Chapter 56: Drink responsibly.
Kein's POV
Rose starts preparing to go back home, bringing back her stuff in a little luggage and I offered to help. I was there by her side packing all her clothes and putting it in luggage before she put it inside the [Storage Ring].
"Thank you for helping me clean up." (Rose) has loose hair that covered her face a bit. I couldn't help myself to laugh a little because she looked really silly and cute just because of that.
"You're welcome, you messy princess." I told her and reached for the loose strand of hair, tucking it behind her ear.
"Admit that you like this messy princess and I'll let you off the hook." (Rose) says grinning, placing a hand on her waist looking all smug.
"Yes, I like the messy princess before me. She's actually my girlfriend and I'm hers." I wrapped my arms around her, taking a deep breath. Rose immediately pushed me away and was blushing furiously the next moment.
"No fair. I'm not used to that word yet. Although I'm enjoying it, you may continue to call me your girlfriend in private. We have to be careful when we're in public though." (Rose) opens the door out of her room and I follow. I really have to remember not to be too touchy or too clingy in public or else people might suspect.
The door creaks.
"Good morning your highness, we are here to escort you on behalf of Prince Alexanderk. I'm sorry but it seems the young master will not be able to accompany you today for your departure."
Rose nods a little surprised, not expecting the sudden greeting with a maid giving her a serious look and for the cross dressing Princess to not escort them out herself- something must've had happened. "Please tell my fiancé that it's alright and I understand. I'm sure that he's busy with his duties. Should we carry on?"
Rose turns to me waiting for a reply. The other maids have a curious look onto the both of us. I put on a stiff mask of seriousness and replied, "Yes, your highness." she nodded in satisfaction at my answer and then we went on.
We spoke formally to each other every time a conversation was needed.
Rose went ahead into the direction of the carriage. I opened the door for her to get inside and our hands lingered on its faint touch for a moment, she held the handle of the door where my hand rested.
Small touching but it filled my body with glee.
She smiles ever widely at me and couldn't help but do the same.
I had to part ways with her for a bit to get my steed, I'm sure Vanilla was waiting for me to visit her as I have failed to do that in the past days- call me a horrible owner.
I have to apologize to my Pegasus after this. I'm sure she must've been quite lonely without anyone to talk her ear off.
I found the way to the stables of this place, I went inside of it full of golden hay and it smelled of manure. There were many normal horses but I was trying to find a winged one. "Vanilla? Can you hear me girl?" I called out to her and I received a small neigh in the corner.
I smiled excitedly and looked toward the corner, "Vanilla you're- uh..." I stopped my words the moment I realized there was someone else in here.
"Mm..."
"Ugh..."
Never mind there were two of them. I bit my lip trying not to laugh but I just saw Vincent barely hanging on a hay bale. It must've been itchy but he looked so comfortable snoring quietly, I looked through his hands and saw a bottle of wine in his grasp.
So he has been drinking?
To think if someone saw a great general drunk on a stable, the gossip would stir.
I looked around to see if there were any other servants tending to their duties but thankfully there were none at the moment.
My gaze turned to Vanilla who had her wings wrapped around another person. I looked more closely and noticed the ash blonde hair and that stubborn face. "Natasha?"
She was sleeping soundly as Vanilla looked at me as if to scold me to keep quiet for she's asleep. Wait, so both of them were drunk together? But if I recall correctly Natasha doesn't drink wine because it was 'weak'.
Vanilla lifted up her wings that were wrapped around her a little so I could see Natasha's body that was cuddled through Vanilla's stomach, she was using it like it was some really expensive luxury pillow. "Vanilla, how long have you been in that position? Aren't you sore?" I whispered quietly, patting her head.
Well seems like nothing happened for the two have both of their clothes on. It was just a simple drinking meetup that I wasn't invited to- well I have been busy...
