Her Trail

9.

Papa got me after the dance with the crown prince, Donovan. Seems like he noticed my indifference while observing me from where he was.

Instead of asking, which made me sigh in relief because I don't think I can say anything to him especially the fact that I was supposed to be dead but reborn in this world, he introduced me to a lot of visitors.

But I think I'd rather be with Donovan than see this girl's face. Amara, my friend who turned out to be an enemy from my past life was standing in front of me with her father. She was the daughter of a Count in this world. Amara lends her hand to me with her full smile and I could already see what's behind her dull eyes as she looked at me. Her lips are lifted but I swear to the Universe this girl was pretending in front of me!

If those people in my past were really the same person here in this world, I will never befriend this girl again.

"Happy birthday, Lady Elora! You dance so beautifully especially when you were dancing with the crown prince!"

Really? Why do I hear the jealousy in her voice? I danced with a lot but she never really mention any of them, of all people, what caught her attention was that little moment with Donovan?

I know I sound paranoid, maybe I'm getting crazy but f*ck her, I won't fall on the same trickery again.

"Thank you, Lady?" I asked for her name.

"Amara, call me Amara," she smiled again.

I nodded.

"Thank you, Lady Amara," I repeated, now, with her name on it.

I look up to Papa, and he is talking silently with Amara's father, they look serious, and they are talking about military weapons and such.

"I'm glad my family was invited!"

"Really?" I tried hard to sound interested.

From what I remember, Count Briossa is invited, so she must have invited herself here.

I touch Papa's hand and that caught his attention, his gazes went to me right away.

"It seems like you are talking about an important thing with the Count, I'll just roam around and talk with some, Papa."

His eyebrow furrowed a bit while thinking, but he still nodded as a response in the end.

"Go to your brother and let him accompany you for a while," he crouch and kiss me on the forehead.

I giggled and I run away from the Briossa's, but...

Why is she following me?

I mean, Amara is going anywhere I go, and every time I look at her she is just smiling widely, and guess what?! It's so creepy!

"I really admire your charm, Lady Elora! The Fleyr's are really the epitome of beauty."

I smiled at the compliment but I cannot enjoy my time talking to them because I'm being watched, not only by Amara but by Donovan, not so far away.

From what I heard, he is a year older than my brother, so he must be eighteen years old right now. I just turned fourteen! Did he fell for me? I mean, I can guess why, but dude, I'm so young and I'll never be his girl this lifetime, I promise that.

"Elora Ember."

I jumped when someone from behind mentioned my two names. It was from a familiar voice, from older brother.

I turn around to face him with a smile.

"Older brother!"

"You bunny, do your feet hurt? You've been dancing and walking endlessly."

I tried hard not to smile so I pouted my lips. His eyes are showing his concern and he is looking down on my feet even though it's obvious that he can't see it just by staring at it, it's because my gown is covering my heels.

My mouth gape when he sits like he's proposing something, he lifted my gown a bit to check my feet.

Removing the shoes I'm wearing, he touches my feet gently while observing them closely.

"Brother! Many are watching us!" my pitch is high but I tried hard to make it a whisper.

His eyebrow crease.

"Don't roam around anymore, some part of your feet are sore, and it's turning reddish. Have you been enduring it?"

I pouted.

He stands up after putting my shoes back, and the moment he fully faced me again, he pushes my forehead using his pointy finger. That made me take a step back.

"Brother!"

"Let me carry you, I'll bring you somewhere comfortable."

I immediately shake my head while my eyes are widened, "Don't you dare, brother! Not in front of everyone!"

His lips lifted a bit, he even raises one of his eyebrows, "Why not?"

"It's humiliating!"

I know those who are near us can hear me right now, but gosh! I'll never face them again when my brother does what he just said! I'm too freaking shy for that!

"What's so humiliating about that? You are the princess of the White Dragons House."

He even dared to use that lame reasoning, goodness gracious. I know he is just messing with me right now, he became too carefree around me to the point that he enjoys teasing me!

"You two are so funny, I wish I have a brother like you, Lord Memphis."

The smile disappeared from my lips when I heard Amara's voice suddenly interrupted us. My brother's shining eyes also darkened a bit, annoyed that she spoils our fun.

"Who are you?"

I almost laughed when brother said that, it made Amara's face pale but she covered it with a smile using her slightly quivering lips.

She bows down like a fine lady in front of my brother, "I am Amara Briossa, Lord Memphis. I heard a lot of good things about you."

Brother did not speak after that so there was a little silence. As for me, there was nothing to say back to Amara so I stopped talking.

There she felt ashamed so she changed the subject.

"Your gown is really pretty, Lady Elora, who did that? I wanted to have it too," she gave me another smile again.

"I don't know, I will ask my personal maids about it when I have time, but yours is pretty too."

"Really? Well, mother made sure I have this customized dress for your birthday, and it was quite pricey, but it's worth it, right? My goal is to outshine a lot—" she laughed.

Looks like the last sentence was a slip of a tongue, she immediately covered it with her laugh. From my last life, she is a year older than me, I wonder if that is also the thing now.

My brother held my arm, "Let's go outside for a moment, I know you're tired."

Oh.

I nodded, I looked back at Amara but it also immediately went to my brother.

I was screamed when my brother suddenly picked me up, almost hearing it all over the place.

"Put me down, brother!"

"Don't make a fuss so it will be less embarrassing."

I did what he said and just closed my eyes.

I heard the door open and the sound of it closing as well. It was quiet so I knew he was walking along the hallway as he carried me in his arms.

And when I felt the cold breeze, I knew we were already outside the house. I opened my eyes at that moment, he also put me down.

It's nighttime and the stars are scattered in the vast sky together with the shiny full moon. What a beautiful view.

