Sophie was astonished. It was Prince Dai's voice. She opened her door to find him floating outside.
"I didn't think you knew my address."
"Of course I do." Dai entered. "Are you alright?"
"Why won't I be?"
"Exactly," he said. "I only came here because Si was threatening to. I didn't want her to travel in her condition. I tried to reason with her, but she is..you know how she is." Dai smiled. "You have only lost a match. She is acting like it's the end of the world. Somebody has to lose. I have heard that pregnant women tend to be over emotional."
"Sorry about the travel," Sophie said. "I know you don't like it."
Dai shrugged. "Well, I was in the grounds already, so not much of an effort."
Sophie was grateful. It was good to have a known presence near her. Dai was the only person other than Sia who could have made her feel better.
"That's a nice painting," he said looking at Happiness.
"Thank you."
"Much better than mine." Dai had recognised the painter.
"Have I seen yours?"
"No," Dai said grinding his teeth, "and you never will."
"I gather it's not flattering."
"I'm sleeping in it." He frowned.
Sophie chuckled. "Mine's gluttony, you are sloth."
"I feel like I don't see you enough since Si left."
"We are not children anymore," Sophie said, "I have a job in the grounds now. And you are married."
"So what? Married men can't meet their sisters?" He waved his hand. "Well, how's your job going?"
"Quite well."
"You never got to meet Mishty properly," he said.
"You should throw a ball." The prince's love of balls wasn't a secret to anyone.
"Splendid idea. We'll do that before Si leaves," Dai said, "but right now we have more important stuff to do."
"Like?"
"You need to practise for your fight. Come on, I will be your partner."
A river of happiness drenched her. Even if she had nothing else, her family was always with her.
"I know a place we can use," she said.
She guided him towards a nearby field.
Dai looked around and commented, "Perfect place to practise." He took a fighting stance.
They practised till they were exhausted.
"You are as good as ever," Dai said leaning on his sword for support. "What happened in the arena?"
"I don't know." Sophie bit her lip. "That was a big crowd. And everyone staring at me.'
"You just got nervous." Dai touched her shoulders. "It's okay."
"I'll try not to think about the audience next time."
"Don't do that," he advised. "The more you try to forget, the more you'll be thinking about it. Just be happy that they are there. The reason you are on the stage and they are in the audience is that you are greater and better. Be proud. Be arrogant. Give them something to remember, because the crowd tends to forget."
"They do?"
"Nobody is going to remember what happened today or tomorrow or any other day of the event. These things happen every day. Unless you do something so good that they have no choice but to remember it. Why do you think I built a big star at the top of our arena?"
"To make people remember," Sophie said, "that we are the best and most splendid family."
"Exactly," the prince grinned. "Now you go win the championship and I'll go win my bet."
"Bet?" Sophie raised her eyebrows. "Why do these royals are always betting?" she added to herself.
"Mishty thinks that Rhythm will win the tournament. I don't."
"I have got to have a meeting with Mishty. She needs to know better than to bet against me," Sophie said in a silky voice.
"That's what I'm talking about. Be that," Dai said. "Now how about another match?"
They had practised all night and now Sophie was prepared to win. The two women moved in a circle. Sophie looked at the girl from Peshtim.
Neal looked at Sophie's face. A smile dominated her face. Her eyes sparkled in mischief, as if she knew a secret nobody else did. The cheers of the crowd made Neal realised he was staring at her face for so long that he had completely missed the fight. Sophie had disarmed her opponent in one swift move. They had not even taken altitude.
"Ugh, look at her," Marya said. Neal was already doing thar. Sophie was in the air taking a victory bow. She looked in his direction and her smile suddenly vanished. Marya continued, "Who does she think she is? Just because she had an easy win against Peahtim, she can't look at me like that."
This time Neal noticed the look. He assumed that Sophia was looking at him and not Marya. What could she have against Marya? Neal remembered Marya's other complain and looked at the Peshtim Prince. He did not look hostile at all. He was happy as he had won his match against the Esite, thus cementing his place against King Suffle in the finale.
Sia caught Neal looking and signalled him to meet her outside. Neal excused himself and went to meet her.
"I had to tell him," Sia whispered.
"What did you tell him?" Neal asked with his eyes wide in horror.
"Not everything," Sia assured, "just that you needed my help. He saw you at the orchards."
Sia told him the whole story and the parts she had told to her husband.
"He was jealous? How is that even possible?" Neal stared at her.
"He thought I was infidel."
"I didn't know that starlites felt envy."
"Envy, passion, possessiveness, joy, hurt," Sia said rolling her eyes. "You know we feel everything but love."
"I'm sorry," Neal said, "Do I need to apologise to him?"
"There's no need for that," Sia said. "But why are you grinning like an idiot?"
"I happen to enjoy the company of great minds." Neal winked. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go back to the said company." He walked away with a spring in his steps, leaving Sia shaking her head in disapproval.
"Has anybody ever told you that you are brilliant?" Neal asked Marya, as he took his seat.
"Once or twice," she replied with a charming smile.
"Don't let that fool you," he said. "You are a genius."
"Thank you," she said. "May I know what profit have you gained from my genius?" Marya asked. "For I know that you have."
"I mended the fence with Prince Sheutketu because you told me he was upset with me," Neal said with a smile. "A very minor misunderstanding." He took her hand in his, "I must thank you. Peshtim is fortunate to have you as the future ruler."
