Sleeping Beauty [WMMAP Fanfiction]

Chapter Fifteen: Spinning Wheel

"Young miss, please slow down so you don't trip," Alice implored, following the princess with Felix beside her. Today, Athanasia was dressed more like the main character from Alice in Wonderland, looking more like her than the girl literally named Alice.

"But my knights will save me before I fall, right?" Athanasia questioned innocently, glancing back with an armful of flowers. "My graceful, strong knights of Ice and Crimson Blood?"

Felix's face burned in embarrassment, glowing much like a flare. Alice just blinked long.

"Young miss, that's-"

"Ah, to think I could watch two legendary knights spar!!"

"I-"

"You have no idea how honored I am to have you as my bodyguards! Oh, two strongest knights, thank you!"

They were sweating. Felix was looking down now, definitely more affected than Alice. If Alice was bothered or not wasn't quite clear, because she wasn't reacting very much.

"Flames of passion redder than blood! An awkward, charming persona! Fiery hearts bursting from harsh, jagged ice! Oh, wondrous precision, and near maniacal loyalty! A friendship so wonderful that it's envied by the masses!"

The two were visibly melting away, now lagging behind. It seemed she was getting letters of gossip, or read about them in old newspapers. Or she just heard that much about them.

"From now on, I will count on you and you alone, my graceful knights!!!"

Alice's shoulders shook, still managing to keep up, unlike Felix. She sniffed and looked up to the sky.

"You're too cruel, Princess," Felix whined with the voice of a kicked cat, drooping behind like a wilting plant.

"Ahahahaha!!"

. . .

"I guess Claude looks okay with flowers in his hair-" Alice stopped, her eyes sharpening at his exposed abs and chest. "Shirt."

"What-"

"Shirt. Or else."

He dragged his feet, whining with his head down as he made his way to his wardrobe.

She made a little huff, looking back down to her book.

. . .

Alice was given a day off. Well, actually, it was too peaceful and not much had to be done, so Claude told her to go do whatever.

Felix was a bit surprised when she decided, hey, maybe I should see what it's like to wear a skirt. Because she hadn't worn one of those for a long time, and even she had urges to feel more elegant at times. So she ignored him and went on her way outside, dressed like that. Also to remind the masses they couldn't butcher her identity for whatever they wanted, regardless of fetishes or lining up with whatever beliefs they held.

Felix gawked at her getup, consisting of a plain white t-shirt and a simple, light brown skirt reaching the middle of her lower legs.

"What," she hissed, touching her skirt. "So I wore a skirt. Is it that bad?"

"N-No. It's just a new look and..." He floundered, just like when he tried to reject Athanasia as a possible escort.

With a poker face, she just breezed past him. "Can't wear anything different around here," she grumbled, though joking, which he didn't catch.

"No no no wait- Alice!!" She closed the doors behind her.

Remembering how she left Felix hanging also reminded her that she should probably get something for him. Maybe some baby clothes, or a scarf, for him to dress up Rian. Good job to younger Robane so far, managing to hide him from her so well. She never actually saw that durian son of his, nor did she go to his room or his family home often, only enough to kind of remember the layouts. They just slept in her room, which was definitely having traces that someone actually lived there now. He even started putting his clothes there. It was strange enough that no one was mentioning how they slept in the same room, so either no one noticed yet, or no one actually said anything. But maybe he was hiding Rian in his own place. Last she heard was Felix baby talking to the thing from behind closed doors. So he was definitely pack bonding with it.