Chapter 3: I feed the rich and fuck the poor

It was only two years into Rilliane's reign that the famine attacked mercilessly and with all the brutality of a crass, ill-tempered warlord.

The Princess was only eight when she was put in charge of what food distributions go where, of how much the palace (the aristos) could spare, of how much the government should tax the people of Lucifenia. And with the rotten mess making up the crops in the fields, this was much more of a challenge than one would think for a new monarch, especially one as young as his Princess.

Her advisers, cabinets members, and of course, Allen's father, one of the kingdom's best, were brought up to the plate to help evaluate the situation with the child-ruler of one of the world's most influential and powerful nations.

That meeting taking place right then in the council room. Just a few steps away. Right there. Yes. There...

Allen couldn't help himself from keeping his eyes away from the double wooden doors. The bottom of his boots toed the grass at his feet while his fingers curled over the marble bench on the humongous water fountain just behind him. The boy took shallow breaths, trying in vain to keep calm.

But his Princess...

He glanced again at the double doors on the other side of the granite infused pillars. The steps leading up to them looked new and posh. Allen stared at them blankly. A hand found its way to the white cravat strangling his neck and let his nerves undo the stupid thing while the other released the death grip clutching the bench to tug off the soft yellow jacket. Folding it quickly and laying it next to himself, Allen's hand finally came to rest on the hilt of his sword.

Father had only just let him train at the palace, although...Allen secretly wished that his Father had given him the green light to do so when he first came to the court. The Princess always chatted about how dashing the squires and knights looked when sparing.

What.

The flush that attaches itself to face wouldn't leave as he shook his head violently. No. That was too boorish of him to think about. Nope. Nope.

He stood up and began to pace around the enormous fountain, heart in his throat when he firmly remembered why he was so worried in the first place. This meeting concerned everyone in the kingdom, it had to go well, hopefully things went better than well.

Then he wondered who he would hear the outcomes from; his father or the Princess. Deep down, he wanted it to be the Princess, so that way, he could comfort her with the troubles this meeting was surely creating.

Since they first met each other, Allen couldn't bring himself to feel nothing but loyalty and love for her…. Ahem.

Why she took a liking for him, Allen couldn't imagine why. Maybe his appearance to her own made him seem endearing. Maybe his difference from the court gossips pleased her. It didn't matter. He was glad just to be in the same room as her. She called him to serve her whenever she needed him, even demanding it to be his face she saw when she woke. The scandal when she announced this rebounded against the walls of the city for months, as proper protocol deemed the chief lady-in-waiting to help her in the morning.

And him being a boy bothered people too.

Allen paused his pacing, looking up to the doors, hoping that they were open and he could rush to her side.

There was no movement from the doors and he groaned in mixed annoyance and desperation. The fate of his Princess was stitching itself in history right now, it was only natural for him to panic over these kinda things! What got decided in there would reflect on her, the things decided would show the other surrounding countries how strong the Princess' rule was. He chewed nervously on his bottom lip.

He was afraid for his Princess. She deserved some happiness, no matter how little it seemed to others. After losing her mother, the Princess tried to stay strong (it was expected of her) but...

The boy knew in the new light of mornings, she, a tiny hunched form cowering in bed, would cry softly and whimper sounds of "Mother" and "Grandmeré". It was only afterwards, as he stepped into the room, would she finally stop, reaching to him and pulling him into bed with her to finish sleeping, did peace take her.

So if the people needed to be taxed a little more than usual, so be it. There were still the echoes of bemoaned sighs about the lack of the Princess' favorite dishes and material for her dress ringing through his ears. If she could be happy with some more things, then the population would mirror their monarch's mirth and rejoice as well. Lucifenia did love their monarchs after all. It wouldn't be a problem.

So why was this taking so much time?

"All of you are blasted imbeciles!" a high pitched voices screamed into the gardens.

There was his answer.

