"Where is Princess Gemariel!?!?"
The servants in the palace panicked. Today was the day their Princess was supposed to appear at her own ceremony and she was nowhere to be found.
"Where is the Princess…?"
A familiar voice cut through their chaos. The servants turned to see Princess Gabriela, the eighth daughter, standing calmly in the hall. They immediately dropped to their knees, trembling.
"We are currently searching for her, Your Highness!" one of the maids stammered.
Gabriela's expression shifted from fury to exhaustion. This wasn't the first time Princess Gemariel had gone missing and the servants knew it. Still, fear of punishment kept them on edge.
"Your Highness," one servant began, "Princess Gemariel's royal retainer has been summoned by a special subordinate and will be away for a week, so she entrusted her duties to us in the meantime."
Gabriela nodded. That explained the delay in locating her sister. Gemariel's royal retainer was experienced in dealing with her frequent disappearances, and now her absence made the task harder.
"Take note," Gabriela continued, her voice firm, "when the royal retainer entrusts her duties to you, always check the Short Garden first. Princess Gemariel spends more time outside than in the castle."
The servants' eyes lit up with relief. Gabriela's butler hurried to confirm if Gemariel was in the garden.
"Thank you for the note, Your Highness. I shall attend to her at once," he said.
A maid stepped forward to fetch the princess, but the butler stopped her.
"I'll get her myself. I need to speak with her first. Meanwhile, make sure everything for the ceremony is prepared."
The servants were shocked that he could just refuse, but they dared not argue and bowed in agreement.
In the Short Garden, a girl perched high in a tree, gazing at the sky. She was young, smart beyond her age, and curious about the adventures her sisters seemed to have every week. Today, she wondered if she was ready to claim her own role.
"Gema."
The voice made her pause. Is that big sister Gigi? she thought.
"Big sister Gigi! It's you," Gema exclaimed, relief flooding her face.
Gabriela's eyes were serious as she looked up at her sister. "Even though we're alone, that doesn't mean no one could hear us. Special guests have come to see you."
Gema's eyes widened. Special guests? Here? Today? She panicked slightly today was her ceremony, after all.
"Wait, why are they here!?"
"Your ceremony is today," Gabriela said simply.
Realization hit Gema, and she quickly straightened her posture on the perch. This was the day to officially announce her.
"Won't the servants just get me? You didn't have to come…" she said, trying to sound casual.
"I needed to speak with you first," Gabriela interrupted. "Now get down. After this, you'll need to prepare for the ceremony."
Instead of panicking, Gema sighed and climbed down, looking at her sister with trust and mild exasperation.