"Ah, I merely plucked it for myself", Scarlet lied.
Neville and Zuber tried not to show any reaction.
"I see", Collins wasn't convinced, and Scarlet was aware of that. "How lady-like".
"Oh my, General, you should extend that compliment to Professor Lumber. He might feel flattered to be compared to a strong lady", said Scarlet, countering the intended meaning of his words.
Sensing the unease Scarlet felt, Fina pouted behind. Scarlet's eyes shifted to Fina and so did Collins.
"My apologies, Princess", his hypocrisy dripped in every word he uttered, "I've admired the suggestions you came up just now at the Warrior Circle and the way you presented yourself. You are growing into a fine ruler", he smiled.
Fina replied with the same verve, "My, I appreciate your encouragement, General Collins. You, yourrself and Scholar Frederick were very profound too".
"Ah, speaking of my son", Collins stepped aside, "Since he just returned from his long studies, I have a humble request Your Majesty—"
"Father—" Frederick started to step forward. He should've known where he was heading for this.
Scarlet's eyes met his and he averted from her gaze. He disliked being seen this way.
"May he join you as company for dinner, later on?"
The other suitors were listening.
"Ah, I don't see the problem at all. The more the merrier", and Fina smiled genuinely at Frederick which Frederick nodded his head slightly. His face was growing red.
"I could've asked myself, Father", he managed a scowl at his own harsh father. But Collins wasn't listening.
"You're so generous, Princess. I'm delighted to know he would have someone near his age to dine with tonight", Frederick controlled from hiding his face.
Fina may not be keen on General Collins but his son. She wondered. Despites knowing Scarlet and him trained with Collins, Scarlet rarely talked about him. But she noticed the little exchanges. And the red flower.
She remembered too when Scarlet thought she was the one who gifted to her a flower when she became Captain. She gifted Scarlet extravagant things than this simple flower. It could not be from him, but she could not find any reason to think otherwise as well. And besides, maybe she could find out where his morals align. Where his true loyalty lied with.
Collins excused himself first, leaving his son in the presence of a Captain and her Officer, a Princess and five suitors. But he still managed a knowing look at Scarlet, which made Scarlet shuddered at times. But Scarlet managed a salute and steel her glare as they parted.
She would not yield.
"Well then, Scarlet why don't you join as well for dinner?"
"Huh?" Scarlet simply responded to her close friend in this manner.
It was a sight to behold.
"I have a lot of reports to read and sign—"
"It could've been done earlier if you weren't distracted and left me and Sir Homes during tea just now, couldn't it?" Fina beamed but Scarlet knew she was being stabbed by her friend's sharp and poise words.
"My apologies—"
The rest of the young men witnessing these two ladies were dumbfounded. The Captain was so different in front of the Princess and towards them.
They knew they were close, but this was surreal.
"Well then, why don't we all have dinner together later?" Fina announced in the area. She even turned to the three suitors nearby.
"You too, Officer Mason. Oh, and invite Officer Lucas as well. We should invite Lance later. What about the rest of your men and Lance's?" Fina was enjoying this thought she came up with.
But Scarlet tensed. Was this necessary?
"I'll join for dinner, Princess Fina. But please excuse my men and Lance's, aside from our Officers. They dine earlier and require rest. They had a packed day". So much for not yielding. Scarlet composed herself into her Warrior persona, especially when Fina was making things difficult for her.
"Very well", Fina didn't argue, "Then, let's invite Lydia and Brie to join as well. I'm sure they would like to meet and mingle with the suitors too!"
Frederick's eyebrows creased as he tried to make sense out of Princess Fina's suggestion and her mood. Come to think of it, he never really sat or stood this long within this close vicinity of the Princess. Watching her interaction with Scarlet and with his father outside the Council. It was new to be honest.
And this would be the first time he would join dinner with the Princess, Captain Scarlet, and their closed companions; Captain Lance and the other two Lady Companions, Brie and Lydia.
Was this his father's way to ask him to subtly observe them?
Even if he was not keen carrying out his father's will, he was somehow curious and slightly anticipated for dinner. After all, it would be the first time since he and Scarlet parted to have dinner in one table.
Maybe it was a nice change of pace to attempt to dine with the Princess's close companions and maybe, in all honesty, he wished he could get along with Scarlet better and her companions. Even if it sounded late. But better than never.
Then, there were the suitors as well. He was honestly curious about those men. Who wouldn't? Those men would be the one standing by the Princess's side ruling this peaceful Kingdom which was still at infancy.
