Chapter 06

Under The Night's Aegis

Chapter 06 - S1

"Kaiser, I wanna try that one! It looks fun!" Astrid told the knight, having both of her hand clutch with excitement all over her features.

Kaiser let out a sigh. This is the nth time that he heard of that line. It was like babysitting a kid when being with the enthusiastic princess of Aurelia. It seems like she never runs out of energy. Perhaps… she really doesn't run out of it.

Astrid pulls Kaiser with him as she approaches the stall. She puts her hands on her cheeks as she tries to decide what she should get from the snacks. Oh dear! There's nothing more hard to decide for her than deciding what food to take.

She turned to look at Kaiser, wanting to ask him for advice but his eyes were somewhere. Astrid followed the knight's gaze, seeing Samuel with her other companions earlier approaching them.

"You little stubborn princess! Do you know how worried and stressed we were when we couldn't find you? It's a good thing that Duke Kaiser is with you and that you're not lost. Goodness! You'll be the reason of my death, Astrid!"

"It'll an honor to be the reason of your d-" 

Astrid ceased herself from speaking when she felt a warm arm snaking around her waist. Astrid felt a tingle of goosebumps breakout all over her body as she froze. She closed her eyes for a bit, trying to collect herself and not get distracted by his hands caressing her belly in a gentle way.

Cadmus snickered, noticing the princess' reaction as the others looked at him with confusion. He only shrugged his shoulders, not wanting to embarrass the emperial princess.

Astrid gritted her teeth before harshly removing Kaiser's arms around her waist. She flashed a glare at the duke, with her face flustered at what he did, he only gave her a playful smirk as a reply from her glare.

"We must return to the castle now. The sun is already setting, Astrid let us go and have you rest." Kaiser reached his hand out for Astrid to hold. Astrid was contemplating wether she should accept it or not. "Astrid, come now."

Astrid hesitantly accepted his hand which had Kaiser's smile, feeling the warmth it gave him. They walked towards the carriage while holding hands, and went inside the castle like that.

When they reached Astrid's room, the princess quickly took her hand away from him and entered her bedroom. As she closed the door behind her, the princess started to gather her thoughts and sat on the couch. She began to feel a wave of exhaustion wash over her as she sat on the couch, putting everything she bought on the small table in front of it. And when she leaned back on the couch, she started to feel her lids rather getting heavy.

Before she knew it, her eyes had closed, allowing herself to drift in a deep slumber.

Astrid's eyes slowly flutter open, having the moon outside her window as the first thing she saw. It was shining bright along with the stars, it was so beautiful to look at that she couldn't help but stare at it. Until she heard the door open from her room.

"You're awake now, I see." 

Astrid's face turned to the person in front of her door. Kaiser stood there, wearing a dress shirt and pants. His hair was wet, indicating he took a bath before coming to the princess' room. His bangs from his wolf cut hair almost hindered his beautiful green eyes from showing yet it shined. He combed his hair back using his hand, making Astrid stare at his eyes.

Kaiser walked towards her, yet Astrid didn't move an inch from her position, finding it hard to do so as she feels lazy even after just waking up in the middle of the night.

"Why are you here and not in your room? It is improper to enter a lady's room uninvited, Duke Kaiser Exequiel."

"I'm not gonna do anything bad to you. I'm just gonna be here at the couch doing paperworks to watch over you because of yesterday's event."

"Alright..."

Astrid remembered the time when this man visited, more of like sneaked, on her room in the middle of the night to see how she was doing. He even read her a book. One corner of her lips went up before closing her eyes once again, drifting into sleep.

Kaiser took off his glass from his eyes before standing up, walking towards the sleeping beauty on the bed. He stood beside her, staring at her face. There was this urge of him wanting to touch the woman's face and so he did. He carefully graze his fingertip on the princess' cheeks and other parts of her features. The princess' face twitched, with that Kaiser quickly stopped. He groaned and took a chair placing it beside the princess.

Astrid strides towards the dining hall, feeling her stomach growling first thing in the morning. 

"Your highness! What brings you here early in the morning? Does the lord know that you're here, your highness?" one of the maids asked.

Astrid, with still sleepy eyes looked at her and smiled. "I'm famished. I'd like to eat breakfast here, are there foods that are already cooked?" she asked.

"Yes, your highness. But since the dawn has yet to arrive, we have only baked bread and soup. Would those be okay for you, your highness?"

Astrid nodded her head and gave a thumbs up at the maid before pulling a seat. She's still groggy, her eyelids felt heavy but her stomach is churning, wanting it to be filled with foods. 

