Pretty

The winter had past and now it was blossoming into spring. The warm weather had proven to be lovely but for Lumielle, she had much rather preferred the comfort of the cold rather than the brutality of Countess Fleur. It was absolutely brutal as the sound of the whip filled the air of the ballroom. She had undergone this abuse with her brother in her previous timeline which was why she bared it with gritted teeth.

Yennafer had gripped her hand, her blue eyes showing fear, but despite that, pleaded to Lumielle that if her mother acted unprofessionally to tell her and that she would do everything in her power to stop it. Despite how terrified she was, Yennafer had tried to extend her hand. What an absolutely abhorrent woman. Vera's green eyes showered vivid concern as she gently frowned; it seemed these women understood the brutality of Countess Fleur. It was to be expected, after all, she was Yennafer's stepmother. The poor pink-haired girl probably underwent the same abuse.

"I thought you closed the door," snarled the woman. She had also sworn that she had closed it, but in her hazy state, she wasn't quite sure. Her dark red hair had been pulled up in a tight bun. Her dark grey eyes glinting maliciously in the light as Lumielle turned her position, she had been kneeling on the ground, the soles of her feet bleeding crimson.

Bowing her head, she shakily stood up. It felt as though her feet were placed on pyres, "I shall close it, Countess." With the faint footprints of blood and a shaky hand, she closed the door.

Lumielle was glad that her brother was making friends but she had to admit that she was surprised that they were coming over to the Ruby Palace. Rowan had informed her of those that Aris had gotten close with. The son of Count Ruchelle, Lucius Sylvestor Ruchelle, the son of Baron Opraris, Ruenti, and finally the son of the Grand Duke Everion, Asterias. Evangeline was wrapping her wounds, assessing to see if Lumielle flinched or showed any pain.

Out of all of them, why did he need to befriend Ruenti? The son of a Baron many looked down on him due to his social status. His intelligence and determination made him one of the Emperor's aides, that was before Lumielle killed her own father. He was suspicious of her and Aris. Ruenti was smart enough to realize that she had fabricated the Letter of God and confronted her which led to his untimely death.

"Princess, you should tell someone," Evangeline answered finally finishing the bandaging as Lumielle glanced down at the young woman. She looked concerned and angered.

"Why would I tell? The Emperor won't do anything about it. It's pointless. All I need to do is get past this year." A sigh escaped her lips.

Gritting her teeth, Evangeline stood up. Her purple eyes looked almost desperate, "This is abuse! If this continues, you're not going to be able to walk properly." She was angry and Lumielle took Evangeline's hand into her own.

"I'm fine. Really," Lumielle said. She was. Her brother had started to blossom socially with the Viscountess in charge of his education, he started to enjoy learning. He no longer shied away from asking questions. He was a natural learner and apparently a genius swordsmen. His fear of adults still lingered as for the first couple of lessons, Lumielle sat by his side as the warm Viscountess taught them. There was a smile on her face as Evangeline clenched her fists.

"Did they arrive yet? Do you have the strawberry tarts?"

She was changing the subject as Evangeline nodded, "I do. They're in the gardens."

Her brother's birthday would be soon and she wondered what he would ask for. Last time, he had asked for some useless trinkets; he was still young so she understood. Lumielle didn't have any more birthdays to rely on before the coming of Cosette. It was a shame. The paved ground helped her footing as she ignored the intense pain that came with taking every step.

"Mielle!" Aris cried out, a smile curving on his face as he ran to his sister.

Her fatigue vanished in a second as he wrapped his arms around her, she stumbled back a bit and enjoyed his hug. Her eyes roamed across the three young boys. All of them would become prominent figures in high society; she was glad that Aris was befriending them.

"This is my sister, Lumielle! This is Rias, Ruenti, and Lus!"

It was good that he was using nicknames to greet them, she curtsied—ignoring her feet practically begging for a break, "It is an honor to meet Aris's friends. I have heard great things." She smiled at them.

Lucius and Ruenti both spoke up, "I greet the Princess of Endora, it is an honor."

Meanwhile, Asterias remained quiet. He was staring at her; his cerulean blue eyes practically scalding, "I also greet the Princess of Endora, it is an honor." He spoke after a pause, and she wondered if it was because of their last meeting. He was no longer crying, his face looked unreadable as he stared at her almost unblinkingly.

Lumielle took her brother's hand and sat down, a sigh of relief leaving her lips, "I brought strawberry tarts! I heard that they were Sir. Ruenti's favorite!"

