He Couldn't Understand

Oleander heard the light gasps in the silent hall.

He simply pressed his nails into his hand harder, aware that he must've done something abnormal again but not knowing what it was.

He couldn't understand and he didn't know what he was supposed to be doing to fix it. The boy felt himself sweating. A growing urge to sit on the floor and rock himself into a sense of peace and serenity nagged at the back of his mind.

...but he knew that would definitely make the people look at him strangely. So he bit back his nerves and suppressed the urge to comfort himself. He did his best to ignore the others around him and focused on those he was directly interacting with.

The wife of the nobleman was trembling in fear. Too shocked to speak.

"Will you not bow?" The boy asked lightly, his words not changing despite the woman and child not responding to his previous statements and questions.

In Oleander's mind his tone was a bit more gentle than before. He was trying to make it clear that he was being patient with them. He knew that he couldn't fake affection for these strangers so rather than try and fail to look at them with warmth in his eyes he simply kept staring at the man still bowing while directing his words to the wife and child...

Everyone in the room held their breath. All of them dignified leaders or those who could be worthy of representing someone with such a position. Stunned into silence by a little boy, his age still in single digits.

The boy trampled over the typical methods and went directly to extremes! He didn't even look at the nobles while addressing them! Clearly the way he said those words.... It must've been a threat! What would happen to the two if they didn't bow? Some other nobles might've been curious to see that but the wife of the nobleman absolutely was not. She did not wish to find out.

"Of- of course! Of course your highness! My humble-"

The woman stumbled over her words, cutting herself off in order to pull her daughter to bow as well, "OUR humble apologies sire...."

Oleander lifted his gaze to glance at the woman first.

As the wife of a noble wouldn't she uphold the pride of her husband by practicing these sort of formalities?

...Apparently not.

Her form was just as sloppy as her husband's. It might've been even worse considering how rushed and nervous the woman was. She fumbled around, no grace to be found. Even her words of greeting were blurted out in a rush. Her dress, though elaborate, gave her no excuses for such a fuss. Oleander didn't understand what else could be the reason for her behaviour.

"tch-"

The prince clicked his tongue, almost starting to believe that the two were intentionally not adhering to form. The boy felt disrespected again and being a boy who was raised as an imperial prince, he was taught to never allow himself to be disrespected.

The trending fashion of The Empire was full of flowing light fabrics that wrapped around the body and showcased your physique. Ornately embroidered and/or bejewelled layers. Traditional wear at an event like a First Debut was not necessary. It was an event that was meant to, at least on the surface, honour a new generation. The fashion that entered that seen would be everything new from the catalogues. It just so happened that the current trend was free flowing fabrics that looked elegant but left room to move.

....Maybe if she were from a different land in different attire he could excuse her form with this reason but she wasn't.

Despite her and her husband's clothes being somewhat dull compared to the royalty in the room it was clear that they were nobles who were invited here based on their attire....

Just as the silent pressure was getting to be too much and someone in the crowd was ready to speak up on their behalf-

Oleander moved his eyes to the daughter who hadn't bowed yet, a noble girl seemingly only a few years older than himself.

'Surely they teach things like this to highborn folk...she's young so the form should be fresh in her mind...'

Oleander's eyes showed his newfound hope as he stared at the girl, he even smiled at her in encouragement!

"Do it well."

It was obvious to all watching....

'The prince wants to humilate that innocent girl!'

The way his eyes lit up, his toothy smirk, his open threat!

The crowd didn't have to fear the prince's smile for very long at all. It quickly vanished as the girl shakily took her bow, so frightened that she forgot to even speak her greeting.

"...What a disappointment. All of them."

They couldn't compare to her.

At all.

Oleander wondered if the maid girl, if Faustina would be in the this hall or a different one.

He imagined her being here and bringing with her the breeze that cleared his anxious and stifled mind before.

Oleander didn't think of her obvious and striking red hair and bright silver eyes. Instead he thought of her perfectly straight back. He thought about her effortless movements. Her flawless smile.

He thought of how she respected the empire. How much her and her perfect etiquette made him jealous. She wouldn't have ever disrespected him like these people are. It went unseen by all but the boy's tightly clenched hands slowly stopped trembling as he grounded himself. Recalling the way he stood proud in front of the maid girl. His own posture straightened in an almost imperceptible way.

The Prince scanned his eyes past the people and they immediately averted their gazes.

Oleander couldn't understand why they were looking at him with such wary eyes. But there were many things Oleander didn't understand about people, if he couldn't figure it out in the moment he would simply ignore it for the time being.

Oh well.