Event with Jes had stirred up my suppressed emotions. Burying in works was the only way I could escape the gloomy mood that was assaulting me. I asked Uncle Derek for permission to work again and spending every single moment on the rectangle desk with Sir Liam instructing and consulting by my side.
I could neither gather enough courage to go to the basement again, nor do I want to stay in the bedroom where Princes stopped by every moment making me feel more awkward with their warm and affectionate countenance. Kay was yet to leave too. He had completely taken Shaph's job for some reason. But it would take some time for him to get used to hot caters and beverages.
Only a day after Jes' attempt to throttle my neck, Leon and Fayn barged into my study, ignoring Sir Liam who was hit by the door panel swinging open unexpectedly. They smacked on the table with their big hands sending some of papers on it flying, "Kara I heard that grandson-brute tried to kill you!"
It's out real fast! Although I had requested Shaph and Uncle Derek not to disclose such incident to any other people. "Who told you that!" I tried to say as if they got it wrong and nothing had happened.
"The birds." said Leon.
"And the rabbits." said Fayn. "It can't be a lie. They don't lie to my fang." And he showed me his sharp cone teeth filing dangerously in his mouth.
"Is this true?" Kay who was picking up the papers for me lifting his head, asked.
I tried to hide my face in both of my hands. Shaph may not be telling this to any other person, his rabbit friends, however; did not count. Behind the palms, I conceived an excuse and a genial vague smile, "Oh, that's a misunderstanding." I said vaguely, "Jed was just trying to help me choke. A piece of bread stuck in my throat. It was really embarrassing. Sir Liam, are you all right?"
Sir Liam climbed to his feet with his bleeding swollen nose in his hands. There were apologies to the old chancellor afterward and a slight examination on my neck. Fayn called in the royal doctors and Leon went to fetch them because they were too slow. Kay produced an elastic ice bar to wrap around my neck. But heck that was two days ago and the one needed it most now was Sir Liam.
An elastic ice bar? Don't ask me. I don't know how it's made. Unlike Kay, I was not an ice expert.
The commotion about my neck spread like disease. Soon everybody was queuing in front of my study and I had to tell them the lie. The effect was reversed, not gratified by the care given, I felt more depressed day by day.
Ciel was the last prince to get the news. He came back even later than Philip who brought along a ton of agates and a ton of aquamarines. Lump of layered orange rocks and clear blue crystals were everywhere in my study, it looked almost like a fortuneteller marquee and reminded me very much of Val.
"Kara! I heard—"
"A piece of bread got in my throat, Jed helped me coughed it out." I said monotonously.
"Oh," Ciel was dumbstruck for a few seconds, "And how—"
"I'm very well. Look at the agates and aquamarines around me." I beat him to it again.
"Oh," Ciel casted his eyes from one rock to another, speechless as he moved closer to the table.
"How's your trip?" In spite of the fact that I was so tired and dispirit, I asked him perforce and per-manner. "How's King Zeru and Princess Alette? Are they well?"
Ciel advanced onward dodging orange rocks to blue rocks. He stopped when he reached my desk and looked up from the maze-like floor meeting my fed-up-concealed gaze. We locked eyes. It was very hard to read thoughts from two-colored eyes, so I did not know why was he so quiet.
"Are you free tonight?" He suddenly said at length.
"I—I don't know," I said that because I was free but Uncle Derek did not want me to interact or participate much with people or other issues in this world anymore. But Ciel might be playing some song tonight and I really missed his music.
"I'll come to see you tonight okay?"
"But—!"
He said that and left.
Nighttime is very wide in range. It could be any time from sunset until sunrise. And because Ciel had not indicated exactly when should I be expecting him, I spent the hours worrying at the door. You know, I had to look cheerful and all.
"What's the matter?" Kay asked. He never left before I slept. Sharon was here too because it was really awkward staying alone after dark with a man who had seen you naked. "Why do you keep looking at the door?"
"Ciel is coming." I said.
"Prince Ciel?" Sharon said, "What for?"
"I hope I know." I said beginning to yawn.
There was a knock at that instant. And sure enough Ciel was at the other side when Kay went to open it. The Prince marched in bearing a delighted face. He grabbed on a fur cloak Sharon was arranging and put it on me. "Come on," he said and dragged me out to the balcony into the cold night wind.
"An eclipse?" I asked glancing up at the moonless night sky. "Meteor rain?"
"What are you talking about?" He grinned wistfully and took out a small bottle from his trousers pocket.
Kay and Sharon were enthusiastically watching us from inside the room. Ciel saw them and close both curtains and windows. There were complaints and shouting to me to call if I need help while Ciel quickly took my hand climbing onto the railing.
"What are you doing?" I asked as he beckoned with a pull for me to climb too.
"We're going to Mithril, my Kingdom." He said.
"But that's miles away! It'll take weeks!" I said and relented, "and I need to change, prepare a carriage—"
"Not if we take that way." He said and pointed with another hand upward.
"Wha—" Ciel suddenly hauled me up with his force. I quickly grabbed onto his arm with both hands for safety. He then sprinkled something glittering from the tiny bottle all over our bodies.
"Magic dust!"
That was all I could say before Ciel shoved me outward into the nothingness. I gasped and held tighter to his hand. He jumped too but we were not taken by the gravity as my instinct had suggested. Ciel made a light kick and we soared like a rocket up into the dark diamonds studded black curtain.
"Whoa!" I could not help peeking below and swallowing. I was not afraid though, I was getting really really excited!
