Friends

Katara looks at the prince while sleeping, he has good features. Thick eyebrows, long lashes, a pointed nose and kissable lips. Damn! She would like to taste his lips just for once, she's curious what it would be like to kiss a prince. Maybe they also taste expensive, and royal. She's imagining a taste of gold, weird right?

But of course she wouldn't do that, she wouldn't kiss him while sleeping because it doesn't mean he's a man he doesn't need a content. Consent should work vice versa, both men and women deserve it.

Katara closes her eyes, and feels the breeze of the wind touches into her skin. It's peaceful, she can even heard the three branches sounds as it was blown by the wind. A second later she heard the Prince whimper, she looked at him and his forehead was knotting. It was like he's having a bad dream. Being a prince seems such a comfortable life but it seems like it's not that easy.

She massages his knotted forehead and then comb his hair using her fingers. She thought he will insist on being awake and accompany her at the end of their time, trusting someone is not easy for him since she heard he almost got killed a few times. She doesn't know what to feel, but she's glad because it seems like he trusted her or maybe not? but still she's glad.

She continued combing his hair and started humming a song. she saw him that he is starting to calm, it's good to see that the knot on his forehead vanish. She closed her eyes and didn't realise that she also fell asleep. Katara felt like someone was caressing her cheek gently, she even felt a soft like a marshmallow place on her forehead.

When she opened her eyes, she was already at her dorm. She can't believe she also fell asleep together with the prince, maybe she was sent by his right hand. He was busy after all…

She left her room and walked to the kitchen, Dianna and Celine looked at her suspiciously.

"The future queen is here." Celine said.

"Huh?"

"The prince carries you here, like a princess! Kyaa!" Dianna chuckles, and yells.

Monday, and the nobles are already in the room. They didn't know how many would be eliminated today. If they are eliminated they can still study in this Academy but they will not be part of selections anymore, they will not meet the prince privately, have time with him and be part of this room. Katara can't help but to get nervous, she can't help but to think maybe the prince really hates her and will eliminate her. She treated him differently, she's not sure if he'll choose her but she's hoping. They're waiting for the professor, she will be the one who will bring the news of which one will be eliminated.

She they waited Katara can't help but to listen to the ladies talking about the prince, and the time they had with him.

"Oh my the prince is such a good man, he even gives a bouquet of roses."

"Really? We eat at the famous restaurant, he serves me like a real gentleman!"

"And me, we walk together! He held a parasol for me!"

"I hope I will not be eliminated, I want to spend more time with him and to know him more." A response from also one of the lady nobles.

"Meee too! I am hoping and I even prayed for the whole night! You Lady Janice, what happened to your time with the crown prince?"

"We rode a boat in a lake full of pretty flowers. He offered his hand to me to help me get into the boat. He has such a firm hand, you heard he also fights in battle for the country right? He has the hand of a real knight, he even let me borrow his handkerchief."

"Wow, I want to hold his hand too! I'm envious, can we see his handkerchief?"

"Of course not, his fragrance is still there. I won't let anyone touch it." Envious, it seems like everyone is envious of Janice. Some of them really wanted to marry him huh and it seems Janice is one of them.

"How about you? Ms. Heldigard?" Janice looked at her, she pointed to herself.

"Yes, you." She smiled at her.

"We sleep together…" She answered, Janice and other girls' eyes widened. They gasp, and cover their mouths.

"Like, like to sleep together?"

"Yes, like it's hard?" Katara shrugged her shoulders like it was nothing, their professor Suddenly bragged into the room with a letter in her hands. She was with the Prince, all the girls immediately seated firmly with elegance, Katara looked at the front where the prince was standing. His hand is on his back, smiling to them friendly. He has someone beside him holding a bouquet of flowers, Katara takes a deep breath.

Their eyes meet, they have eye contact instead of avoiding his gaze. She looks at his right eye, next to his lips, and then to his left eye and then smiles at him. Their gazes cut when the crown prince heard the Professor speak, even though she saw his Adam's apple move upside down.

"Do you have something to say to your highness?" Professor Ramos asked, the prince cleared his throat before speaking.

"Good morning beautiful ladies, I am here personally to ask your hand to join this journey of selection. The one who will be eliminated I hope you will understand, you are not less but I just think you are too good for me." They nodded.

Professor started to call a name, the one who will have red roses will be one, the nobles will remain and the green one will be eliminated. Together with roses, letters will be given to them that the Prince himself wrote.

"You choose me…" Katara uttered while looking at the bright moon while she is inside the greenhouse of the academy, she's found a place that is suitable for her to clear her mind. No students are interested in getting here inside, she's seating at the chair of the piano that was placed in the middle.

"You're here…" The crown prince uttered, she nodded.

"Yes, and you're here too." She responded.

"It's because this is my secret place."

"This is ours now…" Katara announced and grinned at him. She didn't expect he'd see him here, she was just fascinated in this place. Aside from this place being quiet, and fresh, she enjoys the moon here.

It's been three days since he announced the one who will be eliminated, fortunately she wasn't one of them.

"What are you doing here?" The prince asked, she chuckled.

"Why are you going to put some swords on me now?" She asked, the crown prince shook his head.

"No, and I am sorry about that. It's just no one dared to enter this place."

"Why not, this is such a good place. And you're forgiven." She replies, walking towards her.

"Can I?" He asked for permission to sit beside her.

"Of course." She agreed.

"So what are you doing here too, your highness? I thought you're busy for the incoming foundation day of the Academy?"

She learns that the Academy Foundation day is coming, which means that they will have many programs to celebrate the day this Academy is built.

"I am busy, I just need time to breathe. I didn't expect to see you here."

"Why, aren't you happy to see me?" She joked and laughed, and to her surprise she saw the Prince shook his head.

"No, honestly I am looking forward to meeting you. You said if I keep choosing you I will know you more, that's why I choose you for this elimination."

"Why would you want to know me?"

"I find you an interesting person, and I want to be friends with you."

"Just a friend?" She teases again.

"Or maybe more." She laughs.

"I'm just kidding, your highness, I am okay being friends with you for now. So if you want to talk to someone just call my name." She winks at him.

"Are we really friends now? Can I really trust you?" She didn't expect that the crown prince would be like a cute puppy, his eyes sparkling.

"It's up to you if you trust me your highness, but friends should trust each other because that's what friendship is."

The crown prince was really surprised when he saw her inside this greenhouse, he didn't expect that someone would discover and get interested in this room. This is his first time meeting someone that treats him equally as her, if someone will treat him like this he would probably head that person but the woman besides him?

He thinks he can't do that, the way she treated him is like she knows that he's also a human that bears pains and should be treated right. He can't feel being disrespected, he just feels that she treated him like someone should be treated.

"Is there something bothering you, your highness?" She asks a question with pure intention in her eyes, he reads her and he can't see any other motives hiding in her. Did she really have a good intention? Or is she just good at hiding like him?

"About selection, I was thinking about what if that someone I eliminated is the real queen that should reign this empire? I didn't actually know what to do."

"Damn, that was tough." She said,

"Do you want to hear my opinion about it?" She asked, the crown prince smiled at her and nodded. This young lady is really interesting…

"Just trust your decision, your highness, I believe being a queen is not just by having a crown or being a noble. Every woman can be a queen on her own but there is only one person that can be your queen. You didn't just find and pick them, you will also create them."

"Then how to create a queen?"

"Treat her like a queen, let her be a queen."

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