Waiting for the Royal Family to arrive in their gold-ornamented red carriages escorted by their eight Royal Guards wearing full plate armor with an insignia engraved turned out to be quite the spectacle one would expect. The rest of their traveling company stationed themselves at the barracks near Dellion’s Western Gate as they used the river crossing that was previously blocked off when we went to Raveryn.
Personally, it felt awkward standing around while our house servants and Knights of Kallis were down on their knees, ready to greet the King as he was about to step outside. Similarly to the twins, Rose was nowhere to be seen, worried her presence might upset someone.
Stepping out of the royal carriage first was the carrier clearing his throat. “Attention. You stand in the presence of King–”
“Finally!” the King exclaimed, forcefully barging out the door, interrupting the poor royal carrier.
“King Edward. . .” the carrier mumbled, stepping to the side.
“It’s alright, Karcel.” Father chuckled, looking compassionately at the man.
“It’s an honor to see you again, My Lord,” Karcel said, bowing respectfully to the Duke.
“There he is!” yelled King Edward, spreading his arms out welcomingly while the servants behind him helped the Queen. “Victor! You haven’t aged well.”
“You’ve seen me not more than a few months ago.”
“Feels like years.” The King burst into laughter, making me think I might just take a liking to him.
He was a respectable man with an impressive physique for his age, unsurprising for the former war hero who wasn’t even a mage. However, all I could think about when looking at him was how he had to have dyed his long golden hair, as there wasn’t a single strand of grey.
Embracing in a friendly hug, the King tapped my Father’s shoulder before turning to look at us. “Now, shall we take a look at that beautiful family of yours?”
“It’s an honor to welcome you to our humble home, Your Majesty.” Mother curtsied.
“Isabella. Please. We’re all friends, are we not?” The King chuckled, giving her a hug and a kiss on both cheeks. “How did that husband of yours ever manage to win your favor?”
“Shouldn’t I be asking your wife the same?” Father joked, looking toward the Queen and her children as they slowly approached.
“I’m sure we can gossip over some tea.” Mother smiled warmly.
“Tea?! No wonder my wife is so fond of you,” he commented, turning his attention to us. “Now. . . Let’s have a look.”
“Your Majesty.” Penelope greeted him with her soft-spoken voice and a welcoming smile.
“My, my. . . Penelope. You grow more beautiful by the day, and I hear you’ll be killing it at the Academy.”
His compliment easily made her flustered. “I’ll certainly do my best.”
“As you should.” He winked, turning his gaze toward Ellie. The moment their eyes met, King Edward crossed his arms and stared with a somewhat serious expression which softened the moment a smile crept on his face. “Lady Elena. It seems you haven’t hidden yourself this time around.”
“I wasn’t hiding. . .” Ellie mumbled, pressing her lips together and dropping her gaze while her shoulders wiggled left to right with her arms behind her back.
“Is that so?” King Edward chuckled, patting her head. “You’ll be a fine Lady, just like your sister.”
Ellie giggled at the prospect.
When King Edward took a step closer to me, I bowed again. “My King.”
It had been a long time since I last met the King, and back then, my perception of the world was distorted; however, Penelope wasn’t kidding when she warned me about his height, as he dwarfed even me, who was already taller than most adults in Dellion.
“There you are! Hmm.” The King rubbed his chin while humming, looking at me from head to toe with his clear blue eyes. “I was wondering how you made it back to us, but look at you. Capable, young, and powerful. You’ll make a fine warrior, just like your father.”
Feeling his hand grab my shoulder, I couldn’t help but feel a little bit proud after his praise. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”
“Many men would’ve failed to show such heroism as it takes a lot to be able, not just willing to self-sacrifice for your family’s safety. We’re all heroes in our fantasies, but rare are those who dare do what they say they would. It’s an honor to have you back with us.”
“Y–you’re praising me too much.” I awkwardly chuckled, feeling embarrassed as the King overexaggerated my accomplishment.
“Good looking, strong, honorable, and well mannered. . . If only I had a daughter.” He burst into laughter. “Isabella, you truly take good care of your children.”
“The Gods have blessed me with a wonderful family,” Mother said, looking at us lovingly.
“Your Highness.” I heard Father welcoming the Queen as I turned to look at the Second Prince, Damien Lionheart, who stood beside her.
