💕 💕 💕
THE clock’s hands pointed squarely at noon, and the cathedral’s bells let out a blessed toll. I’d waited anxiously for nearly an hour, but that sound was enough for me to straighten my posture. Moments later, the doors of the parlor opened, and a lady-in-waiting let Elizabeth inside.
“Good day to you, Prince Vincent, Prince Leohardt.”
“It’s a pleasure to see you again,” I replied courteously.
“A pleasure indeed,” Leohardt echoed.
She curtsied politely to us—not just me, unfortunately. Lars’ snow-white head peered out from behind her back. While she exchanged greetings with Harold, I snatched the diminutive dragon up by the wings and peeled him off Elizabeth’s dress.
It had been a full month since Elizabeth’s last visit. Settling matters after our return from Orion took longer than anyone expected. I’d mulled over how best to invite her to the palace for weekly visits, as we had arranged during her magic studies, but fortunately, she was eager to accept. Now there was nothing to distract us, particularly given that Lady Lecia was happily reunited with Prince Malius.
Now we can finally go on dates!
I’d long dreamed of expertly escorting her around the palace, but we’d only been able to do so once. This time, I wanted to spare no expense in making Elizabeth swoon.
Unfortunately, given our current entourage, that would be impossible. Leohardt was sticking to me to an irritating degree, and Lars didn’t even consider that I might want time alone with my fiancée. Given their respective status, I couldn’t order them removed by the guards either. It seemed like we’d have a third and fourth wheel with us.
While I was busy lamenting the loss of our privacy, Leohardt struck up a bit of small talk with Elizabeth. Lars struggled free of my hold, landing heavily on the ground before scampering to the hem of Elizabeth’s skirt and rubbing his cheek against her.
“Grmraow?” he chirped, showing off his pearly-white fangs in the process.
What are you, a real cat now? What happened to that cutesy growl you used to have?
While I stared slack-jawed at him, he rolled over on the marble floor, exposing his porcelain underbelly and letting out a growl that sounded unmistakably like a purr.
“Not now, Lord Lars,” she chided him. “I’m in the middle of talking with Prince Leohardt.”
She lowered her hand towards him, and Lars eagerly stood back up, arching his back so that she could reach him more easily. Elizabeth scritched behind his horns as she talked with Leohardt.
What’s with that practiced hand? You’d think she’s been petting him like that continuously this past month. What happened between them? He’s not starting to win her favor, is he?!
He continued with his bleating mews and purrs as she petted him.
To begin with, she only called him a cat in the spur of the moment to allay suspicions. I never imagined he would truly become her pet. I was baffled that virtually every person Elizabeth met was taken with her so easily.
Leohardt attempted to take her hand, but at that moment, Lars reared up and hissed at him. “Lady Elizabeth,” he said, ignoring Lars, “I’ve decided to stay in this country for a while. I’ve much to learn at your side, just like Lecia changed by leaps and bounds with—”
“Oh, that’s right!” she interrupted him. “She sent me a letter the other day, along with a great number of her family’s famous pumpkins!” Luckily, Elizabeth seemed oblivious to Leohardt’s attempts to woo her. The pumpkins excited her more. “She’s formally engaged to Prince Malius now, isn’t she? I’m so very happy for them! She told me they would be announcing it publicly as soon as you returned home.”
Her words stabbed Leohardt’s heart like arrows.
So Lady Lecia keeps in touch with her, then?
It made sense—Elizabeth helped her out a great deal, and they were both future queens. They surely had much to share.
As an aside, Lady Lecia and Prince Malius weren’t waiting for Leohardt’s return—rather, they knew his continued “study abroad” was his attempt to avoid the celebrations altogether, but they couldn’t hold the ball without him. It was a sore subject for him. He had gone so far as to apply for a second semester at the Academy, and my parents were quite troubled by it.
Leohardt’s gaze drifted across the room, his expression tensing. Elizabeth’s obliviousness to such matters held strong, as she seemed perplexed by his reaction. She expected him to be overjoyed, given all the work he’d gone through to bring the couple together.
I closed my eyes, reminiscing on the soul-crushing days when she’d give me the same infuriatingly dense treatment. Her impenetrable defense was the best offense.
Lars looked up at Leohardt with a hint of confusion. He also had a history of not being noticed by her. Being her pet was likely his best and only chance at genuine happiness.
“You’ll be there, won’t you, Elizabeth?” I chimed in. “With me, of course.”
I couldn’t, in good conscience, let the conversation continue uninhibited. Leohardt glanced at me, then at Elizabeth. That was all it took for me to decipher his intent.
It was surprisingly perfect. All Leohardt wanted was her forgiveness. He wanted her to forgive him for enveloping us and our kingdom in his scheme. If she did so, he would feel accepted by Prince Malius himself. She was virtually identical to his brother in her honesty and kindness. Elizabeth didn’t see any reason to forgive him in the first place, though—she wasn’t upset by her forced involvement in his ploy, and she’d barely registered his feelings in the first place. That was, again, a trait she shared with Prince Malius.
“You need to tell her,” I advised him. “Especially if it means so much to you.”
Since they were essentially from different worlds, she would never understand unless he told her directly.