Chapter 5: Unwanted Guest

~Arika's POV~

Beka glared at the taller man. "Excuse me? I wasn't talking to you." He smiled at Arika. "I'm surprised seeing another prince here, I liked it more knowing I was the only one to visit, Lady Sibylla."

"…" Arika picked up a roll and happily ate it. "This is so sweet! Vira, you must try one!" She spoke with a gleeful expression.

Sin-Vira looked confused by her sudden chipperness. She guessed it was because her efforts to ignore Beka were obvious.

Her hand was yanked by Beka, forcing her to drop the roll. "Why!? You always gave me the cold shoulder but you're speaking to a freak? What makes him so special?"

Arika instinctively froze up, unable to pull back out of fear her hand would detach. While she was fine with hand-to-hand combat– it was only with those who were aware of her secret. Just in case she was to lose a limb or her joints became exposed. If Beka of all people were to discover this, she knew he would use it as blackmail.

"Stop ignoring me! I've put up with this long enough, Sibylla-"

Vira interrupted him by connecting his fist to Beka's cheek, causing him to fall and drop the cake. He threw a punch clean enough to likely knock Beka out. Though to Arika's misfortune, he was conscious and groaning. Rubbing his cheek that was bright red. The tension in the air was vivid as Beka's hatred which must've been boiling after such a scene.

"Whoops! My bad. There was a mosquito on your cheek." He held his hand out to him. "Oh and that was for treating Lady Bylla like that.

Arika felt her stress leave her as she held her arm, moving her hand around until it proved sufficient. The strings felt bound and nothing was out of place. "Please don't hit him, Vira. It's unfair to attack someone like that. Even if they deserve it…" she spoke under her breath.

The fallen prince pushed himself up and dusted himself. He adjusted his cuffs and adjusted his tacky crown. It did look awful, knowing Beka he likely did it to impress her.

"Why are you even here? As far as I'm aware, no kingdom wants anything to do with Snapdragons. You only cause trouble," Beka asked as he kept a brave face.

Sin-Vira walked close to him as his arms crossed over his chest. "I was invited here. Though, you don't seem to be as welcomed. Ya, sure she doesn't want anything to do with you, corny?"

"Cease the nicknames! I am Prince Beka Ann Valhammar of the Hyacinth Kingdom! You of all people will not disrespect me! Even with your title, you're barely more than trash!" Beka jabbed his finger into the broader man's chest. "Remember that you're nothing more than a Snapdragon. Lady Sibylla shouldn't subject herself to the spawn of a serpent."

It was amusing for her to compare their size and build. Though they were more of a contrast. Sin-Vira had a better height, noticeable muscles, and had likely had experience in fighting. Beka, on the other hand, was frail and likely evaded more physical interactions. Comparing them was like comparing a king lobster to a shrimp. It was just too different to make it fair.

Arika felt a bit disgusted hearing him speak like this. While Beka was attractive, it was his attitude towards others that made him as charming as a troll. Short and fuming over nothing.

Sin-Vira lifted him by his collar. "Bold of you to insult my mother as you act like a spoiled child! I'm in no mood dealing with a prick like you. Sibylla, do something."

The called upon princess sighed as she begrudgingly stood with her back straightened as she clasped her hands together. She had been ignoring him for a while now and Vira was her only chance to get rid of him once and for all.

"Prince Beka. The many times I dealt with you harassing me has been… well– vexing! I have no interest in spending quality time with you and I've only tolerated you to keep father off my back about finding a prince. I've made it known multiple times that I don't care for you or your empty words. Ignoring wasn't enough either, so maybe a flat-out rejection will work!" She placed her hand behind her back. "Vira has agreed to spend time with me for the day. Every moment you stay is wasted when I could've spent it with someone with who I share a common goal." She looked up at Sin-Vira. "Is that enough?"

He grinned, showing his sharp teeth. "You have a way with words, quite poetic. Any objections, Prince Annie?"

"...I won't back down to the likes of him! Lady Sibylla was always sweet and well-mannered, speaking like this doesn't suit you. Your inadequate existence is a bad influence on her!" He then jabbed his thumb to his puffed-out chest. "I challenge you to a duel, Sin-Vira. We'll see who deserves Sibylla's attention once and for all."

The princess and prince scoffed in unison at his proposal. He recked of desperation… and likely fish.

"He doesn't have to agree to–"

"I accept!" Sin-Vira said with enthusiasm, dropping the prince who nearly fell again. "If time allows it, I'd like to get this over with as soon as possible. Though it's not because I care for winning her attention. I just want an excuse to take you down from your high horse and drag you through the mud for more public humiliation! You wouldn't mind, right princess?"

Arika stared at Beka, who was visibly shaken up. Her sister would never agree to such a thing knowing the clear victor. Thankfully, she didn't have to act like her at the moment.

"Hmm… sure! I'm my people would love to see your strength, Sin-Vira! I am also in search of a new dueling partner! I'll arrange for a match tomorrow here at the second bell. If either participant fails to attend on time, they forfeit the match! I hope that's simple enough for both parties to follow?"

