Honey dripped missing only a hairbreadth from its square toast target and landed onto fried egg. I would have to have honeyed egg for breakfast because of Shaph's update on my duty today.
"That's about it." He finished and folded the paper.
I quickly put the honey away so that my porridge would not taste like it too. "What?" I said inquiringly. "What did you just say? Why all of a sudden—"
"It seems that Ben was the one who spread the news among the butlers." Shaph said. "And soon every Prince requests giving you lessons as well Princess."
I rested my head in my palm. "Could you repeat again what classes do I need to go? Apart from my normal work with Sir Liam."
Shaph repeated without having to look at the paper. "Prince Jared wants to give you Magic lesson—"
"But I'm having that," I objected him. "With Prince Valentine."
"It's a different craft, your Highness," Shaph said. "Prince Jared is a Magician, the Magician, his expertise in Magistery is second to none. He's not a Sorcerer."
I was about to ask the difference but Shaph carried on so I thought I would just have to figure out during class. "King Fayn will educate you about Beastskin. In fact, I should have been the one teaching you that but I like King Fayn so much, being in the same race and all, I have to give him a chance."
I nodded ignoringly thinking that this rabbit sure did whatever he liked. "Then, Prince Eldrin and Princess Elise request a play-time. Princess Alette and Prince Ciel will join you every late morning tea for music class. And it seems just not fair to leave Prince Philip out, so I asked him if he'd like to give you a class and he agrees to provide you knowledge about our world." There he goes, giving me more work!
"What about that other Prince? There's another one right? Isn't it not fair to him not giving him a chance too?" I was already tried just by hearing and put that tiresome into sarcasm which Shaph completely disregarded.
"Oh, Prince Leonhard?" he said normally. "I did ask him but he said he'd pass."
Thank god!
"Then Princess," Shaph bowed. "I will come back for you for the class with Prince Philip in an hour. Please take your time with the breakfast."
I had half a heart to delay him and announced my wish to arrange a conference to persuade the princes and princesses to go home. As I watched Shaph's round rabbit tail, I reckoned I would just stay introvert, stay quiet, don't make a scene. Shaph would get me home in a few days. (Okay, a few days had passed, then maybe a few more.) I only had to endure a few more days.
An explosion snapped me out of my reverie. My hand swiped by reflect at the honey jar and it tipped in an acute angle to the porridge bowl. Thick and clear yellow glop clumsily thumped onto the milky surface, sticking in strands and coating on cabbage cake as I tried to lift it up. I am so having honey for breakfast now.
"What's happening?!—" was all I could say when Shaph barged back into the room and, at the precise moment, a shattering glass and an irradiated ball captured my attention. Then, both my steward and I could not close our mouths for the number of red Magic balls and lasers—yes, Magic!—striking on the window breaking them into pieces, if not dust.
I knew by the color that it was Prince Valentine. We quickly went down to the square lawn in the middle of this building where the dispute took place. A Sorcerer and a Magician, one wielding arms of lights another mumbling spells, were going at each other cravingly as if this fight was a feast. Soldiers hang back and watched frightfully. Who would not? I would not even hung back, I would run away seeing such vehement fight.
"Go back to your Mama!" Prince Jared said and murmured more things.
"I won't go anywhere," replied Prince Valentine sinking steadily into a mud pond appeared under his feet. "I helped Princess Carla back here, rights to stay is naturally granted to me."
"As if no one knows about your notoriety!" Prince Jared spat, "Princess is not to be fit in your harem!"
"I dissolve the habits," Prince Valentine said, slightly amusing by his own response, "You don't know what love does to a man."
I almost retched. I was faking the Princess so I knew very well how fake that statement was.
Being a Princess by the way, although a fake one, means that when you happen to appear at the incident with or without intention to, all eyes would in one accord missile at you begging, wondering, and hoping you would do something. I was met by dozens of such earnestly threatening gazes and felt obliged to jump into that crazy duel.
"Princes!" I shouted lifting my hand to shield my head from red magic, "Stop please!"
Too caught up in the fight, no one stopped. I was still yelling, trying hard to look graceful and princessly while doing so. If only I learn how to use Magic faster than this, I would just throw giant Magic balls into their heads!
"Stop this at once! Prince Valentine! Prince Jared!" I yelled at the top of my lung and rolled onto the ground dodging dangerous light orbs. Then accompanying into the circumstance was that beautiful tune I heard last night. Red Magic started to collect into a big sphere and dissipated into air as the melody ended. I turned and saw Prince Ciel with a wing-engraved gold flute slantwise to his mouth.
The music seemed to have taken the zeal of the squabble away with it too. Prince Jared, with a speck of fluster and contrite, restored his prince posture and walked away, Prince Ciel did likewise before I could thank him, while Prince Valentine remained stuck in the soil that reversed to its original hardness. Pin quickly appointed soldiers to dig his master's feet off the ground. Legs freed, Prince Valentine came over to me saying, "Sorry about this frivolous bickering." And with a sweet simper, he too walked away.
