Fatima: The Slave Princess

"May the glory of Alkaraz shine upon her highness!!"

"Welcome, your highness."

It seems they were expecting my visit. The tattle tale couldn't possibly be my brother. Which implies that someone has their eyes on the entire city.

"My goodness! What a hearty welcome, Duchess Gwen. It has been far too long, my dear."

"It is the best that we could do on such a short notice, your highness. Shall we head inside?"

Neither my fiancé nor my brother is in sight, they must be busy preparing for the upcoming spring festival.

+++++

"What did you just say?"

"H-her highness, Princess Emilia has just arrived and was escorted to the tearoom with her grace."

"You may leave."

Why is he fretting so much? He doesn't seem to be all that happy about her visit.

"You leave too Fati. I've some business to attend to." He instructed as he rushed to grab his coat.

"Yes, young master, I shall take my leave now." I promptly replied before leaving his study.

How odd. It's as if he transformed into a whole different person in mere seconds.

+++++

"How are things in the capital, your highness?"

"Well, rumors continue to spread faster than the wind, and the gossip never ceases. The usual." I replied calmly, sipping the tea in my grasp.

"Ah! His majesty and Duke Kartier sent their regards." I added while placing the teacup in the saucer.

Truthfully, my father was the only one who sent his regard. As for Duke Kartier-The man is far too busy coddling his pregnant mistress to care about anyone else. I merely wanted to see her reaction. What a murderous expression she's making.

"I must say, duchess, this estate is as elegant as ever." I complemented as my gaze scoured the room.

"Oh my, I'm glad her highness noticed. We recently redecorated the entire place." she boasted with a smile.

"As always, your impeccable taste never ceases to amaze me, Duchess Gwen. Look at the details of these wallpapers. Good heavens! Is that…what I think it is?" I exclaimed, pointing at the golden staff that stood out from the rest of her tacky decorations.

"Your highness has a good eye for rarities. This is indeed the sacred staff of Arambara. It was purchased during one of Golden Gavel's bidding events just last month." She continued to gloat.

This staff is said to be an old relic that belonged to the most powerful Sant who's ever walked the face of the earth. My brother has been searching for this for years and yet it miraculously fell into the hands of none other than the woman he loathes the most. This must be why he's lingering here.

"Pardon the intrusion your highness, your grace. The young master is coming in."

"Darling!" I cheered while rising from my seat.

+++++

"This place is as beautiful as ever. The bucolic atmosphere of being surrounded by nature is astoundingly pleasant, to say the least."

"Princess, you should have told me in advance if you were planning to visit. The household is in much disarray from trying to put together an abode for your stay."

"Are you implying I'm inconveniencing your workers, Dimitriu?" I questioned firmly as I halted my steps.

"Of course not. I was merely concerned for your safety as you traveled quite a long way with so few personnel and…"

"We have not seen each other for nearly two years, yet you do not seem the least bit happy to see me. I must say, I'm rather disappointed." I remarked sternly.

He quickly clasped my hands in his, and with a heavy sigh, he apologized. Traces of stress and worry were visibly noticeable on his countenance, which in turns filled me with concerns.

"The past few weeks have been rather stressful, what with the preparations for the spring festival and all."

He sounds exhausted.

"I'm rather confused, darling. Isn't your mother supposed to be the one overseeing the whole affair of the spring festival? To my knowledge, your sole duty is to review and approve the ledgers in your father's stead."

"Correct. However, she decided to pass it on to me the moment my father left for the capital." He sighed.

Oh, I see. Being the diligent filial son that he is, he would never say no to her for fear of negatively affecting their relationship. Knowing that, she took advantage of his loyalty to coerce him into taking on the task.

"You trust me, don't you, darling?" I smirked as I grabbed his shoulders.

"Uuuhh…" he stared blankly.

+++++

"I believe we've ventured deep enough in this forest. We should start heading back if we want to make it out before sunset."

Why again did I let her convince me to follow her? We've been walking for well over half an hour by now and there is nothing but trees in sight.

"Mind your steps Sir Nate, there is a bird's nest there. It appears to have fallen from this oak tree. Thankfully, the eggs are intact. Will you be able to put it back up?"

"Leave it to me."

She picks fights with me every chance she gets and yet remains still as a rock in the face of abuse. She cares for any and everyone who shows even an ounce of kindness to her. And now her feelings are getting exploited by that scumbag right before my very eyes. Honestly…what a bothersome…

"Be careful Sir Nate."

"Done." I chuckled as I swiftly hopped down from the tree.

"Showoff!" she pouted with her arms folded across her chest.

"Fati…"

"What's the matter? Why are you suddenly drawing your sword?" she gasped in shock.

"Stay quiet, and do not move an inch." I mumbled through my teeth as I slowly encroached her.

From the silhouette alone, I suspect it to be a wild bear. How did it manage to creep in on us without being detected? If I move recklessly, I might hurt her. I can't use my ability since I don't want to be discovered. What should I do?

"Marcie? Marcie!!" she cheered loudly, pouncing on the creature as they collapsed on the ground together.

Am I the only one who's confused here?

+++++

"Sir Nate, this is my friend Marcie. We met in this forest not long ago. Marcie, this is Sir Nate."

Why am I being introduced to a bear?

"Say something Sir Nate. Don't be shy." whispered Fati as she nudged my arm.

What am I supposed to say to an animal who probably won't even understand a word I utter?

"Uuuhh…a pleasure to meet you, miss Marcie."

It suddenly let out a soft growl and placed its paws over its eyes.

"Oh my, you think so too, Marcie? You should see the young master of this estate; his looks are even more dazzling." Fati giggled heartily.

What in the world are they talking about? Wait…she can understand animals? What else is this girl hiding from me?

"Where is papa bear by the way? He's usually not far behind. What about your cubs? Are they alright?"

Is she acquainted with the whole bear family?

"Oh, he's watching them. Have you decided their names yet?"

The bear growled while swinging and circling its head around as it seemed to understand everything. And Fati's face beamed with excitement throughout their conversation, which, in a way, made me feel strange. She's never made that face when we conversed. Granted, we fight more than we chatter, but still.... After her lengthy chat with the bear, we parted ways and swiftly made it back to the estate. By then, the sun had already completely set.

"Shhh! Someone's coming." she whispered as she pulled me into the nearby bushes.

A woman in her nightgown holding a lamp was suspiciously rushing towards the annex.

"Isn't that…the mistress? What is she doing here at this hour?"

It's an open secret that this annex is mostly used as a rendezvous spot for lovers residing in this estate. Maids and knights often visit the place to share a passionate night together. However, apart from the maids, there is someone else who frequents this annex at night.

"Should we pry further? I want to see what she's doing."

As a friend, I should discourage her, as this could lead to detrimental consequences. However, knowing her, she will keep probing until her curiosity is sated. Therefore, it would be better if I indulge her if only briefly. If we get caught, I'll take the blame.

"Let's move closer. There's a broken window behind this bush. It will allow you to see more clearly." I whispered.

"Okay. Let us go!"

We tiptoed around until we arrived at the said window. In the midst of our exciting venture, we encountered a rather small and crucial problem. Fati's height was not allowing her to reach the window. Hence, I offered help. Without hesitation, she quickly sat on my shoulder and rested her hand over my head as I slowly rose her up to the window's height. To my surprise, she was light as a feather.

Loud moans and groans of pleasure could be heard from where we were standing. They were making quite a commotion inside as though this was completely normal.

"Can you see?"

After a long silence, Fati let out a loud gasp as she repeatedly tapped my head which prompted me to let her down.