"Where were you last night?" Colete asked, tilting her mug of herbal tea with suspicion. Eydis, mid-bite of her sandwich, shrugged nonchalantly. "Sleeping in my room, obviously. Why would I be anywhere else?"
Natalia, notorious for her directness, snorted. "Don't play coy, Eydis. We checked. Astra the Ice Queen greeted us like a blizzard in August."
Birgit, the timid one, shivered at the memory of Astra's piercing stare. This time, though, it was Eydis who seemed rattled. Instead of her usual smirk, she leaned back, a mischievous glint flickering in her amber eyes as she sipped Birgit's forgotten orange juice. Birgit gulped, the gaze bouncing between them until she scurried off to get a new glass.
Colete, the peacemaker, cleared her throat. "Eydis, Astra seemed… well, volcanic. What happened?"
Eydis shrugged again, but the forced airiness couldn't hide the flicker of anxiety in her eyes. "Beats me," she chirped, a touch too high. "Maybe she has a personal dislike of my…nose?"
Natalia's brow furrowed. "Maybe you should reconsider the teasing, Eydis. Not everyone appreciates being the punchline."
Eydis grinned, a touch too sharp. "It's all in good fun, seeing them squirm is half the joy."
Birgit returned, gaze lingering on Eydis with unspoken judgment. "Sure," she said, voice flat. "Harmless fun, until someone gets frostbite."
Eydis corrected, a smirk pulling at her lips. "Isn't she a metal sorcerer? No risk of hypothermia there."
Birgit raised an eyebrow, a hint of understanding flickering in her eyes. "I see what you're playing at."
"Innocent as a lamb," Eydis declared, but her eyes betrayed a secret shared only with the steam rising from her cup.
Natalia nudged Eydis playfully. "Cut the act, spill. Where were you? We were ready for popcorn, gossip, and maybe a truth or dare. Tell us, where did you vanish, our mysterious friend? Or are we doomed to remain in the dark?"
Eydis leaned back, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Let's just say I spent the night in an intimate moment, uncovering secrets, peeling back layers, and whispering sweet nothings to something truly extraordinary."
Colete nearly choked on her drink, her eyes wide with fascination. "Tell us everything! What did you do?"
Birgit, blushing furiously, covered her ears but peeked through her fingers. "Too much information, too much!"
"I traced every hidden line, and admired the intricate dance of their movements. I noticed there was an opening, so I began to penetr…" Eydis' recollection of the previous night's events was muffled by a very flustered Natalia. Grinning, she added, "Should I keep going?"
"We're good; we've got the picture," said an embarrassed Colete, and the table erupted in laughter.
Birgit nervously bit her lip. "Speaking of… taking things further, have you… explored that territory with your admirers, Eydis?"
Eydis raised an eyebrow, was she really going to have this conversation right now?
Seeing her internal conflict, Birgit waved her hand dismissively, "N-never mind, it's just, um, my fiancé has been a-asking if we could take a n-next step, b-but…"
Colete placed a comforting hand on Birgit's arm. "And that's perfectly okay. Your fiancé should understand that these things take time, and you deserve to feel ready before taking any big leaps."
Natalia, ever the fiery one, grinned. "If your prince charming gets impatient, his chin will meet my fist before his lips meet yours, got it?"
Birgit's innocent question about "pain" and "first time" hung in the air, met only with shrugs. Eydis, feeling the weight of unturned eyes, longed for an escape. Suddenly, a soft voice cut through the tension.
Suddenly, a soft voice cut through the tension. "Eydis, there you are," Princess Athena spoke, her touch lingering a beat too long.
Eydis, seizing the opportunity, offered a grateful smile. "Just the person I need. We've got a delicate project to conduct, wouldn't you say?"
Natalia's eyebrow shot up. "The princess too? Does Eydis collect royalty like trading cards?"
Eydis, lips curving into a cryptic smile, simply winked. "Let's just say this project requires a touch of royal magic."
Natalia whipped out her notebook, ideas cascading. A new royal character for her fan-fiction, and Eydis's questionable winks needed more practices.
**
Athena's laughter, like wind chimes in a tempest, echoed through the empty summer garden, a stark contrast to the sun-drenched stillness.
"Privacy, Eydis? You made quite the show summoning me like a genie from a teapot," the princess teased, her smile hinting at amusement beneath its regal veneer.
Eydis scowled, a playful shadow dancing in her eyes. "Thanks to your brother's nosiness, privacy seems a luxury I can't afford these days. And speaking of shows, that interrogation I endured about… well, everything… was rather uncomfortable, wouldn't you agree?"
A flicker of sympathy crossed Athena's face. "Well, I guess you owe me again this time. You looked like a cornered cat under that barrage of questions."
"Yes, yes, keep the score, Athena. One day I'll pay you back all at once. Asking for relationship advice, bed advice… it was enough to make anyone squirm."
The princess smiled softened. "Don't dismiss their curiosity so quickly, Eydis. You inspire them, challenge them. They simply look up to you."
"Look up to me?" Eydis's brow furrowed, genuine disbelief tingeing her voice.
"They trust you enough to ask for guidance, wouldn't you say?" Athena pointed out, her voice gentle.