As the people, he wanted to see for himself how these men would sincerely uphold peace alongside the Princess. He truly wished they were not mere pampered young men like some of his peers he'd known.
****
Officer Lucas ran to Lydia's room to fetch her down. When he reached outside of her chamber door, he was catching his breath.
It was such a last-minute order, he quickly cleaned himself up and tried to find reasonable clothing to wear for tonight's dinner. All the while, Officer Mason, calmly readied himself.
"Oh, I haven't seen you around before", a female's voice sounded from behind Lucas.
Lucas turned and saw a young lady with washed-out blonde hair pulled up into a simple tail behind and her attire was a simple working dress. She even had these coloured pin needles stuck to a pin cushion which wrapped across her left wrist.
And then, there was a small black-haired boy besides, in a dark blue robe, synonymous to a Scholar's robe.
"Um, I'm Officer Lucas, escorting my sister—I mean, Lady Lydia for dinner with the Princess", he bowed his head slightly, explaining in rapid nervousness.
But Brie caught on, "Oh, you!" she pointed her finger, "You're Lydia's younger brother! Amazing!" Brie grinned wide, genuinely amused to get to meet her close friend's relative—family member. "I'm Brie, the Royal Seamstress specialized in the Kingdom's Warrior Uniforms. This is my helper, Philip", then Brie spoke softly to Philip but Lucas could still hear, "Philip dear, this is Sister Lydia's younger brother, Officer Lucas. That makes him your big brother".
Huh?
But Philip still held onto Brie's dress. His eyes met Lucas's but quickly averted.
Then, the chamber door opened itself and Lydia was wheeling herself out until she saw the three of them. She was dressed in a long-sleeved dress, with a blue robe tied over her dress. The Scholar robe.
"Oh Lucas, You seemed to have met my friend, Brie. I hope you managed to get along", she said with gentleness and grace. And that reassuring smile.
"Sis Lydia, Brie told me, this Officer Warrior is your little brother, is it true?" Philip softly asked Lydia.
"Oy, you didn't believe this Sister here?" Brie quipped.
"Sorry Brie, sometimes the way you talk don't match your actions, especially how you talk with Sis Scarlet", for a timid boy, Philip sure could be blunt with this Lady Brie, thought Lucas.
Of course, Brie was irritated to be fussed in such manner. She pouted instead, "Lydia, look at Philip, he's being mean!" Lydia only chuckled at such scene.
"Very well", Lydia answered, "This is my younger brother, Lucas", then she turned to Lucas, "This is Philip, Brie's assistant and an aspiring Scholar. Please give him care while you are here, and I hope you can be a good elder brother to him".
Hearing that, Lucas gave a soft smile, "I would be honor to be considered as an older brother", and he crouched down and offered a handshake, "But please forgive me if I make mistake in my way and don't hesitate to let me know".
Philip slowly let go of Brie's dress and shook Lucas's hand.
"Don't hesitate to scold him, Philip", Brie added.
Lucas's expression immediately looked horrified.
"Brie..." Lydia called out.
"Just kidding!" and Brie moved over behind Lydia and proceeded to push. "Your little brother's fun to tease, I'm slightly jealous of Scar", she whispered in her friend's ear.
Lydia gently waved off her friend, but she was smiling. "Don't mind her, Lucas".
The four of them made a turn from Lydia's chamber to the end of a corner, locating the elevator built in to carry people and materials. It was used for maidservants to move their trays of servings to the households residing or occupying this floor. Then, when Lydia came in, they refurbished and improved the elevator. But for Fina, the castle was already in need of some improvement, especially to the safety and health of their castle servants.
The arrival of Lydia served to accelerate Fina's concerns.
****
The five suitors were already at the door of the dining hall, awaiting to escort the Princess and her other guests.
Neville nervously adjusted his ascot tie. Jakel ran his finger through his hair, combing any loose ends. James checked his watch. Dylan was not bothering hiding his yawn. He honestly wanted to skip tonight. And he thought he could slip off by accidentally oversleeping and missed dinner. At that point, he was not afraid with the threat to be disqualified due to his tardiness. But tears were at the edge of his eyes. This castle's servants and guards were very forceful with him. They were all still exhausted from today's training. Zuber observed the outside view through the window behind them. Another day was about to end. The night sky was so clear, stars were visible in the sky, making the night looked more enchanting.
Scarlet and Lance, accompanied by their Officers, Mason and Miles, were on their way from their Warrior's Study. Scarlet and Lance both had changed into formal service uniforms.
The Officers dressed down than their superiors for tonight. They were excused from continuing work and duty tonight and were ordered instead to rest well. An order.
