About two weeks after my visit to Altaria, I was back at Noble Michel once more. I've been occupying myself by studying in the library, and spending time with my kitten, Ray. Along with talking to my cousins as often as I can, I've been sending Roberto more memes. Never thought I would be sharing memes with a prince, but here we are.
Currently, I was in my room while sitting down on my bed with Ray sleeping on my lap. I was just looking through my phone after a long day of studying. I heard a knock on my door. "Come in."
The door opened, revealing Theo pushing in a food cart. There was a tea set with it as usual. "I'm here to provide you some tea and snacks."
"Thank you for that. I wanted something to eat, but I currently can't move right now."
Theo noticed Ray sleeping on my lap. "I see. That little guy is really attached to you now."
"He sure is. He knows I feed him and play with him a lot. It makes me happy that he knows I'm his sole provider."
"Whenever you're away, he shows affection to me too."
"Awww, I can see that. It seems like he really loves you just like I do."
A blush appeared on Theo's face. "You... Love me?"
"Of course I do! I don't hate you."
His face looked more relaxed. "Oh, I thought... Never mind."
I tilted my head. "What's up?"
Theo shook his head, pouring the tea into the cup. "It's nothing, don't worry about it." For some reason he looked a little flustered. Whoops, I meant I love him as a friend and butler, not as.... I need to clear that up.
As I was about to say something, my phone started ringing. It was an unknown number, and the area code looked like it was coming from Charles. I wonder why someone all the way from Charles was calling me, and I usually don't pick up unknown numbers, but I might as well answer it. I answered the call, relentlessly putting the phone near my ear. "...Hello?"
"Hello, is this Lady Kendall?"
I instantly recognized the voice, shock appeared on my face. "Ed?! Is that you?!"
I heard Edward chuckle over the phone. "Why yes it is. I'm flattered that you easily recognized my voice."
"You got an unique voice, so... Yeah. How did you even get my number? I don't remember giving it to you."
"I had the liberty of asking Noble Michel as I wanted to call you personally for something."
"Ok that makes sense. What did you need?"
"I wanted to invite you personally to Charles Kingdom this upcoming weekend. Would you like to do that?"
"Of course, I would love to visit! What day of the weekend, and what time would be best?"
"This Saturday is fine, and I can have Louis come pick you up at 11am."
"Sounds perfect! I look forward to visiting you!"
"And I look forward to seeing your lovely face again."
I blushed a little. "Thanks for the compliment."
"You're very welcome. I shall see you this weekend."
The call ended and I was smiling from ear to ear. "Now I get to see what Charles Kingdom is like! Traveling like this is so much fun!"
Theo handed me the cup of tea. "You get to spend quality time with the prince. How do you feel about that?"
"I've been on very friendly terms with the princes I've visited so far, and I feel confident that I'll also get along with Edward too. He seems really sweet."
Theo lowered his eyes. "That's what you think of him, huh?"
There goes that flustered attitude again. "Are you alright? You haven't been pushing yourself too hard, have you?"
Theo shook his head. "No. Sorry for worrying you, but it's nothing."
I don't know, something seemed off. "Well... If you ever decide you want to talk about it, I'm all ears. But for now, I won't pry about it if you don't feel comfortable talking about it."
Theo had the look that shouted, she's not buying it, looking a little embarrassed about it. "Thanks, but I'll be fine. You can leave the cart out when you're done. Or if Ray is still sleeping on you, you can just call me."
I giggled about that. "We'll see."
Theo gave me a small smile. "I'm going to go ahead and attend to my other duties right now. I'll see you later."
"See you later." Theo bowed before me, exiting my room while closing the door behind him. Something seems off about him today, so I'm a bit worried about him. I really hope he will be ok of whatever he's going through.
Saturday came in a blink of an eye. While I was finishing up packing my things, my phone started to ring. Since I have saved his number the last time we called, it was Edward, or Ed as I had him on my phone. I answered the call. "Hey Ed, what's up? Are you telling me that Louis will be here soon?"
I heard him let out a sigh over the phone. "I deeply apologize for what I'm about to say. Louis had something come up last minute, and is unable to come pick you up today."
I lowered my eyes. "Oh, well... Things happen so it's alright."
"I still want you to come visit today. Is there any way that one of the butlers over there will be able to drive you here?"
"Um... I think one of them could, but I'll have to ask. Is it alright if I call you right back?"
"Of course. Once again, I deeply apologize."
"It's alright, it's not your fault or Louis's fault either. I'm not upset."
"You have such a kind heart, thank you for being understanding."
"No problem. I'll call you in a bit."
"Alright, I shall hear from you soon."
