Chapter 14

Today, Rini and Andreas are arranged to have a tour of the castle. The Queen, his mother arranged it yesterday at lunch. Andreas had no choice but to accept defeat and tour the girl around.

He put on his usual attire—black everything—and brushed his hair up. He tied up his shoes, grabbed the bouquet of white lilies, and went to knock on the princess’ doors.

“Good afternoon, Princess Rini,” he said through knocks, “I came to pick you up for that tour.”

Rini opened the door wearing a beautiful blue dress. A smile planted on her face upon seeing the bouquet he got for her.

White lilies are the symbol of death, isn’t it? She asked herself, accepting the bouquet awkwardly.

“Thank you for the flowers, your grace,” she says humbly, “I really… um… appreciate them.”

Andreas furrowed his brows, scratching his head.

“Is something wrong princess?” he asked, “Is it not to your liking?”

“Not at all,” she says, “They’re lovely, your grace. It’s just that I thought lilies were for funerals.”

Andreas blushed wildly. He had no clue. Kenzo advised him to give her flowers; he didn’t really think the choices through.

“I’m sorry, Princess,” he says, smiling sheepishly, “I have no knowledge regarding flowers.”

The least you could do is research a bit, she thought, hiding her disappointment. He hasn’t changed at all. He’s still the same Andreas from the academy; always effortless.

“Don’t mention it,” she assures him, “Now, shall we go?”

He took her hand, escorting her. He noticed the beauty she bore. His mother was right about Rini being the embodiment of Yuksporitian beauty. Everything about her screams her nation. Still, nothing much changed since he last saw her. She’s still tall and slender. Nothing like the change Dionne went through. He shook his thoughts away, reminding himself of the task he had—getting her to fall for him. It could be tough since they were sort of friends.

“So,” she broke the silence, “I heard you went to Gahnospinel a while back. Did you go there to see Dionne?” She asked so casually. She wasn’t sure if it was the right choice of topic to start out a conversation, but she wanted to know where she stands.

“Forgive me for being so abrupt,” she adds, “But you can’t blame me for wanting to know, right?”

Andreas nodded politely. She’s right after all. She deserves to know if she’s just wasting her time coming all the way here.

“I came there to deliver a peace offering from our kingdom,” he says, “And yes, I suppose it was to see Princess Dionne. You wouldn’t believe how much she’s changed.”

“Ah,” she muttered.

He smiled at her, saying, “I’m sure you heard that we were courting. Whatever you heard, it’s most likely true.”

“So why did you invite me to come here?” she asked bluntly, “If you have your eyes set on her, why bother dragging me all the way here?”

Did I waste my time? She thought, No. There’s no way that I’m going to lose to her.

He replied, “I invited you here to get to know you, Princess Rini. I’m not yet engaged. You know well that marriage is just a political arrangement.”

“I know,” she said, hiding her disappointment.

I know that more than you think, she thought, clenching her fist. I was raised knowing that I have to find a good match for myself in order to survive. My life depends on whom I marry. That’s why I chose you, Andreas.

“I wanted to keep my options open,” he said, “But I also want something more than just a political arrangement, and I believe you do too. So, what do you say? Do you want to get to know each other?” He might’ve lied on the bit of wanting something more to get her to his side, but he did what he had to do.

Rini smiled, regaining her hope.

“I would be delighted,” she said, “I suppose we should drop everything else and focus on us.”

Andreas nodded. He has a duty to his kingdom; that’s the only reason why he’s doing this. If it weren't for it, he wouldn’t be here with Rini today. He didn’t want her to get hurt, but he knows she wants this too. She’s hungry for power.

“Tell me,” he says, “Do you like to read books?” He led her to the enormous library the castle had. It was much grander than hers and it held a lot of books and instruments for study.

“If you recall,” she says, “I had a knack for writing and reading. Your library is outstanding, Prince Andreas. It’s much bigger than the academy’s.”

“This holds all records of my family’s history,” he explained, “It’s one of my favorite places in the castle. Please feel free to use it whenever you wish.”

Rini nodded in agreement. She loves to read. The topics she most loved were that of romance and drama.

“Thank you, Prince Andreas,” she smiled widely, “I appreciate it. Where do we go next?”

“Let’s keep it mysterious,” he says cheekily.

She grinned. Was he finally putting in the effort, or is he just lazy to spill the beans? Nevertheless, she liked where they were headed.

“Do you like riding horses?” she asked curiously, “I heard you do.”

Andreas shrugged.

“I suppose it’s fine,” he replied, “Riding is fine. I don’t particularly “love” it, but I guess it’s enjoyable. Do you love riding, Princess Rini?”

“I do,” she said, “But I prefer to do so on a carriage.”

Andreas led her to the great hall where balls were held before the ton. It was tall and spacious about the same size as the one in Gahnospinel Palace. There were tall pillars of marble and tall glass windows surrounding the room.

“This is often where grand parties are held,” he says, pointing at every detail. “At the center, there’s a crystal chandelier.”

“This is where your parents were married,” she says in awe, “It’s rather beautiful. It exceeded my expectations!”

“You like it?” he asked.

“Love it!” she replied enthusiastically. She looked around, falling in love with every corner of the room.

“You must enjoy dancing in here, your grace,” she says, twirling around. She looked like a little kid who received a brand new toy.

“No,” replied the voice of his grandmother. She entered the room with very obvious intentions.

“Andreas never dances,” she says, “Not here at least. The last time I saw him dance was with a certain girl with unmatched beauty.”

“Grandmother,” Andreas greeted, kissing her cheek.

Rini curtsied in respect.

“Queen dowager Fera,” she greeted, “How are you doing today?”

