Kael
NEIGHH—
The horse halts with a shriek as the rein is pulled.
"We've arrived, your highness."
Indeed. We've arrived.
I pull out the curtains and look out of the carriage window.
Such a lavish sight of vast greenery and wealth. Even the roads here are screaming of its riches—built with pure granite instead of cobblestone. What do they want to prove, making a show of their affluence and being diplomatic all along?
I grit my teeth.
Click
The carriage door opens and the scent of fresh air welcomes me before the 'overly' well-maintained knights could. As my gaze stretches long, I see the structure of the vast castle in white and purple standing in the distance inside the royal estate.
Are the purple motifs made of amethyst?
"The Sylvarian Royal Knights welcome the crown prince of Velmora."
The knights standing on guard in front of the estate entrance all bow their heads in unison at me.
Hmm.
I step out of the carriage. My crimson cape slightly flutters, responding to the troop. It's fastened over my right shoulder with the golden royal brooch of Velmora.
"I'm the knight commander Leoric Kross, your highness. If you will, I'll escort you to the palace from here on."
A man in silver armor and an indigo cloak approaches me. His hand fisted upon his chest in a noble gesture.
I nod.
The castle looks exactly like how it's described in the books of Velmoran libraries. "Built like a dream, the fair marble and amethyst stones wrap the castle of Sylvaris in splendor. From a distance, it might look like wisteria blossomed in the snow."
I refrain myself hard from rolling my eyes.
The last line was an exaggeration. To think that a writer of my country will praise the neighbouring country's palace this hard… sigh. I suppose we need to add some 'prettiness' to our kingdom too.
"This is the palace lake, your highness." The knight, Leoric, speaks as we walk through the pathway where clematis and jasmine vines are hanging from above.
"I believe, your highness might feel good to come here during his stay in Sylvaris?"
"I suppose so."
This lake is made out of magic. I don't even need to clarify it. Those wisteria vines, lotuses and the water like crystal which is making constant music?—I know about ability usage enough to be sure of this.
"Then we should—"
"Sir Leoric!"
A palace servant comes running to us.
"Sir Leoric! Haa.. haa.." He pants before he could say something. Leoric bends forward to see if the man, who barely looked above 40 was going to make it past his 50-s after all.
"Oh my back… the princess.. have you seen her anywhere here, Sir Leoric?"
"Don't tell me… She snuck out again!?" Then he looks at me. "...! Apologies, your highness! This is just—"
"Oh my old-age! Accept my apologies too, your highness!" And the servant bows to me in an instant.
Is he really that old?
"It's alright. You must—" My words hung in midair as a small red flame appeared in front of me.
"Goodness! Is that the legendary Velmoran telecommunication flame, your highness?!" The servant seems to be a fan of this I guess.
I look at the knight. "If you may, Sir Leoric, I suggest you look after the palace matter first. I'll be needing some time to talk to my brother."
Leoric's somewhat panicked face looks slightly relieved. "I'll come to your aid in just a little time, your highness." And he leaves with the servant.
I turn to the blazing flame in the air now.
"Hahaha! To think that you'd be judging your future allies, that too, standing on their veryown property.. you've got some serious guts, Kael!"
My brother's voice rings through the flame once more as he speaks. It trembles violently as he laughs like a monster on the other edge.
"Whatever." I roll my eyes. "We're still not allies. This diplomatic kingdom seems far too peaceful to seek peace with another country."
"Don't give up already! You haven't even met the royal family yet."
"Hmm." I hum as I walk along the orchard. "They've literally put on a backup food supply in their very royal garden!"
"Yeah I've heard of it from the fellow knights here. They say that the princess possesses a regeneration ability. So you can think of her devoting herself to cultivation like some farming goddess, I suppose!"
"Tsk… you speak like a spoiled shepherd sometimes, Eryx."
"Ah! That's better than being a cheeky ass of a palace prince—"
A whoosh, and the water released from my palm makes the flame vanish away. I don't wanna hear his spoiled words.
Wait— what's with this smell? Roses in a fruit orchard? Are these people for real?
Crunch
The fallen branch crumbles underneath my boots.
Here are raspberry bushes all over the both sides of the pavement. But a strong scent of roses is also coming from here.
Maybe if I walk a little more further—
"Come here, Pudding!" A cheerful voice calls out and a delicate hand suddenly comes out of the bushes on the left.
I'd be lying if I said I wasn't shocked at the sudden hand-stretchment.
Then it comes. A head pops out of the bushes and looks at my boots first, then slowly the pair of hazel eyes lands onto my face.
Her mouth slightly falls open while staring at me like that. Ahem.. that gives me second hand embarrassment. But she composes herself quickly and pulls in her stretched hand. She looks flushed.
Did I come the wrong way?
"Ah.. my apologies, miss. I shouldn't have been wandering around like this."
"It's alright! Really! You don't have to apologise!" She shakes her hand violently. Is she the gardener?
"Are you the gardener here? The garden looks so pretty."
"Uh.. yeah, yeah! I'm the gardener! And thank you!" Her face is still red.
But even her flustered face looks… regal? Those elegant facial features and the silver hair she's desperately trying to hide with the hat—no doubt this is the signature trait of this kingdom's royal bloods. That means she—
A smile tugs at my lips at the realization and at Eryx's words about the farming goddess thing. So this is the cultivator of Sylvaris?
"I should head back to the center palace now. The king awaits me." I stretch out my hand. "It was nice meeting you… MissGardener?" I add a note of mockery to the word 'Miss Gardener' only to see how she reacts.
She raises an eyebrow but immediately composes herself. Goodness! She's terrible at lying!
"I think it was rude of me not to introduce myself first." I place a palm to my chest. "I'm Kael de Viremont, the crown prince of Velmora."
"...."
There it lands. She becomes still for a moment and then her eyes widens and falls onto my golden brooch with the dragon emblem. She lets out a gasp.
Was it that amusing to see a prince? I mean, she herself is a princess.
"K.. ka.. Kael!" She gasps again and places a palm to her mouth.
Huh?
"Oh I mean, your highness!" She shows a simple courtesy and then again gawks at my face.
Is there really something on my face? Girl, you're a princess wrapped up in maid clothes, with mud all over your attire, and you even snuck out of your palace to do this gardening thing—and now you are the one who's looking at me like that!
"I apologise for being rude, your highness!" She's looking even more flustered now. Is she gonna pass out!?
"Ah, no! You weren't rude, milady!" For heaven's sake, I'll be known as 'The prince who made a princess apologise to him'!
But she doesn't look like she's convinced. Does she really think I bought the nonsense of her being a gardener?
"Your highness, you're here!" Leoric comes from my behind. "I'm sorry for keeping you waiting. Let's— huh? Princess you!?—"
"Eek! Sir Leoric, why are you shouting! I saw the princess going back to the palace. I'll go give her these roses." And she takes up the rose basket in her hands.
"Princess you really think I'd buy that—"
What the— she gives him a death glare and tells him to shut up and then sprints away from here as far as possible.
"Th-that was merely our palace gardener. Perhaps I'm mistaken."
Not you too, Leoric!
Pfft.. this princess is one of a kind!