"Well, seems like your own mood swings caused Fina to be moody too", Lance started.
"Tch" Scarlet managed a glare at Lance, where Lance only whistled, feigning innocence.
"But come to think of it, we rarely dine in one table with Collins' son, more like never. Do you think Fina wants to gauge where his intention lies with? She's not making him as the 6th suitor now, is she?" his protectiveness triggered, he was jumping ahead.
"Easy there", said Scarlet, "Even if she was annoyed I skipped out on her, she would at least consult me. And seriously, Lance. I'm more puzzled if she considers that, it's almost as if she had feelings for him, which is hardly the case". It would be a headache to revise her strategy to eliminate and pluck the champion.
"...And I've dined with him before when I was training under Collins". It was hard for her to say this.
"Oh, I forgot about that".
Scarlet was slightly relieved Lance didn't ask further about Frederick. But then again, the way her training ended was not that pretty to be reminded.
They walked steadily to the dining hall and already they saw Fina had reached before them and the suitors all dressed up and groomed, conversing with Fina.
And then, Lydia's party arrived behind them, followed by Frederick, donning a maroon robe over his clothes.
Compared to Lydia and the rest in blue robe, Frederick's robe meant that he was a First-Class Scholar, almost equivalent to the rank of a Captain.
"Oh wonderful!" Fina beamed, "Let's get in and dine, shall we?"
As the door opened, Fina accepted Neville's offer of his hand to escort her inside, albeit it was only to her dining seat.
The other suitors, apart from Dylan offered to escort Brie and Lydia, only to be turned down by these two ladies.
The young ladies merely waved off their hands, to decline, and entered on their own.
Frederick followed inside paying no mind to the suitors, as he addressed Lady Lydia's greeting instead as fellow Scholars.
The Warrior party obviously ignored the gentlemen and walked inside the dining hall as though it was theirs.
"Bummer", Lance managed a remark. And sure enough, it riled up Dylan and Jakel. Their eyes were glaring at him.
Scarlet merely rolled her eyes at this nonsense.
Ah, he's here too, much to Dylan's dismay. Then, there was also the new guy, the Scholar son of a General.
He saw from afar the exchanges between General Collins and his son, Scarlet and the Princess. While Fina and Scarlet had warned them about the threat of the other members, he wondered what kind of opposition pieces they would be for Mother, or whether they could be her ally?
How could his Mother throw him into this unknown place without an ounce of direction? They couldn't even bring their aides even if they wanted to.
When Scarlet and Lance entered, the others were already taking their seats, and Lance noticed where the suitors were sitting. A thought occurred to him "Fina, shouldn't Scholar Frederick be sitting ne—"
"It's alright Captain Lance, I appreciate the thought, but wherever I sit won't diminish who I am", Frederick intervened. And he gave a small nod at Fina.
"No need to be formal, Frederick", Fina smiled. And as Scarlet noticed, it was the sincerest smile she saw as of today. She really meant it. "And while I'd like to welcome you back in a fancier state, from your study abroad, I hope you can accept this simple dinner invitation at the moment".
"I'm honoured you accepted my Father's humble request. You are kind and generous, Princess. Please decline next time if a mere Scholar and General is bothering you", he bent further, his right hand against his chest. "For now, I am thankful to be having dinner with Princess and her important guests".
Zuber, Dylan and Jakel took the left seats besides the Princess and Neville and James took on the right. Lance took the seat besides Jakel, followed by Philip, Brie and Miles.
On the right, Frederick quickly occupied the third seat, besides James. Scarlet's eyes widened for a second, she intended to sit there but never mind.
And at the same time, must she sit beside him? Then she caught Mason's eyes. Her close Officer was ready to take the seat but Scarlet lightly shake her head and gave a small smile.
It was alright.
And without waiting for the servant, she pulled up the chair and sat besides Frederick. As she sat down, she noticed the arrangement and gave a small smirk, "My, you look like you're taking the 6th suitor's place".
Frederick was caught off-guard. Then, he realized where he was sitting, "I didn't mean to give that impression", he managed a reply.
Either he was good at playing innocent or he truly didn't realize his action. "Relax, I was just joking".
But the suitors hearing Scarlet's remark were not sitting well.
The rest of the guests sat beside Scarlet in the order of Mason, Lydia and Lucas.
As everyone settled, Fina called out the servings. They were served in three courses.
"Gentlemen, let me introduce you to the other Lady Companions here with me", she gestured on her left, "Lady Brie, the Warrior's Royal Seamstress and her assistant, Scholar Philip".
