Deep Night

The Royal Festival was known as Arcus Empire's golden hour. As a tradition made by the first ever emperor, people treated it like an oath that brings prosperity. The current emperor and empress state the arrangements of the long celebration of the festival. Royal children will have to attend three days of welcoming ball and their royal family should arrive at the fifth day of the commencement week.

And tonight is the second day of the Royal Welcoming. Nobles who won the golden invitation and the royal children are all smiling and cheering with such grace and politeness. Last night, the decorations was fantastic yet this time it's inexplicable, many are wondering what surprise they prepare for tomorrow.

In the left corner of the terrace, where the cold embraced everything it touch, a lady is staring at the brightness of the moon. It's the princess of Lavender, Viola. Until now, she still avoided by many. Even she is used by those attitudes, it doesn't mean it doesn't hurt even a bit. Never in her life plan of telling these things to her father. How can a daughter ask about such rumors, specially it involves her mother?

"A lady without protection from cold will likely catch cold.", a voice of a man said with playfulness came behind her. Her shoulder rise a little because of the unexpected blanket touch her revealed skin. "It's a blanket from the servant. I asked her one.", he said then take a step to stand along with Viola.

The lady who was surprised can only ask one thing to subside her uneasiness. "Why?", she asked with the lowest tone she could.

"Because it's cold. And besides, even if you are a different lady, I will offer you the same thing.", he said comfortably. Viola raise her head and look at the man beside her. The man notice her gaze making him look at her too. "It was nice to see you this close, Princess Viola.", he said with politeness and smiled. He bow and introduce himself. "My name is Sal Maxitellus."

The lady was too stunned to reply. She was amused by the majestic and refined beauty of the man in front of her. He has a twilight blue hair neatly styled and his... deep blue eyes are hypnotizing. And his smile, it's too perfect and too peaceful. She never met any man with such uniqueness.

"Lady Viola?", she was startled when he called her name. Her face flush because of the embarrassment when the realization hits her. She was staring like an innocent child watching a fireworks display for the first time.

She immediately bow. "I-I apologize. I'm honored to meet you.", when she raise her head and stand straight, her heart jump making her panic because of the man's smile. It's pure.

"Hahaha. You easily distracted, aren't you? I also noticed how much you adore the palace last night. I never thought I could also experienced the same adoration from you. I'm grateful.", the sparkling eyes and soft voice never change since he greet her a while ago.

She realized what he said making her blush. For Viola, receiving a blanket is enough to make her happy but knowing that somebody see her as who she is, is more than enough. Even she raised surrounded by people who always giving her praises, in her heart and mind, all of it are just flattery that comes along with her title.

Viola examine herself before answering. "I just like decorations because it gives a life to any empty spaces.", she said with honesty.

Sal listened carefully and wait for her continuation but that's it. "When do you start liking decorations?", he said carefully, not wanting to sound pathetic.

She was still afraid to trust anyone without knowing their real view about her. "Do you know the rumors? About me?", Viola's heart feels like going to explode because of fear and anxiousness.

A minute of silence passed before the prince answered. "I know.", The lady closed her eyes because she still wish that this man would be clueless about her. "But it's just rumors.", the prince whispered as if he was embarrassed. Viola look at him because of surprise but when she's about to talk, a loud sound inside the ballroom steal their attention. They immediately go to see what happened.

"WHAT DISGRACE YOU ARE? A CHILD FROM A ROYAL FAMILY IS ATTRACTED TO MEN? DISGUSTING!", a noble lady shouted echoing to the whole ballroom. Others distance their-selves to a prince who was wet with wine all over his body. He is sitting on the floor, helpless.

Among people are confused and some are likely doesn't even care but because of the commotion, everyone's attention is focus in the issue. All of them are looking around, waiting for somebody to make a move and accept all their grimace.

When Viola planned to help him even she doesn't know what's happening, Sal immediately grab her arms. "I apologize for my rudeness, but helping him won't solve anything. You are well aware why.", he whispered.

Viola knew from the start that her title is also a constraint. Helping somebody can ruined her whole image and affect their kingdom's reputation, especially the crowds are made from nobles who doesn't care about the truth and right. And also, considering the fact that her image can also ruined the helpless prince is enough to make her regret being a princess in her whole life. The lady did not argue when she saw the anger from Sal's fist.

The majestic ballroom was now filled with the nobles murmuring and faces full of disgust. Criticizing the helpless prince with their eyes and sinful mouth full of judgement.

Not long enough, all the lights comes off, making all the ladies shout from surprised and starts panicking, forgetting the current situation they had.

