Aithne sat, a book in her hands, in a cell, way more comfortable than before. Her hair shone in the light after being washed thoroughly, and her clean skin glowed. The bench was made of wood, a material, that was pleasant in comparison to stone, elegant. The seat cushion was thin, but soft, and she found, that it was more than she'd imagined. It was a 'present' from the princes, while the book was given to her by Heine. Before, she wasn't even granted that. She smiled.

The window was still barred, in the end, it was supposed to be a prison. She liked the small room though, that Viktor had ordered her to be kept in. No more than a small bed, a table and a chair was placed in it, yet it was plenty for her.

Whenever possible, she was visited by the princes, more or less subtly, sometimes even by Viktor. Heine however came to stop by almost daily, a nice refreshment in her – supposedly – dull days. As the king, Viktor had arranged her access to the books kept in the library, for 'educational purposes', as he claimed. In reality, they were something to occupy her, inspiring her for her own fantasies.

A knock disrupted her thoughts, before the man she'd waited for entered. Her smile widened warmly. "Heine. It's good to see you."

Said visitor mirrored the smile. "I thought you might want some company."

"I'd love that.", she replied, standing up to help him with the books he carried. Placing them on the small table, she asked; "What're they there for?"

The red head blushed. "I hoped to plan my lessons here with you, and brought some for your free time as well. Prince Licht doesn't have any shifts this week, as he was forced onto a vacation by his boss."

"That's so sweet. I'll help, of course.", she added, sitting down swiftly, so that her simple dress swirled around her ankles. "Who do you want to start with?"

Together they dove into the lesson planning, just like old times. Occasionally, Heine would take glances at her, completely engrossed into the topics and subjects, playing with a strand of hair or a pencil. Sometimes, she turned to look out the window, smile at something, and then continue to plan, just like before.

"You know, you look quite endearing, if you do that.", he spoke out his thoughts, before registering what he did. Ashamed, and a little embarrassed, he blushed, but she softly beamed at him, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Really?"

Too late to back out now, Heine nodded, his face still red. "You do all the time."

Aithne's smile deepened. "That's really nice of you to say. Thank you, Heine."

His heartbeat sped up a bit, and he wondered if she could hear it. Hers did as well, unnoticed by him. Her eyes shone a bit brighter. After a moment, she asked him. "Shall we continue?"

He nodded, happy to have changed the subject. Unbeknownst to him and the four princes, hiding and watching the pair from behind the door, she continued to smile, silently humming. One of the princes recognised it, even with the slightly happier notes.

One day, Heine... I'll be brave enough to tell you... Tell you that I love you...

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I DO NOT OWN THE ROYAL TUTOR; ANY PICTURES OR THE MUSIC USED IN THIS FANFICTION