His Majesty

"Haa... Haa... Haa..." Damnit! Why do they keep following me?

Right now I am running away from these pesky nobles. 

"Princess! Let us go for a stroll~."

Lady Aureli scoffs, "What do you mean Lady Clementine? The Princess and I are about to have tea..."

"You two be quiet. The Princess has already promised us that she will join our embroidery activity today." Princess Xena with the other ladies, in a sweet manner, mocking the two.

I never promised any of that! I swear after that time at the tea party these ladies are now harassing me in a different way.

I better get moving before they notice me...

"Crunch!" Crunch? 

"There she is!" One of the noble ladies shouted.

Aw shit! "Good day... It seems that I am in a hurry. So, I`ll be going now."

I lifted up my dress and began to run. I quickly searched my surroundings for any place that I could hide from. There in the palace wall I found a tiny dog hole. I glanced back to see that the ladies are catching up to me. And without a moment to waste I crawled in the hole and out on the other side.

"Princess~"

"Princess, where are you?"

"Where did she go?"

I covered my mouth to keep quiet, with cold sweat running down my face.

"Lets keep searching!"

I looked around to see where I was. There I saw a huge willow tree looming over covering a huge space of where I am. It seemed like a hidden place away from the world. 

"Did I just find myself a secret base?!"

It looks like this place has been maintained. I stood up to walk around the place, stumbling upon a bench with blankets and pillows. Picked up one of the books laying on the blanket, it was open, like someone has been reading it just a little while ago. It seems that someone has been frequenting this place a lot. 

"But who?" I mumbled to myself.

"Me."

"Aaaack!" 

I shouted in surprise, throwing the book up in the air. Stumbling on my own feet and falling on my butt. "Ow, Ow, ow..." 

"What is the princess doing here?" 

WaitI know this voice... a very familiar one. I looked up to confirm my suspicions. I knew it... Raymond. What is he doing here?

"Uh... Im--"

"Princess."

Aw shit! Their still looking for me. "Your Majesty, Could I perhaps stay here for just a few minutes?" 

"What do you mean?" His Majesty looks toward the direction of where the noble ladies are.

He let out a sigh, "Alright but I advice that the princess keeps quiet."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

 I sat there keeping my mouth shut. Picking wild flowers to pass the time. A couple of minutes later...

"What are you doing princess?"

"Huh? Me? Uhh... A flower crown, your majesty."

He puts down the book that he was reading,

"I see... Where did you learn it?"

That's surprising, for him to start a conversation. "From my sis--" 

"Hmm...?" 

"My brother! I learned from him, your majesty."

"Is that so?" He responded. 

Phew, that was close...

"You're quite skilled aren't you?"

"Ah yes, of course! My sis--I mean my brother is an amazing teacher. After he taught it to me, I would always make him everyday and it always cheers him up."

Talking about my sister made me remember a fond memory of when we were kids... Ellaine was quite a trouble-maker when she was young. She would always run away from her tutors and visit me in my training everyday. There we would sneak into the meadow and make flowers crowns, playing knights and princess. After that we would come home very late and our mother would always scold us because of it. Just remembering it puts a smile to my face.

"You must really like your brother then princess."

"Brother? Ah yes we are very close."

Our conversation then continued... Talking about my sister as his majesty listened and laughed along. For some reason the awkwardness from the start disappeared and after a while, I also began to enjoy his company. Its been a while since i could talk about my sister like this. In the past, I would always brag about my sister to my fellow knights until they got tired of it. 

"Your highness! Where are you?" 

Claire? Has she been looking for me? Wait what time is it? I have been talking to his majesty that I forgot how much time has past. I looked towards Raymond.

"Is your maid looking for you?"

"Ah yes...I will be going now your majesty." I stood up and brushed the leaves in my dress.

"Uhh... Oh! Here you can have this."

I handed him the flower crown that I have been making while we were talking.

"A gift of gratitude for letting me stay here." I smiled.

His majesty looked at it confused, it doesn't seem like a type of gift to give for showing gratitude. "Huh?"

"Princess, are you here?" I heard Claire shout getting farther away.

"I must hurry." I turned towards his majesty and curtsied. After that, I ran towards the hole that I went trough and quickly crawled out.

"Claire! I'm here!" I ran to her waving my hands.

"Princess! Where have you been?" Claire asked, her face full of worry. It looks like she has been looking for me for a long time now.

"W-well you see, I--"

"Look how disheveled you are!" She added.

It seems that I will be hearing a lot of ranting from her today. 