As soon as Astrid's food arrived the door swung open, entering it was Kaiser who was asleep in a chair at her room earlier. Astrid didn't notice him as her eyes focused on the food that's in front of her. Even if Kaiser's eyes bore to her as she eats, the princess was oblivious of it. Kaiser smiled at the woman, his hand flinched trying to stop himself from striding towards her to give her a warm pat on her head. 

He watched Astrid stuff the food inside her mouth and her cheeks getting chubby as she puts food in her mouth. It was a sight to behold for Kaiser as he finds Astrid terribly adorable.

When Astrid finished her meal, she got up to leave the table, that's when she had noticed a pair of eyes on her. Turning to look, she saw the man staring at her with a smile on his face, eyes sparkling with joyous admiration. Astrid rolled her eyes at the sight of the man before her. 

"A pleasant morning, Kaiser."

"How was the food? It seems to be your liking for you to stuff your mouth like it's gonna disappear."

"I did not stuff my mouth like the food's will disappear! Just what do you see me for?! Heavens! It is so early in the morning, dawn has yet to come, and you're already ruining my mood for the day!"

"I'm not ruining your mood for the day, Astrid. You could've asked one of the maids or Ava to bring your breakfast in your room."

Astrid rolled her eyes, getting annoyed at the man's nagging. She always gets nag for everything she does! Just what do they think of her? A child that needs parental guidance?! She's an adult too! AN ADULT!

'Heavens! These people seem to like giving me a headache and stress! Just why the hell is my life like this?! Argh!'

Astrid didn't answer him, instead she just left the room now wanting to argue with man no more. She doesn't want her day to be ruined. She'd rather take a bath right now, and sew new clothes with the maidens as she plans for today.

She started leaping towards her room, feeling excited. She had asked one of the maids to prepare a bath on her way. For some reason, she felt a bit safe today. It felt like there was no reason for her to put her guards up and be tense at all. A day for relaxation.

The maids noticed her good mood, and put it in their mind to make sure she is in a good mood for the whole day. 

"Ava, do you think I should wear a dress for today? What about a blue dress? Would that suit me?"

"I think a blue dress would suit you well, your highness. From what I am seeing whenever you wear your clothes, anything you wear seems to suit you, your highness."

"Thank you, Ava! I do also think any dress would suit you. What do you think about sewing new garments for you maidens here? I also think you need new dresses for the next season coming up, which is summer. I hear that Aurothoria is very much livelier when summer comes as there are so many activities that will come!"

"Yes, your highness, we often hold festivals in summer here in Aurothoria. Would you like to come down to the village when the festival starts?"

"I'd love to, Ava!"

Astrid heard a knock on the door, making her turn her head towards their with her brows slowly forming a frown as she knew who it was. The door revealed Kaiser.

Kaiser walked inside her room and went to get the papers that's on the small table in front of the sofa before striding towards Astrid and giving her apat in the head. Astrid stole a glance at Kaiser before he finally left.

Astrid's face twinkled as she saw the product of her hard work. She lifted it up and proudly showed it to Ava. They've been sewing for hours to finish the clothes they'll give to the kids at the village as per Astrid's request. She had postponed the sewing of dresses as she realized how hard it was. 

"You know Ava, I wished for the kids that lives under this empire to have a bright future."

"May I ask why your highness?"

"Because I'm the princess of this empire? I always feel that it's my duty to serve this empire and make sure it has a bright future ahead. Perhaps it was because it was what my father had told me when we were still..."

'Looking back... my father and I were quite close back then.'

Astrid whistled to call out for her pigeon. She has a letter on her hand to give to her brothers. She smiled weakly as she gave the letter to the pigeon. 

She chose to trust her brothers despite them growing apart even more as they grow. 

"Take care, make sure to deliver my letter to them safely alright?"

Victor & Vitto,

Brothers, It has been awhile since we last wrote to each other. How have you been? How is everything there in the empire? I have been enjoying my time here in Kaiser's land, there's so many things here to do that kept me in company.

I haven't received a news from your place, I am starting to grow worried. Is something happening there? Have you known what happened to me along out journey on the way here in Aurothoria? I haven't received a letter from you since I left the palace empire.

I am writing this letter to you to give you a warning because of the incident around the time where we are taking out journey towards Aurothoria. I am grateful to have survived unscathed as the now missed it's target. I have also noticed days ago that the arrow that was shot towards me was the same arrow that was shot at our mother. I will be more careful and train more to not give you trouble, please do notice if something if happening in the empire. And please do be careful as you might be their next target.

I wish you good health, your highness and the 2nd prince, my brothers. I had hope that you both are happy doing your duties in the palace empire.

Your dearest sister,

Astrid Solana Celestino De La Frontera.