ミ 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 | 𝘒𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘩 彡

𝟎𝟒

August 13, XXXX (continued)

The gala took a more interesting turn from here.

Kazuha and I danced together for a few more waltzes, which I enjoyed very much. He has definitely improved as a dancer since last year. After a while, my feet started to hurt, so I excused myself.

Now, since we were kids, Diluc and I have a history of sneaking away from our parents' galas. I haven't done anything of that sort in four years, so of course I felt the need to keep that tradition alive.

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You stood with your gloved hand pressed against the double doors of the ballroom. Quickly, you cast a glance over your shoulder. Everyone at the gala seemed preoccupied or in their own world. You took that as your cue to quietly slip out of the ballroom.

'Surely I wouldn't be missed if I were to take a few minutes to myself,' you thought as you took long strides through the corridor.

Large windows lined one of the corridor's walls giving a view of your mother's flower garden. The windows let the moonlight spill into the hallway, casting shadows on the opposite wall. As you walked, you spun, letting your skirt fan out. Your childlike laugh echoed through the empty hallway. Suddenly, you stopped in your tracks and let your eyes drift out the window.

You knew from your mother's journals that she had a knack for gardening. All the greenery surrounding the castle was nursed by her. In the middle of her garden, was a large tree with looming branches and leaves that dangled from them. Whenever the winds would shift, the tree seemed to dance, leaves swaying with the breeze. A gentle smile tugged at your lips as you took a step closer to the windowsill. The moonlight illuminating the tree made it seem as if it was glowing.

"Princess Y/N," an unfamiliar voice said.

Surprised, you turned to the source of the voice. You were met with blonde locks whose owner was bowing at you. He lifted his head up from the bow, ruby hues meeting your gaze.

"Apologies if I was interrupting. It has been a lovely celebration," he smiled.

"Thank you," you replied.

Your eyes glanced at the man's attire. A loose white shirt and dark pants clung to his frame. He wore a cloak and a belt, though both seemed to be more for aesthetic purposes than for functionality. 'He's most likely a foreign dignitary,' you thought.

"I am glad to know it was enjoyable, but I believe you should be in there enjoying it," you joked, earning a chuckle from the blonde.

"Does your betrothed know you are here, Princess?" the man asked before panic flooded his expression. "Wait, is he alright with me talking to you?"

"My betrothed?" you asked stunned. "Where did you hear such information?"

"No need to act so surprised. It's all everyone was talking about while you two danced, The gem of Mondstadt and the young lord of the Kaedehara clan. An eye-catching pair indeed."

At his words, you let out a chuckle. The blonde didn't share your amusement. Instead, he crossed his arms over his chest and looked at you questioningly.

"I apologize for my lack of composure," you said in between laughs.

"Firstly, Mondstadt is the kingdom of freedom. My ancestors believed that we cannot properly govern and protect our subjects' freedoms if we ourselves do not experience what we are trying to protect. Though we do not have the same freedoms as our subjects, we were allowed some, such as marrying whom we chose. Though, considering what you just said, I suppose that fact got lost to history.

"As for dancing with Lord Kazuha, he is a childhood friend of mine, more like family at this point. I simply owed him a dance, but as it turns out, one dance became four." The blonde visibly relaxed.

"Alright. I was concerned he would come and slice my tongue off for talking to you," he replied. "I've heard he's quite the swordsman."

"You are correct. He is an excellent swordsman," you beamed. "But he would not attack someone without a valid reason." The blonde only nodded in response as a deafening silence blanketed you two. Wordlessly, you turned back to the tree in the garden. The man's gaze remained fixed on you.

The moonlight casted its pale light across your face. The muscles in your face relaxed, letting childlike curiosity paint your features. Stars, both charted and uncharted, dotted your (E/C) hues as you stared out the window with your lips slightly parted.

'I've hardly seen a person of such high status look so peaceful,' he mused. 'Especially at an event like this.'

"I can feel you staring," you said, not looking away from the window.

"My apologies, Princess Y/N," he responded sheepishly. "I've attended many galas over the years, yet you seem so collected. I'm sure we're both aware how chaotic events like these can become. How do you do it?"

"Well, looking collected is always easier than actually being collected, at least for me," you replied. "But I am at peace at this moment because I am looking at my mother's garden." A pair of ruby eyes followed your gaze.

"Her garden is one of the few sources of stillness within these castle walls. I wish she was alive to see it flourish. She would have loved it."

"Princess," the man sighed, causing you to turn your attention to him. "I know it's not my place to say this, but I'm most certain your mother is looking down on it from Celestia. She surely would've seen her garden's beauty in the spring."

You nodded at the blonde. "Thank you," you whispered. "I really should be getting back to the gala now."

"Thank you for your time, Princess Y/N," he bowed.

"You as well," you smiled.

You turned away from the blonde, going in the direction you came from. Once you were at the ballroom's dark, wooden doors, you gently pushed them open. A familiar mop of navy blue hair was the first thing you saw.

"Princess, it seems you've saved me the trouble of finding you," Sir Kaeya said.

"I'm sorry. I wanted some time to myself." The knight smiled.

"I understand, especially with the amount of dancing you've done tonight."

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Now that I've had time to fully process yesterday's events, I find it interesting that the blonde gentleman was the first person outside my social circle to whom I've spoken candidly about Mother.

Yet, I hardly know anything about him, including his name.