A/N: I'm so sorry, it's been almost a month since I posted the chapter 12, but I'm exam right now, until the end of June probably, so it's difficult to write a lot. I'm sorry, I do my best to write! I hope that you'll love this chapter; I think that I'm OOC (as always haha T_T).

AquaBluey: Yes, they are really cute! And I hope that you'll enjoy this chapter too :3 (The fourteenth will be cuter than the last one. Or I do hope so.)

Disclaimer: Tales of Vesperia doesn't belong to me.

Chapter 13

It had been two weeks now that the King and the Queen had left, and Estelle's and Yuri's relationship went fine. Estelle was really happy about it and she had said to herself that maybe, it wasn't a lost cause.

At least, it was until this morning. As every couple, there were ups and down and right now, it was more a down. They were arguing.

"I say 'no'! It's not your place."

"What do you mean!? I'm sure I can help!"

"She's a criminal and –"

"And what? There are bars between us and she, right? Futhermore, I'm sure that she will take more if her interlocutor is a woman too."

Yuri raised his eyes and without saying a word, he entered the prison and locked the door behind him. Estelle looked at the door in disbelief. She just wanted to help him with his works and he didn't want? That man… He had bags under his eyes and she felt pity for him; she wanted to help him, she was his wife and the next Queen of Danghrest Kingdom. Furthermore, she didn't know what to do all the day. Because of the snow, she couldn't go in town and she didn't want to bother Serah; she didn't talk about Rita who was always with Rafael, searching for something.

"What does that door have done?" A voice asked and the young princess startled, putting a hand on her heart before turning her head.

"Serah, you scared me!"

"Sorry." Serah said, shrugging. "So? Why are you angry?"

"I'm not angry, I'm just…Upset."

Serah tilted her head, her two pigtails following the movement. Then, she came near her, took her arm and together, they walked.

"Tell me what happened."

Estelle sighed.

"It's nothing, really…I'm just…I was arguing with Yuri sooner…"

"Oh, I see. It was about his birthday, right? Don't worry: he's always in a bad mood when it's near."

"No, he looks so tired that I wanted to help him dealing with the criminal but…" Estelle began but stopped when she realized what her sister-in-law had said. "Wait, his birthday?"

"Yes, it's tomorrow."

Estelle stopped to walk in shock and Serah let her arm go. She looked at Estelle, frowning. In the mean time, Estelle was thinking quickly. So the next day would be Yuri's birthday, huh? She didn't have any present; she even didn't know what to offer him!

"You didn't know?"

Estelle shook her head.

"I'm not surprised, strangely." Serah declared. "Yuri doesn't want any present or ball or else. He rather likes that we forget his birthday."

"Why?"

"He doesn't like being the center of attention. He doesn't want to become king, you know?"

Estellise nodded. Yes, she knew, Yuri had told her some weeks before. She could understand him but he had no choice. Unfortunately, the only thing she could do was to cheer him up.

"Anyway, I guess they won't be any ball, except if Father and Mother come back before tomorrow, but it would be a miracle."

Serah looked totally upset, as if she wanted a ball. The young princess tilted her head, wondering if Serah wanted it to annoy her brother or to cut her boring days. The two girls walked towards the music room. As always, there was nobody inside, so they could talk quietly, without constraints. The two girls sat on the sofa and Serah asked with curious eyes?

"So, what was your argue about?"

"Nothing really important." Estelle replied, moving aside the question. "I wonder what I could offer for his birthday."

"I told you that he didn't want anything."

"But yet, it is important, right? I mean…It's his day, we have to celebrate it."

Serah looked at her with pity, as if she had just say nonsense. If she understood well, Yuri wasn't the kind of people who would accept a birthday present – or even only a present – so easily. It remembered her the day she gave him her Mother's memento.

Suddenly, her sister-in-law grinned; it was the same grin as Yuri's one and it was scaring. Then, the black haired woman came near her and whispered in her ear. Estelle blushed and exclaimed:

"No!"

"So, I don't know what you can offer him." Serah shrugged, disappointed.

Estelle sighed. Serah had strange idea and she couldn't say that Queen Nathalie wasn't her mother. Of course she could offer that but she wasn't ready and it wasn't the time, especially when Yuri was in such a bad mood; and their little argue wouldn't help either.

She was annoyed.

When she entered the room, she was surprised to see Yuri inside, especially because it was the first time since two weeks that he was there before her. But then, a smile appeared on her lips when she saw that he was sleeping, sitting on a chair, his right hand holding his head. It was a cute scene, she thought, and she would like to immortalize it.

Slowly, she closed the door and came near him and, shaking him softly, she said:

"Yuri, it will be better to sleep on the bed."

But he didn't answer. She tried a second time but again, he didn't answer. Scared, she shook him more violently and finally he woke up, startling.

"Oh…" She said, relieved, while the black haired man looked at her, half-awaken. "I'm so sorry! I tried to wake you up to go to bed, but you didn't answer so I thought that you were dead!"

Yuri stared at her and stood up. There, he patted her head and apologized for the fear he had given her. Then, he went on the bed and Estelle went to the bathroom for fifteen minutes, before joining him, a little bit worried. She came close of him and, slowly, she stroked his hair, until he falls asleep. His breath was slow and quiet, and Estelle couldn't help but smile. Like that, he looked so quiet…!

