《Mages of Salona》 1. Ellyn. Ellyn Arte. "Master Malgard of the 2nd Aspion battalion. Make way for the army!" a thought not belonging to Ellyn sounded in her mind. The atmosphere on the perpetually crowded Imrin Avenue shifted abruptly as people began looking around and moving aside. "Long live Aspion!" another thought of the master mage thundered inside their heads. "Long may they reign!" thousands of civilians responded in unison loudly, creating a stunning atmosphere. "From the left flank Malgards` came, beating bastards, gaining fame... Atris bastards never guessed¡­ they`d be fleeing, all sides pressed¡­" a man started singing a well-known song, many joining him as a formation with 1000 uniformed soldiers of Salona Kingdom was marching through. Ellyn sang terribly and waved excitedly, while witnessing the inspiring spectacle. It is not every day that students like them get to see a battalion on march. Still feeling a rush of powerful emotions, an almost scary smile on her face, Ellyn looked at Selea, who has been standing right beside her this entire time. "Did you see? At the back line? That level 5? It was Raden Inar!" "Mm, should I know him?" "Yes, he is... quite famous. Their top level 5 mage," Ellyn replied, the excitement gradually fading away as she was beginning to remember that the only army enthusiast among the two was her. ¡°Now I know. Thank you. Here is your bag,¡± Selea said and handed it over. When did she drop her bag? Aah... the waving¡­ Selea had no need to tell her anything. The silence spoke louder than words. This was the morning of March 17th, 1218. Ellyn took sweet snacks out of her bag and shared with Selea, still on Imrin Avenue, heading for school. They have been on their way there, when the spectacular march took place. "My friend in Duchy of Argela talked with the late bloomer. He has no idea how he managed to cast his first spell and doesn`t remember anything being different about the day." This was bad news for her. Another one. "That man was 31 when it finally happened... and he does not know. 21 years of failing to cast a spell, writing a diary, methodically detailing every attempt¡­ and he still has no clue what changed back then."This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "So, ... I should simply keep trying? For... maybe 13 more years? For what? A chance to be able to advance a spell to a "stunning" level 2 after a decade and then getting stuck there for the rest of my life?" Ellyn almost shouted, tears in her eyes, voice shaking. Some people in the crowd distanced themselves from the "emotionally unstable girl". "I`m sorry. You are doing your best to help me," Ellyn spoke in a depressed voice. Selea responded by caressing her back lightly as they walked towards the school. Starting at 9 and finishing at 15, another day at school was over, Ellyn still a late bloomer. 2,5 months left until the licencing tests and she hasn`t yet been able to cast any spell at all, while some of her classmates went far beyond what was necessary for passing. She and her best friend chose to visit public training grounds to try some more. Selea`s mana reserves have been spent for hours by then, so the nice girl was only being there with Ellyn as the late bloomer kept embarrassing herself again and again. ¡°Please, go home.¡± Selea knew better than to argue with Ellyn about this. What is the point of trying methodically? Of following all the advices possible, one by one? They knew. Having a mana core, mana, the concentration necessary and knowing the theory perfectly won`t change anything. Not when she has no mana control at all. Ellyn can`t even tell how much mana she has¡­ the most basic action every mage does in the morning, while still half-asleep. She has to take a deep breath, calm down. All she needs to do is channel her mana from her mana core through her mana circuits in the pattern for Mana Pulse. The simplest spell with the simplest channelling pattern. Nothing more. OK, this attempt didn`t work out. Next one. Another one. ¡­ Again. Again. Ellyn`s been trying for hours, not even caring that there had been kids casting spells not far from her at the start. She`s getting embarrassed at school daily. This was nothing new to her. Again. It was 21, already dark outside, street lamps have been lit. Ellyn was almost alone at the training grounds. Again. Shaking and sweating from all the effort and emotions, she kept trying again and again, until¡­ Hm? Where is she? Why does her body hurt more than before? She`s lying down on bed, inside a room. An infirmary, by the looks of it. Of course. That`s what she gets for trying to pack years` worth of attempts into months of time. ¡°You`re awake,¡± a young woman next to her noted after noticing. ¡°I`m sorry, but what time is it?¡± ¡°Around 30 minutes past 21.¡± ¡°Then I need to go. Thank you.¡± ¡°You are not going anywhere, miss. Not before a medic mage gets a look at you.¡± ¡°Aren`t you the medic mage`s assistant? Can`t you do it, please? I don`t want to make my family worry.¡± ¡°No. I`m not. I`m the mage that had found you on the ground and brought you here. Niriel Irato.¡± Ellyn`s eyes widened in shock. This was no assistant. The young woman next to her was the youngest master mage of their kingdom. An elite commander. Still only 23-year-old. The most talented soldier of... at least the last centuries. ¡°How should I call you?¡± ¡°Ellyn. Ellyn Arte,¡± she spat out fast. ¡°Ellyn, take this ribbon to never forget this day. I need to go now, but don`t leave until a medic mage sees you.¡± She only nodded and took the blue hair ribbon that`s been handed to her. ¡°Did you hear me?¡± ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± ¡°I`ll go. Until we meet again, Ellyn.¡± ¡°You are free to go, but I`ll ask Girna to walk you home,¡± the medic mage told her minutes later. Ellyn`s mind was too chaotic. All the rest of it seemed to have happened in an instant. Her mom, dad and sister hearing her explain why she`s late, the dinner, all of it a past now. Lying on her bed, Ellyn was simply glad that she`ll get another opportunity to try tomorrow. 