Somehow she managed to calm down enough for dinner. A Delegate was joining them and she was actually a little excited to meet her. She was quiet and elegant and the Princess noticed that she always spent time in their gardens on her off time. She sensed that they’d have a lot in common, so hopefully they could talk a little tonight. She and her father waited for the young woman to arrive. The Delegate arrived and curtseyed beautifully and performed all the proper decorum that came with greeting royalty. The Princess wished they didn’t need to have such a distant, formal greeting, yet she was in awe of how utterly radiant the Delegate was. She wore a lovely teal dress and a pink rose in her hair, which was in contrast to her usual pearl hair pieces the Princess had usually seen her wear. The Princess could scarcely hide her joy, having to suppress her powers so she didn’t make the plants around them bloom out of control. She didn’t know how to start a conversation, she had so many ideas.

“Princess,” the Delegate said. “I’ve seen every garden in the palace except yours. I was told that I needed permission in order to tour. I hope I’m not stepping over any boundaries if–”

“Yes! You can absolutely tour my garden! I’ll show you myself!” she said. The Princess flushed and shrank in her chair. “I’m so sorry, my garden is my pride and joy. I noticed you wore a lot of blues and pinks and that was the color scheme I chose this year. I know your country is famous for lab based and greenhouse cultivation. I used so many of the books from the Botanical Society to cultivate some of the rarer flowers I keep in my greenhouse.”

“I’m surprised a member of the Royal Family is interested in the more technical aspects of botanical studies. Even having passing knowledge requires a lot of study. I’m curious to see what you’ve been working on.”

The Princess clasped her hands in excitement. “What time would you–”

She felt the pull, like someone yanking her hair. In an instant she stopped seeing the dining room and only saw darkened skies, the rising waters and landslides. What horrible timing…as she came to, she tried to find the Delegate and reassure her she was fine. The woman had jumped out of her chair and knelt before her. She held her hand tightly.

“Are you okay? Are you falling ill?” she asked.

“Ah…no…” The Princess said. She looked to her father with concern. So far, no one outside of a few in the Royal Court knew she had the ability to accurately predict dangerous storms. As far as any others in the nobility knew, the Royal Family was just remarkably perceptive and provided aid accordingly. Now her power had manifested before a foreign dignitary. Did she reveal it? He stroked his beard and glanced to her aunt who nodded. The Princess felt her heart race with uncertainty and confusion. Her father, often so protective of her, was allowing her to reveal this to the Delegate. There had to be a reason.

“I…I can see severe storms before they happen. I just saw one,” she said.

“I see,” the Delegate said. “So…when there were extreme winds that fanned the forest fires in our country, is that why you all were able to send aid so quickly? It seemed like it was already on the way by the time we sent word.”

“Yes,” The King said. “My daughter informed us of the incident and suggested we send aid and so we did.”

“Amazing,” she said softly. “You are the reason the region under my family’s jurisdiction recovered so quickly. I am grateful to you.”

The Princess squeezed her hands. She was grateful that the Delegate was the first person outside of the country to learn of her power.

“Father, there will be intense flooding in the south and potential landslides. This will be in about a week. May I please oversee this relief effort myself?” the Princess asked.

“Of course,” he said.

“Thank you. It’s...it’s Mother’s hometown that’s most at risk,” she said.

“Ah. Then absolutely. Make sure to stay with your grandparents while you’re there,” he said.

The Princess was now exhausted. She’d barely eaten anything, but she asked to retire early. So much for making a new friend. The maids dressed her for bed and she called for her Knight. He had to know what their plans were. At least, that’s the explanation she told them. She needed to talk to him. It turned out that he’d already heard she had a vision at dinner and was on his way. The maids dismissed themselves, sensing that they had matters of state importance to speak of. Once they were gone he held out his hand and she took it.

“I heard about what happened. You’re scared aren’t you?” he said. She lay against her pillows and kept her eyes closed. Whenever he held her hand, she was made very aware of how small she was, yet she never felt weak. She couldn’t look at him and turned her face away. She was flushing. She hated to admit it, but she had to acknowledge that there were times when she found him so handsome it made her feel shy even after knowing him for so long. She felt it especially when he was gazing at her with some concern and care.

There was something so warm about his eyes and he was searching for all the ways he could support and comfort her. She felt exposed and it was mildly uncomfortable, if only because he kept holding himself back from her. How could she enjoy his warmth if he was going to retreat from her suddenly? The Princess supposed she should lead by example. She did run away from a lot of things that she thought were uncomfortable. She took one step, and she had to continue.

“We’re going to aid in flood relief,” she said. “I’m going to need your help. I think my status is intimidating, but you are a beloved figure among commoners. I need your influence to help people relax and accept my help.”