Shaph helped me up (a guy who said he loves me didn't even help me up!) as an uncommon bird-cry from up above pulled my attention away. I looked up and saw a hook-beaked hawk taking off from an arm stretching out of a window. The scene very much reminded me of pigeon-post and I somehow knew the half-revealing figure was King Fayn. I kept an eye on the beautiful flying bird without reason until it was out of sight while assuring safety to guards, gardeners, footmen, and maids. Everyone scattered back to their duties believing every word out of me before I retired back to face honey-flavored breakfast.
"Is there anything I need to know?" I whispered to Shaph.
Shaph looked trouble. "I am not sure myself," he lowered his voice, "I did not know they did not like each other."
I suppressed a yawn with a sigh. More disturbing political mystery to be ignored.
That dream last night was like an omen. Good sleep, it was not, but I still reluctant to go back into that nightmare where I was hunted by a herd of serial killers, stabbed them to death lying in a blood pool, felt relieve and safe for a fraction of second only to discover that I had fallen into another chase by six hungry wild wolves.
The class with Prince Philip did not make it any better. It was mightily boring provided I already hated history. We went through series of boring important events, the list of boring famous kings and queens, and I almost bored to death by the monotone of his voice, even though it was very gentle.
"Philip!" I blurted out his name at the edge of the sleeping cliff.
"Yes?" Prince Philip looked up from the thick books. His blue eyes caught me and I suddenly felt a little awake. My gaze traveled further to the view beyond the large window of my working room and met the sky with that same color to his eyes. The golden ray reflected on his blond hair and for a second it felt almost like it sparked.
"Sorry, I mean Prince Philip," I corrected myself.
"It's alright, do call me Philip, Kara." He said addressing me without the tiresome 'Princess' too.
"Y-yes," I said and started thinking of questions to ask so I would not fall asleep. But I could think of nothing related to history and asking about politics right now was not a good idea since I knew no background of Philip too. I gave a go with my personal doubt. "Philip, where's this world? Is it on a different planet, I mean...my world, do you understand?"
Philip raised his fair pair of brows. "I am an avid reader of all kind of books. None of them state an exact theory, however; I would surmise from every knowledge I gather until now, that our world are paralleled, only situated in a different dimension."
I did not expect an answer from him. Now, this is interesting. "What kind of dimension?"
"Magic dimension." He said. "Have you any clue why we call your world the 'Dry World'?"
I heard the word, it was scratching at the back of my mind. "It appears, your world possesses plenty of people with the power that Magic nurture a distaste to. We never have a name for that power but Magic goes docile against it. So, millions of years ago, Magic fled to this place. And 'Dry' is because there is no Magic in your world."
My shoulders drooped without my intention to. It was a little sad hearing that there was no Magic in the place I came from.
"When Magic came, it ran around causing chaos to every corner of this world. People here took an advantage while the portal that Magic traveled through was still open, crossed over to your world, and scouted for those with power."
Philip picked up another book and went through pages. "This is the starting of the Coronale bloodline," He said enthusiastically and pointed at a chapter with drawing picture of a guy face. "This is the Prime King, King Li, who was the first to help us settled down Magic."
It seriously sounded like a Chinese name to me.
"But, in time, the bloodline would weaken," continued Philip. "And we would need a new savior. Since the Prime King, there have been totally eleven Kings and Queens from the Dry World, including Queen Nareeya, your grandmother and after—" he suddenly sounded awkward. "Queen Nara's early decease, our world was lack of the Magic-pin, so we tried searching for you."
He ended with a rueful smile. I connected the story with what I had learnt during these few days. It seemed they took quite a long time to find the Princess and by the time they did, this world had already been in such a devastated state. On top of that, they brought the wrongperson. Oh, dear.
My face must have some sort of sorrow on it because Philip shut all the books up and said that we should end the class here for today. He even patted my head.
"Sorry," Philip said. "It was not my intention to bring that up." He must be thinking that I was sad about Queen Nara's death, in fact, I was just sorry for Shaph and the people of this world and, of course, Princess Carla who was still left in my world, not knowing about her mother and her own fate.
He took my hand. "I know you bear a mighty burden. Do not worry. With my best, I will support you."
I tried to lift the corner of my lips up, succeeded only on the left side. The Princes were so helpful...overly helpful...scary.
Prince Ciel did not show up on the tea session making Princess Alette very upset. I was a bit disappointed too, I wanted very much to listen to his music. The Princess went out to look for him and never came back.
Works with Sir Liam occupied me until midday. I had to mediate a quarrel between a village and farm workers. It wasnotfun. But, you know, it was supposed to be funlater on for it was called play time with the Bila's siblings. No! it was super boring!
"Seventeen!" I choked on the berry tea. I was not fond of berry tea, and when you choked on it, it tasted doubly bad.
"I'm fourteen!" Elise said.
"I may be younger than you." Eldrin grinned. "But only a year or two, I don't think it's a problem between us."
It is, young man. You're like—more than ten years younger than me—I don't eat a boy.
"The age's not a problem for us to be friend too." Elise said with a cheeky grin. "I hope we could have lots of fun!"
