was unlike her usual routine of idly admiring the scenery, as she was running back and forth hurriedly to complete her elaborate preparations for the emperor's arrival.

Since she was still unsure about his taste in food, the princess spent the entire morning baking a variety of pastries, hoping he would enjoy at least one of them.

'I did make all of these exactly as I was taught.' She thought as she looked the large spread of pastries in front of her, feeling proud. 'I can only hope that it will be up to his standards.'

"Oh my, this spread alone could feed an entire village for about a week."

A familiar voice said from behind Kaari, surprising her as a result.

"Y-Your Majesty!" She let out a startled yelp, her cheeks turning a soft shade of pink from the unexpected shock. "Why do you always sneak up on me like that, knowing how easily I get startled?"

 "And why are you so jumpy this early in the day, princess?" He smirked lazily as he reached for her hand and pressed a gentle kiss to it.

"It's as if I'm about to eat you alive at any moment."

 "... Your sense of humor has been rather peculiar as of late, Your Majesty." Kaari remarked as she coyly pulled her hand away, her ears growing red because of his unexpected comment.

"You're lucky I had all of my maids sent away for the day. Who knows what conclusions they might have drawn about our relationship if they overheard you say something like that?"

Her stammered words went unnoticed as Lex's focus remained solely on the deepening shade of her blush, a sight that brought an involuntary smile to his face.

 'She looks exactly like a ripe tomato, ready to burst any second.'

"Alright, alright. I'll stop for the sake of your sanity." Lex declared, raising his hands in a dramatic fashion, his mood visibly improving.

 "Now tell me, what is with the suspiciously large number of pastries?" Something about the trace of amusement in his voice was strangely captivating, and Kaari's heart couldn't help but flutter.

"Actually, I made them all for you this morning." She confessed nervously with a shy smile. "I wasn't sure of what pastry you'd like, so I went a bit too far with the portions trying to figure that out."

A peculiar silence lingered between them when Kaari anticipated a lengthy thread of the emperor's superficial grumblings. 

"Y-You don't have to force yourself to try them." She scrambled to explain, thinking that she had somehow upset Lex with her actions. "I just thought it would be a nice gesture-"

"As a Roseabelle, eating isn't really necessary for me... But I suppose a few bites wouldn't be much of a problem." Lex yielded swiftly, his gaze fixed on the raspberry tart that Kaari had just placed on his plate moments earlier.

"... Well, is it to your liking?" She asked cautiously, watching with intense anticipation as he took a bite.

Kaari couldn't help but feel nervous since this was the first time she had ever baked for someone as important as Lex.

 "This... is actually quite delectable." His words were rather positive despite the frown he wore as he took another large bite. 

"I'm relieved that you like it, Your Majesty." She said with a large, content smile. 

"If this is your way of postponing our lesson, you might want to put a bit more effort into your future attempts." He said with an all-knowing smile, finishing off his tart before getting up. "Do not assume I will show you leniency simply because I accepted your bribery."

=================

"If you're going to commit to learning the language, you might as well learn the history of its origin while you're at it." Lex said with such clear enthusiasm that it caught Kaari off guard. 

This was the first time she had seen him so engrossed in a topic, and she oddly welcomed the sight.

It gave her a chance to get a glimpse of a different side of the emperor, making her feel closer to him in the process.

Before Kaari could even open her mouth to protest, Lex had already made up his mind.

With a swift snap of his fingers, an ancient book appeared in his hand, its pages flipping open by themselves.

"Iyuin may no longer be used now, but it was once the common language spoken in both nations. It's considered sacred because that was the very first thing that brought the Kaxarenes and Roseabelles together. Two contrasting beings brought together by a familiar language, or whatever the legend said."

He set the book down in front of Kaari, letting her see it for herself, although she couldn't make sense of any of the words written inside.

 "Though we stopped using it publicly ever since the humans showed up, royals like us are still required to learn it because, well, it's tradition, I suppose."

