Chapter 20 – Queries
Renica stared at her doll in shock and disbelief. The doll was trying to bite Arston, her friend. She quickly grabbed the doll by its shoulder, holding it closer to her chest, in order to calm it down.
"What are you doing!?" she whispered urgently. "He's a friend! Why do you want to bite him?"
The doll stopped struggling and looked at Renica, its blank stare questioning her. It pointed its little finger at her neck, indicating something.
"My neck?" Renica was puzzled. "What do you mean?"
The doll retracted its fangs and continued to stare at her.
Renica suddenly felt a surge of understanding. It was as if she could feel the doll's thoughts and intentions. Though the message was simple and vague, she grasped its general meaning. And so, the girl began to have a monologue with her doll, or at least that's how it appeared to anyone watching.
"No, he didn't hurt me at all. In fact, he helped me. Yes, I'm fine. How come you never moved before? Ah, I see. You mean... If you do that, I can... But he's my friend. No, no! Is there any other way? I'll never do it! It's okay, I'm already starting to get used to it. Please, don't do it, okay... And please, don't let anyone see you when you're moving. Thank you."
Renica wanted to ask more questions about the doll's abilities and intentions, but the doll fell silent after explaining itself. She hugged the little version of herself and returned to her thoughts and memories.
Arston slowly opened his eyes, awakened by the gentle rays of the morning sunlight streaming through the glass window.
"Good morning, Arston," Renica greeted him. "How are you feeling? Are you dizzy or lightheaded?"
Arston turned his head to find Renica sitting nearby, hugging her doll tightly.
"Morning," he replied. "How long have you been sitting there, Renica?"
"Not long, I think. I watched the sunrise from your window about an hour ago. Then I played with my two friends," Renica replied, gesturing toward her doll and the smaller replica of herself.
"I see. Did you...?" Arston began to ask, but Renica interrupted.
"No, I didn't watch you sleep. I didn't go downstairs, and I didn't go to the battle zone," she hurriedly explained.
"Ah, that's good to hear. By the way, shall we continue with your neck treatment?" Arston asked.
Renica gulped nervously and hesitantly posed her own question. "Should we? I don't think we need to go through that again. I'm okay with my current state."
Arston sighed, realizing her hesitation. "You do understand that I'm not frozen like you are, right? My fourth birthday is coming up in two months. After that, I'm not sure if I'll still be able to see you. And you're aware that the black mark won't just disappear from your neck on its own, right?"
Renica winced at the memory of the painful treatment she had undergone before. "But it's so painful," she whined.
"Medicine and treatment are rarely pleasant, Renica. Sometimes, we have to endure pain to get better. At worst, you'll only need to go through it two or three more times," Arston explained.
"My God! You must be teasing me, Arston. Please, stop it. It's not funny," Renica pleaded, hoping it was all a joke.
Arston gave her a stern look.
"umm, can we do it tomorrow or perhaps the day after? Please…".
"Be my guest. But don't say the same thing when the time comes."
"I got it," Renica resigned, realizing there was no escape from the treatment.
"Hey, Arston," Renica called out to him as he sat in a chair, facing the window.
"What is it?" he asked, turning to her.
"How did you cast that ice mirror yesterday?" she asked curiously.
Arston paused for a moment, surprised by the question. "Why do you ask?"
"Well, I've never seen anyone conjure water, shape it, and turn it into ice before," Renica explained, mimicking spellcasting gestures with her hands.
"I see. Didn't you mention that people in your castle could conjure anything they needed?" Arston asked, remembering Renica's earlier revelation about her home.
"Yes, but they usually conjured weapons or projectiles. And it happened instantly, as if they summoned them out of thin air," Renica replied.
"Hmm, I suppose my magic usage is still quite crude then," Arston pondered aloud.
"Crude? What do you mean?" Renica inquired.
