Seven years had passed since the night King Nathaniel found out that Nicolas and Anton’s face is a worthy slapping surface.
“I am sorry, I must have told you that I’ll be taking a nap instead of leaving the room without any notice”, Nicolas remembered his forced apology that night as he sat on his bed at his room in Versia. He was holding a book, but instead of reading it, he just stares mindlessly at the scenery outside.
“Young master, your father is already requesting for you”, Anton came knocking, forcing him back to reality.
Nicolas is already 16 years old but it was just last year when his father finally let him attend the meetings. He closed his book and placed it over the bed side table before getting up and answering the door.
“I’m good to go”, he said stepping out the room.
Anton followed him as he took the path towards the meeting venue. When they got inside the room, half the participants are already seated, including the two Kings, Elizalina, and the other merchants except for those that are still on their way.
“You’re early, how unusual”, Elizalina said surprised as Nicolas pulled back the chair beside her. He just gave her a smile before sitting down.
“I got tired of being scolded every time I’m late”, he explained.
“That’s also new”, Eliza whispered as the final attendees have arrived. “I almost thought that you did not care about what your father says”.
The meeting finally commenced as all the participants had settled.
As usual as meetings go it was boring. Nicolas just preferred to listen as much as possible, but at times when something does not go down his throat properly he would always voice out the things he wants to say. Sometimes offending the whole table or he just receives wide eyes as a reply but none can hide the fact that he always has a point.
Elizalina cannot remove his amazement for the few times he talks and although King Nathaniel would still throw him sharp gazes occasionally, his few opinions carry such heavy weight that it makes the whole table reconsider some things.
After what seemed like eternity, the meeting was finally adjourned.
“Just as expected, few but well thought opinions would do the job”, Eliza praised Nicolas as they left the room. “How do you do that exactly?”.
“I just read some of it from the books, you should read too. You have so many books in your library it would be a waste if they’ll just rot on the bookshelves”, the prince explained.
“Reading?… Isn’t there another way?”
“None”
“What a lame hobby of yours”, the princess looked at him while squinting her eyes.
“You’ll understand when you start reading meaningful books”, Nicolas said as he made a turn into a balcony. Eliza followed her as she sat on one of the benches.
“You’re going home tomorrow right?, want to go out in town this afternoon?”, she asked.
“Are you out of your mind?, you know I can’t just simply wander around”, the prince disagreed as he leaned into the balcony’s railings.
“Well we can always sneak out, just this time, and we’ll be careful”, Eliza again pitched but the idea did not sound appealing to the prince, not one bit. He just stared into the horizon as the sun prepared to expire.
“Growing up with her, it did not seem viable at first but she did slowly toned down with being a chatter box as we grew, so now I guess it’s fine if I’ll get along with her”, he thought before looking straight into the princess’s eyes and smiled.
“Let’s just take a rest”, he said as he kneeled down and placed his hand in his pocket.
Elizalina was baffled as he did so. She felt as if the world turned into slow motion and her heart began to rise as she thought all of the possibilities why the prince would do such a thing.
“I’m already tired from all that boring sitting”, he added before bringing his hand back out and wiped his shoe with a handkerchief.
Eliza’s thoughts crumbled to the ground as he did.
“What a letdown, I thought he’s going to do something special”, her blushed as she covered her face with the foldable fan.
“If you need me, I’m just at my room” , Nicolas said as he stood up while looking at his shoes with his hands back at his pockets.
“Is he too dense?, can’t he notice I like him?”, Eliza thought as she watched the prince went out of her sight.
“Selene”, she called her maid who was arranging the dresses and other garments at the cabinet. “Can you help me with something?”.
“As long as it is within my capabilities, why not”, Selene smiled back as she closed the cabinet’s door.
“How can I make someone fall in love with me?”, the princess said getting straight to the point.
Selene smiled cheekily as the question finally registered to her, “Oho? Could you be pertaining to the Prince Nicolas?”
“What? No…”, Eliza tried denying it but Selene can clearly see her face turn into a tomato.
“There’s no use denying it, your such an open book, but princess…”, she said as she called her to sat down on the bed. “Are you really sure that even though you show him what you really feel, he’ll notice?, I mean he’s too cold hearted to even feel such warmth”.
“Yes, I am sure…”, the princess replied.
“Sure?, do you remember when you tried clinging to his arm? What did he do?”, Selene said.
“He evaded”
“See?, and what happened again to that one time that you gave him chocolates?”, Selene again pointed.
“He gave it to the children…”, Eliza weakly said as she remembered.
“And he did not even tried a single one”, Selene again said trying to prove a point.
“He’s just kind to kids, that’s all”, the princess replied trying to push his part of the argument.
