The next morning dawned quietly over the residence, but Princess Zuleika remained blissfully unaware of it. She was still curled beneath the covers, her steady breathing rising and falling in deep, unbothered sleep. The sun had already climbed high in the sky, yet she slumbered on, tangled in silken sheets.
It wasn't unusual for her—at least not before she had been declared heir of Nexus. Once, she had always slept until noon, rising only when the sun was high. Only after her father, the King, had named her Crown Princess at fifteen did her days change, her time no longer her own. Schedules, lessons, and duties had carved away her mornings. Yet here, far from her kingdom and the pressing hands of responsibility, she seemed to slip back into old habits, sleeping away the hours as though reclaiming lost time.
This day was no different. By the time the servants bustled through the halls, Zuleika was still nestled on her side, her turquoise hair spilled across the pillow, her backless sleeping gown sliding slightly against her skin as she shifted with a sigh.
Meanwhile, Princess Aquila sat at the long dining table, the morning sun catching faintly on her hair. Before her, a spread of breakfast lay untouched save for a half-emptied teacup. She had grown used to eating alone these past few days, yet the silence unsettled her more than it should have.
At first, she told herself it was a blessing not to have Zuleika's loud presence filling the room with chatter. But as she brought her teacup to her lips, her brows furrowed. Why had she barely seen that irritating Princess since their fishing at the river? This residence was not vast like the Imperial Palace—how could someone so noisy simply vanish into its quiet walls?
Her silver gaze flicked toward the butler who stood nearby. "And where," she asked coolly, "has Princess Zuleika been hiding herself?"
The butler hesitated, his hands folding nervously before him. "Your Imperial Highness… Princess Zuleika has been… sleeping. Until afternoon."
Aquila froze mid-sip. Slowly, she lowered her teacup, her brows twitching. "Sleeping? Until afternoon?"
The man nodded apologetically, bowing lower. "Yes, Your Highness. That is why you have not seen her in the mornings."
Aquila glanced at the clock on the wall. It was still early, the morning not yet gone. She rose abruptly from her chair, her voice clipped. "Fine. I'll wake her myself."
The butler blinked, startled, but quickly bowed again as she swept from the room.
At the top of the staircase, she found Cess, Zuleika's personal maid, balancing a small basket of freshly laundered clothes. Cess's eyes widened when she noticed the Imperial Princess approaching. Hastily, she bowed. "Your Highness… may I ask what brings you to Princess Zuleika's chamber?"
Aquila faltered for a fraction of a second, realizing she had no real explanation prepared. She frowned instead, covering the hesitation with a cool tone. "I will be visiting the town with her today."
Cess's lips parted slightly, shock flickering across her face. "Oh… forgive me, Your Highness, but—Her Highness is still asleep. If you wish, I shall go and wake her—"
"No." Aquila raised a hand, stopping her firmly. "I will do it myself."
The maid hesitated. It was clear she wanted to protest, but after a long pause, she relented with a bow. She stepped toward the chamber door, unlocking it with a soft click. Before Aquila could enter, however, Cess leaned closer, her voice dropping into a cautious whisper. "A warning, Your Highness… Princess Zuleika is… difficult to wake. She can be a bit of a child when she has just risen."
Aquila arched a brow, unimpressed. "I can handle it."
With that, she stepped inside as the door shut softly behind her.
The chamber was bathed in golden light, the balcony doors thrown open to let the summer breeze drift lazily in. The curtains stirred gently in the air, carrying the crisp scent of the river and forest beyond. Aquila's gaze swept over the room—neat, save for a few strewn books and the faint trace of a nightgown ribbon on the floor.
Her eyes fell on the easel near the balcony. A canvas rested there, the paint still fresh enough to gleam faintly. Aquila approached quietly, ignoring the slumbering figure sprawled on the bed behind her.
Her lips parted in surprise. The painting was breathtaking. The river, the trees, the sky—it was all captured with such precision and delicacy that it was as if someone had stolen a piece of the view outside and trapped it in color.