2. A nice hair ribbon Such a good, comfortable sleep! When was the last time she slept this well? Ellyn could hear brisk footsteps outside her small room and from the look on the slow hourglass [the 8-hour one], it seemed like she might have... about 20 minutes left to get out of her warm bed. Staring at the ceiling, Ellyn realised an odd, but agreeable sensation. A feeling she had not felt before, but kept reading, hearing and even dreaming about. 20 minutes or not, the girl jumped to her feet instantly. She should calm down. This may not be what she thinks it is. Her suddenly waking up and feeling mana was like a nice dream. A dream! Ellyn grabbed a cup of water on the nightstand and drank it. She`s never tasted water in her dreams before¡­ No. This was a reality. It was like¡­ waking up with an additional arm she`s always dreamed of having. Ellyn simply wanted to look at it from every angle, first thing in the morning. Alright. To begin, a simple closed circuit mana channelling to figure out how much mana reserves she has, using the method taught at school. She did it! The breakthrough! Not at 31, but barely 18-year-old! ¡°Ellyn, sweetheart, don`t run down the stairs. You`ll hurt yourself.¡± ¡°Mom! A breakthrough! I`ve made a breakthrough,¡± Ellyn cried out in excitement and hugged Meron. ¡°That`s great, Ellyn! Go tell your dad. He`s in the kitchen.¡± She didn`t have to. Giliam heard just fine the first time. This was the morning of March 18th, 1218. Selea Frowe has been her best friend for as long as she could remember, even before becoming her classmate. The start of their friendship must have been connected to the two of them being neighbours. Meeting outside their small family houses to walk to school together was a tradition by now. ¡°I did it! I did it!¡± ¡°What?¡± Selea asked, not even suggesting her to break the powerful hug. ¡°A breakthrough! I can feel my mana!¡± Her best friend hugged her back for a long time. They`ve been trying for 8 years. ¡°Did anything happen after I left your side yesterday?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I tried a lot.¡± ¡°And there was nothing else?¡± She knew her too well to not notice there was more. Ellyn wanted to keep this from Selea, but since she`s already asked¡­ ¡°I lost consciousness for¡­ maybe half an hour.¡± The look on Selea`s face changed instantly. ¡°But it is good to collapse every now and then,¡± Ellyn tried defending asking to be left alone a day ago. ¡°No. No, it is anything but good! Falling flat on your face, ending up with a scar or losing teeth is not even among the worst that could happen. What if there was a stone or something similar and you smashed your head on it? You could have bitten your tongue off! What if someone kidnapped you? What if you didn`t wake up? No. I`m not leaving you alone, Ellyn. That is not happening again!¡± ¡­ ¡°Nice hair ribbon. It suits you,¡± her best friend finally spoke again, minute later. ¡°Thank you, Selea. For all of it- helping me, getting worried about me and... for liking my accessory too.¡±The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°That`s what friends do. Besides, I also have my plans with you. Now that you`ve made a breakthrough, it is only a matter of time before you join the army. When that happens, we will be together, you and I, like always.¡± ¡°I like that plan,¡± Ellyn replied with a bright smile, already imagining the two of them in uniforms, marching side by side inside a battalion formation. Selea was not an army enthusiast, but it was still a preferred career choice for someone born with mana core. ¡°Ellyn Arte and Selea Frowe?¡± a female level 4 squad captain stood in their path and asked, 9 uniformed comrades behind her, 3 armoured aura users with spears, shields and shorts words among them. Several people on the street slowed down or outright stopped for a while to look at why the soldiers were trying to identify two harmlessly looking girls in public like this. The squad did not seem about to engage them in battle, so the civilians distanced themselves only moderately. ¡°Yes,¡± Selea replied and immediately started looking for her papers, which prompted the startled Ellyn to do the same. ¡°You will be coming with us,¡± the woman said after returning their documents, the squad surrounding them all the while. ¡°I`m sorry, but is it possible to inform our families and school?¡± ¡°Miss Frowe, your school has been notified and your families will be told before long.¡± Well, if that was the case, then this might not be as serious as Ellyn feared, hopefully. Surrounded by 9 soldiers, they followed the squad captain`s lead. She wouldn`t tell them more, had they asked. Not even if the woman knew. It was quite possible that they simply got a sketch of the two of them and were told when and where to find Selea and Ellyn. They were being led in the direction of the royal palace, which was a huge, heavily guarded areal with many beautiful and massive buildings, gardens, private forests, stables, lake and whatnots. The first possibility that came to her mind was that they may have witnessed something relating a crime and time was of the essence, so the investigator had sent a squad to fetch them to the Crime Investigation Department`s headquarter in the vicinity of the royal palace. No. They did not enter CID headquarter, but passed through few of the gates of the royal palace itself instead. She`d prefer it to not be the case, now being nervous to the point of reminding a startled deer. The squad that had brought them in did not move inside, but another one took over. These were the royal palace guards. All of them female. Ellyn held Selea`s hand in hers, both of them scared stiff, but forcing their resisting bodies to move forward. ¡°Ellyn Arte and Selea Frowe, Your Royal Highness,¡± the squad captain announced and gestured for the two to move to where a substantial group of women was standing on a pathway, surrounded by well-maintained grass, observing them. That was¡­ Master Niriel has been standing next to a divinely beautiful being. They`ve never seen the beauty even on a portrait, but there could be no mistake. A high noblewoman, a part of the royalty, nicknamed ¡°divine¡±. The most popular person in Salona Kingdom. It was Princess Lunor Aspion. The small amount of mana Ellyn had, has been acting erratically ever since noticing her and she knew immediately. It was pushing her, screaming of need to get close and of the agony of not being united with the divine princess. Her mana has been forcing Ellyn to move closer, to touch the princess, to smell her, feel her, kiss her and do more. It shouldn`t act this way. It was not normal. ¡°Your Royal Highness¡±, Selea curtsied and then looked at Ellyn, eyes suggesting her friend doing the same. She did, although it was only a failed attempt, her mind not working properly for some time now. ¡°Miss Arte, Miss Frowe, would you like to accompany me on my walk?