Chapter : 3

My name is Alexandria Yvelis, the only daughter of Marquis Victor Ross Yvelis—though, to be fair, I do have an older brother who's destined to be the next Marquis, leaving me with the far more exciting title of "the only one who gets to paint all day." I've inherited my father's flair for art, and let me tell you, I'm not just any artist; I'm practically an empire-wide sensation. Right now, instead of finishing my latest masterpiece, I find myself stuck waiting for our beloved Avril Preston to arrive—who, let's face it, is probably off galloping through the countryside with some mythical creature instead of just showing up on time. Meanwhile, my dear friend Leonora is sitting next to me, practically radiating smoke with the intensity of her fury. Seriously, she could probably roast nuts with that glare.

Leonora, a poet and a stunning sight to behold, has shoulder-length straight brown hair that flows like a gentle waterfall, framing her face like a halo. Her almond-shaped eyes twinkle with mischief, and her oval face gives off an air of elegance that's dangerously close to being a lethal weapon. She's the perfect combination of grace and chaos—especially when she's fuming! So here we are, two chaotic friends waiting for our third wheel while Leo channels her inner volcano. What's next? Will she throw her poetry book at Avril when she finally shows up? Only time will tell!

As I sit here trying to suppress my laughter, I can't help but admire the chaotic masterpiece that is Leonora. With her fiery spirit and stunning looks, she's a force of nature—one minute a goddess of beauty, the next a whirlwind of fury. And just when I think she's about to explode, she takes a deep breath, smoothing her hair back with an elegance that's truly captivating, even amidst her rage.

"Just wait until Avril gets here," I mutter under my breath, wondering how on earth we'll navigate the delightful chaos that is bound to unfold.

As soon as the sound of hooves echoed in the distance, both Alexandria and Leonora turned their heads. Avril had finally arrived, her burgundy hair tied in a careless bun, looking like she had just galloped out of a battle scene. The sword strapped to her back didn't help; she looked ready to take on a dragon—or maybe just the local baker for shortchanging her.

"Well, look who finally decided to grace us with her presence," Leonora muttered, her eyes narrowing as Avril dismounted with the grace of a knight... well, a slightly clumsy one, because she almost tripped over her own foot.

Avril flashed a smile that Leonora immediately took as, 'Behold, peasants, the queen has arrived!'

"You won't believe what happened today—" Avril began, but before she could finish, Leonora snatched the sword right off her back with the speed of a hawk diving for prey.

"You little shit! I'm going to kill you today!" Leonora yelled, lunging at her.

"What the hell?! The sword is sharp! Stop!" Avril screeched, dodging Leonora's wild swings and running in circles, her boots kicking up dust. "Do you want to be arrested for murder?"

Alexandria watched in horror for about two seconds before springing into action. "Ayee! Hold on, I don't want to end up in prison because of you two morons!" she shouted, scrambling after them. But in her haste, Alexandria's foot caught on a loose rock, and down she went, face-first into the dirt. She made a noise that was a mix of a grunt and a yelp as she hit the ground, her luxurious hair now tangled with leaves and dust.

Both Avril and Leonora skidded to a stop, their mock battle immediately forgotten. "Alex! Are you alright?!" they yelled in unison, rushing over to check on her.

Alexandria's voice came out muffled. "Yes, I'm fine." But when she finally lifted her head, her once perfect waves were now an absolute disaster, resembling something that had crawled out of a stable after a tornado.

Leonara, unable to contain herself, burst into laughter. "Wow, Alex! You're looking extra... earthy today!"

Avril smacked her arm. "This isn't the time to roast her! She just face-planted!" And the two of them started rolling from laughter.

"Right!" Leonara exclaimed dramatically, clutching her chest like she was auditioning for a soap opera.

"What if the dirt makes her hair fall out? What if... she starts balding?!"

"What the hell?!" Alexandria sat up, glaring at the both of them. "If I go bald, I swear I'll make the two of you bald too. I'll shave your heads while you sleep."

The image of all three of them with shaved heads made Leonora snort in amusement, while Avril dramatically touched her hair as if already mourning its loss.

After much fussing and dusting off, Alexandria's hair was restored to a semi-presentable state, and they all plopped down under a nearby tree to catch their breath.

Leonora wasted no time, turning to Avril with her arms crossed. "Alright, what's your excuse this time? Why are you late?"

Avril shrugged nonchalantly, like arriving late on horseback with a sword was the most normal thing in the world. "I overslept," she admitted, not a hint of shame in her voice.

"Again?" Leonora groaned, rolling her eyes. "You're no better than Proteus."

"Ew, don't compare me to him!" Avril's face twisted in disgust, as though Leonora had just insulted her very soul.

"Comparing me to that idiot? I'm offended."

Alexandria and Leonora both burst into uncontrollable laughter at Avril's exaggerated look of horror. In that moment, all was forgiven—again. That was just how things went with the three of them: chaos, followed by laughter, followed by more chaos.

"Honestly," Alexandria said between giggles, wiping a tear from her eye, "I don't know how we became friends."

"Maybe because we're equally crazy ?" Avril suggested with a smirk.

Leonara threw her arms around both of them, pulling them into a tight group hug. "Admit it, you love me."

"Leo, stop it, I can't breathe" said Avril, clearly this girl hated physical contact, unlike Leonara and Alexandria.

Alexandria sighed, though a smile tugged at her lips. "Yeah, yeah. But next time, no swords."

"Fine," Avril replied with a mock frown. "But I can't promise I won't bring a battleaxe."