𝔽𝕝𝕠𝕨𝕖𝕣 ℂ𝕣𝕠𝕨𝕟 || 𝕂𝕒𝕞𝕚𝕤𝕒𝕥𝕠 𝔸𝕪𝕒𝕥𝕠

14. The Princess And Her Raven

"So, for how long will you be staying?"

Ayato's tone was laced with polite curiosity. He set his teacup back upon the table and grinned, his eyes sparkling with playfulness.

"Three weeks, at least," replied King Diluc, taking another sip of tea.

"I must apologize in advance for the fact that I shall not be able to spend much time with you," Ayato said, looking only a little disappointed. "My schedule is very busy these days."

"That is most understandable." King Diluc nodded, setting his tea down as well. 

"Though, I have decided to organize a royal ball in your and the princess's honor," continued Ayato. "I shall notify you once the plans have been finalized."

Kanari fidgeted in her seat. She knew all too well of the plans for the ball. After all, she was overseeing some of its organization. It was quite tiring, but not nearly as much as the thought of having to actually attend. Really, she wasn't even an actual noble. Just the king's advisor, nothing else. Not a countess, nor any sort of fancy lady. Yet, it was her duty to attend along with the king himself.

"How exciting," King Diluc said, a shadow of a smile on his face. "Balls are very romantic."

Ayato heaved a small sigh, unnoticeable by everyone but Kanari. He grinned again, though his eyes displayed visible annoyance.

"I suppose they are," he replied, his eyes trailing to Princess Fischl.

The princess leaned over and pinched two biscuits from the table, holding them daintily between her fingers. Ayato watched with visible interest as she turned around and handed one of the cookies to Oz. The attendant politely accepted the treat with a smile and examined it curiously before nibbling it. Princess Fischl reached over again and dipped her own biscuit into one of the unclaimed cups of tea, the icing melting a little. She took a bite with a satisfied smirk on her face, oblivious to the fact that everyone in the room was watching her.

She glanced at her father and visibly wilted at the scowl he was giving her. Kanari frowned a little at this interaction, intertwining her fingers even tighter than before.

"You seem rather close to your attendant," Ayato observed, intrigued.

The princess looked at King Diluc, who shot her a strange look. They seemed to have a language of their own, understanding each other merely by displaying subtle emotions. She turned back to Ayato and swallowed her biscuit.

"Oz is a very good friend of mine," she elaborated, smiling sweetly. "He is almost like an older brother to me."

"How curious. I could say the same for Thoma here," Ayaka piped up, grabbing a bourbon for herself.

Princess Fischl turned to Ayaka and gave her sickly sweet smile, dripping with fake enthusiasm. Ayaka's eyes widened, but she could only respond with a weak smile. Kanari narrowed her eyes at the foreign princess, distrust brewing inside her. Ayato concealed his unease a little better, but Kanari still noticed the growing exasperation in his eyes. She'd gotten better at reading the king's emotions from all the time she spent with him in meetings, both of them trying their best to be as polite as possible at all times. King Diluc seemed oblivious to this exchange, for he was too busy glaring at daughter to notice the looks everyone was giving her.

Ayato looked down at the golden watch on his wrist. Kanari, noticing this, looked at hers and realized that it was time for their meeting about the city orphanage. He turned to look at her and gave her a sharp nod.

"I'm afraid Kanari and I have a very important meeting to attend at this moment," he said, turning back to their guests. "I deeply apologize for not being able to spend more time with you."

King Diluc nodded. He looked a little disappointed, but he didn't object as Ayato stood up.

"I shall leave Princess Ayaka to entertain both of you. If you would like to go to your rooms, Thoma can fetch someone to show you to them," he said. Gesturing for Kanari to follow him, he strode out of the room.

Kanari gave Ayaka an encouraging look as she walked out. The poor girl looked helpless as she watched Kanari and her brother leave. Once they were outside and the door was firmly shut, Kanari let out a breath of relief. Ayato chuckled as they walked along the corridor side by side.

"Were you really that tense?" He asked, his usual grin returning.

"I wasn't—" stuttered Kanari, her face getting warmer. She crossed her arms and hung her head, defeated.

"You didn't touch your tea," the king observed, glancing at his advisor. "You like tea."

"How would you know that?" Kanari questioned, momentarily distracted. She eyed him suspiciously as they turned a corner.

Ayato shook his head, smiling. "You drink tea every morning," he replied, sliding his hands in his pockets. "I'm more observant than you think."

"Oh," was all Kanari could say. She sighed wearily, her cerulean eyes dull.

"What are your thoughts on our guests?" Asked the king, his voice softening. Kanari was evidently not fond of discussing her insecurities. Ayato had seen her when she was fragile, plagued by memories she kept hidden away. For some reason, he could not bear the thought of seeing her in such a state again. So, he respected her wishes a bit more than he would for someone else, apart from perhaps Ayaka.

Kanari hesitated, trying to summon the right words to describe the odd pair — trio if you counted Oz.

"King Diluc seems a bit harsh on the princess," she said finally. "Princess Fischl herself is a bit strange. She seems like she was very irritated about something, though she seems to be on very good terms with her attendant."

"Yes, I'd noticed that as well," the king agreed, nodding his head. "I remember the king was always strict. I've barely met the princess, though."

"She seems to prefer talking in Mondstadian dialect. I overheard her and her attendant talking together while I was bringing them over to the room."

"Interesting."

Kanari stared at the king, trying to discern the motive behind his words. He looked back at her perplexed expression with an amused one.

"So, what do you think of the princess, Your Majesty?" Kanari looked away as she spoke.

"She is—" Ayato hesitated. "—tolerable, I suppose."

They continued walking in silence, both of them unsure of what to say. Kanari stared at the ground, deep in her thoughts. She let the silence cradle her in its peaceful arms. 

Sometimes, a moment to herself was what all she really needed to relax.

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END OF CHAPTER 14

Author's Note: This is my shortest chapter yet :') yall already got a double update though