14 Patience

"Is this the place?" asked a purple-haired girl. She was holding one of the glass bauble Aura gifted Anna. They emanated a faint dark green light. Anna touched one of them looking cautiously for any clues. Earlier when she opened the box her sister was smiling wickedly which made Anna feel uneasy. She asked Alessia if she can tell her what they were used for and Alessia confirmed Aura's words.

The crystals can be activated by mages called Prosperous. They had the power blessed upon by Felicia, the Goddess of prosperity a long time ago after the Great Vendetta. Not much is known by the history and cause of the war that took place before this era. Hardly any survived the test of time and the written documents that survived were kept inside the Church where only the Holy Prosperous could enter. Not everyone can become Holy, even if they had the power.

The Holy Church was ruled by the Clemence Family, similarly to how the Imperial Family ruled Viadora. They were a family of mages with deep roots that extended to the beginning of this era and they were the family blessed by Goddess Felicia. They lived on a small island in the vicinity of Viadora, but they lived independently of the Empire. Mages only came from this family and the ones outside the island were either bastards or refugees. They were very small in number partly because Clemence Family made sure they were silenced.

The mages were then contacted by a powerful family like the Imperial Family in exchange for protection. They were very few the ones that survived and the Imperial Family had only three of them.

'Prosperous' were contracted mages outside the church that spend their times searching for, activating and researching crystals and their properties. There were many crystals in the mountains scattered around Salin but not all of them were useful. Some of them had no purpose and were used as decoration by the poor people to adorn their clothes and houses.

"A bit more to the right." Replied Aura.

Her sister who was sat next to her was smiling cheerfully and directing the girl called Fiona where to hang it. A maid brought a white ladder decorated with painted flowers in unique semblance. Fiona climbed the ladder gradually and tied the silky lace with a knot securing the bauble.

"It looks magnificent." A round of applause rang around the greenhouse. Alessia and Anna who were sat on the table placed in the corner rolled their eyes. Anna was resting her head in her hand and was trying hard not to sleep while Alessia was throwing minute rocks at the ivy curtains.

"Yes!" when a pumice rock the size of a fingernail hit a leaf, Alessia slapped Selda's back. Anna's spine made a small cracking noise and she was propelled on the floor.

"Oi! Can you please leave me intact? At least me if not my garden." Complained Anna rubbing her back.

"I'm sorry. I keep forgetting you are this fragile." Alessia rushed to help Anna and raised her in the air.

"Put me down! I can climb it!" Anna was struggling in Alessia's embrace. Futile. Anna could not win against Alessia who had a power compared to that of a bear.

"Last time you took an hour to climb the table. Here! No need to do that!" said Alessia as she placed Anna back on the table. The table was higher than Anna so when she tried to climb it for the first time, she had a hard time.

"Don't exaggerate! It took less than an hour." Anna looked at the girl deadpan. Alessia laughed seeing Anna pout and patted her head.

"Yes! You only took fifty-nine minutes." Anna slapped her hands away and diverted her direction. The girls and two of the boys were standing around the ladder deciding where to place the next bauble. Their excited voices and the energy with which they were moving around the place was tiring to even watch.

"When will this end?" asked Anna yawning. She missed her soft bed. She wanted to drink coffee, but she was too young to even be allowed to taste it.

"I don't know. But those brats are so ungrateful." Alessia was furious that her friend who sat next to her was ignored. Alessia did not know of Anna's plans to leave the Palace. After an hour where Anna's existence has been completely overlooked she almost started a fight with Carmen. Carmen took two of the baubles in the box leaving Anna none. Anna tried to calm Alessia, but it was easier said than done. When your friend behaves like a wild animal and swings her hands everywhere, Anna had to deal with it the old fashioned way. She decided to break one of them and the used it as an excuse for not handling any of the others.

The audience was dumbstruck for a moment seeing that the Second Princess made a mistake, but they quickly blamed it on the fact that she was useless as a whole and proceeded to mind their own business. After a boring fifteen minutes of theory from her sister, who tried to look distressed, the subject closed and Aura started giving directions to the maids and nobles.

"Let's go." Anna jumped off the table and sneaked out the greenhouse. Everyone was too engrossed in discussing possible places for the last three baubles and no one noticed her disappearance.

"Where?" said Alessia as she lifted her red dress and dashed after Anna.

"Anywhere but here." Replied Anna. She looked at the water fountain settled a couple of meters from the entrance. Raphael who had seemingly nothing better to do was sitting on its edge ripping apart the wings of a butterfly. Anna frowned at him in confusion but didn't plan on disturbing this mental case, so she avoided walking past him. Instead, she turned left and walked on a milled stone pathway.

Small trees planted on both sides formed a corridor for the path that leads to a small-scale plain. There a massive tree with lowered branches plated decades ago was shading a pair of boys. One dressed in a white suit while the other dressed in a burgundy vest and black trousers. Anna's face hardened and was about to turn around when Derick turned his head.

His dark green eyes, similar to emeralds, fixated on her. His expression became sunny and he brightly smiled signalling her to come. Anna almost cringed but stared moving her legs again following the pathway.

"Have you finished placing the baubles Princes Selda?" asked Derick while she sat down on a swing. Alessia came and sat next to her on the grass earning a gasp from Robin.

"My Lady, would you like to sit on my coat? It is not good for a lady like you to lay on the floor." said Robin as he grabbed his coat which was hanging on a branch. Alessia, on the other hand, raised her hand and shook her head displeased with the question.

"No need. I won't die by sitting on the grass."

"But-but it is not suitable-"

"You were sitting on the grass a minute ago. I will be all right thank you." Alessia refused him profusely leaving Robin baffled. Derick chuckled shaking his head lightly but did not intervene.

