The Princess Outside A Fairytale Story

Breakfast

Syr groaned at the sunlight that’s peeking between the curtains and hitting her face. Syr faced the other side of the bed and hugged the fluffy pillow on her stomach tighter. Syr is still sleepy, she felt like she’s only been sleeping for an hour. She doesn’t want to get up yet and deal with her Dad already. She wants to enjoy her time alone with her bed. Syr took a sniff of the pillow, expecting to smell her favorite lavender that will surely put her back to sleep but to her surprise, it didn’t smell like lavender but a laundry detergent that she doesn’t have any idea what.

Syr pursed her lips, not understanding why the pillow didn’t smell like lavender. Everything in her room: pillows, her blanket, the bedsheet, her clothes, and even her perfume is emitting the mild and pleasant smell of lavender. That’s how obsessed she is with lavender. Though lavender is not strong like other perfumes, she will never pick something else aside from Lavender. What she only wants is the soothing feeling that the lavender never failed to give her. Then it hit Syr- the reason why the pillow that she’s hugging isn’t smelled like lavender is that she’s not in her room. 

Syr sat back and looked around the room with her half-opened eyes, finally remembering that she ran away from home yesterday. 

Right, I left home and now in the apartment of the girl who saved me, Ryuu.

The events of last night suddenly came back rushing on her mind again; the cab fare and the 3 men who chased her. Syr felt her whole body trembled just by remembering those events then tighten the blanket around her. She can’t believe that she was almost killed- had something bad happen to her last night, she surely can't mention them to her parents or else this will be the last exploration she can do. Syr has a dream, to beat Dora the explorer. 

Am I that unlucky or Harold is just right that this country is really not the best for tourists? 

Syr already expected that she will encounter problems but she didn’t know that on the very first day she stepped her feet on the country, she will encounter them. Syr heaved a sighed when she also remembered how she was saved. She can barely remember what Ryuu did to save her. What she can only remember is Ryuu's soft hand that was wrapped on her forearm and pulling her away from the bad guys. 

If not only for Ryuu, I no longer know what will happen to me.

Syr’s thoughts were interrupted by three light knocks followed by the sound of the door opening. She raised her eyes from the blanket and met Ryuu’s kind smiling eyes.

“Oh great, you’re finally awake. I’ve cooked breakfast already. Come on join me.”

Syr just shyly nodded her head and started getting up from the bed. Ryuu left her for a moment, closing the door after her to let Syr change her clothes if she will change or whatever things she want to do. After a whole minute, Syr exited the room wearing the cute Patrick-designed pajama of Ryuu. She knew she brought few pairs of clothes with her but Ryuu’s pajamas are just too cute. So when Ryuu offered it to her last night, she gladly accepted it, feeling really giddy. Wearing the cute flip flop that Ryuu lend to her too, Syr started walking towards the kitchen.

Ryuu just finished placing the breakfast she cooked on the plate. Ryuu raised her head and looked back at her with again a friendly smile on her lips.

“Come on, take a seat. What do you prefer for breakfast, Milk or coffee?”

Ryuu asked while stirring her own coffee. 

“Coffee.”

Syr mumbled then took a seat at one of the wooden chairs. Syr looked at the foods placed before her and felt her mouth watered at the smell of them. She’s starving. She can’t remember the last time she ate something but she was sure that it was still when she’s on the plane. Her stomach is growling loudly and she can’t help but wonder if Ryuu is not hearing any of those growls.

“Here’s your coffee. Let’s start eating now before your stomach loses control and decided to eat me instead.”

Syr blushed at the statement and picked up her utensils. So Ryuu really is hearing my stomach’s growling sounds.

“S-Sorry about that. I’m just- the last time I eat something is when I’m still on the plane and I can’t even remember what time is it.”

“Plane? Are you a tourist?”

Ryuu asked even though her mouth is full. Syr can’t help but find Ryuu cute in that state. Ryuu has her right cheek full of food while her left cheek looks like it doesn’t have any. Ryuu probably loves to munch down her food using only the right side of her mouth so she can talk while eating because her left cheek has little to no particles of any food.

Syr just nodded her head, busy eating too.

“In what country are you from?”

Not like Ryuu, Syr first gulped down the food on her mouth before she opened her mouth to speak.

“Jura.”

Ryuu stopped shoving food on her mouth for a moment as she lightly tilted her head and looked upwards, thinking and looking like the answer to her confusions can be found upwards.

“Jura? I never heard of that country yet.”

“It’s a small country in North America.”

Ryuu dropped her utensils as she rest her back on the backrest of the chair and folded her hands in her chest, staring at Syr in surprise.

“Wow. That’s pretty far here. What made you came all the way here? Do you know someone living in this country?”

Ryuu again picked up her utensils and started shoving a spoonful of foods on her mouth again.

“Ahm. No, I don’t know anyone living in this country. Actually, I didn’t know about this country too. I just heard this country when I booked a flight towards here.”

Syr answered, making sure that she's still getting the chance to shove food on her mouth in between answering Ryuu’s questions.

“What do you mean by that?”

Ryuu has a lot of questions, eh?

“Ahm the truth is I ran away from home.”

Ryuu stared at her in disbelief but didn’t say anything so Syr assumed that she should continue what she’s saying.

“My father wants me to marry my best friend Harold and because I don’t want to be tied with anyone yet, I ran away from home.”

“Wow. Your father sounds like an old man. I didn’t know someone is still with arranged marriage.”

Syr nodded her head and took a sip of her coffee to push down the food on her mouth down to her stomach.

