Chapter 65: Royal Playmate

Chapter 65: Royal Playmate

Azarius

When Macedonia was first introduced to me, I wasn't impressed with her. She appeared timid, her demeanor far too delicate for someone two years older than me. When my parents insisted we play hide and seek, I reluctantly agreed, more out of obligation than interest. They retreated to the parlor for tea, leaving me to entertain the girl they deemed my 'perfect' companion.

As the seeker, I found her almost immediately, hidden behind the palace door, her labored breathing giving her away before I even turned the corner. I stared at her spot in disbelief, shaking my head. Was this really the 'perfect' choice Mother had boasted about? She didn’t even attempt to conceal herself properly.

When it was her turn to seek, I made it a point to disappear entirely, climbing into a tree to watch her struggle from above.

Her footsteps passed below, her voice calling out for me. "Your Royal Highness? Your Royal Highness?"

The poor girl kept looking for me, but I didn't attempt to move an inch until she halted, unbeknownst to my location. Her frustration was evident in her pretty face as I watched her in agony.

I leaned against the trunk, amused as she huffed and glanced around aimlessly. Then, to my surprise, her innocent expression twisted into irritation. Without warning, she kicked the base of the tree.

"Why do I have to entertain some kid who’s barely older than Dorothy?" she muttered, her voice laced with exasperation. "Of all the girls they could pick, why me? I don’t even want this!"

Her demure attitude changed into a sharp one. Her sweet manner was different from what I was seeing now.

I froze, startled by the shift in her tone. This wasn’t the demure girl from earlier.

"That grumpy Crown Prince!" she snapped, delivering another kick to the tree. "Who wants to play with him? Let him stay hidden for all I care!"

I blinked, not believing what I was seeing right now. I even had to rub my eyes to see if I was imagining things. But to see the same face with an annoyed expression was still there. She was frowning and huffing in irritation. She plopped onto the grass, her dress crumpling beneath her as though propriety didn’t concern her in the slightest.

A young girl like her should be mindful about her dresses not to be soiled, but this girl was... something.

“He can stay wherever he’s hiding,” she muttered. “I’ll just tell them I couldn’t find him.”

She kept bantering, expressing her frustration to herself. Her candid frustration piqued my curiosity. Watching her vent, completely unaware of my presence, was oddly fascinating.

"'If I am the seeker, I can easily find you. No matter where you hide. I can attest to that,'" she mimicked my earlier words, her voice exaggerated. "Ugh, he’s not even that good! I was just going easy on him!"

An involuntary smile tugged at my lips, though I quickly suppressed it. She was fuming, her irritation spilling out in words meant only for herself.

"He's next in line to be the Alpha King, yet he's that grumpy?" she scoffed. "Who even wants to be his playmate? Certainly not me." She frowned. "Does Father expect me to last long with him? No!"

Her tirade ended with a deep breath, her shoulders lifting and falling as she composed herself.

"Smile, Macedonia. Compose yourself," she muttered, standing and smoothing her dress. "They can’t know how annoyed you are. Just tell Father you’re not interested in this ridiculous role anymore."

As she marched away, I dropped silently from the tree, landing without a sound. I watched her retreating figure, my mind unexpectedly preoccupied with the fiery spirit she’d revealed.

"She doesn’t like me," I mused aloud, my voice tinged with amusement. That should have been a relief—one less nuisance to deal with. Yet, I found myself following her back to the parlor, intrigued.

When we arrived, she had already slipped back into her composed facade.

"Oh, Lady Macedonia," Mother greeted warmly. "You’re back early. Where’s Azarius?"

Macedonia curtsied, her voice syrupy sweet. "Your Majesty, I couldn’t find him. He’s quite talented at hiding."

I leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, a smirk tugging at the corner of my mouth. "Oh, am I?"

Her head snapped toward me, and for a brief moment, her mask cracked, her annoyance flashing through. She recovered quickly, curtsying again. "Your Royal Highness," she said, her tone stiff.

Mother glanced between us, a knowing smile playing on her lips. "It seems our Crown Prince has outdone himself, hasn’t he, Lady Macedonia?"

"Indeed, Your Majesty," she replied, her fingers curling into the fabric of her skirt.

I took a step closer, unable to resist teasing her. "Giving up so soon, Lady Macedonia? I expected more effort from you."

Her jaw tightened imperceptibly, but her smile never wavered. "I’ll strive to do better next time, Your Royal Highness," she said, her tone dripping with forced politeness.