The call ended and I put my phone away. As I was about to head out of my room, Ray was lightly pawing my leg, looking up at me with his adorable gold and aquamarine eyes. I smiled at his cute face. "You want to come along? Alright, come here." I scooped my kitten up, walking out of my room afterwards.
While walking among the halls, I didn't mind which butler I found, both of them were able to drive me since Theo got his license a while back. As I was about to turn a corner, I nearly bumped into Theo. He looked genuinely shocked. "What are you doing, Kendall? I thought you would be packing."
"I was, but Edward called a bit ago saying his butler is unable to pick me up. So I wanted to ask either you or Zain if you could drive me to Charles Kingdom."
Theo raised his eyebrows. "Oh. I could always drive you there."
I gave Theo a grateful smile. "Thank you so much. I was going to tell my great-grandfather about the slight change of plans, and then I need to call Edward back."
"Alright, I'll come with you." He saw Ray in my arms, gently petting him. "He wanted to come along, huh?"
I nodded. "He was basically pleading me with those adorable eyes. You know how Puss in Boots in that one movie always did the cute face? Ray basically did that."
"I... Never watched Puss in Boots."
"What?! Oh my god! Whenever we have time, we're going to have a movie night together!"
"Together? Like... Just the two of us?"
"Yeah! Doesn't that sound fun?!"
A slight blush appeared on Theo's face. "I wouldn't mind that."
"Sweet!"
"We should go tell them now."
"Right." I was following right behind Theo. For some reason, his walking seemed like he was a little flustered. I hope he isn't getting sick. Maybe since I'll be gone for a week, he'll be able to get some proper rest.
After telling everyone about the slight change of plans, Theo ended up loading my things into the limo's trunk and was driving me to Charles Kingdom. I mentioned my kitten to Edward, and he suggested that I take Ray with me on my visit. I was happy that Ray will be with me this time. His things were in the trunk as well. Since he'll be in an unfamiliar area, I ended up putting a tiny bell collar around his neck. I didn't have to do that back in Noble Michel since he would either be in my room or in another room whenever I was away.
The ride to Charles Kingdom was silent since Theo was focusing on driving. Ray was sound asleep on my lap, putting all his trust in me. I wanted to break the silence, trying to think of what to say. "So... Have you ever been to Charles before?"
"I have at least a few times. It's a really nice country."
"I always wanted to see the Eiffel Tower in person! I'm so happy I get to go there!"
"You should go to the patisserie that's near the Eiffel Tower. They have one of the best baked goods I've ever tasted."
"Oooh yes! I can always bring back something for you since I know how much you love sweets. You might even have a bigger sweet tooth than I do."
"Thanks. Just like that time when you requested a bunch of eclairs sent to your room, we ate it all up."
I laughed at that memory. "I told you I would do it! I always keep my promises!"
I heard him let out a laugh. "It was nice, so thanks for that."
"No problem, and I would 10 out of 10 do it again." We continued to chat for a little bit longer. I noticed that he's more cheerful compared to earlier. He seemed like he's in a better mood, so it made me feel better that he wasn't sick.
Later that day, we finally arrived at Charles Kingdom. Theo opened the door for me, I soon stepped foot on Charles Kingdom grounds. It looked like something out of a fairytale. The castle surrounded by colorful roses felt like I had stepped into an alternative universe.
"Welcome to Charles Kingdom, Lady Kendall." I heard Edward's voice say, seeing him walking out of the main entrance.
I gave him a smile. "Thank you for the warm welcome. This place is something else, it almost feels like I'm in Wonderland and tempted to chase a white rabbit if I see one."
Edward let out a chuckle. "Such a vivid imagination you have. I bet your mind is like a paint pallet full of various colors."
That was one of the best compliments I ever heard. "Why thank you."
Edward saw Ray who was in my arms, gently smiling. "Is this the kitten I've heard so much about?"
I nodded. "It is. Let me introduce you. His name is Ray."
"It's a pleasure meeting you, Ray. I hope that we can get along." Ray let out a little mew afterwards.
I giggled at Ray's answer. "It seems that he feels the same way."
"I'm happy to hear that."
Theo was now by my side while carrying my things and Ray's things. He bowed before Edward. "It's nice to properly meet you, your highness. My name is Theo, Lady Kendall's exclusive butler."
"It's a pleasure, Theo. I'm aware you're still a butler in-training. I'm happy to see that you're serving Lady Kendall well."
"Thank you very much. I do my uttermost best to serve her."
"I'm glad to see the two of you getting along. A master, in this case, a mistress and a butler's bond is unique. Now... Since Louis is unavailable at the moment, I shall show you to your room."
