Outside

"Ardielllll, fighting against you is too hard! It has already been a week and I still have not landed a single hit on you!" Flore said while pouting.

"Do you want to hit me that badly?" I asked teasingly.

A week has passed since I started living in the palace and training Flore. Even though she is complaining now, she definitely improved a whole lot since the first time we sparred. Her movements have gotten quicker, stronger, and more precise. It actually made me proud. Is this the pride a teacher feels when their student succeeds?

'I guess this is what happens when you actually enjoy learning. What an amazing teacher I am.'

"No, it's not that…it's just. Just, how did you get so good?"

That's kind of vague. There are quite a lot of things I could tell her. Or should I just tell her that I was born with the memories and the mental age from my past life as an adult which allowed me to read books and study the language from a very young age, instead of crying and shitting my pants all day long?

Just hypothetically, if I actually did tell her, would she believe me, or think of me as some delusional kid with a middle school syndrome? Oooooh, I am an otherworldly reincarnate, brought into this world by the deities themselves as a last hope in their fight against the evil demons! You stand no chance princess, behold and weep at the sight of my true pow…

"Ardiel?"

"Oh…sorry…ahem…Well I trained in the forest near my home, there I have a ring of sorts, like this one. Oh and my father taught me martial arts."

"Your father?"

"He serves as a soldier at the nearby garrison."

"The garrison…you say?"

Wait, why did she say that with her face becoming all solemn? Don't tell me someone she knew died in the army or something? Is this a sensitive topic? Did I just step on a landmine and make the royal princess sad so now I will be banished from this kingdom and forced to roam the forests and valleys before starving to death all alone in some nearby hole or getting torn up by ferocious beasts or…

"It's just that, I have never really seen anything outside of the city center. You can say I never really left the premises of the palace all my life."

Ohhhh so that's what it is. Well first off, thanks for snapping me out of my horrors. And second of all, ouch. She has never left the palace for a whole decade? She is living the dream life of a shut-in, but at the same time, isn't this basically like putting a child on house arrest for their whole life?

"Are you not allowed to leave?"

"It is more like I never really had the urge to go."

"But did you not just say that you wanted to see the garrison?"

"I never said I wanted to see it, just that I never did."

"Yet you said it with such a solemn face, so I naturally assumed."

"..."

"..."

Awkward pause here, but it looks like I hit the bullseye. Now that I think about it, she never had any friends. I guess there isn't much meaning to traveling outside of the palace if there is no one to go with.

"Do you perhaps…want to go see the city?"

"What?"

"See the city. Let's take a day off tomorrow and see the city together. Oh and I haven't seen my friends in a while so I can introduce you to them as well, and you can also make some friends, Flore!"

"Really!? Can we do that!?"

"Sure, why not? Let's just get permission from your parents, and we can go explore tomorrow!"

Her face visibly brightened, and her eyes lit up as an enthusiastic smile appeared on her face.

"Yes, let's do that! I can not wait!"

Making our way from the training ring and to the butler waiting for us at the doors, we made our way to king and queen Elvedriels, and asked for permission to take a day off tomorrow.

Surprisingly, they were for it. I thought they would have some kind of rebuttal against it, but now I am sure that the primary reason for me coming here was to get the princess some friends, and tutoring her was just secondary. A means to an end, so to speak.

They only had a request to make sure that Flore disguises herself, and have someone watching us from afar in case anything happens. I suppose that's quite reasonable, even though the elven city was free of any crime, still, letting out the princess of the kingdom and their own daughter go out on her own, what kind of parent wouldn't take precautions? And that's not to say that although there wasn't any crime, that doesn't mean that assholes don't exist either. Just take that Celeborn guy as a primary example of your typical, non-friendly, neighborhood asshole.

"I can't wait for tomorrow!"

Flore said as we walked back, while bouncing on her feet in anticipation.

"What is the city like? What are your friends like? Will they be nice? Will they agree to spend time with me? Will…"

"Take a few deep breaths, Flore. Rest assured they are not Celebornic."

"Cele-bornic?"

"A word I made up to describe, well, you know who."

"Hahahahaha!"

"And everything else you will see for yourself tomorrow."

