Theodore should be at the gazebo by now. I thought, my fingers sliding through the bedsheets boredly. Eliad is probably getting Aileen by now, right? Everything must be going to plan. After all, Eliad doesn't fail. I nodded to myself, burying my face back into the comforting silk pillow.
"But... now I'm bored." My muffled voice sifted through the pillow. I sighed and turned over, looking at the canopy of the bed blankly. I lifted my palm, summoning a small flame and letting it dance around my fingers.
"I could practice magic... I guess..." I muttered, pressing my fingers down and tamping down the fire before sliding out of the covers. "But what's the point, when..." When no one can teach me anymore.
I had surpassed the fire mage that Mother brought over after a few years. When I asked her for a higher-grade teacher, she laughed boisterously and patted my head. She had said that the teacher she had summoned was actually her subordinate and one of the best in the country. She had cracked a satisfied smirk, saying that I really was her child, after all. After that, I asked her if she could teach me, but she said that she couldn't teach me anything, because she was an Ice Mage and didn't have the fire element.
My mood turned slightly sour. Why were people so stupid? I was fourteen years old when I asked Mother that question. Did that mean that a fourteen year old could so easily beat a fifty year old mage? I muttered a curse and threw a harmless fireball at the window in frustration. I was eighteen now and had improved exponentially. This meant that I had already mastered advanced magic spells which even high-tier mages struggled with.
The only thing left for me to do was to construct new spells, which was time-consuming and exhausting, or try to find an ancient tome with spells from centuries ago, which was extremely rare and hard to come by.
"Fuck, I'm so bored." I groaned. I didn't want to put in the effort for those things. Perhaps, I would... My eyes flitted across the room as I struggled to stop myself from going through with this impulsive thought. But, in the end, my boredom won.
"You know, it would be a good idea to see how the plan is coming. I'll just take a peek in through the foliage. They wouldn't even know."
----
Meanwhile, in the East Garden...
Theodore was led by a servant through a clearly cut cobblestone path, farther into the heart of the garden. That butler had suddenly knocked on the door and stated that he was required in the gazebo as the guest of the host.
Theodore gulped, his anticipation growing. Did Remis invite him for tea? He knew that he was never forgiven for his lie on his identity. But perhaps... he was ready to make reconciliations now. Theodore held his chest and moved closer to the central part of the garden. As they walked closer, he could see that the vegetation grew taller, giving the environment a feel of a private oasis.
Eventually, they reached the gazebo. The scenery was beautiful. Rose vines grew over the wired frame, letting frames of light in through the cracks in the vegetation. Two seats were placed in the middle of the large gazebo, with a tea table covered in delicacies separating them. Theodore sat down and the servant soon left after a few words, saying that the host would be there shortly.
A few minutes passed, and Theodore's heart grew more tense with nervousness. Was he supposed to dress better? He didn't expect he would be invited somewhere... so romantic. He pulled his collar, trying to calm his mind, but the longer he waited, the more excited and delusional his thoughts became. What will he look like, walking to the gazebo, his hair cast in a thin light through the rose bushes...
At last, he heard approaching footsteps. Theodore cleared his throat and smoothed down his soft hair. A figure, bearing a striking resemblance to Remis, emerged from the path. Theodore's eyes widened in surprise before a confusion overtook it. That's... not him?
Aileen seemed to be equally confused, her eyes fixed on Theodore sitting down at the tea table. She then quickly picked up a diplomatic smile and curtsied elegantly, taking a seat opposite of him.
"Good afternoon, my lord." She naturally picked up one of the pastries and placed it on her plate.
Facing the bewildered expression of Theodore, she could only pacify him and paste the blame back on her brother. "I didn't know I would be meeting one of our guests here, either. I guess we were both tricked, weren't we?" She smiled, but underneath the table, she clutched the edge of the seat until her knuckles turned white.
Theodore laughed at her lighthearted joke. "I suppose so, yes." He sipped the hot tea and fondly brushed the teacup, his mind wandering back towards the black-haired youth in question.
Aileen caught Theodore's slight movement. Her eyes turned towards his face and found a trace of fondness brush past his expression as he reminisced. A shrewd, impish idea flashed through her head at that moment.