“Duke.” The Queen extended her hand for him to kiss. “It’s good to see you again.”
Queen Olivia Lionheart. The woman who stood by King Edward’s side through thick and thin. She wasn’t just a woman who birthed children for the King, as her role in the ruling of Eleron was monumental. She was responsible for Eleron’s alliances during the Notish Invasion and was the key figure in securing our current peace.
Similarly to her husband, Queen Olivia stood tall, surpassing my height with the help of high heels she wore. Undoubtedly fashion was something she paid close attention to, or so I thought as I looked at her gorgeous red dress that went perfectly with her royal blonde hair falling gracefully over her shoulder. Even her walk radiated confidence as her hazel eyes met mine.
“Alexander.” Queen Olivia extended her hand, which I respectfully kissed. “As a mother of two, I’m thankful you returned to us safely.”
“Thank you for the kind words, My Queen.”
While she passed on to greet the others, I looked to the Crown Prince Julian Lionheart, a spitting image of his father had he been younger, joined together with his now pregnant wife, Fiona Lionheart. Unlike him, she looked sweet and innocent, having brunette hair with bangs that barely reached her eyes.
It was unsurprising to see Prince Julian obsessing over the woman carrying his child, but it left his greeting with me to fill disingenuous despite welcoming me back. However, their winsome smiles whenever they looked at each other erased any negative impressions left by the two. In fact, it felt heartwarming to see a new family form, making me take somewhat of a liking to them.
Of course, I congratulated them on their marriage and the pregnancy before giving them a gift, a book compiling fairy tales for them to read to their youngling, wrapped in a red and gold silk scarf. From what I could tell, they were pleased with it.
The last royal member of the Lionheart family I was supposed to greet never even approached and instead walked up to Penelope with complete disregard for my existence. His coy smile and jittery movements while she wasn’t looking made it easy to tell he had taken a liking to her.
“Lady Penelope, we meet again.” He smiled, kissing her hand.
“Prince Damien.” She curtsied but stood reserved. “I hope your travels were comfortable.”
“Sweet of you to worry.” He still held her hand. “I’m simply glad that we gathered for such a joyous occasion. Maybe now we’ll get a chance to talk some more, seeing as your brother is alright.”
Overlooking the need to welcome me back probably didn’t earn him any bonus points, but I couldn’t blame him as Penelope was an enthralling woman. Luckily, the sudden attention-grabbing zapping sound a dozen meters away cut the conversation short, leaving him oblivious to Penelope’s fake smile.
Appearing out of thin air as they teleported, Geron and an unknown woman wearing a rather daring outfit began approaching. She left her legs exposed, wearing tight black shorts and ankle boots paired with an unbuttoned blouse at the top. Her light brown hair turned silvery under the sunlight, and her youthful appearance made it seem like she was only ten years older than me, but magic did wonders for many female mages, leaving her true age a mystery.
“Professor Tessa Berandel.” Father greeted her. “It’s an honor to have someone from the Academy visit.”
“Duke Victor Kallis. The honor is mine.” She shook his hand, refusing to bow as she didn’t belong to Eleron. “You’ll be happy to hear that your son is doing wonderful at the Academy.”
“He does his father proud.”
“Indeed. Shall we go inside?” Professor asked, cutting straight to business.
“Edward?” Father looked to the King.
“Blah! Let’s just go. We’ve been standing in the sun long enough. I can’t wait to sit down in a chair that doesn’t bounce up and down.”
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“I did say we could teleport, Father,” Princess Fiona giggled.
“Nonsense. You’re pregnant,” King Edward argued.
“Don’t use your sweet daughter-in-law as an excuse just because you can’t handle teleportation,” Father teased.
My mother coughed, glancing at her husband. “I don’t think you’re the one to talk, dear. . .”
“Making fun of my best friend, eh?” King Edward looked at my mother jokingly.
“He’s my husband first, and everything else second,” Mother warned with a smile, but there was truth to those words.
“Hear that, Victor?” King laughed, clinging to Father’s shoulders. “And they say we rule the country.”
“Absurd,” Father joked as we made our way inside.
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I knew it would be exhausting to have the Royal Family visit, but I never imagined them to be so talkative, forcing me to use the first chance I got to slip away and hide in my room until the Professor wished to test us for the Academy. However, as I opened the door, I found an unexpected guest sitting on my bed.
