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| At the Kingdom of Azalon ~ The Castle |
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"Where do you three, think you're going?" King Zane asked as he leaned on the wall, watching as Princess Aria, Maelin and Lady Leah tried to sneak into the hallway.
"Fancy meeting you here," Princess Aria spoke first, halting, adjusting her posture.
"Ow!" Princess Maelin and Lady Leah grimaced as they hit Aria's back. "Would you watch where you are going?" Princess Maelin hissed.
"Would you like to explain what we were doing?" Princess Aria hissed back.
"Oh!" Princess Maelin's head poked out from behind Aria, "Hi Zane, what brings you here?" She straightened up, pushing Leah from her side.
"Watch it! You-" Lady Leah had begun, but then gulped down as she realized her mistake. "Pardon me Your Highness!"
"Uhuh!" Princess Maelin shook her head smiling, "I finally realize why I never wanted a lady-in-waiting."
°Was I wrong to add Maelin to my circle of friends?° Princess Aria stood in the middle of both Maelin and Leah, holding them apart.
*Ahem*
The three females had totally forgotten about King Zane's presence, stiffly turning their heads they were met with an angry looking King.
"Where are you three coming from?" King Zane pushed himself off the wall, walking towards them.
"What are you doing?" Princess Aria took a step back, Princess Maelin and Lady Leah following by moving back also behind her.
"I asked a question first." King Zane stretched out his hand.
"So?" Princess Aria hid the package behind her, passing it to Maelin.
"You got something there!" King Zane reached behind Aria.
"No!" Princess Aria raised both hands, "See! Nothing to hide."
"I really do hate repeating myself!" King Zane turned his attention towards Lady Leah.
"What is your name?" King Zane questioned, his emerald eyes devoid of any emotion.
"Leah, Sire!" She replied timidly.
"Leah, you were meant to watch over the Princess and carry out your duties properly," King Zane began, "But it seems you have been slacking off in your duties, the Princess chambers was in a mess. As punishment, you would be replaced."
"S- sire?" Lady Leah's lips quivered as she looked at King Zane in despair.
"You can't surely do that, I choose who I want around me," Princess Aria defended, "You take her away, then forget our part of the deal!" She threatened.
"You can't go back on your word!" King Zane reminded.
"Don't count on it!" Princess Aria challenged, "You really think I would help you, if you strip me of what makes me human? I don't change those who are dearest to me like clothes. If you do, then you seriously need to rethink your priorities." She yelled in rage.
Holding onto the weeping Leah, Princess Aria shot daggers at Zane. "Look what you've done!"
"Easy, Aria!" Princess Maelin tried calming her down.
"Let's head back." Princess Aria led Leah to her chambers, Princess Maelin not too far behind.
°When did Aria and Maelin get that close? What is going on?° King Zane watched in amazement.
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"What happened here?!" Princess Aria watched in horror at the damage caused to her door. "Who did this?"
"You were not responding when I came by here." King Zane explained.
"You broke into my chambers?" Princess Aria fumed, looking at the mess made, a shadow of the object she had once called a 'door'.
°Hehe, now I have an excuse to change this stupid creaking door° One part of Princess Aria's mind jubilated.
"You would have to change that!" Princess Aria deadpanned. "This almost has the same feeling of being naked, how could I stay in here without a door!"
"I would have it changed..." King Zane assured.
"Much better!" Princess Aria commended.
"If you tell me where you three went and what you're hiding." King Zane conditioned.
"What makes you think we are hiding something?" Princess Aria took a defensive stance in front of Princess Maelin.
"Judging from you two sudden closeness," King Zane nodded in their direction, "it's enough to make anyone feel the awkward tension, knowing how you two were."
"Fine." Princess Aria caressed the hair of Lady Leah. "We went out to pay our condolences to Pael's parents."
"Princess Aria?!" Lady Leah weakly reprimanded.
"We?" Princess Maelin did a double take, "Speak for yourselves!" She whispered to Aria, pulling on her sleeves.
"Would you like, I share you did your fair share of stalking us?" Princess Aria whispered back, nudging Maelin in the rib.
"We, is good!" Princess Maelin moaned in pain, giving a thumbs up, "What have you been eating?" She hissed.
"Not the kind of food, good for your trained digestive tracts." Princess Aria retorted, bringing out her palms, she looked knowingly at Maelin.
"Fine!" Princess Maelin passed on the package.
"Thankyou very much!" Princess Aria took hold of the package.
