"Good day, Your Highness. Sir Malikai." We are greeted by Miss Mari. Wow, it has been a long time since I've seen her.
Walking over to greet her, I say, "Where is my sister?" I try to give away myself, but a frown appears on her face. She sighs before guiding us towards an open garden filled with various pastel flowers. Although it was late morning, dew could still be seen on the petals.
Realizing I had lost my train on thought, I turned toward Zachary only to notice he too seemed to be in a trance. "Mari, would these happen to be-"
Mari turned towards us before giving a slight nod. "Yes, these are Priestess Kippy's own flowers. She has been practicing diligently in order to keep them alive. Be careful though, her mana seems to have strange effects on people." A slight grin appeared on her face as she continued. "The first time she tried to grow them, more than half of the servants surrounded her praising her and asking for her hand."
It sounds weird hearing her say Kippy. I wonder if she will keep that name when entering high society. Finally realizing what Mari had said, I turned towards Zachary to see his displeased face. Although I want to say his expression is unneeded, I too am not pleased. A bunch of men and women crowding around their poor little Lily asking for her hand in marriage. My expression must now be similar to Zach's.
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"Seriously, why must I wear such a tight tormenting contraption on my body." I can't help but wrap my arms around myself in hopes of relieving the aches from my corset. Ugh. . .how bad it this gonna feel during my menstruation? While wallowing in my own self pity, a few visitors happened to appear.
"Kippy?" An all to familiar voice asked.
Standing up, I greet the two guests with a curtsy. "I welcome Your Majesty, King Zachary the First and High Priest Malikai."
I hear a small laugh before being pat on the head. "I see someone has been learning assiduously." Raising my head, I see a soft smile across Zachary's face. He also seems to have dark circles. Has he been working himself to hard or perhaps is not sleeping well?
Now standing I say," Please take a seat Your Highness." Oh how I would love to not talk like this. Zachary nods before sitting down in the chair right next to mine. I squint. Did he do that on purpose? Malikai soon follows, as do I.
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"It's nice to see you Sis. We saw your flowers and they are beautiful. Such a shame you can't take them with you back to the capital." I would personally like one for myself.
Lilly gently smiles before turning to look at the flowers. "As do I. Couldn't I at least bring one or two? After all I only need to give them mana for them to survive."
"Sure." Zachary answers with a quick reply before moving on to business. "You will have officially completed your Priestess Training once we return to the capital and ordain you as such. After a period of a few months, you will be initiated as my High Priestess." He pauses before continuing, "Are you sure you are ready for this?" Although his voice would sound harsh to others, it's not hard to tell he is simply trying to put it bluntly.
Before she can reply, I say, "Don't forget that you still have a choice. This comes with a lot of responsibilities." I try to soften my voice more than Zachary. Ultimately, if she chooses this path she will become a beacon for all those 'wolves' to follow. My fists clench at the thought. Is she strong enough for this?
"I fully understand my obligations. Granted that Mari had to take some on my responsibilities during my training, I know now better than ever what it takes to be a priestess." My sister's resolution shocked me. What was I worried about? My sister is no longer the same girl who was taken into slavery; she is a little lioness now. Besides, I can always take a little off her plate in needed. Not like I haven't done this work before. Yeah, everything will be fine, right?