"Alright then! Well, good night Ardiel!" 

Flore waved me goodnight as she sped to her room. I didn't even notice that I was standing right at the entrance to my own. I cast a small wave to her, even though she wouldn't even see it, and made my way inside.

***

"...iel."

"Ardiel…?"

"Mmm, juhletmesleepalittlemore…" I mumbled, half asleep.

It seems Flore barged into my room and is now in the midst of trying to drag me out of bed. Like I understand that you're a kid, and you're anticipating today and all, but just let me sleep a bit more. We have a whole day ahead of us.

"...Ok ok, I see."

Thank you. Now if you could be so kind and leave my room so I can get a few more moments of sleep.

SWOOSH

"AH! FLORE! Give me back my blanket!"

"Oh, but it seems you are awake now?" She said in a pretentiously confused and innocent way.

"I guess now that you are awake, you can get ready, right?"

In the name of all that's holy, this kid. She went from being the very definition of an ice princess the first time we met, to an annoying little sister. Who just barges into a boy's room at six in the morning and rips their blanket off of them?

"Flore, we have a whole day ahead of us, why rush?"

"Well because we need to get ready, eat breakfast, and we have a carriage ride ahead of us to our destination. So we need to hurry or…"

POOF

I angrily chucked my pillow at her, hitting her right in the face.

"That won't take a whole day."

She pouted, picked the pillow off the floor, and chucked it back at me. She missed, which made her even more annoyed.

"Hm! I'll be waiting for you at the breakfast table, so hurry!"

With that she spun on her foot, and left the room.

Scratching my head I dragged myself out of bed, and while yawning went over to the bathroom to brush my teeth and get changed. Then I made my way down the palace's halls and into the dining room, where the table was already set, with fruits, pastries, for dessert I assume. The main dish was sandwiches.

"I asked to make the food simple so we could finish it quickly!"

"You really can't sit still, can you? Wouldn't it be better to just stuff it in a bag and eat it on the way there?"

"Oh! Great idea Ardiel!"

"No, WAIT NO I DIDN'T…ahhhh." 

I should've just kept my mouth shut and not said anything. Flore was already asking a maid to pack her breakfast into a bag, and to do the same for me as well. Looks like during this chaotic morning I won't even be able to have a proper breakfast. 

"Alright, Ardiel, let's go!" She announced the very moment the remainder of our breakfast was packed, then began to run towards the front doors.

Her parents came to send us off, and I caught sight of her already hopping into the carriage, before king Elvedriel put a hand on my shoulder.

"Make sure to keep an eye on her, alright Ardiel?"

"Of course your majesty."

"Please, no need for honorifics anymore, child. Just call me Elladan."

He smiled warmly as he said this. But I couldn't muster up enough courage to say it, so I just nodded.

"Come on, Ardiel! Hurry up!"

"It seems she is becoming impatient."

"She was like that since morning."

"Heh! Was she? Alright, go on then. Have fun!"

"And make sure to watch out for her!" The queen chimed in.

I waved them goodbye as I made my way down the stairs, and towards the carriage. 

***

"Woah! Wow! Look at that! Hey Ardiel, what is that!?"

That was basically how our entire trip back to my home Celestial went. I sat in my comfortable, cushioned seat, trying to get some additional rest, and to finish my breakfast, while Flore was glued to the window, staring wide eyed at every passing shop, tree, and elf. 

"Ardiel, are you seeing this!?"

"Mhm, yesh, so beautiful."

"Wowww! Look at those bridges! And those massive trees with houses on them! I have never been in one. Is it high up there?"

"Mhm, yeah, very high."

After a ride that took us a little short of an hour, the carriage finally stopped next to my home Celestial.

"Your highness? We have arrived." The coachman announced.

The poor guy didn't even get to open the doors before they themselves flung wide open, almost hitting him in the face, and out ran a hyperactive girl with white hair, emerald green eyes, and a beige cloak.

"Thank you sir." 

I addressed the coachman as I stepped out as well, much more calmly than Flore. It was almost like we switched places between royalty and a village kid.

Another man walked up to me. He was dressed casually, but his demeanor was anything but. A straight, athletic figure, and a hard face.