One hour later, when she was sure that Yuri wouldn't wake, she left the bed slowly, avoiding waking him up. Slowly, she left the room and when the door was finally closed, she sighed in relief and, without any hesitation, she began to walk towards the prison.

Her husband didn't want her help but she was as stubborn as him and she would do it, whether he likes it or not. Carefully, she opened the door of the prison and closed it behind her, before going down the stairs, thinking that the guards were doing a bad job, fortunately for her. She didn't know at all why they weren't at their post.

But then, she stopped when she heard voices. It was the voices of a man and a woman and she didn't know why but she knew the man's voice. The voice sounded familiar and she wondered where she could have heard it. So, she headed for the voices place, curious.

"Are you sure you don't want anything?

"Stop saying nonsense. I'm a prisoner, not a guest."

"Well, in a way, you have invited yourself at the wedding."

"…I didn't want…"

"I know. But please, if you talk to us, then…"

"I…"

Estelle stopped, surprised, when she arrived in front of the two people and saw who it was. The man in front of her eyes looked at her with wide opened eyes while the woman behind the bars looked annoyed.

"Flynn?"

"Lady Estellise! Why are you here?"

The young princess tilted her head and, with a smile, she said:

"I wanted to come when Yuri has come here, but you know how stubborn he is."

Flynn frowned.

"Wait. You're there to interrogate me?" The criminal asked, suspicious.

"Sodia!" Flynn scolded. But then, he paled and said to the princess: "I am sorry, Lady Estellise, I—"

"It's okay, don't worry." Estelle answered, smiling. "I won't tell anyone that the two of you are friends."

"We're not friends." The girl replied harshly.

Estelle chuckled but said nothing more. Instead, she sat on the chair near the bars and looked at the two people.

"Lady Estelle, I'm not sure it's a good idea for you to be here. Yuri won't like it."

"What he doesn't know can't hurt him, right?"

She winked and Yuri's best friend sighed. Well, it wasn't false after all; if Yuri didn't know, it wasn't a good idea. In any case, judging by what she had witnessed, she knew that that Sodia wouldn't tell her anything. Maybe it would be better for her to go back to bed; but she didn't want to leave without trying anything. So, she began to talk, asking a lot of things to the two people with her, hoping that by doing that, Sodia would open to them. But after one hour of talk later, she found herself sleepy and the other woman didn't say a thing at all.

"I think it's time to sleep." Flynn declared while Estelle yawned.

The future Queen nodded and stood up before turning towards Sodia.

"It was nice to talk with you, Sodia. I hope we'll be able to do it soon."

"Lady Estellise…" Flynn sighed, tired.

"Are you stupid?" Sodia asked, frowning. "I tried to kill you weeks ago and you want to talk with me again!?"

"Of course. It was a nice conversation, don't you think?" She asked, smiling.

The woman never replied but Estelle didn't mind it. She was sure that the two other people enjoyed the conversation and if she wasn't so sleepy, she would have continued.

"Lady Estellise, it's time."

"I already told you to call me Estelle, Flynn!"

"I can't."

Estelle pouted, disappointed and the two of them began to leave, wishing a good night to Sodia who looked at them in disbelief. It wasn't common to bid a good night to a prisoner, after all. But Estelle didn't consider her as a prisoner; she was sure that Sodia had good reasons and, after that talk, she liked her. It was something that she couldn't tell Yuri or even Rita.

"Wait."

It was only a whisper but Estelle and Flynn had heard it and they had turned towards Sodia who looked a little bit scared.

"Sodia…?" Estelle called, worried.

"I can't tell you anything by myself, I…" She bitted her lips, and then shook her head. "Duke Pantarei."

"Duke Pantarei…?" Flynn repeated. "Is that the man who—"

"No." She cut him. "But he can help you, I think."

"What do you mean?" Flynn continued, but the woman disappeared in the darkness of her place.

Flynn and Estelle looked at each other and after a nod, they left the prison. When they finally reached the hall, they stood there for a while, thinking about what Sodia had told them. Estelle didn't know why but the name that she had given them rang a bell in her head; yet she couldn't remember why. She sighed and wished a good night to Flynn; but the man didn't answer, deeply lost in his thoughts. Estelle shook her head and head towards her room.

There, carefully, she went on the bed, showing her back to his husband. She was afraid to wake him up by taking place between his arms. She closed her eyes, ready to sleep, glad that she would be able to tell about that Duke Pantarei to Yuri; even if he wouldn't be happy at all about that and even if Flynn would tell him before her.

Suddenly, as she was going to fall asleep, eventually, she felt Yuri's coming close to her, wrapping her with his arms. She liked it, really.

"You secretive wife…" He whispered. « Going to see the prisoner in the middle of the night… »

Estelle's body tensed and turned towards his husband, answering:

"I don't know what you're talking about…"

"Liar…" He whispered again.

He was tired and yet he was trying to scold her.

"Shhh, sleep, you're tired." She said, pouting.

"You'll be punished." He continued, not even opening his eyes. "Tomorrow, you'll put ut with my ordeal."

Estelle relaxed and chuckled. Then, after kissing him, she whispered:

"I'm ready to endure it every day with you, if you wish it."

She saw him smiling and, putting her head under his chin, she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

So, a new name appeared in this chapter. I wonder what will be his role... (What? You don't believe me?)

By the way, in the next chapter...Between birthday and teasing, it will be a hard day for Yuri. Or not.

(Don't ask me why I tell you that.)