The musicians took in their places ready to start their music. I stood up and calmly walked towards my partner. Countless of eyes followed me as they murmured who my dance partner was going to be. I faced my partner and curtsied..

“Your Highness, will you give me the honour to dance with you?” Amira asked.

“Why of course.”

The music started and I could feel the nobles gazes. But this wasn't against the rules. There were no rules that prohibited dancing with someone with the same gender as you. Rather in our case, it was better. Amira felt awkward with boys even though she had a younger brother and I didnt feel like dancing but then Amira seemed troubled so we decided to be dance partners. Luckily I remembered the male part which we learn in the Euse Academy.

“Your Majesty.”

“Yes?”

“Do you perhaps have any friends?” she asked as she nearly stepped on my foot.

“Not really. What about you?” she stepped on my foot, probably she lost her balance. Luckily, her steps were light. She was a clumsy dancer who did not seem to mind the public’s eye.

“I have many friends. But they are...” she frowned. “A bit obsessive. And to tell you the truth, my only real friends are about 3 or 4.”

I couldn't give her a reply. Was that a lot of friends, or not so much? But a bigger question, what exactly are friends?

“Your brother-” my brother? Was she friends with my brother? “--seems to be interested in Anna. Look, they are dancing.” I looked behind me, nearly pinching a nerve in my neck for a brief second. They were dancing elegantly. A nice couple. I wondered what Ian would’ve commented about them.

The song ended. Everybody bowed to their partners.

“By the way Amira, congratulations on your early coming-of-age.” I hesitated. I knew this was a sensitive topic but I was burning with curiosity. Sort of. “Do you have any plans for marriage?”

Amira’s eyebrow slightly twitched.

“In order to get the Duchess position I need to convince Father I’m a better matriarch than brother, since brother isn't really suitable for the job. If father lets him be the Duke then we might as well get bankrupt and all our history and fame would go in vain. I can't let that happen. Anyways,to get more power I suppose I have to marry someone with a high position. Or just someone, a noble.” she crafted her words as if to say, Yes, it will be political marriage. Amira, who loved true love stories, despised political marriage, so I guess she was in a delusion. Either marry someone who she truly loves and the person loves her back or, marry a certain someone to save her family’s pride. And no it was hard for her to let go of the latter because she respected rules and tradition.

‘I don't know, maybe I can introduce you to one of my brothers.’ I thought. But I thought that thought felt sort of forced.

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“Who do you have in mind?” I asked. We walked towards the side of the room where it was away from the crowd.

“I thought of quite many people. But maybe I don't know Husayn, Ralph or Rio.” She fiddled with the sides of her dress. “The three are the ones I’m struggling with.”

Husayn and Rio, I’ve never heard of before, but Ralph...Wasn't he the Cardinal’s disciple or something? Although his background is unclear, it was an undoubtful fact that he had divine power. I think he has the power of healing, which is sort of rare. To be fair, having powers was really rare.

There were levels in power. The common ones were moving certain objects and sometimes have prophetic feelings, like gut feelings.

Healing power was more rarer only one or two alive at the same time could have it. There was also destruction power…. But no one ever recorded got that. Some people just made it up and suggest if you ask the immortals for that they might grant it for you---- for a heavy price of course. Maybe in exchange for your life or a painful death or both bonus a long lasting curse to your beloved. I don't know, just making it up.

But in my case… What exactly was mine? I knew it was orenda* but orenda wasn't so known. An orenda was only mentioned in the Legends of the Immortals. The immortal, Euterpe, whenever she sang her magic or power flowed in her singing was so great it could heal or destroy things. With just her voice, mind you. I thought it was pretty cool, but most of my modern friends found it scary, I recall. One wrong note and you might kill everyone.

Then how was Orenda, the power of song, and my power connected? I never sang when I used mana but the power I had didn't quite apply with divine power.

Divine power, you were naturally born with it and around the age of 13 which applied to me, is when you start to manifest. Since you were born with it, you could strengthen it but there was a limitation to your strength. It was sort of unlimited but you need time in order to restore it up. That part was different for me.

In my case, it didn't seem to recover. Then in divine power you were born with a certain category of power and you stick with it for the rest of your life. But for some reason, I was able to make my own figure, heal myself, make myself invisible only for a short time and age things so they die, although that's when I was younger. So basically I could do nearly anything if I had the unlimited source of mana.

A sudden image passed my mind. The younger me wore a laurel of flowers on my head, I looked around six to eight years old. Next to me was a guy who looked more mature than me, perhaps ten? And we looked down at the toddler who was walking. Perhaps my brother judging by his hair and eye colour. Then who was the guy with soft wavy brown long hair?

“-and so i was wondering what kind of person he is.” Amira’s voice shut off the memory.

“Sorry?”

“What kind of person he is. Like his personality-”

“I’m sorry but it's been so long since i’ve met him, I’m afraid I might give you a wrong impression of him.” I automatically said. Why did I just answer the question without thinking? Who were we talking about, I asked myself. My gut told me we were probably talking about the boy I saw from my memory.

In the memory he looked like a guardian, with his arms crossed and his eyes which followed the younger me as if watching its prey. If I told her that, she might laugh or cross out his name from her marriage candidates, because Amira liked being free- she didn't want any husband to take care and be protective of her.

“Ah, is that so? Well, anyways I hope you’ll get along with him!”

“Thank you.” I said, though I sounded so unsure it sounded like a question. What were we talking about?

“That reminds me! Did you know-”

“Everyone!” Aeson’s voice cut her sentence short. “The clouds outside have made way for the main star…. I meant the main moon of tonight!”

The people who were inside dancing, chatting, flirting all went out into the inner yard.

I glanced at Amira who looked entranced as she went out the terrace which was next to us. I followed her.