Although I wanted to speak up on what happened between little Gabriel and myself, I felt it wasn't in my place to meddle in mother -child affairs.
Even though princess selin sounded harsh, I also know he was still far from being ill treated by her, as long as he wasn't being treated badly I wouldn't meddle in their affairs.
For a moment when I saw the quivering look he had on his face, it reminded me so much of myself as a little girl. "Sigh."
After thinking for a while I went ahead to finish the delicious meal the maid had prepared for little Gabriel and myself. I couldn't help but smack my lips together as I enjoyed the taste of the food.
It wasn't like anything I ever tasted before, at first I thought maybe the reason little Gabriel liked his highness prince Briareus was because he gave him sweet candies.
But the food actually didn't contain any unnatural sugar or even had anything close to being sugary, after having my lunch. I decided to go to the white swing in the garden but this time I laid down instead of sitting on the swing while looking up at the sky.
I had many questions and thoughts that bothered me. Why would little Gabriel say people called prince Briareus a demon? I would have questioned the authenticity of what he said if princess selin didn't react the way she did.
Even yesterday, they looked as though they were willing to attack each other, however, I could also see they were hesitating. I could remember the menacing look in Briareus's eyes, which was so different from the usual calm and composed look he always had, thinking about how he promised to never hurt me when he realized how scared I was after my outburst. My heart fluttered at the memory, and I couldn't help but smile cheekily.
"I couldn't help but notice the smile on your face," he said with a slow stride, startling me from behind, his voice filled with curiosity.
I blushed, feeling a mix of embarrassment and happiness at being caught in my daydream. "Your Highness" I admitted, avoiding his gaze.
I heard him chuckled softly behind the mask, his fiery eyes filled with amusement. "Mind if I seat beside you?" He said
I hesitated for a moment, unsure if I should stand up or shift. But I couldn't keep him waiting so I simply shifted to the edge of the swing enough for me to feel comfortable.
Prince Briareus sat down slightly, as he placed his hand behind my swing and stared at me.
"How was your day, my lady?"
"It was fine, Your Highness...Sorry I mean Briareus." I quickly corrected myself.
He shook his head, simply giving up trying to correct me.
I hesitated for a moment unsure if I should open about what happened. But I didn't want to hurt little Gabriel since he specifically came to look for prince Briareus himself. "Your nephew little Gabriel was here,"
His only reply was a slight nod as if I had said nothing.
"He told me he's been looking for you?"I added again.
This time his only reply was a short 'hmm'.
"He said the people from the other castle wouldn't be happy to know he was here."
"Yes, guess you also must have heard I am a demon," Briareus shortly replied, his voice devoid of any emotion.
"Why do from the other castle dislike you?"I took a deep breath, gathering my thoughts.
"You mean hate me? Haven't you heard the rumors? I am a demon after all.'"
"But you're..."I said but my voice resonated with confusion.
Silence ensued for the next thirty seconds, before he looked at me for a moment and finally replied; "You wouldn't understand."
*****
It was evening time Briareus and I had gotten a message from a maid, that a dinner party was being held and we had been invited specifically by the king.
I noticed the look in Briareus' eyes changed for a moment, when he heard about the invitation but he said nothing.
When we arrived at the dinner party held at the king's palace, I saw all the princes and their first wives had already arrived, we were welcomed by the king's royal guard who took us to the king.
We greeted the king, precisely I greeted the king, Briareus instead simply didn't react much, he only nodded. As tradition the wives of the princes greeted one another.
As the evening went on, I couldn't help but observe the tense atmosphere between the princesses. Their glares were filled with an unspoken rivalry, and it was clear that there was some underlying hostility between them. It was a stark contrast to the jovial and carefree nature of the princes' conversations.
Briareus, unlike his brothers, didn't join in with the laughter and chattering. He sat quietly beside me, seemingly excluded from the rest of his family. He confided in me earlier about his feeling of being an outcast among them, claiming that it was because they didn't like him, and when I asked he told me I wouldn't understand and simply said I should believe the rumors of him being a demon. I couldn't comprehend why he would think such a thing, or even admit he was a demon and it left me confused.
I wondered if the other princes and princesses truly believed in such blasphemy or if there was more to Briareus's situation than met the eye. Perhaps there were some family secrets or conflicts that I was unaware of, which could explain the strained dynamics between them. It was a puzzle that I couldn't unravel, but for now, I remained perplexed by the mystery surrounding Briareus and the apparent divide within the royal family.