The girl looked out the window sill, past the estate gardens, and towards the walls where a crowd of people had formed. They pawed and crowed at the gates and guards were approaching the walls pushing them back and arresting those that tried to climb over.

The girl was young, barely 5 years of age. She looked akin to a doll, in a carefully made expensive-looking dress with olive skin and long hair that sheened and tumbled down her neck.

“Sebastian, why are the people angry?” She asked the butler near her.

“Because they are hungry.”

“If they are hungry why don’t they eat?”

“Because there is no food, Ojou-sama”

“But the prime minister told me that people are happy and healthy.” The girl said.

For once, the butler gave a pained expression. He was a young man, hand-picked from among the royal guard for his looks and his demeanor to guard the girl in front of him.

Though, instead of being her servant, he was more akin to a prison warden. Here to make sure she didn’t leave the estate.

“Why is there no food?” The girl asked.

Sebastian remained silent. Unable to answer her question. Rather, it was impossible for him to answer in a satisfactory way.

“Ojou-sama you don’t need to concern yourself with such matters,” Sebastian said attempting to brush it away.

“Shouldn’t I though? Isn’t the princess supposed to make sure her people are happy?” The girl asked again pressing her face to the glass as if she was trying to get closer to hear the people outside the gates.

“Not everybody can be happy, it’s okay if some people are discontent. You shouldn’t take it to heart Ojou-sama” Sebastian said smoothly.

[I should ask that man to move the girl somewhere farther away. Perhaps a mansion in the countryside?] Sebastian thought.

He pulled a small watch from his pocket, the gold chain on it glinting on a sunbeam. Checking the time Sebastian spoke.

“Regardless, it is almost time for your afternoon coffee,”

“Let me stay here a little longer,” the girl said looking out towards the gate at the crowd of people.

“As you wish,” Sebastian said bowing and leaving the girl and the room alone.

** ** **

“Let me go to the castle” The girl spoke

“That won’t do princess” The Prime Minister spoke. A rotund-looking person with large jowls and balding red hair.

“Why can’t you let me go to the castle?”

“It’s currently being renovated; it would do no good to have you there,” the man said softly smiling

“Renovated? Who authorized that? Isn’t it my castle why was I not informed?” The girl bit back.

“Yes of course, but the castle is old and there was some crumbling architecture, we needed to take some time to fix it.” The man spoke keeping up his smile.

“I didn’t want to trouble you with the details,” The man said.

“I see, once the renovations are done please let me go to the castle.”

“Of course, princess”

** ** **

“Prime Minister I demand you to let me go to the castle, It’s been two years since you told me ‘renovations’ were being done and they should be finished by now.”

“Of course, my princess, I will need some time to prepare, will you wait a month?”

“Fine, but make it quick.”

** ** **

Sebastian watched the glum-looking girl in front of him. The once doll-like girl had grown into a young woman. Approaching 14 years of age one could already tell that she would be quite beautiful once she grew up.

The girl was huddled in the corner of her room, knees bent and folded to her chest as she clutched them.

“Sebastian, I didn’t like the castle,” The girl said.

“Oh really? How so?”

“The people there didn’t let me do anything. All I did was have lunch and then I was asked to leave and let people work”

“I see”

“I’m a princess, right? Shouldn’t I be working as well? Father told me that I would be the one to inherit the kingdom I should be doing more than staying at the mansion all day” The girl said looking up at her butler.

“I’m sure they are handling the boring work, anything important they would tell you about,” Sebastian said.

“But why hasn’t anyone updated me, or told me about anything?”

“I assumed it’s because nothing important has happened that is deserving of your attention. The princess of a country can’t be micromanaging every little thing.”

“That can’t be true, the crowd at the gate keeps getting bigger. As a princess, I should hear what the people have to say.”

“It’s just been a bad harvest year, Ojou-sama. It will change back to normal soon enough. Besides, didn’t you do a charity fundraising event. You even doubled your goal I heard. I’m sure the money went to a good cause” Sebastian said cheerfully.

Sebastian felt a pain in his heart. The prime minister had recently bought a new estate. Sebastian was not sure where the money came from, but he could only guess.

“Besides it is time for your afternoon coffee,” Sebastian said trying to cheer the girl up.

“I don’t want coffee,” The girl said flatly.

“I’m sure you are simply in a sour mood because you are too anxious, having something to drink might calm you down” Sebastian offered

“I said, I don’t want coffee,” The girl said again

“As you wish,” Sebastian said leaving the room.