A royal page stepped in holding a slim, red box with the seal of House Orlean.
"A delivery from Duke Altair, Your Highness."
Evelisse gasped. "He sent a thing?"
Inside was a small charm, carved from darkwood and polished with care. It was a sword, no longer than her thumb, with tiny runes etched along the hilt.
A note was tied to it with silver thread.
"To my fiercest dance partner. May this blade ward off dessert thieves and rogue tiaras."
She squealed. "I’ll love this forever."
"Tell no one," Altair’s note continued. "I have a reputation to maintain."
Evelisse clutched the charm to her chest. "Marta. I must find a chain. Imdiately. This is now my Royal Knight Token. My trusty Fluffball(Fluffy) shall carry it during missions."
From her sleeve, Fluffy peeked out. "That’s a lot of responsibility, princess. Do I get hazard pay?"
’Nope,’ she whispered. ’You get honor. And cookies.’
"Acceptable."
Seraphina leaned over and gently fixed a wayward curl from Evelisse’s wild hair. "He’s never sent anyone a gift before, you know."
"He smiled too," Aldric added. "Twice. Might have been a record."
Evelisse bounced in her seat. "This is the *best* aftermath day ever."
♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡
Evelisse humd happily to herself as her parents finally left the room with Marta in tow. The door closed with a quiet *click*, leaving behind the faint scent of her mother’s rose perfu and the comforting cinnamon warmth of her father’s breakfast tea.
She stood in the middle of her room like a victorious squirrel princess surveying her kingdom.
"Behold," Evelisse announced to Snugglewuff and Fluffy, hands on hips, "the battlefield has cleared. It is now playti."
Snugglewuff barked and wagged his tail, clearly in support.
Her hair swayed as she skipped to her tall oval mirror, her feet light on the velvet rug. She leaned forward, studying the tiny braid her father had made in her hair.
It sat near her temple, tied with a silvery-blue ribbon.
It shimred when the sun hit it.
"A masterpiece," she whispered. "father is secretly a hair fairy."
From her sleeve, Fluffy poked his head out and yawned. "Or he’s just a romantic dad."
’Sa thing,’ she thought with a little grin.
After admiring the braid from five different angles and giving herself a thumbs-up, Evelisse pranced toward her walk-in closet. It was more of a magical playhouse than a closet really—walls lined with fluffy dresses, sparkly robes, towers of polished shoes, and shelves dedicated entirely to doll accessories, unicorn socks, and a forbidden stash of snack puffs (which Fluffy totally didn’t care to ask about the sheer number).
She tugged on a cluster of teddy bears stacked in one corner.
They tumbled down dramatically—just how she liked it.
She planned to make a plushie parade, a proper tea party, and a small dramatic battle involving her choo-choo train and a jellybean heist.
But sothing caught her eye.
A box.
A small, unmarked box tucked behind the bears.
Evelisse froze mid-squat. Her head tilted.
"...Okay."
She blinked. "That’s... new."
The box was smooth. Wrapped to hide what was underneath. No ribbon. No seal. Just sitting there like it belonged.
But it didn’t.
"Oh no," Fluffy whispered, floating to her shoulder. "This is how horror books start."
’Maybe it’s just a late gift from the ball?’ she thought.
"Do not open that here," Fluffy warned. "That’s villain gift 101."
’But what if it’s cookies?’
"Then they’re cursed cookies."
"Still delicious," Evelisse muttered.
Snugglewuff sniffed the air and whimpered, then sneezed.
Even he looked suspicious.
She frowned at the box. It was just sitting there, all mysterious and not sparkly.
That was the worst kind of box.
But still... curiosity was a sneaky noodle.
’I require adultier adults,’ she thought.
She backed out of the closet slowly and patted her dress flat, pretending nothing happened. The gift sat untouched. For now.
Marching with purpose (and definitely not panic), Evelisse pulled open her bedroom door.
The two guards stationed there snapped to attention.
"Your Highness," said Sir Derin, bowing. He wore polished armor that squeaked slightly whenever he moved. His partner, Da Rilla, gave a soft smile.
Evelisse folded her hands behind her back. "Good morning, Sir Derin, Da Rilla."
"Bright as the sun, aren’t you, Your Highness?" Rilla chuckled.
[♡ Affection Points Increased: 10 (from palace guards)]
[Total points accumulated: 3570♡]
"I had a very polite question," Evelisse said sweetly, batting her lashes just a tiny bit. "It’s not urgent. It’s not weird. It’s just... curious."
Both guards leaned in instinctively.
"So..." she continued, "did anyone go into my room last night while I was at the ball? Maybe a maid? A ssenger? Soone delivering a present?"
Derin straightened, puffing out his chest. "Aside from Lady Marta and the evening maid rotation, no, Princess. We checked and cleared all servants, and no guests were permitted to wander the residential wing without escort."
Rilla added, "We guard your door in shifts, and everyone is searched except your family."
"Ohhh," Evelisse said, nodding solemnly. "That’s very safe. Extrely protective. I feel super secure. Like a pancake wrapped in armor."
The guards exchanged amused looks.
She curtsied politely. "Thank you for your answer. I shall now... return to princess business."
She tiptoed backward into her room, closing the door slowly like a suspicious librarian returning a cursed book to its shelf.
She turned.
The box was still there.
Waiting.
’Fluffy?’ she whispered.
The sparkle fox floated into view, arms crossed. "We do this carefully. No weird poking, touching, sniffing, licking, or licking ."
’Fine, but why would I want to lick you?’
"..."
She grabbed a velvet cushion and sat cross-legged in the middle of the room. Fluffy plopped beside her. Snugglewuff settled behind them, a protective fluff ball.
The box sat in front of them.
"You touch it first," Fluffy muttered.
’You’re the magical one!’ Evelisse protested.
"Yeah, and I’d like to stay that way."
She squinted at the box.
Then poked it.
It didn’t explode.
’...Maybe it’s socks?’ she offered. ’Or a puzzle. I love puzzles.’
"Or a tracking device from a shadow cult."
’...Optimism, Fluffy. Where did your optimism go?’
"It’s always been there, princess!"
Slowly, slowly, she peeled away the cloth covering it.
Underneath: a wooden box.
Smooth. Simple. Light.
No hinges. Just a sliding lid.
She slid it open.
Inside—
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