Ashleah scoffed when she saw the apple on top of tree branch, she felt like they were mocking her; still she stretched her arms and closer he right eye, focusing only at the apple.
She took a deep breath and showed a little smile before releasing the arrow, finally successfully hitting the apple. The princess giggled as she turned around and saw how shocked they were.
"Is it your first time seeing a princess doing it perfectly?" She smiled as she gave her bow and arrow to Gab, the knight nodded his head. She was about to continue her speech from earlier but the old Marquess cleared his throat loudly.
"My! It is indeed kinda easy for the princess. Let's test her in some other way, shall we?" Furrowing her eyebrows, Ashleah was quiet confused with what the old Marquess has in mind. She crossed her arms against her chest and looked directly at the Marquess' eyes. No one dared to stop them, the tension grew and grew as the Marquess started gritting his teeth slowly, was obviously trying to hide it too.
"Please do not keep her highness waiting with your NEW WAY, Marquess." Axis suddenly spoke up out of the blue; making their eyes that was currently digging up holes behind Ashleah's back and the old Marquess' back look at him.
"Everyone is kinda impatient, I see." with grinning lips, the Marquess finally said what his new way was.
"Your highness!" Kian suddenly whispered behind her, it wasn't everyone that was shock with the Marquess' suggestion; It was the sudden attack of their Princess. After hearing those words that escaped the marquess' mouth, their lips were left hanging open; and Ashleah was smiling brightly.
"Let's do it." She said making Nash chuckle, her eyes landed on the man. The expression inside her eyes were asking him if it was okay. With lips that were trying not to smile and eyes that met hers, Nash nodded and gave her a little thumbs up.
Ashleah was looking in front of the mirror, nanny Riley tied her into a bun. Wearing brown thin halterstraps, loose white shirt with open lacecollar, rolled sleeves, brown fit pants, black soft thigh-high boots with side stitching; The princess chuckled.
"Your highness, are you really sure that you can win the hunt alone?" Nanny Riley asked her, with a bright and gleaming smile plastered on her face, the girl nodded.
"My, nanny don't be scared! I can do this!" She stood up and giggled. The old woman sighed and looked outside the huge window, yesterday the hunting competition ended with the old Marquess' idea.
The whole idea was, her highness, the princess was going to hunt alone inside the Imperial Palace's forest. She knew that they were looking down on her with her strength. They never knew that in her 6th life, she loved hunting.
They both glanced at the gigantic door when they heard someone knocking on it. Nanny Riley quickly opened the door, and was welcomed by the smiling Duke Deoncan.
"Her Imperial Highness, Princess of Genry, Greetings!" He said, Ashleah looked down and saw that the man was holding a bouquet of hand-tied hydrangeas. The woman giggled and walked closer to him, finally receiving the bouquet of hydrangeas.
"How sweet of you, Duke Deoncan!" They both ended up chuckling at each other for they knew that in her most recent life, they were never like this. They were rebels with wings of freedom.
Suddenly, the door opened a little bit wider, welcoming a Axis that obviously ran his way to the Imperial Palace. "Her Imperial Highness, Princess of Genry, Greetings!" He said while panting quiet heavily.
"Axis! You came!" Ashleah giggled and welcomed the two men inside her room, they went to the other door inside her room and sat on the sofas. In the next few hours, her hunt will begin.
"I feel uneasy about the upcoming hunt." Axis blurted out when the door finally clicked, giving them signals that nanny Riley was now gone.
Nash sighed deeply and agreed with Axis' opinion. "I do feel that he set some traps or what, but also I think that his Majesty won't let them do such things."
"His Majesty trusts our dear princess so much!" Axis teasingly said making Ashleah chuckle and throw him a small pillow beside her, good thing the man perfectly catched it on time.
"He sure does trust me!—" Ashleah pouted her lips "—I am his daughter!" Ashleah rolled her eyes and avoided eye contact with the both of them, making Nash and Axis laugh their ass off.
"I never knew Ashleah can act like this—Oh my, good morning Aziel!" Axis quickly stood up when he saw Aziel that was scratching his morning hair, the little man quickly jumped on Axis and giggled.
"Uncle Axis! Uncle Nash! Princess! Good Morning!" Aziel greeted them, Nash quickly stood up and ruffled the young man's messy hair. "Ah, Uncle Nash! Oh— I forgot I'm still in my pajamas!"
Aziel, being the cute little man he is, quickly pushed himself down and cutely ran back to his room. Yes, ever since Aziel started to live inside the Imperial Palace, Ashleah, the princess requested to make a room— a connecting room actually, so she can visit the young man anytime she wants, vice versa.
2 hours passed, and finally the Emperor came inside her room to check up on her. Ashleah giggled and tightly hugged her father's arm. "Ahhh, my. What a stubborn lady my daughter is." The emperor teasingly said making Nash and Axis chuckle.
"Your Majesty seems right. Her highness always do what she wants—" Nash stopped and looked at ths princess with her eyebrows arched and pursed lips "—but I do guess that's what makes her unique."
"Oh." Axis exclaimed with a grinning face, making Nash ticked. "Ehem—" Axis quickly looked away and cleared his throat "—I do think the same as Duke Deoncan, your majesty!" The man laughed awkwardly, obviously trying to avoid the deadly glare that Nash was giving him.
"Well then, I do know that everyone is waiting for the hunt. Ashleah, are you sure that you are okay with this? They are obviously looking down on you. I cannot accept this." The emperor said while looking at his daughter.
"Father, I know that they are looking down on me. I want to prove them wrong, I am not just who they see. I am not that vulnerable as they see. I am stronger than they think, Father. I want to show them that I can do more!"
Nash smiled proudly as he stood up again from the sofa and clapped his hands for three times, making almost everyone inside the room look at him. He gave them a reassuring smile and soon then nodded his head.
"The princess is trying to make changes on how others think about women. I say princess, I am very excited with the outcome of it." He said before smiling and biding his goodbyes to them.
Click! The door finally closed meaning that Nash was now gone. Axis stood up and bid his goodbyes too, and got out of the room.
"You like one of them, don't you?" Her father blirted out, making Ashleah choke on her own saliva. She looked at him surprised and the emperor was just smiling widely.
"W-What are you talking about Father?!" She said, not even looking at him. She was avoiding eye contact, for she knew that her father is going to tease her.
"You do?! Who is it Ashleah?" The emperor faced her properly this time with a grinning smile that is completely seen on his face.
"Stop talking about nonsense father!" She then again, avoided eye contact and moved her face away because.. her cheeks were bright red!
"Let me guess, I do think that it is Duke Deoncan." Without even looking at her father, her eyes widened and lightly covered her lips using her fingers.
"Father stop it!" She said and finally faced the man, he started giggling when he saw how bright and red her cheeks was.
"Well, goodluck Ashleah, please do remember that I am always here for you. I believe in you, prove it to them who you are.. Who are you?"
"I am.. a princess."