Chapter 97 - Before They Go (1)

Alexandra roamed her eyes around, looking for a certain figure. After paying a short visit to her father who was working inside his office, she asked him if he knows where Christian is and he just replied with a shrug. A man of few words was what she thought when she saw his response. Eventually, it was Lysander who told them where the young prince would be at this time of the day after eating breakfast earlier and Alexandra just recently arrived there.

The cold breeze gently caressed her skin when she arrived at the courtyard and her hair lightly fluttered along with the wind. It smells like grass and plants, she thought to herself as she inhaled before letting out a breath. Alexandra continued to look around the courtyard while walking along with her was Carlos who was also helping her look for her brother. Not later than 5 minutes, they saw the person they were looking for.

"Brother Christian! Brother Christian!" Alexandra made her way towards her brother who was just standing in the middle of the courtyard of their palace, looking like he was doing nothing but just feel the breeze caress his skin. Gabriel, his personal knight, looked at her direction when he heard her call out to the young prince's name. He saw Alexandra running towards their direction with a wide smile on her face, the expression plastered on her face was bright and you could tell that she looked happy although he doesn't know why she is. Christian turned his head at where the voice came from and saw Alexandra running towards him while Carlos followed behind her with a gentle smile plastered on his face.

When they've arrived in front of them, Carlos bowed and said his greetings to the young prince to show respect. "May the Queenilia's sun shine down upon you, Prince Christian," He said as he bowed, trying to sound polite and formal as much as possible. "Good morning, brother!" Alexandra said rather cheerfully while giving him a wide smile. Christian nodded at Carlos before he spoke in his usual gentle tone of voice, "Good morning to you, Sir Carlos and Alexandra. What brings you here? You're unusually early," Christian said and he glanced at Alexandra while giving her a smile.

"Well, actually. I am going to give some things to Prince Calixander and Prince Chandler before they leave and go back to the academy. Carlos is actually holding them. Carlos and Diana told me that they are going to leave today, early in the morning and if I wanted to see them and give these to them, with no one around use, of course, I need to be early," Alexandra explained, the expression plastered on her face becoming brighter. She looked like an excited kid unlike earlier that she was dejected remembering that Christian also has to go to the academy next year. "I see," Christian said as he nodded while looking at what Carlos was carrying and saw a small box, a small pouch, and a book. He's guessing that the small box was probably for Chandler, the small pouch was for Calixander, and the book was for Gilbert.

"So do you know where they are so that I can give these to them? I probably know where Brother Gilbert is but for Prince Chandler and Prince Calixander, I don't know where are they," Alexandra said, her excited and cheerful tone of voice became soft and low as her eyebrows became creased while she was speaking and looking like she was thinking. So she still calls them as Prince and not brother, well, they would probably get angry or something if she decided to call them that without their permission, unlike Brother Gilbert who just allowed Alexandra event though they just recently met or talked before, he thought to his self when he heard how Alexandra call them.

It's not easy to get close with them, I also have a hard time talking with them since they would just shoo me off or end the conversation quickly especially Brother Chandler, who is hot-headed and gets annoyed easily. I'm glad that Alexandra was able to endure that confusing personality of his, she was also brave at that time where they first talked with each other at the library and she ran after him.

Christian hummed before he spoke, "They are probably at their training grounds as always but they are probably not practicing and just talking with each other since they don't want to get their selves dirty before they leave because the head maid and their personal knights would scold them if they do so. If you can't find them there, look inside the houses, they might be inside. If they are still not there, then they are at the other garden or somewhere around this courtyard," Christian said and Alexandra listened to every word that came out from his mouth as she nodded repeatedly.

"I see, I see. Thank you for telling me!" Alexandra said as she smiled at him widely. "Would you like me to take you there? I wanted to walk around anyways," Carlos said and Alexandra just nodded. Carlos went towards her side and Gabriel followed behind him before they started walking together towards the training ground that was not far away from here while they chatted or talked with each other.

"By the way, can I ask you something, brother?" Alexandra said as she looked at his direction, a faint smile plastered on her face as they walked. Alexandra and Christian were just almost the same height although Alexandra was taller than him since girls are taller than boys when they are young and Christian was still developing or something. There are probably just a 3 inches height difference between the two but neither Alexandra nor Carlos cared, it's not like the world would end if Alexandra was taller than her. He was still growing anyways. "You can ask me anything, what is it?" Carlos replied as he looked at her at the corner of his eyes. "What is the palace like when Brother Gilbert, Prince Chandler, and Prince Calixander aren't around?" Alexandra asked with a curious tone of voice as she tried to imagine the palace without them.

