Blood Peonies (Who Made Me a Princess)

A Mirrored Game

I wonder when Lady Angel will visit me again. Ijekiel Alpheus mused to himself as he was watching the scenery pass by in his train car. He runs his hand through his hair as he scoffed to himself. Don't be stupid, Ijekiel, the princess is definitely smarter than she looks. She's hailed as a genius. She must've seen through your act that you were trying to get closer to her and she is now wary of meeting with you. You were too hasty. His gold eyes narrowed in thought as he contemplates on his next actions. I can't really do anything to make the princess visit me because she never introduced herself to me formally so I can't even send a correspondence to her. The Emperor will surely have my head for even daring to send a letter to his daughter.

Ijekiel considers his relationship with the princess and yes, he does know that his Lady Angel is the princess. He could never forget those striking cerulean jewelled eyes, eyes that are a notable trait of the Obelian royal family. Even if she tried to hide it in her next visit, which she turned her eyes into red, she couldn't fool him. And her peculiar way of appearing in front of him definitely suggests that she has magic. And a strong one at that for her hair to glow golden. It wasn't really a noticeable thing but Ijekiel has always had keen eyes for details due to his upbringing. He inferred from what he has observed that the princess has magic strong enough to have physical manifestations. She's powerful. It's also one of the reasons he decided to befriend the stray princess, and what a stray she was! He wasn't sure why she was at the Alpheus duchy's garden that time but her encounter with him certainly feels like fate. His lips quirked up as he reminisces how she looked like falling from the sky and it must really be fate for him to be at the right place at the right time to catch her. She certainly does look like an angel with her white dress and cherubic features; the name Lady Angel fits her. He did think at first that she was an angel, with her big whit ribbon looking like wings and he recalled being disappointed upon seeing that she's not a real angel.

Thinking about his Lady Angel brings his thoughts to his ... adoptive sister. Jenette Margarita is his paternal second cousin, daughter of his aunt Penelope Judith. Ijekiel scowled just thinking about Jenette, his handsome and soft features contorting, making him look like a different person. He finds her very irritating to be with. She's clingy and whiny and is not even smart enough to uphold a decent conversation. She's always babbling about her likes and her needs and she always asks, more like demand, for Ijekiel's attention, like a puppy. A very annoying puppy.

One of the reasons he went to Arlanta is to get away from Jenette, aside from gaining allies overseas and of course, his education; just so he will not see her face every day. He's afraid that remaining in her presence any longer will make Ijekiel snap and wring her neck. Just thinking about her face is making Ijekiel grit his teeth. He finds her frustrating and very exhausting to be with. Using his previous metaphor, she was like a dog who will literally hound you until you give her what she wants. And Ijekiel hated her even more because of that. Just because she is a centrepiece in Roger's plans, she acts as if she has to be served hand and foot. What a whiny, fucking stupid bitch.

He knows the plan, and he knows that he's just his father's pawn, even if his father said that he is what matters the most, that he shouldn't attend to Jenette's every whim.. He isn't stupid. He can read double meanings.

He doesn't really know when his dislike of Jenette turned into hate but he has to always show a mild and charming disposition to her, as per orders by Roger. He first got introduced to her when he was five and Jenette was two. Aunt Rosalia brought her to the duchy and left her in their care. His first impression was that she looks stupid. And she is, she didn't disappoint, Ijekiel thought to himself cruelly as his eyes watched the train entering the walls of Siodonna. He disliked her back then and his dislike with her became cemented when Roger ordered him to cater to Jenette's whims as if she's his princess. His orders are contradicting. He says that Ijekiel should treat him like his little sister and his princess but also not? Can you be any clearer than that? He was affronted and he recalls mentally saying that I will have to act like a glorified servant to that useless, stupid kid but of course, Ijekiel didn't say anything and just nodded his acquiescence but deep inside, he was seething. Jenette's presence just made Ijekiel's life worse, he was already a pawn of his father and now he is being tied even more because of that... bitch. Ijekiel massaged his forehead as he felt the first signs of headache coming; just reminiscing about it is making him so irritated to the point of headache.