I could only reply her with a smile. I stopped playing like a child a long time ago.
"Princess Kara isn't your playmate, Elise." Eldrin rebuked his sister, peering out at the bright ray of the sun and squinted. "Such a warm and beautiful span of sunlight, should we dance?"
"What? Whoa!"
He did not wait for my comment and pulled me up from our tea table. I observed my feet and found that we were already in a dancing stance.
I looked up. His eyes peered at me with tenderness. Met by the sun, they were such a bizarre shade of purplish brown.
Eldrin's generous smile could not accelerate my heart. Not even his touches or how graceful he moved about could help. He was only a little brother to me, and Elise, a little sister. The little Princess was so excited seeing us dance that she stood up jigging her feet in rhythm. Eldrin said that these were Bila's dance for the sun.
"Your Kingdom worships the sun?" I asked.
Eldrin raised his brows. "You don't know about the Light of Bila?"
I heard those words somewhere before...
"Magic fused with sunlight in Bila." Eldrin started explaining. "Every twelve years when the light is saturated with magic, we have the Light of Bila. It cures every sickness and disease from living things."
"Everything? Even the brain damage, heart disease, paralysis or a broken arm?" I said, amazed.
"Everything." Eldrin confirmed and even Elise repeated what her brother had just said. Then the prince added, "Under it."
"Papa said that our Kingdom used to be very popular." Elise said with nostalgic tone. "There were many tourists in the year of the Light of Bila. All came in sick, but went back home with a healthy happy face. They would buy lots and lots when their health was restored. Our economy was very good."
Light...my eyes—don't tell me! "Wow." The story and the light that I had experienced from Sharon's little crystal box gave such an amazing impression that I could not hold the word in my mouth. "That's so awesome. Everyone in this world should be healthy."
"That was years ago story." Eldrin said dolefully. "There was no Light of Bila for more than fifteen years. The last one was about six years before Queen Na—" Elise shoved her elbow into Eldrin warning him not to talk about my—Princess Carla's mother. I pretended to hear nothing and he restarted with a cough. "The days in Bila have also become short since then. We only have two hours of sunlight each day before you arrived."
"Papa said the day's length is already six hours! And it's getting longer! I'm so excited." Elise said ebulliently looking very cute with her big brown plus purple-sparkles eyes. "But I prefer Coronale, we get full twelve hours of sun!"
"I'm glad you like it here." I talked as if I was the owner of this palace.
There was more work session with Sir Liam after lunch. Writing letters to Kings and Queens and Dukes and Lords was brain-cracking and solving what Sir Liam called 'minor issues' about acute torrent of flood in southern area was brain-smashing. I had no geography knowledge and Sir Liam had to give me a very brief explanation of the country before moving on to the solution. He suggested using Magic.
"But who will do the Magic?" I asked.
"Why, you, of course, Princess." said Sir Liam.
Heck, this is getting out of hand. "But, I—I'm at the beginning level, the kindergartner level!"
"Well, then—" Sir Liam seemed to lost words and we fell into silence.
I looked at the map on my desk again and sighed very quietly. "Sir Liam, please give me some time. I will try to study the location of the place again."
Sir Liam bowed and left me alone with pile of works. I thought I wanted to cry. If I could go back to my world this time, I was going to love my job a lot.
Shaph came in delivering tea and cake and reminding me that it was time to go to Prince Valentine's lesson. He took a look at the papers on my desk while I had a hard time holding up a sigh.
"Oh, the flood waseverywhere in the southern city and northern Kingdoms." He said. "But there should be no problem by now."
I hold my fork on the cake. "Why?"
"The flood was caused by Magic turmoil in Edurne. It didn't create ice from excessive water from the north like it should." Shaph said. "But, something is strange Princess, other Kingdoms and Queendoms have been reporting better Magic situation. For example, Bila's day that used to be short was longer; Azmera's ancient forest is back green and alive; the berserk animals in Aeca are reduced in numbers. And I have just got a letter from Witrin disclosing that their rocks once again become gems. Smaller countries—namely Narun, Mayland, Saelia, Moka and others—likewise reports have been pouring in like waterfall too. I think the same should go for Edurne. And since Edurne's Magic problem is fixed, the south is supposed to have normal climate like it should be. I do not understand why," Shaph poured me more fragrant tea. "But I guess when you came, Princess, Princess Carla was somewhere near and her power got through the portal with you."
I sighed with relief, understood only the last remark and was grateful about it.
"Oh, by the way, unfortunately," Shaph added, "King Fayn has been very very busy. He cannot arrange any lesson for you today and tomorrow. He sent apology."
That was double great news! I thought happily. The only thing to count on was for Shaph to find Princess Carla as soon as possible and got me out of these Princes' grasps. "With better Magic situation, it should be easier for you to find a Magician then Shaph? To open the portal?"
"A Sorcerer, Princess." His pair of rabbit front teeth stood prominent in the crescent smile. "I guess so."
The tea suddenly tasted more delicious. He was right about those because a few days later, Sir Liam reported to me that the clime in the south was really becoming better, unlike my Magic classes.