Chapter 323: Wee to Arda


    Dressed in more suitable attire, ss 2A made its way towards the throne room. Before that, the servants gave a summary of how to present oneself before the queen. Shaking in their boots with overwhelming reluctance, the students approached.


    “Stop shivering,” voiced Simone towards Fletcher.


    Frowned, “-I’m not shivering,” staring over the shoulder, “-I’m just cold that’s all.”


    “Cold you say,” chuckled Timothy nervously, “-do pardon my presumption, thee do seem to sweat from the forehead,” a cheeky remark that had the others grinning.


    Up ahead of the boys, walked the first with sharp posture and dignity. Nobles were of a ss of their own. Eira led the way for she knew the pce in and out. It came as a surprise to see that the portals didn’t link to the Overseer’s room. Else, it opened into passageways and room simr to a normal castle.


    “I fear theing meet,” said Kim who straightened her round sses.


    “Is the Queen harsher than the King?” asked Christina who twirled a lock of hair around her index. A subconscious way to keep the mind busy.


    .....


    “Have thee not met her during the closing ceremony?” asked Eira with a cold expression.


    “Not that I remember, no,” voiced Mille with her hands wrapped around itself.


    “I suppose I must apologize?” spoken, another massive door came with haste.


    “Mind thyselves,” voiced Rosetta who had the door opened with a single press. Magic opposed to technology, a silent unlock. Stood in order, guards stretched onto till the podium where sat a mysterious figure. Along the red carpet, nces towards the first floor showed people in expensive coats and attire peering down with wine sses. Towards the left, in a corner, a few shadowy figures were grouped. They seemed to only speak in one another’s ears.


    “Majesty,” bowed Rosetta, “-I’ve brought our guests.” Led to this instant, pressure turned into a fog that had spread throughout the throne room. What they saw wasn’t the grandiose décor or show of prestige, through said mist; a single-window atop which red the queen.


    “Majesty,” knelt Eira with a lowered gaze.


    “Majesty,” said the others who did the same. Nods of acknowledgment were given by the judgmental nobles. They who were adamant on any intruder to be very respectful of their monarch had no trouble.


    “Raise thy heads,” ordered she who held power. Dressed beautifully in a radiating dress of which the shoulders had frills running up and down the sleeve. Ending with a white glove and rings, her eyes were as green as the leaves on a bright Sunday morning. Far from beingbed, the hair was left to be long and straight.


    One by one, they stared to only avert her gaze and admire the tapestry behind. Changed depending on the asion, the wall behind the throne could be either wall of flowers, tapestries, and even portraits. Today was one that had the sun as the main attention, the light radiated towards shadows who rose from a canyon.


    “Wee to Arda,” stood sharply, Simone gasped. Few cold gazes could be felt on the back, gulped, the attention turned to the queen.


    “Today thee will stay as guests of the royal family. A buffet has been organized and we also host a hot spring. Rx and have some fun, I do warn thee from venturing outside the castle. An alliance might be in ce, some of the more extreme pro-Ardanians are yet to calm their thirst for vengeance.”


    “As you wish, majesty,” voiced Eira who held a fearful gaze. First was it to have witnessed X’s cold and harsh personality.


    Blinked helplessly, “-all questions are to be sent to King Staxius for he’s in charge of thine ss,” elegantly stepped off her seat, “-Rosetta, make sure that they don’t cause trouble,” an order overheard by a few students alone. Still knelt, the nobles teleported away, soon, the guards would march leaving only two.


    “Stand up,” spoke Rosetta, “-good job,” her ears rose, the head tilted followed by aforting smile.


    “Man, that was tough,” hands behind his back, Tony lounged on the red carpet, “-the queen of Arda is as beautiful as she is scary.”


    “Say that twice,” interjected Simone who fullyid on the floor; chandeliers resembling stars were hung. Not intent of speaking, Fletcher, Harold, and Timothy were content to just catch their breaths.


    “Eira, is thy mother that cold?” asked Christina with warm eyes.


    “I dare not say,” she smiled, “-hot and cold, I’m sure Queen Shanna had her reasons.”


    Approached without sound nor presence, “-relieved?” peered down, Staxius held a grin.


    “Majesty,” sat upright, Tony’s face changed to dread. The yell had the others turned in fear.


    “Rest assured,” posture straightened, “-it’s normal to get the cold-shoulder at first. Tis how we of Arda perceive people. The more of a good impression that is made, the warmer the feeling will return. Treat people as thou’d want to be treated,” held out, Tony epted and took Staxius’s hand to then be pulled. “I know that it’s intimidating to be in a foreign kingdom without humans around. Believe me, I found it frightening at first,” spoken gently, the tenseness subsided.


    “What do you mean at first, majesty?” asked Kim as the ss grouped around.


    “I forgot to say,” deep breaths with a grin, “-I was a student of ireville Academy around a decade ago.”


    “Around a decade ago?” asked Mille, “-thou doth not seem that old.”


    “ttery shan’t get you favor,” chuckled, “-I’m very much thirty-six, I think.”


    “You said at first, that implied that his majesty was human or still is human?” interjected Timothy.


    “Astute, that is correct. I was human for my birth town was Krigi of Old. I grew up in a warzone, and I think that Eira did the same. We both grew on the battlefield, subjected to watch as people were left for dead.”


    “Majesty,” called Youst, “-the meal is running cold.”


    “Let’s follow the conversationter.”


    “As you wish, majesty,” simultaneous, he left in thepany of Serene.


    “Quite a change in persona, from the helipad to now, the King is very interesting a man,” added Anastasia who spoke for the first time. “What’s the matter?” she asked with a squint for her ssmate stared with smug faces.


