Princess Alver (og Cale x Alver)

Part 8

Alver wasn't quite sure how to cope with the current situation. She'd already prepared herself to deal with the obnoxious lout of the Henituse territory a dozen times before he showed up in the capital. A person like her wasn't so negligent as to ignore the movements of a person who spent so much time with her true self.

She was completely confident in her ability to deceive him, it wasn't just one or two things that changed in her appearance when she wore her mothers necklace, her height, weight, colors, and biological sex all changed smoothly with the magical gem around her neck. Even though she was always cautious about showing her true self, it was hardly a necessary caution. Most people didn't even know that such powerful magic to disguise even existed.

And while the look in Cale's eyes when he spotted her had the ball had caused sweat to trickle down her neck, the definite look of a dog who finally caught a squirrel, she was sure that she'd managed to thoroughly dissuade any notion of recognition from his eyes.

Yet, how the hell was she supposed to cope with the current situation?

The flowers recently sent from Count Henituse's villa were vibrant and loud, a lot like Cale, and while receiving that gift had been a touch alarming she had been able to cope as many of high society would send Crown Prince Alberu Crossman gifts in order to gain favor.

...although, normally they would send items with far more monetary value and some clear angle they hoped to be remembered for. Alver smelled the flowers with a sense of confusion but still arranged them neatly in her office. After examining them for any potential problems, of course. It was one thing to enjoy a gift from a confusing person but it was far different to become foolishly incautious.

This was the capital, Alver's life was always held up by a thread. She couldn't afford a moment of imperfection.

Even if Cale Henituse summoned up feelings of freedom that she couldn't quite parse.

If it ended with the flowers though, that would have been fine.

"Your highness."

Alberu's smile froze on his face as he turned to the infamous lout. There he was, parading around a ball as though he owned the place with a drunken swagger, and approaching the crown prince with the Wheelsman heir desperately attempting to stop him.

"How 'bout that drink you promised me?" He slurred, holding up the wine bottle casually and smirking arrogantly.

I never promised you anything. Alver thought without nearly as much irritation as she ought to have felt given the circumstances.

She just couldn't quite hate this though.

But she also couldn't encourage it. "Ah, perhaps some other time, young master Henituse. I'm afraid that–"

The shorter man took a step directly into his personal space, a move that could easily risk getting him tackled by the royal guards, and stared into Alver's eyes with a ferocity that made her blood freeze. "I insist."

Alver held up a hand to the guards before collecting her wits and smiling calmly. Just because a dog barks at a tree fearlessly does not mean that the squirrel has to fall down, however, sometimes it might benefit the squirrel to offer some nuts. "Then I will spare a moment."

Whispers erupted from the hall after the prince and the lout departed, it was clear that the young master had crossed the line this time but Crown Prince Alberu was known as a compassionate person. Some might even mistake him for a doormat. Those people were usually the first to fall prey to Alver's machinations.

"So what is the matter that required so much urgency?" Alberu requested, a mask of complete sociable kindness on his face but his sky blue eyes were icy as he watched Cale fill two cups with wine.

"Do I need a reason to get to know our future monarch?" Cale sniped back, a glimmer of mischief in his eyes.

This little shit. He's trying to see how much he can get away with. Alver's smile did not so much as twitch. "Of course not. I treasure the opportunity to learn more about the future nobility of the kingdom."

"Did you like the flowers?"

The sudden question caught Alver off guard and momentarily her silver tongue failed her. She collected herself quickly and reminded herself that she was playing a role right now and she couldn't let Cale slip in through the cracks. "It was a rather unique gift, young master Henituse. But I quite enjoyed them."

"Cale."

Alver blinked. "Excuse me?"

Cale wore an easy going smile as he leaned back against the cushions with a posture that made him appear even more disrespectful than he was already behaving.

"Call me Cale, your highness."

...does he know? Is that why he's fucking with me? Alver watched for any clue as to the reason behind Cale's behavior, taking a dainty sip of the wine he offered in an effort to look polite. This Cale was new to her. It wasn't quite the obnoxious and over the top lout who had been constantly rude to her and got into fights. It wasn't quite the softer sides she'd peaked into when he opened up to her, just a tiny bit. He was somewhere in between and somewhere outside of it.

And if she didn't know better, she would have labeled his current obnoxious smirk as 'flirtatious'.

"If that will make you more comfortable, young master Cale."

"Cale." Cale leaned forward, a gleam of absolute mischief in his eyes. "Just Cale, nothing else, your highness."

Ah, he was really and truly driving her nuts.

"...and might I ask why you've made such an unusual request?"

As though he'd been waiting for the opportunity this whole time, Cale grinned deviously and spilled out the last words that Alver could have possibly ever expected. "I like you, your highness. Let's court."

She was going to spit out her wine.

Cale certainly was the type to pursue what he wanted without any hesitation. Alver looked him in the eye with shaking eyes as she tried to comprehend the insanity he'd espoused. "...excuse me?"

Cale leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest arrogantly. "You heard me."

Ah. She was definitely going insane. Now she was imagining dogs falling in love with squirrels.