Side Story:
Serafina Gets Hit on by Sirius While Incognito
(THREE HUNDRED YEARS AGO)
POPULARITY POLL: 1ST - SIRIUS ULYSSES
THIS IS A STORY from when I was sixteen.
As I paced through the royal castle, I encountered two of my knights. I smiled at their casual attire. “Canopus, Scheat, shall we be off then?”
“As you wish,” Canopus said after a beat.
Scheat didn’t reply, instead attempting to halt Canopus. “What are you doing, Canopus?! You don’t have to go along with your master’s every whim! If anything, a proper knight would know when it’s appropriate to push back!”
The bickering intensified from there.
Oh dear, I thought, but this was common enough that I allowed things to play out. Surprisingly, Canopus raised his voice.
“In that case, why don’t you chide her?!”
“W-well…”
“Don’t force something onto me just because you can’t do it yourself!”
“…Ngh.”
I had planned to explore the capital incognito with Canopus and Scheat. I wanted to hide my status and see witness life organically, but it was too dangerous to go alone, so I brought Canopus, my personal knight, and Scheat, a member of my royal guard.
The three of us had changed into commoner clothing and were about to head out when the bickering started. The argument ended soon enough in Scheat’s defeat, and I figured we’d be on our way, but then he turned his pleading on me.
“Lady Serafina, won’t you please reconsider?”
“Huh? Are two knights not enough?” I only called for two because a large entourage of muscular men would draw too much attention, but maybe I needed more?
He shook his head. “No, I can guarantee Canopus and I are more than enough to keep you safe, but great dangers lurk in this world! If Captain Sirius ever discovers you snuck out with only two knights guarding you, there will be hell to pay!”
Scheat’s red and yellow hair made him gaudy. He was tall, blessed with a muscular physique, and could count himself among the strongest of my royal guard—yet he was always unreasonably afraid of Sirius.
“Oh Scheat, you goof. Sirius wouldn’t get worked up over something like this. Well, okay, he might have to pretend to get mad given his position as captain of my royal guard, but he wouldn’t actually get mad.”
“Aaaah! I can’t believe you’re being serious right now! You don’t get it! You seriously don’t get it!” He clutched his head and curled his massive body into a ball.
I smiled wryly and faced the large mirror. I was wearing a simple dress fit for a commoner, as well as a black wig. No way Sirius would be able to tell I was Princess Serafina. As for my knights, Scheat wore some super gaudy-looking clothes, and Canopus dressed in vivid colors. Neither looked anything like a knight. No one would see through our disguises. Scheat’s fears were entirely unfounded.
“You’re usually so confident, Scheat, but you become a worrywart the moment Sirius gets involved. Since you kept complaining, I specifically waited for a day he was out of the capital on business, so there’s nothing to worry about.”
“The fact that you’re involved at all is cause for worry! Captain Sirius is mind-bogglingly sharp when it comes to you! I’ve looked at our plan dozens of times and can say with utter confidence that it’s perfect and there’s no way Captain Sirius will find out about us…and yet he absolutely will! Because that’s just who he is!”
Scheat contradicted himself amid his own rambling. I glanced at Canopus, hoping he might talk some sense into Scheat.
Canopus’s mouth was a hard, thin line. “Scheat’s claim is without basis and holds no weight. However, I agree that Captain Sirius will find out about this sooner or later.”
“Oh my…” Now even Canopus was talking nonsense, but it wasn’t like I could cancel my plan because of baseless hunches. I smiled at my knights and said, “Then we better have as much fun as we can before he catches on.”