    “Nothing that particr,” whispered Ysmay, “-it’s that that you didn’tsh out and cause a problem,” finished Christina.


    “How dare you,” fist clenched, “-thee speak as if I but create issues every time might mouth is opened,” shrugged away, she breathed a humph of dismissal.


    “Right...” in harmony, they exchanged nces to then burst inughter.


    “This way,” called Rosetta.


    Arrived safely; schedules for uing days were handled inside the Alchemic tower. Head to the desk, the eyes closed for a moment of rest. Papers of which had hypotheses on mana maniption were all around. Yet, a feeling of unrest remained. One that one felt after their parents would give the famed disappointed gaze. Worse than being told off and far deadlier than the death-stare mothers innately possessed. ‘Should I continue fighting?’ wondered, ‘-my element is strong. Yet, despite defeating Intherna, I still can’t fulfill the quest of making a puppet army. Avon was my first sessful attempt. Quite presumptuous of me to have taken all the strain. There must be a way to reduce bacsh. I don’t have an idea, my brain feels heavy, I can’t see the chessboard. No premonition, no deduction on what is toe. I can’t even read the emotions of people. Hopefully, nothing of major consequence happens.’


    Few hours went by, the students of ss 2A were given a good meal, a warm bath for those who wished, and unrestricted ess to the castle. Rooms were also prepared, rooms that overlooked towards the right of the castle. There on, the buildings stretched on without end. Hard to believe that they were inside a tree for the sky matched the outside. A cycle of day and night, if one was to never step out of the tree; in no way could they have guessed that they were inside. As for the stairs that reached around the trunk, a barrier was cast to stop the light from blinding the climbers. Next to it, two upward portals of the size of a house were built.


    “Majesty?” the door to the Alchemic tower knocked.


    “What is it?” head on the desk, he rose to have a line running across the cheek.


    “Can Ie in?”


    “Sure, enter,” he voiced.


    “Lizzie has been crying for the past five minutes,” spoken in a shaken tone, Rosetta stood with her head bowed.


    “What about the queen?”


    “She has tried to change and feed the baby, all but naught, sire, all but naught.”


    “Where are they?”


    “Inside the royal chambers.”


    “Do check on the students and call for Eira,” stood, “-I’ll use the portal.” Entered, Rosetta closed the door to the tower.


    *Wahh, wahhh,* reached to the outside, “-X?” the door opened and shut rather abruptly.


    “There you are,” held in a cradle with milk smeared over her cheeks, “-she’s acting up for god knows what reason.”


    “Ahh,” approached, a darkish hue emanated from her head, “-can you not see the mist?”


    “What mist?” perplexed, she frowned in suspicion.


    ‘That answers my question.’


    “You asked for me?” the door opened with Eira stood shyly.


    “Does a father need a reason to meet his daughter?” smiled Staxius who held the crying babe, “e ???ere already,” he gestured.


    “Don’t mind me,” closed behind, she sprawled into the Queen’s arms. “Mother, you’re a scary queen.”


    “Awh,” embraced tightly, “-I’m sorry,” she patted her head, “-I’ll always be your loving mother first,” to which Eira received a heartfelt kiss on the forehead.


    ‘Lizzie’s a bit out of control,’ eyes closed, the Mana-lines were blurrier than normal. ‘Her magical affinity has reached a new level. She’ll soon have her element. I guess all that mana being pushed through such a tiny gateway will eventually break thetter.’ Lit in amazement, “-how could I be such an idiot.”


    “Father?”


    “Staxius?”


    “I opened the gate too suddenly; the mana is already powerful as is. Forcing it onto the gateway resulted in how I am now,” smiled, “-thank you Lizzie,” *mwah.* *Blood-Arts: Crimson Thread,* finger cut, a spell was written across the babe’s chest.


    “What are you doing?”


    “Father, that looks dangerous, are you sure Lizzie is fine?”


    “I’m no fool to have my daughter in danger,” now on the bed, the chest lit with ancient writings. “The problem was that her magical affinity overgrew the gateway. The spell is a mana absorption conduit; it will take away the excess and channel it into something the body requires.”


    “And what does it require?” asked Eira with an unimpressed visage.


    “Have you forgotten that I’m a certified alchemist, I’ve learned what it means to be a doctor. Though I haven’t practiced much on human patients; when ites to Mana, I’ve more understanding than anyone else.”


    “That’s rather overconfident, don’t you think?” voiced Eira again.


    “Don’t,” interjected X, “-trust thy father. He’s done the unimaginable, to manipte the atmosphere’s mana without a conduit.”


    “No,” taking a strong step back, “-I don’t believe it,” her face flushed with fear, “-NO WAY.” Cries from the babe returned to silence, her eyes opened to then closed into sleep.


    “Told you,” smirked Staxius, “-she’ll be fine.”


    “Father, I want to believe, though, controlling the Mana from nature is unthinkable. Tis as if ruling over the veryws of nature. None must have that power; it could turn the entire into a catastrophe. Tis the lifeforce that has all living being alive and well, a mere distortion could have ripples, which turns to waves, and then a tsunami.”


    “Your refusal is understandable; I do know the risks involved,” off the bed, “-the research is at its infancy,” he stood with X by his side, “-the world will not break, thews of nature wouldn’t be meddled with. What I seek is the same power of an elemental spirit; the power to draw and convert the raw essence of life into something humans can harvest.”


    “Virtuous as it may be,” now at the door, “- I refuse to acknowledge one to have such power of nature,” mmed shut, she ran.


    .....


    “Guess she’s at that stage?” asked with an eyebrow raised, X had a few misgivings of what was said.


    “I suppose...”