2 A Pebble

In a village far away from the Royal capital, people went about their daily lives. The chiming bells reached all the way to their rural area. Excited, a young woman ran through the fields, holding her dress above the knees so she wouldn't trip.

The girl with brown hair tied on top in a bun, brown eyes and freckles reached the top of a small hill just outside her village. On top of the hill is a tree with strong looking branches and thick foliage, providing ample shade to the young man lying beneath it.

A loosely buttoned white shirt with sleeves pulled up and trousers one size bigger. Tilly's parents didn't have enough money to buy him new clothes for his birthday, so they ended up giving him her father's older ones. Of course, he accepted them with grace and even put them on.

He heard the soft panting and got into a seated position. He gasped in surprise. "Tilly!"

While smiling, Tilly replied. "Lir, you'll never guess what happened…"

"The Royal Capital opens the doors for the commoners?"

Tilly pouted and stomped her feet. "Hmph! No one likes a know-it-all…"

Lir got up, smiled, and patted her head. Even though at first she resisted, his persistence overpowered her will, and she eventually accepted it with a smile. "I might be far from the village, but I can hear the bells, you know!"

After a while, Tilly sat beside him. She rummaged through her pockets until she pulled out a round pebble. With sparkling eyes and a vibrant smile, she showed it to Lir. "Isn't it pretty?"

Lir looked at it and all he saw was a stone he could find anywhere on the ground. "I-I guess…?"

She grabbed his hand, opened his palm and gave it to him while blushing away. "It's my present to you… Next year, I will save some money and buy you a cake as well!"

The reserved Lir held the pebble ever so tightly. He gently cupped her face and made her look at him. He relished the twinkle in her eyes as he promised. "I'll treasure it!"

Tilly stood up, saying nothing. She took a few steps with her back turned at Lir, staring in the distance. With her slender hands, she fanned her blushing face. "It sure is hot today…"

Lir remained silent. He enjoyed her presence and savoured their friendship. He watched over her ever since they were little. Tilly would get them into trouble, and Lir would be the one getting a punishment, but he didn't hold it against her. She would later apologise and join him in the punishment.

The young man never met his parents. A hunting accident occurred that orphaned him. Tilly's family and the other villagers took him in and cared for him. As the years went by, he reached the age of seventeen, and the only constant thing in his life is the relationship he has with Tilly.

While he was daydreaming, she interrupted his thoughts when she turned to him as she pointed at the horizon. "I'll go… To the Royal Capital!"

Her gleaming eyes rendered him unable to stop her. He didn't like the idea, but he didn't have the power to stop her. He could only make her think of the difficulties ahead. "It's quite far from here… Will you make it?"

She shook her finger as if she was reprimanding him. "Tsk, tsk, tsk… You are too negative, Lir."

He sighed internally. "What about money, then? I would lend you if I had any…"

Tilly interrupted him. "Lir, who do you think I am? I don't have any money now and I'm doing just fine…"

"Yeah, but…"

Once again, she didn't let him finish. Tilly approached him and sat in front of him. She ran her slender fingers through his black hair and smiled as she looked into his blue eyes. "I'll be fine. You don't have to worry, Lir."

He grabbed her hand and put it on his cheek. He felt the warmth emitted and closed his eyes. "Of course, I'll worry!"

"I'll go for a few days, but when I get back, we'll have a feast…"

Even though he was anxious, he smiled. Lir nodded and let go of her hand. In that instant, he felt an aching in his heart, like it was telling him he shouldn't do that, but it was already too late. Tilly got up and ran down the hill, excited.

The further she got, the ache grew stronger. He stood up and tried to run behind her, but he couldn't catch up. His sickly body wouldn't let him and his stamina wasn't something he could brag about. He could only stretch his hand, hoping to grab her, but she kept going further away and widening the distance between them.

He stumbled while running and rolled down the hill, losing consciousness at the foot. The young man woke up a week later in his bed. He groaned himself up in a seated position.

With a first glance, he realized it's his room. Next to his bed, a small table with a vase on top guesting a single flower. A window that always stayed open which would welcome in the full force of nature and last, his uncomfortable bed that he received from Tilly's family long ago.

Drowsy and disoriented as he was, he walked out of his room. This house Lir could call his own. The villagers came together one day and built it for him when he got older. Something he deeply appreciated. Sweat and blood went into creating the home for him.

In the small living room, there was a small table and a couple of chairs. The floorboard creaked with every step, but he didn't mind. Nostalgia kicked in and a smile formed on his face. He put his hands in his pockets where he felt something.

He pulled out a pebble. "Tilly…?!"

He rushed out the door and ran in the middle of the village, all the while looking around for his friend. Painted in worry, his face wrinkled and his eyes teared. He kept calling her name, hoping for a response. "Tilly!"

"Oh, Lir you are up!"

The young man narrowed his blurry eyes and saw someone waving at him. He got closer and saw a bulky man digging up a ditch for the approaching rain season. "Uncle, have you seen Tilly?"

The bulky man shook his head and returned to his work.

Her house was just around the corner, which is where he ran off to next. He barged in and saw her mother doing housework. Surprised to see him up and about, she gasped. "Lir, you are up!"

A woman with a slender figure and a dress that outlined it to the last curve. Brown hair and eyes similar to her daughter but more mature. The tone of her calming voice was always a pleasant addition to the young man's ears. "Aunty, is Tilly home?"

Worried, she lowered her head. "She hasn't returned from the Royal Capital yet…"

Lir couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off, but he couldn't worry about her mother further. "I-I see…"

The woman, seeing the distress on the young man's face, smiled and walked towards him. She ruffled his hair and soothed him with her voice. "We received a letter from Tilly a couple of days ago, saying she arrived safely. I'm sure she'll be fine… Okay?"

Lir nodded and looked down, still unable to get rid of the uneasiness in his heart. With the pebble in his hand, he returned to his home and lay on his bed.

A few hours passed and Lir had already fallen asleep with the pebble in his hand. Through the open window, a golden light entered and enveloped Lir. The sudden pressure that pinned his body woke him up.

Lir failed to get out of it, no matter how hard he struggled. With his back on the hard mattress, he stared at the ceiling. He pushed once more, trying to get up, but to no avail.

A ringing in his ears interrupted him. Right after that, a female voice echoed in his head. [Good evening. My name is Merlin and I'm the witch responsible for this spell. You got chosen as a candidate for the Emperor's throne.]