"... You should keep in mind that guests other than you use the same wing of this building. Don`t fail to act properly and respect their privacy, since all our guests are important in the eyes of our kingdom."
"Are we also important?" Selea asked the high noble tasked with taking care of the two of them.
Cathe looked at her calmly, her hazel eyes unblinking, the expression graceful and confident.
"Any toy of Lunor`s is important."
"You may not like being seen that way, even consider it being de-humanising, but rest easy. No matter how jealous others might get, Lunor loves and cares for her toys and you are in the best hands."
"Until she gets bored and decides to throw her toys away, right?"
The calm high noble blinked and smiled.
"That is not how she treats her toys. Lunor is not that kind of person."
"Cathe... I... when you say "toys"..." Ellyn started, red in her face, "do you mean... do you mean it in a "battle way"?"
Selea sighed.
The high noble turned her attention to Ellyn, thinking, trying to understand her question. She seemed to be about to ask for an explanation.
"Ellyn`s family is weird about anything sex-related. They avoid using the word "sex"," her best friend explained.
Cathe`s smile deepened after hearing the explanation.
"Already thinking about sex? Hmm, which answer would you like to hear more?"
Her face turned beet red in an instant, making the high noble laugh shortly.
"I`ll have to ask Lunor."
"Please, don`t!" Ellyn pleaded desperately, to which she laughed once more.
"She would never force you into anything like what you have in mind, Ellyn. The nature of your relationship is only up to both the princess and you."
This was the midday of March 18th, 1218.
The guest rooms were, as expected, a number of times larger and more luxuriously decorated than theirs, each having its own bathroom and a room for clothes, all taken care of solely by female servants, because entry into that building was not allowed to men. They`ve already eaten and had their first lecture with a private mentor, whose methods were much more personal, since she only had two students to teach like this, unlike the usual number at school- above 20.
Studying wasn`t about adding new knowledge anymore, but preparing for the upcoming theory tests.
Their group was currently headed for the private training grounds, where those living in the royal palace trained, the 8 women already dressed in comfortable sportswear.
"Cathe, are we still going to be applying to join the army this May?" Ellyn voiced her doubts.
Just because they were being mentored and trained, it did not mean that they will.
"Didn`t Lunor specifically tell the two of you that "you will be told what you need to know when you need to know"? More than a month remains until students even start applying. That is still plenty of time."
"But we are going to be soldiers, right? Or does that also change?" she asked, worried.
Being a master mage one day has been her dream ever since hearing the first war story told by her dad.
"You are going to be soldiers. Salona Kingdom`s leadership won`t let talents like you stand by idly," the high noble calmed their worries.
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Staying locked inside a golden cage as someone`s toy was, depending on the toy and its owner, not the worst fate, but neither Ellyn nor Selea desired it. Learning that this was not what the divine princess had in mind for them, was crucially important.
Cathe was one strong high-born lady. Still 17-year-old, the young woman has been training daily and getting mentored in aura channelling. Aura users were tough and deadly in close combat. Aura, however, could not be separated from aura user. Whether they channelled it into a part of their body, armour, shield, spear, sword, ... the moment it lost the connection with the aura user`s body, the augmenting effects were gone.
The materials used in armour and weapons had value depending on its aura conductivity and it was almost a general rule that the more conductive materials and crafting techniques were more expensive. Ellyn knew something about this, her dad being an aura user mentor and a former level 3 soldier.
"I need to cast my first-ever spell already. I`ve been itching to try ever since this morning."
"You will wait until 30 past 16," Cathe intervened.
As it surprised the two girls, she added "Lunor is going to be with you for your spellcasting. Don`t spend mana until then".
So, this was what the princess had in mind... She probably finds it fascinating to watch absolute beginners progress and didn`t want to separate some 10-year-old girl from her parents. That would make sense... She may even had sent Master Niriel to "mark" her toy with a nice ribbon a day ago. Well, Ellyn has heard that some foreign nobles like to "collect weirdoes" for fun- the types that some call "possessed" and compete whose collection is better, which makes Lunor`s interest sound much more reasonable in comparison.