Coming closer to where the girls were sitting, Derick took his gloves off tossing them on the floor. He was about to push Anna on the swing when he noticed a small scratch on her right cheek. His eyebrows lifted then furrowed quickly, closing the distance between them.

He put his arm on her cheek and brushed it in a delicate manner. Anna was petrified, blinked a couple of times, thinking that she was imagining things. To Anna's displeasure he did not move but instead said:

"What happened?" his breath tickled Anna's face, sending a shiver down her spine.

"I just scratched myself…" Anna mumbled with a half-opened mouth. She found it too uncomfortable to sit near him and his touch was invasive.

"Who did this to you?" he continued to gingerly touch her face without any reservations. His warm hand travelled from her cheek to her ear, tucking a strand of her hair behind it. He noticed her ears burning and his smile changed to a mocking one for a passing moment. Anna's eyes shrunk seeing this reaction.

"No one. It's fine, please refrain from touching me." Anna put her hand on his and brushed it away. Derick looked troubled. He clasped her hand and intertwined their fingers bringing her closer to him.

Their foreheads were now touching. Anna's forehead was burning, and she looked flustered. She wanted to turn her head around but could not because of the position they were in.

Alessia jumped on her feet and was about to have a go at Derick when she was politely stopped by Robin. He started talking about something incomprehensible which threw off Alessia. She looked at him in confusion and backed off for a second forgetting about Anna.

"She told you not to touch her." A voice rang. Soon a gust of wind, shaped as a blade flew in their direction. Anna's face paled but she was too slow to react. When it was about to hit Derick, a semi-transparent shield formed. Its metallic shiny exterior was attacked by the blade but it only burst, dissipating into a soft breeze. The shield did not break. Although the sword disappeared the shield remained intact with not even a scratch visible on its' outside.

"What part of it did you not understand?" Raphael appeared from behind a tree revealing his murderous eyes.

"It is none of your concern." Derick attitude flipped upside down. Anna flinched at his tone, shrinking in her seat.

"When you are disturbing Selda it is." Said Raphael smiling maliciously. Closing the distance between them he put his glove back on. He grabbed Derick by his collar and pulled him away from Anna. Alessia came and shielded Anna by standing between her and the boys.

"Selda, huh? You seem to be a little too intimate with the Princess." Derick griped his arm squeezing it hard. In response, Raphael smirked and pulled his collar closer to him.

Robin was sweating profusely on the side but could not intervene as he was a servant and his opponent is Duke's Azcan son. With his mouth open, he raised his arms but did not know if he should get between them.

"I've let him address me this way." Said Anna hurriedly. She did not want another fight to start especially between these two dark horses. They would kill themselves here injuring Anna in the process. If she were far away, she would have left them to fate, but she was in the area and was bound to get injured. Especially since Anna had no magical powers.

"See?" Raphael patronised further but Derick seemed to lessen his hold on him. Derick looked at Anna. His eyes wrote betrayal. He did not know how to act. Surprised by the serious look Anna gave him he lowered his arm and Raphael took this opportunity to push him.

Backing one step, Derick glanced at Anna and said in a melodious tone:

"I am sorry. I did not know you favoured Raphael over me." Derick's voice cracked. Anna almost fell for his acting.

'How do you all manage to pull these theatrical scenes.' Anna avoided his gaze and said nothing more. Alessia who was standing between them scanned every face trying to understand where the tension came from.

Anna hopped off the swing unable to take this any longer and started walking back the footpath.

She did not walk more than twenty steps when she saw in the distance her sister. She was trembling, her face distorted and threw daggers at Anna. Anna started feeling a headache throbbing underneath her temples. She slowly massaged her temples and Derick took this opportunity to come closer to her again.

"The princess does not feel well today. Why don't I escort you back?" Anna was about to refuse but thinking a bit she realised that this might be the single golden ticket to get her out of this party. She took his hand and signalled Alessia to follow her. No matter how much she wanted to leave this party she was not going to leave alone with him.

"Sister you should have told me when you left. You left me worried sick. I didn't know where you were."

'Yes, that's why it took you half an hour to find me in this small garden.' Anna smiled bitterly. Her sister was a joke. How can anyone believe her? She decided not to contradict her sister at least this time. She did not have any energy to.

Slowly they reached the maze again. Anna saw Derick tense up for a second but when she looked at him, he only welcomed her gaze with a charming smile. Anna retracted her gaze and for the entire time, she looked at her shoes.

After about another half an hour the sun began to set, indicating that the children had to leave. Anna sighed and pulled her last strand of strength to say goodbye to everyone. Derick and Robin left in a hurry probably because they could not stand being around Slelda anymore.

"I guess I will see you in two days." Said Alessia with a nostalgic smile plastered on her face. Her training took place only during the week and she never visited the Palace during the weekends. Anna stopped her from doing so.

"Yes. Take care." Said Anna trying to hurry up the process. She wanted to go to sleep.

"You too." Said Alessia and left with her mother. Aura who stood by her side all this time, approached Anna when everyone left. With a disgusted face she inched their faces together and gritted:

"You show your true colours this young, 'sister'."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Anna turned around and was about to leave when Aura grabbed her arm.

"Just an advice sister. Leave the duke's sons alone. They are not your calibre." Irritated Aura pushed Anna aside and left.

Anna exhaled a long breath and dragged her feet towards her chambers. When she opened the door she was about to cry from happiness. She took off her dress, leaving only her undergarments on and hopped on the bed.

She was so tired she forgot to wash or eat something, and she dozed off.

In her dreams, she made plans to lay low. She made plans to stay silent. She made plans to visit her garden more and ignore her sister. She made…but they don't always come true.