The Princess held the layers of skirts in her grasp, spitting insults and burning scarlet in the apples of her cheeks. "How dare you! All of you get out of my sight and if I see anyone, I will throw you out and host a basted banquet for my troubles!" she continued, still screaming.

His Father was making his was out the door and stopped at the threshold at her words. The man's brown eyes appeared black, as if something consumed his soul with a dark wrath. Behind him, the rest of the cabinet sat at the large table, quiet like sulking children.

Allen nervously stayed where he stood for a moment, unsure with this new development. What had happened? He swallowed thickly, snapping out of his daze and started towards Her Highness.

She turned around, glare bright and deadly in her gaze until she met his mirroring blue eyes. "Allen," she breathed. The girl dropped her skirts, hands already gripping his wrist tightly. "No one is too bother me! And I expect to get what I want or else!" Her Highness turned away, still holding him and stomped away from the grownups.

Allen knew not to look behind him (his Princess what to his front, where he should always look) but the child within him pleaded to turn around for a glance. The guilt in his heart boiled over from the sight of woven emotions of frustration and exhaustion on his Father's face. It made the thin lines on face look deeper and more apparent. He almost stopped the Princess so he could ask his Father not to look like that. Yet there was something within hissing not to, there wasn't a need too. His Princess needed him, not a grown man who understood everything.

She yanked his arm harder, pausing his thoughts and shoving an unmanly yelp from his mouth. Her Highness didn't stop to see if he was bothered but that was ok, Allen knew there was something bigger to take care of. Her tiny fingers on his wirst tightened as they passed bowing and curtsying servants. Some of who shot him a look of pity. Allen scowled inwardly at this, practically seeing their words stapled on their faces, Poor boy must handle such a spoiled ruler... Well they were fools. Being near Her Highness meant the world to him, should mean the world to anyone, anyone who had enough brains to understand that.

Unfortunately, the girl in question was still nested in a ball of fury, resulting in fueling the stupid court gossips in their next unabashed tales. The Princess basically shoved an unsuspecting maid carrying clean towels out of the way to reach her room. So the snobs of the court were going to have lots of fun with that.

She screamed at the doorman upon seeing them and in turn they jumped, pushing open the doors for them to enter. Her hand finally released him, going to rake through her short, disheveled locks. She collapsed onto the giant known as her bed, and screamed as loud as the day she say she came to this world. It echoed around the suit for a moment after she was done. The world outside fell into a frozen realm, afraid of what was happening and what was to come.

As they should.

Allen flinched when she fell onto the bed and when she screamed, he stared, scared, and heart breaking inside his chest. What had they done to hurt her like this? He wanted to cry.

"Allen, these people are idiots. All. Of. Them," the Princess croaked from the bed, eyes firmly planted on the ceiling. He swallowed, looking up to see what she was glaring at and bit the inside of his check as he only saw the breathtaking mosaic (which had taken over 4 months to complete and a more than his sister's farm to pay for) painted on there, depicting the long and glorious history of Lucifenia.

"It's not my fault there's a stupid famine going on," she groaned out that word. "I just want my cakes for dessert every other day but no. If the peasants are hungry, give them cake I say! Hmm! And Prince Kyle," Allen felt his grimace at the name, "is suppose to come next week! I don't have time to prepare a speech for the commoners! Grandmeré always said it was alright if the kingdom was a little down now and then, but as long as no one else knew... It was ok!" The Princess threw up her arms and widen her eyes at the exclaims. She rolled over on her side, wrinkling her dress and bedsheets. "Allen, come here."

He eyes stared at the spot next to her for a moment before rubbing his arm shyly and doing what she asked. After he was laying next to her, he turned his head to her, finding hers to be in the same position, and smiled while the butterflies in his stomach frantically flew.

"I want to be happy, Allen, when Mother and Grandmeré were Queens and happy, everyone else was happy. So I must be happy for the people, Allen," she muttered softly, eyes boring into his. He felt a shiver lick up the line of his spine at these tense words. "Everyone loves their ruler and when the ruler is happy, they are." Allen found himself nodding along to this logic, it was the same one he was thinking a few hours ago.

