Chapter 168 - Development (11)

Calixander stood in front of Alexandra with a blank look on his face while he stared at her face. They remained like that for a while, just staring at each other. Not until Carlos bent down and whispered to Alexandra's ear, "Young miss, the cookies?" He said. He felt awkward and uncomfortable as he watched the two stare at each other without saying so he thought that he should break this silence. It seems like Alexandra forgot why she was here.

Right, the cookies, she thought to herself and turned around to face Carlos who was holding the bag of cookies in his hands before he gave it to Alexandra who smiled at him as she took it. She turned around and faced her brother once again before she handed the bag to him, the same bright smile on her face. This is the first time that she gave me cookies since she would always give me macaroons, scones, cupcakes, and such, he thought to himself as he stared at the bag before he took it from her hands. "Are these made by Diana?" Calixander asked him as he lifted his gaze away from the bag that he was holding.

"Yes, since I don't know how to bake, I would always ask her to do it for me," Alexandra responded with a smile on her face. Christian told her before that Calixander likes the macaroons Diana would bake but nobody told her that Calixander likes everything that Diana would bake, cupcakes, scones, cookies, brownies, and such. That was probably how he developed a sweet tooth since Diana would always give him the sweets that she baked almost every single day when she was still working here in this palace. The first one that she gave him was macaroons when he was 5. He was still young back then but Diana would always give him sweets.

He could already smell the aroma of the cookies even with the tightly closed bag. The aroma of the cookies mixed with the light scent coming from the flowers that surrounded them. The wind blew gently against their skin and their hair fluttered along with the wind, his forehead slightly showing as his bangs also fluttered along with it. They could hear the sound of the leaves and grass rustling. The flowers danced and swayed along with the wind.

He stared at Alexandra once again before he lifted his hand slowly. Alexandra raised her guard and wondered what he was going to do but then she was dumbfounded and shocked by what he actually did. He placed his hand on top of his head as if he was giving her a pat while he stared at her, Alexandra stiffened at her position and she blinked multiple times. Her mind went blank and she was only thinking about one thing, the hand that was placed on top of her head felt warm and gentle.

Somehow, Calixander thought of her as a puppy when he placed his hand on top of her head. She was struck still and she didn't move from her position, she looked like a stone statue.

"Eh? Your majesty?" Even Carlos was struck dumbfounded as he witnessed the scene. This wasn't a normal thing for him to do especially that he knows how much he hated the young miss. He even called her a rat when they bumped into each other. He let out a sigh and he ruffled her hair before he turned around and walked back towards the gazebo but before that, he muttered some words underneath his breath. "Thanks for this. I appreciate it," Was what he muttered before he continued walking.

Alexandra just watched her brother walk away from her while she stared at his back. What was that? She thought to herself and blinked multiple times. The warmth coming from his hand which he placed on top of his head slowly left and it felt empty. Alexandra placed her hand on top of her head where he rested his hand.

"Carlos, tell me I'm not dreaming," Alexandra said.

"You are not dreaming, young miss. I, too, was dumbfounded and shocked because of what happened," Carlos responded.

And a butterfly fluttered its delicate and colorful wings as it went past her. Blocking her view for a moment.

--

As Alexandra and Carlos were walking back to her palace after they left the garden. Come to think of it, why was brother in that garden alone? She could understand if he was in the other gardens near the palace but he was completely far away from that and his personal knight wasn't even there. Do he like Daisies? She asked herself even though she knows that she can't answer that so she just asked Carlos about it.

"Carlos, do brother Calixander likes daisies?" Alexandra asked as they walked. Carlos let out a soft chuckle before he responded, "It's not his majesty, Prince Calixander, who likes daisies," He said and Alexandra's face crumpled as it formed into a confused expression. Her eyebrows knitted and she turned her head to look at him, "Then who?" She asked. Her tone of voice laced with curiosity as she spoke.

"It was her highness, Empress Selena, your mother, who likes daisies. No, let me rephrase that, she loves daisies so much that the emperor decided to build her a garden with only daisies and that garden was the one where we just came from," Carlos responded. His fellow knights told him that before when he asked them why was there a garden far away from this palace as if it was hidden away from everyone.

"Then…" Alexandra realized something from what he just said and it seems like he immediately understood what she was about to say when he continued what she wanted to say. "Yes. Prince Calixander probably misses the empress that's why he visits that garden every day during the morning. Although, I thought he would get angry when we decided to come there but he didn't. He even ruffled your hair and thanked you," Was what Carlos said.

"Eh? He thanked me? Really? I didn't hear him," Alexandra said.

