Chapter 125

[ 1,084 words ]

{Third Person}

“For someone like His Highness,” Mrs. Woods began gently, “expensive gifts are meaningless. He already has everything he could possibly want.”

Amara listened attentively.

Mrs. Woods continued, “What matters more to him are things with sincerity behind them. Practical things. Handmade things. Things that show thought.”

Amara lowered her gaze slightly, thinking deeply. “Handmade…” she repeated softly.

Mrs. Woods nodded. Then, after a brief pause, her expression softened further.

“To be honest,” she admitted quietly, “His Highness stopped caring about birthdays a very long time ago.”

Amara looked up immediately.

Mrs. Woods sighed faintly before continuing.

“After Her Late Majesty passed away and the curse worsened, celebrations gradually disappeared from his life. Even when the palace still held small banquets for him years ago, he never truly participated in them emotionally.”

Her voice carried quiet sadness now.

“Most birthdays ended the same way,” she added. “His Highness either isolated himself or left before the celebrations properly began.”

Amara’s heart tightened slightly, hearing that. For some reason, the image formed too easily in her mind.

Alexander sitting alone somewhere while an entire palace celebrated around him.

Mrs. Woods gave a small smile afterwards, though it looked somewhat helpless.

“That is why this banquet is surprising,” she admitted. “No one expected His Majesty to insist on one again.”

Amara stayed quiet for a while after hearing that. Then she looked down at her hands thoughtfully.

“I still don’t know what I can give him,” she confessed honestly. “I’m not good at making things.”

Mrs. Woods chuckled softly. “You still have time to think about it,” she reassured her gently.

Amara nodded slowly, though her thoughts remained occupied long after the conversation ended.

—

The next afternoon, Elowen arrived at the residence carrying a basket covered neatly with cloth.

Amara looked genuinely surprised when Elowen revealed what was inside.

“Fruits?” she asked.

Elowen looked extremely proud of herself. “Wild fruits,” she corrected. “And very difficult to get during winter.”

Amara stared at the basket in disbelief.

The fruits looked fresh and colourful despite the season, their faint sweet scent immediately filling the room once the cloth was removed.

“How did you even get these?” she asked.

Elowen grinned smugly. “Connections.”

Amara laughed softly.

Not long after, the fruits were washed and arranged neatly between them while the two women settled comfortably near the fireplace.

The atmosphere quickly became warm and relaxed.

Ginger, meanwhile, showed almost no interest in their conversation. The cat had curled herself into the soft, padded corner specially prepared for her and spent most of the afternoon sleeping lazily.

Every now and then, she would open one eye briefly before deciding nothing around her was important enough to interrupt her nap.

Amara and Elowen chatted casually while snacking on the fruits, their conversation drifting from meaningless gossip to palace matters and back again.

Then, eventually, Amara brought up the issue that had been troubling her.

“I still haven’t figured out what to give His Highness,” she admitted with a small sigh.

Elowen immediately looked delighted. “Oh?” she asked teasingly. “You are acting like a wife trying to impress her husband.”

Amara nearly choked on the fruit she had just bitten into. Her face warmed instantly.

“That’s not—” she started quickly before losing her words halfway.

Elowen’s smile widened mercilessly.

Amara struggled for a moment before finally managing to explain herself.

“I’m only trying to show appreciation,” she said honestly. “His Highness has been kind to me… and protective. He also helps me exchange letters with my friends whenever I want.”

The teasing in Elowen’s eyes softened slightly after hearing that. For once, she did not laugh again.

Instead, she leaned back comfortably and said quietly, “The truth is… my brother doesn’t really care about gifts.”

Amara blinked slightly.

Elowen’s expression turned more serious now as she continued, “What he actually values are people who are loyal to him, people who stand beside him sincerely.”

The room quieted slightly after that.

Amara lowered her gaze, thinking carefully over those words. Then after a moment, she said softly, “I’m not sure my loyalty would even matter to His Highness.”

Elowen immediately frowned. “It would,” she said firmly.

Amara stared at her. Elowen sighed faintly before continuing.

“My brother only has a few people truly on his side,” she admitted. “And although he acts like he doesn’t care about anyone’s opinions, he actually observes people carefully. He remembers loyalty.”

Amara stayed quiet for a while after hearing that. Then, finally, she spoke, “I never planned to betray the Alpha Prince in the first place.”

Elowen studied her for a brief moment before slowly smiling again, clearly satisfied by the answer.

“That’s good,” she said lightly.

Then, with far too much innocence in her voice, she added, “My brother just needs a trustworthy woman beside him.”

The words sounded simple, harmless, even. But something about the way Elowen said them made Amara pause slightly.

It felt as though there was a deeper meaning hidden underneath. Still, she chose not to question it further.

But as Elowen’s words settled between them, the idea she had been brooding on since yesterday resurfaced in her head.

Elowen had gone back to casually eating fruits again, clearly unaware that Amara was struggling with another thought entirely.

Finally, Amara spoke. “There is actually something else I’ve been thinking about,” she admitted softly.

Elowen looked up immediately. “What is it?”

Amara hesitated again before saying, “I wish my friends from back home could attend His Highness’s birthday banquet.”

The moment the words left her mouth, Elowen’s eyes lit up. “That’s possible,” she said immediately.

Amara blinked in surprise. “It is?”

“Of course.”

Amara tried not to show too much relief too quickly, though the excitement still flickered visibly in her eyes.

“But… how?” she asked.

Elowen looked at her as though the answer was obvious. “My brother,” she said simply.

Amara waited for her to continue.

Elowen continued casually, “Alexander can send express invitation cards to them. If special permission is attached, they will be allowed entry into the kingdom.”

Hope rose immediately inside Amara’s chest. She almost smiled fully, but then reality settled in just as quickly.

“…I would have to ask His Highness myself,” she murmured.

Elowen nodded.

Amara suddenly looked uncertain again.

Truthfully, she still felt slightly intimidated whenever she needed to approach Alexander directly for something. In her mind, he had already helped her far too many times.

So, the thought of troubling him yet again made her hesitate.

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