¡± she asked with the most pleasant voice Ellyn has ever heard. They nodded stiffly and even said a ¡°yes¡± as loudly as currently possible. Replying "no" was not an option. The princess wanted to walk and talk. ¡°Miss Arte, you`ve met Master Niriel a day ago. I`ve been told of your recklessness which led to that situation.¡± ¡°I`m going to be effective with our time here, because the weather is nice for this time of year and we should be enjoying this walk, while you look scared, not knowing my intentions in calling you here, instead.¡± ¡°You are no longer students. You don`t live with your families anymore and you don`t leave my sight unless I order you to do so. That is all for this part. Girna, please, take their bags and leave it with the guards. I don`t want my guests to hold them the entire time.¡± ¡°Your Royal Highness¡­ I¡­ I am not discussing what you ordered in any way, but¡­ could you, please, tell us more?¡± Selea asked, obviously concerned about getting stuck at the royal palace for¡­ how long, exactly? ¡°You will be told more, when you need to know more, Miss Frowe, not a second sooner.¡± They walked in group on the wide pathway leading through one of the gardens and the princess was telling them about what flowers, trees, bushes were where and informing them of when and how they blossom, what is the colour of the petals, shape of the leaves and flowers, how to take care of them and all, Ellyn was as interested in about as Selea was in the army. Still, she loved to be with her, see her, hear her. She even knew the long history of each individual plant. Princess Lunor seemed to know surprisingly lot about the royal gardens, considering the known fact that she`s only married Prince Ulweld Aspion a day after becoming 18-year-old, which was¡­ 2 days ago. Ellyn has heard that the divine princess is a genius, but¡­ wasn`t this something she shouldn`t know? Instead, she was acting as if it was her garden from for many years, showing care about every single plant and mentioning her plans for making everything in the garden thrive more. ¡°Now that we`ve spent this much pleasant time together, you will be calling me Lunor, when in private." "Follow Cathe until my return, girls. I have meetings to attend to and you are going to be introduced to your mentor and see your guest rooms.¡± ¡°This is Cathe Miral, my right-hand woman." "We will meet at 30 minutes past 16. That is all,¡± she said and her group split up, most of the women following her, "only" around 5 staying with the daughter of Countess Miral. When Ellyn woke up today, this was far from how she imagined her day would go. 3. Worth the risk "... You should keep in mind that guests other than you use the same wing of this building. Don`t fail to act properly and respect their privacy, since all our guests are important in the eyes of our kingdom." "Are we also important?" Selea asked the high noble tasked with taking care of the two of them. Cathe looked at her calmly, her hazel eyes unblinking, the expression graceful and confident. "Any toy of Lunor`s is important." "You may not like being seen that way, even consider it being de-humanising, but rest easy. No matter how jealous others might get, Lunor loves and cares for her toys and you are in the best hands." "Until she gets bored and decides to throw her toys away, right?" The calm high noble blinked and smiled. "That is not how she treats her toys. Lunor is not that kind of person." "Cathe... I... when you say "toys"..." Ellyn started, red in her face, "do you mean... do you mean it in a "battle way"?" Selea sighed. The high noble turned her attention to Ellyn, thinking, trying to understand her question. She seemed to be about to ask for an explanation. "Ellyn`s family is weird about anything sex-related. They avoid using the word "sex"," her best friend explained. Cathe`s smile deepened after hearing the explanation. "Already thinking about sex? Hmm, which answer would you like to hear more?" Her face turned beet red in an instant, making the high noble laugh shortly. "I`ll have to ask Lunor." "Please, don`t!" Ellyn pleaded desperately, to which she laughed once more. "She would never force you into anything like what you have in mind, Ellyn. The nature of your relationship is only up to both the princess and you." This was the midday of March 18th, 1218. The guest rooms were, as expected, a number of times larger and more luxuriously decorated than theirs, each having its own bathroom and a room for clothes, all taken care of solely by female servants, because entry into that building was not allowed to men. They`ve already eaten and had their first lecture with a private mentor, whose methods were much more personal, since she only had two students to teach like this, unlike the usual number at school- above 20. Studying wasn`t about adding new knowledge anymore, but preparing for the upcoming theory tests. Their group was currently headed for the private training grounds, where those living in the royal palace trained, the 8 women already dressed in comfortable sportswear. "Cathe, are we still going to be applying to join the army this May?" Ellyn voiced her doubts. Just because they were being mentored and trained, it did not mean that they will. "Didn`t Lunor specifically tell the two of you that "you will be told what you need to know when you need to know"? More than a month remains until students even start applying. That is still plenty of time." "But we are going to be soldiers, right? Or does that also change?" she asked, worried. Being a master mage one day has been her dream ever since hearing the first war story told by her dad. "You are going to be soldiers. Salona Kingdom`s leadership won`t let talents like you stand by idly," the high noble calmed their worries.