The horse neighs clearly in discomfort but she really wanted Natasha to not be woken up. "We will need to leave in a bit. That's the same for good old generals over there. He's supposed to be leading the army back home jeez." I looked towards Vincent disappointingly, who was snoring still.
"And remind me to lay off the alcohol." I told Vanilla who gestures to Natasha then points back to her saddle that was hung to a wooden pillar.
"You want to carry her while she's sleeping?" I asked and she nodded slowly. This was one sweet Pegasus and a smart one too. I shrugged, but was happy to know that Vanilla made a friend. "Alright I'll go put your saddle on. Let's try not to wake her up."
I took the saddle off the wall, and gently moved Natasha into the soft hay. I could see her eyes and mouth twist in confusion, she must feel her body being moved but apparently she's a heavy sleeper too huh. "You can stand up now girl. Let's put this saddle on you." I held the saddle abruptly, putting it on Vanilla's back.
"Mother..." we both turned towards the soft voice, the tone felt so vulnerable and real.
My ears were surprised, who knew this barbarian friend of mine has a cute side. Well... I always knew but I didn't partake in indulging in them. "She's kinda cute huh." I told Vanilla who rolls her eyes and pushes me with her body as if saying to pick her up now.
"Jeez fine. I can't be honest and tell people if they're cute or not?" I complained to my steed who just snorted. "I swear are you my steed or hers now?" I asked my companion, I placed my arm gently behind Natasha's knees and held her back gently.
Vanilla looked worried, but fret not I am graceful as a butterfly.
Still not trusting me, Vanilla opened her wings and put them below where I held Natasha. I rolled my eyes and felt like my pride had been shattered. My own steed not trusting me is an insult to being a knight, after a whole five years give or take of being together.
"There we go..." I placed Natasha on the saddle in a weird position but she didn't wake up and kept calling for her mother.
She kept mumbling something in her language but I couldn't understand it.
"Zzz..."
My body stiffened and turned towards the direction of the other problem I had. Well Vincent is easy to wake up as it is. "Vanilla get out first, I'll catch up with you when I wake this one up." I point through Vincent who was now cradling the wine bottle like it's his own baby.
Vanilla snorted, for she was disappointed at the sight of the general and agreed.
"I wish I could take a picture of this, not going to lie. It would've been good blackmail but... I could sketch it." I got my sketchbook and graphite pencil and began sketching.
The hay bale around him that seemed to scatter around, the way he drooled not so elegantly, and snored like a monster. If anyone would see him in that state perhaps they would've lost their picture of a perfect man. "Well he is my childhood friend so I'm stuck with him."
I put back my drawing tools in the storage ring, walked forward to Vincent, grabbed his collar and began shaking the life out of him. "HEY PRETTY BOY WAKE UP!" I yelled in his ears and he groaned.
"UGH! What in god's name-" he covers his ears in a rush and pushes me away. Perhaps out of instinct he even made a dagger made out of ice in his hands alone. "I will have your head in return to even dare to disturb my sleep- Lady Kein?" (Vincent) asked in confusion, looking all wide awake.
"Hey boss. How's your hangover?" I teased him and he made the ice dagger disappear from thin air.
"Ugh... is that what happened? Did I drink too much?" he stops to look at the bottle of wine, all empty and frowned. "Not again." he frustratingly rubbed his temples looking all depressed.
His eyes widened a moment before struck a memory, "Where is Natasha?" He looked around and saw that my Pegasus was gone as well.
"My steed knew you would be in no mood once you wake up, Natasha is sleeping soundly on her saddle. I'm not even sure I'm her master anymore, someone else tamed the beast it seemed." I joked but he looked like he was not having it today huh.
Vincent groaned again, now sitting in a better position. He throws the bottle away and brushes his hair back leaving it in a messy yet bad boy look. "I am not stable. Father will have more than a few words with me when I go home. Not words but fists in my face-" he had fears in his eyes, the fear of being found out that having a cross dressing hobby was a shame.