"Brother, you didn't give me your gift yet, as well as Papa and the others."

He didn't answer me, instead, he gave me a hug, that made me smile. Until now, I am still stunned every time the warmth of a family embraces my whole.

Maybe, having him, Papa, Sir Adalius, Sir Betram, and the others are the best gift I'm receiving each year.

And maybe... through time, all the wounds will heal. I look up in the vast sky when brother loosens the hug.

If the Universe allows me, I will wait for the moment where my heart will be full of light, not darkness. I will wait for the time where my mind is not packed with demons and nightmares anymore.

I am willing to wait... always, for myself.

"Wait for me here, I'm going to get my gift for you."

Eh?!

My brother fastly walks away so I was left here dumbfounded. I don't know what to do around the garden of roses, with the stars and the moon above me. I stand in the middle, unmoving.

"You're here..."

I quickly turn to the person who just arrived.

The wind blows quite a little harsher so when I turn to him his black hair moved along with it, it covered some parts of his forehead. His eyes are as dark as the night, and his lips are as red as the petals of the roses around us.

Why is he here?

"You followed us?" I accused.

He shrugged his shoulders, "I saw you and your brother walking out of the ball so I became curious."

His answer made my eyebrows furrow. I did not like what he said.

"Curious? Of what?"

"You got my attention."

He sounds like a real jerk right now.

"Every time we meet, your eyes look at me as if you hate me so much when I don't remember anything that made you furious at me. I'm baffled, Lady Elora."

I averted my eyes because of what he said.

"Why do you seem to hate me? Of all the girls and women I met, you are the only one with those eyes."

"What? Do you expect everyone to

"Do you expect all women to look at you with admiration?"

"No. I'm just curious, because first of all, a childlike you are reflecting an eye like those as if you already experienced a lot of things this world could offer."

You'll never know, Donovan. I experienced a lot, from another world, and most specifically, from you.

"Just treat me like any other girls, crown prince, that's all I can advise you."

He chuckled as he heard what I just said.

"You don't know what you're asking for," he smirked.

I frowned because of that.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm a wild wolf, Lady Elora. You'll never imagine how wild I am."

What the actual f*ck. Is he being s****l right now? Am I really a kid in front of this brute's eyes? I know what he is talking about! My mentality was older than him!

"I advice you to stay away with my brother, Crown Prince Donovan, I don't like what you said and the looks in your eyes."

My heart almost dropped when my brother suddenly came. When I looked at him, I felt like I had done something wrong even though in fact, I did nothing!

Donovan's attention went to my brother, he frowned and he fought a glare with my brother who also did not want to lose.

"Back off, crown prince. The Father Duke won't also like some wolf roaming around out bunny."

Donovan smirked, "Don't worry, she is just a child in my eyes, too young for me, Memphis. I am not like you."

Huh? Not like brother? What does that mean?

"Shut up, Donovan."

Whoa. That escalated quickly, they are using each other's first name now.

"Why? Afraid your cat little sister will hear about your—"

"You got it all wrong, you fool."

Donovan's annoying smile grew even bigger when he saw that my brother was angry with him.

"Your fiancee is even younger—"

"I'll ruin the names of your supposed to be wife, Crown Prince. I know who you are eyeing, you f*cking ass."

Wow. My brother has this kind of temper while talking with Donovan? That's new.

But I am most curious about older brother's fiancee, I know she is also a daughter of a Duke from some kingdom.

"You don't know who is the real apple of the eye of the Emperor, Memphis. That's what you should worry about."

Donovan left us with a smirk after that. It worries my brother to the point that he didn't speak a word for a few minutes.

But he sighed and he held my arm while looking at me dearly.

He put something on my wrist and when I look at it, it is a bracelet! It has diamonds all over and some elegant stones, it was indeed beautiful!

"Did you liked it?"

"Of course, brother! Thank you! I love you so much!"

I jump on him to give him a hug. Last time he gave me a new dress and it was beautiful too. While Father gave me a new chariot only for me, but until now I can't use it because Papa isn't allowing me to go outside.

"Lord Memphis, Lady Elora, the final dance is about to start, the Duke is looking for the young lady."

That widened my eyes. I hurriedly walk right away.

I looked at my brother but he remained to relax while walking beside me, following the steps of Sir Betram.

Thankfully, the orchestra just started playing the music the moment we entered the venue, Papa is waiting for me at the center, I run towards him with a smile and he catches me right away, lifting me in the air.

"I love you, Papa!" I giggled after.

His lips lifted, showing his small smile and that made me really happy.

"You've grown. I thought you will be my puppy forever."

"You're at it again!"

He was about to ruffle my hair when I block his hand with my little hand.

"Papa! You will ruin it!"

He smirked.

"Oh, I forgot about that."

We swayed together with the sound of the music. It was in the middle of lively and smooth, but it was good in the ears, not too loud. The rhythm leads both of us as if we're swaying and swinging along with the wind.

"Don't grow up too fast, my princess."

He looks really serious while saying that, his eyes windowed a strange emotion.

"Why, Papa?"

"I'm afraid you will be taken away from us."

I shake my head.

"I don't want that either, I'll stay with Papa and older brother forever."

He chuckled, and he kissed my forehead tenderly.

"We'll never know, princess. When you grow a little older, men will flock around you, and it will be my headache and your brothers."

That made me laugh too. I can also foresee that. The face of Elora Ember Fleyr will be the fantasy of men the moment I matured.

But I don't need a man. I need a family, I need healing. Why would I bring myself another walking heartbreak? I won't stress myself over that, I'm done catching wounds because of a man. All I need is my Papa, my older brother, the people of the White Dragon's House, they are the healer of my heart.