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Staying locked inside a golden cage as someone`s toy was, depending on the toy and its owner, not the worst fate, but neither Ellyn nor Selea desired it. Learning that this was not what the divine princess had in mind for them, was crucially important. Cathe was one strong high-born lady. Still 17-year-old, the young woman has been training daily and getting mentored in aura channelling. Aura users were tough and deadly in close combat. Aura, however, could not be separated from aura user. Whether they channelled it into a part of their body, armour, shield, spear, sword, ... the moment it lost the connection with the aura user`s body, the augmenting effects were gone. The materials used in the armour and weapons had value depending on its aura conductivity and it was almost a general rule that the more conductive materials and crafting techniques were more expensive. Ellyn knew something about this, her dad being an aura user mentor and a former level 3 soldier. "I need to cast my first-ever spell already. I`ve been itching to try ever since this morning." "You will wait until 30 past 16," Cathe intervened. As it surprised the two girls, she added "Lunor is going to be with you for your spellcasting. Don`t spend mana until then". So, this was what the princess had in mind... She probably finds it fascinating to watch absolute beginners progress and didn`t want to separate some 10-year-old girl from her parents. That would make sense... She may even had sent Master Niriel to "mark" her toy with a nice ribbon a day ago. Well, Ellyn has heard that some foreign nobles like to "collect weirdoes" for fun- the types that some call "possessed" and compete whose collection is better, which makes Lunor`s interest sound much more reasonable in comparison. What was important was that, unlike before, with her mana being channelled, Ellyn`s regeneration speed would slowly start rising. Channelling mana or aura over long periods of time has positive effects on the body. She has always been a healthy girl full of vitality that could train a lot, but when compared with her classmates, well, former classmates, Ellyn could not step up to where they were. That won`t be the case anymore. She was tired after all the running they did at the private training grounds, but after washing herself in one of the washing booths and getting dressed into clean clothes, she thought to herself with smile that even if this was more intense than her average performance, as long as she keeps it at this level, she will eventually see the difference in how tired and sore her body will be afterwards. 30 past 16. "I wish to be with Cathe, Ellyn and Selea," the divine princess ordered the rest of her group to keep distance, her personal guard- Master Niriel staying next to her all the same and no one finding it odd. They will have as much privacy as possible here, inside the royal gardens. "Is everything to your liking, girls?" They nodded. It was a rhetorical question, because they couldn`t possibly complain. The dancing mana sensations she felt were to her liking, yes. They were pushing battle thoughts inside her mind ever since she saw Lunor approach them minutes ago. "Will we be returning to the private training grounds, Lunor?" Ellyn asked, expecting to be given a positive answer. "No. We will converse here and you will be casting your spells right here as well. We have no need for a measure." No need for a measure? She did not think of this. To pass the practical test, Ellyn`s Mana Pulse needs to reach the distance of 10 metres before dispersing, making it a level 2 spell. A measure and a helper or two are necessary to be able to tell the distance with a relative precision. Then again, Ellyn will be nowhere near 10 metres anytime soon, not even by the end of May, and Selea has already been far past it, at 18,6 metres. Maybe later. "What made you act the way you did yesterday, Ellyn?" "Selea and I had an idea that since I`m a late bloomer, it would make sense to look for others with the same mana condition and ask how they managed to cast their first spell- whether there was something that happened or they did prior. All had no clue other than simply trying." "Has it occurred to you that there may be several mana conditions, yours being completely different from theirs and that you may collapse and die because of your actions?" "It was worth the risk." "Ellyn... I forbid you to die. You won`t be taking such risks now, in a year, a decade, not even in a century or more. You won`t be risking my soldier`s life mindlessly ever again. Do you understand?" The scary thing about it was that though her voice was still the most pleasant voice ever, Ellyn knew that there was something different about it and got chills. "Yes," she replied sheepishly. "Selea, please, if you see her risk her life needlessly, beat her up."'' What? But why? Didn`t she say "yes" just now? "Will do." [Ellyn Arte casts Mana Pulse, level 1] "You did it!" Selea flew at Ellyn and started hugging the soul out of her. The spell probably didn`t reach half a metre, but that was not important. Ellyn has seen Lunor`s bright smile as she was clapping and praising her success together with Master Niriel and Cathe. Mmm, she really likes this. Pleasing the divine princess felt good. It pleased Ellyn even more. Look here, Lunor, she can do even better... That`s it! Keep focusing those beautiful green eyes her way... "Your families have been invited to the royal palace tomorrow, so expect a visit in the afternoon," Lunor said after their spellcasting was done. "Cathe, please, show the girls around a little and see that they return to their guest rooms. See me afterwards." "I enjoyed being with you and we`ll repeat this tomorrow and after. Get used to being with Cathe a lot in the next few days, before I ask someone else to be with you. The other nobles and guests need to realise who you are, which could take as long. She has enough authority to protect you around here." "See you tomorrow," was what she said with a smile before turning around and leaving. It wasn`t such a big deal that her mana sensations started calming down. She`ll meet her again, soon enough. Lunor will get to see some good spellcasting tomorrow. The thought of it pleased her greatly as she followed Cathe, mana sensations raging inside her from the image alone. 