Ashleah sighed as she massaged her neck, moving her head around. The interview with the newspaper's editor was now finished. As she closed her eyes, still taking deep breaths the loud yet cute giggles of small Aziel echoed inside the palace's hallway.
"Aziel! Stop chasing me!" Prescott's voice also echoed inside the hallway's making Ashleah chuckle, she finally opened her eyes and saw the small young man chasing the pearl lavender colored bird. "Your highness!" Prescott cried out as he flew a little faster. "Please do save me from this young cheeky man!"
"Princess, Prescott keeps running away from me!" The little Aziel pouted as soon as they stopped right in front of her, the panting Prescott quickly landed on the extended space on the window and continue to gasp for air.
It's been a week since Prescott came into the picture, the Duke Deoncan (Nash) was taking care of black and white magicians that wanted to take a look at Prescott. The princess chuckled for she saw Nash a little while earlier, the poor man looked so stress. 'More stressed than our given assignments last time.' She thought.
"I have heard from Riley that there's an upcoming commoner's festival." Prescott said, he now looked fine, he fixed the small box that was wrapped around his neck, the little yet powerful bird was cute and fluffy!
While walking back to her room, an idea popped inside Ashleah's cheeky mind for she knew that she'd be a dead meat when her father knows about this plan. "My, I'd be grounded for months when he finds out." She giggled, quickly walking back to her room. Prescott and Aziel gave a weird look at each other, then ended up shrugging it off.
Holding the paper and quill tightly, a bright smile up to her ears, Ashleah knew that there won't be any regrets after this. The confused bird flew to his master as he landed on the silver stand behind her table. He tried looking at what she was writing but Ashleah soon glanced and gave him a deadly glare, making the poor Prescott gulp and look around the Princess' study room.
"My, I do have a bad feeling about this." He said as he shook his small head for when Ashleah grinned, he already knew what was going inside the brain of this woman in front of him.
Wearing a white high collar trumpet floor length dress with a bit of blue diamonds on the waist and the end of it, Ashleah smiled as she left her hair lay loose, snatching the black cape that can cover her face too. Before jumping out of the window, she took the last glance and saw how fast asleep Prescott was.
"Your highness, are you sure that we won't be a dead meat after this?" Axis with also a black cape cover up to his hair and almost half of his face said almost trembling because of fear. Nash chuckled, they met in front of the festival. Yes, the trio went to the festival all by themselves.
"Axis, don't be scared! It's going to be fun, right right?" Ashleah said, obviously persuading Nash to also say yes to her statement, the Duke chuckled and nodded his head. He also knew that when his step mother finds out that he went to a festival, and the fact that it's a commoners festival she'd probably go nuts.
"My, to think that this was the idea of Ashleah. Who could even imagine!?" Nash laughed out loud while he fixed his cape. "Let's get going. You guys brought pocket money right?" Nash quickly looked back making both of them chuckle.
"Of course we did. Let's go and have some fun!" Ashleah excitedly said as the trio walked in between the crowd. Laughs of children and adults, even teenagers echoed around the very plaza.
Stalls with different foods and stuffs, even games that were created for children are placed everywhere! "Are you sure that we won't get lost?" Axis whispered again, like he was a cute little kid.
Ashleah with the gleaming eyes and bright smile, looking around answered back. "Axis, stop being a scaredy cat and enjoy life. Do not fear for when I scream—" She then moved a little close to the man. "—Prescott would probably go nuts!" She said while laughing, making Nash at Axis laugh as well.
"Good thing you escaped your bodyguard–"
"What's a.. b-body what..?" Axis with furrowed eyebrows, not so tilted head, a finger that was placed on his lower lip stopped on his tracks, making the two stop too.
Ashleah quickly placed the palm of her hand on her forehead, slowly shaking it as so. In this era, bodyguards were called as 'Personal Knights'.
"I do notice that it's either you or Nash who speaks this some kind unknown language or words! Are you doing a search in finding a new country or language that we don't even know about?" The man said, obviously confused, but the two started chuckling.
"It's because Nash is a very weird person." The man scoffed and cleared his throat as the trio continued to walk again.
"I never knew that her highness would lie about that, I am no weird person. Ashleah is." He whispered the last part, unfortunately Ashleah heard it. With glaring eyes and pursed lips, the princess quickly looked at Nash.
"Are you asking for a challenge?" Ashleah quickly asked, a very familiar smirk crossed Nash's face as he nodded his head in response.
Axis quickly pointed out a stall that has various of games to begin with. Ashleah and Nash even ran to the stall, the soon to be high priest laughed, The Princess and the Duke was acting like they were young kids right now.
"2 silver coins for a game—"
"4 silver coins, one for him and one for me." Ashleah quickly handed out the payment leaving the old man inside the stall shocked.
"O-Okay then! A game of balls should be the answer for this! Throw the ball and make sure you knock out the toys that are in front of you. If you do win, please do accept my simple prize for the two of you." The old man pointed out a hand stitched yet beautifully made teddy bear.
It OBVIOUSLY and CLEARLY caught Ashleah's eyes for she knew that when she gives it to Aziel, the young man would probably never let go of it. Making her more excited than ever. "My, get ready to get crushed!" The princess whispered with a victory smile.
"Am I really the one that should be scared?" Nash said with a grinning smile plastered on his face. Both held the ball tightly, and saw how the toys started moving on their own. Ashleah took a deep breath and threw the ball. Nash did the same, unfortunately Ashleah didn't hit the toy but Nash did.
"I won!" He said, Ashleah chuckled, Axis shook his head and the old man smiled as he gave the teddy bear to Nash. "Boo, who should be scared now?" Ashleah rolled her eyes and was about to show her middle finger to Nash but the man quick to respond and threw the bear to her.
"What? I wasn't-"
"My! This two really, thank you though!" Axis quickly pulled their capes and Ashleah and Nash never stopped glaring at each other. Making the man sigh and shook his head for the last time. "You two have no chance in playing games."
"WHAT?" both looked at Axis with a mad glare, making Axis laugh as he stopped gripping on them.