"I simply manipulate the water vapor in the surrounding air, shaping it to my will, and then lower the air pressure. The relationship between temperature and air pressure follows a linear function, like X + Y = 0," Arston explained.
"What does that mean? Linear function? Relationship?" Renica asked, trying to grasp the concept.
"It means that temperature and air pressure are like a married couple. When one goes up, the other follows, and vice versa," Arston clarified.
Renica's eyes widened with curiosity. "Which one is the boy, and which one is the girl?"
Arston chuckled at her innocence. "I suppose the temperature is the boy, and the pressure is the girl."
"Why is that?"
"You certainly love asking questions, don't you?" Arston remarked, amused by her enthusiasm.
"Well, yes. My mommy told me to never be afraid of asking people with more knowledge. The more I ask, the more information I'll get," Renica explained, her eyes shining with curiosity.
"Your mom was right. However, even professors get annoyed if you ask them unrelated questions," Arston advised.
"Oh, okay. But how are babies made?" Renica blurted out, unaware of the inappropriate nature of her question.
Arston's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "That's even more unrelated!"
Renica tilted her head, puzzled. "Can you answer my question, though?"
Arston sighed, realizing he had inadvertently opened this can of worms. "If I answer your question, will you quiet down and play with your dolls?"
Renica's face lit up with excitement. "Yes, please!"
Arston shook his head in amusement. "Fine. Let me explain. When boy and a girl slept together…".
Renica's cheeks turned slightly pink as she thought about what Arston was saying. "Does that mean I'm..."
Arston quickly interrupted her. "Stop right there! I meant when they're older. Besides, have you ever seen a four-year-old having a baby? Especially a four-year-old female spirit?"
Renica shook her head, her curiosity still piqued. "When you say 'sleep together,' you mean like your mom and dad, right?"
Arston's face turned red, realizing where the conversation was headed. "That's enough science for today. I'm hungry. What about you?"
Renica nodded eagerly. "I am too!"
Arston breathed a sigh of relief. "Phew, that was a close one. I almost tainted this innocent princess's mind, just like Irvina did with Anya," he muttered to himself.
Fast forward ten days later, after enduring two more sessions of pain and fainting spells, Renica's neck was finally free of the black marking. Although it had reduced in size, it was still noticeable.
"Alright, this should be the last time you'll ever experience such pain, as long as you don't get murdered again," Arston joked.
"Hey, that's rude! It's not like I asked to get murdered," Renica protested, tears welling up in her eyes at the thought of the upcoming burning sensation.
"Apologies. But you should be shedding tears of joy since this will be the last time," Arston reassured her, trying to lighten the mood.
"Can we wait for another two days?" Renica pleaded, hoping to postpone the inevitable.
Arston sighed and examined her neck. "I'm afraid two days is too long. But let me check."
"Really?" Renica's eyes sparkled with hope.
"Have I ever lied to you?" Arston asked, placing his hand over his heart.
Renica pondered for a moment. "No, you haven't."
Arston touched the remaining mark on her neck and cast the healing spell. Renica let out another scream of pain, but this time, it was shorter and less intense.
"I'm sorry, but two days would have been too long," Arston explained, watching over the now unconscious girl to ensure no complications arose.
As he waited, a thought crossed his mind. "Shouldn't wandering spirits disappear once they're freed from their grievances? What's going on with this peculiar princess?" Arston wondered.
Arston continued his studies, delving deeper into his research and refining his magic skills. The house seemed quieter without the "tyrant", who had left for her education at the magic academy in the capital of Trinfuv, Codsorfa. Despite Lenfort's reluctance, he had no choice but to yield to her mother's threats and Anya persistent requests.
As Renica slept peacefully, a small figure emerged from the table near the window. It approached her and settled on her chest, just as it had done eleven days ago. However, this time, tears streamed down its face as it noticed something growing inside both of them—the mark of change that living creatures undergo as they age. Yet, these subtle changes would go unnoticed by anyone except the small figure for the next year.