As the group gradually gets nearer to their destination, Edin hears the chanting and roars of a crowd echoing through the forest. She takes another step through some branches to reveal a large clearing and a castle so big she wonders why she'd never seen it before, though it was only half a day's journey from the village, she figured. Rias girlishly chuckles as she grabs the man and Edin's hands and runs toward the gates.
A pair of guards stop them, guiding them away from the line of people already queued.
"Need to see your invitations first before we can let you enter." One says in a polite but strained voice, as if he's struggling to say nice things.
The man grabs two tickets out of his coat pocket and hands them to the guards. They take them and look at Edin.
"What about hers?" They ask.
Thinking almost too quickly and without skipping a beat, the man replies: "She's our baby sister, and our parents couldn't find a sitter. Can you please let her with us?"
The guards look at each other and nod. "Yes, we'll allow it. As long as she behaves."
Rias smiles as she loudly says to Edin: "Come along baby sister!"
Edin sighs, not believing that his decoy actually worked, and she follows Rias and the man as they walk inside. Edin tugs on Rias' shoulder.
"So, what is this place?" She asks.
"This is the Greenhall Academy. We helped a group of students with a hard test a while back and we got invited to this ball." Rias gestures toward the well organized grand hall, looking like both a fair and prom with different booths and activities, as well as a large cleared square that a few students are already dancing on.
The man sighs, putting his hand on Rias' shoulder. "You know I don't dance. Let alone, in public."
Rias laughs at him. "Oh honey, you do it so well though." She nudges his arm and giddily walks over to a booth selling sweets.
Edin looks up at the giant of a man. "What exactly is your relationship with her? You guys are close enough to be brother and sister, and she keeps calling you honey."
The man looks down at her. "She's my girlfriend."
"Why do you put up with her?" She asks
"Because I am a patient fool who can see himself with her for eternity." He responds, stretching a bit, giving a glimpse of how tall he truly is, though not completely straightened.
Rias comes back with an armful of sweets, a lollipop in her mouth. "Thith ith… Really good." She stops to take the pop out before she finishes the sentence.
The man smiles. "Sometimes, my patience pays off."
Edin nods, and catches a glimpse of a man walking on a stage located on the steps of the grand hall leading up to the second floor. She points, making Rias and the man look toward him.
"Attention everyone!" He yells out, causing everyone to stop their actions and listen to him. "We here at the Greenhall Academy thank you for attending, whether you are a student, related to a student, or have been invited by other means." He glances over to the three. "We want you all to have a great time, and remember, for the safety of everyone, please do not activate your essences. Dances will begin when the sun sets at the hill. Thank you."
The announcer steps off stage, and immediately the festivities begin once more. Rias constantly bugs the man to dance, but he only replies with a sigh and tells her to wait. Meanwhile, Edin walks around, sticking close to them as she figures they know this forest much better than her. She wonders if her family will be upset at her delay, but she can just as easily blame her father for leaving her. Two people seemingly part the crown around them as they walk up to the dance floor.
Rias tugs on the man's coat. "Can we please dance? We never dance."
He begins to reject, but upon seeing her pout, he gives in. "This is one of the setbacks of being patient." He says to Edin as he gets dragged off.
Edin follows after them, while not too large of a crowd, she does find it hard to keep up with his strides, taking almost two times Edin's steps. They step on the clearing and are immediately swept away with others dancing gracefully. Edin hangs around the sidelines, making sure to keep a clear view of them so as not to lose them. While she doesn't care too much about their lives, she does care whether she gets home, and they're her only hope. She sees them dancing more gracefully than almost everyone else, only one couple giving them a run for their money. They trade partners many times, but they struggle to outshine one another. Many are cheering them on, and everyone else has cleared the floor, giving them all the space. Edin wonders if Rias knows it's a competition, or whether she's just having fun. The man, though, seems to be smirking as he tosses her around gracefully, spinning and raising her high above even his own head, straightening to his full glorious height. It amazes many, even making the other two stop. The crowds cheer as he pops up on the tip of his boot and spins, Rias holding out her arms as if she was flying. He bends his knees, still spinning as he gently sets her down, stopping as she hits the ground. The other two shake their hands as everyone returns to the floor. Edin catches them walking away, conversing with the other two kids. One is a man who's a few inches taller than Rias, and the girl is somehow shorter than her, though seeming to carry herself to be the same age.
"Oh, Edin, meet our new friends!" Rias says, guiding them to her.
"Edin, this is Jason and Lydia. Jason and Lydia, meet Edin. She's a girl we picked up on the way here." Jason and Lydia bow.
Jason looks up at the man. "And you are-" He stops as he gets a closer look at him. His brows furrow in rage.
He only smirks in response. His smirk slowly turning into a large grin, starting to go ear to ear in a very creepy way. Rias bumps into him.
"Oh stop, you. This is Teddy!" She grins, though wearing her worry on her face.
Teddy blinks a couple of times before shaking his head, snapping out of his gaze and returning to a normal face. Lydia does the same to Jason, though he does not so easily give up on his unfounded rage.
"Forgive me, but I think it's time for you to take your leave, king killer." Jason states, walking away promptly, Lydia rushing after him after shortly apologizing.
As they're told, the three exit the academy, with little words spoken between them. For once, even Rias is silent. They guide Edin back to her village, but stop a few yards away from the front gate. Edin smiles, looking at the setting sun. Fortunately, she thinks that it wouldn't have been too long for her absence, so she would not get as punished if she had shown up in the middle of the night. She turns back to the two, who have apparently had a silent argument while she had her back turned, with Rias looking infuriated at Teddy. Rias then looks saddened as she goes and hugs Edin.
"Be a good girl, okay? You're like a sister I've never had." She says, sounding as if she's fighting back tears.
Edin embraces her as well, looking over at Teddy as he mouths 'just go with it'.
"Thank you. I see you as a sister as well." Edin says, giving in to the warmness of Rias' hug.
Rias breaks it after a few seconds, standing back up and returning to Teddy's side, holding on to his hand as if she had not just been staring daggers at him. He waves to Edin, smirking normally.
"Do you think I'll see you guys again?" Edin asks.
"Perhaps, maybe when you're older." Teddy says, beginning to walk back into the forest with Rias accompanying him.