Would it be quiet like nobody is living inside the palace or would it be just normal or the same? She asked herself.

"Well, it's like the same but there is some small difference. The palace is really quiet, although it has always been quiet, it feels like… dead. The silence is so dull, there would be no Philip who would be asking around where Prince Gilbert is and if they have seen him. But it's not like I'm not used to it anyway," Harrison responded, his tone of voice the same as usual but there was a hint of sadness lacing it.

"I see," Alexandra said as she nodded her head repeatedly. Christian must have felt so lonely during that time, the only one that he could probably talk to was his personal knight and he would probably just stay inside the library to read books. Rules are strict when it comes to princes and princesses especially with young princesses, they are allowed to go out but they have to take 2 personal knights with them and everywhere they go, there would always be someone with them even while going to the restroom. That is to ensure their safety especially that they are a girl and don't know how to defend herself in terms of magic or physical ability. Christian would probably rarely go out since he doesn't know where he would go or where is he planning to go, why would he go to the public library when they have their own library probably two times or three times its size and has more books, she said inside her head as she compared what the public library would look like, it was just like the public library back in her place in her previous life.

If he wants to buy a book, he could just easily ask anyone and they would look for it for him but he never does that because they might buy the wrong one and it would probably just trouble them. He doesn't like sweets or eating outside, he is already contented with the food inside the palace, and he doesn't have someone who he is close with except for me, his personal knight, and probably Brother Gilbert, she thought to herself and let out a sigh as she imagined Christian just alone, reading quietly. I could totally relate to Christian but at another level.

Alexandra was about to open her mouth to speak when Christian spoke once again, interrupting her. "But, I think it would be more fun nowadays," Was what he said and Alexandra's head turned towards his direction as her eyebrows slightly creased. What does he mean by that? She asked herself and tilted her head to the side as he looked at him. "What do you mean?" She asked.

Christian smiled at her before he spoke in a gentle yet warm tone of voice, "What I mean is, the palace would become lively and bright when you arrived and it would be more fun. I rarely go out of the library since I have nothing to do but ever since you appeared, I started to go out and walk around. I'm getting even more and more talkative as I spent my time with you but I don't think that's not a bad thing since communication is important when building and strengthening a relationship. Even father started to take care of himself like not staying up all night although he would still do that but not as often as before, he would also take a break by having a tea party with you, well sometimes, with me," Christian sounded happy, a genuine and warm smile plastered on his face after he spoke.

His expression grew brighter and brighter as seconds passed by while he talked earlier and he looks innocent as it does so. The aura he held was warm and bright, it feels like he was an angel who came down from heaven and to bless everyone with that pure, innocent, genuine, and warm smile of his accompanied with that gentle and soothing voice which sounds melodic and you could listen to him talk all day without getting bored of his voice. Aside from that, he also looked gentle and friendly, he looks like he is easy to talk to and you would get along with him. His smile would probably cure all sickness in the world, just kidding. Compared to his other brothers except for Brother Gilbert who is just silent and doesn't want to get involved in some problems and is also kind like Christian except that he hates people and he rarely smiles.

Prince Chandler's personality was either fire or a soft pillow or something like that. He is confusing and would sometimes act differently from his normal or usual hot-headed and easily-annoyed personality. That is probably because he is a tsundere who is aggressive but gradually becomes warm as he spent time with someone and becomes close to him or her. Prince Calixander was ice, completely ice. He is a man who isn't easily shaken and he acts like his father, he probably inherited that personality of his from father, she thought to herself. The reason might be because he is the oldest and as far as Alexandra could remember, the first-born sibling especially the son would usually inherit the personality of its father. That is just based on her small experiences in her previous life. She's not insulting someone in this paragraph.

Nevertheless, they are still hard to deal with. Alexandra let out a sigh before she responded to Christian, "I see, I'm really glad to hear that," She said. She was actually proud when she heard him say that to her, it inspired her or motivated her. Christian was like the proud older brother who wants freedom and peace in his life. Christian just smiled widely at her as he gave her an eye-smile, "Just like I told you before, I know that you can do it and I will help you," He said.

Alexandra just nodded and smiled at him. "Thank you for believing in me, brother," Was what she said before they continued walking, silently.