Heiress To The Throne I

Delicate flutters had fallen and the clouds remained as they were yesterday. Sullen, the youngest princess stared as snow fell and graced the grounds in a pile of thick white— her hands pressed on one of the many glass windows within the drawing room.

It had come to the attention of the king to have the young princess learn a few skills a girl must have. As such, he had addressed and ordered for someone to teach Princess Harris the basics of playing instruments.

She's of age, as most of the court had argued. A girl in the age of six was deemed fit to learn and acquire skills that'd allow her to shine amongst the dim. She had to be polished the glamourest as a princess should.

Knocks disrupted the silence that engulfed the vicinity, and to that, she responded by turning to face the now opened door— revealing a plump short woman in pink, stiffly standing with her brows knitted together.

Harris smiled in acknowledgement, though her lips twitched after the woman ignored her polite sentiments.

"Ah, the youngest Sappherine, prettier up-close albeit too. . .pale and dead looking." Said Madame Lorley Wolbrook, clearly brandishing her distaste towards the youngest princess.

To dare and insult a royal. This woman apparently had the nerves to do so. Any human taught with plain modesty and decency would've acted as they should in front of those higher than them. Even the most noble duke or duchess would've addressed her as a princess and offer their most gracious compliments.

However, this woman, who's titleless yet well-known for her skills in the art of music had the most anger-boiling audacity Harris have ever encountered. Poor princess knew that having her as an instructor would be one hell of a horrendous experience.

"A pleasant afternoon to you, Madame Wolbrook," Harris made a curtsy. An obvious mistake in the books of Common Royal Etiquette and in the perceptions of many alike. She's a princess, she needn't bow to anyone, yet anyone needed to bow for her.

Though as the overly too humble and polite girl that she grew up to become— Harris saw it fit to address those who're older to her, whether they be royals or the lowest of the low.

"His Royal Highness, King Elric chose me to teach you the basics of playing instruments, and by order he deem it fit for you to learn the flute," She placed a wooden suitcase on one of the tables— her hands slow in doing so.

Princess Harris stepped forward from her place, minding her feet as she approached the lady. Her fingers were twiddling together, her heart beating in erratic anxiety. She had never played an instrument before and this'd be her very first.

Though most importantly, she was hellbent itching to sprint. The overall aura this woman secretes was indeed terrifying. Harris could imagine her as one of Cyrus' mentors in sword fighting, strict with a wooden stick ready in hand in case a mistake was made.

"Harrie is delighted that Madame made an effort to fit me in your tight schedule." She smiled once more, her eyes crinkling as her rosy cheeks puffed up.

"You speak as if you're a three year old. Hadn't your language educator taught you to speak the way a normal girl would in your age?" Madame Wolbrook raised a brow, her lips in a forced wide smile as she eyed the offended royal.

At this, Harris had her lips gaped. She found no words to counter back the sudden verbal attack. Oh how she wished for Bonnie's presence in this occasion— albeit the aforementioned was to tend the ballroom as tasked by His Royal Highness.

"I-I do know. I do speak in first person, however, I find it difficult in a way," she mumbled, loud only for the Music teacher to hear. "Cyrus told me o-once, to speak in a way wherein I find comfo—",

"Dearie, please do practice with your speech skills more often. It is in need of excessive polishing." Madame Wolbrook nodded with a clap. "Alright, let's start our lessons. . ."

×××

"If it's possible to sneak in a slice of cheesecake, then Harrie beg of you to do so, Bon-Bon! That woman is mental! Bloody mental!"

After five whole gruelling hours of practicing pianoforte with that irksome, worth murdering, obnoxious woman (heavens forgive her for having such thoughts)— the young princess Harris was seen, in current, with her personal maid which also happens to be the headmaidservant, Bonnie.

Quite a perfect scowl was etched on her physiognomy, her cheeks coated red in furry. She was busy having a sulking session inside her room, rambling about things to which involves the her horrendous teacher and the lack of her comfort food, cheesecakes.

"That old hag insulted Harrie in her face! She called me dumb! A low witted princess who doesn't deserve the title!" Harris exclaimed. If she were a cartoon character, literal smoke would've been seen coming out of her ears accompanied by a blaring train honk.

"She told me I was too pale. That my eyes are ugly. S-She questioned my affiliation to the royal family and eventually told me that I must be some adopted poor child in the streets of Sappherine!" She wailed, listing off all her pent up emotions towards Bonnie who had been wincing at the way the young princess had blatantly undignified her teacher.

All the things King Elric taught her to practice and portray, kindness, politeness, humility— everything was thrown off the rail.

"Oh princess, you poor thing." Bonnie cooed hugging the evidently upset royal. "Do not heed to any of Madame Wolbrook, alright? Princess Harris is one beautiful princess like Princess Cassia. You're one of the rarest kind, princess."

"Harrie felt humiliated as well. She told me that my way of speech. . . That other girls in Harrie's age could perfectly speak in first-person—", at this point, she was sobbing. Thick tears clouding her vision as some of them fell in streams.

"I bet if she saw Harrie crying like this, she'd chastise and call Harrie some horrid names too." She added with a sob.

"Oh, princess. As much as I'm a tad flabbergasted with how vulgar your words were— I could only quite envision the trouble you must've gone with Madame Wolbrook." Bonnie replied, a frown curled her lips. "I sympathize with you, princess. Never would I have thought that there are teachers as cruel as she could be or more living as of today."

"They're quite prominent, especially when you've entered the Academy of Magic and Mischief. . . I've heard." Added Bonnie in a whisper.

'BAM!'

Both Harris and Bonnie got startled at the intrusive cacophonous noise that disrupted their peace. They were baffled as to what caused it, albeit as they gazed towards the doors that seperates the princess's room from the outer hall, they were surprised to witness none other than the prince himself.

Standing straight and fuming. Brows knitted together in an overly perfect scowl— Cyrus Van Sappherine came into view after opening the door with such force.

"I told him not to get Madame Wolbrook. What had he done? FETCH OLD HAG MADAME WOLBROOK!", Cyrus roared— angered at the thought of a human who deserves dehumanizing more than his young cousin. "And now that witch made you cry? Goodness! I can hear your sobs from across the hall!"

"Prince Cyrus!" An aghast Bonnie exclaimed. "Such words!"

Cyrus ignored the maid. "I knew what to expect when she taught since she was once my teacher too. She claims to be the best out of the ton. Well indeed she is! Albeit her skills in terms of educating youngsters resembled greatly to that of a rotten banana in a waste bin."

"Cyrus!" Horrified at the brutality of his anger, Harris stood abrupt. Her eyes were pleading for him to stop.

She was concerned for his wellbeing, knowing fully well that his magic was quite tethering to a border of instability. He may hurt himself in his wrathful current self.

Emotions trigger magic. The negative it was the more negativity the magic would respond.

"P-Please calm down. " She stuttered afraid as she neared him slowly, hoping not to agitate him in the slightest. "It's okay. Harrie will be alright. Just a slice of cheesecake will cheer Harrie up in no second!" She tried to assure.

"Do not act as if I'm clueless to her horrendous onslaught of insults, Harris. I was there." He firmly replied.

"You were?"

"Oh yes. Yes, I was." Cyrus scoffed. "I'm well aware and she. . . Why does she, almost everyone treat us different from Cassia?!" he exclaimed, ruffling his now unruly hair in frustration.

"It's because Cassia is crowned princess and heiress to the Sappherine throne."