"Oooh~! The prince of Charles is personally escorting me to my guest room." I teasingly said.
Edward chuckled at my sarcastic remark. "It's a special occasion. A beautiful fairy has decided to pay me a visit, and I want nothing but the best for her while she's here."
I blushed, shyly tucking my hair behind my ear. "Come on, Ed! I'm not as beautiful as a fairy. You're playing."
"I believe you are. Please follow me. I shall show you where you'll be staying." Both Theo and I were following Edward into the castle. I guess it's true that Charlesian people tend to use love language a lot. I just thought it was a stereotype, but now I see it's 100% true.
Shortly after, the three of us entered a really elegant guest room. Even the room felt like I was in Wonderland. It was themed that way that it felt so surreal. My mouth was agape. "Ayo..!"
"Is it to your liking, Lady Kendall?"
I nodded slowly. "It's amazing!"
"I'm happy that it's to your satisfaction."
Theo set my things and Ray's things down. "I'm going to head back to Noble Michel castle. I hope you have a wonderful time in Charles Kingdom, Lady Kendall."
"Thank you, Theo. I wish you a safe drive back to Noble Michel." I looked down at Ray who was in my arms. "Say bye to Theo, Ray." Ray let out a tiny mew as I gently held his paw, making him wave.
Theo couldn't help but smile. "I'll see you soon, Ray. Lady Kendall." He bowed before exiting the room. Once he turned the corner, he was nowhere in sight.
I felt a hand rest on my shoulder. "I shall let you rest for a bit since I know that traveling from Noble Michel to Charles is tiring."
I nodded and smiled. "Thank you for that. I have to feed Ray and set his stuff up anyway."
"I understand. Louis will be back sometime later, and I shall have him fetch you so that the two of us can share a cup of tea in the rose garden. How does that sound?"
I smiled brightly. "That sounds really nice!"
"I look forward to it, Lady Kendall. Until then." Edward gently patted my shoulder before leaving the room.
I let out a happy sigh, looking down at Ray in my arms. "Ready to eat, little guy?" Ray let out a tiny mew, proceeding me to start setting his things up.
A little later, I was laying down on the comfortable bed. Ray, who was full and satisfied, was sleeping right next to me. I was just scrolling through my phone while watching videos off of YouTube.
I heard a knock on my door, having me sit up from the bed. "Come in."
The door opened, revealing Louis as he bowed. "Good afternoon, Lady Kendall. I hope you have been doing well."
"I am, thank you. I'm glad to see you got whatever you had to do taken care of."
Louis lowered his eyes as I said that. "I deeply apologize for unable to pick you up."
"It's ok, I'm not upset about that. I understand that you had something to do, but it all worked out. I'm here now because my butler brought me here."
"Thank you for understanding. Since I was unavailable to you earlier, you may ask any favor of me."
"Hey, don't worry about it. You don't need to feel obligated to do that. I promise you that it's ok."
"...Very well. I have come to get you to attend tea time with his highness."
"Right, he mentioned that. I can't wait to taste his famous tea!"
"His highness also wanted me to give you something." Louis stepped out of the room a little bit, rolling in a beautiful dress on a mannequin. "This is his highness's gift to you."
I walked up to the dress, I was amazed. It didn't look like any of the dresses I wore to the previous parties. It looked more casual, but it still looked very fancy. "Awww, he didn't have to do this, but it's very kind of him to give me such a beautiful dress."
"Would you like to wear it at tea time?"
"I might as well since I have a feeling he would want to see me wearing it."
"Very well. I shall have a few maids help get you ready in a moment." Louis bowed before exiting the room. Soon after, a few maids were entering my room with some hair supplies and makeup.
They had me sit in front of the vanity, feeling one of them grabbing a section of my hair while another one was applying makeup on me. This was always a relaxing pastime, so I used this time to relax.
A little later, the maids helped me put on the dress Edward gave me. I looked in the mirror, seeing the dress fits me to a T. I looked like a princess in this dress, having a feeling that's what Edward was going for.
The maids were stepping out of my room, Louis coming in soon after. He looked at me shocked, smiling soon after. "You look gorgeous, Lady Kendall."
I blushed a little bit. "Thank you." I looked over towards Ray who's been asleep on my bed the entire time. "Man, he's a heavy sleeper."
Louis looked over towards Ray laying on my bed. "That's your kitten you brought with you?"
I nodded. "His name is Ray. He's pretty calm for a three month old kitten. He has his moments at times, but overall he's very well behaved."
"I wouldn't mind keeping an eye on him while you spend your time with his highness."