He couldn't resist sneaking a glance at the princess, wondering what expression she had on as he talked.

The glimmer of fascination in her eyes brought an involuntary smile across his face, further encouraging him to continue his lesson.

And so, the day passed smoothly before it was disrupted a few hours later by none other than the shadow creature, Nox.

Kaari remained seated anxiously, as the shadow creature, who had appeared seemingly out of thin air, requested a private conversation with Lex, insisting that it was urgent.

"The emperor appears to be catching onto us, Your Majesty." Nox whispered despite the large distance that separated them from the princess. "Reports from our trackers indicate were followed during recent deployments. We've have confirmed that the individuals in question are indeed Valors."

"... He's starting to get desperate." Lex concluded with his eyebrows furrowed, deep in thought. "We better get this resolved before the spring festival commences, or it'll only get messier."

"For now, cease all searches for Zeya and increase surveillance on all our borders. All Kaxarenes coming into the nation will now need to be verified, and if they refuse to comply, deny entry entirely."

 "That action will provoke a considerable amount of protest, Your Majesty... are you sure-"

We can't risk getting any of our information leaked and have him find Zeya first. Just do as I say, and I'll deal with any complaints the council may have myself."

 "... Very well."

'Talk about getting some rest.' He thought, vexed by the inconvenience that was regrettably too significant for Lex to just ignore. 'It's always one thing after another with these Kaxarenes.'

 "Is everything alright?" Kaari's concerned voice brought Lex back to reality just as Nox ran off to do as he ordered. "You seem more upset than usual."

"... Just some matters that need my attention. Nothing someone as great as I can't handle." He lied without a single stutter before flashing a confident smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"I wish we could go on a bit longer however, I'm afraid I must head out immediately. But don't worry, I will let you know when our next lesson will be soon."

"Our lessons should be the least of your concerns, Your Majesty." Kaari stated, apparently convinced by Lex's lies as he noticed her eyes softened with quiet relief. "It must be pretty serious if Nox decided to come all the way over here so but before you go..."

She handed over a large, neatly wrapped package filled with the pastries that were on the table just a minute ago.

"Here, take this with you."

Just as Lex was about to question her oddly swift packing skills, Kaari abruptly grabbed his hands in her much smaller ones, promptly cutting him off.

"When I first assumed Varen's position seven years ago, I recall thinking how burdensome it must have been to be born into such a prestigious yet demanding role, and I could not help but admire his perseverance, even though he is an individual that I often disagreed with."

She remarked casually, ensuring he had a firm grip on the bundle before letting go.

"I can only imagine the amount of work you put in everyday to satisfy two nations all by yourself."

 "I know I don't have the authority to tell you what to do, but even if you're immortal, you shouldn't neglect taking care of yourself." Kaari said with an encouraging smile. "You've always been there to help me with my duties and even though I am still lacking, I'm here to return the favor. After all, that's what friends are for, wouldn't you agree?"

'D-Did I say something wrong again?'

Kaari could feel her face growing hot again as she continued to wait for Lex to say something, anything.

"You're too naive for your own good, princess." His voice had an unexpected tenderness, and Kaari couldn't ignore the way it sent a flutter through her stomach. 

"What do you mean-"

"Thank you... for the gift." He cut her off mid-question, refusing to meet Kaari's gaze while trying to mask his flustered look after hearing such a sincere encouragement. "I am sure the shadows won't hesitate to help themselves to these too... they've been strangely developing a large appetite for human food lately."

"You should head on inside, it's getting cold." Lex took a step backwards as his cue to actually bid farewell and leave.

"Until next time, don't miss me too much, alright?"

Before she could respond, Lex vanished into the shadows enveloping the now dimly illuminated garden, leaving behind only a dark cloud as the sole evidence of his presence.

Kaari remained motionlessly in her spot until the dust settled, and her heart continued to pound relentlessly, refusing to quiet even after the one responsible had already departed.