4. Lord of Shamelessness A bed large enough for a squad, comfortable to the point of making one fall asleep instantly, water of perfect temperature mixed by the skilled servant girls to bathe in, soaps she`s never even heard of before to pick from, the smell of delicious breakfast already placed on a small table before one even wakes up. She had nothing to complain about, other than missing her family. Being allowed into the royal palace even once, was something her former classmates would brag about incessantly for weeks. Their families being let in this soon, meant that Lunor has dealt with all the necessary steps in advance, maybe even before bringing her two toys in. Why two? Probably so that a single one wouldn`t feel lonely. Her friend wouldn`t complain. This was an opportunity to experience something many could only dream of. ¡°Did you use the blue soap? I`ve been thinking about trying that one too,¡± Selea said, lying next to Ellyn on the massive bed as the two were unsure of what to do now. She had the same kind of bed in the guest room just across the corridor, but preferred to eat breakfast together and then just spend time with her friend. They`ve been silent for a while. ¡°I`ve been thinking¡­ doesn`t it seem strange to you¡­ Lunor mentioning that you shouldn`t have presumed that your mana condition is the same as those of the others, yesterday?¡± ¡°Are you saying that she might know more about it? Maybe she was simply worried and told us the worst case of what could have happened. Our line of thought was not wrong, I only messed up because of my frustration and impatience.¡± ¡°Maybe, but don`t you think that she could have told you the same thing in the morning? Why wait until she was without her entourage? Why not train with a measure at the private training grounds, where others can see and hear? Why not let you cast any of your spells at school in the first place? Maybe I`m just making big leaps here and it has no connection, but consider this¡­ there was no mention of mana conditions in books, but those were only the books that could be found by us.¡± What Selea said made sense to Ellyn. It wasn`t impossible that there were mentions of similar past cases written somewhere that weren`t available to them. Maybe there is more than one reason for Lunor`s fascination with her spells. If she really is some rare case the divine princess has read of somewhere, then taking her in as a toy would have made even more sense. She could have told her friend about mana sensations, but the predicted response was that Ellyn must be imagining things, because she`s in love. It might even be the case. Mana is known to not act that way. What she thought was happening, was that the collapse and the following unconscious state did something to her brain. Falling for Lunor and her brain perceiving it as her mana acting differently might be a side effect. Maybe not even a permanent one. This was the morning of March 19th 1218. ¡°¡­ Anibalma has a reddish-brown oblong leaves and long clusters of yellow flowers that can even ¡­¡± Lunor was saying in front of a shrub, when a loud male voice coming from the north-eastern direction distracted those paying attention. ¡°You won`t catch me this easily, newbies!¡± Most women of the group covered their eyes pre-emptively upon hearing, others were looking for the source of the commotion, while Lunor only looked at and gave a nod to Cathe.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Ellyn was among those looking to see what was happening. A naked, well-built man was being chased by a squad of guards, his floppy battle-thing posing threat to any of them, since the man has been changing directions abruptly, jumping, sprinting and the guards were obviously scared of harming the presumably important person, attempting to surround rather than to catch him, while trying not to get slapped by it. [Niriel Irato casts Target, level 1] [Niriel Irato casts Haste, level 10] ¡°Rueeeeeeelm!!!¡± the enraged Cathe shot forward screaming, her speed about doubled. ¡°Aaaa! Help mee, pleease!¡± the naked man surrendered to the guards immediately and placed them between himself and the incoming female high noble. ¡°I`ll spank your shameless ass black and blue!!!¡± Their gods were very battle-oriented, just like nature itself. Temples had paintings and statues of the said gods from their battle-filled stories, often naked and battle-ready. The stories also contained natural emotions, emphasized consent in relationships, the value of love and family and often offered a useful wisdom to those listening. Even people who were only drawn in by the art filled with battles, found some wisdom. Ellyn had never seen a real battle-thing before. This was at some distance, but still very easy to see. Nothing like what she saw at a temple a long time ago. Those were either much smaller or battle-ready. Her family did not visit temples often though, not being much into religion, so she couldn`t really be certain. ¡°My lady, please, we`ll handle it from here,¡± a soldier pleaded. ¡°Out of my way!¡± Cathe ordered. The soldiers had no choice. ¡°No, please, save mee! Sister, please!!!¡± ¡°Cathe! That`s enough,¡± Lunor ordered loudly. ¡°Dress yourself and don`t bother our guests, Ruelm.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°Where do you think you`re going, Shamelessness?¡± Cathe asked. ¡°I wanted to thank Lunor.¡± ¡°Do that after you dress yourself, you fool.¡± ¡°But my clothes are too far away¡­¡± he protested a lot more silently, then gave up, gestured thanks and turned around to leave, surrounded by soldiers. ¡°You will report to me whether he got dressed or not,¡± the female high noble ordered. ¡°As you order, my lady.