"Really? That would mean so much! But first, I'll have to have him get familiar with you, but it won't take long at all."
"Very well."
I went over towards Ray, gently petting him. My kitten was opening his eyes, I then scooped him up in my arms. I went over towards Louis. "You can put your hand towards him. This lets him know that I know you, and that you're a person he can trust." Louis did as he was told. To my surprise, Ray nudged Louis's hand like he wanted to be petted, purring softly. "Wow! He likes you right off the bat!"
"I tend to get along with animals easily. When I lived in an orphanage as a child, I made a lot of feline friends."
I raised my eyebrows in surprise. I would've never thought Louis was an orphan. But I'm happy that he ended up where he is now, smiling at him. "And now you get to make another feline friend. Here you are." I handed Ray over towards Louis. I had a list prepared ahead of time since I knew this kind of thing was going to happen. "This is what he eats and the times he eats. You can find it all in that bag over there. You can also use the toys to play with him. If you have any questions regarding him, you can always get me."
Louis took the note from me with a smile. "Thank you very much, Lady Kendall. I promise you Ray is in good hands."
I smiled back. "That's very reassuring."
"Please follow me. His highness is waiting for you in the gardens." I followed Louis out of my room, heading over towards the rose garden.
Shortly after, we were outside. We were passing many roses hedges and a gorgeous bridge that overpassed a pond that was well taken care of. Butterflies and birds were flying everywhere, it really did feel like I was in a fairytale.
We made it to where Edward was, who was sitting in an open air terrace. The table was decorated with a divine tea set. I could smell the aroma where I was standing, the smell itself could put me under a spell.
Edward gave me a smile while getting up from his seat. He walked over towards me, gently grabbing my hand. "My intuition was a little off. I thought you would look like a princess, but you look more like a goddess that even the goddess of beauty is envious."
Damn that was smooth. I couldn't help but blush. "I... Uh... Um... Thank you for giving me this dress."
"You're quite welcome. This dress enhances the beauty in you. Just like how a flower blooms in spring, this dress makes you look like the very first blossom that blooms." He brought my hand up to his lips, planting a kiss on it.
My blush was deepening even more. This man is smooth with his flower talk! I felt so flustered that I felt like I couldn't talk properly for a moment. "T-Thank you."
Louis then spoke up. "I shall be taking my leave with Ray. If you need anything, please feel free to call for me."
I nodded. "Alright, and thank you again for taking care of him." I gently patted Ray's head. "I'll be back later. Be good for Louis, will you?" Ray let out a little mew as his answer.
Louis bowed his head. "I hope you enjoy the tea. Please excuse me." He was walking away while holding my precious kitten. I know Ray was in capable hands, but I still couldn't help but worry. It was like leaving my own child somewhere else for the very first time.
Edward pulled out a chair for me. "Please sit down, Lady Kendall." I went over and sat down, feeling him push in the chair a little. He then went over towards his own chair, giving me a smile. "This tea was freshly brewed by the roses in this garden."
I raised my eyebrows in surprise. "Really? That's amazing."
Edward was pouring me a cup of tea. "Here you are. It's still hot, so please do be careful."
I was gently blowing into the tea as the stream was rising. Once I figured it was alright, I took a sip of it. It tasted really sweet and earthy, the flavor basically bursting in my mouth. I blinked fast in surprise. "It's... One of the best teas I've ever drank! Wow... This is extraordinary."
"I'm glad it's to your liking. I personally made it myself."
"Really? I think you did a fantastic job."
"Why thank you. Hearing a compliment from such a beautiful lady like yourself always brightens my day."
I blushed instantly. "You sure know how to make a girl feel special, Ed. I'm not gonna lie, I honestly feel like a princess right now."
"You deserve to feel like a princess who will soon get swept away by her Prince Charming on his noble steed."
"Now that sounds like something straight out of a fairytale! You're so... prince-like. I know you're an actual prince and all, but it's like... You act like a charming prince straight out of a story book that it's making the five year old me really happy right now."
Edward let out a chuckle. "Have you always wanted to feel like a princess, Lady Kendall?"
I gave him a teasing smile. "You know... You can just call me Kendall like how I call you Ed. I'm perfectly fine with you addressing me casually."
"Very well then, Kendall. That's only fair."
"To answer your question, my parents would often read me stories about princes and princesses. As a kid, it left an impression on me and I wanted to experience it even if it's only one time."
"And now it seems that wish is being fulfilled. If you could have your way, what would you want to happen if you were a princess for a day?"
I had to think about that. "Hm... I wouldn't mind riding a horse with a prince and given flowers or something. I never had a guy even give me a flower that he could easily pick from the ground."