"But they said a famine makes the commoners angry, and I say, 'Then I will give them the leftovers, from my clothes to food, who cares? They should be honored to be receiving anything from me' But they looked annoyed at me, annoyed, and said that their pride will never allow it. Pride?!" she snorted loudly and started to laugh.

"Princess..." He watched in apprehension as she continued to giggle.

She turned over on her stomach and folded her arms under her chin. Giggles still ripples through her. "The common blood have no pride. It is just simple logic. What do they have to be proud of?" Her face wondered back into waves of a sudden sleepiness and profundity, but it was the blue in her eyes that made him think he was looking into the bottomless ocean. "They got angry when I said that and told me I should let them handle things since I am only a child." She pushed her face into her arms. The Princess' breathing was shallow and almost hissing next to him.

"My Princess," Allen finally whispered, dread dripping into his soul, as he nuzzled her side with his head. "Please listen to me my Princess." Please oh please don't look like this... "You may be a child but a child can still hold their caretakers' heart in their palm. You are wise but they think you're just naive. Know that you aren't and you'll do what you need to follow your wishes. You desire that much, I promise you do." He kept his head in the folds of her side, bracing himself for any rebuke for speaking outta term. His eyes stayed tightly shut and tried to calm himself down by taking in her sweet honey scent.

The blood in his veins rushed to his ears, only hearing that over the stillness in the room.

"Do you...mean that?" He heard a feathery voice speak.

"Yes, Your Highness."

Silence. Air stuck inside his lungs.

"When will you call me Rilliane? You're special Allen, you can call me that." There were fingers in his hair, gently pulling his face away from her body to met his eyes. "I'm waiting Allen."

His lungs refused to work in that second, it all was unreal.

"R-Rilliane." The name was just as sweet in his mouth as the sugar cookies he managed to sneak off with once in a blue moon. There were still the nerves tugging along anxiety in the pit of his stomach. What if this was a test to see if he was wort-

"Hehee- Hahaahahaa!" The Princess rolled on her back, clutching her middle, unable to cease the bell-like laughter from spilling past her red mouth. "You- you l-look so funn-y! Hahaha!" Her blonde halo ruffled up as she went on twitching against the bedsheets.

Allen was quick to stutter, apology at the ready, yet... He couldn't. She was too happy like this, a sharp contrast from moments before. He let out a sign of relief in his heart.

Maybe he was right to open his mouth for once. Father always said it was a man's actions which backed his words, that words alone couldn't really do anything. Germaine always said that words could make magic happen, but then she would look at him with an eye roll and comment how he would only ever allow someone else speak for him.

However, with this, Allen allowed himself to believe, that maybe, just maybe, they were wrong.

(It was to be the first time he really doubted his family's words.)

The Princ... Rilliane's laughing at last died down to some loose giggles then nothing, retreating to her side again and moving to hold his hand in-between their bodies.

"Oh my dear Allen," here a chuckle escaped. "You'll always help me won't you?"

"You know the question to that my Pri- Rilliane."

Giggle. "I know... Hey Allen?"

"Yes?"

"Do you know what I'm thinking?"

A smile bite into his lips before he broke out in giggles. He knew alright. And it was going to make for an interesting turn of events.

"A party for the surround royals sounds prefect don't it?"

"Certainly, my Princess." She was too excited, almost trembling in the rush of giddiness, that she skipped over his formality.

A/N: Next chapter- dance dance! Lalala~ one of a few (?) to come! And we meet more people! Yay!

Sorry this took a while! Got outta school last week and I went to Akon in Dallas on Saturday, so I was busy as a bee. And chapters might be shorter like this one, but it just depends on how much I want in each chapter and if I want them out faster for you peeps. But I should be pushing out more chapters soon. Maybe 2 a month? Idk don't take my word for it, I'm a lazy loser.

Leave SOMETHING to this PLEASE IT MAKES ME FEEL FLUFFY INSIDEE SKDNSKSNSL

Thanks.