For a long moment, Aquila simply stared, silver eyes wide with unspoken awe. Who would have thought that loud, reckless Zuleika—who fished like a child, laughed without restraint, and spoke without thinking—could create something like this?
Finally, she turned toward the bed. There lay Zuleika, turquoise hair tangled across the pillow, the backless nightgown slipping against her skin as she shifted slightly in sleep. Her expression was peaceful, softened in ways Aquila had never seen before.
Aquila's brow furrowed, her arms folding across her chest. Just how much talent does this girl hide? she wondered. And how much more is there that I have yet to see?
Aquila approached the bed with the wary steps of a soldier nearing a battlefield. There lay Zuleika, sprawled out like a starfish, one arm crooked above her head, the other dangling half off the mattress. Her lips were parted slightly, the faintest trace of a snore slipping past, as if the world itself existed only to cradle her in peace.
Aquila's eye twitched. This… is the one who claims to be the heir of Nexus?
She folded her arms and cleared her throat. "Zuleika."
No response. The Princess didn't so much as twitch.
Aquila's jaw tightened. She stepped closer and spoke again, firmer this time. "Princess Zuleika. Wake up."
Still nothing—save for Zuleika rolling onto her stomach, hugging her pillow like it was a lifeline.
First Attempt
With great restraint, Aquila reached out and tapped Zuleika's shoulder. "Get up. The sun is already high."
The only answer she received was a muffled groan and Zuleika burying her face deeper into the pillow. "Five more minutes…"
Aquila froze, her silver eyes narrowing. "It has already been days of five more minutes."
Second Attempt
Straightening, Aquila let out a slow breath and tried a different approach. "If you don't wake up, I'll tell the Crown Prince you've been lazing about until noon every day."
For a moment, silence. Then, with drowsy sluggishness, Zuleika mumbled, "Let him… maybe he'll stop inviting me to tea…"
Aquila's brows twitched violently. That… was not the reaction she expected.
Third Attempt
Patience thinning, Aquila grabbed the edge of Zuleika's blanket and gave it a sharp tug. The entire comforter slipped off, leaving the girl sprawled in her backless gown, the morning air brushing against her bare skin.
"Cold…" Zuleika whined faintly, reaching blindly for the blanket that was no longer there. Without opening her eyes, she curled tighter into herself, as if that would solve everything.
Aquila stood rigid, staring down at her. Unbelievable.
Final Straw
Aquila's patience snapped. She glanced at the small basket by the window where yesterday's catch—two cleaned but very much recognizable fish—rested on a tray meant for the kitchen later.
Her lips curled into the faintest smirk. If she loves fish so much… let's see how much she loves it when one is dangling in her face.
With quiet precision, Aquila picked one up by the tail and leaned over the bed. Zuleika was still starfished across the mattress, lips parted, snoring softly. Aquila held the cold fish right above her face and hissed, low and sharp:
"Wake up, Zuleika—or this fish will be the first thing you taste this morning."
Zuleika stirred, eyes fluttering half-open. For a moment she squinted blearily at the silvery scales dangling in front of her nose. Her lips parted into the faintest, dreamy smile.
"…Fish?" she mumbled, voice thick with sleep. "Ahhh… breakfast already? How thoughtful…"
Aquila's eye twitched violently. "Not breakfast. A warning."
But Zuleika didn't hear her—still half-asleep, she reached out both hands and hugged the fish like it was a plush toy, snuggling it against her cheek. "Mmm… cold pillow… smells like home…"
For a moment, Aquila froze, horrified. Is she—cuddling it?
Then Zuleika's crimson eyes blinked open just enough to finally register the figure towering over her—the sharp silver gaze, the unimpressed frown. She stilled. Slowly, very slowly, her eyes flicked from Aquila's face… down to the fish still dangling in her hands.
Her expression went from dreamy to mortified in an instant.
"….."
And then, with a high-pitched shriek utterly unbefitting a princess, Zuleika shot upright, tossing the fish straight into the air.
"KYAAAHH—! Wha—why is there a fish in my bed?! Who put this here?! Why is it staring at me with its dead eyes?!"
The fish flopped unceremoniously back onto her lap.