“Penelope?” I chuckled, watching her as she sat with her feet on the bed and her head resting against the wall. “Don’t tell me you ditched them as well?”
“This was the only place they wouldn’t look for me. . .” Penelope looked drained, her eyes wandering the room.
“Everything okay?” I sat on the edge.
“Could you keep a secret?”
“Could I keep a secret?” I hummed, caught off guard as she had never asked before. Laying back, I dropped next to her feet, looking at the ceiling. “Even if in the wrong, you can always trust me.”
She stared at me silently before letting out a sigh. “It’s Prince Damien. . . He’s been using every chance he gets to talk to me, and it’s exhausting.”
“You don’t like him?” I asked, curious as to what she thought of him.
“He showed his interest during the party they threw for my birthday, and I was just as unhappy to receive attention. . .” she explained, glancing at me over her knees. “Though, don’t tell anyone, okay?”
“Don’t worry,” I said, turning to my side. “Hey, I got an idea.”
“Hmm?”
“Why don’t you just stick close to me? That way, he’ll have a hard time approaching you.”
“Won’t that seem weird if I were to cling to you when the Royal Family is here?”
“Your brother returned from the dead as far as they’re concerned, so I’m sure they’ll understand. Besides, we’ll be killing two birds with one stone.”
“What do you mean?” She looked confused.
“Well. . . The Prince would leave you alone, and I’d get your attention,” I teased.
Penelope didn’t hesitate to give me a well-deserved kick to the ribs. More like a shove, but the intent behind it was the same, making us both snicker.
“Fine. . . But you better not get sick of me.”
“Of you? Never.” Somehow hearing us talking like this warmed my heart as I never imagined I’d get the chance to be friendly with Penelope.
We stayed in silence for a while, both enjoying the hard-to-find peace. In anything, the past ten minutes made me realize that we had a lot in common simply by being in each other’s presence.
“Hey, Alex. . . Can I ask you something?”
“Don’t think you need my permission, but go for it.”
“Are you nervous about the Academy?”
“You mean the exam?”
“No. I mean in general.”
“Not really. Either I do well, or I don’t. Best I can do is try my best, right?”
“That’s such a simple answer. . .” She huffed, clearly unsatisfied.
“Nothing wrong with that. Why? Feeling overwhelmed?”
Our father was known to put a lot of pressure on her to do well at everything. His expectations were great since she excelled at everything she did. Maybe it was unfair, but Penelope was held to a different standard than us.
“A bit,” she mumbled under her breath as she exhaled.
“You’ll be fine.”
“How do you know?”
“If that dimwit is doing well, then there’s no way you won’t,” I joked, making fun of Eliot.
“You’re right. . .” She chuckled, taking me by surprise.
“What? Not going to defend him?” I furrowed my brows. “You feeling alright?”
“I’ve learned to accept that the two of you are boys and will act like idiots in front of one another for something as shallow as pride.”
“Ouch. At least call us men.” Even Eliot would agree with me.
“See? Boys will be boys,” she teased again, making me chuckle.
“Seems like I was wrong. You do know how to crack a joke.”
“Want to hear one more?”
“Hit me.”
“What’s a lost lycanthrope called?”
“Amm. . . What?”
“A where wolf,” she said confidently.
We just looked at each other for a second before I burst into laughter. By the looks of it, Penelope seemed quite pleased with my reaction.
“Didn’t think you’d tell an actual joke.” I covered my mouth, feeling flustered that I couldn’t stop laughing.
“I got more if you want to hear.” Penelope pushed her hair back, shyly smiling.
“I’m all ears.”
“I’ll tell you on the way. Don’t want to run out of material while clinging to you. Besides, I’m sure they’ll be looking for us soon.”
“Sure.” I sat back up, offering her a hand. “Honestly, I can’t wait to introduce you to Alice.”
“It seems you’ve taken quite a liking to her.” She accepted my hand as we stood up. “You didn’t seduce the elven princess, did you?”
“You really think a princess would fall for me?” I joked, not expecting her to answer.
“I do,” she answered without a hint of hesitation, grabbing my arm. “And I’m sure she’d say the same.”
“Oh. . .” I accidentally mumbled, embarrassed by her indirect compliment. “Well. . . It’s complicated, but no. I didn’t seduce her.”
“As if I’d trust your word for it.” She smiled, pulling me out of the room.
