Hello everyone and especially, hi Neo! I want to write you a drabblechap since you actually have more of a chance of getting a finished story then and don't have to wait forever because I don't have to write as much per chapter. I had our lovely friend hummingbird look it over to make sure I didn't mess up on Rei's characterisation so I really hope you enjoy this although if you don't, tell me and I'll rewrite it too.
1. The Distance Between Us
Being the princess of Altea did not solve everything – especially not the feeling of loneliness that Rei Kogane felt due to her parents attending to the royal duties of the castle. She knew they loved her, but it didn't take away the feeling that she was in a room with nothing but the walls to look at, which sometimes felt like they were closing in on her.
When she was a little girl, her best friend would come over and keep her company but lately, it was like everything had changed. He would not even send her letters anymore or call on the landline like he usually did. Whenever she brought Koushiro up in front of her parents though, they mentioned he was busy with her studies. Rei understood that given Koushiro's mother was a genius herself and a lot of the qualities had come into the young boy himself. But something told her that there was more to it – her intuition said that Koushiro had pulled away. Was it because she was the Princess of Altea? But that had never mattered to him before now – when they played together in the Castle grounds, without even thinking of what tomorrow would bring.
"Rei?" A soft voice interrupted her thoughts and she looked up to see her mother standing at the door of her room causing her to sit up. Rei had been lying down with her head against the pillow, thinking of how simple things used to be with her best friend when she was younger. She had not expected her mother to come and seek her out because she was always so busy.
"Yes, Mother?" Rei always kept her tone formal, easy to adjust into the proper mannerisms as a princess because it was what she had grown up seeing and even if she hadn't, it felt like this was a part of her and had always been.
"Your father and I were wondering if you'd like to have morning tea with us," Queen Allura spoke gently, her blue eyes warm and soft as she gazed upon her daughter. Allura and Rei looked nothing like each other. Allura had long flowing blonde hair that was half-pinned in the middle and stopped about halfway below her shoulders. Rei had definitely taken after her mother when it came to the length of her hair, but her hair was jet black like her father's as well as striking violet eyes.
Having morning tea wouldn't hurt. Rei did not get to spend a lot of time with her parents because they were always so busy, and it wasn't like Koushiro would be coming over anytime soon. One thing Rei enjoyed both with her parents as well as her best friend when she had one was that they didn't expect a lot of conversations or small talk. The silence was something that could be taken comfort in and it allowed her to focus on the surroundings.
"I would love to, Mother," Rei said, standing up. "Would you like me to change?"
Allura smiled and shook her head. "It's just the three of us. Wear what makes you feel comfortable."
Rei kept her arms firmly at her sides but nodded. "Alright." Her mother was always encouraging her not to worry about her status as the Princess of Altea, so she tried to listen and live life normally despite the constant pressure at the back of her mind. But lately, her drifting away from Koushiro made her feel that maybe she should take her status more seriously than she did. Clemont and Bonnie still kept in touch, but they were not her best friend as nice as they were.
"Sweetheart, is everything okay?" Allura watched her closely and Rei jumped a little, realising she had been standing a little obviously. As a princess, you should be more composed and not make your parents worry.
"Yes, Mother, everything is fine," Rei said, a small, polite smile appearing on her face. "I shall just be a tic and join you soon."
"Alright, I'll have everything set up then," Allura said, and Rei waited for her mother to leave the room before allowing her posture to relax. Being a princess was not something she could ignore or allow herself to relax on, because if her intuition was right, it was what had caused this gap between her and Koushiro. Things were not as they had once been.