Beka's bottom lip quivered. "Y–yeah sure! Whatever!" he threw his hands in the air. "I can't believe you would side with him…" he mumbled as he walked down the path of shame that leads to the gate. Leaving the cake on the ground.

The two royals watched him leave in silence until the gate slammed shut. The metal clanking together left them humming for a moment.

"Oh praise the goddess! This is the quickest I've ever gotten rid of that nuisance! You're more useful than I thought, Vira!" Arika spun on her heels. She hummed and giggled like a child. When she looked at the prince, his expression didn't share the same energy. "Hm? Are you alright, Sin-Vira? You were looking forward to fighting him, right?" She asked.

Sin-Vira stood stiff with his arms crossed with a defensive look. "I don't care about that. But it bothers me when you refer to my actions as 'useful'. I doubt you meant it in a malicious way, but it makes me see you as your father with that word."

Her demeanor changed when she heard the reference to the king. "Oops! My bad. I was so excited I didn't think about my words." She placed her hand on his shoulder. "We're not using each other, we're helping to get our own goals. We're tolerable partners racing against time…" she sighed.

"That sounds better. Now, you okay? This is the second time I've seen you so scared and the day isn't even finished."

She held her arms behind her back. "It's been a pretty unlucky day… but I'm fine! Men can be asses sometimes. Oh! Like how you tried to bring harm to me before!" She beamed a wide grin.

He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "Um… yeah. But you weren't scared when I first met you. You were an arrogant ass yourself, princess."

"Ha. You're as well-mannered as a barbarian. Well, partner, would you like a roll? They're still fresh~" She sang, gesturing to the woven basket.

"I guess before we argue again…" He reached into the basket and pulled out the bread. He took a cautious bite and instantly smiled. "It's so warm! Where'd you get these?" He asked before cramming the rest in his mouth and picking up another one.

Arika watched with amusement as he ate one roll after the other. "My friend, Suni! She heard about you coming over and made these to share!" She explained.

"I've never had anything as good as this!" He reached in the now-empty basket and looked disappointed. His eyes became fixated on the two rolls on the ground and reached for them.

"Don't you-" Arika reached out to stop him but it was already in his mouth. She shrieks and covered her eyes in disgust. "Spit it out! Spit it out! Spit. It. Out! Agh!" She writhed in agony. When she opened her eyes, the food was gone and Sin-Vira looked unbothered.

"Food is never plentiful for us. So I'm not privileged to see them as things to throw."

He was a literal poor prince. The concept of eating was entirely meaningless to her. "While I understand you have your views of food, eating it off the ground is still vile. So please refrain from doing anything like this in front of others. We want to improve the people's view of your kingdom. Which you represent."

"How strong is that blondie anyways? Wiping the ground with him is gonna impress everyone, right?" He asked with a smug expression.

"While I've never seen him fight, I doubt he's anything worth noting. He might not even show up."

They both laughed at the idea and continued mocking Prince Beka with Arika sharing stories of how she dealt with them. It was a new record of how long they spoke without arguing over something trivial. Time seemed to pass quickly as they continued talking badly about Beka.

"He proposed to you when you first visited him?" Sin-Vira questioned.

Arika giggled as the memories came back to her. "Oh yeah but it's worse than you could ever imagine! There were lights, music, and even a banquet! Since it was my first time visiting the Hyacinth kingdom, I thought they were welcoming me, and it was gorgeous! However, that boy dropped to his knee and held my hands like this–"

She grabbed onto Sin-Vira's hand and held them in hers. Leaning close to him with a gentle expression. "Even though our meetings were short, I knew you were the one the moment our eyes met. Every little thing about you makes my heart skip a beat. I don't care if it takes days or years, I'll make sure I prove myself worthy of your love."

Sin-Vira only stared at her with a dumbfounded expression.

"My– young love truly does advance quickly."

Queen Juliana's voice made the royals jump in surprise. Sin-Vira fell backward while Arika fumbled to stand. Their parents stood beside each other and glared at their children.

"Unfortunately, you'll have to wait another day for kissing and hand-holding. We're going home, Sin-Vira. Get up," she ordered. The prince stood on his feet and stood by her side.

"Sibylla, go inside before you end up wandering off again," The king spoke as he pointed to the door.

Arika's expression became dull. "Yes sir." Arika curtsied towards Sin-Vira. "It was a pleasure spending this time with you. Please have a safe travel home and sleep well." She quickly went through the doors and went to her room without hesitation. It had been some time since she felt this humiliated.

~Sin-Vira's POV~

Sin-Vira sat across his mother in silence. Keeping his eyes focused on the window. The Gardenia kingdom had the most beautiful sunset. Falling behind the castle in the distance that bathed in a golden hue. His hands still shook as he thought about how his mother saw them.

"Mother? About earlier, it was a-"

His mother silenced him with her usual glare. "You don't have to waste your breath. I don't care how you do it, I'm only disappointed in how desperate she really was. I was hoping she would have some respect for herself."

Sin-Vira laced his fingers together. He knew better than to correct her."She's more emotional than I thought."