I woke up with one goal for the day: do absolutely nothing.
No magic training. No lectures on how to terrify peasants. No near-death experiences involving unstable fire spells. Just , a comfortable bed, and maybe so snacks if I felt particularly ambitious.
It was a solid plan.
Unfortunately, my life rarely respected my plans.
I stretched, letting out a lazy yawn, and blinked at the morning sunlight spilling through the curtains. My room was quiet, which was unusual considering my family's habit of barging in unannounced like they were auditioning for a dramatic theater production.
[ Enjoy the silence while it lasts. Knowing your family, they're probably building a death ray or declaring war on another kingdom. ]
"Ugh, don't remind ." I swung my legs out of bed, the cool marble floor sending a shiver up my spine. "It's my day off. No drama allowed."
[ Adorable. You actually think you're going to have a peaceful day. ]
I shot a glare at the ceiling. "I will if I ignore you."
[ Sure. That always works. ]
I rolled my eyes and headed to my wardrobe, pulling on a loose tunic and soft leggings. Comfortable, casual—perfect for a day of avoiding responsibilities.
As I opened the door to my room, though, I imdiately noticed sothing odd.
The palace was… buzzing.
Servants scurried through the halls, whispering to each other with nervous energy. Fabrics, decorations, and were those balloons?were being carried past in a blur.
I frowned. "What's going on?"
[ Looks like a lot of unnecessary effort for sothing that probably involves too much glitter and not enough stabbing. ]
"Maybe there's a royal banquet or sothing." I shrugged, deciding it wasn't my problem. "Not my business."
[ Oh, this is definitely going to be your problem. ]
"Shush. I'm getting breakfast."
I wandered down to the dining hall, only to find it in complete chaos. The usual calm, orderly flow of servants bringing out food was replaced with frantic running, hushed argunts, and the unmistakable sound of soone crying in the kitchen.
One of the chefs passed by, holding a tray of what looked like elaborately decorated pastries. He nearly dropped them when he saw .
"Your Highness!" he squeaked, bowing so fast I thought he might sprain sothing.
"Uh… morning?" I offered awkwardly. "What's with all the… commotion?"
His eyes darted around nervously. "N-Nothing to concern yourself with, Princess! Just—uh—important palace matters!"
"Right." I narrowed my eyes. "Totally convincing."
He scampered off before I could question him further.
[ Smooth. Clearly no one's hiding anything. ]
"Whatever it is, I'm ignoring it." I grabbed a croissant from a passing tray and headed outside to the gardens. If I couldn't get peace inside, at least the gardens were usually empty.
Usually.
When I stepped into the garden, I found a group of maids frantically arguing over the placent of… was that a giant ice sculpture?
"Why is there an ice sculpture of a dragon?" I muttered.
[ Bold of you to assu this is the weirdest thing you'll see today. ]
One of the maids spotted and let out a tiny squeak before bowing deeply. "Your Highness! Apologies, we didn't expect you to—um—be here!"
"I live here," I pointed out flatly. "Why wouldn't I be here?"
She turned pink. "Of course, Your Highness! It's just we're very busy with preparations."
"For what?"
Her eyes widened. "N-Nothing! Nothing at all!"
[ Subtle. Very subtle. ]
I raised an eyebrow. "Okay. Sure."
The maids scattered, leaving alone with my croissant and my suspicions.
[ Want to bet on how long you'll stay out of this ss? ]
"I'm not getting involved."
[ Sure, kid. Keep telling yourself that. ]
I found a quiet corner of the garden, sat down on the grass, and took a bite of my croissant. For a mont, it was peaceful. Birds chirped, the sun was warm, and I almost forgot that my family were a bunch of tyrannical control freaks.
Almost.
Because every few minutes, soone would rush past carrying boxes of decorations, trays of desserts, or once again those weird balloons.
It was suspicious.
But not my problem.
"Today is about chilling," I muttered to myself. "No distractions."
