IT WAS A WONDERFUL day and the ladies are having a walk around the palace as nas guides them around. "oh my! the palace is alluring. if i were to live here, i would rather stay inside my whole life." a lady named beatrice said.

"indeed, especially when they have a lot of food in here," yua said as she ate her cookie. the girls stopped walking and looked at yua as she also looked at them nervously. "did i do something?"

"no! we apologise, lady yua. it's just that you rarely talk to us so we just got shocked." lady clarise said. 

"oh my! you see… yua only talks when the topic is all about food." valkyria said as the other ladies giggled. 

"is that so? then lady yua, what do you like to eat the most?" elizabeth asked the white-haired girl. "i like medium steak." 

"we have the same taste! i can invite you sometimes if you want to have some medium steak." lady mary said.

"it's quite alright… i already have a lot of them at my home." she mumbled because she was not interested in talking to lady golding. the ladies kept exploring as they saw athanasia having a tea party with her companions. 

"hm? oh, sister! how are you?" athanasia greeted her.

"i'm quite alright. we were just passing by. did i perhaps ruin your party?" nas said as the ladies shook their heads.

"not at all, your highness! we were just talking about how handsome his majesty and sir felix are!" a lady named estine said.

"is that so? may we join you? i'm quite interested in that topic." antanasia said as the ladies agreed.

"of course your highness!"

"greetings your highness my name is helena of marquess house irain." 

"ah yes, i did see you in my sister's debutante, you are gorgeous in that dress." 

"i'm jennette margarita. we already met, right, your highness?"  jennette smiled at her.

"indeed we have." 

athanasia looked at them confused. "what do you mean by that sister?" she asked.

"i met her in the alpheus house as i was visiting." she said as she took a sip of her tea. "i got lost so she helped me get back to the house." 

"she's the one who kept looking at us on the ball right?" valkyria said as jennette turned red.

"oh, you're right!" akari said.

"i'm sorry for my rudeness. i didn't mean to stare at your friends." jennette said embarrassed at what she had done.

"it's alright, the past is past," valkyria said as she fanned herself.

"that reminds me, the princess danced with ijekiel right?" 

"i saw that too! he was asking the princess for the next dance!"

"ijekiel with the princess?" jennette asked.

"you two looked like a scene from a fairy tale!"

"what was it like, your highness?" 

athanasia looked at them then smiled. "i was honestly surprised. i never expected to be asked to dance by the son of house alpheus." 

"you two are rather the centre at the ball that time i was quite surprised, to be honest," nas said as she took a sip of her juice.

"your highness, are you perhaps interested in drinking some tea?" a friend of her younger sister asked.

"not at all and i also don't quite know why i don't like the taste of tea." 

"i see."

"nas only drinks milk or juice whenever we have a tea party," akari said to the others.

"well, she's more of a child than her younger sister." valkyria teased her friend as they started arguing again.

"i apologise for those two, they're just always like that." yua and akari said as the others just looked at them nervously.

"they're so close to each other…" lady beatrice said while smiling.

"us? close? i beg to differ from lady beatrice but we're not close as you see." nas said as val looked at her betrayed.

"i'm sorry but what? how dare you say we're not close when we've been friends for at least two years now." valkyria said as she looked at nas.

"wow, i didn't know you still remember how long our friendship is." nas teased the purple-haired girl.

"you little-!" 

the others just look at them laughing at the scene that is happening in front of them enjoying their time as they talk till dusk.

"did you two have fun?" claude asked his two lovely daughters. 

"i had fun daddy! i would like to host again soon." athy said.

"it was great…" 

claude stopped his work then looked at his first daughter. 

"are you alright antanasia?" 

nas quickly looked at him then smiled. "of course dad! why did you ask?"

".... nothing." he said then started working again.

"i see." she said as the atmosphere was too awkward so athy decided to break it.

"sister, i heard that lady valkyria has a fiance," athy said as nas looked at her in shock.

"how did you know? only a few people know that."  athanasia looked at her confused. "what do you mean? the girls were talking about that though." 

"who said that?" 

"i think her name was lady mary!" she said as nas looked at her then sighed.

