An Encounter

ALEXANDRA SILVIUS'S P.O.V.-

Since my rebirth, a few years had passed and I was a 3-year-old child in age yet had a mental age of 17 and it was hard to cover it up. And so, in the palace, everyone knew that the baby princess was born with a high intelligence. Yes, I was a princess and that big face was my father while the beautiful woman was my mother. Due to both of their genes, I had a fair complexion and was very pretty too. I became the apple of the eye of all the people in the palace. My name was changed from Alexa to Alexandra before I knew it yet surprisingly this royal family had the same surname. I had to study hard in order to understand the language being spoke and written in this world. The script was runic while the speech was nearly similar to english.

But my three-views, which were already crumbling since I was reborn, were even more crumbled when I realised the existence of magic and aura. Magic is the energy that is stored inside and is borrowed from the nature and converted into one's own in order to create and destroy things while aura is the field of energy used in a similar sense but is capable of strengthening and weakening the objects or people inside it. Due to two types of usage of energy, there were two types of streams that an ability user could choose from - Magicians and Fieldmasters. Magicians create and destroy materialistically while Fieldmasters only influence and wouldn't create or destroy anything materialistically. This was what I derived from my understanding the books these years. There was still a third type - the exceptions or the special constitutions. Some of them had immense internal energy or were able to borrow a huge amount of it from nature and convert it for their own use. Others were able to influence a large amount of area or a particular group of people or objects. In short, they were different from the usual magicians and fieldmasters and were exceptional.

Then there was the existence of attributes which I have read in lots of fictions in the lifetime before. There are seven known attributes on this continent - Light, Dark, Fire, Water, Wind, Earth and Void. On this continent, Fire, Water, Wind and Earth are well known while the Light and Dark are polar opposites and each represent a moral quality - good and evil - although it's not necessarily true. Then there's the Void which is considered a weak attribute as its only recognised function is to make a barrier and protect oneself. I read an old, thick and worn out book in the library on this one and on the last page of that thick book, there was a single line - The Void King destroyed countless continents. It was very scribbled and simply hard to decipher unless one once had a friend like mine whose handwriting was even more indistinguishable. So I was able to understand it. That meant the Void attribute wasn't a useless one as an ability user of King level was able to use it to destroy continents. I wonder if it was really true, how that person was able to write that sentence and transport that thick book into this continent. I had asked father about where did he got that book and he told me that even he didn't know about it as it was already there in the library even before his own grandfather was born.

According to the attributes and the usage of energy, countless occupations on the continent can be found such as Spellcaster, Charmer, Illusionist, Elementalist, Sword Master, Warlock and many more. These can be chosen when one is about to reach the third stage of the first level of the ability as the initial two stages are equally suitable for all types.

This continent, Azalea, hosts many countries and Teria is one of them. Teria, my birth country, is at border lining the separation between the Dark Forest and the middle circle of Azalea. After reaching 5, every child would go for an ability test to the Anthera Hall. If found to be an ability user, one's name along his aptitude would be sent to the schools and sects of the middle circle of Azalea. The Anthera Hall is said to be a very large school organisation scattering across not just Azalea but possibly other continents too. So it's a power that no one would like to offend and becoming a part of it is said to be a great honour. There's only one single large authentic Anthera Hall in the capital of Azalea to which every three years, thousands of students try to enter yet only some twenty or thirty would finally get selected.

I usually spend my time in the library reading the books so that I can gather the basic knowledge of this world or I would feel left out. Because of high intelligent reputation, it doesn't seem odd for a 3-year-old girl to go into the library and read tons of books whenever she gets time. The librarian is also very amiable and is a retired Marquess. My father the king ,who would only be able to get together with his family on weekends, would occasionally have to come personally to get me out of my world and take me to some banquets. And I would try my best to act as a background character yet would always come back with lots of gifts. And very rarely, I would get some exotic books as gifts. That would always help me very much. I once got an encyclopedia on herbs. It was a thick leather-covered book with beautiful designs. It contained information about some 100 herbs in Teria. If I come to know who sent it, I must thank that person once.

There's just one problem. That's my extremely sensitive lacrimal glands. Once, when I was in my father the king's arms holding onto his shoulders admiring the gardens along with him as he walked, I suddenly thought of my father from the lifetime before. Perceiving my changing emotions my lacrimal glands efficiently acted and in just a second my eyes were puffy red as tears drained down my face. Father the king was totally startled and thought I was bullied somewhere unknowingly. He tried to stop me cry and also insisted to tell him who bullied me. Was I supposed to tell him that my lacrimal glands were extremely sensitive? And I thought of a father from lifetime before? So, I shook my head. My father the king after that was even more sure that I was bullied. Hence, from the next day I was followed by two royal guards the whole week. It was an astonishingly dumbfounding experience.

