*In the library, there was going to be a rhetoric contest soon...*
Coralia was sitting at a small table in a reading room. As a poet, she was excited that a rhetoric contest would take place soon. She'd come here for the Scholars' Convention. She didn't like the intrigues going on between the affluent patrons of playwrights and bards, but she enjoyed the core of the contests. She wholeheartedly wished to participate.
Suddenly, Coralia was disturbed by some noise. Elyre came into the reading room.
"Elyre?" Coralia exclaimed.
"Hello, Coralia. Are you preparing yourself for the rhetoric contest?" Elyre asked.
"Well, yes," Coralia replied. "The time has almost come. But now I am going to have dinner. Would you like to come with me?"
Elyre smiled, "I am a little tired today. I will relax for a while in my room."
"Alright," Coralia said calmly.
She felt a little bit guilty. Elyre thought they were friends. Coralia had helped her find Heliona and some herbs which could help cure maginopia.
Truly, Coralia had arrived on board of the same ship as Elyre.
~I wonder what Elyre would think of me if she understood that I come from the Castle of the Seventh Fire.~ Coralia thought. But she'd had no way to refuse the archmage's invitation. She was some kind of a spy for him... she had to befriend Elyre.
Coralia decided to sit down and focus on the rhetoric contest for a little longer, then go to have dinner. The atmosphere in the library was poetic and helped her come up with ideas.
The table she was sitting at had one leg, which resembled the trunk of a tree, ending with roots at its lower part. Around the leg were carved ebony animals: monkeys and a lynx. The table's glass surface was supported by a squirrel with an unnaturally big curled tail. There were green leaves painted on the glass surface and a ruby ladybug. The leaves weren't truly painted but were green glass built into the normal one. The edge was decorated with an S-shaped ebony snake. The chairs were no less fantastical. The furniture was no doubt magnificent and comfortable.
To Coralia's surprise, the archmage had allowed her to participate in the rhetoric competition. So far so good. Initially, she had been quite excited. She had been waiting eagerly for the start of the contest and the final announcement of the rules. But now she was worried!
There were two rounds. During the first round, the participants would write a poem or an epigram on a given topic. The second round was a 1-versus-1 discussion on a topic; the one who was more argumentative would win. In the end, one final winner would be chosen.
***
The next day Coralia went back to focus on the rhetoric contest.
In the first round, the participants had to come up with an epigram of up to forty words on the topic of "youth". She still hadn't come up with any clever idea.
"How is it going?" Elyre asked.
Coralia mumbled something, but it was hard to understand because her arm was in front of her mouth. She was leaning on the desk. She made an effort to straighten up. She complained,
"This is too hard. I never like what I write… I have just one idea that is sort of… tolerable."
"Can I hear it?" Elyre wondered.
"Okay. The topic is 'youth'," Coralia handed the sheet to her. She was in no mood for reading aloud. Elyre looked at it,
~Many people get older, but I choose to get younger. Being young means living in eternity.~
"It is actually very nice," Elyre said.
"You are saying this just to calm me down," Coralia moaned and rolled her eyes.
"No, I mean it. I think you should use this one… It provokes many ideas. Anyway, it's supposed to be something very short, right?" Elyre said.
Coralia nodded.
"Thanks for helping me out."
"How have I helped?" Elyre shrugged.
"I feel more confident now," Coralia said. "Well, then. Mage Phabian told me you haven't participated in such events before and I should teach you some manners. It would be like a ball."
"Alright, what should I know?" Elyre said.
"Let's start with lesson number one!" Coralia exclaimed and took out a fan, "How to hold your fan."
Lesson one was how to hold a fan... The skills necessary for that abominable task were indeed underestimated. Holding the fan in a way that was considered "beautiful" felt unnatural to Elyre's hand. It was not only uncomfortable, but the effort made her hungry.
"Ah, are you sure I have to know all of this?" Elyre laughed. "I mean... I am not going to be among the participants."
"You have to. This contest will be held inside the library. Many noble people will attend. They will all be well-dressed."