What If?

34

"Our Princess is the most beautiful in the world!" Ces squeals making me laugh. "She really is." Lily agrees. All the maids parade me with compliments once again. "Thank you, thank you." I smile at them all. It's kind of embarrassing in a way to receive so much flattery.

A quick knock on the door caught all of our attention. A maid goes and opens the door revealing a servant. "Is the Princess ready? Sir Felix Robane is wondering." The servant says.

"Yes, coming." I tell him walking towards the door to leave the servant opening it wider for me. "Have fun, Princess." Lily says making me turn around. Smiling I do a small courtesy bow to them. "Thank you." I tell them before stepping outside the door to see Felix waiting for me.

He looked surprised to see before he smiled. "You look even more so beautiful today than usual, Princess!" Felix exclaims. "Thank you." I say with a smile. Felix reaches his hand to me. "Shall we?" Felix ask holding his towards me which I take. We then began our walk outside.

As we get outside and begin down the small staircase I could see Claude all formally dressed up adjusting his cuff. He then turned and looked up at me. As he saw me he actually seemed surprised. I did let the maids go full out this and Lily did say I really looked my mother today especially. But Claude hid surprise so quickly I was left to wonder if I imagined it.

"Hello." I'm happy to spend today with you." I smile happily at him. "You should dress warmer. You'll get cold." Claude responds, aloof as usual. "You look handsome today too." I giggled.

Claude was quite and I gazed up at him waiting to see if he would say anything else to me. But he just held his out to me. "Let's go." Claude says.

"You can give me such outrageous gifts yet can't even spare me a compliment." I giggle taking his hand. "It wasn't an outrageous gift. Just something that I thought best matched you most favorite things. Roses and anything that shines. You have such odd likings." Claude looked at me as if I was the peculiar one while we entered into the carriage and headed to the party.

"I do not have odd likings. All girls love roses and shiny things nothings wrong with that. Many people tend to admire almost everything that shines. You are the odd you don't seem to ever like anything!" I argue.

"Not taking any interest in futile things isn't odd." Claude rolls his eyes.

"Things people like may be futile but it brings some happiness in ones life. I think everything would be a lot more dull if it wasn't for liking small things such as flowers." I tell him as I attempt to make a wreath from the flowers that decorated the inside of the carriage.

"Then life must be quite nice considering you like such little things that cover the palaces." Claude says.

"Yeah these little things only made everything more content in my life while growing up. I suppose you'd understand somewhat we grew up quite similar didn't we?" I ask concentrated on my wreath.

I know Claude didn't have an peaceful childhood growing up. Not that any on the history books or such say anything about his life growing up only about his ascendence to the throne saving the Empire from his brother who dabbled to much into dark magic. I knew we had a lot in common about us growing up. That he too was not loved by his parents only having a nanny to care for them. Since he was only a illegitmate child of the Emperor and second borned. To watch the other child be loved and cherished yet you were nothing but an outcast.

"I suppose." Claude says nonchalantly. I shouldn't push to much into this matter today since today is to be a good day.

As I finish the wreath a grin made its way onto my face as I looked up at Claude. He looked at me questioningly but didn't utter a word. I got up and sat down next to Claude still smiling and he just watched to see what I would do next.

"Nineteen flowers. Is just the right size for you. With of course some little extras to make it look pretty." I say before placing the flower crown on his head.

Claude glared and went to grab the wreath from his head but I caught his hands stopping him.

"You have to wear it for the rest the night!" I giggle holding his hands to make sure he doesn't rip it off his head.

"I don't." Claude glares but it wasn't even close to as vicious as the ones I got growing up.

"It's the least you can do for me. Not like I'm asking for a lot." I tell him trying to hold in my laughter.

A flowercrown really suited him surprisingly. If only he had a smile instead of the looking like he is going to kill everything in his path.

"You said that you'd like anything if it's from me and I already gave you your present so I don't need to wear this thing." Claude scowls but stayed still.

"Okay this is for skipping my real birthday." I shrug letting go of him and sitting back.

Claude didn't move or say anything until the carriage stopped and I got off with Claude in tow. Claude then reached his hand out to me.

But he was wearing the flowercrown still. With a smile I placed my hand in his. "You are the fairest of the land." I laugh as we walk up and through the the party hall.

"You have become quite bold." Claude says but it sounded quite threatening.

It is suddenly a lot colder too?

With him like this at least for sure no nobles will ridicule or even say a thing about how His Majesty is wearing a wreath.

But this should be fun.