Chapter 247

Royalty is often based on the idea that a royal's right to rule was divinely bestowed. Look far enough back though and any royal family probably began with some person saying “Who made you King?” with the other person responding, “God did!”

It's a tough argument to refute, especially if you're not on speaking terms with God. Then you've only the other guy's word to go on, and, well, his word is highly suspect as he's the one claiming to be King.

In Princess Bess' case however, she had been made Princess not by a god or goddess, but by the system – a higher power. The very thing that managed everything around them in the world of Eden. The system bound not only men and women, but the gods and goddesses as well - and even Royalty was not immune from its effects.

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King Ferrigualt looked up from the fine dining table and grumbled. He had been about to eat dinner when he'd been interrupted by a notification.

Raintree upgraded to Princessdom. Taxation now split between royal houses.

Whoa. Wait a minute, the King thought to himself – taxation split?

King Ferrigualt frowned. Raintree was an alchemist's garden paradise and grew a major portion of the ingredients used in potions all over his kingdom. They paid quite a bit of taxes – although that amount had dwindled lately. But he hadn't made anyone a princess lately. Or at all. That's the kind of thing a person would remember doing, the King thought to himself.

Still. The system was never wrong, Fair thought to himself. If it said there was a princess then there was certainly a princess. He'd have to have one of his men look in to that. He'd like to meet this new 'princess.' He'd also like to speak with her regarding his siphoned off taxes.

Then he had smelled his dinner and remembered what he had been doing a moment ago. Taxes could wait. Notification forgotten for the moment, he returned to his meal.

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Back in Raintree things had gotten a bit loud. Everyone was talking at once, with Bess' mother being the loudest one in the room.

“You can't give a child a class so young! Have you any idea what a 3 year old temper tantrum would be like with a Class Ability!?” the mother worried.

It was telling that Bess' mother was the only one capable of still generating anger in the presence of Bess' aura.

The aura felt relaxing, calming. It had a soothing effect that made it almost impossible to stay angry – although her mother was certainly trying.

The mayor was giving Jay a look that made it clear that he blamed Jay for this fiasco.

“I didn't think a child that young could even use an upgrade stone to gain a class,” the mayor said thoughtfully as he glared at Jay calmly, as if the stress of the situation wasn't effecting him.

After a few moments even Princess Bess' mother calmed down and let out a big sigh as she attempted to catch her breath.

As the group stood in the room they were interrupted by a new notification. It was local, which meant only those in the room could see it. While the adults all read the notification Bess heard the notification as a disembodied voice read it out to her. She barely understood what it was talking about but managed to suss out that she was about to make a new friend.

New Class Mechanic: Due to age restrictions Bess is hereby granted a choice of a Regent Advisor, who will help the Princess manage her princessdom as she grows up. A Regent Advisor differs from a Regent in that they are required to make decisions that stay true to the Princess' desires whenever possible but may step in only when the situation demands it. The RA is capable of telepathic communication and can speak with whomever they wish, although that will normally be only the Princess.

“What?!” the mother demanded as her anger overpowered Bess' aura for a moment before it managed to soothe her once again. “What is that supposed to mean? And who will fill that role? Shouldn't that be, oh, I don't know, her PARENTS?!” the mother half shouted at the mayor as Bess' aura wavered for a moment.

The mayor waved his hands in front of him as if it could ward off the mother's anger. The mayor looked over at Jay with a pleading expression on his face.

Jay thought about it for a moment before he spoke, “No, this is good. This means that there will be a limit placed on her power.”

“What IS her power? Don't people with classes get a Class Power when they get a class?” the mother asked a tad angrily.

Jay shrugged, “I'd guess that its an aura ability that calms people down but I can't be sure. Have you tried asking her?”

The mother blinked once. “Asking her?” she asked out loud as if it hadn't occurred to her.

The mother looked down at little Princess Bess and decided to give it a shot. The mother leaned down so that she was on Bess' level and spoke with her for a moment. Bess nodded and then scrunched up her face as if someone else was talking to her.

A moment later a local notification went out to those in the room and Jay read it out loud.

Aura of the Lone Princess – Legendary - Neither royal born nor part of a royal family, the user is, nonetheless, royal. Alone and with no other royalty to support her this aura shall stand in their stead and offer her the protection that they can not. Within the borders of her aura, the Princess' will shall be absolute.