"Hello!" Brie beamed. "Nice to meet you all lovely Gentlemen". Philip gave a shy nod.
Well, she seemed cheery, the suitors thought.
"And Officer Miles, Lance's assistant", Miles gave a small nod. His face was stoic of emotions. Ever the serious and well-trained warrior. "Now on my right, Lady Scholar Lydia".
While Brie was cheerful, Lydia portrayed more of an air of maturity and refinement. Her gestures were supple and elegant, the tone in her voice was clear and soft, "Hello, I'm Lydia, a Scholar and an elder sister to Officer Lucas. My younger brother and I are delighted to receive such kindness here. Thank you. I hope we can be good acquaintances".
The suitors, except Neville, were surprised to hear that Lucas has an elder sister. And that she is the Princess and Captain's close friend.
"As expected of Lydia. That air of a matured lady, don't we all ladies aspire to be", Brie said across the table to Fina.
They were not formal at all.
And the suitors only felt more out of place. They had spent some times here and still they were flustered around the Princess. Deep down, they wanted to have casual chats with the Princess and the people she was closed with.
"More like we all ladies don't aspire to be..you", Scarlet flatly said.
But maybe exclude sharing banter with Scarlet.
"Hmph, Fina look at Scarlet", Brie pouted.
Jakel thought this lady was strange.
"Looking", Fina grinned at Scarlet, "Nice soup there? Which was better, James or the castle's?"
James almost spattered his sips on his soup.
Fina chuckled seeing James' reaction.
"Both are good". Scarlet dabbed her lips.
For the suitors, this gathering for dinner felt more nerve-wrecking, than they thought it would be.
"Lady Lydia", Neville tried to speak. But everyone's eyes were immediately on him. Each person paused from finishing their soup. Great. "Your younger brother, Officer Lucas has been a very good comrade and teacher during my stay here".
"Ah Prince Neville", Lydia replied but her smile was small, "Have you properly expressed that gratitude to Officer Lucas?" her eyes were penetrating him. "I hope you don't overwork him. His main job is serving the warriors, not polishing some foreign Prince's shoes".
What happened to air of maturity? This sounded scary, laced with some kinds of animosity. Then, Neville remembered the breakfast time where Ronald was serving the ladies.
They couldn't catch what was going on there. But he remembered the face she made. How pitiful Ronald looked and how he saw the small shoulders of this wheel bound lady were shaking.
Neville gulped, "My apologies if my words sounded conceited, I simply want to say thank you to Officer Lucas for being patient with me in teaching me things about the Kingdom and the people here. Your brother admired you dearly. And I'm glad to get to converse with his amazing sister".
Lydia was surprised to hear the last part, she immediately turned to Lucas. "You were that close?" she looked disbelief.
Lucas was unsure how to word it. He couldn't claim nor dreamt he would want to be close with the Prince.
He still thought it was a dream to be sitting beside his sister eating dinner together like this.
"Yes, I would like to consider us as comrades in arm under Captain Scarlet", the tone was unwavering, coming from Neville.
But the hell he plucked Scarlet's name out of nowhere. Scarlet was creasing her brows at such statement. But it held some weights there, as though Neville was proclaiming which side he was on.
"Ah, then I'd humbly request my brother to be treated well, Prince Neville".
It was an order from a mere Lady to a Crowned Prince.
"I will, milady", but Neville bowed his head. He would take it.
"I believe everyone knows who Officer Mason and Lucas is, by now. Ah, Gentlemen, lastly this is Scholar Frede—"
"It's alright Fina. I've met the suitors before", Frederick waved off.
But Scarlet, Lance and Fina turned to him.
And Frederick gestured to each of the suitor, "This is Prince Neville, Prince Dylan, Prince Zuber, Lord Jakel and Physician James, and you", he gestured to Lucas, "are the only new face in this table, pleasure to dine with you, Officer Lucas".
"Impressive, Frederick. When did you get to know them?" Scarlet put down her spoon.
"I met them in the evening, before they went for tea".
Fina made a knowing look. Scarlet maintained eye contact with him. Ah.
Looks like Collins and the rest of the men had made their moves.
~~~~
Another one up, feels kind of rushed to me, but I don't want to dwell so much on them. I rather roll out while I still have the energy and time.
Hang in there my lovely readers, this is still in a sort of ARC I Phase, ARC II is where I plan for the expedition to be taken placed. So I appreciate your patience and support in reading this ongoing story of mine. And thank you for enjoying my story.
Stay home and maintain social distancing and hygiene y'all ~~