"of course that girl." she said while shaking her head.

"is something wrong?" athy looked at her sister worried.

"not at all. but, indeed, she is already engaged to a prince in where she lives." 

"that's awesome! i would love to be engaged soon too!" athy said as nas smiled at her. "i'm sure you'll find someone who will love and cherish you." 

"how about you nas? would you also be engaged to someone soon?" nas looked at her wide eyes then smiled. "why of course since it's part of our lives to be with someone we will love for eternity." she said as athy smiled widely.

"i'm sure you'll also find someone who will love you for eternity." the two laughed as claude just looked at them smiling for a bit.

the atmosphere was now filled with laughter and happiness but they know that the happiness that is happening to them will always not be forever…

─────────────────────

IT IS A LOVELY DAY for the two princesses walking to the main palace with their knight behind them. "princess, it's dangerous to walk that fast. please go a bit slower..." the redhead knight warned the second princess.

athanasia turned around and spoke. "but the knight of crimson blood will arrive in shining armour to save me before i fall, won't he?" she smiled at him as nas giggled a bit.

"indeed. the knight of crimson blood will be there to save my dear little sister won't he?" nas teased the redhead. felix avoided their eye contact as his face turned red like his hair. 

"won't you, my knight of the crimson blood?" athy teased him. "you have no idea how honoured i am to have the knight of the crimson blood as my personal guard." she said as felix blushed in embarrassment.

"wow. flames of passion redder than blood! a fiery heart bursting from the harsh, jagged ice!" nas said as she dramatically raised her hands.

"from now on i will count on you and you alone, dear knight of the crimson blood," athy said as she smiled at him then continued walking with her older sister.

"you two are too cruel princesses…" felix said as he looked at the ground as the two chuckled. 

the two girls are in their father's room as athy looks at him sleeping peacefully.

"why does dad always sleep on the couch?" athy questions her older sister who is reading a book. 

"i do not know, but he looks so tired lately." she said as she took another book beside her. 

"... daddy," athy tried waking her father up.

then suddenly athy thought something. she put a flower on his hair on the right side of his ear as she was about to put the other flower claude grabbed her hand then glared at her. athy gets startled at what he did as she backs away a little.

"daddy, i just thought the flower looked nice, if you wear one, you'll be like that boy flower…" athy explained as nas in the background is trying not to laugh.

"i mean, a flower boy…. no, i mean…!" 

"athanasia," claude called her.

"y… yeah?"

"it was you." 

'he… he wasn't fully awake?' athanasia thought.

claude sighed then sat up. "why are you staring at me like that?" 

"you look beautiful right now dad," nas said as she smiled at him.

athy looked at her then started shaking her head then looked at her father again. "because you look handsome even when you've just woken up, dad." 

"you two… don't be silly… felix. ask the maids to bring tea and juice." claude ordered.

felix opens the door. "yes your majesty… gah?!" felix screamed as athy and nas looked at him silently.

"what's the matter?" claude questions the knight.

"the f...flower." felix said as nas and athy shook their heads behind their dad. "...s are quite enchanting." claude turned around and saw athy holding flowers. "should we put them in a vase by the window?  i think it would be good for them to get some sunlight." 

"they smell nice too. smell them, dad." athy suggested as she handed the flowers to him. "oh, it's lapliea season already?" claude questions as he looks at the flowers.

"yes, lapliea flowers suit you well, your majesty," felix said as he smiled at them. "you three are talking nonsense today, i see." he said as he looked at them one by one. "ask the maids to bring a vase with the tea and juice."

"yes, your majesty." 

nas walked behind her dad then hugged him. "dad, didn't you say that my mother also likes lapliea flowers?" she said as claude glanced at her.

"i did say that when you were still little. your mother loves lapliea flowers so much that she always picks them then puts them in the vase." he said as athy sat beside him.

"d...dad… you must be really tired today. you should get some proper sleep in bed. doesn't sleeping on the couch make your back hurt?" athy said.

"indeed… sleep is important no matter how busy you are," nas said as she slowly took the flowers in his dad's ear.

athy looked at her then talked to their dad. "b… by the way, isn't it dangerous to have no one guarding the entrance to your bedroom?" claude moved his face slightly as nas failed to get the flower.