[ I give you an hour before you start asking questions. ]
"Wrong. I'm going the whole day without getting involved."
[ Ha. ]
"Ha yourself."
An hour later, I was standing in the grand hall, arms crossed, demanding answers from a passing steward.
[ Called it. ]
"Shut up."
The steward, an older man who had seen far too much palace drama, looked like he wanted to vanish into thin air. "I—uh—there's nothing for you to worry about, Your Highness! Everything is under control!"
"That's not what I asked," I said, narrowing my eyes. "What's going on?"
He paled. "I—um—I have urgent business in the kitchens!"
He bolted before I could stop him.
I groaned, rubbing my temples. "Why is everyone acting so weird?"
[ Oh, wouldn't you like to know. ]
"I swear, if you don't tell —"
[ Where's the fun in that? ]
I spent the rest of the morning wandering the palace, watching people panic over flower arrangents and dessert tables while pretending I wasn't there. No one would tell what was happening, and the system clearly found it hilarious.
By lunchti, I gave up.
I collapsed onto a couch in the library, glaring at the ceiling. "Fine. If no one wants to tell , I'll just ignore it."
[ Sure. That's worked so well for you so far. ]
"I don't care anymore."
[ Liar. ]
"Ugh."
I slumped further into the couch, arms crossed, glaring at the ceiling like it personally offended . The whole palace had lost its mind, and apparently, I was the only one not allowed to know why.
Before I could spiral deeper into my frustration, a soft knock at the door pulled from my thoughts.
I turned my head just in ti to see Mara and Elira step inside.
Finally.
I hadn't seen my personal servants all morning, which was unusual considering Mara had a talent for hovering and Elira was the only person in the palace with enough sense to actually manage my chaos.
Mara, ever the energetic one, practically skipped toward , her wide brown eyes sparkling with mischief. "Princess! You're awake!"
I gave her a flat look. "I've been awake for hours."
Elira followed at a more asured pace, her hands folded neatly in front of her. Where Mara was all excitent and enthusiasm, Elira was poise and quiet competence. She had the natural patience of soone who had spent years dealing with both royalty and disasters—sotis simultaneously.
"Apologies, Your Highness," Elira said smoothly. "We've been occupied."
I narrowed my eyes. "Occupied with what?"
Mara waved a hand. "Oh, you know! Important palace stuff."
"That tells nothing."
Elira smiled, but there was sothing unreadable in her expression. "There is nothing for you to worry about today, Princess."
"Why does everyone keep saying that?" I sat up, gesturing wildly at the sheer insanity happening outside. "There's a full-scale operation going on! People are sprinting through halls, hauling decorations, setting up what looked like a dragon ice sculpture and no one will tell why."
Mara giggled. "A dragon, huh? Fancy."
"Elira." I turned to the more responsible of the two. "Tell what's happening."
Elira simply smiled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Everything is under control."
I groaned. "You are both insufferable."
Mara plopped down beside , nudging my shoulder. "Co on, Princess. Have a little faith in us."
"I have faith that everyone is plotting sothing."
[ Finally, a mont of clarity. ]
I ignored the system. "Just tell if this is sothing bad."
Elira tilted her head slightly, her violet eyes gleaming with amusent. "Why would it be bad?"
Mara bead. "It's going to be wonderful!"
I crossed my arms. "So sothing is happening."
Elira's smile remained, but she changed the subject with expert precision. "Would Your Highness like so tea? You seed a little stressed."
I stared at her, unimpressed. "I feel manipulated."
Mara grinned. "Good! That ans you're learning!"
I threw my hands up. "I give up."
Elira gently patted my shoulder. "Just trust us, Princess. Everything will make sense soon."
Mara grabbed my arm, tugging toward the door. "Co on! We'll keep you distracted so you don't explode from curiosity!"
I grumbled, but let them drag along.
Even as suspicion prickled at the back of my mind.
Reviews
All reviews (0)