“Of course, whatever you need,” he said. He ran his thumb over her knuckles. She savored this feeling, it was such a small form of intimacy. She tried to calm down, but her emotions were running wild. She saw the vines that grew outside her window try to bloom despite the lack of sun. Whenever he was around and made her feel especially good and safe, her powers got even stronger. Her aunt informed her that when her mana resonated with another person’s mana, her own would be amplified. She responded to her aunt and father’s mana of course, and she knew for a fact she responded to her Knight. They resonated with each other the first day they met. Someday she’d tell him how many ways he made her stronger.

“I need to rest. I have to make plans starting tomorrow, we don’t have much time. I do appreciate you taking the time to talk to me,” she said. He grinned and kneeled before kissing her hand. She turned to him finally, allowing him to read the mess of exhaustion and affection. She hoped he saw to her core, she hoped he wouldn’t deny what he saw. His eyes widened just a bit, she couldn’t tell if he was blushing, the lights in the room were low.

“Good night, Princess,” he said. His voice was just above a whisper. She knew he saw something, it was his turn to avoid her gaze. She watched his retreating form with such an aching longing. He had to feel it, she wondered how that manifested. Did he feel like his ribcage wasn’t large enough to contain his feelings, like everything was begging to be let out the way she did? It almost physically hurt her, longing for him was a mild agony. She held the hand he kissed and kissed her knuckles right where he had placed his lips. She pressed her hands over her eyes trying to contain her tears.

“I love you,” she whispered. “I love you so much. Please just love me…”

She hugged her pillow and cried silently. She supposed she was just stressed and wished she could receive more comfort from the person she loved the most. She could bear this, she had to. Her Knight had made her strong enough to face this and she would not let him down.

A good night’s sleep did wonders. She had the clarity to execute her plans. Preparing for a natural disaster naturally trumped all her other lessons, and she poured all her focus into organizing a small group of people to help her with things that she was blind to. Her Knight was always at her side, bringing her paperwork, hot drinks, and offering secret hand squeezes. There was no time to waste and she worked hard first and foremost for the safety of her people. A very distant second reason was that if she worked to exhaustion, her Knight would pick her up and carry her to her room (he always did). As expected, the moment she leaned against the wall to gather her strength, he scooped her up wordlessly. True, she was exhausted and not truly able to enjoy the moment to the fullest but being in his warm embrace, even if it was not romantic, was enough.

This was not a part of his job, she could make it to her room, but he did not like seeing her suffer and struggle in any way. When would he admit that gestures like this weren’t simply because they were friendly? Maybe it seemed presumptuous, he was genuinely gregarious and helpful to so many. Once again, he betrayed himself in little ways. He always handled her so gently, never grabbing her too quickly or harshly. This could also be because he was so much taller and bigger than she was so he was taking extra care to be gentle, but he handled her with such care, he didn’t want to cause her any discomfort. He always swallowed and let out the barest audible sigh when she rested her head on his shoulder. He’d rest his cheek on top of her head now and then.

Another benefit was when she was curled against his chest and she could feel his heart rate skyrocket. She felt like the most cherished being in the world in his arms. She didn’t even feel like a princess, she didn’t feel like a queen, she just felt loved. The Princess always had an idea as to why royalty gave up their position in the past and now she felt that temptation so strongly it almost paralyzed her. Couldn’t she just figure out how to make her father live forever and just be with her Knight? She could be supportive and still do everything she could for her people. She would trade the kingdom for the right to kiss him once. Was he even aware that he was that valuable to her? Maybe one day she’d find the courage to tell him.

It was a group effort and the preparations paid off. Everything was arranged and ready: transportation, evacuation routes, plans for temporary housing and shelters, relief supplies purchased, it was all taken care of. She was ready to leave, but just before she left, the Delegate flagged her down. The Princess ran to her and held her hands, she couldn’t hide her smile.

“Are you here to see me off?” she asked.

“Yes,” the Delegate said. “I’d also like to offer you this.”

It was a broach: a pink orb with a flower encased inside. She pinned it to the Princess’s cloak. It seemed the right accessory; the Princess was wearing green and pink complemented her outfit.

“This broach is a hybrid flower I helped develop. I would love to give you a live one, but I’ve encased this in crystal because I liked the way it looked. I hope it will suffice as a proper gift to wish you well in your efforts,” she said.

The Princess ran her fingers over it. The song this flower gave off was unlike any flower she’d ever heard. Even clipped and encased in crystal, this flower sang to her like no other plant she had encountered.

“Thank you so much, I can feel the sincerity behind this gift,” she said. She had a few questions, how a woman who’d rarely encountered mana in her country could offer such a useful gift, but she’d examine this later. Against all protocol, she hugged the Delegate. The woman stiffened just a bit before relaxing and returning the hug.

“Please don’t be anxious. I think you can do this. I’m ready to send for more aid if you think you need it,” the Delegate said.

“Thank you. This means a lot to me,” the Princess said. She took a deep breath. Her eyes fell on her Knight as he helped load up some last minute supplies. He was supporting her vision in any way he could, even doing small, unglamourous jobs. He was always doing things to help her realize her vision. Her aunt and father had provided all the funding and manpower she asked for. She was ready.