“Just fine, dear,” she replied, “So, are you currently on tour?”

“Yes,” she stutters, “Andreas is showing me around.”

“It’s Prince Andreas to you!” she scolded, putting her in her place. “My goodness, dear. Have you forgotten your manners? You cannot call him by his name if you’re not engaged.”

Rini bit her lip. She messed up yet again in front of his grandmother. She didn’t know why she hates her this much. She didn’t do anything severe to make the dowager hate her this way.

“I apologize, your grace,” she bowed, “It won’t happen again.”

“I know it won’t,” she glared, “I expect you to do better, Princess Rini.”

This is a disaster, Andreas thought, Why is grandmother here?

He coughed lightly, gaining their attention.

“Please excuse us, grandmother,” he says in an attempt to save Rini, “We must be going now. We haven’t seen the whole castle yet.”

Fera gave Rini another glare then shifted her gaze to her grandson.

“Very well, Andreas,” she says, “But I shall require an audience with the princess sometime soon.”

“Of course,” Rini said, bowing lightly. “Shall we, Prince Andreas?”

Andreas nodded, leading her out of the hall. Now, he has to worry about the meeting his grandmother’s plotting with her. Who knows what she’ll say or do to Rini?

“You were pretty brave back there,” he comments, giving her a small smile.

“Thank you,” she replied, “For getting us out there. I have a feeling your grandmother isn’t fond of me.”

“I’m impressed with your performance,” he said, “Don’t worry. I’ll try to go through the routes she’s not in to avoid her.”

“I think she’s just being protective of you,” she says, “I understand her harshness towards me. I would do the same if we have children.”

Her bold statement caught him off guard, making him choke on air. He looked at her, trying to read her “innocent” face.

“I don’t think that’s appropriate to say just yet,” he says, blushing.

She grinned.

Got you, she thought. She would do just about anything to have him and she would stop at nothing. She leaned in closer and held his arm tighter.

“Alright,” she nodded, “But you do get what I mean, right?”

“I do,” he said, “So what are your hobbies, Princess Rini?”

“I like to read, remember?” she says, “I also like arts. Sometimes, I paint portraits. What about you, Prince Andreas? Now I know that you don’t fancy dancing.”

“I enjoy training and going on missions,” he replied, “But what I enjoy most is spending time with my cat.”

“Your cat?” she asked, “He’s still alive?”

Andreas had a pet cat. He has various portraits of them together all over the castle. He adored him so much. He was his best friend.

“Yeah,” he nodded, “Yoshi is still alive. He should be dead, but he’s still young as ever.”

“Wow,” she says, “It must be amazing to have a pet by your side.”

“You don’t have one?” he asked curiously, “Yoshi is my favorite thing in the world. Having a pet is really nice.”

“I have some koi at home,” she said, “But fish isn’t something you could cuddle with. My family doesn’t like pets.”

“I see,” he says, “But do you want one?”

“No,” she replied, “I don’t think I’m responsible enough for the task. Can I meet Yoshi?”

“Yoshi?” he said, “No, I don’t think so. He’s not really fond of people and I don’t want to scare him.”

“Come on,” she insists, “Please. Promise that I’ll be gentle.”

“Perhaps another time,” he said politely. They soon reached the garden where tons of flowers were in bloom.

“This is the garden,” he points, “I usually come here to have some tea. Speaking of, after all that walking, would you like to have some tea, Princess?”

Rini smiled in delight.

“I would love to!” she agreed. She followed him to the table where a spread was already prepared. There were cakes, biscuits, and tea.

He pulled the chair for her to sit on and then sat across from her. It was a romantic gesture she much loved.

“Please help yourself to some tea and snacks,” he says, pouring himself a cup of tea. “This is my grandmother’s favorite brew.”

She poured herself a cup of tea and got a slice of cake.

“The tea is splendid, your grace,” she says, “I truly enjoyed the tour. Thank you for showing me around.”

“The pleasure’s all mine,” he lied. This was no pleasure. He would rather be out with Kenzo right now, but here he is spending his time with her on an arranged date. Still, it wasn’t as bad as he thought it would be. She’s quite pleasant.

Rini took this as an opportunity to get to know him like there was no tomorrow. She asked countless questions. She found him quite intelligent and reserved. His determination to keep a barrier between them challenged her, and she’s determined herself to break that barrier down.

Andreas found himself trapped in an endless conversation with her. There’s no escape whatsoever.

We’ve been in the garden for an hour and a half, he thought, Does she ever get tired of talking? He then remembered the time he spent with Dionne. He didn’t feel the need to escape her; why does he feel that need toward Rini? It was strange. So strange.

The Queen then arrived unannounced looking happy and excited. Her plan seems t have worked. The servants reported that they were together since noon and haven’t separated since.

“Good afternoon, Princess Rini,” she greeted, “Prince Andreas.”

“Mother,” he greeted.

“Queen Minori,” Rini curtsied to greet her, “A pleasant afternoon to you.”

“Please, sit,” the queen insisted, “Might I join you?”

“Please,” Rini agreed, gesturing for her to sit. “Andreas gave me quite the tour. I enjoyed it.”

Minori looked at her son in delight saying, “Good job, my son! Tell me, did you have to deal with Dowager Queen Fera today?”

Before Andreas could reply, Rini said, “No, we didn’t.”

Why would she lie? he asked himself, Is she trying to protect grandmother?

It’s all part of the plan, Rini thought wickedly. Fera raised Andreas. Showing some compassion towards his grandmother would surely win her points in his book.

The day continued with the Queen joining their “date.” It wasn’t Andreas’ ideal afternoon, but it should have to do. He has a duty to fulfill.