"Oh, well, his voice was like a whisper when he spoke so it's no wonder why you didn't hear him but since I have good hearing, I was able to hear it clearly," Carlos said as if he was proud of himself and Alexandra let out a light giggle.

"You have such an amazing and good hearing," Alexandra complimented him.

"I am flattered, young miss."

--

Inside the garden filled with Daisies, Calixander stared at the bag filled with cookies that he just received from Alexandra. He leaned back on his chair as he let out a sigh before he opened it carefully. Even with just the aroma it emitted, he already knew that the cookies would be tasty and delicious especially that it was made by Diana herself. He fished one cookie out and examined it for a moment. It wasn't hot nor was it cold either, it was probably just baked an hour ago before she went here.

He brought the cookies to his lips before he took a bite from it, the taste melted in his mouth like chocolate and he savored it. Compared to their pastry chef, although she was also good at baking, it was nothing compared to Diana. Even though Diana wasn't excellent when it comes to baking, her dedication when it comes to it was already enough. She was friends with their pastry chef so when she got nothing to do, they would bake together and they would give it to their fellow maids and chefs sometimes to the other knights too when they made too many of it.

Right, just like what happened before, he thought to himself and he closed his eyes.

--Calixander was tired from all of those lessons that he has to learn for today, he was exhausted as if his energy was seeped out from his body, so he decided to go out and rest at the garden near the courtyard. Since he was the one next in line to the throne, he has to learn so many things at such a young age so he would be suitable for the throne and he knows what to do in the near future. Couldn't they just do it when I'm 7 or something, I am still 5 years old, for Pete's sake, he thought to himself and let out a sigh as he sat down on the ground not caring that his clothes would get dirty.

His surroundings were peaceful and quiet since there was nobody around him. He left his personal knight behind and told him that he would be out for just a few minutes to get some fresh air. It seems like he immediately understood and noticed that I'm tired and I want some privacy because he just nodded and remained in his position, he thought to himself.

The gentle breeze blew against his bare skin and caressed his face as if it was comforting him. He brought his two knees up and placed his chin on the in-between of his two knees while he stared at his surroundings. He was being surrounded by flowers, roses, to be exact. He was hidden away from everyone and it would be hard to look for him, he didn't tell anybody where he went not even his personal knight. He only told him that he was going to get some fresh air.

Yet how did a mere maid found him here?

"Eh? Your majesty?" A gentle and smooth voice reached his ears and he turned his head around to where the voice came from. Hazel brown eyes, and chestnut hair that was tied in a bun. She was wearing the uniform maids would wear and the gentle expression on her face was immediately replaced with a shocked one when she realized that it was really the prince. She immediately bowed and apologized, "I apologize for disturbing your rest, your majesty. I was just wandering around the garden and became curious about why is a person sitting on the ground here and hiding," She said as she bowed her head.

"No, it's okay," Calixander responded and he didn't budge from his spot. This is the first time that I saw her? Is she new or do I only encounter a few maids here in this palace since I rarely go out of my room or the study room? I only knew Isabella, he thought to himself as he stared at her face.

The maid became uncomfortable as he stared at her as she immediately averted her gaze and gulped. But why is the prince here instead of taking his lessons?

"Your majesty, may I ask something?" The maid spoke and looked back on him once again, breaking the silence which surrounded them. Calixander only stared at her for a few moments before he let out a sigh and spoke, "What is it?" He said.

"Why are you here instead of taking your lessons in the study room? It's just that, I was wondering why," She asked. The maid looked like she wasn't afraid of him, almost all of the people working here inside this palace were afraid of him and wouldn't approach him carelessly unless they needed to do so like it was an order or something. "I wanted to get some fresh air and escape from those lessons for a while. It was exhausting," He responded.

Wait, why am I answering her questions and telling her those?

"I see, then would you like some macaroons? I just baked this along with the pastry chef although these were the batches that I made. We still got some left so it wouldn't be a problem if you take some, your majesty," The maid said as she showed him the bag of macaroons. He simply just stared at it with a curious gaze, he wasn't the type of person who would immediately accept what a stranger like her would give so he just stared at it. A doubtful expression on his face.

It seems like the maid read what was inside his mind. "Don't worry, these are not poisoned. I am not that brave and crazy to do that. Aside from that, I also gave some to the maids and knights, why would I poison it?"

Just after she spoke, Calixander took the bag of macaroons from her hands and the maid's smile widened when he accepted it. It's not like I like sweets but it's not bad if I wouldn't try, if these were really poisoned and I managed to survive, I would be the one who will cut her head off, he thought to himself. My, what thoughts for a child.

"You, what's your name?" Calixander asked her.

The maid smiled at him before she spoke.

"Diana. Diana Marionette Florangel. It's a pleasure to meet you, your majesty."