Drizella holds onto the pale white stone and closes her eyes, trying to feel through the seal and finding a weak point. She slowly pours the mana she stores inside Coco into the seal yet it only seems to absorb the mana poured into it, growing stronger. Drizella gives up after a few more tries as she felt the seal becoming stronger.
She decided to just use the mana stored inside Coco for the stone. Conversing the mana she stored in Coco into her fingers, she sends it towards the stone.
The stone in her fingers grows cold, chilling her fingertips. It lit up in a dim-light blue indicting her element.
Jasmine's mother: "Thank you, child. Dear, the element of the child is water and it seems moderately strong."
Jasmine and everyone else left the Sultan's room, leaving only three people inside. The doctor went back to check on other patents. Jasmine's head maid went back to her work while Drizella walks with Jasmine.
Sensing there's no one around to hear their conversation, Jasmine open her mouth, "Why did you shiver when father called mother 'darling' and the other way around."
Drizella smiled wryly, "There's nothing of the sort. Princess must have seen wrongly."
Jasmine stared at her for what felt like half a day until she just shrugs letting it pass.
Drizella can't tell her that because she isn't used to hearing those sort of loving words for a long time. Francis and Camilla never use such words towards each other to express their love. What's more her past parent back on Earth never uses those words either. She has only heard them when a man tried to woo her. Calling her such as 'honey' 'darling' 'hon' 'babe', etc. she really is uncomfortable. It makes her remember those miserable times.
"Can princess please give me some more books about magic, mana, and history of the Desert Empire..." just as Drizella was about to finish her sentence, she felt killing intent.
She swiftly took out the pin in her hair that help holds her hair up and struck back. The neck she about to strike down was a young maiden, older than her and Jasmine. Sweat was dripping from her face as she makes a wrying smile at them.
"Adara, don't scare me like that," Jasmine said and introduce, "This is Nur, my best friend, and servant."
Adara step back and put on the best face she can: "Jasmine, here is the basket of flower I promise you."
Jasmine took the basket full of flowers as she said her thanks.
"So that's why you also want a pin with a sharp edge when I give a ribbon for you to tie your hair. That was a great strategy. Adara or anyone didn't think that Nur is... and does she want to kill me. She is still my sister even if she is born from a concubine," she looks down at the flowers in the basket with a dejected expression.
Drizella places the pin back on her tied hair, "It won't work if it is used too many times. This pin is more of my trump card? And I don't know rather she hates princess or not."
On the matter of Adara not suspecting her for being a woman when they are just an inch apart before is due to her facial feature. She admits she is a beauty but her beauty right now doesn't land towards a woman or man. She is more of an androgyne or gender-neutral. The hairpin technique is just something she wanted to try and never got to.
Jasmine grabbed her sleeve, she acted like a girl wanting something but too shy to ask.
Drizella sighed and patted her head, "I'll go to the party with the princess if the princess wants."
Jasmine nodded her head excitedly, "Nur is the best. Just as Dalia said Nur acts way older than his age... even though he is supposed to be younger than me."
Jasmine emphasis the word supposed as she gives Drizella a haughty look.
Dalia is the maid that is always with Jasmine and her head maid in control of her daily needs. She is also the one who keeps Jasmine in control before she goes out of control with her enthusiasm.
...
They kept walking through the halls outside as the sun dazzle down. There were no walls to block the sun wither columns standing tall and proud casting shadows.
"Nur I'm going to sit here. It's too hot and I tired, care to bring me a cup of cold water," Jasmine said.
The place Jasmine decided to sit on is a bench curved of harden woods and gloss. The handles have a decorative design. It uses the tree and tree branches as shade from the blazing sun, a perfect place to get out of the sun.
Drizella gives a small bow indicating she has received her order. Jasmine decided to fiddle with the flowers she received.
She has left for just five minutes before two people appear behind Jasmine.
"Princess, it is not our will but you will have to die now," one of them (the first man) said as he knocked Jasmine out.
He picked up Jasmine in his arm and about to leave when a hairpin flashes across his eye. The person (the second man) behind him caught the hairpin in his hand and crushed it without a care. He shifted his line of sight towards the direction the hairpin flew from.
In that direction a hurried person appeared. There was only a calm expression on his face without anxiousness. He bent down, causing the two confusion but in a split second, he disappears from that place and reappears in front of the first man in the air. He landed a kick on the first man's head. Because he was caught off guard his guard wasn't up and the impacted causes him to wobble dropping the princess he's carrying.
Drizella catches the princess and she almost couldn't hold onto her. Whoever said that woman is light is totally wrong! This princess isn't light at all! Her instincts kick in, telling her that she can't win against these two people. The best way is to run away!
Francis always taught her to always listen to her instincts because it is the part that controls the fight or flight response. It's also the first thing humans are capable of as it enhances human's ability to cope with vital environmental contingencies. It is the human's most powerful drive to survive.
The second man holds onto the first man's shoulder tightly stopping him from following the two: "What's the use. We already lost our chance, let's report back."
The second man said so and the first man nodded. The second man focuses on the hairpin he was still holding in his hand and thought about the person from before. That person was fast and made swift movement in split seconds. He was a new face, he (the second man) has seen around the princess. Those clear yet sharp eyes of his like a pair of glass marbles... why can't he forget about it