21

Althea’s

Why is everyone acting so weird lately? During breakfast, Ruthy had been quiet. She didn’t talk to me about anything at all. Thomas was grumpy and annoying, but it was something different. I would always tease him and joke around, but I couldn’t bring myself to because he looked too serious. The Queen cancelled our activity today, so I had nothing to do this afternoon. I planned to head to my room to read, but when I passed the library, I heard Thomas’ voice down the hallway. I hid behind a vase and listened to his voice.

“Would you like to have tea with me later, Ruthy?” I heard his voice say. Oh, so he’s speaking with Ruthy. I couldn’t hear Ruthy’s voice, but Thomas was energetic and excited. Oh boy, am I going to hear a rejection?

“That’s great! Let’s meet at the garden in two hours,” Thomas added. Oh! Ruthy accepted? I smirked and strutted down the hallway with a bright smile. I spotted Ruthy and Thomas just beside the staircase.

“Althea! What are you doing here?” Thomas asked while eyeing me to “go away”. I looked at Ruthy and she waved lightly. I winked at her.

“I heard you two will be having tea later. Mind if I come along?” I asked, looking at Ruthy. I heard Thomas clear his throat, but I didn’t look at his face even a glance. Ruthy giggled and walked towards me.

“Of course. You wouldn’t mind your sister joining us, right Thomas?” Ruthy looked at Thomas with a sweet face. Thomas could only chuckle and nod at Ruthy. I squeezed Ruthy’s hand behind my back.

“Great! See you in a while,” I said and then took off to change. The weather is nice today, it was cloudy, but it was windy. I changed to a white a-line dress that reached my knees and wore mint blue loafer heels. My maids put my hair into an elegant low bun and pinned also a mint blue boater hat. I was satisfied with my attire. I got out of my room after a few minutes and passed by Thomas on the way to the garden. He changed into a loose blue long sleeved polo and took off his coat. I guess he’s trying to impress Ruthy. Now that I found out about his feelings, I think he’s finally trying to build a relationship between the two of them. Of course, I support them so much. I’m just worried about Ruthy because she’s still stressed and confused, especially how I know that she likes someone else, but who knows? I might have to ask her myself one day. We entered the garden and there were round tables and chairs set up in front of the fountain under a thin white umbrella for shade. It looked absolutely elegant. As we sat down, Ruthy arrived. She changed into an old rose off-shoulder dress that had pouf sleeves and her hair was half-tied to the back with a flower pin. She’s gorgeous!

“Am I late?” she shyly asked. I giggled and pulled her closer to us. I glanced at Thomas and he already had heart-eyes at Ruthy. He breathed and smiled.

“Of course, not,” he replied. We sat down and the butlers started preparing the tea. Ruthy sat down between Thomas and I and the two of them began a conversation. I decided not to eavesdrop and let them do their thing since there were a variety of snacks in front of me right now. There were macarons, graham crackers, and bread, but there was an empty silver stand on the middle which I guess will be served later on. Ruthy and Thomas began exchanging laughter and I couldn’t help but smirk. Doing great, brother. I wonder when is his plan to propose? We’ve known each other for years, since children even, and I believe they already have a special relationship. Our parents already approved of it, so there will be no problem. A few minutes later, the main doors opened and the maids brought out plates, knives, and forks. They were followed by someone I immediately recognized who was carrying a single layer strawberry cake- it was Noah. I stood up and clapped from the sight of the amazing cake. He must have baked it!

“This looks wonderful, Noah!” I greeted as he placed the cake in front of me. He chuckled and gently added a few more strawberries on top. I glanced at Ruthy and Thomas and they were both looking at the cake- or not. Ruthy looked at the cake and then at Noah, where they both exchanged smiles, then Thomas looked at Noah and they both had sour expressions. I see what we have here.

“Enjoy, Your Highnesses,” Noah said and then immediately left. Do we have a love triangle here? I am getting invested! We started eating the cake and it was simply heaven. Where can I find our own Noah for our palace? It was rather a fast tea time, since sundown immediately arrived. We had dinner together and Ruthy finally spoke to me. She shared what she and Thomas talked about and how he changed during the time we’re here. I’m glad to hear compliments from Ruthy about my brother, they’re finally getting closer.

