CHAPTER 117: LITTLE BRAT

"Dia!" I pitched, ready to hug the little brat.

Dia shut the door behind her, flattening her skirt and clearing her throat. "I wasn’t expecting anyone... I mean the princess wasn’t expecting anyone to—" she paused. "What are you doing?"

I kept pulling lightly on her soft cheek, a wide smirk on my lips. "Can’t deny you didn’t miss you, my dearest Dia."

She slapped my hand away. "Don’t get too cocky! The past few weeks were the best. I didn’t have to deal with your disrespect!"

"Aww... you did miss me."

Osha giggled. "She looks like she does."

Dia growled at her.

"You look familiar," Ravyn said.

Dia folded her arms. "You don’t to me. Who are you? Some manly woman?"

"I’m the princess protector, mind you. And a simple handmaid should watch her tone."

"Hmph! A guard should watch hers too," Her eyes leveled to the insignia on her uniform. "You must be one of the monarchs."

"Have we met?" Ravyn questioned, leaning down to her height to get a closer look.

"What can I help you with?" Dia began walking the corridors, totally ignoring Ravyn.

"Excuse her, she’s always like this," I said to Ravyn before hurrying to her side. "So why were you gone all this while?"

"The princess had a lot to deal with. Her sudden appearance in society brought many things to be taken care of. Resuming her role as the Royal princess, as well as maintaining her forces, she never got the chance to do so in confinement."

I couldn’t help the sense of pride swelling in my chest. I was thrilled the princess had broken away from her mother’s chains. I had a feeling she would do a far better job than she did in confinement, all the more reason to meet her.

"Can I have an audience with the princess? There is much I want to discuss with her."

Dia came to an abrupt stop. "Well, I just put her to sleep; her afternoon nap is very necessary given how much she has worked herself this past few weeks."

I huffed. "What is she, a child?"

"A princess..." Dia corrected defensively. "She needs her beauty sleep, something someone like you won’t understand. Given how you look like an ant."

I scoffed at her words before clicking my tongue. I did miss her, but it was this part that did get on my nerves.

"Now now... have you forgotten how strong ants are?"

She rolled her eyes. "I’m talking about beauty, not strength!"

"Well... beauty is strength."

Dia ground her teeth but chose to end the topic there.

"By the way, I was coming to see you before your unannounced visit."

"Is that so? Then I am lucky."

"Lucky?" she mocked. "Like what happened at the ball?"

I guess I was anticipating when she would finally bring that up. Why did I get the feeling I was about to get some scolding from this little brat?

"The princess left the ball on time, but trust whispers spread. They never fail with that one. It’s probably what the empire’s good at, bringing down their monarch like he’s nothing after what he had done for them."

Okay...I admit I thought wrong, thinking she’d go scolding mode.

I smiled. "You don’t blame the monarch for what happened? Despite the whispers?"

"I never trust the whispers. I mean, look at what was said about you. The Balthar’s whore. The human was torn between two brothers. Who seduced whom? Maybe it was the human who had hexed our two Alphas and brought ruin to the royal family."

With each slur she uttered, a new set of irritations burned within me. I knew she was simply stating what was whispered about me, but having her say that to my face made me glare.

Dia smirked. Of course! She was trying to get on my nerves, so I turned the tables on her.

"But you did believe them," I said, trying to contain my irritation. "You claim you don’t believe the whispers, but you were the first to accuse me of such."

"Hmph! Just a temporary mistake."

"So you’re admitting you made a mistake."

Dia scratched the back of my hair innocently. "Maybe."

I chuckled. "Oh... look at that, the little brat admits her fault. Perhaps wake me from this dream."

"Everyone makes a mistake!"

"Of course they do, and you’re no exception." I strode to the courtyard to a large tree where a table setting was.

The dried leaves have fallen on them, so I dust to make room to sit.

"But I’m glad you believed in me, even though you made a mistake."

Dia smirked, sitting in front of me. "As you should, because if it weren’t for me, who else could have saved you?"

Cocky brat.

"So tell me, why do you want to see the princess? I can tell her all about it after she has awoken from her nap."

"It’s about the impact of the ball," I said in a serious tone.

Dia nodded. "Prince Damon is now the crown prince," she said with a shift in her tone I couldn’t decipher. "After years of being away, and the first thing he does is try to ruin the monarch’s image."

"Sounds like you’re hurt about it," I said with narrowed eyes.

"Obviously! I’m hurt because this hurts the princess more. It’s like a dagger to her heart!"

My eyes softened.

"She didn’t grow up with any of her brothers being present. One was off to the war, and the other chose solitude."

"Chose? I thought he was forced to go into solitude."

Dia huffed. "That is what others may think. But if you consider the timing of his coming back, you know what’s true."

She made sense. If Damon was truly forced into solitude, then he wouldn’t have made it back so suddenly. That bastard chose solitude to sharpen his claws and show up at the right time; no one could have perceived him as a threat then.

"But you do know he’s not just out to ruin the monarch’s image."

"What do you mean?" Dia asked with a frown.

I sighed. "He wants the monarch’s position for himself. I went to him driven by anger, and while doing that, I uncovered his ulterior motive."