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The strategy of having Penelope clinging onto my arm the entire time worked flawlessly, leaving no room for Prince Damien to approach. There were multiple reasons why I didn’t like him talking to her, and one of those I couldn’t openly say without it sounding like treason. Still, I treated him no differently than any other as we made our way to the training ground where Professor Tessa would conduct the test.
Rose was with us after having met the King and the rest of the Royal Family while I wasn’t present. Geron dragged her into it after having told Professor Tessa all about her.
“Alex,” Professor Tessa called my name, taking a step closer while eyeing Penelope, who stood beside me. “Congratulations on dispelling the Mana Curse. I’m genuinely impressed.”
“You knew about it?” I asked, furrowing my brows.
“Every professor at the Academy knows about it. It plagued even our best scholars.”
“Does that mean the students will know as well?” Penelope asked, sounding a bit worried.
The reputation as the cursed child followed me all around Dellion and the Capital, especially among the nobility.
“Only if you tell them since it’s private records,” she explained. “However, we can’t stop other students from Eleron mentioning something about it.”
I wasn’t as worried about that since I’d grown used to being belittled; however, what caught my attention was Amon, the man who was seemingly a fifth circle mage nobody had heard about, who was able to not only sense it but know how to break it too. The ominous feeling that surrounded him never disappeared, even half a year later.
“Thank you, Professor.” I bowed respectfully.
“Well then. Are you ready to take the test?”
“Yes,” we said unanimously.
Professor Tessa took out a clear mana crystal, handing it over to Penelope.
“The test will consist of two things. Infusing mana into the crystal and casting any spell of your choice.”
“That’s it?” I looked in confusion.
“This isn’t an entrance exam. Just a formality for you to earn the right to take it,” Professor Tessa explained, glancing in the distance. “Ah. It seems our last participant is joining us.”
Turning around, Penelope asked, “Rose? What are you doing here?”
“Mister Geron told her all about me and our blood bond, so she suggested I attend the Academy as well under his sponsorship.”
“That’s right. Despite being a year younger, the Academy can’t turn a blind eye to a sixth circle mage at the young age of seventeen. Besides, she’s your familiar, meaning she’ll attend anyway. Might as well make her a student.”
I stayed out of it, knowing very little about their arrangement.
“Of course, that’s if you’re okay with it.” Rose looked at Penelope.
“Why wouldn’t I be? That sounds great.”
“Phew. . .” Professor mumbled, taking a deep breath. “We were worried you’d say no, but now that that’s out of the way, ready for the test?”
“Professor. . .” I mumbled, looking suspiciously at her. “Doesn’t that mean that you already know Penelope will pass the entrance exam?”
“Huh?” Penelope looked confused.
“I was hoping you wouldn’t pick up on that. . .” She awkwardly chuckled, scratching her head. “But yes. For students like Penelope, the entrance exam serves as a tool to determine her ranking. Reaching the third circle while having a bond with such a powerful familiar makes it highly unlikely that she could fail the test even if she wanted to. So there’s no need to feel pressured.”
“I don’t like that,” Penelope commented, staring intently at the professor. “You’re saying my spot is secured because of Rose, but I don’t like that at all.”
“Huh?” Professor Tessa was caught off guard.
Honestly, I expected such a response, and bringing it up turned out to be the right call. Penelope would’ve eventually realized as well, and she would’ve felt cheated out of what she earned with hard work.
“With all due respect, I don’t want my achievements to be tied together with hers,” Penelope explained. “If I fail to get in or pass a year, please don’t show favoritism because of Rose.”
“That’s–”
“If you’re worried about losing her as a student, then don’t. I, Penelope Kallis, give Rose the freedom to attend the Academy even if I were to be held back or rejected. My only wish is to do things fairly.”
I couldn’t help but smile proudly, and neither did Professor Tessa.
“Very well. I accept your resolve, Penelope.” She nodded approvingly. “However, just now, you’ve shown me that you’re more than ready for the Academy, and I’ll keep a keen eye on you.”
“Thank you, Professor.”
“But. . .” She took a step closer, placing an arm on her shoulder. “Remember my words carefully. The world of magic isn’t one that follows the rules fairly. You’ll be wise to accept all the advantages given to you once you graduate.”
“I will.” Penelope showed a shy smile.
“Now then. . . Let us begin.”
Chapter End.
Thank you for reading.