The Dandelion System

Chapter 34

Otto ran into Oda's arms, and she stiffened, her face buried in her brother's shoulder.

"Otto!" she scolded, but then stopped and smiled. "Oh, you are absolutely hopeless." As she is about to place her hand on his back, he broke away from her and turned to me.

"Karina!" He laughed as he runs to me. Smiling, I walk to him and when we reach each other he also engulf3 me in a hug. Oda sighed, but she's smiling.

"Both of you are hopeless," she said.

"I'm so happy," Otto said, looking from me to Oda. "It's really a tea party outside! In spring!"

"I promised you, after all," I said and laughed. "Didn't you believe in me?"

"I did," Otto said quickly, "it's just that whenever Oda promises me anything, she doesn't fulfill it."

"Otto!" Oda cried out of embarrassment. "There's plenty of time to fulfill it now."

"That's true," I added.

"Karina!"

I turned to see Oriana and Annabelle entering the garden, but Annabelles golden hair reaches her shoulder now, free from its usually elaborate hairstyle. I looked at her with surprise, not only because of her hair, but also because she seems truly happy. Her smile was bigger than ever, and her new dress, a simple yellow one that had no puffy sleeves or ruffles, suited her better than any other. She seemed to glow.

"Doesn't she look gorgeous?" Oriana asked me. She looked at her too, enchanted. "It's like we've finally seen the real her."

"Yes." I give Annabelle a smile. "What will you do after this?"

"I will stay with Oriana and her family for the time being." Annabelle looked down at her gloves, then at me again. "I'm interested in flowers. Maybe I can find something related to that."

"It suits you," I said. Then I remembered that Oda and Otto were still standing behind me.

"Oriana, Annabelle, this is Oda and Otto. Not the Oda and Otto that you met during The Dandelion System, but the real them."

The two girls looked at them, and I do too. They are different, too. Otto wore a white tunic and brown trousers matched with boots, something you could find any other boy wearing. He smiled shyly, but he managed to look at them in the eye.

"Good morning, Prince Otto," Annabelle greeted him first.

"Good morning, Prince Otto," Oriana followed. She smiled a bit.

"Good morning to both of you, Otto is fine." Otto ran his hand through his hair. "I'm sorry I don't remember your names even though we've met before."

"It's fine. I'm Oriana."

"I'm Annabelle."

"And this," I say, gesturing to Oda, "is Oda."

She was dressed in a pale purple dress, no crown nor earrings on her, hair in a pinned up braid. She looked away, her usual frown on her face, but I've known her long enough to know she's not really upset, just at a loss for words.

"I'm Oda, as you know."

"She's just shy," I told Oriana and Annabelle.

"I'm not!" Oda retorted quickly, so quick that Oriana and Annabelle look at her in surprise, and then they laughed in unison.

"I've never seen the princess get along with anyone so well," Oriana chuckled.

"Yes, my sister and Karina are very good friends," Otto spoke up, suddenly no longer shy. He seemed happy talking about us. "They would always argue, but they always come back to my room together the next day."