¡± Ruelm, Princess Lunor`s brother. His full name was Ruelm Argela and he was the 2nd son of Duke Argela. From among Lunor and Cathe, the latter had a closer relationship with him, most likely. The divine princess was raised in City of Argela, 5 days of travel away from the capital- City of Aspion, which was the city where all 3 Argela brothers were being raised since 3-year-old. Lunor would normally have been raised with them, but due to her being promised to marry the crown prince, she received a royal exception and the ¡°Hostage Law¡±, as it is often called, did not apply to her. "As I was saying, Anibalma has a reddish-brown oblong leaves and long clusters of yellow flowers..." Ellyn would never complain about walking with and listening to Lunor. Not even when she talked of... urgh... plants. Some were even useful, having its use in potion or tea production, but it still didn`t interest Ellyn very much. In any case, no one mentioned the incident while the princess continued the walk. "My lady, the young lord has dressed himself," the soldier from before reminded them of Ruelm Argela shortly after Lunor`s free time had ended and the princess returned to dealing with her numerous duties. Ellyn would bet that when the soldier joined the royal guards, she did not imagine her days being spent on attempting to contain a nudity loving young man or reporting to someone that he had, indeed, dressed himself. "Thank you, soldier. Remind the young lord that I`m angry at him for disrupting Princess Lunor`s walk." "As you order, my lady." "He`s been doing this for a long time. Whenever the weather allows it, Ruelm likes to lose clothes." "Really? That`s the first time I`m hearing about someone doing something like that," Ellyn tried to say convincingly and failed miserably, the ladies-in-waiting looking at each other and then pretending they`ve heard nothing and Selea looking at her shoe, as if inspecting whether she didn`t step into anything disgusting recently. "Yes, most people would get caught and punished, getting a record of it into their personal file," Cathe replied. Why was it so hot all of a sudden? Ellyn`s sister Marys used to do the exact same thing 10 years ago as a 6-year-old and, as a result, their parents changed the rules about nudity a little, making Marys` room a clothes-free one for her, never entering it themselves without knocking and always waiting for a relatively long time until she herself let them in. She didn`t like how long the following silence was. It seemed like no one had anything to say while heading towards their destination. What was that about a record? 5. A royal humiliation ¡°Cathe, I was not aware that Lunor and you would be there, I swear! Had I known, I would have run in a different direction to make my run last longer,¡± Ruelm said something that was probably meant to quell the female high noble`s anger. ¡°Remind me, please, why didn`t I beat you black and blue on the spot?¡± ¡°Because you are a person that hates violence?¡± ¡°No..., that does not sound like me." "You should be thanking Lunor that your ass won`t hurt for a week.¡± ¡°I`ll look for her, but you know how busy she can be.¡± ¡°Who are the new girls? I don`t remember seeing them before. Did they come with my sister?¡± ¡°This is Ellyn Arte and Selea Frowe. Lunor enjoys spending time with them.¡± ¡°Really?¡± he asked and the expression on his face changed completely. ¡°I was about to ask them to help me with my research, but now I don`t think that I should...¡± ¡°What research?¡± Selea asked. Cathe sighed, her eyes closed for a second. Ruelm grinned like a child that managed to successfully manipulate someone. ¡°Tell me, Miss Frowe, do you like books?¡± The question amused her. ¡°Our house is filled with books and maps. My parents buy, copy and sell them.¡± ¡°Even books about sex?¡± ¡°We don`t have licence for religious texts, no.¡± "I call it "My Precious Book"" Ruelm said the first part dramatically and added ""MPB", in short." ¡°More than 500 pages of serious sex research done over generations. I consider myself a researcher and plan to gather enough reliable statistics and findings to advance MPB to a whole new level. Not only by myself, naturally. There are parts of the book men have no role in. Then there is also a part with only men, which is also not for me. I wonder¡­ are the two of you¡­¡± ¡°No,¡± Selea replied. ¡°A shame. I could use some statistics and findings for those parts of MPB as well. If you get that sort of experience one day or know someone who could help, you`ll know where to find me. Ah, yes, only reliable information, please; I don`t want to tarnish MPB with lies or exaggerations.¡± Ellyn won`t have many stories to share even if she felt compelled to do so. Her nickname at school was ¡°Ellynstone¡±, because she never dated any of those who showed interest in her. Zero experience and zero idea of what to do, if she wanted to gain some. Ellyn won`t be starting her love life anytime soon anyway. First things first. She has to become a master mage. That alone usually takes decades, if it happens at all.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. This was midday, March 19th 1218 They`ve already eaten and a daily lecture with their private mentor had ended. The lecture only took around a single hour, during which Cathe and her ladies-in-waiting weren`t present, the same as the day before. As far as Ellyn knew, their families should visit in the afternoon. 30 past 16 was supposed to be their time with Lunor again and they should also train physically before that, which meant that there wasn`t a lot of time in between. Where and when will they meet? This was the time Ellyn with Selea spent waiting for Cathe to "pick them up" a day ago, which was also what they were doing currently, using their remaining time to go over their notes. The door to the guestroom opened after a short knocking. "Ellyyyyn!" her sister exclaimed and went in for a hug, Meron, Selea`s mom, Cathe and... a smiling Lunor with Master Niriel right beside her, entering the room right after Marys. "Marys,... mom, I love you," she said, hugging them both. "We love you too." "Lunor, is it alright, if I take a room next to Ellyn`s?" her sister asked, which baffled Ellyn. What is happening? "That one is currently not used. I`ll ask for a servant that won`t be uncomfortable with nudity." Hm? "Thank youuu. You are the best, sis!" Marys switched the target of her hugs to the princess. Ellyn`s eyes almost popped out. This is Princess Lunor. Why is Marys touching her? That is not allowed! She`ll get punished for this, surely. Should Ellyn start begging for forgiveness? No, wait..., Lunor is still smiling and she even caressed her sister`s face very lightly, like one would child`s. What is happening?! ... "So, you were invited by Lunor to a tea party and accepted her offer?" Ellyn summed up minutes later. "Yes," Marys said and begun humming a merry song and dancing her silly dance of joy again, which seemed to fascinate both of the high nobles present. In short, while the two were with their mentor, the three invited women entered the royal palace. Lunor offered to take Marys in, to have her mentored as a future diplomat, plus made a business investment. Meron has been running a clothing business with aunt Savine for many years and the Frowes had a book business of theirs. Who couldn`t use more money and royal connections, right? You also never refuse a royal favour. Never. "I have a meeting to attend soon, girls. The tea tasted great today and I enjoyed your company. Thank you," Lunor said, hugged Marys shortly, smiled at them and left together with Master Niriel in tow. Ellyn has been looking at the closed door for a while. How did this make any sense? Why was she actively hugging Marys, someone she only knew for over an hour? ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°No, mom. I just¡­ didn`t expect Lunor to hug Marys.¡± ¡°Why not? Aren`t you Lunor`s lover?¡± ¡°What?¡± The moment Ellyn asked her question, showing that she has absolutely no idea of what her mom talks about, Meron, Marys and Selea`s mom all looked at her, confused. ¡°You are here because you are Lunor`s lover, right?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± They were blinking their eyes, not understanding. ¡°Then why are you here? Why did we get invited to Lunor`s tea party, Marys got a career she`s always dreamed of and each of our families got invested more than 2000 gold crowns into?¡± ¡°2¡­ 2000 G¡­G¡­G¡­GOLD¡­¡± Ellyn started stuttering, her brain not working anymore. Selea forgot to close her mouth for a long time after. ¡°Are you sure you didn`t battle them?¡± her mom asked Ellyn. ¡°"Them?" What do you mean by "them"?¡± ¡°Lunor and Prince Ulweld.¡± ¡°I haven`t even seen him,¡± Ellyn replied, her face turning stiff thinking about what this meant. What scared her more than anything was the face of someone in deep thought, Meron was making now. ¡°But Lunor mentioned him to you at least a little, didn`t she?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°He invited Giliam to a hunt and, well, we thought¡­¡± ¡°W¡­ what is dad about to do?!¡± ¡°We can`t just tell the royal couple a ¡°no¡± ¡­, so saying a ¡°yes¡± and then asking them to take a good care of you seemed like a good choice.¡± OH NO. NO, NO, NO¡­ A royal humiliation. Ellyn has to find some rock to crawl under. 6. The cold prince Ellyn knew a lot about shame, being seen as a late bloomer day after day for 8 long years. It did not mean that she could or would just shrug off her dad telling their future king to "take responsibility", while she`s never even seen the man. At 30 past 16, hours after their moms left, she not only saw Marys as a part of Lunor`s female entourage, already acting as a friend to a few other girls her age, but more importantly, Prince Ulweld walking hand in hand with Princess Lunor and their group being around 3 times the usual size and men now being a part of it. Can she run away? Hide? No. There is no running from the royalty. This will be the single most embarrassing moment of her entire life. Ellyn`s best friend would have argued that her past singing moments might top it, but shame is a very subjective thing. Just because someone feels like one should be ashamed of something to a greater extent, it does not mean that one will be. "Your Royal Highnesses," Selea and Ellyn curtsied together with Cathe and her ladies-in-waiting. "Cathe, the leadership has approved your idea. The royal exception has been granted. Keep up the good work and make our future brighter," Prince Ulweld said. "It is my honour to serve the royal family. I will proceed with the preparations." Prince Ulweld, nicknamed "cold", looked Ellyn`s way, no emotion to be seen. Miss Arte, Miss Frowe, Salona Kingdom can always use more of powerful soldiers. Train hard, so that one day, our enemies tremble at the mention of your names. "We will do our best, Your Royal Highness," Selea replied for the both of them. Something unexpected happened shortly after- Prince Ulweld, the cold prince himself, kissed the divine princess, right after nodding and turning to face his divinely beautiful wife. The first kiss was what one would expect of a public kiss- decent and without too much passion, as if to say "I need to go now". When Lunor kissed him back, though, Ellyn wanted nothing more than to switch places with the man. Even those in their shared entourage seemed tempted by the passionate kiss. The cold prince was looking into his wife`s eyes for seconds after and... smiled shortly. That was more shocking than the kiss itself, since he got nicknamed "cold" for a reason. A man of logic, one who wouldn`t get swayed by emotions. Someone who doesn`t typically smile even in situations when making a polite smile would be expected of him, smiled after a kiss. No wonder. Ellyn would have smiled too, had she been kissed by Lunor. She`d be smiling stupidly like a fool and wouldn`t care one bit about what others might think. The women around seemed pleased by what they saw, judging by the looks on their faces. Their princess had the power. He can be cold most of the times with anyone else, but not when with the divine princess. It made them proud to be a part of her group. His men seemed to think "only makes sense with a wife like that". "Lunor, love, visit me after 17," he said as he still held her hand, then kissed it shortly. "Girls, I wish for you to have the most pleasant time," the prince told them before his part of the group separated and left, following his lead. It might have been her imagination, but it seemed like the last person he looked at before leaving, was Ellyn. Not by accident either. The look was emotionless and impossible to read. This was the afternoon of March 19th 1218. [Ellyn Arte casts Mana Pulse, level 1] Wha...? No... There is no way she`s progressing that fast. Also, she only has a rough estimate of yesterday`s attempts. Ellyn probably remembers it wrong. Yes... Clap for her... it feels so good... mmm she loves the way Lunor smiles.