“Aren’t you just turning a blind eye?”, Selene whispered to herself.
“What was that?”, Eliza asked as she heard it faintly.
“Nothing your majesty”, Selene just smiled.
“Come on Selene, are you going to help me or what?”
“Fine come here”, Selene called her as she began telling her what to do as she brushed the princess’s hair.
They spent the whole afternoon findings ways to make Elizalina’s dream come true, together with some tips that Selene quoted, “It worked for me”.
The morning then soon came just in time to send the visitors from Aquilos home.
“See you again next time Nicolas”, Eliza said as she bowed down while gently raising her gown to give courtesy.
“Yeah, see you at Aquilos, you’re the one who’s visiting next time right?”
“Yes, mother really insist to attend Queen Cynthia’s birthday even without a party just so she can see her and exchange some secrets she’s been holding on for years”, Eliza replied with a laugh.
“See you next week then, I’ll prepare your room”, Nicolas faintly smiled as he boarded the carriage and closed the door. Elizalina waved goodbye as the carriage and the knights escorting it left.
“Did you hear that Selene? He said he’ll prepare my room”, the princess whispered with hopeful eyes. “I think he likes me too after all”.
“I think you’re just too over your head. I’m sure he meant to ‘ask the maids to prepare the room’”, Selene thought, but she did not have to heart to say it straight forward.
“Yes maybe he does”, she just replied instead.
The date came as fast as a falcon catching a rabbit foraging the grass, at least that was the princess thought as she waited in her room, excited and already packed a few days before the said trip.
“Welcome…”, Nicolas greeted the Versia’s but as usual their two prince are absent.
“Oh, don’t mind them, they are now busy with their fiancés”, Eliza said as she replied with a bow.
“That’s fine. It’s my mother’s birthday celebration after all. Queen Herina is the most important guest here, and because there is no other guess”, Nicolas laughed. “Let me call Marie and she’ll show you to your room”.
“Won’t you be showing us personally?”, the princess said sounding disappointed.
“Well, the feast will be happening tonight and I still have my lessons I need to cover. You know, from most of the visiting days, right Anton?”, he explained as Anton walked towards them.
“Lessons?”, Anton said clueless as he scratched his head.
“Riigghhht?”, Nicolas smiled at Eliza as he stabbed Anton’s side with his elbow.
“Ow”, he muttered. “Oh right the lessons, yes”, Anton submissively said with a faint smile.
“There will be no lessons for today”, King Nathaniel interrupted as King Ferrol followed, looking groggy from all those sitting at the carriage.
“But father…”, Nicolas tried convincing him.
“What’s happening dear?”, Queen Cynthia said as she and Queen Herina also joined the conversation.
“Well, I’m just telling our son that he’s not going to have lessons today and tomorrow”, Nathaniel explained.
“But mom?”, Nicolas tried pleading but the Queen agreed with the King.
“Oh come on dear, at least have courtesy for our guest”, she said.
Nicolas looked at his side to ask some help from his buddy Anton but he’s now out of sight, he later found him together with Selene at the side minding their own business.
“And he’s not here when I need him”, he thought.
He sighed before replying, “Fine, let’s go Eliza”. He called Anton and Selene was also called by the princess.
“And Nicolas, after you took them to their room, take the princess on a stroll around the castle. I’m sure she already forgot her visit from last time, and Anton you’re needed here”, King Nathaniel mandated.
“For goodness sake”, Nicolas thought but replied. “Yes father”, before going on his way while Anton also heed the King’s order.
“Is your father giving you a hard time again?”, Elizalina said as they took a step on the staircase.
“Not really, if that’s the way he’ll treat you every day for 9 years, you’ll get used to it, eventually”, Nicolas sarcastically said trying to make a laugh out from what he said.
They walked pass the library which is opposite of the throne room then continued ascending the set of stairs which leads to the quarters of the maids and other workers in the castle.
“Does the knights also sleep at this floor your majesty?”, Selene asked as she scanned the long hallway. Other maids can be seen walking pass, greeting the prince and the princess as they walk by.
“Knights?, Or do you mean Anton?”, Nicolas said smiling cheekily to Selene which was now turning red.
He cleared his throat before continuing.
“No, knights have separate quarters, if you remember there is a hallway beside the stairs on the main hall. That leads to the knight’s quarters and armory so that they can respond to things more efficiently”.
“Too bad…”, Eliza teased her personal maid as she rubbed her shoulder.
“But don’t worry. Since Anton was handpicked to be my personal guard, he also sleeps up here too. If you want to, you can sleep at his room, it’s at the far right, and the last room”, Nicolas added to the teasing leaving Selene speechless in embarrassment.
