Sitting on the stone edge of the fountain within the Royal Garden, I traced my hand across the refreshingly cool water with Alice sitting next to me. Despite being crystal clear, I still couldn’t see the bottom as my mana sense reflected off the surface, making me wonder how I’d see the Ocean.

“It’s so peaceful here,” I said to Alice, looking around the garden filled with copious native flora and a few specially cared flowers brought over from the eastern continent. The chipping of birds played like a song, enriching the already breathtaking view. Even the smell I imagined would be overbearing turned out to be divinely harmonious. “I could just close my eyes and stay here forever.”

“That’s why I love it so much,” she said, gracefully extending her hand, allowing a small golden-crowned kinglet to land on her finger. “Aren’t you a cutie?” Her soft-spoken voice allowed her to gently kiss it on the head before letting the little prince fly off again, something I didn’t think possible with a wild bird. “The best part about this place is that we’re undisturbed.”

“Reminds me of the tower I loved to climb back home that overlooked the entire town, allowing me to read my books in peace. I used to run there every time I wanted to be alone.”

“You like reading?” She looked intrigued, sitting with her legs crossed and hands resting on her left knee.

“Love it,” I said with a childlike smile as I thought about the thrilling stories I’d read.

“What’s your favorite?”

“Hmm. . . Definitely the Chronicles of the Wandering Bard, a collection of various adventures romanticized by the author Maximilius.”

She hummed, trying to remember the name, “I’ve never heard of him.”

“I’d be surprised if you did since he only released his first volume earlier this year. Maximilius isn’t well known yet, but with his writing style, it’s only a matter of time before he gets recognized.”

“Are his tales based on true stories, or is it all fiction?”

“Well, he claims they’re real, but there’s no proof as far as I know. However, that’s not as important since the book is so enthralling. What about you? Do you enjoy reading?”

“I’m more drawn to music and dancing in my spare time, but I enjoy a good book from time to time.”

It explained her gracefulness.

“Do you play any instruments?”

“A lute, but I don’t practice as much anymore.” She sighed.

“Why not?”

“Despite how it might seem now, I’m often too busy training, and when I’m not, I come here.”

“The way you fight, it doesn’t surprise me.”

“Still, it gets a bit overwhelming so sometimes I get crazy ideas that get me in trouble, like running away in search of pearls.”

“But it’s thanks to your so-called crazy idea that we met in the first place.”

“That’s true.” A sweet smile appeared on her face as she looked to the ground for a second before glancing back at me. “So, what do you think of Thysa?”

“Serene,” I said, letting out a content sigh.

We spent many hours exploring as Alice wanted to show me all her favorite spots and shops. We even ended up enjoying sweets on the way. Everywhere we went, people were genuinely thrilled to see us. Well, her more so than me, but they never allowed themselves to treat me differently. Listening to those who didn’t speak Common made me want to learn their language during my stay, as High-Elven sounded so elegant and free-flowing.

“I’m glad you liked-,” Alice said, but before she could finish, our attention was stolen by a royal guard making his way into the garden wearing a full plate of armor with the exception of a helmet.

When he got close enough, he dropped to one knee and said, “Pardon the intrusion, Princess. I’m here to inform you that the Queen has arrived and has summoned the two of you for a private meeting.”

Despite the memorable bowl cut that looked even sillier on an elf due to their long ears, I could tell he was a powerful individual rivaling, if not outright surpassing the Knights of Kallis.

“Ready to go Alex? We shouldn’t keep her waiting.” She smiled, offering me a hand.

“Ready as I’ll ever be,” I said, accepting her help.

As soon as we left the garden, I tried to mentally prepare myself to meet the Queen, Alice’s mother. Despite being confident and outgoing, the pressure of meeting someone of her status was more nerve-wracking than anything I’d done before. To think I’d be doing what countless renowned diplomats tried for decades worried me.

“Relax.” Alice chuckled, noticing how stiff I was. “It’ll be fine.”

“It’s easy for you to say. . .” I sighed, knowing that my actions could potentially cause harm to the delicate relationship forged between Thysa and Eleron.