If the evidence of him surely leaked. It will be a great stain on his family name, since they were also of nobility but... it is also because the kingdom that we live in now is not that much accepting.
Seeing him in that state, I wish I could've taken him to the 21st century. Where I know he'll find a place or group to call, a place where I belong.
"Hey the head general loves you come on, fists to the face is not his style. I've played chess with you father, even had a cup of tea when I visited your house before, remember?" I tried reassuring him. General Wolford was strict with Vincent, but I knew he loved his son.
"Y-You're right." He stated with a shaky voice and began trembling even more. "It's not only fists in my face he'll outright disown me and I will be forbid to use on the family name-"
I stopped him right there and held his shoulder supporting him and sat down beside the hay bale. "Hey listen, none of that will happen."
"How would you know, you don't even have a blood related-" he stops midway and curses to himself looking guilty for almost saying it.
Vincent casts his head low and mumbles an apology, "Forgive me, Lady Kein. It seems I am taking it out on you without knowing, you are only trying to cheer me up and I am such an arrogant fool, taking you for granted."
Blood relation seems to be considered something sacred in nobility, if it's not pure blood of nobility they're a shame, a taint, a sin to the family name.
Baron Hills, my father figure, didn't care and adopted me, and treated me like one of his own cubs. Have already settled my birthright to everything he owned. The estate, the lands, and his business.
"You're not wrong though. Yes I don't have them... anymore. Blood related father, he's down under the ground now if you know what I mean. I just found out yesterday from the news." I told him and he looked perplexed.
"Pardon me. How could you have known this is the Winshern Kingdom territory." he asked, rather confused, giving me a funny look I never thought I'd see again due to his grumpy demeanor these days.
I laughed holding my stomach, oh boy will he want to hear this. "Vincent, my father is of noble descent here. He had those tragic love stories of falling in love with someone from a lower house in another kingdom and was forced to be separated from her."
"Ah. I'm sorry to hear that." he says with even more guilt in his voice and I pat his back.
"Don't swear it boss. I never knew the man but he sure did know me. This is why I probably don't have that much connection to him, I know he loved me but a letter would've been nice?" I remember through the original Kein's diary. How there wasn't much details or information about her parents is because she was left... all alone.
To live in that miserable aunt's house of hers.
Vincent nodded his head, "He truly loved you. He probably feared your safety will be in jeopardy if they knew of another bastard child roaming about. You'll be killed."
"Ah everyone of the royal family knows what I am but they haven't made much of a move on me. So I think I'll be alright."
Vincent shook his head in defiance. "Lady Kein I sometimes wonder if you are truly alright in the head."
"If I was I would probably be more boring and a less loveable Kein, Rose would have never fallen into my trap of love if I wasn't like this."
"Please don't speak of her highness that way when I'm here. The whole affection is making me want to leave you here alone, Lady Kein." (Vincent) chuckled and we both laughed.
I stood up first and offered my hand. He takes a firm grip on it and uses it as support to stand up.
"Please don't forget we are also your home if it's anything of value. You're welcome in my estate because I am indeed another pretty boy butler if they disown you."
"Be careful, Lady Kein. If you hire me, any servants you might have will slow it's progress of work when I'm there." he joked with me and we went on our merry way outside the stables.
"Looks like I'll have to rethink your working place. Your pretty face is definitely a distraction." I pushed his shoulders and he noticed something was wrong.
"Curses. It appears that I'm in my yesterday's clothing. I have to go and change, I'll see you when we'll be needing to leave, Commander." He had to run in another direction, remembering that he was still in yesterday's clothing.
pαndα noνɐ1,сoМ "I like how I called you boss three times but you didn't say anything about it."
"You did? Hmm... the effect of the alcohol still lingers. Well it doesn't matter, I need to go now and get myself sobered up." and with that he went on his way.
The things alcohol does to you. Everyone please drink responsibly. Do not end up like us irresponsible adults that roam around this world.
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