Fated Eclipse: The Illegitimate Princess And Her Alpha Suitors

Chapter 359: A Rose for a Princess

Lyria’s POV

The child stood before me, her small hands clutching the bent rose as though it were the most precious thing in the world.

Her brown eyes were wide, and her cheeks had turned a deep shade of pink.

"I-I’m sorry," she stammered.

Her voice was soft and uneven, the words tumbling out with the uncertainty of a child who was frightened she had done something terribly wrong.

"It was nice before. I-I had two, but I lost one."

She looked down at the rose.

"I wanted to give one to a pwincess."

Her eyes lifted towards me again.

"A real pwincess."

There was such wonder in the last words that something in my chest tightened.

She sniffled, and her lower lip trembled.

I crouched down immediately, bringing myself to her level.

She could not have been more than four years old.

Her little face was smudged with dirt, and her dress, though clearly her best, had been patched in several places. Her braids were beginning to come loose, and several strands of brown hair had escaped to frame her cheeks.

Just then, a woman rushed forward.

She dropped to her knees beside the child, lowering her head so quickly that I thought she might actually bow until her forehead touched the ground.

"Please, Your Highness," she said, her voice trembling. "Please forgive ’er. She meant no harm. She’s only a child. She don’t know no better."

Her hands twisted anxiously in her lap.

"I’ll scold ’er proper, I will. A rose like that—bent and broken—she shouldn’t have brought it before a princess."

She turned towards her daughter.

"Apologise to Her Highness. Properly now."

The child’s eyes filled with tears.

"I’m sorry," she whispered. "I didn’t mean to make it ugly."

I stared at her for a moment.

Then I looked at her mother.

Then back at the child.

I reached out and carefully took the rose from the child’s little hands.

"Does a-anyone have a p-pair of scissors?" I called, raising my voice slightly. "Or s-something sharp I c-can borrow?"

The mother’s face went white.

She immediately reached for her daughter.

"Please, Your Highness!"

Her voice cracked.

"Please don’t hurt ’er! She’s only a little thing! I’ll take whatever punishment you see fit, I swear I will. Just don’t—"

"I am n-not going to h-hurt her."

I kept my voice as calm as I could.

"I am g-going to f-fix the rose."

The woman’s words died.

She stared at me.

For several moments, she appeared unable to comprehend what I had said.

No one stepped forward to assist us.

The nobles themselves were watching from a short distance, however. Their expressions ranged from curiosity to bewilderment, and at least one looked as though he found the entire scene rather unbecoming.

Then I heard footsteps.

Someone crouched beside me.

"Would a small pocket knife suffice?"

I turned.

Duke Valenridge was beside me, holding out a small knife.

Its blade caught the afternoon light.

I nodded.

"T-thank you."

I accepted it carefully.

I trimmed the broken portion of the stem, cutting away the damaged part until the end was clean and straight. I removed a few bruised petals as well, careful not to damage the flower any further.

Then I tucked the rose into my hair.

I turned towards the child.

"H-how do I l-look?"

The little girl stared at me.

Her mouth fell open slightly.

For a moment, she said nothing at all.

Duke Valenridge tilted his head, studying the rose with exaggerated seriousness.

"It is somewhat crooked."

Then he reached out and adjusted it. His fingers brushed gently against my hair.

"There," he said. "That is better."

Duke Thorncrest, who had apparently followed him, gave a low chuckle.

"That is a remarkably convenient excuse for touching a princess."

Duke Valenridge glanced at him.

"I was correcting the arrangement."

"Naturally."

DukeThorncrest’s smile widened.

"I should expect nothing less from such a conscientious gentleman."

Duke Valenridge merely smiled.

He looked towards the child and gestured towards me.

"The rose has improved Her Highness considerably, has it not?"

The little girl nodded vigorously.

"Pwetty pwincess."

I felt warmth creep into my cheeks.

"T-thank you."

I looked at the child.

"I m-must admit, this is the m-most beautiful rose I h-have ever received."

The little girl’s entire face brightened.

"It is?"

"It is."

She looked pleased with herself.

"I picked it." She said. "I picked the good one too."

"You certainly did." I said with a smile. "What is your name?"

"Elise." She said excitedly.

"I’m Lyria." I told her with a smile.

"I know." She chuckled. "I gave you my rose."

Just then, Duke Thorncrest placed a hand dramatically over his chest.

"What of me?"

The child looked at him.

He lowered himself slightly so that he was closer to her height.

"Do I not deserve a rose as well?"

She stared at him with complete seriousness.

Then she shook her head.

"No."

Thorncrest looked genuinely wounded.

"No?"

She shook her head again.

"You are too big."

A laugh escaped me before I could stop it.

Even Duke Valenridge’s lips twitched.

Duke Thorncrest looked between us, thoroughly affronted.

"I see."

He straightened with exaggerated dignity.

"Apparently I have been deemed unworthy on account of my height."

The child giggled.

The sound was bright and innocent, cutting through the tension that had lingered only moments before.

Her mother, however, remained on her knees.

She was staring at the scene before her as though she could scarcely believe it.

Her gaze moved from her daughter to me and then to the rose nestled in my hair.

"Your Highness..."

Her voice trembled.

"I... I don’t understand."

I turned towards her.

A gentle smile touched my lips.

"Y-you d-don’t n-need to."

I glanced towards her daughter.

"J-just know that y-your daughter g-gave me a g-gift I shall c-cherish."

The woman’s eyes filled with tears.

This time, however, they were not tears of fear.

She lowered her head and pressed a hand against her chest.

"Thank you," she whispered.

Then, more firmly:

"Thank you, Your Highness."

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