Her cheerful smile managed to put my heart at ease at least a little, but it was short-lived as Alice got caught by surprise when another noble-looking elf surrounded by what appeared to be friends appeared in front of us.

“Aymon Gelisar,” Alice said, sounding annoyed as we got closer. “What are you doing back in Thysa? Shouldn’t you be at the Academy?”

“Princess, is that how you welcome a childhood friend?” He chuckled, getting closer and asking for her hand.

She hesitated but was pressured into accepting as others belonging to various noble houses looked to her, expecting proper etiquette from the Princess of Thysa. He used the opportunity to take her hand and plant a kiss on her knuckle, refusing to let go straight away.

“You may let go now,” she called him out, pulling her hand back.

“Alice, you shouldn’t treat me so coldly just because I bravely dared to propose to you. An offer worth considering, wouldn’t you agree?”

Aymon Gelisar, the grandson of Elder Zavix, was an eyesore that turned all of Alice’s friends against her after being rejected. She told me about the drama between her and the Elder while she showed me around, so I was aware of how two-faced Aymon was. However, there was nothing I could do to help her out. Despite being a total ass, he was still a talented and good-looking guy making many gather behind him. If he were average, the shit he pulled would’ve been impossible.

“Worth considering?” She looked baffled by his brazen behavior.

“Princess, you should be thankful that Lord Aymon is still interested after what happened last time,” spoke boldly another female elf that stood behind him. Her scrawny appearance perfectly matched the high-pitched, annoying voice coming out of her mouth. “With a rep-”

“Aymon.” Alice cut her off. “Why are you here?”

“So rude,” mumbled another one of Aymon’s faithful followers. He tried looking sophisticated, but his freckled face begged to be punched. “It seems things haven’t changed at all.”

“I’ve come to visit my family and will stay for a while before returning to the Academy. The headmaster gave me special permission, so I’m excused for as long as I like.”

“You should hurry back. We don’t want you missing something important.”

“I’m glad to see you worried about me, but I’ll be fine. Besides, I have important business to discuss with my family related to our marriage.”

“How many times will I need to reject you before you understand that I won’t be marrying you?”

“We’ll see about that. Your reputation keeps getting worse and worse among the nobility. If your family wishes to remain in power, you’d be wise to form a powerful union between our families.”

Not only was Alice infuriated by him, but the royal guard also looked like he had something to say. However, he had to bite his tongue as he was in no position to anger one of the pillars of Thysa.

“Alice,” I spoke up. “We shouldn’t keep the Queen waiting.”

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She turned to me, but before she could say anything, Aymon said, “So informal. To think we are degrading ourselves and speaking Common because of an outsider like you.”

“I apologize for the inconvenience, and I do appreciate the effort,” I said, having experienced far worse ridicule.

“He’s a guest and a friend Aymon, so you should watch your tone.”

“As a guest of the Royal Palace, he should be aware that someone of our status should be formally addressed in a public setting.”

“Aymon-”

“Thank you for the advice, Lord Aymon,” I said, cutting off Alice before she attempted to defend me again. “I’ll be sure to keep that in mind next time we meet, but for now we must take our leave so as to not keep the Queen waiting. Our escort is getting a bit nervous as he might get scolded for our delay. Isn’t that right?” I looked back at the knight.

Despite being caught off guard and finding it annoying that I put him on the spot, he nodded in agreement as Alice looked back at him.

“You’re correct, Lord Kallis. . .”

“See? I’m sure someone who keeps to a high standard such as yourself understands?”

Aymon’s gaze that darted between the three of us eventually got glued to me, turning stone-cold as I gave him no room to fight back. While I was no match for him in terms of power, I was confident that if anything were to happen, the royal guard would be able to step in and defend me without causing Aymon an injury.

“Alice.” He turned to her. “We shall meet again soon, so I hope you’ll consider and be smart enough to accept my proposal. Say hello to the Queen.”