“The way he talked about his future plans were amazing. His intentions were pure and he seemed so determined,” Ruthy said just as we finished eating.

“Say, Ruthy, can you come to my room later? I like to discuss something with you,” I said. She didn’t seem clueless or nervous, simply because it was a normal thing for us. She set down her napkin and nodded as we both stood.

“Sure. I’ll be over after a shower,” she said. Honestly, I just wanted to confirm it once and for all. Who does she really like? Who is she willing to marry? Who is out of the picture? I am asking her all of my questions tonight. I spent my time at the library, reading novels and secretly arranging some of the books. It’s actually satisfying to arrange them in the shelves by color. The books were already in a cart, so I easily placed them in their places. The library had a fireplace on the first floor and I almost fell asleep while reading a book. It was such a cozy place, but I figured I can return when I have extra time to take a nap. I headed to my room and my maids were already waiting for me in front of the bathroom door.

“I’m having Ruthy here tonight. You can leave right after my bath,” I told them as they unpin my hair and remove the light make-up.

“Yes, Your Highness,” they simultaneously replied. After a quick bath, I changed into my night gown and wore a headband for my moist hair. The maids quickly left then. Ruthy arrived after a few minutes and she was already in her night gown as well. I held her hand and we both sat on the sofa beside my desk.

“What do you want to talk about?” she curiously asked. I held both of her hands and squeezed it while looking at her. I breathed and collected my thoughts.

“I want you to be honest with me. Are you in love with someone right now?” I asked her. She looked taken aback, but her hands gripped on mine as she bit her lip. She closed her eyes and looked down.

“Yes. It’s someone who I probably shouldn’t even be in love with in the first place,” she softly said. I smiled at her honesty.

“It’s okay. I kind of figured it out already. Are you sure you’re in love with only one person?” I asked her again. She held her breath and her head shot up. She looked at me with confused eyes.

“How did you figure out? I mean- what do you mean “In love with only one person”?” she asked and pulled her hands. I crossed my arms and raised a brow at her. The way that she’s confused, means that she didn’t know it herself.

“So, you do like someone else as well,” I said in a confirming tone. She sat up straight and cleared throat.

“No, I do not,” she denied.

“What if I ask my parents to bring Noah to Wierxia and replace him with someone else here?” I presented.

“You can’t do that!” she unconsciously exclaimed by the mention of Noah. I grinned and leaned against the sofa. She immediately covered her mouth.

“Am I…am I a disgrace?” she silently asked with a shocked expression. I shook her head and gently brushed her hair.

“Of course, not. You’re just having confused feelings right now. So, do you confess that you like Noah too?” I asked her once more. She slouched and covered her whole face, making a little nod.

“I don’t want to admit it to myself, but I do like him. I don’t want him gone,” she softly said, her voice making it sound like she’s going to cry. Now that she said it, what am I going to do with my brother? This definitely took a different turn, but all I can do now is watch how it ends and accept the ending. I can’t control Ruthy, nor force her to make decisions that benefit me. I want her to know that I support her no matter what she decides on.

“I just want you to be fully true to yourself, Ruthy. Don’t punish yourself anymore. You deserve a love that’s pure, real, and honest,” I said and embraced her. She seemed to be silently sobbing, but she buried her face on my shoulder while still covering it.

“You don’t have to force anything. We have plenty of time,” I added and she nodded. When she finally calmed down, we talked about a few things and brought back some memories for a few hours. It was just then when someone knocked on the door. Obviously, it was Ruthy’s cue to return to her room.

“Thank you, Althea. I don’t know what I’d do without you,” Ruthy said. I chuckled and hugged her one more time. I opened the door and saw Sir Saint waiting, his back on the wall. As Ruthy walked down the hallway, I secretly gripped on Sir Saint’s sleeve as he was about to take a step.

“You heard us, didn’t you?” I whispered to him. He froze and stood still, not moving a single muscle. We looked at Ruthy as she reaches the middle of the hallway.

“Not if you wanted me to, Your Highness,” he replied and I let him go as he swiftly followed Ruthy and tagged behind her.