This is going to be awfully fun, I thought as Ciel propelled us further up. Soon we were enveloped by thousands of stars sparkling their small silvery lights like piece of illuminated snowflakes in the sky and I realized how tiny I was in this big blanket of night heaven. We maintained our speed through the limitless glittering space where cold and sharp wind could not prevail the wonder and spectacularity of the jeweled panorama. My spirit flew with me and I whirled around shards of stars feeling like riding on a space mountain but much much better. I had never been any freer. It was like a dream come true.
"It's going to get even better." Ciel laughed as he watched me flew another circle.
His voice took me back to my sense, I stopped. "Wait, isn't this your national treasure? The Magic dust?"
Starlight reflected on Ciel's smile. "It's worth wasting on you."
He said that as we went on another space ride. Sometimes we glided really fast, heart leaping at the free-flowing speed and unobstructed adventure; sometimes we just hovered still, heart swelling at the breathtaking beauty of the starry clusters; sometimes we just wheeled round and round, heart pounding at the freedom and carefree moment we were indulging in so rapturously.
I did not care to look at the landscape underneath, up here was already too much to see, so only when Ciel guided me down that I knew we have arrived at Mithril.
It was still very dark. There was not much to see but I knew we were in some kind of glade. Ciel then called me, "Look."
Over on the left side, tiny sprays of light crackled as if someone had lit a very small firework.
"Look there."
Ciel said again and made me turned right. The same thing happened at the skirt of the opening.
Ciel was pointing at these miniature fireworks for a couple more times. Then as if something was ignited, these fireworks of all colors started to spark, fizzing and sizzling rapidly everywhere in this zone. About thrice they snapped right beside me popping on my skin. I could not feel any heat but pure excitement with blobs of blue, yellow, green, red and many more dazzling around me.
"Is this—"
"Magic dust field." finished Ciel. "Look how you liven up this place. It's never been more alive. Thank you."
Although it was not my place to take the credit, but I hope it was not wrong to enjoy the miraculous creation happening before me. I ran extending out my hands to feel the tickling sensation. Small glows flickered on and off flashing hues onto our skin. Ciel's moon eye was exceptionally beautiful in this light as he moved his face closer to me. "Feeling better now?"
"Yes!" I answered him without really think.
His smile broadened, his arms encircled around my shoulders turning me stiff to the spot. Caught up in vim and vigorous feelings I, however, forgot to resist. "You looked so glum this afternoon." He murmured above my head sending surprise into me. I had always thought my acting was pretty convincing. He later took out his flute and played songs to accompany the atmosphere. It was very romantic. The good time I had extinguished the birth of apprehension about Princes' pursuit of my false love.
As it turned out after the enchanted experience with Magic dust field and Magic dust flight, not just Ciel, but others had been noticing my dejected mood too. Philip marched in the next morning presenting a custom-made round brilliant deep blue diamond to me for no apparent reason. Soft light flared on its dainty cuts as he put it on my neck and said. "Hope it will cheer you up."
I still had no clue with those words when Leon came in next and inviting me out to the forest. He said the animals missed me and in fact I missed them too. So I folded up my work, thought it wouldn't kill to rest a bit, and went with him.
Upon arriving, Pippy, Mimmy, Cissy, Gebby, and many other were waiting stomping their feet, ears and tails wriggling enthusiastically—of course I could not tell which one name which, Leon told me—and even Fayn was here too.
Everyone, except Fayn and Leon, climbed onto me. Their tiny feet tickled my skin and I was pressed squashing under Kotty the bear—the wolves and deer joined him. My face was washed with thick smelly saliva, scrubbed with long and rough red piece of sponges.
"Ow!" I shrieked and giggled rolling on the grassy ground.
"That's enough." I later saw it was Fayn saying this. He pulled the wolves and the bears away one by one as I sat up laughing. "You guys are flattening her."
It was such a joyous time. We strolled into the forest breathing in ozone and resting eyes against green. We also went past my former secret place where Fayn urged me to sing for them. I was going to refuse but the animals lined themselves around me so neatly and fixed me with those innocent round clear eyes that refusing was not possible. I sighed and thought—since I'm leaving here soon anyway, I might as well do it as a present.
Everyone was cheering in animal-ish. Leon did not stop smiling. But Fayn seemed to be the most ecstatic one. I blushed at the reactions.
That evening Jared arranged us a dinner, a superb dinner which he created every dish by himself using Magic. Although I was wary of the food's origin, Jared's determination touched me deeply and I felt really thankful that I ate all of them without hesitation.
Eldrin and Elise invited me to a picnic the next day. Surprisingly, Val was there too. I felt like a stranger among family members somehow. But it was also a pleasurable time, talking about random stuff, watching Val flirting with Elise. Umm, maybe I was the only one with the fun.
Kay came up with various types of shaved ice. The weather was cold (to me), nonetheless; Kay's intention was so pure and strong and, to tell the truth, I kind of enjoy his art, that I could not wait to see his new shaved ice every day.
Sharon brought in more new dresses and racked her brain designing new hair ornaments for me since black roots started to become visible. She also researching new skin treatment formula and experimented on me. Well, they were quite soothing and relax.
Sir Liam just gave me less work.
Peaceful moments always flew with light speed. Everybody spoilt me with too much joy and bliss that I submerged deep in these light and blithe sentiment and almost forgot my purpose when the day arrived.
Shaph burst in with a loud thud. He yelled, "It opens!"