Tournament Day 3 Part 6

After the Crown Prince left Lady Bodum's room, he gathered a few trustworthy guards and began his investigation. Since Lady Bodum wasn't being honest with him, William decided to find out for himself what she had been up to. He was quick and logical in his movements. It did not take him long to make a connection between what happened to Hayden and Lady Bodum. He questioned all servants and guards who would've been close to Hayden's room during the time of the incident. At first, they all seemed to be sticking to a set story: "they saw nothing" or "they knew nothing," but with some pressure, they spoke the truth; after all, there's a huge difference between a lady-in-waiting and the Crown Prince. Lady Bodum was, to say the least, careless this time. Well, the mastermind behind Hayden's incident was clear, but the perpetrator of Lady Bodum's was still unknown. 

Considering Hayden's age, he would've been around during 'that period', but given his documented nature magic affinity, he wouldn't have delved into shadow magic. However, little was known of Hayden's experiences after he left the castle; could he have met a practitioner of such dark magic while he was away? William started to think of a variety of possibilities, going through each scenario. Hayden was suspicious, and he was certainly no saint. 

William went to discuss his suspicions with his father, but he was informed that the King had already left to attend the tournament. As it was the final day, he could not be absent from the closing ceremony and other festivities. William then thought to check with his mother, as he heard she was also there when Hayden was being questioned. As he was about to reach the Queen's office door, he noticed Lady Dillon in front of the door with a pained expression. William was informed by the QT, Lady Dillon, that the Queen had locked herself in the office and did not wish to see anyone. William confirmed this when his calls to his mother went unanswered. He tried to find out what may have been the cause from Lady Dillon, but she had yet to find out as well. William reached his hand toward the door but soon retracted it. While he wanted to comfort his mother, he knew informing the King of the shadow magic was the more pressing matter.    

  "There's something I must report to the King, but as soon as I'm back, I'll find you," said William before leaving. He walked away with a heavy heart, hoping he would be able to return soon then leave again for the closing ceremony.

After the Crown Prince rushed off, the QT decided to check in with some of her other spies. She too bid the Queen farewell. 

Meanwhile, the Queen sat in her chair holding a glass of strong alcohol, a mix between tequila and mead. It was something that they were able to create as a result of the increased resources available in the kingdom. When the kingdom entered its period of rapid growth, there were many new plants that appeared, thanks to the Elders. The drink was a delicacy, and one the Queen enjoyed. Despite the strong alcohol content, it also had a floral essence, which could put one's mind at ease. It could cause one to get drunk in more ways than one. 

The Queen slouched over one of the arms of her chair and curled her legs close to her. She swirled her drink in the glass and took frequent sips, sometimes missing her mouth entirely. Her mind gradually became hazy as her vision blurred. As she closed and opened her eyes, she seemed to be taken back to a time she could not forget. Soon, it all faded to black.

After spending some time away from Viola, the Second Prince couldn't wait to be reunited. He changed into a new outfit and styled his hair. He wanted to see her right away but decided to visit his mother before leaving. On his way to see his mother, he was practically skipping, filled with excitement at the thought of seeing Viola. 

The room was filled with a comforting warmth, and a gentle breeze danced around the room. The once dull room was now showing signs of being brought back to life. There were a few light stones and Usilit crystals placed around the room in a stylistic manner, which made it feel bright and comfortable. Amelia wore a light pastel yellow dress, which helped to highlight her beautiful features. She sat on a small chair across from Julie, who was sound asleep. Despite her injuries, she seemed to be enjoying a blissful rest. Amelia gently moved stray hair strands from Julie's face. Amelia couldn't help but furrow her brows as she looked at the multiple bandages, which almost completely covered Julie. She thought she knew what Gretchen was like, but it seemed as though she thought too highly of her. Amelia started to wonder what could have driven Gretchen to do such a thing, but she quickly stopped herself, as there was no point trying to understand a person like her; even if she did understand her motives, it would not justify the act. 

As Amelia sat there, stroking the young girl's hair, her attention was soon drawn to a knock at the door. It was Remy, a tall, handsome man with a muscular build and kind brown eyes. He had short black hair and a small vertical scar going through his left eyebrow. He was one of the two trusted guards that the Second Prince had assigned to protect his mother. After knocking on the door, he let Amelia know that the Second Prince had arrived. Amelia quickly got up and rushed towards the door, opening it to see Alexander next to the guard. They smiled as they saw each other, and after Alexander entered, Remy closed the door. Only Remy was present at the time, as Clayton, the other guard, was fetching water for Amelia.

As soon as Alexander entered the room, he took notice of his surroundings and Amelia herself. The makeshift bed at one end of the room helped to explain Amelia's less than bright appearance; describing it as haggard would certainly be too much, but it was obvious that she hadn't slept well. 

