"What are you doing here?" Anna questioned, glaring at Leon like she wished him to vaporize.

Leon held up a thick leather bound book. The bold silver print on its spine read "Ruins of the East" then he held it behind him.

"It’s a library, Princess." He said, an arrogant smirk plastered on his face. "I assume you know it doesn’t belong to you."

Annoyance welled inside Anna like a volcano about to erupt. "Well, you’ve got your book, you can leave now."

Leon looked at Ray. "What was that you said?"

Anna’s heart jumped to her mouth. Did he hear? How much of our conversation did he hear? Oh my goodness, the plan failed before it started!

Nervously, she swallowed her worries and pretended not to care. "Oh yeah? What? Is your fragile pride hurt?"

Leon touched his chest. "Fragile pride? Now I’m hurt. Also, I was talking to Ray."

"You don’t get to speak to him anymore!"

"You said you’re nothing like me. Mind explaining what you meant by that?"

Ray glanced at Anna first, before Leon. "It wasn’t intended for your ears,"

Anna exhaled. Thank goodness that’s all he heard! I need to be more careful in this place!

Leon walked up to them. Anna got up, slotting herself between him and Ray. "Back off. Don’t you have your lover to visit?" she hissed.

Leon blinked, shocked. He couldn’t believe what she had just said. Where was this boldness coming from?

"I’ve seen her this morning." He said. It was a lie. He hadn’t visited the Princess Lotus since the council ruled his temporary removal from the army. "Are you jealous?"

Anna smirked. "No. Just wondering when she’ll wake up so she can take you off my hands."

The amused smile on Leon’s face faded. "What did you just say?"

"What? Are you hurt? Awww, poor thing."

Leon’s eyes darkened. The Princess had never spoken to him this way. She never mentioned her sister, not even by mistake, and especially not to his face.

And now she’s shameless enough to do that? After what she did?

Leon clenched his fist. He walked in here purely to spite her and ruin her morning. And now the tables had turned.

"Well? General? Don’t you have your lover to visit? I’m sure she misses you. Run back to her and leave me alone."

"You’ve lost your mind." Leon said with a dark chuckle. With a last loaded look he gave her, he left the library.

Anna returned to her seat. "Now! Where were we?"

Ray was looking at her with wide eyes and fascination. "You’ve changed..."

Anna flipped hair over her shoulders. "I assure you, I haven’t. There are many means to an end."

The moment she said that, she realized how it sounded.

Heat crept up her cheeks and she adjusted. "I meant for Leon, not you..."

"It’s okay," he sighed. "I’m glad he didn’t hear us."

"Me too. Now, about Drax. How did you..."

Ray jumps to his feet. "Pardon me, your highness. I have things to do."

"Ray! Get back here!"

"I have to feed my pet fish!"

"You don’t have pet fish!"

He paused, turned around slowly, his face full of trepidation. "Don’t ask me about Drax. Please,"

Anna shook her head. "No can do. Come, sit back down. Our conversation isn’t over yet."

Begrudgingly, Ray obeyed her. He found that he didn’t dislike her command. Maybe it was because she said them kindly, or maybe because she was smiling. But it felt good. Being commanded by her this way.

He was seeing so many new sides of the Princess, and he couldn’t pick which was his new favorite.

"Go on," she urged, taking a sip out of her forgotten tea. "Tell me more about my imprisoned husband."

"That’s a...can I speak freely?"

"You haven’t been speaking freely?"

He shook his head. If I tried, you’d take my tongue. I’ve seen it happen and I don’t want it for myself.

"Speak freely, Ray."

"Thank you, your highness. I find it strange that you’re asking me about Drax. You of all people know him better than I do."

"I know. But often times I like hearing about people I definitely know about from other people. It doesn’t make sense, don’t question it. Speak."

Okay, she’s still the scary princess she always had been.

"I’ve been talking to him. Sometimes."

"Why?" She asked, interested rather than annoyed.

"We have history."

She blinked.

Then again.

"Oh my goodness! He’s your lover?!"

Ray’s cheeks heated up and he shook his head wildly. "N-no! He’s not my lover! I mean...we know each other from my time in the West! I swear it, your highness, he’s not my lover. We just grew up together."

"Okay, okay. I get it now."

Anna inhaled, slotting away all the new information she’d just learned. She wanted to ask where Drax was... but somehow she didn’t want to meet him just yet. Thinking about the intense man from Princess Orchid’s memories was enough to make Anna never want to meet him.

At least not until she was ready.

"How was your new room?" Anna asked, steering the topic away from Drax.

Ray blinked, his ears doing a little twitch as he looked away. "It was...good."

"Awesome! I want to see it!"

"Why?" He turned to her, his eyes wide.

"Can’t I visit my husband’s room?"

His ears flattened beside his head, and a small "click" sound came from his throat. "I...I should go now!" He shot to his feet, bowed and raced out of the library before Anna could stop him.

She watched him leave, a smile tugging on her lips. "He’s adorable."

[Ahem, hostie. Have you forgotten your mission?] The System’s chiding voice went off in Anna’s head.

"Talk to me after you’ve given me the guidebook."

[It’ll be ready by tomorrow. In the meantime, stop acting like you—]

"I’m not listening to you till tomorrow." Anna said firmly.

The System huffed. [Whatever.]

Anna finished up her tea, picked a book, and returned to her room.

On getting there, someone was already inside.

"You!" Anna gasped.