"Trust," Eydis echoed, the word tasting bitter on her tongue. She leaned forward, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, "Trust is like navigating a maze blindfolded. Every bump against a wall could be a spike waiting to puncture you."
Athena's smile faltered. "That's a bit dramatic, don't you think?"
Eydis's eyes gleamed with melancholy. "Is it? Imagine giving a lifetime to someone. How can you trust a heart enough to promise forever? Forever is a long time, princess, long enough for even the sun to burn out, for the strongest foundation to crumble."
A shadow flickered under Princess Athena's eyes. "That's…I have no answer to it, either."
Eydis's glint sharpened, a playful predator eyeing her prey. "So, tell me, princess, does your future hold a place for a knight cloaked in shadows and whispers? Or does your heart belong to another?"
Athena's composure remained regal, her chin held high. "I wouldn't dream of indulging in such frivolous speculation." But the tremor in her voice, the slight hitch in her breath, betrayed her words.
Eydis chuckled, a low, knowing sound. "See? Even you, with all your knowledge and power, find the heart's whispers unsettling. Now imagine facing a barrage of questions about them all day long."
The princess, eyes narrowed, leaned closer. "No one has dared ask me such things, but if they did, they'd find themselves in a dungeon."
Eydis burst out laughing, the sound echoing through the garden like a flock of startled birds. "Dungeon time for an innocent question? You're as ruthless as they say!"
Eydis, ever the mischief-maker, shifted the topic. "Speaking of mysteries, does your valiant knight have any hidden talents? Can he juggle wyverns or sing sonnets to make dragons swoon?"
The princess chuckled, amusement sparking in her eyes. "More like he stumbles through waltzes and struggles to keep his pet ferret out of trouble. Quite the charming chaos, wouldn't you say?"
Eydis feigned outrage. "A valiant knight who trips over his own feet? Surely this demands an epic ballad!"
"Now, another word about the knight, and that dungeon threat might just become reality." Athena warned, her eyes twinkling with mock menace.
Eydis leaned in conspiratorially. "Dungeon it is, then. But at least you'll have your knight in shining armor to keep you company while I'm stuck there."
Athena couldn't help but laugh, a warm, unburdened sound. "You're incorrigible, Eydis."
Eydis tucked the lavender behind her ear with a wink. "A touch of rebellion can liven things up, wouldn't you say, Athena?" Catching a glimpse of a commotion in the corner of her eyes, she continued, "Ah, did you know Sir John has a sister?"
Athena followed Eydis's pointed gaze, taking in the silver-haired girl's graceful stroll and the dazed admirers trailing in her wake. "Her presence is undeniably striking," the princess admitted, her voice softening. "But it's more than just beauty, Eydis. Her magical aura… it hums with power, like a storm trapped within."
"You can sense her mana?" Eydis leaned in, curiosity flickering in her amber eyes.
"Her magic… it's different from Sir John's, somehow."
"Different? How so?" Eydis pressed, her interest piqued.
The princess paused, a thoughtful frown furrowing her brow. "Sir John's aura feels like a sunlit meadow, warm and safe. But Lady Astra… hers is like a crackling fire, intense and unpredictable. It makes me a little… uneasy."
"A crackling fire metal sorcerer?"
Princess Athena nodded, her brow furrowed in contemplation as she observed Astra from afar. "Intriguing," she murmured, her eyes swirling with a mix of curiosity and concern. "The intensity of her energy... it's almost palpable."
As if sensing the unwanted scrutiny, Astra snapped her eyes towards the summer garden. From a distance, the change was palpable. The stoic ice queen morphed into a prowling snow leopard, her icy gaze radiating a silent threat.
"Oh my, what have you done to her now, Eydis?" Athena chuckled, a melody tinkling through the air.
"Let me guess," Eydis smirked, feeling the surge of Astra's power from afar. "Intense energy cranked up to hurricane level?"
The princess chuckled, a melody tinkling through the summer air. "They are a fascinating pair, wouldn't you say? He, the calm of a sunlit meadow, and she, a force of nature. Quite the contrast."
Eydis smiled wryly. "Sir John's more of a quiet mountain brook than a crashing waterfall. Not my favourite flow these days.
Athena raised an eyebrow. "I take it your affection for Sir John has waned?"
Eydis smirked. "Well, it's not that I'm over him; it's more like I've evolved."
"He's perfectly content with his dusty scrolls and predictable routines. Not everyone shares your thirst for adventure and chaos, dear Eydis. You need to be kept on a leash."
"A leash?!" Eydis feigned shock, "First the dungeon, now a collar—what kind of activities are you really into, princess?"
Their playful banter was interrupted by a burst of mirthful laughter. Prince Adrian, as dashing as ever, entered the scene, his carefree demeanour masked by a touch of refined elegance. A meticulously tailored dark gold blazer sat starkly against his crisp white shirt and waistcoat, an image of regal sophistication. A striking gold brooch adorned his chest, the luxurious wool bespoke his status as the Empire's most distinguished son.
"My, my, what have you done to my dear sister?" Prince Adrian's words hung in the air, a playful inquiry accompanied by a charismatic smile.