“Oh my Goddess,” Jay thought to himself, but, thankfully, not out loud.

Now even Jay began to look worried and the mother instantly picked up on it.

“What kind of ability is that?” the mother demanded, a bit confused with how the ability was worded.

“A really powerful one, that's what kind.” M'redith replied as everyone present pondered what one might do with an ability like that.

Aiden spoke up, “Well at least you don't have to worry about your daughter's safety. An aura like that – I'd hate to be the one that learns how it protects her.”

The mother appeared slightly mollified at the thought but quickly returned to her confused anger at the sudden changes.

While the adults argued and pondered, however, Bess was in a world of her own.

Bess seemed to focus as if someone was suddenly speaking to her and her alone and she stared at an empty patch of floor in front of her.

There was a poof sound and then... a platypus.

The platypus was sized correctly but was colored oddly. Its body was bright purple and its feet and bill were both a bright shade of yellow. Its eyes glimmered brightly. The platypus blinked once and then used one of its hind feet to scratch at its body as if no one else was in the room.

“What is THAT?” the mother tried to yell but only managed to raise her voice instead thanks to the effects of Bess' aura.

No one else in the room had seen a platypus before. It wasn't their fault, and if it weren't for the Nature channel on television Jay probably wouldn't have ever seen one either.

“That's a platypus.” Jay said.

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“That doesn't help anyone,” M'redith said, speaking up for the first time in a while, but with a slight crooked smile on her face.

Jay was about to attempt to explain what a platypus was, a difficult task in and of itself, when there was another poof like sound.

And then, next to the platypus, was a creature that looked like a skunk.

“Skunk!” the mother tried to yell but managed only to raise her voice slightly instead.

The room was suddenly a mass of confusion as the mother, mayor, Aiden, and Carly all tried to get away from the creature and on to a piece of furniture, if any were available.

Jay shook his head, “It's ok!” he tried to yell, “It's not a skunk! It's a honey badger!”

Norri was laughing at the mix up and had tears in her eyes as she watched Aiden scramble on to a chair.

Jay tried to continue his explanation as everyone scrambled around the room except for Jay, Norri, M'redith, and of course, Princess Bess.

“It's a HONEY BADGER! They just look similar! Black and white! Look at the tail! It's short, not fluffy like a skunk!” Jay called out loudly.

People began to listen to Jay once they were away from the creature and sure enough, Jay was right. Sitting on the floor next to the platypus was, indeed, a honey badger. This animal was colored normally for its species and was predominantly black but with a single white stripe along its head, neck, and back. It was sized normally as well.

“Wait, does Bess pick one of these creatures?! Oh Goddess, Bess, NO!” the mother pleaded. The last thing she wanted was an animal that she had to take care of on top of a princess three year old.

There was a brief silence that was almost immediately interrupted by another popping sound and then the sounds of nails on wood as a tiny orange and rainbow colored bird appeared. It tweeted once and then SCREAMED so loud that all present put their hands over their ears.

The honey badger rubbed at his ears with his hind legs.

Bess smiled at the bird's show of force.

After the bird's shriek, silence, as all those present turned to Jay and waited.

“What?” Jay finally asked after feeling uncomfortable for a few seconds.

“What kind of bird is it?” M'redith asked.

“I don't know everything you know!” Jay said but Norri giggled from off to the side of him.

“But you do know, don't you.” Norri stated with a predatory grin.

Jay threw up his hands and sighed. “FINE. It's a sun conure. A parrot. One of the louder parrot species. They tend to bond very strongly with one person when kept as pets. There, you happy now?”

Jay smiled to take some of the sting out of his words.

“Yup.” M'redith said and smiled.

Bess' mother was just staring open mouthed at the byplay. She was out of her element and had completely lost control over the situation and her daughter, not a great feeling for a mother.

She turned to say something to Jay when there was another popping sound and the mother moaned “Oh Goddess please not another one.”

On the floor at the end of the line of fascinating animals sat a small fluffy animal about a foot and a half long, its tail roughly a foot long, and with six inch bat like ears. Its fur was a pale yellow, the color of sand, and it had large dark eyes.

