At Prince Sebastiano's command, the team visited the school site, where foundations had already been laid down. According to Eric, the school would almost mirror the look of the palace. With the natural stones and cream bricks, metal beams and iron frames, dark wood and colored glasses, elegant tapestries and fresh flowers from its gardens, it was going to look and feel what it was created to be – a place of culture and history.
"This is amazing," Cindy told Roberto, who was speechlessly looking at everything around him.
Judith and Mico walked side-by-side, tailing Alexander as he discussed the blueprint to them. Carlito was taking pictures for documentation. As he was a blogger and vlogger, he was assigned to create social media posts that would cause a stir from outside the country. All under Prince Sebastiano's approval, of course.
Eric and Kayla walked from behind the group, quite a distance from them. Eric was in no hurry to follow them and he made sure Kayla had the same pace. He held the small of her back and led her to his direction every now and then.
"The place looks like a dream. A fairytale," she said.
With that, Eric revealed what he said he wasn't supposed to about the technology the school would have. He whispered, "My father envisioned a new age so great that he laid down the foundations of a new era. He was a great man."
Eric smiled and paused, looking out into the horizon. Then he continued, "You see, when he was still alive, he contracted the best scientists and tech people all over the globe and they have been working on my father's visions for the past ten years. Most of what we have now, the technology that marked the beginning of change in the different sectors of our society, the industries now rising to their glory, have been created by them."
Kayla couldn't begin to imagine what lay beneath his words. She already pictured big machines and colored lights and rays and lasers. All the science gizmos she only saw in movies and read about in her favorite books. Her mind was wandering into the space before and as Eric continued to describe some of what their scientists have created for the school, her desire to see the country's technological advancements grew.
"I wanna see them," she blurted out, her voice bearing every bit of the excitement she felt in her chest.
Eric laughed. "You will. Soon. I'm handling that division, after all."
"You are?" Kayla cocked her head in confusion. It didn't make sense. "Why would you be in our country, studying arts and culture then if you are assigned to handle your country's technology?"
"I studied technology in Japan and China. I also did a few months, serving Russia and Korea, just to see what they had." Eric led her to a nearby spring and leaned against a boulder that decorated the huge perfectly shaped tree, where orange flowers bloomed in every shade.
Kayla sat on the grass, her legs together on one side and looked up at Eric as he spoke.
"You see, the months when I said I would be going home for the summer and Christmases, and any month I told you I needed to be somewhere, I would be everywhere but. I had to work on my father's visions double and triple time. Prince Sebastiano did the same. He studied arts and literature, economics and trade, science and technology. We both did."
"So why hire us when he would be the one spearheading the project?"
"Because in all of our travels, we find your school and its culture most fitting to merge with ours." Eric turned to her and smiled. "Prince Sebastiano was in your country for a year. You just didn't know it was him."
Kayla was about to ask just that. Back when she was dating Alexander, a man fetched him from his apartment. He was at the back seat of his black fancy car and Kayla was only able to get a glimpse of his full lips and perfect nose. His eyes were almost concealed, but they shone like emeralds in the dark with its green hue. Now, Kayla realized they were actually hazel.
"Sebastiano and I are of equals when it comes to abilities. Or we would like to think it that way. We must be at par at everything. It is the way of our country," Eric added.
Mr. Frey cleared his throat as he approached, his head low and movements silent. "Sir Alexander requests your presence, My Grace. He wonders what Ms. Kayla's tasks would be."
"Tell him Ms. Kayla is indisposed at the moment." Eric rose from the boulder and held out a hand to Kayla. "I think it's time I showed my best friend around. I owe her a tour of our kingdom."
Mr. Frey smiled and nodded. "Certainly. Shall I fetch your driver?"
"Yes."
Kayla took Eric's hand and got into the black limousine that arrived minutes later. Prince Sebastiano was watching them when they left, and he shook his head as the car moved past him and the group. They were clearly discussing something worth taking notes of, for Judith was listening intently and nodding at each word Alexander was saying.
Eric laughed when the limousine was out of sight, but that was short-lived. He returned immediately to his royal stance and cleared his throat. "Kayla, we'll do this just once. Just once. Today, since it's your first day here. I don't want you working too much when you should be enjoying the fulfillment of a promise I made you over a year ago."
Kayla felt her cheeks warm up to his words. He remembered how he promised to personally be there when she saw how beautiful his country was.
Since they couldn't take the whole of the afternoon, Eric picked a spot, which he said served as his favorite in all of the kingdom. They traveled about half an hour to a mountain, where the limousine dropped them near a clearing. Hand-in-hand, they hiked to the edge, where the view of the kingdom was at its grandest.
The palace caught her attention the most. It stood tall and proud atop a hill, adorned naturally by bushes and flowers, the colors of which matched accentuated the red, gold and white swaying banners that lined up along the palace walls. It stood there, with all its stone and steel statues of gods, goddesses and mythical creatures, as if watching over the brick and stone houses that outlined not only the stone paths that laced through to the market center, but also to the structures that defined them as a society. A magnificent library, a museum, and parliamentary offices that looked so much like Greek constructions.
A sparkling canal followed some of the more hidden paths, where boats can be seen lurking, with a man or two or lovers aboard, and Kayla wished she could experience such while she was here.
"You have a really beautiful country, Eric," she said, almost breathless at what she saw.
The sun was beginning to set into the horizon and the people began switching their lamps and lights on, shining like diamonds beneath the warm glare of the last light of the afternoon. It gave Kayla the feel of romance. Like the place was all about caring and loving and laughing and living. And she smiled.
"Kayla, there is something you must know." Eric's voice was deep.
She turned to him, afraid of what she would hear, although she trusted him completely.
"In the next days, things will change between us and perhaps with how you feel about this place," he began. He placed his hands inside his pockets and watched the horizon dim. "More will be asked of you as you work and stay here, and I am certain there will be days when I would not know how to be there for you. But you must trust that whatever happens, I promise you, I mean what is best for all of you. For you. For us. And for my country."
"Should I be concerned?"
"Do you trust me?"
It took a second longer that supposed to, but she was able to muster up the courage to reply. "I do. You know that."
"Thank you."
"What will you ask of me?"
Eric smiled, took her hand and kissed it. "You will know. Tomorrow. At sunrise."
That night, Kayla just couldn't sleep.