I have carefully crafted today. Not only have I gotten the two workaholics out of the office. I’ve gotten them outside of the palace. Even better we’re incognito. Unfortunately, I do not think that will be enough. My brother has this innate ability to make himself believe his own lies.  If I'm going to make this outing a success, I need to take control of the situation. On that note. 

“So, what is the reason you decided to join us today?” I ask my brother. He turns his Jewel like eyes on me. The eyes always look like they can see through you.  

“I have decided that the best way to see how the empire is doing is to see for myself.” He lies. Is that the best excuse he could come up with? He should have just said he was avoiding work. It has become clear that he will not take the first steps. I guess I'll have to get Elizabeth to use her feminine wiles on him... actually who am I kidding she’s just as bad as him. I can see her nodding along with his lie. Ah. 

“Let’s go into that shop.” I point at a dress shop. This might work.  We then enter the store. The lady at the desk sees us and gives a big smile. 

“Your Majesty, what brings you to this humble shop.” She says giving an awkward curtsy. I forgot, that we stand out a mile away. Of course, they would notice us. The damn eyes gave us away instantly. 

“We were just looking for a new dress for my-” He begins explaining. No, you will not ruin this for me. I quickly stomp on his foot. “Oww!” 

“What my brother was saying is that we are looking for a new dress for lady Elizabeth over here.” I finish. 

“Do you have a preference in color?” The shop lady asks. 

“I do like red.” Elizabeth says. Perfect choice. She looks really good in red. 

“Let me get started then.” The shop lady says pulling Elizabeth into the back.  

“Can I ask why you stomped on my foot?” He asks glaring at me. 

“No.” 

“I am your elder brother and head of the household.” He tells me. His carefully crafted argument has a big flaw. He’s a complete pushover. 

“You were about to ruin my perfect plan.”  

“Perfect plan she says.” He mutters under his breath. He really should be thanking me. He wouldn’t get anywhere if I left it to him. “What you did is an assault on the emperor.” 

“Forgive me, my lord, how could I ever repent for my heinous actions.” I say covering my smirk. He gives me a scowl. 

“As the kind emperor I shall forgive your actions.” He says in a grand gesture. An hour later Elizabeth comes out in a stunning dress. My brother freezes and just stares. I quickly elbow him. 

“Say something” I whisper to him. 

“It looks alright.” He says. Damn him. I’m not asking him to recite poetry. I just want him to give her a compliment. 

“Yes, it’s also a waste of expenses, I already have plenty of perfectly good dresses.” She says. What am I going to do? She then returns to the back room to get changed back. 

“Yes, I'd like to buy the dress.” My brother of course has been hooked. This isn’t going to work. I’ll need to try from the other direction. Elizabeth shall be my saving grace. 

With that we begin walking down the street. 

“Elizabeth.” I call out to her. 

“How can I help you?” She asks with a smile. She’s an angel. My brother doesn’t deserve her. 

“I need you to faint.” I tell her. If she faints my brother will definitely act like a perfect gentleman. He can’t be honest when she’s awake. So, if he thinks she’s unconscious it might work. 

“Why would I have to faint in the middle of the street.” Oh yeah. She also has the emotional intelligence of a toddler. 

“Never mind. I want to stop by a tea shop before we go back.” I give up. As I sit down on the small table I begin sipping on my tea. Ah, tea is bliss. I then notice James putting his sweets on Elizabeth’s plate. 

“You shouldn’t be so picky with your foods.” She warns him. She takes a piece then holds it up. “Eat this, it’s really good.” 

He then leans over and eats it from her hands. Oh my. I think my face went red. How bold of him. 

“Your right, it’s not bad.” He says nodding his head. “But I much prefer this over here.” 

He then hands her one and she eats it. How can they eat from each other's hand in public? Do they not notice the implications. Everyone else is staring at them. 

A/N: Well I should note that I like my fluff. So there will be a decent amount. Also this book does start very slowly as I wanted to develop the characters before I got into the major plot. Also, I'm afraid to tell Vicky that her plans would have failed at every turn. 

I think I'll also add some interesting facts into the author's notes because i really like world building. The first country that was created in this world was in fact Arria. My brother liked it so much he decided to write a book about them. On that note he is writing "Glory be to Arria" which in my opinion is far better than this book, so don't be afraid to check it out... I never thought I would be writing any Arrian propaganda in my book. How far have I fallen?