She slightly lifted the skirt of her dress with clenched fists and out of her tent she went. A cool breeze greeted her face and bright natural light almost blinded her initially.
Because they arrived during the night, Red had not given the opportunity to inspect her new environment since the night they landed. Not only was everything submerged in the darkness at the time but also because she fell into unconsciousness right after – a phenomenon that still needed some explanation for her to understand. She swore she felt something odd happen that induced her into getting unwell.
When she exited her tent, she gawked and marveled at everything that her eyes could land on. Her new environment was so refreshingly young in the sense that there was no pollution and the flora surrounding her was extremely healthy. Trees with robust leaves and thick trunks greeted her as its branches swayed gracefully with the afternoon breeze. In all honesty, it felt like she's still in the world below, but in a place located in a different part of that world because she had to admit that the world below had extremely astounding and varying sceneries all over: in the desert, in the tropics, under the sea and in the mountains. Right now, she felt like she's just taking a trip to the countryside – a much less developed place but rich in nature's treasures.
In reality, she's at Briar Glen Realm, the realm where Aempleforth and the neighboring kingdoms belong to. Matilda and Laarni told her that they called the world where she came from the Ground Realm, a very fitting and pragmatic term for what it was.
"Princess Meredith, Your Ladyship." A man Red had met once in East Sechoia County appeared in front of her and dropped to one knee. His deep auburn tresses came in much better view now that he was kneeling in front of her, and as the position permitted, she saw a sword slung around his waist which was otherwise hidden by his white, shimmering cape when standing up. However, she could not see his face since he's dead set on bowing down as a show of respect.
She gasped at his action. "Sir, please don't kneel. Please stand up." She was almost begging him. It brought uneasiness to both of them. The man eventually followed her instructions and stood up, easily towering over her.
Red realized that she had mistaken the man they called Sir Karyk as a horseman before. He was far too sophisticated to be one.
The man introduced himself, one arm bent respectfully across his chest, palm facing up, "I am Karyk, First Knight of the Royal Swords. I am here to be your personal knight, Princess Meredith. I will be here to protect you from all potential danger, and to teach you the arts of the sword prior to our arrival at the palace. I will also teach you the basic knowledge and skill in sorcery for survival as part of the Royal Family. Please allow me to accomplish the tasks delegated to me by His Highness, the Emperor."
She somehow mirrored his action. Her arm loosely bent across her chest, hovering in utter shock. Slack-jawed, she almost stuttered, "You will teach me sword skills and magic, Sir Karyk? You're a knight? Cool! It's my dream to see a knight in real life! Wow! Hehehe!" She had almost lost the dignity befitting a princess.
"I am apologizing in advance. Your training will be challenging and physically demanding. We don't have enough time. You should have a strong grasp of the basics before your Coming-of-Age Ceremony. We have a tight schedule."
"Oh, don't worry. I'm a quick learner. I love studying." She flicked her wrist dismissively and good-naturedly. Then, she added in a much serious tone, "I am more interested in Healing Magic. Is there such a thing? Can you teach me too?"
"I will teach you my knowledge of the art, Her Ladyship. But, we have to prioritize some topics first. I believe Healing Magic can be squeezed into the top subjects you need to learn."
"Yes!" She threw a victorious fist in the air. It's a bit unbecoming with her attire and her title.
"Shall we start with the training tomorrow, Princess? By the way, I am afraid you have to dress down during training. Please wear combat attire in the succeeding days."
"Okay." Her voice fell. For some reason, the training was giving her the notion that it could really be tough. "I will tell my girls."
He nodded his head. Sir Karyk seemed to possess a serious disposition. Perhaps it's because of him being a knight.
"Sir Karyk," She called out. "They said you're the one who did the assessment of my condition when I lost consciousness. Did you know what happened?"
"Yes. It was a programmed reaction from royalties. Once you entered the premises of Briar Glen Realm, the flow of mana in your body had been activated. IT caused some disruptions with your normal bodily functions, but after resting, I believe your body has completely adjusted. How are you feeling, Princess Meredith?" He asked, but he did not seem worried.
"Thank you for asking. I'm feeling so energized right now. My body feels so much lighter. My lungs, too. I remembered that I couldn't breathe at all. Now it's a no-brainer." She alternately inhaled then exhaled, observing her body's reaction. "I'm perfectly fine."
"As expected. Then, we should reconvene here tomorrow at dawn to start our training, Princess." He bowed again and left, heading to the tent which was assigned to him.
Red followed his track with her eyes, wondering what kind of a person Sir Karyk was. He seemed serious enough. 'Maybe he's stern and strict as a teacher. Like Mr. Rhyne.' She remembered her teacher in Physical Education who made their whole class tortuously run around the school oval for several lapses. She studied the placement of the sun. "Maybe they're in the middle of the Physical Education class right now. I wonder what sport they're studying. Gosh, I'm already missing them."
"Is Duru teasing another girl?" Now that she's not in the situation, she hoped for a tad bit to go back to that time when she and Andrew were having some friction over a hair tie. She felt terrible at the thought that he could possibly be giving other girls his attention, even if it's just teasing.
Red also thought about Maureen, 'Is she lonely now that I'm gone? Or has she found herself a new best friend?'
She gritted her teeth and willed herself not to be too sad about how things turned out and tried to remind herself that she's doing it for a purpose and a cause.