"Visualize, Lillian. That's the key to using magic here." Jasmine told, summoning a ball of light in the palm of her hands. "See, just like this."
Lillian tried to visualize a bright ball of light appearing on the palm of her hand but nothing appeared.
"It's too difficult, Jasmine," Lillian complained, leaning her head back against the cushion behind her.
"It shouldn't be as difficult as you think, Lillian. Children below the age of two can do this already." Jasmine sighed, they have been travelling for only a couple of hours now and Lillian's been practising her magic but … they've gotten nowhere with it.
Lillian's just sulking now.
Why do I feel like I'm looking after a child right now?
Her eyes fell on the semi-transparent figure of the King, his entire concentration was on the world outside them.
"Lillian, how are you able to project the consciousness of the King from his body without immobilizing it? He can still move his frog body but he isn't necessarily in it. How are you able to do that and not summon a simple ball of light??" Jasmine glared at her, confusion in her voice and face.
"I don't know." Lillian pouted, her hands crossed over her chest. "I thought it was normal? Didn't Rose say that I have a normal person's magic level?"
"You did … but went you came back from talking to the Old Sage, your magic level felt much higher. Did the Old Sage do something?"
"… I climbed the tree." Lillian lied, looking to the other side of the carriage.
"And why would you do that?" Jasmine raised her eyebrows at her.
"Just felt like it. Anyway, what's with all this questioning?" She sat up straight and looked at Roman. "It feels like I haven't seen the King's face in a long time, but I really can't forget how attractive he's always looked."
Roman's been looking out at the people and the scenery they passed ever since Lillian separated his subconscious from his body.
They passed the palace walls, through the marketplaces and the houses of the common people. Jasmine created an illusion on the carriage so that it looked like any normal wagon cart carrying hay.
His body became stiffer as he saw the crumbling houses the people lived in, the conditions of the roads with each bump threatening to overturn their carriage.
The further they went, the more outskirts they got and the more people they saw littered on the roads begging or bent over because of the heavy load they carried.
"Are you ok, your majesty?" Lillian asked, seeing him clench his hands into fists.
"Ah, yes. Tell me, my dearest fairy godmother~" He said, loosing up again, head on his hand resting on the carriage window, "have you seen my kingdom before?"
"Not really, your majesty. I haven't been anywhere except for the palace and the marketplace."
"So, what's your first impression of it? Pretty pathetic don't you think so?" He asked, turning his head back to the outside world, sadness in his eyes when he saw small mud houses lit with a small flickering candle, laughter could be heard from each house.
They passed the houses and reached a wide untouched land.
"Stop the carriage," Roman called out.
Jasmine stopped it, surprised with his sudden command.
"What is the matter, your majesty?" She asked, looking at the empty land and seeing some men in uniform standing guard there.
"Is this land, whose is it?" He asked, translucent teal hair blowing in the wind.
"It belongs to the royal family, your majesty," Jasmine replied wanting to continue on their journey as fast as they could, they haven't even left their kingdom yet.
"What do they use it for?"
"I don't know your majesty."
Roman fell quiet, deep in thought.
"I'll go ask." Lillian jumped out of the carriage and walked to the men guarding the land.
"Wait Lil-"
"Hello."
"Halt! Who are you and state your business."
Jasmine stopped herself from walking out, she chose to do this so she needed to let her handle it, no matter how much she wanted to go to her.
"Woah. Don't shoot. I am a trader and I have some questions. If that's ok with you. If not, I can find someone more … capable of answering my question." She walked back to the carriage, slowly.
Thankfully, the shadows covered her face and hid the sly expression that came on her face when the men called her back, saying that they would answer her question.
"I was just wondering, you are doing so good of a job guarding these lands, I heard that it belongs to the royal family?"
"Yes. My family has been guarding these lands for three generations."
"Amazing." Lillian feigned admiration on them. "So you are all from the same family? How do you provide for your family then? Do the royal family commission you?"
"Yes. We take our job very seriously it was given to us from the Great King Edward himself." One man said, proudly.
"This land remained untouched by anyone. We were given a small portion and there we grow our vegetables to sell and eat."
Roman listened to all of them, a pang in his heart when he saw their sunken cheeks and bony hands. They had the uniform of the royal guards but they looked so worn out, that they must have been handed down each generation.
"C-could you tell them that they are doing a marvellous job?" Roman asked Jasmine, his gaze on the ground.
"Of course your majesty." Jasmine got out of the carriage and walked to them, conveying what Roman said.
The men brushed it off but they sounded happy hearing that from Jasmine.
"You know? We are going on a long trip and we need some vegetables. Do you happen to have any leftover?" Lillian asked, getting a look from Jasmine.