  *Sigh* "I'm such an idiot, I should've arranged for her to stay somewhere else," said Alexander as he placed his hand over his forehead and rubbed his temples.

Amelia soon realized that he had noticed the piles of sheets lumped together to the side.

  "Huh? Oh, this?! It's, um, just some laundry that needs to be taken care of, no need to worry. *He he* Everything here is fine!" said Amelia in a panic.

Alexander shook his head slightly and revealed a defeated smile. He knew there was no point trying to argue; he would instead simply need to make some arrangements on his own.

 "How's she doing?" asked Alexander as he looked towards the bed.

  "She's doing better now; her breathing is more stable," said Amelia, grateful for the change in topic.

  "That's good; it seems she hasn't given up on living just yet."

  "She's a fighter."

Just as Alexander had taken notice of Amelia's appearance before, she also looked over at him. While it wasn't flashy, he had certainly paid more attention to his appearance and what he wore. Amelia couldn't help but let out a giggle.

  "Oh my, I didn't expect you to get all dressed up just to see little ol' me. Am I forgetting a special occasion?" teased Amelia. 

  "Huh? Oh, no, um, no, this, I-I just thought I should look more princely since more people will have their eyes on me. Yes, that's all *He he* 

  "Oh, are you heading to the tournament? There's still quite some time until the closing ceremony though."

  "Yes, well, no, not yet.. I'm… I actually planned to go see Viola. I heard she left with Head Priest Zaylin so they should be at the main temple and I thought we could, well, go to the tournament together."

Alexander's face now became a red tomato, and Amelia had to use a great deal of willpower to keep herself from teasing him. She was, however, quite happy and enormously pleased that her son was able to experience young love.

  "I understand. You best get going, be careful, and come back safely," said Amelia as she gently patted Alexander's back.

  "Of course, of course! I'll see you later, and don't forget to get some proper rest." Then with a peck on the cheek, Alexander was gone.

After Alexander left, Amelia looked over at Julie with soft eyes. She once again sat next to her. Her face was one of innocence, smeared by the realities of an unjust world. If this young girl had been born into a noble family, she would have certainly been cherished.

A modest but sturdy carriage moved quickly along a dirt road. Inside, there were four young women. On one side, sat a beautiful young woman with long, thick honey blonde hair with loose curls. Two loose braids were done at the front to keep the hair back and there were small flower shaped crystal hair ornaments which complemented the style. The young woman leaned against a window which helped to showcase her seductive figure; she had a small waist, large breasts and fox-like eyes. Her blue eyes had the shade of aquamarine stones. She wore no make-up. Her name was Julie Dawson, Marquess Dawson's eldest daughter.

  "Such a beautiful day! This must be a sign of wonderful things to come," said Julie with a light smile.

  "Of course, my lady! Since it's you, then wonderful things will naturally come!"

  "Naturally, of course, of course!"

The two who spoke were the maids who served Julie. They were eighteen years old and had been with the Marquess family since they were ten. Their mother had worked for the family since she was a teenager and when she passed away, the girls were taken in as workers of the Marquess family. The girls were twins with the only visible difference between them being that one had dark brown eyes and the other had light brown eyes. There was also the occasional case where they would wear different clothes or style their hair differently. For today, however, they were almost a mirror image of one another. They were both dressed in a simple maid's uniform with their hair pulled back into a low ponytail. They had long dark brown hair and were quite pleasing to the eye; a cute petite pair. The older, by fifteen minutes and the one with dark brown eyes was Evie, and the younger one with light brown eyes was Stevie. They sat opposite their Lady. 

  "I can't wait to get there! I hope they have the same roast beef skewers from last time. That flavour was unforgettable," said Stevie as she wiped her drool.

  "Food, food, food! Is that all that you can think about?" asked Evie as she pinched her sister's cheek.

  "O-ow, that hurts! Naturally, that's what I think about, should I think about dirt?"

  "Y-you!"

  "Alright, that's enough, you two. I'll make sure you both have enough to fill your stomachs," said Julie as she turned away from the window to face them.

  "Thank you, my lady. You are too kind."

  "Naturally, our lady is the best." 

*Scoff*

That brief sound made the carriage go silent.

  "Oh, does my dear little sister have something to say?" asked Julie in a cold tone.

Sandwiched between Evie and Stevie was a petite figure with an annoyed expression. She had long thick auburn hair which seemed to sparkle when it caught the light just right, green eyes, which could remind you of a lush meadow, long eyelashes and a mole below her rosy lips towards the right. She gave off a fiery air. Ember Dawson was nineteen years old, just a year younger than Julie and similarly to Julie, she was an undeniable beauty wherever she went.

