Chapter 131 - Visitors (6)

Finally, after what it seems like hours of walking to the garden, they finally arrived. The place was filled with bushes of flowers with obelisks in the middle of those bushes. The place looked colorful and lovely even though it was just simple. It was clean and neat like it was taken care of every day. The faint sweet scent of the flowers wafted to her nose and the atmosphere of the place was bubbly and relaxing. A perfect place to have their tea parties. There were butterflies fluttering around the place with all sorts of colors and size which made the garden look more beautiful.

Compared to her garden in the palace which was only one, these ones were far way more beautiful and big. How many maids or servants work and take care of a garden this large? Unbelievable. Alexandra was in awe as she roamed her eyes around the place, it was like from one of those fascinating paintings or drawings that she has seen before. It was just like it came straight out of a fairytale. what if it was night? Would it still look beautiful like this?

"Come to think of it, this is the first time your daughter and my son met, right?" King Raphael asked as they were walking to a gazebo located in the middle of the garden surrounded by all kinds of flowers. There was a table found also inside, there were two maids and also a butler standing beside the table looking like they were waiting for them to arrive since earlier. There were cakes, cupcakes, and some pastry foods placed on top of the table although Alexandra couldn't tell what were those since they were still far away from it. Alexandra stiffened, it felt like she was struck by lightning when she heard what the king said. What if he recognized me or something? Alexandra asked herself.

"Son, would you please introduce yourself?" The king said towards Prince Julian before he looked at Alexandra. Prince Julian stared at her for a few seconds before he smiled and said, "Prince Julian Nathaniel Kingsley Cowell, the 1st prince of the Luminaria Kingdom. It is a pleasure to meet you," He said. A sweet and gentle smile across his lips, his eyes closing at the process. Alexandra remained still, stiff like a statue as she stared at him who bowed, it is one of the basic proper etiquettes when greeting someone. Does he not recognize me? Wait, he should since he knew who I am at our first encounter. Wait, I should respond to him first before I think about so many things, that would be rude if I just stared at him without saying anything.

"I-I am Alexandra Alice Elizabeth Everly. It is a pleasure to meet you too, your majesty, Prince Julian. I hope we will get along and become friends," Alexandra said as she bowed, trying her best not to stutter when she already did one time at her first word. I guess, he really doesn't recognize or remember me. Well, that is good. That means I am safe, Alexandra thought to herself as she smiled at Alexandra, her eyes closing at the process. She looked bright and cheerful, she held this friendly and gentle demeanor. Although she looked shy and awkward.

"Then this is good, you already know each other now," The king said as they continued walking towards the table inside the gazebo. "Now then you could talk with each other and become friends!" The king let out a loud laugh at the end. In Alexandra's view, he looked like one of those drunk guys cracking a joke and laughing loudly right after.

Why does it feels like he is one of those parents who are planning to make us a couple? Is he planning an arranged marriage for us too? Alexandra thought to herself and was somehow disturbed or disgusted by the idea of it. It's not like she hates the prince, he is handsome and cute, but I don't want that. I mean, you're just forcing someone in doing something they want to. What if the prince doesn't like me too, right?

Ugh, I shouldn't overthink things. What if he was just trying to make us get along with each other so that I won't be lonely having not a single friend who is around my age? Well, I am friends with Harrison but he is older than me, probably, he is just using his child form which is 2 years older than me, Alexandra thought to herself, getting frustrated because of her thoughts.

Is Christian close to him? They look like they don't. They arrived inside the gazebo and Alexandra could see the mouth-watering desserts and pastry foods served for them. As a lover of sweets, it looked like paradise for her. The sweet and delicious aroma they emitted wafted to her nose making her hungry and thankfully, her stomach didn't make a sound. She can't wait to taste all of those especially the cake, it looked so delicious she just wants to grab it and stuff it inside her mouth. (I'm sorry, I'm just really hungry right now as I type these) But of course, she wouldn't do that in front of them. That would be embarrassing and rude. Straightforwardly a disgrace for her.

Alexandra took a sit on one of the chairs and Christian sat beside her while her father sat on her other side. King Raphael and Prince Julian sat on the chairs in front of them, Alexandra just stared at the food. Her eyes sparkling and gleaming in joys. It was just like stars twinkling in the dark night sky. Happiness was written all over her face. Now, this is beauty.

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After Alexandra finished eating, she left the gazebo and decided to walk around the garden along with Prince Julian and Christian because their fathers said that they are going to discuss something private and they don't want them to get involved. Alexandra, although she was very curious about what they are going to discuss about, held her urge to go back to the gazebo and listen to their conversation secretly. But that would still be impossible if she decided to do so because Carlos and the other personal knights were with her and even if she managed to escape them, they would be sharp to notice her there listening to their conversation.

Alexandra let out a sigh and admired the flowers as they walked around. She just enjoyed her moment of peace here even though she badly wants to talk and have a conversation with either of the two people walking beside her who are also just quiet. I want to talk to Prince Julian about our previous encounter but I don't know how to start.

Alexandra stopped and admired the bush of tulips with all sorts of color as butterflies fluttered around it. That made the prince stop but Christian continued walking as if he didn't notice that he already left the two behind.

"Prince Christian, we already left the young miss and the prince behind. Would you like to go back or to just wait for them here?" Gabriel asked him when he noticed that they were far way behind them. "Just let them be, I want to walk around the garden alone," Christian said and watched the butterfly's wings flutter as it passed by him. Just by Alexandra's actions and constant fidgeting earlier, along with the constant glances she would give to the prince, he figured that Alexandra wants to talk with him or something although he doesn't know what they are going to talk about. He is just going to ask Alexandra later.

As she was thinking about what topic they should talk about, she felt someone poke her arm coming from her left and she turned her head to the person's direction who just poked her. Her warm and tender blue eyes met cold yet gentle grey ones. Prince Julian was the one who poked her, "Yes? What is it?" Alexandra asked him in a gentle tone of voice, smiling at him in the process, and her eyes wide with wonder.

"I would like to talk to you about something," The prince said in a low tone of voice, sounding like a whisper. Alexandra, even though she was doubtful, was curious about what he wants to talk about. Was it about our encounter from before on the second day of the winter star? Nevertheless, she still wants to know. So she nodded and looked at Carlos who was silently standing still behind them then gave him a smile, although she didn't say anything, he already knew what she wanted to say. To move back for like more than 5 steps as they are going to talk about something, that was the smile and look she would give him if she is going to talk about something private with someone.

Even though he was curious and wants to listen to their conversation, he did what he was told to. The same goes for Prince Julian's knight. He also stepped back and stopped at the same distance as Carlos did. Carlos thought, what was the name of this knight? I saw him before multiple times when they (he means the king and his son) would visit, however, they didn't talk at all as he would be busy doing his duties as the vice-captain of the royal knights.

"So what do you want to talk with me about, Prince Julian?" Alexandra asked and looked at the boy standing beside her. "Julian is fine. I would like to talk to you about our encounter from before," It's just like what I thought, Alexandra thought to herself. She was thankful and nervous at the same time, she was thankful because he was the one who brought it up as she doesn't know how to start and she was nervous because she doesn't know what he is going to tell her about it. Anxiety slowly crept up to her as she waited for the next thing that he will say.

"Please forget about it," He said as he was smiling at her. Alexandra's mind went blank as soon as she heard what he said. What does he mean by forgetting about it?