"A princess mustn't look like this your highness. I know even though you are a prince, an appearance like this is unjust! We have to quickly fix you up! Please be reminded that as a lady with high stature one must always look presentable." 

And here it is. Her scolding continued until we reached the west palace.

---

In the King's quarters. Raymond opens the door and took off his coat.

"The bath is ready your highness." The maids implied as they bowed their head and made their way out of the room.

Raymond then went inside the bathroom, he then took off his clothes, the fabrics falling silent down the floor. Walking towards the tub, polished stones in a seamless expanse, covering half of the room. Steam rising from the heated water. Raymond submerged himself, the tension of the day melting, closing his eyes. 

Princess Ellaine...

---

"How is your majesty in this place though?"

"I knew about this place since I was a kid, so its no surprise that I'm here. The question should be is how did the princess find this place." She must have known that this place is connected to the private palace... and came knowing that I would be here. Does she think that she can seduce me by simply faking an encounter, I have my suspicions on her ever since the ball, she was too avoidant for a woman who is part of the queens selection, as well as her being able to climb the second floor balcony all by herself as a sheltered princess. Her actions by far looked too calculated. With a closer look, her demeanor doesn't match that of a princess, my instincts are telling me that she is somewhat connected to the spy. But how did she walked past the guards? Did she take them out? 

"Uhh... Well you see." Princess Ellaine answered, looking down and scratching her head. "How do I say this..." 

Hmph, I see that she is trying her best to think of an excuse.

"I was hiding from the ladies and I accidentally found it after.... crawling through the on the wall there." She let out a sigh.

"The dog hole?"

"Yes..." she lowered her head, embarrassed.

"I-I see..." I held back my laughter. "Quite surprising for a princess to crawl through a dog hole." She doesn't seem to be lying, since she wouldn't embarrass herself over such a measly lie, but if she is I daresay that she is an amazing actor or that is quite an absurd excuse.

"Ah... yes."

Maybe I should test her more. "Well, I come here every once in a while to get away from my duties. Perhaps since the princess knows about this place now, I could enjoy some company."

"Ahhh... I see." I am never coming back here again!

She doesn't seem that interested...

---

Raymond opened his eyes and let out a sigh, "She doesn't look like someone who would be good at scheming."

"Your majesty I have a report to make."

Lucian appeared behind the paper screen a few steps away behind his majesty. 

"Go on..."

"There wasn't any suspicious movements from the princess as well as the nobles. They seem to follow the same routine of going through strolls, having tea parties and just chatting throughout the whole day. Same with the princess she goes to greet you every morning and proceeds to have a stroll, she seems to get along among the other ladies but doesn't seem to associate with them much and always retires early, spending her time in her quarters." 

If she doesn't want to converse with the ladies then I guess her hiding from the ladies is true then...

"I have also heard that she and her brother have quite a close relationship and that she was taught by her brother a few combat and swordsmanship techniques."

Swordsmanship? "Where did you find out about that?"

"I..." Lucian stops mid-sentence. "I talked to her about it."

"I see that you and the princess are getting closer." He replied in a playful manner. How did they become that close enough to talk about this sort of things. It even took me a few days just for her agree on a stroll. (The stroll they took that Raymond had to catch the princess off guard to agree on.)

"Not quite sure what you're talking about your majesty." Lucian replied.

"It is nothing, you may go now." Waving his hand, gesturing for him to leave.

"In that case... I bid your majesty a farewell." Lucian then walked out of the room.

"Swordsmanship huh? Quite an unusual thing to learn for a lady." She is not quite sheltered after all.

Standing up from the tub, he wrapped his waist with a towel as he made his way out the bathroom. Pouring a glass of wine to enjoy before retiring for the night and taking a sip. On the table he noticed the flower crown. It looks like its wilting... He picked it up and stared at it for a while.

"To rule is to serve it is true, but I guess a king who has served can be given a moments peace." Ellaine said, rummaging through the flowers.

Have I been wrong this whole time? If that is so, I have been treating her unfairly this whole time.

"I should throw this out." Fondling the flower crown and laid it in the middle of the table.

"Tomorrow... I'll throw it tomorrow, it's late now." Setting aside the flower crown.

The crown laid there as the flowers are wilted, drooping and less vibrant.

"It looks ugly now." Raymond mumbled.

He then raised his hand towards it and enchanted it with a restoration spell.

"Since I'm throwing it tomorrow, it should at least look beautiful toningt..."

Raymond yook away a vase from the table in the middle of the room and placed the crown there.

"Hmm... Not bad. You'll stay here for now."

Raymond then turned around towards his bed and left the flower crown on the table. As he placed the vase on the other side of the room.

To be continued...