“That’s a great idea Selene”, Eliza again added fuel to the fire.
“Oh come on princess, I can’t do that”, she just replied trying to recollect herself, “We should also get going Prince Nicolas”.
“Oh yeah right, so anyway, on top of these stairs leads to our rooms”, Nicolas explained as they reached two branching stairs.
“This right one directly leads to the top front flank of the castle where the tower that my room resides and your temporary room”, he said as they began ascending the stairs again.
“The other one is directly at the back half where the guess room and my parent’s room reside. Although if you went up to any of this stairs you will always end up on the same floor so you can just circle around”, he said as he pointed the back half as they finally made it to the top.
“And here is your room”, he said before opening the door.
The room was all tidy. It was thoroughly clean and the set up was mostly similar to Nicolas’s, a bed, cabinets, a mirror, and a table with a chair, except for some decorations that his room lacks. Two maids are just about to leave after putting fresh new flowers and other finishing touches.
“Where is your room again?”, Eliza asked as Selene and the other maids settled her baggage.
“Didn’t I told you that this whole floor is only a square?, of course it’s there”, Nicolas pointed at the other room.
“Can I come and see?”, the princess requested.
“I can’t see why that is necessary”, he said wanting to decline. “And besides my room is almost identical to this, not to mention it has the same view and all”.
“What’s up with that long explanation?, I just want to see”.
The prince sighed trying not to be annoyed. He took a deep breath then later said yes.
“Fine, but just once”
Elizalina ran ahead of Nicolas and opened the door, just to be disappointed on how pale and boring the room looked. Except for the books on the shelf that he has, there was no decoration, not even a painting.
“What’s up with your room?”, she criticized as she raised the curtains up. “There you go, much better, bright and fresh air”.
“Ok, now, are you satisfied?”, Nicolas complained while leaning at his door with his arms crossed.
“But I just got in”, the princess insisted as she scanned the cabinets then later opened Nicolas’s wardrobe. She noticed a small box at the bottom, “Hey Nicolas?, what’s this tiny box?”.
“Box?”.
“Yes this one”, she bent over as she tried to reach it, but Nicolas was fast on his feet.
He suddenly pulled her away before shutting the cabinet’s door.
“You should not touch other people’s stuff, especially if it’s none of your business”, he sighed. “Moreover, isn’t that enough sightseeing in my room, want to go for a walk instead?”.
“You didn’t have to pull me like that you know?, but fine I want to see what’s behind your castle”, she agreed.
They left the room before going down the ground floor at the main hall. They traversed the hallway at the back of the stairs where they met some of the knights preparing for their guarding shift and rounds. They continued through the hallway separating the knight’s quarters and the armory. When they finally got out, they are greeted by a training field.
“Do you practice sword and bow Nicolas?”, Eliza asked as she picked up one of the bows that was forgotten on the shooting range.
“Isn’t that an obvious requirement?”, the prince wondered.
“Well, I don’t practice either of those so I guess not?”
“I mean for us princes, does not Fine and Daniel do so?”
“Oh yeah, they did”, she laughed as she tried firing an arrow. It flew off from a distance not even close to the provided target.
“Put that down, you might hit someone”, Nicolas said while confiscating it. “Let’s just go to the pond for goodness sake”, he added as he pointed out the pond in the distance.
“You have a pond?”, Eliza said as she rushed for the place. “So many fishes!”, she yelled in excitement.
“Don’t go in the water!”, Nicolas yelled at her as he was still putting the other bows in place. A moment later he knew he was too late. The princess is already at the water with the ends of her dress soaked.
He rushed upon finishing his side task before rushing to Eliza. He took her by the hand and pulled her off the water but her feet were stuck in the mud.
“What are you? Four years old?, you’re too old to be playing at the pond. Besides, you’re a princess, at least act like one”, he said before pulling her again causing her to fall off balance.
She landed over the prince who was now laying flat on the ground.
He was now fixated to the sight he had almost forgotten existed. The well was still intact, it still has the same old ragged roof and bricks and nothing’s changed except the children that used to visit it.
“Hey, are you even listening?”, Eliza called him back to reality when she noticed that he’s dissociating.
“What?”, Nicolas replied as if he was forcefully awaken from a dream.
“I said, we don’t have a pond at home”, the princess again explained what he had not heard. “So I was excited to see one”.
“Can we get up now?”, Nicolas asked as Elizalinas’s weight started to bother him.
“Am I that heavy for you? I’m not fat you know…”, the princess complained as he stood up and extended her hand to help the prince up.
“I did not say such thing”, Nicolas said as he tried dusting his muddy clothes.
“Heh… You know what? Let’s just go back up, there’s still a place I want to see”, Elizalina pulled Nicolas back to the castle.
