Chapter 104 - Brother
True to Kade's words, once the two of them had their morning meal in the garden, he took her on a tour of the palace.
Lina was blown away by the beauty of Ritan.
The architecture was stunning; a beautiful blend of rare trees, pillars that seemed to reach the sky, flags of Ritan flickering against the wind, exquisite flowers, smooth floors that were a blend of cement and marble, never-ending archways, luscious gardens that stretched for miles and man-made ponds. The list went on.
Lina had lost count of how many colorful plants she had seen, the flowing rivers, the secretive pavilions, and the butterflies that fluttered amongst the greenery. It was unlike anything she had seen before and she was from Teran.
Not much flora grew in Teran's dense terrain. Flowers were extremely temperamental there and wilted without the proper care. Lina noted Ritan's favorite colors were red and gold.
"Brother, is that you?" Someone gasped in the distance.
Lina turned her head to see a little girl dashing towards them.
"Please wait, Princess!" An older woman called out, but it was too late.
The little ball dressed in pink was already racing towards the couple. She squealed in delight, dashing straight for Kade.
"Seventh Brother, Seventh Brother!" The little girl delightfully said, clinging onto his legs. She was a tiny thing, but Kade was just too tall in general.
"Little Dumpling," Kade mused, lifting her into his arms and carrying her.
Lina was surprised by the affection on his face. He held the child as if she were his. She was worried, but tried to do the math in her head. The girl looked no more than eight years old.? Then she remembered the small child had referred to him as 'brother' and her worry dispersed.
"This must be Seventh Brother's wife!" Little Dumpling squealed, barging her brother out of the way.
"Hello, you may call me Lina, " Lina nervously said, offering her a hesitant smile.
"You're so pretty!" Little Dumpling gushed, reaching her tiny hands out.
Lina's lips parted and she cautiously glanced at Kade. She hadn't had much interaction with children and didn't know what to do.
"It's alright, she doesn't bite," Kade mused, stepping closer to Lina.
"Princess…" The nanny trailed off, noticing the sweet couple.
For a split second there, the nanny thought the Princess was their child. The couple behaved like natural parents. It was a frightening sight. The Seventh Prince was a cruel man. For him to be a father, the sky had to fall.
"Big sister, you're too pretty for Seventh Brother," Little Dumpling blurted out, placing her hand on his face to push him away. She wanted to hug her new sister-in-law.
"You must pardon her, she is blind and stupid," Kade remarked, ignoring the small force shoving at his head. It wasn't working.
"She's adorable," Lina mused, slowly relaxing as she gently took the Princess' hand and shook it.
"Maybe when she's not being a brat," Kade retorted, nipping at her small fingers. "You shouldn't be this disobedient, for you are the Eighth Princess."
Eighth?
Just how busy was the Emperor of Ritan?
Lina began to wonder if this was Kade's half sibling or full sibling. The question must've been written on her face.
"My younger sister," Kade said. "From a different mother. She's eight."
The Eighth Princess pouted at his words. She shoved him away. Kade let out a soft chuckle and placed her down. Immediately, she ran towards her sister-in-law.
"I heard you are as brave and courageous as the most fierce soldier!" The Eighth Princess exclaimed, widening her tiny arms. "I heard from my big sisters that you caused the armistice and stopped the war!"
Lina was baffled by the Eight Princess' intellect. She had a sweet and child-like voice, but her vocabulary was that of a genius.
"Want to know a secret?" Lina teased, bending down to the little Princess' height.
"Yes, yes!" The child gasped, standing on her tippy-toes.
Lina cupped her mouth. "It's because your brother threatened to—"
"Alright, enough pleasant talk," Kade retorted, pulling his wife up straight so that she was standing properly. "What are you doing outside of your etiquette classes? Clearly, you lack it."
"Hmph, this is why Seventh Brother is ugly and vulgar!" The Eighth Princess complained, sticking out her tongue. She crossed her arms and ran off to Lina's side.
Kade reached down to grab her, but she was nimble and quick. Her legs were small, but they moved fast.
"Big sister, big sister, let's take a walk in the gardens. I'll tell you which ones are my favorite flowers and which ones the Seventh Brother hates," the little Princess eagerly said, capturing Lina's hand in her own.
Lina was confused. "Why not introduce me to the flowers he loves?"
The little Princess innocently tilted her head. "That is because he loves nothing."
Her words were naive and honest. Lina was alarmed by how easily the Eighth Princess said them like they were discussing the weather. When Lina looked at Kade, he said nothing. His face was blank. When their eyes met, he solemnly nodded in agreement.
"O-oh, I see," Lina awkwardly said. "Why don't you show me then?"
The Eighth Princess' eyes lit up like shooting stars. She happily grabbed Lina's hand again and then, her older brother's.
Lina was touched by the action, smiling and feeling more comfortable in this child's company. Lina was beginning to wonder if she and Kade ever had kids, would they be as adorable as the Eighth Princess?
