Heading back to the castle half naked seemed like a good idea at the time, but the farther away they got from the lake the more Dahlia realized how exposed she really was. No one besides Annalise and Illyana were around, as far as Dahlia could tell, but it felt like someone was watching her. It was a feeling that she couldn't shake, but grew to ignore as other thoughts dominated her mind.
How embarrassing, Dahlia thought. The plan was to make Illyana uncomfortable, but the knight commander hadn't even paid her any attention. Dahlia just couldn't understand how someone like Illyana could be so cruel all of a sudden, when they had spent an almost perfect afternoon together. Her eyes were full of resentment as she watched Illyana dismount Nocte, her features only softening when she caught Illyana glance at her. It was quick, but it hadn't gone unnoticed by the princess. She watched the knight commander walk off.
"Princess Dahlia, it's not polite to stare," Annalise cut in with her teasing tone. She stifled a chuckle with her hand and wrapped her free arm around Dahlia's shoulders. "Let's head inside...and if you don't want to talk to me about it then I won't pester you," Annalise said. She lead Dahlia around the back of the castle where they could safely get inside through the maid's quarters where there was little chance of being noticed by anyone important.
Ella happened to be inside at the time, and after seeing Dahlia coming through the maid's quarters with damp hair and no dress, she rushed over to aid her. "Princess! Let me help you," the handmaiden insisted. She didn't care about how or why Dahlia looked the way she did, but she wasn't going to let her go on like that.
"You two are such wonderful friends. Truly," Dahlia said, a hint of sadness in her voice. She looked down at the floorboards, counting the nails in the wood to keep herself occupied.
Ella gently took Dahlia's arm and sat her down on a bench in front of her bed, leaving enough space for Annalise to sit as well. She grabbed a throw blanket off her bed and wrapped it around Dahlia's shoulders. The handmaiden could sense the sadness radiating off of Dahlia, but she didn't want to intrude, though Dahlia often told Ella her deepest secrets without Ella asking. She didn't expect Dahlia to open up though, not with Annalise there. The blue haired girl supposedly had her sensitive side, but it was often lost in the way she teased Dahlia.
"Oh, Ella. You're so attentive." Annalise comments, causing Ella to glance away. She knew the shy girl wouldn't have much to say in her defense, since it was true. "Why don't you go and fetch Dahlia some tea, or something."
"No, Ella. It's quite alright. I should be heading to my room now," Dahlia adds, before Ella can do anything. She stands up and holds the blanket close, smiling at her handmaiden. "I'll be back to return your blanket, Ella. Thank you." Not wanting to linger any longer, Dahlia walks away from both Annalise and Ella, and heads to her room in the Knight's tower. Annalise joins her after a few seconds, but not before accidentally knocking over a tray in the maids quarters.
As Dahlia arrived in her room, she found a note on her dresser, addressed to Annalise. Annalise walked into the room just as Dahlia picked it up, and she held it out to the blue haired girl to take.
Annalise opened it and read the letter over quickly, then looked at Dahlia. "They've sent for me. My carriage should be here in less than an hour." Annalise sets the letter down, a smile on her face. "You'll be fine without me, yes? I know I've been teasing you so much lately, but you must know I don't mean anything by it." She smiles and walks over to the Dahlia's bed, taking a seat.
Dahlia wasn't saying much, and it was clear she was focused on other things, namely the Knight Commander. She could only muster a small smile in response to her friend.
"If it were me, I would make the knight commander chase after me. I wouldn't kiss her ever again if she ran off on me." Annalise crosses her ankles and leans back on the bed, inspecting her nails briefly. "But that's just me, Princess. You didn't ask for my advice, so I won't tell you how to live."
There was a knock on the door, and both Princesses looked over, before a certain purple haired maid stood in the doorway. She curtsied, then spoke. "Your carriage has arrived, Princess Annalise."
"So soon?" Annalise remarks, as she gets up off the bed.
Dahlia and Annalise head out of the the bedroom, making their way down to the courtyard where the carriage was waiting. "I've thought about what you said, Annalise," Dahlia says suddenly, causing Annalise to stop in her tracks. Annalise turns back and walks over to Dahlia, a curious look on her face. "I've decided to take your advice. I'm not going to kiss her again, or pay her any mind.." Dahlia whispers the last sentence, cautious of who may be listening.
"I knew you were more clever than you put on, my dear." Annalise replies, smiling. They exchange kisses on the cheek before Annalise boards her carriage, and takes off to Chrysalis.
It was bittersweet seeing her friend leave, but Dahlia was glad to have her space back to herself. She felt more confident in herself, and less hurt over what had transpired in the forest. She couldn't help but to wonder what the Knight Commander was up to, but she didn't feel so stressed thinking about it. With Annalise's carriage out of sight, Dahlia turned on her heel and made the journey back to her room in the Knight's Tower for a much needed nap.
~~~
Dahlia awoke the next morning with a sick feeling brewing in the pit of her stomach. She didn't feel like she was coming down with anything, but just the thought of seeing Illyana waiting outside her doorway made her anxious. She was devastated to think back on their kiss yesterday, which was unfortunate, since last night Dahlia was sure she was getting over the pale haired woman. It looked like it would be more difficult to forget about the woman than Dahlia had anticipated, especially since they were forced to spend their days together.
Dahlia glanced around the bedroom, noting the tray of food and hot tea. The sight repulsed her. She couldn't imagine holding any food down with the nauseating butterflies in her stomach. She turned her attention to the door leading into her bedroom. There Illyana was. The blonde didn't know how she would be able to face Illyana, but she knew it would be awkward. She had a lot of unresolved feelings about the whole incident, and resisting the urge to mention it would be difficult.
The only thing Dahlia could do was to pretend like nothing had happened, and that was exactly what she intended to do. Sliding out of bed, Dahlia went over to one of the new boxes, and picked out a new dress to wear. It was a very simple white and pink pinstripe dress, but like all of her clothes, very expensive looking. She brushed her hair and slid on some flats, then went over to the door. She inhaled a deep breath, and hesitantly pulled the latch on her door to open it.
Navy blue eyes stayed locked on the floor, cheeks rosy as she saw two feet turning to face her. Dahlia looked up, finally. Her face fell when her eyes landed on Sir William. That was not who she was expecting to see. The blush on Dahlia's cheeks deepened, this time from embarrassment and anger as she saw that Illyana was no where in sight.
"Might I ask what you're doing outside of my door, Sir William? I'd thought my father relieved you and Sir Jacob of your duties to me?" Dahlia said, lips pursing tightly and her arms folding over her chest.
Sir William stood up straight, his expression nervous as he noticed more rage from the young Princess than usual. He didn't remember her being this hostile, or her having this much bite when she spoke. "Lady Artania has requested some time off, M'lady. I will be taking over her duties for today, and possibly tomorrow."
"Coward..." Dahlia muttered, hands balling into fists.
"P-Pardon?" Sir William replied, eyebrows raising in surprise. "I'm sorry if I did anything to offend you, Princess Dahlia. I'm only following orders. You must understand."
"You stay here. I'm going to have a word with your commander," Dahlia said, before storming off down the hall in search of Illyana. The first place she decided to look was Illyana's room, and since it was the closest to her it made the most sense. She knocked on the Knight Commander's door, and waited for a response.