“Yeah but he’s not that an old school. He’s just worried about me after all at my age, I really should be thinking about marriage and having a family already. But up until my age, I still haven’t introduced someone to them that I like so he’s worried about me. What can I do? I’m really not interested in those things yet and don’t have anyone I like either.”

“Hmm. Marriage and family aren’t simple things. You did right. You really shouldn’t be with someone if you don’t like them. And you looked like not that old yet. You can just enjoy your life, and when you reached 25, you can start thinking about them already.”

Syr pursed her lips and wrinkled her eyebrows as she stared at Ryuu for a few seconds.

“But I passed 25 already, I just turned 28 last month.”

Ryuu choked on her food when those words touched her ears. Ryuu coughed so hard and Syr started worrying about her already. Syr was about to stand and approach Ryuu but she gestured for Syr to not worry and she’s okay. Ryuu raised her cup to drink but immediately pulled it away from her lips as she stuck her tongue out in pain.

What dumb of me to reach out for my coffee and drank it like water?

“Are you okay?”

After a few more coughs and winces, Ryuu heaved a long sigh and let her back fall on the backrest again. Ryuu closed her eyes for a few seconds then opened them again to meet Syr’s worried orbs.

“Yeah. I just choked on my food but wait- are you- are you really 28 years old already?”

Ryuu asked with her eyes wide open and slightly leaning on the table. 

Syr nodded her head and asked, “Why? I don’t look 28?’

“Hell yeah. I can't believe it. I didn't know that you're older than me. I'm just 25 but you looked younger than me. You looked like you’re only in your early 20s.”

“Oh yeah. I’ve heard that a lot already.”

Syr said, grinning widely at the compliment, suddenly getting confident.

“And you’re small as a 28-year-old woman.”

The grin on Syr’s face vanished as she looked at Ryuu in dissatisfaction.

“Oh yeah. I’ve heard that a lot too.”

Syr said in a bored tone and averted her eyes from Ryuu. She shoved a piece of bacon in her mouth and chewed it lazily. Syr heard Ryuu giggled but she didn’t bother to look up and just continued lazily chewing her food. She hates it when someone is saying she's small. She's aware of it and she doesn't need anyone to remind her of her height.

“Oh come on don’t be that down. Being small isn’t that bad.”

Syr finally raised her head but only to glare at Ryuu.

“You can only say that because you have long limbs and arms.”

“Hey. I’m not.”

Syr shrugged her shoulders, successfully got rid of the awkwardness between her and Ryuu already.

“Yeah. Whatever.”

“Anyway, why did you chose this country among other countries? You aren’t aware of the bad reputation of this country?”

Syr finished her coffee first before answering Ryuu’s question.

“Like what I told you. I just randomly picked this country and actually my best friend Harold mentioned to me that already but I never knew that it was this bad.”

Syr started telling Ryuu about the cab and the three men who chased her. During the story about the cab, Ryuu still managed to laugh but when she heard about those 3 men already, she felt sorry for Syr. That was really the worst experience for a tourist like her.

“Well, this country really is the worst. If only migrating to another country can be easy and won’t cost that much, I’m probably not living here anymore.”

“You mean it?”

Syr asked, leaning on the table a little bit and not expecting Ryuu to say that.

Ryuu just nodded her head as she finished her food. Syr just watched Ryuu eat while thinking of what she should say next. Well, they are really right when they said that this country isn’t for tourists but it also doesn’t mean that I will no longer meet people as kind as Ryuu, right? She didn’t hesitate to help me last night. She offered her place for me to sleep for the night and even made breakfast for me.

Syr didn’t realize that she’s been staring that long already on Ryuu. She was lost in her thoughts and mesmerized at how non-ladylike Ryuu eats. Well compared to Ryuu, Syr is much classy, especially in eating. Maybe because she was trained, she's a princess, remember? She's a spoiled 28-year-old princess. Syr wondered if she should say that she was actually a princess or not. It’s not like their country is as big and influential as other countries that are under the monarchy government, but still, she felt bad hiding something from Ryuu.

“Right. What’s your plan? You don’t have any hotel yet, right? Want me to help you after all I don’t have work today and I don’t’ think it’s a good idea to be just stacked at my boring apartment.”

Syr suddenly looked uncomfortable at the question. She doesn’t know how will she say what she wants to say without Ryuu freaking out. She's been thinking of this since she wake up and she wondered if Ryuu will agree to her idea, 

“Ahm. Actually, I’ve been thinking-”

Syr paused and raised her head from the table to look at Ryuu who’s looking at Syr in curiosity. Syr first took a deep breath before she opened her mouth again.

“Can I just stay here?”

Ryuu blinked her eyes a few times, asking herself if she really heard Syr right.

“Pardon?’

Syr heaved a long sigh and stared back at Ryuu.

“I just. I’m too scared to leave your apartment seriously. I’m scared that I will encounter those men again or at least similar to them. A-And it’s not like I can still visit some tourists spots here, like what I told you I’m so scared. And because I no longer have any plan of visiting someplace, isn't it will be too boring to stay in a hotel, alone? So I just thought that I should stay here for now since you looked alone here only for 1 month.”

Syr’s heart is hammering inside her. She was really nervous. Everything she said is really true. She really is scared that she will meet those guys again and she can’t help but be worried at that thought.

Ryuu didn’t get to speak for a moment. She’s just staring at Syr like she was still trying to absorb everything Syr just mumbled. After blinking a few more times, Ryuu finally get back on her senses and shook her head in disapproval.

“Y-You can’t. I’m not living here alone. I have a wife and her name is Laura, she’s just ahm- not around. If my wife came back home and saw you, I’m scared that she will again take the wrong idea.”