Vishnal absentmindedly hummed a song he had heard Meg playing a few nights back as he dusted the ornaments on the mantle. His mind was only half on the task; he kept glancing out the window to watch Frey as she worked in her garden. Frey was an unusual Princess, to say the least. She spent hours tending her crops, and making rounds around the town to talk to the townspeople. She genuinely cared about the people around her, and not just the wealthy people like Arthur, or the talented like Porcoline, the town's famous chef. She was even kind and friendly toward the shop keeps, the random tourists in town, even a simple butler's apprentice such as himself. Perhaps it was because she hadn't been born royal, but was raised to the title. Or, more likely, it was just her good heart and friendly nature. Either way, Vishnal found himself more and more drawn to her. In most circumstances, he would scold himself for entertaining the notion of romance with his master—his dream was to become an elite butler, and butlers just don't fall in love with their masters; it wasn't considered proper!- but with Frey… well she was such an unusual princess that he felt he might at least have a small chance. If he was completely honest with himself, his dreams of being closer with Frey might even be taking a stronger hold in his mind than his dreams of being the best butler that the people of Selphia had ever seen. After all, in some ways being Princess Frey's lover might be more realistic – he was clumsy and a horrific cook – both which were impediments to becoming an elite butler, no matter how much he tried. But he and Frey were close friends despite their differences in rank. When she first came to the castle, overwhelmed by the new tasks and responsibilities thrust upon her, she had often sought him out to talk to. Sometimes he even thought she might share his feelings. But he just wasn't confident enough that someone of her rank could love someone like him.
He shook his sky blue hair for a moment, trying to clear his mind of the daydreams and refocus on the task at hand. There were still several tasks to finish this morning, and he couldn't afford to slow down. As he refocused on cleaning the mantle, he didn't notice that Frey was joined in the garden by Volkanon, the imposing head butler of the castle, or the serious look on Volkanon's face as he spoke to the princess.
Within a few minutes Vishnal had finished with the dusting and moved on to the castle's kitchen. His cooking was abysmal and usually ended in something inedible and burnt, but the floors and cabinets needed a good scrub and cleaning was his specialty. Just as he picked up the broom to begin sweeping, a dark shadow loomed in the doorway.
"Vishnal! Come to my office immediately!" Volkanon's voice boomed with authority and anger.
Vishnal jumped in shock, dropping the broom. His mind raced as he wondered what misstep he had made today to earn him a lecture from the imposing head butler. He hadn't even tried to cook anything today! Meekly, he bowed his head and murmered, "yes, sir," as he followed the older man to his office.