23 Chapter 9: Partings and Meister (2)

What am I suppose to do now? I thought to myself. All my previous plans has been closed shut. Am I suppose to just wait until my uncle decide to tell me what is what?

It reminds me of how all the books I ever read about the Centennial traditions were all very similar yet lacking. As though they were filtered and manipulated to show only what the readers— or the people needed to know.

But honestly, without the Sage's help, I'm all out of ideas what to do. Aside watch till my own nightmares progress on its own and await till I can comprehend any of it.

I pound a fist on my hand, realizing that could actually work.

"Your grace?" Lady Mirel breaks the silence, "Are you feeling well?"

I look up at her and realized how long I had been standing in a trance like state from my current reveries. "Lady Mirel, can you lead me to where the gardens Aeron was talking about earlier?" I said as I tried to seal it off with a wide grin. For now I'll just spend the day with my brother and cousins, I thought to myself.

She quickly agreed and began to walk ahead and lead the way.

The hallways were as deserted as usual. I let my eyes scan around as we walk in a calming silence when slowly I hear another footsteps coming. I peered to the passage ahead where it ends in a somewhat cross-road like path and saw four royal guards marching out from one of the paths in a square formation around a nursemaid who was walking beside a little boy as she held his tiny hand. He held a stuffed toy with his other arm in a tight embrace.

I instantly recognized his wine red hair from afar. It's the same color as the High Queen.

I hurried to them as they all instantly notice me. The guardsmen quickly salutes a greeting while bowing their head down.

"Good morning, your grace." The nursemaid says is a bow. I curtsied in response as I eyed the young boy who rubs at his eyes when his maid released his hand, yawning. "Good morning, Aerra!" He greeted me with his tiny soft voice. "Good morning, Prince Kain!" I beamed at him, sitting on my heels to meet his eye level.

"Aeron told me you were to meet at the inside gardens at the east wing to play?" I asked as his eyes adjusted at me as if only waking up to realize what I just said.

"He just woke up, Your grace. But we are in fact on our way now as he requested." Replied the nursemaid in his stead.

"Let me join you. I'm currently on my way as well!" I replied at her and then focused my eyes at my young cousin, "Can I join you?"

"To play? Of course of course!" He cheered in delight, beaming at me with his big and wet slanted downturned eyes which gives him an effortless imploring facial expression. He has long lashes both the upper and lower eyelids and his face is generally similar with auntie, who has a very kind and gentle-looking facial expression, epitome of the saying 'won't hurt a fly.'

I heard the High Queen, my aunt Lenna, is from a family of Ergus descent, similar with Nora. That's why her hair is the same color— red wine. But unlike Nora, she's not a pure blooded. Unluckily, both her sons aren't too.

"Let's go?" I stood back up as he automatically took my hand. "Yes. Let's go." he answered bashfully, cuddling tight the stuffed toy with his other hand.

I studied him as we walked across the hallways, the guardsmen positioning around us while the nursemaid and Lady Mirel followed a little from behind.

I don't recall the entire name of Prince Kain, I just call him as how he introduced himself. He's actually eight years old now but he stood high only similar to that of a five years old child. In short, he's very small for his age. But from how he talks and acts gives justice to his height— pure innocence.

He slowly pulls his hand from me impassively to rub an eye with his fist and then returns to hold my hand back again. His curly red wine hair is neatly combed in one side while the rest freely dangles just above his eyes, running around in the same length to the back of his head in a regular boy cut with a neatly shaved ends by his nape line. And aside from having downturned eyes, they're also deep set with the color of olive green, in contrast with a pure blood like Nora which was a brilliant green similar to a lush prairie.

But whenever light hits his eyes, it somehow gives a brilliant hue that's why he's usually mistaken as a pure blood in spite of himself.

After walking for several minutes in silence. Prince Kain suddenly stops dead in his tracks, pulling me along into a halt as he did. "Aerra Aerra! My feet hurts. Carry me!" he grumbled, pulling his hand away from my grip and then stretches both his arms wide at me as if waiting to be lifted. His nursemaid scrambles to her feet hearing this and insisted to carry him. "Noooo! I want Aerra!!!" he complained, pulling away from her as he wore a grimace.

"Your highness, please! Lady Aerra can't carry you!" his nursemaid got down to both her knees to face him properly. "Noooo!" He wailed.

"It's okay," I sighed, "I did carry children back when I was in the deserts."

I stoop down and hooked my hands between his arms and positioned him over my arms.

He's surprisingly light.

His nursemaid looked at us appalled as if the prince had done the unthinkable. She suddenly prostrated before me and apologized repetitively.

"Don't mind her. Let's go." he says in a contented tune, wrapping both his arms around his stuffed toy now. I only gestured at Lady Mirel to assist the nursemaid to stand back up while we went on ahead.

I noticed him tensing his shoulders a bit while rubbing his face close to his warm stuffed toy. His eyes fixated beyond, showing no hint of uneasiness.

He might've felt really cold.

I took a small glance at the nursemaid over my shoulder and did notice her clothing was rather stiff amidst thick, just appropriate enough to keep her self warm. While I had cotton soft cloak and furs around the collars that can share warmth when touched.

I suppose Kain knew it will be warmer if I carried him rather than his own nursemaid.

"Cold, isn't it?" I beamed at him as he turns his eyes at me.

"You're cold?" he replied curtly, brows arched.

I shook my head, shifting him a bit higher in place as I answered, "Not really but the weather is cold, don't you agree?"

He stared at his stuff toy for a moment.

"Kyupo is warm." he says and then stretching the toy's arm around my neck, he added, "You can have him."

Awed, I drew him close to me and thanked him. "Thank you! But Kyupo prefers you better so keep him for me."

"You don't like it?" He cocks his head to the side, studying me.

"It's the opposite," I chuckled, "He likes you better so don't mind me."

"You think Kyupo feels that way?"

I nodded. "Yes. He likes you. See?" I took an arm of the stuffed toy and tapped it against Kain's nose gently.

Kain takes the toy away from me and held it by its ear. "Useless toy..." he says in a grimace. "Kyupo is bad. He should only do what I say."

"No, he's not bad!" I blinked my eyes at him, quite taken aback at his words. This kid is—

"But do you like Kyupo?" He pushes the stuff toy closer to my face.

"Y-yes. I like Kyupo" I murmured, unsure.

Kain stared at it again for a while in silence.

"You're not suppose to....." he groaned, whispering under his breath.

Suddenly he holds it only by its one arm and tossed it to the floor. I halted and turned to it. "Guards! Cut Kyupo's head off— now!" he demanded in a flat tone, pointing a finger at the toy. His sweet innocent voice sounded a little different now.

Without hesitation, one of the guards immediately swung his sword down across the stuff toy, separating its head from its body. Cotton like materials scattered from it, as if joining the scene of falling snow seen from beyond the windows.

"Let's go." says Kain with his usual sweet voice as he shifts around and sat comfortably over my arms, turning back to look ahead.

What.the.heck—?!

I eyed Kain as he just eyed me back with his usual sweet and innocent face and natural imploring eyes. "Let's go now, Aerra." he repeated as he yawns and rubs at his eyes, nonchalantly. Then smiles at me sheepishly when he realized I'm still at lost for words. "It's alright. Kyupo won't bother us any longer. Don't worry. It's just you and me now."

"....."

The second prince who is two years younger than me,

which I carry right now in my arms,

—I thought to myself as I went on walking onwards,

and who is as small as a five years old...

seems to be having some yandere tendencies

Or sadism...

Maybe both?