The parlor door creaked open, very slowly, as if someone were struggling with the weight of it.
"Mm, heavy..."
I heard a faint groan, and then a head poked through the gap. It was Aria.
I blinked in surprise. "Aria?"
Her face lit up the moment she saw me. "Princess!"
She started to run toward me, and I practically jumped out of my seat. "Don't run! You’ll overexert yourself!"
"Oh! Yes, Princess!"
She stopped in her tracks, looking like a startled but docile rabbit. She calmed down and walked the rest of the way with light, careful steps. Instead of sitting across from me, she sat right next to me on the sofa and beamed.
"I missed you so much!"
'Is this what it feels like to fall in love?' I wondered. Aria was dazzling. Even though she was pale and thin from her long illness, she had a radiant quality that was impossible to ignore. I was certain that once she was healthy, she would be the kind of beauty that could conquer an entire continent.
I looked at her hollow cheeks and felt a pang of sadness. "Are you feeling any better?"
"Yes!" She reached out and carefully took my hand. Her pale face flushed a delicate pink, and her eyes crinkled into a smile. "Thanks to the mage and the doctor you sent... I’ve been sleeping so deeply. It’s the first time in years I’ve felt truly comfortable."
She leaned in and whispered, "I’m afraid my brother will be upset if he knows how much I’m enjoying your help, so I’m only telling you."
She was so innocent, so completely without guile, that I found myself reaching out to stroke her silver hair without even thinking about it.
"I’m glad to hear that. Next time, I’ll remember to bring that comb I promised."
"Ah!" Her face fell slightly.
"I’m sorry, I was in such a rush to get here that I forgot it today."
"Oh, no! It’s fine! I... I’m always just receiving things from you. I really wanted to say thank you properly today!"
"A smile is more than enough," I said. "They say a single smile can repay a debt of a thousand gold coins."
"Really?"
"It’s just a saying." I laughed. Aria followed suit, her smile returning. But then, she suddenly turned quiet. I could almost see her long rabbit ears drooping.
"The mage... and the doctor... they must have cost a lot of money," she said, her eyes downcast. She nervously toyed with the hem of her dress. "Healing mages are so expensive. I’m so sorry you spent so much on me."
She looked genuinely distressed. When she started talking about how she would find a way to pay me back, I instinctively reached out and put my hand over her mouth.
"Stop right there," I said, smiling as I pulled my hand away. I didn't want to hear her apologize for being sick. 'Actually, Aria is the one who should be demanding things from me after everything the old Charlize did to her family.'
If Askin was a "cold snow rabbit," Aria was a "scared garden rabbit." Looking at her, I couldn't imagine anyone being cruel to her.
"I don't care about the money," I told her. "That amount is nothing to me."
I didn't mention that I’d had to "borrow" it from my tyrant brother and was currently wondering how I was going to pay *him* back. Loxdian might be an "ugly guy" (emotionally speaking), but I supposed I owed him a thank you for the loan.
I continued to stroke Aria’s hair. It was a bit frizzy from her illness, but it was still incredibly soft.
'If Askin is the cold snow rabbit, then Aria is the fluffy bunny...' I suppressed a giggle. The image of the handsome, brooding Duke as a rabbit was too much.
I looked at Aria and felt a wave of relief. 'She clearly hasn't heard the rumors yet,' I thought. 'If everyone else in the castle knows, they’ve done a good job of keeping it from her.'
"Princess?" Aria grabbed my hand, her expression turning serious. "Actually... I have a request. May I ask you something?"
I tensed up, a cold sweat running down my back. 'Is this it? Is she going to ask me to leave her brother alone? To break the engagement?'
It wouldn't have been surprising. Charlize had done so many horrible things to them in the past. My mind raced with sinister possibilities, but Aria’s next words caught me completely off guard.
"Could you... could you comb my hair for me? Just one more time?"
"No!" I blurted out, still stuck in my defensive thoughts.
"Oh..." Aria’s rabbit eyes filled with tears, and her shoulders slumped. I could practically see her imaginary ears hitting the floor. "Of course... I shouldn't have asked. I’m sorry. I was being rude."
"No!" I quickly grabbed her hand before she could pull away. "I mean, no, it wasn't rude! I just... I misheard you. My ears have been acting up lately."
"Really?"
"Why are you making such a difficult request? I thought we were friends."
Aria’s eyes trembled. They were so large that I could see every flicker of emotion in them.
"I wasn't too rude?" she whispered.
"Not at all. In fact, I want you to ask me for things like that whenever you want."
"Really?"
"I don't say things I don't mean." I smiled and gently pulled her around so she was facing away from me. She looked surprised but quickly settled into place. 'She’s so cute. Truly.'
"Do you have a comb?" I asked.
"Oh! Here!" She pulled a comb from her pocket, clearly having come prepared.
I looked at the comb and felt a pang of sadness. It was old, the decorations were worn off, and the paint was peeling. It had been well-cared for, but it had clearly seen better days.
"I have a jeweled comb that I really like," I said, beginning to brush her hair. "In fact, I have two of them. I should give one to you. Then we’ll have a matching set."
"Oh, no! I couldn't take something so precious!"
"Don't you want to have the same things as your friend?"
Aria turned around, her cheeks flushed a bright pink. She nodded vigorously, her lips pressed tight in excitement.
I turned her back around and continued to brush. Her hair was so fine it seemed to float as I brushed it. I focused all my attention on it, treating it with the care of a master craftsman.
"Actually," Aria said, her voice shy. "Since I was little... I always wondered what it would be like if I had an older sister."