I'm ready to go

Aria looked at her grandfather in a business-like manner, "What kind of training?"

Christopher: "Why to help you bend fire with more precision and destructive power, of course."

Aria: "For how long?"

Christopher: "As long as your teacher thinks fit. At a time, you will go for one month and then return home for a week before going again for a month."

Aria: "Will I be alone there?"

Christopher: "Of course not child. There will be teachers and other pupils there."

Aria: "Let me be more clear. Will there be anyone from the family with me?"

Christopher: "I'm afraid not."

Aria: "Does everyone have to go at some point?"

Christopher: "Some do, some don't. The main teacher should be willing to take you. I went once, so did your father."

Aria: "What can I do in my free time?"

Christopher: "Anything you want. As soon as you complete your training for the day, you are free."

Aria nodded her head. She said slowly, "So you want to send me to an unknown place, among unknown people, for training. Where I will be able to do whatever I want."

Joseph: "It's not like that Aria. You can say no if you want to..."

Aria: "I'm ready to go."

Joseph: "....."

Christopher: "Well that was easier than I thought."

Aria: "But I do have one question. Why didn't grandpa send Beth or Julia?"

Christopher: "They are not as talented as you are. And both of them would rather sit in the palace and knit, than go out to train."

Aria nodded. As they left the study, Joseph said to Aria, "Aria, are you sure? You're much too young. I can convince father if you don't want to go."

Aria stopped him, "Dad, I want to go. I am definitely not suited for palace life. I'm not like Beth, or Julia. All I want to do is either read or play with fire. Which is what I will be allowed to do. But I do have one favour to ask."

Joseph was anxious, "Anything, my child. Anything you want."

Aria: "You're going to have to break the news to mom." Then she ran away and Joseph was left rubbing his temples.

It was a disaster when the news was broken to Natalia. She screamed the castle down about how it was cruel to take such a small kid away. Beth, Julia and Aria sat in Julia's room playing. Beth said, "Aria, mother will be very angry."

Aria: "She will not shout when I come home after a month."

Julia: "What do you mean?"

Aria: "The teacher will come tomorrow to decide whether to take me as a pupil or not. As soon as he says yes, I will pack my bags and go."

Julia: "But how can you be sure that he will agree."

In response to this, Aria lifted her finger mad made the fire in the room twirl so closely around Julia's hair and dress that she screamed, "Okay fine. I'll get burnt."

Beth: "Aria, do you hate living with us so much?"

Aria: "Come on Beth. Even you know that I'm not cut out for palace life. I could never be a good princess. I can never be like you or Julia. I will never be anything mother expects me to be."