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Princess Solaris POV
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As I finish getting ready for the day ahead, I chat with my maid Valefar, eagerly awaiting a knock at the door. I admire the elegant gown Valefar has put together for me, complete with gold accents down the side. It's tight, but with enough room to move.
"You sure know how to put a dress together, Valefar," I say, smiling at her.
"You flatter me, Princess Solaris," Valefar replies with a smile. "Anything looks good on you, honestly."
Just then, I hear a knock at the door. Expecting the freckled guard, I rush to open it, only to be met with the captain, Aryan.
"I apologize for coming abruptly, Princess," he begins.
"Did Zhara back down from being my guard? Because she can't do that!" I blurt out, panicked.
Aryan chuckles lightly before responding. "Lord no, I didn't raise my daughter to be like that! I just wanted to let you know that if you have any issues with her, you can come to me. I'll straighten her out if she gets out of line."
Hold on. Zhara is his daughter? Why wasn't I told this before? I can feel my expression giving me away, and Aryan starts speaking again.
"I'm sorry I haven't told you this. I assumed your father might have. I hope this doesn't change your view of Zhara. She is her own person," he says with a smile.
"Oh, of course not!" I reply. "If anything, she seems interesting herself, and cute," I add, mumbling the last part to myself as I prop my hand onto my cheek.
"Well, I was only here to say that Zhara would be upset catching me here talking to you. She'd probably ask you to go easy on her," he chuckles nervously.
"Why would I be tough on her?" I ask.
Aryan shrugs as he says goodbye, and I shut the door, turning to look at Valefar.
"So, you find another one of your guards cute, huh?" Valefar smirks.
"I only find her cute. What's the big deal?" I ask, defensively.
"It's like every other guard you've had, Solaris. You find them cute and it develops into a crush," Valefar says, exasperated.
"Okay, but this one's different," I pout.
"How exactly is she different?" Valefar asks, clearly not convinced.
"Well, she's a girl," I say, trying to make my point.
Valefar sighs. "I know she's a girl. She's the first female guard for the princess. But you're missing the point!"
"Which is...?" I prompt, not sure what she means.
"The point is that she's mortal, like all the others. She won't last. I don't mean to be harsh, my grace, but you need a reminder that not everyone is an immortal," Valefar remarks.
"Fine, you're no fun, Valefar," I say with a grin.
Valefar looks like she's about to respond when we're interrupted by a knock at the door. "Speak of the devil," Valefar says, turning to tidy up the room.
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Zhara POV
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I knock on the princess' door. Not even a minute after she opens it, I'm greeted and welcomed in her room.
"As you obviously know, we'll just be chilling here." She says as she steps back to her bed.
"As you obviously know, we'll just be chilling here," she says as she steps back to her bed.
I take note of her dress and can't help but ask, "Why wear such a nice dress if you're gonna spend your day here?"
"Who knows, a surprise royal meeting might happen. I also just wanna look nice," she replies with a playful smile.
I nod, understanding her reasoning, before taking in the room. It's simple yet elegant, with white walls adorned with paintings and vines, and shelves of books and other trinkets scattered throughout. I dawdle around for a bit before finally taking my place on the side of the door.
I glance over at Solaris a few times, noticing she's engrossed in a book. The silence fills the room, interrupted only by the occasional turning of a page. After about 30 minutes, an elf walks out of one of the rooms in Solaris' chambers. She's a bit shorter than us, with a black pixie cut and pointed ears.
"Solaris, I've prepped the rest of your outfits for the week," the elf, Valefar, yawns to the princess.
"Awe, thanks Valefar! The greatest friend and lady-in-waiting!" Solaris exclaims, causing Valefar to giggle.
As they start talking, I stifle a yawn, realizing that they could go on like this for hours. All they do is talk! Don't they get bored of all of that? I'm snapped out of my thoughts when Solaris suddenly addresses me.
"Hey, Zhara, are your wings on your head like ears or do you have actual ears under your hair?" she asks, her curiosity piqued.
I stare at her for a moment, slightly taken aback by the question. "Yeah, the wings are like my ears. I don't have another pair," I state bluntly.
Valefar chimes in, "What about your legs? Don't you get cold? You are mortal, right...?"
I raise an eyebrow at the question, finding it a bit odd. "Uhm... no, I don't get cold. Also, yeah, I am mortal, but don't immortals also feel things, or am I wrong?"
Solaris nods in agreement, confirming my statement. But Valefar isn't done yet.
"What about those dark spots on your legs...? Not even dark, it's just pitch black... creepy but cool!" she asks, her curiosity getting the best of her.
I let out a small sigh, not wanting to answer this question again. "You're really curious for an elf... but luckily for me, I don't have an answer for that question. My lower legs are just like that."
Solaris looks at me and smiles, "What's with all the questions too? Aren't I just a guard...?"
Solaris shrugs nonchalantly. "Yeah but... since you're also a girl, it'd be awesome if you joined me and Valefar as friends! Much better than just standing by that door in silence, don't you think Zhara?" she grins.
I can't argue with that logic. If the first day is this boring, I can't imagine the rest. I sigh and nod my head in agreement.
"You sigh a lot, Zhara," Valefar comments.
I can't help but laugh. "Do I? I think it's just with you guys, honestly. From just this day, I think I'll be doing that a lot. I hope it isn't a problem."
"And be great friends!" the princess chrimes in. I smile at her.
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Note
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IM GONNA BE RUSHING THIS INTO A MONTH SKIP EACH PART HOP THAT MAKES SENSE FR