"Well, my brother has always been the mischievous one in our family," she said nonchalantly, her eyes narrowing into small crescents.
"Oh, is that so?" he asked, his eyes instantly filled with interest.
She giggled, her fingers tracing the faint pattern engraved in the tea table. "Indeed it is. The stories I could share..."
Theodore took another sip from his teacup, his gaze fixed on Aileen's expressive face. His noble persona had kicked in, and a tactful smile graced his lips. "Please, go on."
Aileen's voice took on an evocative tone as she began to recount the stories from her memory.
----
Half an hour later...
Theodore chuckled, his eyes bright. "My, it seems that there were many things he had not told me." He replied. Aileen propped her head on her palm, laughing along, her mind racing forward. This young man is much more charming when faced with other nobility. She mused, her curiosity peaking. Not only him, but the prince acts like a different person when faced with other aristocrats. I wonder how my beloved little brother managed to make them act so differently around him.
Aileen smirked. What a talented boy, indeed. I'll make sure to use your sacrifice well, don't worry, Brother. Our countdom will be the richest in the kingdom by the time I'm through with these highly-ranked men.
Aileen pretended to suddenly recall something. She shifted, drawing his attention as she rustled around her purse, as if she was looking for something. "Brother was an adorable child. Ah, here it is! I found it." But then, as if sudden, Aileen feigned a troubled look. "Oh, right... I shouldn't show you his childhood pictures. He would be too embarrassed to speak to me again."
Theodore's eyes brightened, and he slowly shifted forward, trying to catch a glimpse of the small, handheld painting, but Aileen hurriedly concealed it, her face apologetic. "Sorry, I shouldn't have even mentioned it." She smiled, leisurely tucking her hand back into her purse, slow enough to peak his interest.
Theodore waved his hand politely, wearing a helpless, polite expression pasted on his face. "No, no, it's perfectly fine," he replied. Then, his lips stretched into a polite smile as he continued, "However, perhaps... the dukedom has always been interested in collaborating with the Xenith countdom. As a gesture of friendship, of course. We could explore ways to strengthen the ties between our regions and mutually benefit from our respective strengths."
Aileen's eyes widened innocuously, and she gasped. "Oh, is that so? Why, what good news!"
Theodore picked up one of the scones and rolled it around his palm calmly. "Yes, indeed, wonderful news. Perhaps, as a token of your friendship, you could show me my good friend's childhood photo?"
"Oh, of course!" She happily turned her head down and rummaged around for a photo. This is too easy. Aileen thought shrewdly. Before she drew the picture out of her handbag, she heard a slight rustling next to her. Her eyes shot to the left, combing through the thick foliage outside of the wired frame. Then, her already joyous mood had turned brighter as her eyes fixed on a small piece of clothing from far inside one of the bushes.
She halted her movements and turned to Theodore with newfound ease. "My lord, wouldn't it be more fitting to meet the person in question?" She rose from her chair, causing it to screech backward, and strolled toward a corner of the gazebo, facing the thick bush. Then, in a sudden move, she reached into the shrub and extracted a boy, his hair matted with twigs and fallen leaves.
"My dear brother, how nice of you to visit!" She beamed. With her hand still holding Remis' collar, she dragged him over to the tea table and pushed him onto the empty seat. He grunted as his backside hit the seat. "We were just talking about you."
Theodore's attention had already shifted away from the strange scenario. His eyes were fixed to Remis' disheveled appearance. His tousled black hair and bewildered eyes were a striking contrast against his fair complexion. He's so cute, oh my god... Theodore gulped, covering his face with his palm to hide the blush creeping onto his skin.
Meanwhile, Aileen was lost in thought, her cunning intentions revealing themselves as her back was turned to Theodore. She couldn't help but release a sly smirk. "Our lord was quite interested in viewing your childhood photos! Isn't that just splendid? However, I thought that since you graced us with your visit so graciously, you should do the honors! I must say, I do have a knack for such ideas." Her expression practically shouted, 'this is payback for your little trick, you little shit,' as she gazed at Remis with an amused twinkle in her eye.
"Well, I'd better make my exit. I wouldn't want to intrude on your delightful moment," Aileen announced with a playful tone. With that, she gracefully walked away, leaving the two bewildered and flustered men alone in the gazebo.