Nervous energy.

The next morning, Kael woke with a sense of determinatIon, he knew he had to make things right with the princess. As soon as he arrived at the school gates, he spotted her. She was walking ahead, her guards by her side. His heart raced as he had to talk to her.

But just as he took a step forward, the princess's guards quickly blocked his path, their eyes sharp and unyielding. Kael hesitated for a moment, his chest tightening with confusion. He watched as she continued walking without so much as a glance back at him.

Later, as Kael sat in class, he couldn't help but notice that the princess had moved to a different seat. She sat next to Lira, chatting with her and laughing, as if Kael didn't exist. His chest tightened with the sting of her coldness, and he tried to focus on his studies, but his mind kept drifting back to her.

He knew he had made a small mistake of not explaining himself well. If only the princess could know that the gift was intended for her, she could have grasped the meaning behind his words 

After class, the hallway was crowded with students, all bustling about as they prepared for the next lesson. Kael spotted the princess again. He tried to catch her eye, but she seemed to be in a rush, acting as if he wasn't even there. She passed him by without so much as a glance, her expression unreadable.

Why is she doing something like that to him?!. Kael questioned himself. Why was she acting that way ?!.

But then, later that day, the princess announced something that took Kael by surprise. As the lessons ended, she stood in front of the class, her voice clear and commanding. "I would like to invite all of you to a party at the palace tomorrow evening," she said. The room buzzed with excitement as students clapped and cheered. They eagerly promised to attend. It was a rare occasion for someone of her status to open the palace doors to the students.

As the students began to file out of the room, Kael's heart raced. This was his chance. He couldn't let it slip by. He hurried to catch up with the princess before she left the classroom.

With a mixture of courage and hesitation, Kael called out to her, his voice shaking slightly. "Princess, how long are you going to keep ignoring me?"

She stopped in her tracks, turning to face him. There was a moment of silence before she spoke, her voice cool and indifferent. "Your highness!! young boy. And what exactly you are talking about?" she asked, her expression unreadable.

Kael's heart pounded in his chest. What is this kind of attitude he was receiving from her?!.

But he pushed forward, not willing to back down "You're doing this, keeping me away from you because you think I don't deserve you," he said, the words spilling out before he could stop them. "But I never meant to hurt you. I just… I just don't know how to make you see that."

For a brief moment, the princess looked taken aback. Her eyes widened, and there was a flicker of surprise in them, but she quickly masked it with a soft laugh. "You think I'm ignoring you because of that?" she asked, her tone softening ever so slightly, though she still maintained her distance. "If you really want to talk about this, come to the party tomorrow. We'll talk there."

With that, she turned and walked away, leaving Kael standing in the hallway, his heart both heavy and hopeful. He had said his piece, and now all he could do was wait. The party was his chance. His one and only chance, to explain himself and hopefully change the tide 

When Kael arrived home, his expression was a mixture of frustration and uncertainty, much like the previous day, but there was a faint hint of something else. A glimmer of hope perhaps, or a nervous excitement.

His mother noticed the change immediately, her eyes narrowing with concern as she approached him.

"Kael," she said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder, "what's going on? You've been different today. What happened?"

Kael, though normally open with her, kept his gaze on the floor, unwilling to speak about what had occurred. "It's nothing, Mom," he said, his voice lacking the usual warmth. "Just... a lot on my mind."

His mother didn't press him further but eyed him carefully, sensing that something had shifted. She watched as Kael hurried to his room, rummaging through his modest collection of clothes. He pulled out shirts and trousers, looking at them with frustration.

None of them felt right. None of them felt... special enough for tomorrow. He wanted to look different, to stand out, even if just a little, for the princess.

Kael muttered to himself as he folded each shirt, eyes flicking to the next. "Nothing's good enough," he whispered, trying on each one in front of the small mirror hanging by his bed.

Amara, still standing by the door, heard her son's words and stepped inside. She watched him for a moment, then gently asked, "Kael, what is it? What's this about a party?"

Kael froze for a moment, a wave of embarrassment rushing over him. His mother could tell something important was happening, but he wasn't ready to share yet. "It's just... something at school. It doesn't matter," he quickly deflected, still looking for an outfit.

She walked closer, her tone softer now, trying to understand. "You've never been this worried about your clothes before. If it's something important, you know you can tell me."

But Kael, too deep in his thoughts to open up, simply shook his head. "I'm fine, Mom. Really."

Seeing the determination in his eyes, Amara smiled gently, though her heart felt heavy with the distance that had grown between them. "Alright," she said quietly. "But if you change your mind, you know I'm always here."

Kael didn't answer. Instead, he picked out a shirt that seemed a little less worn than the others. It was still simple, but it felt better than the rest. He sighed, taking a moment to look at himself in the mirror, then turned toward his mother. "I'll be fine," he repeated, trying to sound confident. "Thanks."

Though she still had questions, Amara let him have his space. She knew that, like always, her son was stubborn and wanted to handle things on his own. But she couldn't shake the feeling that something was happening.