Alice stayed quiet as we watched their group wander off, but not before the scrawny girl glared at me. Once we were alone, Alice and I sighed simultaneously.

“I apologize for that,” I looked to the royal guard.

“Thank you, Revi,” Alice said, still shaken from meeting Aymon.

“It is my duty to help, but I wish I could do more.”

“You did more than enough,” I reassured him.

“Alex. . .” Alice turned to me, looking depressed. “Thank you for staying composed when I failed to do so. I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.”

“No need to thank me, the guy’s a dick, but you didn’t hear that from me,” I looked back at Revi.

“I’ve heard nothing,” he said, looking ahead.

“Hey.” I touched her shoulder, leaning down to catch her gaze that dropped to the ground. “It’ll be fine. Trust me.”

She smiled again, pushing her hair behind the ear before giving me a nod and walking past me toward the entrance.

----------------------------------------

When they said I would meet the Queen, I expected it to be in the throne room, not a private office; So when we stood in front of the wooden door, I started feeling anxious. Revi took his leave after respectfully bowing, leaving us alone.

“Ready?” Alice asked but was surprised to find me deep in my thoughts. She sighed, grabbing my hand before pulling on it gently. “Hey, snap out of it.”

“Huh?” I stared confused. “Oh, sorry. . .”

“What’s gotten into you?” She shook her head in disbelief. “You can’t show off like that in front of Aymon and then look like a lost puppy when you’re about to meet my mother.”

“Who said that?”

“Me. . . just now. So stop with whatever’s going on, and let’s go in.”

Seeing her reach for the door, I pull on her hand. “Wait, wait. . . wait.” I sighed, taking a deep breath. “Okay, now I’m ready.”

“You sure?” She raised her eyebrow. “You’re acting like your life depends on it.”

“I’m just-” I wanted to explain myself, but the door suddenly opened.

“Any particular reason why the two of you are standing at the door and chatting for so long?” King Elwyn looked at us, dressed in standard royal robes for once.

“That’s between us. . .” Alice said, walking past her father.

Following her inside, King Elwyn glanced at me, whispering, “Did something happen between you two?”

I shook my head, bowing respectfully before walking in.

Despite being intrigued by what the office looked like, the Queen’s powerful presence stole my attention. Sylphena Kelthyra, Alice’s mother, stood by the table, pouring herself a drink as she smiled softly upon seeing us. Alice quickly embraced her in a tight hug, happy to finally see her.

While I knew that elves stayed youthful throughout their long life, it was still stunning to see the two standing next to each other. Alice and her mother resembled each other so much that l would’ve believed them if they told me she was her older sister. If anything, she looked like a woman in her late twenties or possibly early thirties. I heard that elves matured at the same rate as humans until they reached the end of their teenage years, significantly slowing down afterward.

“Nothing like motherly love, huh?” King Elwyn said, standing side by side with his arm resting on my shoulder awkwardly as I was a bit taller than him.

He eventually lowered it out of discomfort.

“Yeah,” I mumbled, smiling winsomely at the heartwarming reunion.

I realized how dumb I was for stressing so much over meeting her mother, and while I was still a bit nervous, I felt noticeably more relaxed than when we were outside the office. Luckily, Alice couldn’t lecture me about it as she was just as worried about returning home, fearing being punished. Looking at her now, I would’ve never guessed how much she missed her family.

“Sweetie, I’d like for you to introduce me to our guest,” she said with an angelic yet powerful voice.

“Okay,” she said, pulling back and turning sideways between us. Alice smiled at me, gesturing to her mom. “Alex, this is my mom Sylphena Kelthyra, Queen of Thysa. And Mom, this is Alexander Kallis, the adoptive son of Duke Victor Kallis and Lady Isabella Kallis.”

Honestly, I was a bit surprised she memorized the names.

“It’s an honor to meet you, your highness.” I bowed respectfully before glancing back at her.

“So you’re the one who rescued my daughter and helped her get home safely.” Queen Sylphena approached me. “It seems I have much to thank you for.”

“If I may, had it not been for your daughter, I would’ve lost my life on at least two occasions.”