"I will be watching you and her royal highness from a relative distance in accordance to his and her majesty's request, sir Elrond." He spoke in a relative baritone. 

I nodded, and the man left.

I looked over to the princess, but she was already gone from her place. I spun around searching for her, and noticed her standing, gawking at a nearby Celestial.

'My god, she's like a puppy. You let her off the leash and she will be gone the next instant.' I thought to myself while sighing, and made my way to her.

"Ardiel, Ardiel! Is this where you live?" She exclaimed while pointing at the treetops.

"No, not in this one. My home Celestial is the one over there."

"Woah! And where is your house?"

"Do you want me to show you?"

"YES PLEASE!"

We made our way to my Celestial, and entered the "elevator" to lift us to my platform. Flore grabbed at my arm with all the strength she could muster. At the same time, she spun her head all over the place, and with her mouth slightly open in awe, she examined every little detail?

"How does this platform move up?"

"Gravity magic?"

"Wowwwww!"

Honestly, I had a hidden motive to bring her up to my house. I really wanted to check on my parents and see how they are doing. I haven't seen them for a week, and did not send any letters either, so I was sure they were curious about my life in the palace. 

Once we were up on the platform, Flore stood in one spot for a good ten minutes, just staring out into the city. I have to admit, the sight is captivating. It's like you walk out onto a viewing gallery of a skyscraper, and look over the city. Except here, it was a forest, with massive Celestial trees scattered all over the place, and instead of a blue sky, it was a continuous green of the massive tree crowns that formed almost a ceiling above the shimmering city below. Bright beams of the morning sun shone through the cracks of our green ceiling, making it seem as if a rain of gold poured onto the entirety of the elven kingdom.

Once Flore finished gazing, we made our way over to my house, and knocked on the front door.

"Come in."

It was mom's voice. I opened the door and stepped inside.

"Mom, I'm back!"

"ARDY!"

Mom momentarily hopped up from a seat where she was reading a book, and wrapped me into an embrace.

"I missed you so much already."

"Mm, I miffed you too mom." I said in a muffled voice.

She let go of me.

"So how is it in the palace? How are the lessons going? Be sure to tell me every…oh? And who is that behind you?"

I turned around to see Flore, no longer all excited and energetic, but hesitant and fidgety, and looking at us from under her brows.

"Ah, mom, this is Flore Elvedriel. We have something like a day off today so I figured we spent it out of the castle, and I could show her around where I live!"

Mom immediately calmed down, and offered a small bow.

"It is an honor to stand before her royal highness."

Flore immediately gasped and began to wave her hands in front of herself while stuttering.

"N-no no p-please Ms Elrond, th-there is no need for honorifics."

Mom looked surprised for a couple of moments, then visibly softened as she offered a warm smile.

"Well, come on in then Flore."

"Th-thank you."

Mom offered us some fruit, while I sat and told her everything that had happened so far at the palace. My experiences, how I was treated there, how the lessons were going, and so forth. Then dad came, had the same shocked expression as my mom did in front of the princess, and Flore repeated the same exact thing, almost as if it was scripted. Then I had to repeat everything I told mom.

After a short while, I excused myself saying that there are a few more places I needed to get to with Flore today. Mom made sure to pack the both of us some additional snacks, hugged me once again, kissed me on the forehead, and bid me farewell while also telling me to send at least one letter a week.

"Well, it was nice seeing you champ. All grown up already, teaching the royal princes. Heh. I already made sure to tell Haldir, you should've seen his expression hahahahaha!"

Just dad being dad. I hugged him as well, and then me and Flore made our way back to the elevator, and back down.

"So, where will we go next, Ardiel?"

"I promised to introduce you to my friends, didn't I?"

"Oh right!"

We made our way to the neighboring Celestial, where just as expected I saw Galen, Tariel, Faelar, and the twins. 

Just like the first time we met, Tariel noticed me first. After a week of not seeing me she sprinted towards me and wrapped me in a hug.

"ARDY! WHERE WERE YOU ALL THIS TIME?"

"Woah, Tariel, it has only been a week?"

