Hanara stormed into her bedchamber. Moments later, her maidservant, Tael, entered with a soft smile. She bowed gracefully and laid a dress over the sofa.
"Your Highness, Her Majesty wishes to see you for dinner. We will be dining with the Dragon's First Prince and his nephew," Tael said gently. Hanara glanced at her, cheeks flushing with embarrassment.
"Can I just eat here?" she asked quietly. Tael raised a curious brow but suppressed a giggle.
"Did something happen at the river?" she asked. Hanara swallowed hard and met Tael's gaze.
"Yes… I almost hurt someone who snuck up on me. I felt bad," she admitted, frowning. Tael froze, allowing the words to sink in slowly. Tael knelt before Hanara and hugged her gently.
"Your Highness… Princess, you didn't mean it. You just had a reaction," Tael reassured her softly. Hanara pouted as she leaned on Tael's shoulder.
"Will Mother be upset at me for accidentally hurting our guests?" she asked. Tael chuckled.
"My sweet Princess. Her Majesty would never blame you. We all know how hard you're trying to learn and stay in control. Don't punish yourself for something you didn't mean to do," Tael said gently. Hanara nodded, slowly absorbing her words. Yet the air in the room grew heavier, thick with the unspoken weight of the coming dinner.
Night fell, and stars began to bloom in the darkness, one by one, until the sky glittered with a million. Hanara wore the dress Tael had laid out and stepped out of her bedchamber, heart still uneasy.
In the dining room, Hansel sat in his booster seat beside Eliana. Eliana looked up and smiled warmly at Hanara's arrival.
"My sweet birdie, come sit," Eliana said softly. Hanara returned the smile and made her way to the seat beside Hansel. The little boy turned toward her, clapping his hands in delight.
"Ha-ba!" he called. Hanara giggled, leaning forward to tease him
"My little Hansel is being such a good boy," she said softly. Hansel giggled. The doors opened wide. Tait and Zilant entered the dining room in silence. Tait took the seat across from Hanara, with Zilant settling beside him. Zilant's gaze fixed on Hanara, immediately recognizing her hair.
That hair… It's her. She's the one from before.
Zilant's focus narrowed into a smile. Hanara looked up, returning it—until their eyes met. Her smile faltered.
That's the boy! She looked down immediately. Hanara swallowed hard, the memory of her wild swing flashing through her mind. Was he hurt? Did he hate her now? She started trembling.
"I hope your stay at the palace is well, Commander Tait," Eliana said gracefully. Tait bowed his head with a polite smile.
"It is. I thank you, Your Majesty, for the best hospitality in the Phoenix Clan," he replied. Just then, Felix entered the room and took his seat at the head of the dining table. He groaned as he stared at Tait.
"What does the Dragon Emperor want now?" Felix asked upfront, pausing. "An alliance or war?"
He narrowed his eyes, sipping his wine. Tait looked up and then at Felix.
"The Emperor has asked for your aid against the Tiger. They've rebelled and seized territory," Tait answered. Felix smirked before settling his cup down.
"And why should I help? It's not my problem as the Phoenix Clan ruler. Why should I aid the Dragon Empire when we have never done so in many years?" Felix asked seriously. Their eyes were glaring at each other.
"Although that may be true, the land that they're planning to have a battlefield on will be near here. Near the Phoenix Clan," Tait answered. Felix scoffed.
"Then protect your borders, and I'll guard mine. Don't drag us into your war," he responded. Their eyes locked, silently battling, before the servants walked into the dining room, serving meals for everyone. Hanara reached over the dish she wanted, while Zilant watched her. He smiled and noticed how she removed some of the ingredients. She fed the ones she didn't like to Hansel, who ate it without a fight. He giggled. Meanwhile, Tait was simmering with embarrassment.
"I only came here with the order. No offense to the Phoenix King in any way," Tait finally said. Eliana scoffed as she glared at Tait, but her expression softened when she glanced at Zilant, still smiling at Hanara.
"So, dear Prince. What brings you here to the Phoenix Clan at such a young age?" she asked curiously. Zilant turned quickly with a surprised face.
"I've come because I was curious about how the Phoenix Clan lives." Zilant kept his posture polite but risked a glance toward Hanara. Eliana smiled.
"And what did you find out?" she asked. Zilant froze as he looked at Hanara. She looked at him and looked away, afraid to say anything. Then Zilant looked at Eliana.
"Well… That some people here are quite… Unique and pretty," Zilant answered. Everyone was shocked, except Hansel and Hanara. Hanara blushed at the word.
Is he going to mention that I accidentally swung at him? Hanara closed her eyes. Eliana let out a laugh at Zilant's comment.
"Pretty? Did you see something beautiful here that you couldn't see at the Empire?" Eliana wondered. Zilant nodded.
"Yes. Something that moved as fluid as water," he complimented as he stared at Hanara.
No! He said that word! Hanara panted silently, her anger simmering inside of her.
Eliana paused and slowly turned to Hanara, who was praying that no one looked at her. Eliana giggled as she nodded. Eliana's eyes lingered on Zilant. He saw Hanara's fire… and didn't flinch.
"I see. You should eat. I will ask no more from you," she said. Zilant bowed and reached over the dishes.
The political conversation subsided. As the last of the dishes were cleared, an uneasy silence lingered. Hanara kept her gaze on the table, feeling the weight of Zilant's eyes. Zilant wondered when she would finally look at him—perhaps even acknowledge how well he'd covered their little encounter. Eliana caught Zilant's glance, then Hanara's silence. A smile tugged at her lips as she nodded to her personal maidservant, Elise. Elise walked forward and grabbed Hansel out of his chair then took him to his nursery room. Eliana looked at Hanara once again.
"You may head to your room, Hana," she whispered. Hanara looked at her and nodded. She stood and left immediately.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 🪶 🔥 Princess, Don't Waver ❄️ 🐉 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~