Aveline's eyes fluttered open. She turned her head slowly, realizing the Mana Burn effects were long gone, but her body was incredibly sore.
"Owwie..."
She sat up slowly, though a sudden sound from the side of her bed caused Aveline to stare into soft blue pools framed by a golden sunset.
"A-ah. H-hello, Lady Aveline. F-forgive-"
She trailed off as soon as Aveline smiled.
'She's kinda cute.'
--
"Aveline, that is Victri Ripple. Orion's little sister. She's your age, and a character you can meet in Hero's Chronicle."
--
Aveline blinked, her heart skipping at the holographic screen in front of her. She kept her cool, trying her best to read it quickly without alarming Victri.
"A-are you okay? M-my brother... I-I am so s-sorry!"
Victri bowed her head low, showing her respect to a more powerful family.
"Miss Victri, I hold no ill feelings towards you or your family. Though... where is my family?"
Victri glanced at the floor.
"Th-they are s-speaking to mine. Y-your marriage, both sides... wish to withdraw."
--
"Aveline, this is a great chance. Victri has a strange piece to her personality, especially due to her brother's harsh treatment towards her. Belittle him, you'll see it firsthand."
--
Aveline ignored Niall, her eyes falling on a floating heart above Victri's head.
'What...'
--
"Ah. You saw it. That is a Heart, it is from something I sort of gave you. Heart Capacity grows or diminishes based on your interactions with people. They only appear on those that spark interest in you. You'll get up to five Hearts, though you only need three for someone to love you."
--
Aveline's eyes finally narrowed in on Victri. The young girl looked similar to Orion, but her features were softer and more pure.
"At least, you seem to be much more pleasing to be around than that bast- err... boorish idiot."
Aveline noticed the corner of Victri's mouth twitch upwards. Her eyes popped open a little, so she took a shot.
"He was so weak, hard to even believe he was chosen as a Hero."
Aveline's eyes fell back onto the smiling face of Victri. She quickly hid it behind her hand, then reappeared with her original expression.
--
"It... will get worse."
--
Aveline could believe it, so she swung her legs over the edge of her bed and hopped to her feet. She leaned towards Victri, her eyes locking onto her face.
"Why couldn't I be betrothed to you?"
Aveline stretched, not realizing how red Victri got. Steam seemed to billow from her ears as she excused herself and ran off.
--
"You're much better at flirting than I expected, but save it. You're only eight, there are many other events going forward."
--
Aveline crawled back into her bed, curling up within the blanket.
"Niall... are you sure you chose correctly? I still question what it is I am supposed to do. I would rather not hurt my family... or scare them."
--
"I understand. It's hard, being given some strange responsibility. Even I don't know what to do right now. I've only been told to help you, to make sure you survive any and all trials coming your way. I can only say, you'll probably need to stop Orion. A lot."
--
Aveline began to fall asleep, nodding towards the screen.
"I'll stop him. He is... a bad guy."
A few hours passed by before Aveline awoke again. She rolled over, quickly noticing her parents sitting beside her bed. Their voices were low, but she could hear them perfectly.
"Thorin, do you think she's been blessed?"
"Maybe. All I know, I'm proud of her. She stood her ground. Heh... maybe we should train her a little sooner. Think she can learn when she turns ten?"
Aveline could feel a smile appear on her face, though she still remained motionless. Nilly giggled softly, leaning against Thorin.
"We have a prodigy. Do you think we can handle her?"
"Nilly, she is but a child. Even a prodigy can learn from us, though a limited amount. We can head to the capital when she has no more to learn from us. Find a proper teacher, someone she can truly learn from."
Thorin and Nilly were filled with pride, while their daughter was almost filled to bursting with excitement. She almost moved when a motion in the corner caught her eye. Standing in the moonlight, Kyra bowed to Aveline's parents.
"May I assist in her training?"
She almost seemed to plead, but the prideful parents agreed without any hesitation.
"Kyra, you are most welcome to help her train. Aveline would be happy to have her closest friend helping."
Thorin laughed like thunder, leaving Aveline to blush within her blanket... until she heard a soft slap.
"Honey! Do not wake her!"
Nilly strained her voice, coming out similar to a small screech.
"Cute."
Thorin chuckled to himself, but was interrupted by another slap.
"Excuse me, Lord Thorin and Lady Nilly, you do realize... your daughter..."
Aveline was sitting up now, staring at her parents. They immediately shifted gears, fussing over their daughter. Aveline's smile wouldn't fade as the night continued.