Alice woke up to noise coming from downstairs. Her head throbbed from the hangover caused by her drinking escapade the night before. She quickly changed out of her crumpled clothes and walked downstairs.
At the source of the noise, a young woman—probably in her mid-twenties with raven blue hair that complemented her pale skin—sat at the head of the breakfast table, reading the newspaper next to The Princess Royal, Rosalie Lewis. Skylar Lewis was back.
Alice approached the breakfast table and said, "So, this is the reason for all the noise today." She took a seat next to Skylar, greeted The Princess Royal, and poured herself a cup of coffee.
"Well, I had to come back to check on your mischief," Skylar said, folding the newspaper.
Alice was taken aback but quickly masked her surprise. "My mischief?" she asked skeptically. Does she know what I did last night? Alice wondered. The possibility was minimal but not zero.
"Your mischief, Alice. I just noticed you were missing last night. What happened? What's going on?" Skylar inquired, meeting her sister's gaze. They shared the same eyes, a trait inherited from their mother. Perhaps that was all they had in common.
"Nah, nothing. Just some schoolwork. I forgot to inform anyone that I was in the city," Alice replied, feeling relieved as she speared a grape from her plate. "How's everything in Sanguineton?" she asked, steering the conversation toward politics.
"Well, as usual. Some werewolf tribes have settled near the border areas. I don't want to remove them, as they are harmless, but the nobles have other ideas. They believe that if the werewolves are allowed to stay, more will settle near the borders, leading to a loss of control. However, I have planned a meeting with their leader, and I might figure things out soon," Skylar explained the situation.
"Of course, you'll manage. You're doing a lot, Sky, especially at such a young age," The Royal Princess, Rosalie, said, placing a hand on Skylar's to emphasize her point. "Make sure to take some rest, dear. Don't focus solely on the kingdom. Spend some time with us. Now, I will leave you two to talk. I have some matters to attend to," Rosalie said as she stood up. Mr. Jones helped her to her feet. Alice and Skylar also rose in respect as Rosalie left. Her health was declining with age.
Skylar and Alice resumed their breakfast. "So, this is your last year of school, isn't it?" Sky asked.
"Yeah, the school year is coming to an end soon. I'm looking forward to the year-end competition—the treasure hunt," Alice replied plainly. "How's Esther? Have you seen him?" she asked.
Esther Whitemoor was the crown prince of Nightflare, the kingdom of stars. He had been Skylar's lover since they were fifteen. They were the perfect example of opposites attract. No one knew how the grumpy, cold prince had fallen for the kind, sweet princess. But after Sky's parents died, a seventeen-year-old Skylar took on the responsibility for Sanguineton, as The Royal Princess Rosalie had assumed control of Stoneglen, the human kingdom.
"Not yet. We have a dinner reservation tonight. I might not come back," Skylar replied. After a long pause, she asked, "How's Leon doing?"
Leon was the nickname for Rafale Draven, the Prince of Mystaria, Kingdom of Shapeshifters, and Alice's best friend.
Alice rolled her eyes at the mention of him. "He's fine; he's been helping Uncle Arthur with his company since he passed out two years ago. I rarely see him. It's been months since we caught up." Alice stood up. "I'm done. I'll meet you tomorrow morning. Enjoy your date tonight. I might not be home until late."
Alice rode her bike through the busy city streets and parked it. After putting on her hoodie, she walked to a street lined with white houses, each surrounded by fences. She opened the gate to the fifth house on the right side of the lane and collected the letters as she entered. A doormat greeted her with a cute welcome message.
She rang the doorbell at the front door, and a woman's voice came through the intercom. "Who is it?"
Alice smiled and replied, "It's me."
There was the source of all the noise. A young woman, probably in her mid-20s, raven blue hair complementing her pale skin, sat at the head of the table, reading the newspaper next to The Princess Royal, Rosalie Lewis. Skylar Lewis was back.
Alice walked to the breakfast table. "So, this is the reason for all the noise today." She said, taking her seat next to Skylar. She greeted The Princess Royal. And poured herself a coffee.
"Well, I had to come back to check on your mischief," Skylar said, folding the newspaper.
Alice, lightly shocked, schooled her features fast. "My mischief?" Alice asked skeptically. Does she know what I did last night? The possibility is minute but not zero. Alice thought.
"Your mischief, Alice. Just got to know you were missing last night. Why? What's up?" Skylar asked, meeting her sister's eyes. Skylar got the same eyes as Alice from their mother. Maybe that's all they shared.
"Nah. Nothing. Just some schoolwork. I just forgot to inform, I was in the city," Alice said, relieved as she speared a grape from her plate. "How's everything in Sanguineton?" She asked, steering the topic to politics.
"Well, as usual. Just some werewolf tribes have settled near the border areas. I don't want to remove them as they are harmless, but the nobles have other ideas. According to them, if the werewolves are allowed there, then there will be more settling down near the borders. Soon, we will lose control of them. But I have planned a meeting with their head, and I might figure it out soon," Skylar explained the situation.
"Of course, you will manage. You're doing a lot, Sky, at such a young age," The Royal Princess, Rosalie said, touching Sky's hand to make her point. "Take some rest, dear. Don't always be focused on the kingdom so much. Spend some time with us. Now, I will leave you two to talk. I have some matters to see." Rosalie said as she stood up. Mr. Jones helped her stand up. Alice and Skylar also stood up in respect as Ms. Rosalie left. Her state was weakening as old age took a toll on her.
Sky and Alice resumed their breakfast. "So, this is your last year of school, isn't it?" Sky asked.
"Yeah. The school years will come to an end soon. I am waiting for the year-end competition. The treasure hunt." Alice said plainly. "How's Esther? You met him?" Alice asked.
Esther Whitemoor was the crown prince of Nightflare, the kingdom of stars. He was Skylar's lover since they were 15. They were the prime example of opposites attract. No one knew how the grumpy, cold prince fell in love with the kind, sweet princess. But after Sky's parents' death, a 17-year-old Sky held the responsibility for Sanguineton as Royal Princess, Rosalie, took over Stoneglen, the human kingdom.
"Not yet. We have a dinner reservation tonight. I might not come back tonight," Skylar replied. After a long pause, she asked," How's Leon doing?"
Leon was a nickname for Rafale Draven, Prince of Mystaria, Kingdom of Shapeshifters. He was Alice's best friend.
Alice rolled her eyes at his mention. "He is fine, helping Uncle Arthur with his company since he passed out 2 years ago. I rarely meet him. It's been months since I met him." Alice stood up, "I am done. I will meet you tomorrow morning. Enjoy your date tonight. I might not be home till night."
Alice drove her bike through the busy city roads. She parked her bike. Alice put on her hoodie and walked to a street with white houses lined in a row. Each house was surrounded by fences. She opened the gate to the fifth house on the right side of the lane.
Alice collected the letters as she walked inside. A doormat greeted her with a cute welcome. She rang the doorbell at the front door. A womanly voice talked through the intercom, "Who is it?"
Alice smiled and replied, "It's me."