"Yeah, a long and boring week without you. Where were you anyway? Why didn't you tell us anything?"

"That's right, you just disappeared. And you never told us where exactly you live so it is not like we can just go check on you." Galen added.

"I uh, didn't really have the chance to tell any of you anything." I said while rubbing the back of my head sheepishly. 

Tariel let go of me, happiness shifting to anger on her face.

"Before you disappear next time, you tell us, alright?" Lyra said. "Tary here has bent all of our ears regarding your disappearance. Were you sick?"

"No, I wasn't sick."

My friends looked at me, some disappointed, some angry.

"And um, who is that behind you, Ardiel?" Faelar asked me.

"So basically, why I disappeared was because I was asked by king Elvedriel to tutor his daughter."

Everyone's faces completely turned to shock.

"You have got to be kidding, right?" Galen asked quietly. "So that person behind you is…"

At that moment, Flore slowly removed the cloak's hood from her head. Her face pale, and her voice shaking, she introduced herself.

"I-I am…Flore…Elvedriel. N-nice to meet…you. You c-can address m-me, without h-honorifics, please. I look f-forward to getting to know y-you all."

Everyone had their mouths hanging open, too stunned to say anything. Galen was the first to speak up.

"Um, hello. My name is Galen. Nice to meet you."

Then everyone else proceeded after him.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Tariel."

"F-Faelar."

"I am Lyra, and my sister here is Nariel."

"I-it is nice to meet you all." Flore awkwardly exclaimed.

I noticed she was uncomfortable, but at least she was not as pale as she was before. After introductions, came the questions. Flore and I were questioned about why I was summoned to the palace, how our lessons went, what the palace was like. Basically any question imaginable that could have been asked about palace life, was asked.

By the end of our question and answer session, Flore seemed much more comfortable, and almost back to her usual self. She still smiled awkwardly from time to time, or stuttered here and there, but she seemed to quickly bond with my friends. 

Tariel was visibly pouting though, and at the end she asked Flore if she could ask her a question separately from others, and took her away a few steps from us and whispered something in her ear. Flore visibly reddened and shook her head, after which Tariel smiled, turned back to us, and clapped her hands.

"Well, all is good now!" She beamed.

I was confused at what that question could have been. I took a look over at the others. The twins were sheepishly smiling, Galen was grinning at me like an idiot, while Faelar was uncomfortably fidgeting with his glasses.

"What?"

"No, no, nothing." Galen responded while still grinning.

Before I could ask anything else, Tariel dragged Flore back to us, right hand on her shoulders.

"Now that we got the questions out of the way, let's show Flore around, what do you guys say!?"

***

The whole day went by in a flash. We walked down the streets, casually chatting. Visited many different shops, including the fateful tea shop. We went to the market, the historic sight with ruins of an ancient elven city, and taught Flore how to play every single elven children's game Tariel knew.

By the end of the day, when Flore and I said our goodbyes to the others, and made our way to the carriage, I felt a slight tug at my sleeve.

"Hm?"

Flore cowered behind me, her face staring at the ground, not daring to look at me.

"Thank you." She said in a quivering voice.

"Today…I think…was the best day in my entire life. Thank you Ardiel, really, thank you."

She looked up, tears welling up in her eyes. Before I could react, she wrapped her arms around me in an embrace, sniffling and her shoulders shaking.

"Woah Flore I…"

I couldn't say anything anymore. Didn't know what. Before me stood a ten year old child who had no friends, and who knew nothing but the confines of her estate. A decade of pretentious peers, and emotional solitude. And in front of her, stood a guy who also lived in solitude for a large portion of his past life, with no friends or family to turn to. 

A girl, who put up a barrier around herself, and rid herself of any emotion for so long to protect herself, was now weeping into my shoulder. I knew nothing better, so I just lightly returned the embrace.

"You're welcome Flore."

After a few more minutes, her sniffles finally stopped.

"Finished now?"

"Mhm."

"Ready to head back?"

"Mhm."

We made our way into the carriage, and headed back to the palace. After a few minutes of silence, Flore began enthusiastically reciting the entire day to me along the way, her face beaming so bright I couldn't not smile back at her.