"I'm glad to hear that," she said putting her other hand on the pile of hands. "Maybe I should talk to the girl too."
"I think that would be ill-advised."
Marya smiled. "Your empire, your people, your rules."
"You told me it wasn't her," Shrutketu said to Sia pointing towards Neal and Marya.
"Don't be stupid. There would be no problem if she was the one," Sia said. "He is just admiring her 'great mind'." She rolled her eyes as she had understood what he was doing.
"Then who is the girl?" the prince asked again.
"You can take a thousand guesses and you won't get it right."
"You both also see that," Mishty exclaimed. She had not heard their conversation but had seen them looking at Neal and Marya. "Dai and I were also thinking the same. Looks like Princess Marya is finally succeeding in her efforts."
"You are all wrong," Sia said putting her hand on her temple. "And please stop staring at them," she said in a slightly higher voice.
Dai who was sitting between Shrutketu and Mishty agreed with his twin. "Neal can't help being charming. He seems to forget what designs this princess has on him, or he would have kept his smiles in check."
"Princess Sia is the only sane starlite I know," Marya commented at the other side of the arena.
"Everybody looks insane to a genius like you." Neal could not stop smiling.
"She is the only person among the lot," Marya said, "not staring at us."
"I'm sure they are all watching the competition. We are just seated directly across them."
"No, Sia's brother and sister-in-law, the prince and princess are definitely staring here. Sia has stopped her husband and the girl next to her is still shooting daggers at me. What have I done to her?"
"You are the genius." Neal showed his palms. "Figure it out."
"Do you happen to know this girl?"
"She works with the guardians," he said, "a commander I think."
"I hate how starlites look at humans like a source of amusement."
"Let's not go there," Neal said. "They may just be planning to kill us all and take over."
Marya chuckled. "That may be true."
The fourth day arrived and almost everybody was in a good mood.
"Today is the last day that I have to bear those stares," Marya said, "From tomorrow the separate events will start."
"We'll see them again at the farewell ceremony."
"A two day break is good enough for me."
Sophie had similar thoughts. "I can't wait for the separate events to start," she told Sia, "it's so boring at the grounds."
Sia knew perfectly well why Sophie was uncomfortable in the arena. If only anybody could make her realise that. "You live in the grounds."
"Unfortunately." Sophie sighed. "I'm eagerly waiting dor the ball. That would be some quality time away from the humans."
"We are going back to Peshtim before the ball ends. So I don't think that I'll have that much pleasure."
"That's unfortunate."
Soon it was time for Sophie and Rhythm to fight for the title.
Rhythm smiled, Sophie grinned. The smile was friendly, the grin taunting.
They took their positions at the ground. This time there was no circling. Rhythm went for the attack straightway. Sophie blocked it with her sword, but could not shake her off. Rhythm pressed hard. Swords still crossed, they both went high in the air.
The crowd stretched their necks.
The swords parted with a burst of energy which threw both of them to far corners. Rhythm attacked Sophie again, aiming for her torso. With a horizontal swift, Sophie blocked the attack and the sword flew away from Rhythm's hand.
As the sword threatened to hit the ground, Rhythm dived and grabbed it mid-air. Sophie flew down to match Rhythm's altitude. The fighters looked at each other, fire burnes in both their eyes. Both were panting. The hold on the swords tightened. They dashed towards each other. The sound of clashing swords reverberated throughout the otherwise noiseless arena. It rang again and again and again till the crowd could not keep tabs. Then it stopped. For a second, everything was still.
Rhythm and Sophie were frozen mid-air, Sophie's sword a centimetre away from Rhythm's left eye.
A congratulatory smile spread across Rhythm's face. Unlike Sophie, she was a graceful loser. Sophie could not help but return a warm smile.
The crowd which had been holding its breathe, raised an uproar. Rhythm hugged Sophie and whispered in her ear, "That was the best fight I ever had."
Sophie wished that she had done the same when she had lost.
Marya told Neal, "I hear that the starlites are having a ball."
"I was not aware," Neal said. His gaze was glued to the arena.
"Don't you think that humans should also have one too?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Why do I think what I think is a question I don't like to think about."
Instead of laughing, she said in a solemn voice, "I promise I won't try to dance with you at the ball."
It did not have the intended effect on the listener. "Then who'll dance with me?" he asked.
"Whoever you want." Marya was no fool. She had already deducted that his heart belonged elsewhere.
"I don't like balls or dance."
"Just because the prince does not like to dance doesn't mean that the subjects do not deserve a ball."
"You are right," Neal said, "We should have a ball."
The proposal wasn't as food for the empress.
"You want to have a ball but not participate in it?" she asked her son.
"That's correct," Neal said. "We should have a ball in honour of our guests like any good host."
"But you won't be there."
"I won't be comfortable among all these foreigners." They both knew it was a lie.
"You can have one dance?" she pleaded.
"I don't want to." That was the truth.
"The starlites are having a ball at the same night?" Natasha asked. She knew what he wanted to do.
"That's the only window. The Peshtims will be in Midos for only one day after the closing ceremony."
Natasha smiled. "Then we'll have the ball. Don't tell anyone that you'll be absent." She had thought of something.
Neal returned the smile. "Then I should be seen ordering some new clothes for the ball."
"Just don't do anything reckless."