And now, just as I’d planned, Sirius was gently petting Ludo.
This wasn’t the outcome I was expecting, though. I’d been so sure that the knights would be pleasantly surprised by Sirius’s kindness and start commending him, and all I’d have to do was nod and say things like “Right? Isn’t that amazing?!” But no one was saying anything about how nice Sirius was at all. I had no choice—I had to go over the top in singing his praises.
I clapped my hands together, a huge smile on my face. “Look closely, everyone! Sirius is petting that puppy so skillfully! Isn’t he kind? So very kind, indeed! Aww! He usually seems a little intimidating, but seeing him with that puppy must mean he’s actually suuuuper kind!”
The knights looked down at me, their expressions strained. “Princess Serafina, please regain your composure. Being kind means showing compassion to those who are weak or unable fend for themselves. The vice-commander is training that monster to be his minion so that he can use it to punish us! There’s nothing kind about that!” Scheat rebutted, but there was one thing he said that didn’t sit right with me.
Just to make sure there wasn’t something wrong with his eyes, I asked, “You said he wanted a minion…but that’s just a small dog.”
“That’s not a dog, it’s a fenrir!”
When the three of them spoke up in unison, I was a little surprised by how perfectly coordinated their response was. It was almost like they’d intentionally planned to say it at it exactly the same time.
“Well, that might technically be true, but right now, Ludo’s not much different from a puppy.”
As I said that, all the knights fell to their knees with their heads in their hands.
“Ah, yes. She’s unconventional in this regard.”
“From the very start, it was the princess who wanted to keep that black monster. No way our common-sense opinions are going to get through to someone who sees a black fenrir as a pet.”
“Just how are we supposed to handle this?”
They were whispering among themselves in low voices so I couldn’t hear, which was usually what happened when they had less-than-kind things to say.
My initial thought was, Isn’t that a little rude considering I’m right here? But then I reminded myself that these things happen sometimes. I would need to be the bigger person and let it slide. Besides, I needed to focus on carrying out my plan to make them realize that Sirius was actually nice.
“You know,” I said, staring at the knights with my hands on my hips, “my tutor said that if you want to understand someone’s kindness, you need to have that same kindness inside you to begin with. If you can’t see how clearly nice Sirius is, then maybe you’re the ones lacking in kindness.”
After exchanging glances for a moment, the knights nodded as if they agreed.
“You’re absolutely right, Princess! The vice-commander’s kindness and ours are completely different types. That’s why we can’t make heads or tails of it!”
“It’s the same thing as saying, ‘A little bunny can’t understand the kindness of a lion.’”
I didn’t quite get the comparisons that Scheat and Miaplacidus were trying to make, but what they were saying was convincing enough that it made me pause and think.
“So, you don’t understand how Sirius is kind, but you do understand that he is kind?”
The knights looked visibly unsettled when they heard that, and they started whispering among themselves out of my earshot again.
“Uh, according to the princess, we’ve all just agreed that we think Vice-Commander Sirius is kind.”
“Well, he’s unmistakably kind to her, that’s why she’s got it in her head that he treats us the same way.”
“If we don’t go along with this, it could drag on forever.”
I could see that they’d all nodded in agreement, so it seemed like they’d reached a conclusion. All the knights stood tall and said as one, “You’re absolutely right!!!”
Although it took them a while to discuss it, the fact that they all made the same statement simultaneously was likely evidence that they genuinely believed it.
What a relief! I beamed happily, knowing I had finally gotten across to them just how kind Sirius was.
“I was really worried because everyone thought he had an ‘eternally icy’ demeanor, even though he’s such a nice person. I’m so relieved that my knights are finally able to see his true self.”
“Right…”
Scheat, Fackt, and Miaplacidus agreed in unison again, but this time their tone was oddly subdued.
Even though I thought that was a bit out of character for them, the misunderstanding appeared to be cleared up, so I decided not to dwell on it too much. I looked up at them, thinking it was time to move to the next phase of my plan.
“So, it seems like the saints in the Saint Knight Brigade also have the misconception that Sirius is a cold person. Next time you see them, I hope you’ll let them know all about Sirius’s act of kindness.”
“Understood!” the knights chorused, quickly snapping to attention. “We’ll be sure to let them know that Vice-Commander Sirius was patting the head of an elite monster!”
“Will that really do the trick?” I asked. “Wouldn’t it be better to say puppy instead of ‘elite monster’?”
“Information should be conveyed accurately! We’ll say that the vice-commander was patting the head of a ‘juvenile elite monster’!”
“All right, if that’s the phrasing you think would work best! Hee hee. I hope that they understand just how nice Sirius is.” I smiled, hoping the knights would agree with me, but I was met with silence.
Even though I’d picked up on something a bit off about the knights’ responses today, I figured it was better to just let it go. With that, Scheat, Fackt, Miaplacidus, and I left the garden.