Zuleika leapt onto her knees, glaring at it as though it were some assassin sent to end her life, her crimson eyes wide with outrage. "Treachery! Absolute treachery! How dare someone desecrate the sanctity of my slumber with—"
She stopped mid-rant when she noticed Aquila, arms crossed, silver eyes gleaming with wicked amusement.
"…Oh," Zuleika said, realization dawning slowly. Her mouth opened and closed like—ironically—a fish. "You. You did this."
Aquila raised a brow, lips curving into the faintest smirk. "So you can wake up after all. It just takes the right bait."
Zuleika gasped dramatically, clutching her chest. "You mock my love for fish? You corrupt it, twist it into a cruel weapon against me?! Princess Aquila, that's… that's unforgivable!"
Still fuming, she snatched the fish back up and held it protectively in her arms like a child, glaring up at the silver-haired princess with righteous indignation. "You can insult me, mock me, even threaten me—but don't you dare use fish as your instrument of tyranny!"
Aquila stared at her for a long moment, utterly deadpan. Then, finally, she let out a quiet huff of laughter and shook her head.
"…Unbelievable," she muttered. "Completely unbelievable."
Zuleika's response was to stick her tongue out, still cradling the fish like it was her only ally in the world.
Zuleika finally blinked past her lingering drowsiness, still hugging the poor fish like a child with a plush toy. She tilted her head, crimson eyes narrowing in sudden suspicion.
"…Wait a minute. What are you doing here? In my chamber?"
Aquila froze mid-step, as though caught committing a crime. For a moment, she didn't answer, her silver eyes darting toward the window before she furrowed her brows, composing herself.
"You're coming with me. To the town." Her tone was clipped, as though that settled everything.
Zuleika blinked at her. "…The town?" She sat up straighter, hair sticking out in all directions. "Why?"
Aquila pressed her lips together, then exhaled through her nose, choosing her words carefully. "Because… it would be good for you. To get fresh air. To stretch your legs. And to…" she hesitated, "…not rot in this room until noon like some… useless housecat."
Silence.
Zuleika squinted at her, deadpan. "…That's it? That's your big convincing speech? Really?"
Aquila's eyebrow twitched.
Zuleika leaned forward, grinning mischievously. "You missed me, didn't you? You've been all alone eating your fancy little breakfasts, staring at your bookshelves, and then—suddenly—you realized your life was dull without the radiant light of me." She gestured dramatically at herself. "Admit it, Princess Aquila. You're lonely without—"
A pillow hit her square in the face before she could finish.
Zuleika froze, muffled behind the pillow. Then slowly peeled it away, blinking wide-eyed. "…Did you just throw that at me?"
Aquila stood stiff, her hand still halfway in the air. Her eyes widened slightly, realization dawning on her own impulsive action.
"…Oh."
Zuleika gasped theatrically, clutching the pillow to her chest as though wounded. "Violence! I've been assaulted! And by a princess, no less! Aquila, you have anger issues. This is dangerous for your image, you know. What if word spreads? The silver-eyed princess with fists of fury and terrible pillow aim—"
"Zuleika." Aquila's voice was tight, clipped, and dangerously low.
Zuleika plopped dramatically back onto the bed, arms spread wide as if she'd fainted. "Quick, call the healers! My fragile heart can't withstand such brutality. Who will inherit Nexus if I'm struck down in the prime of my beauty—"
"Zuleika!"
She cracked one eye open, lips twitching. "What?"
Aquila pinched the bridge of her nose, massaging her temple as though trying to ward off an incoming headache. Then, without another word, she turned on her heel, walked to the nearest couch, and sat down with a heavy sigh, folding her arms across her chest.
"Get. Up." Her tone left no room for argument. "Get your ass out of that bed and get ready. Now."
Zuleika rolled over onto her stomach, kicking her legs in the air like a child. "You sound like my father's advisors. Except scarier."
Aquila gave her a flat, icy look from across the room, one hand still rubbing at her temple. "You're testing the limits of my patience."
Zuleika grinned, muffling a laugh into her pillow. "Good. That means you'll stick around longer."