What was important was that, unlike before, with her mana being channelled, Ellyn`s regeneration speed would slowly start rising. Channelling mana or aura over long periods of time has positive effects on the body. She has always been a healthy girl full of vitality that could train a lot, but when compared with her classmates, well, former classmates, Ellyn could not step up to where they were.
That won`t be the case anymore.
She was tired after all the running they did at the private training grounds, but after washing herself in one of the washing booths and getting dressed into clean clothes, she thought to herself with smile that even if this was more intense than her average performance, as long as she keeps it at this level, she will eventually see the difference in how tired and sore her body will be afterwards.
30 past 16.
"I wish to be with Cathe, Ellyn and Selea," the divine princess ordered the rest of her group to keep distance, her personal guard- Master Niriel staying next to her all the same and no one finding it odd.
They will have as much privacy as possible here, inside the royal gardens.
"Is everything to your liking, girls?"
They nodded. It was a rhetorical question, because they couldn`t possibly complain.
The dancing mana sensations she felt were to her liking, yes. They were pushing battle thoughts inside her mind ever since she saw Lunor approach them minutes ago.
"Will we be returning to the private training grounds, Lunor?" Ellyn asked, expecting to be given a positive answer.
"No. We will converse here and you will be casting your spells right here as well. We have no need for a measure."
No need for a measure? She did not think of this. To pass the practical test, Ellyn`s Mana Pulse needs to reach the distance of 10 metres before dispersing, making it a level 2 spell. A measure and a helper or two are necessary to be able to tell the distance with a relative precision. Then again, Ellyn will be nowhere near 10 metres anytime soon, not even by the end of May, and Selea has already been far past it, at 18,6 metres. Maybe later.
"What made you act the way you did yesterday, Ellyn?"
"Selea and I had an idea that since I`m a late bloomer, it would make sense to look for others with the same mana condition and ask how they managed to cast their first spell- whether there was something that happened or they did prior. All had no clue other than simply trying."
"Has it occurred to you that there may be several mana conditions, yours being completely different from theirs and that you may collapse and die because of your actions?"
"It was worth the risk."
"Ellyn... I forbid you to die. You won`t be taking such risks now, in a year, a decade, not even in a century or more. You won`t be risking my soldier`s life mindlessly ever again. Do you understand?"
The scary thing about it was that though her voice was still the most pleasant voice ever, Ellyn knew that there was something different about it and got chills.
"Yes," she replied sheepishly.
"Selea, please, if you see her risk her life needlessly, beat her up."'
What? But why? Didn`t she say "yes" just now?
"Will do."
[Ellyn Arte casts Mana Pulse, level 1]
"You did it!" Selea flew at Ellyn and started hugging the soul out of her. The spell probably didn`t reach half a metre, but that was not important. Ellyn has seen Lunor`s bright smile as she was clapping and praising her success together with Master Niriel and Cathe.
Mmm, she really likes this. Pleasing the divine princess felt good. It pleased Ellyn even more.
Look here, Lunor, she can do even better... That`s it! Keep focusing those beautiful green eyes her way...
"Your families have been invited to the royal palace tomorrow, so expect a visit in the afternoon," Lunor said after their spellcasting was done.
"Cathe, please, show the girls around a little and see that they return to their guest rooms. See me afterwards."
"I enjoyed being with you and we`ll repeat this tomorrow and after. Get used to being with Cathe a lot in the next few days, before I ask someone else to be with you. The other nobles and guests need to realise who you are, which could take as long. She has more than enough authority to protect you around here."
"See you tomorrow," was what she said with a smile before turning around and leaving.
It wasn`t such a big deal that her mana sensations started calming down. She`ll meet her again, soon enough. Lunor will get to see some good spellcasting tomorrow. The thought of it pleased her greatly as she followed Cathe, mana sensations raging inside her from the image alone.