It was safe to say that these tarts were a manifestation of her guilt. How was she supposed to explain the reason behind these desserts? "I-I'm honored," Ruenti replied, his cheeks turning as red as his hair. His green eyes no longer held malice towards her; the times in which they had conversed, he was spitting venom and she only gave him a false smile. He was nothing but a child now and she had ordered his death.

"I hope you eat lots and enjoy!" Lumielle hummed smiling.

She cut the tart giving the first piece to her brother and the second to Ruenti. The two remaining pieces, she gave to Lucius and Asterias. "It is an honor to meet the Princess," Lucius responded, his words were soft as his blue eyes looked at the bright red berries glazes in sugar. His hair was dark and she remembered hearing about his immense wealth—Lucius Rochelle would become one of the richest men in the empire, second only to the Duchies and the Imperial family.

"Aris talks a lot about you! I'm glad that he has friends that he can rely on," she responded truthfully. It was a relief. Lumielle spent a lot of time worrying about her younger brother. As Emperor, he was a recluse, never trusting the words of his aides and the people around him. He didn't socialize, he didn't study, he didn't even know magic—he was useless. "Please continue to be friends with him," she mumbled giving a slightly awkward laugh, "I know that's a weird request but as his sister, it's nice to see him have people he can rely on."

Aris felt his cheeks flush, "Mielle!" He exclaimed as she stood up, wincing slightly at the distribution of weight.

"I know, I'll leave you. I don't want to embarrass you in front of your friends," she teased, "And I've taken enough of your time."

Asterias had been staring at her this entire time and when the Princess left. Ruenti let out an exhale, "Your sister is pretty," he commented—"Really pretty. I thought I was going to die when she called my name," he said earnestly as he pressed a hand against his chest.

Aris glowered, "Shut up, Rue."

"It's a compliment!" The redhead shot back as Lucius smirked.

"That's probably why Rias couldn't stop staring at her, isn't it?"

All three heads turned to the white-haired male whose eyes widened, "N-That's not the reason!" He exclaimed as he felt his cheeks warm up. Lucius laughed at the male's reaction as Aris glared at all three of them.

"What type of person is she?" Asterias asked Aris as the blonde boy finished chewing the strawberry tart.

There was a pause, "She's amazing," Aris replied his words direct, "I don't deserve a big sister like her. She takes care of everything and I feel bad because there's nothing I can do for her. She's kind and gentle but she doesn't smile very often. Sometimes, I think she's scared of something, she gets so desperate and I don't know why," Aris sighed—sometimes his older sister came into his room during the dead of night and she sat by his bed to hold his hand and then she apologized fervently. He pretended to be asleep as she heard Lumielle's pleas to be forgiven. Forgiven for what? What had she done so wrong?

"It must be nice," Lucius said as he sipped some tea, "To have a pretty and dependable older sister."

Ruenti scowled pointing a fork at the male, "See you agree, she is pretty!"

"Of course she's pretty," Aris shot back, "She's my sister!"

There was a beat of silence as Ruenti started laughing at such a ridiculous claim.

Asterias frowned as Aris scowled, "Don't think about getting close to her. Any of you. She's way too good for you."

Standing up, Asterias gave a smile, "I need to use the bathroom."

"Again?" Ruenti asked, leaning against the chair, "Do you have an issue?"

The white-haired male kept his smile as he punched the top of the red-haired boy's head. Lucian smirked, "You deserved that."

The length to the gardens and the palace was quite far and with the pace that he was going; "Princess," Asterias called as the female stopped in her tracks. Lumielle had been walking slowly in hopes to alleviate the pressure on her feet. Gripping the baby blue silk of her dress, she turned around to face the breathless male.

The sunlight hit his face; his white hair practically glowed and his blue eyes sparkled. He looked gorgeous. Heartbreakingly beautiful and she gave him a smile, "Sir Asterias, did you need something?" This was her second time meeting him alone as he took a step closer to her and her ochroid eyes widened. She had not been expecting it; he extended his arm.

"I thought you could use a hand," Asterias hummed, "A beautiful lady like yourself shouldn't walk alone without an escort." His words were saccharine, dusted well with etiquette as she wondered if the boy that she had seen staring at the Holy Tree was the same person. He was confident, exuding a certain type of mischievous energy.

Taking his arm, Lumielle felt compelled to respond, "Then, I'll have to accept."