A Golden Child

At those words, even Natucha grew angry. The bunny's ears began twitching. She stepped out from the crowd. "Ushka, how confident are you that those words will not reach His Majesty? Don't you know why this harem court exists? Also, how confident are you that His Majesty is not looking to send you home? You're causing a lot of trouble to everyone."

A smirk made Ushka's expression more sinister. "Send me home? The troubles I caused are nothing compared to that of Kanaru Burdett, but His Majesty even shamed himself through a recusal. Even the royal adviser pampered him by sending him to work in the inner court's living spaces. That twink assaulted the king's ward, and he got away scot-free. He was even rewarded.

"Tell me again how they are looking to kick me out." Ushka laughed behind her fingers. "His Majesty's moral compass is as skewed as you'd think it would be. Go on and complain. Let's see who gets sent home at first light tomorrow."

"I don't think you should be insulting His Majesty just because you're from the inner court." Kanaru finally stepped inside since he was dragged into it. This Ushka was using him as an instrument to terrorize more people, and Kanaru felt more indignant. He was already disappointed in Rodnir; now, someone was disgracing him.

Ushka glanced at the prince. "Oh, so the little bird is here, too. Did Sierra send you here to collect her clothes? You can start with that one on the floor."

Kanaru stood in front of Natucha as if taking all of Ushka's glare. "Miss Ushka, you should report to the inner court now. They were looking for you because a delegation from Bourbonia arrived. You should work on other things if you have the time to lean."

"Are you lecturing me?" Ushka dropped her arms and walked up to Kanaru, turning up her nose at him. However, since Kanaru was taller for being male, she just glared straight into his eyes. "Who do you think you are to order me? Did they crown you 'queen' just now?"

"…if they did, what are you going to do about it?" 

Kanaru mirrored her angry taunting, making Ushka cringe in terror. She felt like a little doe facing a giant raptor. She couldn't tell what kind of bird Kanaru's mutation came from, but it couldn't be a little creature. With those piercing golden eyes, he could only be a huge carnivore.

Knocks soon came to the door. When Kanaru slid his gaze to the door, he saw Rodnir knocking on the open panel. His lips were pulled into a smile, but it didn't look happy. At his emergence, Ushka and the two other inner court girls ran out of the laundry. 

Rodnir allowed them to pass by, stepping back to clear the way. He then walked in again. "You don't have to report about this. I'll make one myself. Please finish up with the laundry, so you can join the others in the midnight service."

"His Grace!" Natucha huffed and ran to him, picking up the dress along the way. "Those witches were responsible for this. I'll try to fix it, but I can't guarantee anything. The dye is hard to wash off at this point. I'm really sorry…"

"Just dye the whole dress blue and find a way to make the colors look even. You can only draw or embroider flowers on it if you want Sierra to forgive the accident." Rodnir just glanced at the dress. Then, he turned to Kanaru. "I saw the trolley outside. Are you here for the outer robes?"

Kanaru stared at him for a moment before nodding. Since someone had official business, Natucha just gave the dress to the newbie so they could plan what to do with it. She led Kanaru and Rodnir to collect the heavy baskets. Since they had powerful arms, she didn't need to ask for help from other women. She then sent them off before attending to the women in the laundry again.

…

The trolley's wheels didn't even creak, making the trip from the laundry to the king's chambers deathly quiet. Kanaru refused to speak again, and Rodnir only followed him around as if the other was loitering instead of working. To be honest, Rodnir was even supposed to be in the meeting, but there he was, tailing Kanaru like a duckling to his mother.

Soon enough, the doors to the king's chambers closed behind them. Kanaru was supposed to hang the clothes in a way Sierra asked him, but her reminders were vanishing in his mind. Even Rodnir's presence grew lost to the bird prince. His eyes only knew how exquisite the king's chambers were.

The scent in the room smelled differently without the females leaving their own perfumes in the wind. Kanaru could also stare at the items in the room freely, without attending to Sierra's directions. His eyes stuck to the scene, picturing how the items were used on a daily basis. The hairbrush that combed his hair, the blankets that covered him in his sleep, the slippers that kept his feet clean…

"…shucks, I'm a creep…" Kanaru covered his face with his hands. He didn't even know why he suddenly thought of those things.

"It's all right. Rosamund's fragrance always had that effect on the new people." Rodnir laughed and had a ball of light converge in his hand. Its glow expanded in an instant, dispersing the faintest traces of a pink mist in the air. "The inner court members wore a special charm to counteract the mist, but since they're not here, the fragrance got on you."

"This is dangerous…" Kanaru covered his nose and moved the trolley with just one hand. He then located the walk-in closet and looked at the three baskets. "I have to sort them first before hanging them. Then, I have to steam-iron them again…"

Rodnir reached inside the basket and started hanging the clothes. "It's easier if you just hang them first. You won't risk creasing them more if you sort them this way."

Kanaru watched the person next to him deal with the robes, and he could notice how Rodnir frowned at some parts. He didn't even move like he had been doing it all the time. When Rodnir caught Kanaru's gaze, he just handed him the hanger and the robes. "Would you like to try?"

"…are you the golden child?" Kanaru whispered before accepting what Rodnir handed him. "I mean, Melaka mentioned how you have two moods: the irritable womanizer and the ridiculous golden child. I met the other one a few minutes ago."

"She called me ridiculous, huh?" Rodnir frowned at the clothes on the rack. He also picked up a hanger as if that was the help he was offering. "Do you think I am?"

Kanaru hanged one robe and turned to Rodnir. His hand moved to hold the hanger, but he didn't take it from Rodnir. He said, "Rodnir… she said it to your face. How could you not know?"