ELEVEN

You don't have to accompany me you know.

So you mean I should leave you to face everyone alone?

Nothing is going to happen to me you worry too much.

Ionia I just told you last night what everyone thinks of you. I'm scared and I'm not even the main event here. As much as you think you can do this alone, I want to still be here for you. So that means having breakfast together. I won't be with you the whole day, I will be joining the others for practice while you go in search of your new master.

You know ionia we can go eat elsewhere that is not in this castle. We can go outside the palace to eat we don't have to face the others.

As much as I want that, you need to understand that this is one confrontation that is going to happen so it might as well happen now.

Here goes nothing then.

We entered the general hall. The general hall is where everyone who works in the palace meets for meals and whatever announcement we have amongst ourselves.

We entered to find the place filled up.

Our presence was met with silence and then hilarity.

Not paying attention to them, I led celeste to take our food and then to an empty bench by the side.

Ionia I don't think coming here is a good idea.

Let them have their fun, after this everything will die down a little. If I decide to hide it will only make them want to find me.

And since when did you start caring about others opinion?

Believe it or not celeste the last thing I want right now is to draw any form of attention to myself.

Are you crying? I ask celeste in surprise seeing tears roll down her cheeks.

By the spirits why are you crying?

You are pitiful ionia.

Celeste! What am I to do with you. Wipe those tears. You should be happy that I am free that I can make decisions for myself. Or do you prefer I get married to a man old enough to be my grandfather?

Of cause not.

Then wipe those tears. We are here to eat so let's eat.

We were having a peaceful breakfast until,

"My dearest sister Leticia" showed up.

Well well well if it isn't the most famous person in ataraxia right now.

I decided to ignore her not wanting any drama of any kind.

Tell me ionia began Leticia.

What madness took hold of you to make such a crazy decision? Have you not brought enough shame and hatred to yourself?

Dearest leticia you should stick to things within your mental capacity not things above it.

How can you still be proud in such situation? Do you take the whole of ataraxia to be your playground? Though you've been cut off from our family no one can deny the fact that you are a fallenvale. I mean despite the family disowning you, you still enjoy the benefits that come with the name. Now tell me how can a family known for thelsia have its daughter compete in an elemental category?

If this is not madness, what is?

Have you finally lost it ionia?

The entire hall was filled with overlapping voices, everyone happen to have something to say thanks to leticia's passionate speech.

I admit Leticia my situation in all honesty is laughable but alas it is my decision and you lot have nothing to do with it. Whether you like it or not I will be competing. So whatever you think or say means absolutely nothing to me. I said looking at everyone.

Do you think you are better than us? Said leticia

I've never been in competition with anyone all I've done is try to be the best version of me. And if anyone have a problem with it, it is there problem not mine. I am competing in the elemental category everyone, laugh me if you want, curse me if you want. But it still won't change the fact that I am competing. I owe no one here any explanation whatsoever.

Ionia who do you think you are do you know that we will be having people from other kingdoms joining us? Do you want our kingdom to be mocked because of you? queried clarissa.

What does me competing get to do with others? I queried back.

It is a competition some lose and some win if I do lose how is it different from others losing or is mine a special case?

Order everyone said frances. As much as I understand you all and your worries, ionia however is eligible to compete. Since she has no family ties or anything, whatever disgrace or shame she brings is hers to carry alone for I'm sure the rest of us will make ataraxia proud. Now let's focus on the competition and leave irrelevant things alone. We all will bear witness to her shame but for now we have to go train.

After Frances speech everything went back to normal, no one bothered me.

You need to find a master ionia

I will celeste I'm sure of it.

If only they know who my master is I thought to myself.

We both separated after that.

I called lucien who appeared to spirit me away to our training ground.

And I trained and practiced the following weeks till it was a day to the competition.

You will be there tomorrow right? I asked lucien after he had brought me back to my room after our training session.

If you want me to be there, I will be there.

Of cause I want you there and so you know you will be visible.

Okay if that's what you want.

Good I promise to remember all you've taught me and I promise to make you proud.

All I want ionia is for you to be you.

I have a surprise for you .

With a wave of his hand a box appeared by the side of my bed.

What is that! I exclaimed excitedly.

Your outfit tomorrow, I hope you like it. However you only get to see it tomorrow.

I don't know what to say lucien.

You don't have to say anything. You've been amazing this couple weeks and I'm glad our path crossed. Now sleep you need all the rest you can get.

After lucien left, I took my bath and climbed my bed feeling both anxious and excited for the next day.