Her heart swelled at the thought of such well-behaved children. Though, judging from the nanny's worried expression, Lina knew the little Princess wasn't as obedient as she initially thought.
"... and this is my fifth favorite flower because it's pink like my dress, but I don't favor this kind of pink flower because it's too bright and hurts my eyes," the little Princess babbled, nodding her head to a patch of colorful flowers.
Lina blinked. There were many small flowers bunched together in all different shades of red, pink, and white that she couldn't figure out what the Eighth Princess was referring to.
"You can't have fifth favorites," Kade dryly commented. "Or else it defeats the purpose."
"You defeat the purpose," the little Princess retorted, even though it made absolutely no sense.
"Where did you learn to speak like that?" Kade muttered. "Mind your manners."
"You never mind your manners," the little Princess innocently said, batting her lashes. "Seventh Brother."
Kade narrowed his eyes. "Sounds like someone wants to be tickled."
"A-anyway, this is Seventh Brother's least favorite flower!" the little Princess proudly announced to Lina, as if that'd get her out of the punishment.
"Noooo!" she squealed, running straight into her sister-in-law's arms when Kade reached his hands out.
Kade chuckled at her quick reflexes, shaking his head.
Lina's entire chest felt giddy and fuzzy. She had never seen this side of him before. Youthful and playful, he seemed to actually behave his age now. There was even a ghost of a smile on his face, one that made her heart flutter. She liked him this carefree.
When their eyes met, Kade winked.
Lina shyly looked away. She directed her attention to the little girl tugging at her dress.
"Did you hear me?" the little Princess energetically said, standing on her tippy-toes to loudly talk.
"Of course," Lina mused, lowering herself to the cute child's height. She pointed in the same direction that the little Princess' small chin had gone.
"You said that white lotus is his least favorite flower," Lina repeated.
"You're so smart, big sister!" the little Princess gasped, clapping her hands.
Lina thought she was joking, but the young girl seemed serious. She couldn't help but let out a soft laugh.
"Everything impresses children," Kade teased, earning a rough kick from his younger sister. He simply smirked at her futile attempts.
"And that right there is my sixth favorite flower," the little Princess proudly announced.
"It's lovely," Lina commented.
Lina meant every word she said. Blooming amongst a row of luscious grass were black orchids. They were extremely rare, the purple pigment so dark, it looked black even under the sunlight.
"Those are my favorites too," Lina softly said. "They resemble your brother's eyes."
Kade's heart twitched. He crossed his arms and said nothing. Even so, his eyes never left Lina and his younger sister. They were a perfect pair. It nearly made him want to impregnate Lina even more. Lina was young, but he believed she'd make a great mother.
At the thought of his babe in her arms, Kade's gaze darkened. He forced himself to calm down, or else, he'd take her against a tree. He narrowed his eyes. That'd be a new position he had never tried out before.
"...I also like this flower, and that one, plus this one, and the other one—"
Kade began to drown out the voice of his younger sister, the only one he had ever cared for. He simply admired the attentive Lina who never disappointed the girl. Under the sunlight, Lina was the only flower in this garden.
"Look, Kade, this one is shaped like a hanging bell!" Lina gasped, excitedly pointing to something she noticed.
"Yeah?" Kade glanced at the flower that in no shape or form resembled a bell. He guessed she wasn't the smartest with her shapes.
"Ohhh, that can be my new favorite flower then, big brother!" the little Princess joined in, making the moment even more heartfelt.
"You have so many favorites," Lina lightly laughed, her eyes crinkling.
"Because they're all so pretty. Mama takes care of them every day and makes sure they bloom as handsome as big brother," the little Princess stated, widening her arms to show the magnitude of her expression.
Lina grinned at this. She patted the back of the Eighth Princess' head. What a good daughter.
"You're very adorable, little Princess, do you know that?" Lina stated, pinching the little girl on the cheek. She wore a fond smile on her face. Is this what it felt like to have a little sister?
The Eighth Princess simply batted her lashes, her pale cheeks pink from the compliment. She glanced to the ground, her hands tightening on her dress. Then, she peered up at her Seventh Brother.
"I have a secret," the Eighth Princess suddenly told him, grabbing onto his pants and tugging at it.
Kade bent down and scooped her up, until she was seated on his arm. She cupped her mouth and pressed her hand to his ears.
"I like her, big brother!" the Eighth Princess whispered like it was the biggest secret in the world.
Lina heard it, her ears pricking. Her face lit up and she seemed excited by the compliment
Kade couldn't suppress his gentle smile, or the urge to embrace Lina. His chest felt light. Lina was just a mesmerizing sight. He had been watching her the whole time. When she smiled, no matter how small it was, it brightened her entire complexion. He felt like a fool for saying this, but his world literally stopped right then and there.
"Big brother likes her too," Kade whispered to his little sister.
Kade's gaze connected with Lina's startled ones.
"I like her a lot," he emphasized.
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