Since that day, she was scheduled to go to the royal palace every two days. It was Mother who had arranged it all, and Father just let Mother do as she wished. That was how Father spoiled her and how he showed his affection to her.

As we sat in the study, poring over dusty tomes under our mentor's watchful eye, Alucard leaned closer, his six-year-old curiosity getting the better of him. His voice carried a mischievous lilt, loud enough to draw my attention but quiet enough to avoid reprimand.

"So, how's your new playmate?" he asked, his grin sly as he traced idle patterns on the edge of his book. "Mother mentioned you didn’t raise a fuss about that Stallone girl. Surprising, isn’t it?"

The flicker of amusement in his eyes betrayed his intent. He was fishing for a reaction, a hint of the chaos he clearly hoped had unfolded.

I let out a scoff, leaning back in my chair as a smirk tugged at my lips. "I’ve found someone to entertain me, a toy for my amusement," I said, my tone laced with quiet confidence. My gaze flicked toward Alucard, my meaning clear. "Don’t worry, she won’t last long here in the palace."

Alucard's grin widened, mischief sparking in his eyes. "Care to make a wager? She won’t leave as quickly as you think."

I narrowed my eyes at him, the challenge igniting something competitive within me. "She will," I countered, my voice firm.

His grin didn’t waver. "We’ll see, brother. We’ll see."

When she arrived, I guided her to the Luna Queen's Garden, keeping a calculated distance from my nanny, who supervised us from afar. We ventured deeper into the garden, slipping into a secluded area where the air was filled with the sweet scent of lavender, daisies, and peonies—Mother's cherished blooms.

Despite her initial lack of enthusiasm when we met again, her demeanor shifted the moment we reached the vibrant display. Her expression softened, her lips parting in surprise as her gaze swept over the flowers.

"Whoa! These are stunning, Your Royal Highness!" she breathed, her awe breaking through the guarded exterior she'd carried moments earlier.

I couldn’t help but observe the truth in Mother’s words. Girls truly seemed captivated by the sight of flowers. Watching Macedonia’s wide-eyed wonder and the way her gaze lingered on the vibrant blooms, I found it oddly... intriguing.

"Make a flower crown with these," I said, my tone casual, almost dismissive.

"Why should I?" she asked, her brows drawing together in confusion.

"Because I told you to," I replied with a shrug, as though the answer was obvious.

Her gaze lingered on me, her narrowed eyes holding a flicker of defiance. For a moment, I thought she might refuse outright, but instead, her lips pressed into a thin line. "As you wish, Your Royal Highness," she said, her tone edged with forced politeness that hinted at her growing irritation.

"On second thought," I said, stopping her just as her fingers hovered over the roses. "Why don't we make it a race? Whoever finishes a flower crown first wins. The prize? The loser has to run ten laps around the garden."

Her movements froze, and she turned to me, her face darkened by a deep frown. "Are you doing this because you hate me?" she shot back, her voice sharp with suspicion. "I know exactly what you're up to, Your Royal Highness. You’re setting me up to break some unspoken rule about touching these flowers, aren’t you? Trying to get my family in trouble—maybe even killed—for something so trivial. You're nothing but an insensitive brat."

She had a point. Father’s rule was absolute. No one outside the palace staff was permitted to touch the flowers in the Luna Queen’s Garden. Every bloom had been planted as a testament to his love for Mother, making them sacred in his eyes.

A sly grin tugged at my lips as I plucked a lavender stem without hesitation, beginning to weave it into a flower crown. "I thought you were naive because it seems you are," I remarked coolly, my fingers working deftly. "I was just testing you."

I glanced up at her, my eyes gleaming with challenge. "By the way, I heard you the other day," I said, raising a brow. "'Grumpy Crown Prince,' was it?"

Her eyes widened, a flicker of panic dancing behind them, but I caught the faintest quiver of her lips. I had her now, and the amusement of it curled warmly in my chest.

Without waiting for her to recover, I held out the completed flower crown, its lavender petals woven neatly together. "Here," I said, my tone nonchalant. "It's yours. I don’t need it." I shrugged, feigning disinterest, and turned my back to her, the dismissal clear. "You can go now. I’m tired."

As I walked away, the weight of the encounter began to fade, replaced by the satisfaction of a harmless game well-played. Yet, what I didn’t realize was that the small act of giving her that flower crown would set off a chain of events far beyond my intentions.