“Oh,” the mother said in to the sudden quiet. “I think I might like this one. What is it?”

The creature let out a whine and a few yips and that was enough for Jay.

Everyone had turned to him but it was Norri that answered.

“Its a fox! A fennec fox!” she said excitedly.

Suddenly all four disappeared and in the resulting confusion Princess Bess managed to run out of the room.

The adults were left alone and the mother ran out of the room after her daughter.

As Princess Bess had left she had been replaced by another person who had walked in to the room just as she had left. It was the Monitor assigned to Jay's group for the graduation.

Seeing her walk in to the room reminded Jay of two things. One, they had not yet finished their graduation exercises. Two, those exercises were timed events.

The mayor looked over at the Monitor with a dark look and excused himself from the group for a moment to speak with her quietly.

Jay could almost overhear their conversation but not entirely. The mayor was angry over whatever the Monitor was about to do next and was pleading with her to change her plans. She was resolute however and continued to insist on whatever it was they were speaking about.

Finally the two separated, the Monitor with an emotionless face and the mayor with an upset expression.

“It is time for your next task. Jay, please open your envelope and follow the instructions inside,” the Monitor said with the same tone of voice one might order a pizza with. There was neither approval nor disapproval in it, merely her relaying information.

“How'd we do so far?” Aiden asked with a smile in an attempt to get something else out of her.

“That is not what I am here for. Open the envelope now Jay.” the Monitor replied and the group sobered up a bit at her chastising tone of voice.

Jay nodded and took the envelope out of his pack and tore it open carefully, then read it out loud.

“Congratulations on completing your task! Please proceed to the Mayor who will give you the items required for your next task, five potion bottles. You are to perform the final step in the creation of the potions and then deliver them to the location provided.” Jay said.

“On the paper is a map. We've got some hiking to do guys,” Jay said just as everyone groaned.

“I want BED.” Norri complained.

“I know, we're all dirty, hungry, and tired, but we can do this. We have to do this if you want to graduate. You do all still want to graduate, right?” M'redith said in an attempt to help motivate her group.

“But I want to hear more about what happens with Princess Bess!” Norri said.

Aiden grinned, “I have to agree, I'm curious too about that.”

M'redith made a motion with her hands for calm. “We can always come back another day, I'm sure the mayor would be happy to have us, right?” she asked as she nodded towards the mayor who had been quiet during the conversation.

“Absolutely,” he said with a bit of anger as he glared at the Monitor who was shooing the group out of town for their next task.

“I'm not thrilled with sending you lot off without a good meal and some rest but your Monitor here insists. Just know that you're always welcome here in Raintree, and the town would love to have you back. We owe you a celebration.” the mayor insisted.

M'redith nodded in thanks, “We will definitely return after graduation, promise.” She smiled and the mayor finally did so as well.

The mayor walked behind his desk and reached down before he set a small leather satchel on the desk. It was dark leather with brown streaks where the leather had been rubbed raw. The top flipped open to reveal six compartments, five of which were taken up by long glass cylinders with cork stoppers.

“These potions are almost complete, but in order to finish them they have to be bathed in a specific pond under the moonlight. Tonight is a perfect night for it. You are to use your map to reach the pond, dip each potion in the pond for thirty seconds, and then deliver the lot to the spot also marked on your map.” the mayor said before he appeared to think of something else.

“Do NOT open the bottles. Just hold the bottle under the water for thirty seconds. If you open them you'll ruin them, so don't do that, ok?” the mayor asked and everyone nodded in agreement.

M'redith took a step forward and closed up the satchel and carefully stashed it away in her backpack.

“Thank you Mayor,” she said, “we will visit you all again soon.”

The mayor smiled and shook her hand before shaking the hands of the others. He did not shake the Monitor's hand, still angry that she was rushing the group off so soon.

“Thank you all so much!” the mayor insisted, lacking the words to truly thank them for all that they had done for the town.

“You are being timed,” the Monitor reminded Jay's group and M'redith sighed and led the group back out and in to town, the Monitor following along close behind them.

The group was exhausted, filthy, still damp in places, and starving, but they continued on anyway. They had to if they wanted to graduate.

And Jay really wanted to graduate.