What are you doing? Her eyes asked.
Don't worry about it. Lillian replied, walking to the men as they brought out a sack of vegetables.
They aren't fresh at all!
"Splendid. We will take the whole sack, can you help me load it to the carriage?"
Jasmine entered the carriage again and took out a pouch full of gold coins, holding them out to Lillian as the men loaded the carriage.
"You don't have any money, right? Take these. It'll be enough to last them for another generation."
"Thank you so much, Jasmine." Lillian looked at her with sparkling eyes.
"It's alright, Lillian. I understand. Make sure they take it."
"Got it."
"So, how much would it be?" Lillian asked them, hiding the bag behind her.
"Ten silver pieces, my lady." One replied.
Poor thing, he's already tired just from this. If this land is anything important, they are going to die without a cause. At least provide for the people that are selflessly doing your bidding.
She looked over at their almost collapsing house.
How is that even going to fit all of them?? Stupid f*****s.
She pulled the bag and looked in it, the gold glittering with the moonlight.
"oh, dear." She gasped. "I only have a hundred bronze coins left. I am so sorry. It's hardly worth a sack full of vegetables. Just give me what you can for this amount."
"No, it's alright, my lady." Another said, taking the bag from her, "This is more than enough to cover for the vegetables."
When he smiled at her, Lillian could feel her stomach fill with butterflies. What is this? She can't even make out his face properly and here she is still feeling her cheeks burn.
Well, his voice isn't bad.
"Lillian, I hate to interrupt you but we must get going," Jasmine called to her from the carriage, a bit of teasing in her voice.
"Of course. I best be going now. Take care of yourself." Lillian said walking away from the man and entering the carriage.
"What?" She asked when she saw both Roman and Jasmine's expressions to her were. "Go fast, before they discover that it is gold."
Jasmine laughed and the carriage began to move, faster than before just as they heard a call from behind them.
"Hey, wait!"
Lillian turned around and saw them running after the carriage, the pouch still in hand.
"Keep it for your family and next time, don't be too nice to someone you just met! They won't be as nice as we are!" Lillian called out to him from the window, gleeful.
She waved her hands and their little house reconstructed itself into a two-story cottage, bigger than the one they lived in.
"Lillian, how did you do that?" Jasmine gasped, seeing the house. Even Roman looked impressed.
"I have absolutely no idea." She grinned, "I was just waving at them. Hey, we need to get to the next kingdom as fast as we can right? Can't we fly? Like the aeroplanes in my world?"
"I don't know if we can. I'm not one of those Mechanic Magic Users." Jasmine said, looking at Roman.
"I don't know either. Maybe you can try?" He smirked at Lillian, "They haven't given up running to us."
"That's because this is still too slow. Ok, I'll try."
Lillian snapped her fingers and the carriage shook. The interior and exterior of the carriage changed, it became wider and longer as mechanical wings were formed from the wheels. In a matter of seconds, they were airborne.
The man stopped running when he saw the carriage fly away, his hand racked through his hair as he stared in awe.
"Thank you!" He shouted as loudly as he could while gasping for air from all the running he's been doing. His grin never leaving his face.
------------------
"Ok, try to make a ball of light now," Jasmine said, while they cruised with the clouds.
Lillian tried summoning a ball of light but still, nothing appeared.
"How?"
"I don't know. Maybe my magic just doesn't work this way." Lillian sulked again.
"I think so. We will have to study it a little bit more. I just wonder what it is then." Jasmine looked out the window and saw as they passed the border, attracting the attention of some of the guards. She waved her hands and the carriage turned invisible.
"Rest up, for now, Lillian. At this pace, we will most probably reach the castle in a couple of hours."
"How are we actually going to do this? We haven't really prepared anything properly, have we?" Lillian asked, slowly drifting off to sleep.
"Don't worry and leave it to me," Jasmine said, patting Lillian's head as she fell asleep on her lap.
The Kingdom of Crème. Known as the most trusted friend of the Kingdom of Vetil but because of something that happened in the former king's time, they are now hostile to each other.
What could it be? What made such good friends become like this?
Jasmine bit hard on her finger.
I need to find it out as soon as I can.
Her eyes drifted to the King, asleep with his arms crossed over his chest. A soft breeze entered the carriage as she continued to look at him with a conflicted expression.
"I'll find it out. I promise." She said, with a resolve she didn't know she had as she guided the carriage to a corner in the kingdom.
Best we start travelling by land now. That way no one in the kingdom will suspect our sudden appearance.
The carriage still worked the same way even after being modified by Lillian's magic.
Here we come.