  "Oh nothing, dear sister. I was simply thinking of something else. No need to worry about an insignificant person such as myself," replied Ember.

  "Oh, but our little dreamer isn't so insignificant now is she? After all, you have plans of becoming the Crown Princess."

  *Heh* "Oh my, is that a problem? I was simply trying to fulfill our father's wish of being aligned with the royal family. Isn't that why he sent me to accompany you? After all, between us two, don't you think I have a better chance of being the Crown Princess, dear sister?"

  *Hah* "For you to say that, I would say I'm surprised but that would be a lie. Since you're just like your mother. I'm surprised you haven't already thrown yourself at the Crown Prince or stripped naked in front of him so you could get into his bed. But I suppose you still have some of the propriety which a noble family should display."

Ember grit her teeth, barely able to hold herself back. She then forced a smile. "I suppose I do…" 

While Julie knew that the Crown Prince did not hold any special feelings for her, she did for him so she didn't want to give up. After all, she had all the qualities to become not just the Crown Princess but his wife. She also had the Queen's support so she believed that she would simply need to show her sincerity to the Crown Prince and one day he would feel moved. Julie turned to the window once more, watching as they grew closer to their destination.

All this time, the twins held their breath and didn't move a muscle, afraid to anger either one of them.

Back at the main temple, Viola was interacting with some of the junior priests. The junior priests gathered around her excitedly like young children getting ready to play a game or hear a story. They had already asked Viola many questions but she still answered each with the same level of attentiveness, showing no sign of annoyance or impatience. As a result, the junior priests appreciated Viola even more.

  "Um, excuse me, Miss Viola, is it true that Blossoms can make their own magic stones?" asked a young female junior priest.

They all looked at Viola with expectant eyes, eager to hear her response. Even some of the older priests couldn't help but stop and extend their ears.

  "Ah, you mean this?"

Viola lifted her arm and opened her hand with her palm facing up. Gradually, specks of light started to appear, then gather, then brighten, then swirl, and soon the stone began to take shape. Viola had created a high-grade light stone as though it was nothing. The junior priests' eyes became like stars and some stared in awe. The Second Prince happened to arrive during this moment. Seeing Viola form the magic stone reminded him of the moment they first met. She had also taken shape right before his eyes and then she…

The Second Prince quickly sought refuge behind a pillar. He was reminded of just how, ahem, stunning Viola had looked when they first met. He needed to cool down for a moment.

  "That was amazing Miss Viola! I've never seen a high-grade light stone before," said the young female junior priest who had previously made the request.

  "Never?"

  "Never. None of us have. They can be really expensive and it's hard enough to find a low-grade light stone, let alone a high-grade one."

Upon hearing this, Viola looked at the high-grade light stone in her hand then looked back at the junior priests. In the blink of an eye, the light stone split into over twenty pieces and Viola used wind magic to distribute it among the junior priests who were present. Their faces brightened to the point where their smiles could blind the sun. For some, it was also the first gift they had ever received. They thanked Viola profusely, joy overflowing within them and for some tears. As Viola looked at them, she couldn't help but smile. This unexpected smile brought some to their knees while some others even fainted. Alexander stepped out just in time to see this. He could feel his heart race in his chest. Sometimes Viola could be so warm and gentle and then at other times she was fierce and terrifying. She was incredible. As Alexander looked at her, he thought to himself that she was too good for him and yet this simply motivated him to become even better. 

Viola had already sensed Alexander as soon as he arrived, but according to one of the lessons she had with Delia, a maiden should allow her partner to seek her out and then act according to the situation. Viola nodded as she remembered Delia's words.

Alexander soon appeared and greeted Viola and the group. The junior priests greeted the Second Prince respectfully, then due to the urging of the female junior priests, they all gave the two some space.

  "Did you have a good talk with Head Priest Zaylin?" asked Alexander.

  "Yes, it was quite beneficial. I have much to share with you and the others."

  "Oh, I see. We should probably leave now and talk on the way, we still need to attend the closing ceremony for the tournament today."

  "Hmm, understood." 

Viola and Alexander bid the junior priests farewell. While they wanted Viola to stay longer they had training to attend and couldn't neglect their chores. They could only cry in silence as she left.

As soon as they left the main temple, Alexander knew that Viola would start focusing on more serious matters, but, while he knew it was selfish, he didn't want her to, not with the time they had together now.

  "I heard the cafe that we visited last time has a new pastry. Should we tr-" said Alexander before he was interrupted.

  "Let's go!" exclaimed Viola as she grabbed Alexander's hand and started to run.

In that moment, it seemed as though they both forgot that Viola could've just gone there in an instant. Regardless, neither seemed to mind this change of pace.