Knightly (A Reverse Harem)

Chapter 43: Aries Ending

The ballroom became more rowdy as the princess was finishing up her dancing. People began to speak and eat, getting bored of Princess Ava's unskillful dancing. I scanned the large crowd to find that familiar red-head of mine. I finally spotted him talking with a couple of kids. Most of the kids surrounding him were young girls.

"You're hair is so pretty, Prince Aries! Can I touch it?" One girl asked. Another girl nodded, eager to receive the answer she wanted. Aries nodded and let them begin to play with his long red hair. "It's so soft too!"

"Aren't you a little young to be a prince that's trying to marry a princess?" A girl with braids asked.

"You're never too young to fall in love. I think the love I feel is equal to how an adult feels love." He explained. I stood to the side, overhearing the conversation. His answer was actually more adult than I expected.

The girl with the braids smirked. "Does that mean you are in love with Princess Ava? Do you plan to become the new king?"

Aries looked uncomfortable with her question. He leaned closer to her and began to speak quieter. "Just between you and me, I'm in love with someone else. Someone very strong and beautiful and very grown-up."

The girls collectively gasped and their eyes widened. They began to start speculating who he could be talking about. "Who do you think he's talking about? Could it be someone from his home? Maybe he's talking about the best girl we know!"

Aries raised his brow. "Oh? And who's the best girl you know?"

"Knight Orion!" They beamed. "She's really strong. She can beat all of the boys at any game or fighting match. She's really pretty too. I like her short hair. It's the color of dark red cherries. Also, Orion is really grown-up. Sometimes I wish she was my big sister."

"Yeah, she really is magnificent, isn't she?" Aries agreed.

"Why don't you just marry her then? What's the problem?" A random little boy asked.

Aries shook his head. "I can't marry her right now because Princess Ava might choose me and she's in line for the throne. I can't disobey a queen now, not after already learning my lesson of what happens when I do that."

The boy's face scrunched up in confusion. "Why can't Orion be queen?"

Aries shrugged. "She's not a princess. She can't make that choice right now. I have to be patient and wait for and if the time in right. I've been practicing how to be more mature."

"But, Orion is a princess." The girl with braids announced. "We aren't really supposed to talk about it since she's a knight and the current queen can be mean about it, but Orion really is the princess of this place."

I took this opportunity to step in. "It's true."

Everyone looked up at me. The younger kids ran up to hug my legs. Aries stood up from his chair, a concerning look on his face. "Are you serious? You're actually a princess? This entire time you've actually been a princess?"

"Yes. I actually wanted to talk about that with you in private." I stooped down to the kids. "Do you mind if I borrow Prince Aries for a minute? It's very important."

The nodded and ran off to enjoy the party. Aries still looked stunned at the news. I took his hand and led him through the crowd and out the doors. I took a deep breathe once we escaped the party. I decided to lead him to a small lounge area, similar to when I spoke with his mother. "Sit down for a second."

He sat down in the chair across from me. He put began to bring his hair to the front of his body and play with it out of nervousness. "Why didn't you tell any of us?"