"no need to worry. if someone approaches me with the intention of harm, they'll be ripped to shreds." claude said as athy shivered at what he said.

"w– what does that…?" 

"it's a protection spell. it's made to kill someone painfully if they intend to kill me and come within a certain distance. didn't you know?" he said to his daughters.

"there's a similar spell on you two as well, so you two don't have to worry about getting stabbed in your sleep." 

"s— since when…?" 

"i can't recall. it was so long ago."

"so that's why there's a dead body beside me when i woke up," nas said as she put a hand on her chin. athy looked at her shocked as claude looked at her too. "when was that? how come i didn't get an announcement about that." 

"i was the one who said not to report it to you because you're too busy to do anything about it," nas said as she rubbed her neck.

"are you alright sister?" 

"of course i am! it's nothing that hard." nas scoffed as she could feel some fierce eyes behind her back. "please stop staring like that to me dad." 

"you should have reported it to me because your life was in danger." he said in a stern tone.

"yes… yes…. i will do that in the future." 

suddenly a knock was heard. "your majesty."

"come in." 

athanasia and nas hugged him tightly as nas took the flower successfully this time. "take a walk with us after we have tea!" athy said. 

"i guess i have no choice." he said as nas and athy kissed his cheek. 

"thank you, daddy!" they said as nas threw the flower on the floor.

"settle down."

"okie dokie!" 

─────────────────────

"i'm inviting you guys to go to my party in the castina empire as a celebration of my engagement with the crown prince." valkyria said as she put the cards on the table. 

"i don't think dad would allow me to go outside anymore, and the castina empire is quite far from the obelian empire so i'm not that sure if dad would allow me to go." antanasia spoke out as she ate the cookie.

"that is not fair… how come i always come here whenever i want even though the castina empire is far from the obelian empire." valkyria said as she sulked in her seat. 

"you do know that nas is the crown princess here and she has a lot of work to do now," akari said as she took a sip of her tea.

"i do know that but that party of mine is very special for me and i want my friends to be there…" val said as she avoided eye contact with them.

"i'm also not sure if i'll be able to come there… i'm not a noble or a royal like you four." royin said to them.

"we could just buy you a title if you want," yua said as she ate her 8th steak.

"i don't want to burden you guys," royin said. 

"then… akari?" 

"as the crown princess knight, i can't come if she's also not coming," akari said. 

valkyria looks at them then sighed. "it's quite alright i guess… i cannot do anything if you guys don't want to come." nas looks at royin and akari then sighed. "i'll try to talk about this to dad and try to finish all my work so i can come to your special party." 

valkyria looks at her then smiles. "you'll do that? i'm happy! you're now my favourite friend." she said as she hugged nas. "that means akari will be coming and so are you, royin." 

akari and royin sighed. "i guess we have no choice." 

"don't worry, the castina empire is quite fascinating. i'm sure that you three will enjoy staying there." yua said as she finished her 10th steak.

"i have never been there but i'm sure it's beautiful there. a break would not hurt at all." nas said.

"i also would like to introduce you to my fiance! i'm sure that he'll like you three a lot!" valkyria said. 

"crown prince eric?" 

val nodded her head. "yes, him! he's a nice person. i'm sure that you'll get along with him."

"another royalty? are you sure that he'll get along with a commoner like me?" royin asked.

"he also has a secretary who is a commoner though… so i'm sure he won't mind that at all."

"it's weird." 

"what's weird nas?" akari asked. 

she looked at the bluenette. "i feel like i'm forgetting something important but i can't recall it at all," nas said as she put her hand on her forehead.

"i'm sure that you'll remember it tomorrow so don't push yourself too much right now," royin said to his friend.

"i hope so…" 

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fun facts about royin

001. despite royin's personality, he has a soft spot when it comes to cats.

002. he is pansexual.

003. he has a sweet tooth that sometimes he and nas fight about it.

004. he is very clueless when it comes to relationships.

005. even if royin is not scared about swords he is not a fan of needles.

006. he originally wants to be a bard, but life isn't fair and it's also not suitable for his face and body.