"We stopped by to buy a dress!" Opening it up, she raised it high enough for Zane to see.
"Here it is," She waved the black dress they had bought earlier in town in front of Zane, "satisfied now?"
"You snuck out to pay your condolences to a family and bought a dress?" All what was relayed earlier didn't make sense to Zane at this point.
"Uh!" Princess Aria looked awkwardly at Leah and Maelin, "I think I already said that."
Wiping his face in frustration, King Zane diverted his attention to her first excuse 'pay our condolences to Pael's parents'. "Who is Pael?"
"A staff! And important staff who I had finally been able to make as a friend, Pael is gone because of me." Princess Aria grimaced in guilt.
"..."
"Now fulfil your end of the bargain," Princess Aria halted her speech, folding her arms, "Tell the workers to fix my door soon!"
°Useless door° Princess Aria frowned, kicking on some wood in her room as she entered.
"By the way, there's a mole in the castle. "Princess Aria relayed, looking around her chambers if anything was missing.
°Curtis?° King Zane wondered on the possibility.
"A mole, who?" King Zane was finally intrigued with the snippet of news.
"If I had known, would I refer to the person as a 'mole'?" Princess Aria shook her head in disappointment, "For a King, you aren't that smart." She deadpanned.
Princess Maelin and Lady Leah gasped at her disregard of who she was speaking to, looking back and forth, waiting for his reaction.
"Hmm..." A smirk formed on his lips at her daring attitude.
Princess Maelin and Lady Leah hung open their mouths in shock as the King took it so well, he was smiling?
"We have a few options," King Zane ignored her insult, focusing on what was more important.
"Options? Really?" Princess Aria cocked a brow in question, "Let me guess you know of a suspect?"
"Yes I do," King Zane closed his eyes for a moment in pride, "He's locked up, right now."
"When my door's fixed, I would leave to see your suspect tomorrow." Princess Aria suggested, "Am I right, girls?" She turned towards Maelin and Leah.
Nodding their heads, their eyes still rounded in amazement at the flow at which the King and Aria spoke even though she had just insulted him earlier was unnatural.
°No off with her head?° Lady Leah grimaced at the thought.
°Was I stupid to act all clingy, these past few weeks?° Princess Maelin shook off the thought, rubbing her arms in comfort.
"They'll make it done, as soon as possible." King Zane assured.
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| Princess Aria's Bed Chambers |
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°I knew it, my journal is gone!° Princess Aria searched her desk in a frenzy.
"Even the castle isn't safe? What am I missing here?" Princess Aria couldn't shake the feeling something awful was going to strike soon.
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| Princess Maelin's Bed Chambers |
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"What's this?" Princess Maelin picked up a journal from her desk.
Opening it, some of the pages were ripped, leaving only one note ~Secrets would soon be unfolded, can you take the heat?~
"What does that even mean?" Princess Maelin closed the journal in confusion. "Is someone trying to play a sick joke?"
°How could they get into my room?° Princess Maelin panicked.
Looking to her side, her curtain flowing with the wind so effortlessly, she felt a strange vibe come from it.
°I had definitely closed that window° Princess Maelin's body stiffened at the thought.
"Shhh!" Came a voice in the shadows.
Princess Maelin stiffly turned her head, the person in the shadows not easily visible, leaving only a silhouette.
The person chose the right place, where the moonlight didn't reflect on, clapping his hands he bent down, cackling.
"W- what do you want?" Princess Maelin's lips trembled.
"Oh nothing much," The person shrugged, "My boss would really love to meet you though, but until then, keep that journal safe, if you would like to keep your beautiful body intact." The person threatened, licking his lips, he brought his hands to his side which was covered in a brilliant glowing purple aura.
Princess Maelin's eyes darted to the strange glow on his hands, trembling she moved back, gulping, nodding her head slowly.
"Since we are clear on that," the glow ceasing, returning to the silhouette she had once gotten accustomed to, "I'll be taking my leave." He walked back, jumping down from the window.
°What in the-° Princess Maelin rushed over to confirm if he had really made that jump, there were bed roses below at every window.
"He's gone?" Princess Maelin trembled in fear.
If King Zane broke into your room, would you be angry or just happy?
I guess it wasn't only Aria's room that was broken into ( ꈍᴗꈍ)
The Princess Aria's journal went missing and now it's in Princess Maelin's hands, do you think this might severe their friendship once Aria finds out?
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