"Oh?" Edward looked curious at me. "You had suitors before?"
"More like a couple of high school relationships that didn't last long, but made me feel not worthwhile. I feel like a lot of guys these days don't know how to treat a girl anymore, or know how to treat a person with respect in general."
"I see, but there are still a lot of men who still know how to treat women with respect. They are indeed hard to find these days, but they are out there."
"They're like... Sea urchins in a desert."
"Sea urchins in a desert?"
"Yeah, because they're so hard to find!" I can't believe I used a reference from one of my favorite shows like that. I doubt he'll know where it's from anyway.
Edward let out a chuckle. "What a humorous comparison. You have such a way with words, Kendall."
"I could say the same thing about you with your fancy flowery language."
"I know all about flowers, especially roses. I could tell you some facts about them if you're interested."
"Sure! I'll love to hear about it. I tend to forget what the color meanings of roses are, and I'm guessing that's your area of expertise."
"That is correct. I say the rose color that suits you best would be a pink rose. You have such a gentle heart that's always filled with kindness and appreciation."
"I love pink roses! I can see you have a lot of colored roses here, and I can tell they're very well taken care of."
"Thank you for noticing that. I have the best gardener, but I also tend to take care of them myself as well."
"Wow, that's awesome! I can tell there's a lot of love in these roses. They're so vibrant no matter where I look."
"That's very kind of you to say." Edward noticed my cup was almost empty. "Would you like another cup of tea?"
"Yes please." He poured me something more tea, and I took some sips from my cup. We were talking some more over a delicious cup of tea, feeling like I was in my own fairytale with an actual prince.
After tea, Edward was taking me towards the back of the castle. There was a horse stable there with a few horses. You could say that he... Got the horses in the back. That was lame why did I think that?
Edward led me to a beautiful white horse. "Her name is Arionne. She's very friendly. You may pet her if you wish."
I hesitantly petted the bridge of her nose. She was being very patient and gentle with me, letting me pet her. "It's nice to meet you, Arionne. My name is Kendall. I hope that we can be friends." She let out a wooshing sound as a response.
Edward unlocked her stable, leading her out with a rope attached to her. "How do you feel about riding around the castle on horseback?"
I felt a little nervous. "I've never ridden a horse so I'm kind of nervous."
"It will be alright, I will be riding with you. Arionne will also be very gentle since this will be your first time horseback riding."
I smiled at that. "Thank you for your consideration."
Soon after, Edward helped me get on Arionne's back, getting on right after. He was sitting behind me while holding the rope to lead his horse. We were taking it slow, trotting along the trail ahead of us.
"How are you liking it so far, Kendall?"
"It's really nice. Riding a horse while being surrounded by beautiful roses is like I'm in a dream. I'm jealous you get to do this whenever you want."
Edward let out a chuckle. "There's no need to be envious. You can visit anytime you want to do activities such as this."
"You really don't mind?"
"I mean it. You are welcome here anytime. Not just because you are Noble Michel's great-granddaughter, but as your own unique person that you are."
I couldn't help but blush and smile. "Thank you for that. Also, I don't mind if Arionne speeds up a bit."
"Are you sure?"
I nodded. "I'll be alright."
"If you get frightened, you may latch onto me and tell me to take it slow once more." I was prepared for the speed to increase. Once Edward signaled Arionne to go a little faster, I was feeling myself bounce. It wasn't as bad as I thought, but I still held on to be safe. I was taking everything in, enjoying the moment as much as possible.
After riding around for what seems to be hours, Edward led me into the gardens once more. The sun was already setting, the scenery was breathtaking.
"Lovely, isn't it?" Edward asked.
I nodded in response. "The view is so beautiful."
"We may stay until it's nearly set. I wish we could stay until it has set completely, but Louis will get us before then."
"I understand. Plus, it's close to dinner time so I assume that's why he'll get us."
As I was turning towards Edward, I noticed a pink rose in front of my face. He was holding it out to me with a charming smile. "I wanted to give this to you as my token of appreciation. I enjoyed my time with you today. I promise you the other days will be just as enjoyable as this one."
I gratefully took the rose, inhaling its aroma. "It smells so good."
"It's a representation of you. It's quite gentle, yet adorable."
I giggled and blushed. Just how many times did I blush today? I'm just not used to receiving this much special treatment. "It makes me happy to hear."
"And it makes me happy to put a smile on your face." We longly smiled at one another, turning back towards the sunset. I truly felt like a princess for a day, but I know the magic will wear off soon. So right now, I'm enjoying this rare moment, living in my own little fairytale.