A man moved in the dark— having a tall mysterious figure, running towards the sitting prince and hide him in a blanket. He carry him in his arms effortless and disappear in the dark. No one move but some saw it with shocked and confusion. Whoever thought of something this complicated is like an angel in disguise.

Some people also took the advantage of the darkness, a man smiled and sneak out while everyone is panicking. He doesn't care about what happened nor need to involve himself. In his mind, he's sick of this mess and unexpected turn of events. The guards are starting to come but because of his attire, no one dares to stop him from leaving. This time, he prepared a carriage for himself to go in some places with more fun.

While he's inside the carriage, he changed his clothes into a farmers attire to mixed with the people in town. As planned, the carriage stop mid-way to avoid attention because of the expensive looking cart. When he saw the town for the second time, it doesn't change that much. A lot of people are smiling, giving kind of things to each other, the different stores everywhere and the warmth feeling from the big bonfire surrounded by the bliss of everyone's eyes.

Caelum laughed as he hold the map he prepared. This time, for sure, he will not be lost. As he remembered everything happened last night, he regret for not coming with Thera because he just received a year scolding from his right hand and a best friend. He looked around hoping to see any child he met yesterday. And when he doesn't see even their shadows, the prince decided to walk around and try some food in every kinds of store he see.

The delicious aroma and different kinds of delights gave him the happiness he can't never thought possible to experience. For him, the only thing he never get tired in tasting are women but eating foods with kindness of the elderly is a different kind of thing. While he's eating, a hand pull his hem making him look at a little child. With no conversation nor asking, he immediately gave her some of the foods he bought a while ago. The litte girl smile at him and bow, it made his day.

While watching the little girl eating happily, he heard someone called him as what Thera calls him.

"Noble man?", a voice behind him asked. He immediately look at the one who called him and surprised by seeing the children he was just looking for a while ago.

"O-Oi! I never thought you're here. Haha!", he said awkwardly, trying to imitate Thera's lousy way of talking to not frighten this kids. A warm arms embraced his knees that startled him. It's Chira. "You miss me?", with softness tone he honestly give.

The young kid nodded. "Can chu cook it again? Ich delichuts!", Chira asked referring from the soup he cooked for them, he laughed because of her cute little voice.

"Gladly.", he answered that makes the litte lady giggle.

"Thera isn't here.", Chira's brother said then hold his sister's hand. He doesn't avoiding him anymore but trusting is a different thing.

Caelum might be disappointed but his confusion was more obvious. "I thought she was your mother.", he said that made some of them laugh.

"Her? Mother? She just suddenly pop out of nowhere. Giving us food and clothes. She even bought us a shelter. I don't know where she came from but she's not an ordinary girl you can mess up with.", Chira's brother explained. "Later, I'll buy it for you.", he whispered from his sister because she's pulling him to a noodle house.

Caelum doesn't really care about Thera because he thought she is just an ordinary commoner. His attention was averted when his stomach growl, making some of Chira's friends look at him with teasing gaze. "Hear that? Let's go to this noodle shop. My treat!", as they heard his offer, they rushed to find a seat for all of them.

As they started eating, Chira's brother also started to continue his story about Thera. "As I was saying, we met that lady yesterday and I was really surprised by how she acted.", the kid start then take a bite before continuing.

Caelum knows how crazy that girl is, making him nod as if he also claim his surprise. "She talked to me with a lousy attitude, far from every lady I met. It's either they are boastful or crazy little pricks but she's different. She might be crazy but in more crazy way, okay?", the prince laughed a little then nodded.

"We are living by catching fishes and selling it to the town, sleeping at that abandoned church and living like fools yet Thera approach us without hesitation nor judgement. She just smiled and tell us her journey like how she always travel. That girl tried to cook and guess what? It's disgusting. Yuck!", everyone agree with the young man's reaction then laugh because of it too. "I thought she's going to kill us. And then, we just left her somewhere while we sail and when we met her again, you are with her. As you may know, I hate... nobles. Anyway, she bought us a house last night using gold and the house, everything we need is already there as if she planned it years ago. We accepted it but I got mad because she made us all cried and she just laughed.", Caelum felt the happiness in the kid's voice not caring about how Thera obtain a gold. He continue to tell everything about what happened yesterday but got interrupted because of a man's body fall from the ceiling.

"DON'T LET HER ESCAPE!", it shouted while trying to get up. His body is full of blood. Everyone panicked because of an unexpected guest.

When Caelum saw how the ceiling destroyed, that made him surprised, he immediately covered some of the kids head. A man covered with blood and with such build body is lying there but everyone's attention was caught by the running people above them and saw bunch of knights at the town running like crazy. The prince realize the situation and immediately tried to look from where they are going but he's too late to see what kind of person escape in the hands of hunters.