“Aren’t you going to get ready for the feast?”
“It’s still too early”, she insisted.
As they reached the top again, she asked, “Here, where does this stairs lead to?”
Nicolas watched as Eliza pointed the spiral staircase halfway between his room and Eliza’s. He did not answer the question so the princess just pulled him again.
“Woah”, the princess said in awe as they reached the top and saw the breathtaking view of Aquilos.
Nicolas never had the time to ever visit the top tower again since their frequent business at the other kingdom, so he had never seen it often, but one is remarkable. The houses had already built back up, the farmlands are all now functional, and the central square was now changed from being a farmland into a memorial for those who had fallen during the incident.
The lushes green trees was back as flowers and grass grows from the soil, all is well, Aquilos had finally got back to its feet and soon it’ll finally be able to take a step towards the future. It was a beautiful view with the mountains in the background but it did not give Nicolas peace. He just wanted to go down from the tower as soon as possible.
“Now that you’ve seen everything, can we go back down now?”, he asked while already at the door, taking the step descending the stairs, leaving no chance for Eliza to argue.
“Wait up!”, the princess said as she hurriedly followed the prince.
The feast was not grand. Considering the normal gatherings that the royals tend to conduct, Queen Cynthia’s birthday celebration is simple, all according to her wishes and the same as any other celebrations in the family since the incident.
“My best wishes to you Cynthia”, Queen Herina greeted the celebrant leaning in for a hug. They had been talking since the Versia’s had arrived from the morning but their stories does not seem to end.
“Thank you Herina”, Queen Cynthai replied as she again leaned in for a hug.
Nicolas can see how happy her mother is, having someone to finally talk to after all those years while he was sitting on the other end of the table next to Eliza.
“Hey! That’s wine”, he stopped the princess as she was pouring the liquor at her glass.
“What?, didn’t you say so? I’m already old enough, too old to play at the pond so already old enough to drink”, she just laughed before drinking it.
“Oh it’s a bit sweet”, she criticize as her face turned like she ate a bitter melon, “Here want some?”.
The princess offered her the bottle but shaking his head, he refused. The celebration went on like one would expect, both the Queen are taking their sweet time talking to each other while the Kings are heavily drinking as a small orchestra played at the corner. As a safety precaution almost all the knights are present, some inside the castle but most are outside, prepared to whatever may come.
“They have learned”, Nicolas thought as he sat on his chair reminding the princess to not drink too much.
A few drinks later and the princess is already drunk.
“I think you’ve had enough”, Nicolas snatch the bottle of wine and the glass that Eliza was holding. “You’re already drunk, let me call Selene”, he whispered to the red beat colored face of the princess before looking around for her maid.
He later found her together with Anton. He was about to get up when Elizalina stopped him.
“Don’t bother calling her. She already worked hard assisting me. Let her enjoy the knight… I mean the night”, she said before a hiccup.
Nicolas did not understand why the princess would repeat the word “night” two times but he’s more concerned that she’s too drunk to walk. “Fine, since I’m feeling generous, I’ll accompany you to your room”.
“No, that you shouldn’t do. It’s your mother’s special night. You should stay here until the event is over”, the princess refused.
“Are you out of your mind? You can’t even walk straight, what if you fell off the stairs and die”, Nicolas replied.
“What’s up with that grim imagination?”, she laughed as she stood up. “Want to fight me then? So you’ll know if I can still walk?”, she added before she boxed with the air.
“Just so know, I’m easy to talk with”, Nicolas said.
“Yeah yeah, I can manage by myself”, the princess assured as she left the table. “Goodnight, don’t follow me or I’ll bust your nuts”.
“Goodnight”, Nicolas replied as he went back to his seat while the princess ascended the stairs.
Few hours went by and he too decided that he’ll go back up to his room.
“Mother”, he said. “Happy Birthday again but I’ll be heading off to the bed”
“Already?”, Cynthia replied. “Okay then have a good night, and don’t forget to tell your father on your way”
“Yes I would”, he went in front of the orchestra where the two Kings are.
“Father, I’ll be going ahead”.
Both of the kings must have been too drunk because they are too easy to talk to, especially Nathaniel. He just smiled and replied, “Sure, go on”, before continuing his song with King Ferrol whose fat cheeks are now turning red.
When he got back up stairs, there was no sign of Elizalina having trouble or passing out on the stairs. “There’s no sign of a dead body down stairs, so she should be sleeping by now”, he thought as he walked passed her chamber.
He went straight to his room, loosened his neck tie and freed the ends of his long sleeves from being tucked in, and then lit up the room with the lamp beside the door.
To his surprise the princess was on his bed sleeping.