“I’m still her mother, and I’ll be thankful for such acts of bravery even had she saved your life a thousand times before.” She smiled, touching my shoulder. “There’s no need to be so formal with us. You’re Alice’s friend, aren’t you?”

I chuckled, giving her a nod before glancing at Alice, catching her peeking into her mother’s cup, trying to figure out what she drank.

“Now,” Queen Sylphena said, turning to the table and snatching the cup away from Alice. “I heard from my husband that you shall become his student. That means you’ll be staying with us for a while, so I’ll inform everyone to treat you with the utmost respect. If you happen to need anything, don’t hesitate to ask.”

“Honey, I told you he didn’t accept yet. . .” King Elwyn sighed.

“Yes he did,” she corrected him, gazing back into my eyes. “He just hasn’t told you yet.”

“How did you know?” I was baffled.

“It’s written all over your face,” she said confidently. “I’m looking forward to seeing your progress. Do you know how long you’ll be staying?”

“I haven’t decided yet.”

“Then let’s not worry about that now.”

“Alice, Alexander,” said her father. “Rest up and be prepared for early training. It won’t be easy.”

“Alice, take Alex to a new room on the upper floor. Since he’ll stay with us for a while, I’ll have new servants appointed specifically for him.”

“You don’t have to do that.” I awkwardly smiled, but they all just ignored me.

Before I knew it, Alice was dragging me out of the office, and I was appointed a new room. Things were looking up for me.

ELWYN KELTHYRA:

Watching my wife sitting in the crimson cushioned chair with her legs crossed, tying back her ashen hair into a ponytail, left me staring until my gaze met her amethyst eyes. We both waited to see who’d speak up first, but as usual, I gave in.

“So. . . What do you think?” I asked, eager to hear her opinion.

“I understand why you wanted him as your student.” She sighed. “To think the Kallis family had someone like that among them.”

“Victor did mention he had a cursed son, but how did they not notice the truth? I’d understand if it were just humans failing to see the bigger picture, but a professor from the Academy visited as well if I recall correctly.”

“Why would you doubt the memory of the man I love? Isn’t it enough that I placed my trust in it?” She chuckled, reminding me why I loved her so much. “Hmm. . . His newly formed frozen core is reawakening his gift. Without it, I might be the only person capable of seeing it.”

I crossed my arms, tilting my head back.

“His talent is frightening, but I’m sure you already knew. You should’ve seen Alice’s reaction. She was shocked when she witnessed him pull off a spell on his first try after only seeing a spell a few times.”

“It’ll be good for her to have someone match her for once.”

“Yeah, and having two geniuses looking at each other in utter awe is refreshing to see.”

“That’s because neither of them understands just how special they are.” She sighed, stretching her legs out. “Are you sure about training him? It’ll be dangerous.”

“It was for his own safety. The elders wanted to assassinate him before he became a threat to us.”

“They’re getting bold.”

“Yeah, and there’ll be more like them in the future. That’s why many talented mages die at a very young age. The world fears them becoming unstoppable.”

“You were going to ask me to use my gift on him, weren’t you?” She saw right through me. “Fine, but it’ll be your fault if anything happens.”

“I’m aware.” We stayed silent for a bit, both lost in our thoughts, thinking over the prophecy that appeared suddenly and Alexander’s future. “So. . . How powerful do you think he’ll get?”

“I’m not sure, but four, no three. . . It’ll take about three years before he becomes stronger than you.”

“That’d make him the youngest ninth circle mage in history,” I commented, unable to hide the smirk on my face, excited to get the chance to teach not one but two generational talents.

“Dark times are coming,” Sylphena warned. “It seems that next year’s students will be the strongest in recorded history.”

“If what your brother said is true, then we’ll need all of them to work together to overcome the evil that’ll find its way into our world. Until then, we must protect them with everything we got.”

“Alexander Kallis,” Sylphena whispered. “At whom will the sword you wield be pointed? Time will only tell.”

Chapter End.

Thank you for reading.