Aside from the library and the books, my most time is spent in garden or with my mother the queen. My mother the queen told me that she's a Fire Charmer while my father the king is a Wind Swordmaster. My mother the queen's family too is genius in these outer circle of Azalea. My cousin, from mother the queen's side, is said to be a Water-attribute as my aunt is a Water Charmer.

Right now, I was reading a book 'Fundamentals of Magic and Aura' in the garden when suddenly a teacup with a refreshing scent of tea entered my view. It was Maria, my designated maid given by mother, holding a tray with pastries in one hand and a teacup in another. Taking the teacup, I took a sip of it. Tasty it was. Then, me and Maria took a walk in garden admiring the beautiful bloomed flowers. I was still a little girl of 3 and there were still two years before the ability test

A lot of times my parents have insisted that aside from the books, I should go out to make some friends. Thinking such, after coming back from the garden and putting the book back in one of the shelves in my chamber, I came out of the palace with Maria and a royal guard in the carriage. Have to say, sitting in a carriage in my second lifetime was a novel experience for someone like me who only had cars to take and not a single of them had this royal looks. We were headed to Duke Aristotle's mansion to meet his 4-year-old daughter, Lady Aria.

I met Lady Aria in one of the banquets that my mother hosted. Her temperament was very similar to one of my friends in the lifetime before. She is very polite, smart and a good learner. With her, I don't feel like I'm talking to a 4-year-old girl. After a few minutes, our carriage reached. The gatekeeper went in to inform the duke of my arrival. Soon, I saw a middle-aged uncle with fiery red hair making his way to me. Everytime I see the duke I feel that he has fire on his head due to his straight standing short hair. With flattering smile, he said, "This duke is honored to have the arrival of the princess at his humble home." Yet I don't see this huge, elegant mansion humble from anywhere. Only extravagant seems to remain.

"Duke, the princess wishes to meet Lady Aria. Her highness would be pleased if you could inform Lady Aria of her arrival." Maria answered for me.

With his tortoise like pace, the duke escorted us to the side hall and sent a servant to inform Lady Aria of our arrival. If it wasn't for Maria, I would have never came here. The duke just tries to pry open what happens in the palace especially the affairs of my father the king and Maria beautifully redirects all these questions into finding out what happened at the duke's home such as a cat was stuck in the tree and Lady Aria climbed the tree in order to save it and fortunately she wasn't hurt when she fell down the tree due to a passing servant.

The door to the side hall opened and a 4-year-old girl with shiny orange hair till her neck trotted to the duke. The duke happily picked her up as he held her on his lap. No matter whether the duke seems to pry open the news from us, he's still a good father it seems and loving to his daughter. "Since, Aria has come, I would head to deal with some affairs your highness." I nodded. Then putting down his daughter, he headed off to who knows where.

I trotted to Lady Aria and grabbing her hands, I took her to play. I would never admit that I played like a child with a mentality of 17. An hour later, I bid goodbye to Lady Aria as I ascended the carriage. "Maria, let's head to a snack shop." I looked at Maria with big eyes. "Your highness, you mother forbid you to eat the food outside." Yes, as a princess, you may never know when you get poisoned or kidnapped by enemies, so my mother forbid to eat or drink anything outside. "But, you should be able to distinguish a good snack shop, Maria." I reasoned with her. Even though I'm a princess, she's still a maid sent by my mother supposed to take care and protect me. Finally, giving in Maria decided to change the route to head for a good restaurant. She would never let me eat anything from the street stalls.

Giving me a light yellow cloak with a hood to wear, Maria descended first to take assist me down the carriage. We three headed in as the coachman waited outside. Maria ordered some chicken soup and pasta, when I insisted. My mother the queen has denied the pasta since I choked on it once making me yearn for it. The smell was enticing and it was decorated with peas and some condiments. When I exited the restaurant, even without a mirror I knew that I must have had a blooming smile after savoring the pasta.

The sun was about to set so we tried to hurry back. But when passing by an alley, I heard some fighting sounds. So I ordered to stop the carriage and the guard went off to check on it. Soon, I saw some well-dressed teenagers scurrying out of it along with their servants. I did hear them mutter bad about the royal guards. After a little while, I too with Maria entered the alley. On its dead end, sat a boy of 7-year-old bruised heavily. The guard was bandaging his wounds.

The boy had dark black hair and dark blue irises. A rare genetic combination. He was a little slim and pale along with dirt here and there. I stood aside as I watched the guard bandaging him. He had a cut on his right arm and left shoulder. Blood had dyed his dark green clothes. Luckily, I had a mental age of 17 or else a 3-year-old girl would have fainted right then and there. This boy's color combination reminded me of my little cousin from my previous lifetime. If this boy wouldn't have a home, I would take him to palace with me, was what I had decided. Or else, I would assist him. So when the bandaging was done, the first thing I asked wasn't his name or what happened but, "Do you have a home to go back?" I am pretty sure that Maria was throwing glares at me. The boy too looked at me with his enlarged eyes astonishingly. But he was too cute just like my little cousin.