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Selea was scratching behind her ear for a while after. [Selea Frowe casts Target, level 1] [Selea Frowe casts Haste, level 2] It did not take long. Her best friend had many times more mana than Ellyn and much higher spellcasting proficiency, but casting support spells on multiple targets at once a few times takes a lot out of an almost 18-year-old girl like her, no matter that she`s been channelling mana and casting spells daily for about 8 years. "You are making a nice progress, Ellyn, Selea. A nice, fast progress, which will stay our secret. It is very important for both me and you. Remember my dear toy soldiers... as long as you stay toys, mere easily replaceable girls of a bored princess, you will be safer. It is what you want." "Lunor, I need to thank you..." Ellyn started, wishing to thank for the royal favour first and to apologise next. "Please, don`t think too hard about us taking in Marys, our investments, or Giliam becoming a royal inspector. There is nothing like a free toy and my toys must be expensive in the eyes of the people or they`d stop daydreaming about becoming ones." "A royal inspector?" Ellyn repeated, surprised. That was an important, well-paid position and the inspectors and their families were guarded by soldiers day and night. "An honest and loyal man that is courageous enough to tell a crown prince to "take responsibility" is a fitting candidate, wouldn`t you say?" Lunor asked and started laughing light-heartedly. Ellyn would have felt so very ashamed... had it not been for the princess` response. She`d be covering her face, but now she couldn`t, because then it would have been impossible to see the beautiful smile of Lunor`s. The divine princess got serious once again. "Come here and hold my hand, Ellyn." "You need to stay safe and take no risks. The same goes for your families. This is only the beginning. You`ll never be as weak as you are right now, so do your best," she said, holding her hand and looking into her eyes. Then she caressed the hand lovingly a few times, breaking the eye contact to look at it, as if thinking about something while doing so. Ellyn`s mana sensations have never been more powerful. She wanted to kiss her so much... "We will meet again tomorrow. Have a nice rest of the day, girls." Lunor and Master Niriel left, heading towards the entourage that needed instructions for the next part of the day and then most likely to meet Prince Ulweld right after. It was quite obvious what the married couple was about to do, if the kiss was any clue. They were married for days, but both seemed to be very... dutiful. She wondered, whether Marys would visit her once the group calls it a day and disperses or she`ll only stop by tomorrow. Ellyn wouldn`t risk walking into the guest room next-door and it must have been a tiring day for her sister. In any case, it felt good having her here. Lying on a huge bed, thinking back, this day wasn`t really as embarrassing as she`d thought it would be. Mostly thanks to Lunor. Anything is better with the woman she loves. It must have been close to 21 by now, 22 being the last hour of the day that gets announced by ringing the bells. That was her usual time to set the slow hourglass. A fast progress that should remain a secret... The average speed of progress is 0,3 metres a month for the level 1 of this spell, while the first few metres take shorter time to reach. When Ellyn got frustrated days ago, thinking that she`d only get to level 2 as 31-year-old, that was because some people do. If they continue channelling mana even with a progress speed that slow, it is mostly done to be healthier and live longer, not to become powerful mages. She did not measure her progress, but... it was a single day. There should barely be any at all, and yet it was enough to be noticed without any effort. "Ellyn, can we talk?" Selea came in. ... "This whole thing is getting more and more serious," her best friend started, not daring to talk aloud, but half-whispering near her. "Do you think they`ll just let you take tests with our classmates and show them... that what usually takes 3 years and more, you somehow managed to do in 2,5 months?" "I`m glad that you are progressing fast, don`t get me wrong, but we might be stuck here for much longer than we`d like to." ... "The problem is only with those that know about me," Ellyn replied silently after thinking. "Do you think that we`ll get assigned to where we won`t meet our former classmates?" Selea asked. She could get assigned to 1 of the current 13 Aspion battalions. That was where Ellyn wanted to be, though there were also palace, city, town, village, border and fortification guards, soldiers who inspect crimes or watch over "legal slaves". Legal slaves were people who committed serious crimes punishable by getting an arm tattoo detailing the sentence and who were forced to spend years working in mines, dockyards and such. Not for Ellyn. It made little sense to push a soldier where she or he didn`t want to serve. Either 1 of those 13 battalions, or... no, they wouldn`t do that. She wouldn`t be married off elsewhere in the kingdom. No way. It will be an Aspion battalion without any of her classmates. Surely. "Yes. That is my guess." 7. Well said They wouldn`t... Ellyn woke up with a thought. Not even the inviting aroma of breakfast was enough to keep Ellyn`s thoughts away from that one possibility. If Lunor wanted her to serve the kingdom someplace where no one would know about her rapid growth for the longest time possible, marrying Ellyn off to Duchy of Argela would have been a sensible choice. Does she need to keep it hidden for that long, though? No,... Cathe outright said that the princess would not force her into a relationship. Done. No point thinking about that. Most of her classmates won`t even ask to be assigned into a battalion. Maybe half a dozen. There are 13 Aspion battalions to choose from, which is more than enough. All is well. No marriage anywhere in sight. Not for many decades. Bacon, eggs, vegetables, bread, butter... mmm. Life is good. "Chirim nin viun, dear sister!" Marys rushed into her guest room. "Chirpily to you too, Marys." "I spoke in Old Ilgwath language," she explained merrily to the ignorant her, who knew no foreign language at all. "Ilgwath Empire is long gone, but merchants who travel a lot and mercenaries still speak it, making it an essential language for diplomats and nobles to know." Foreign languages and travelling was something Marys was passionate about. "Even the mercenaries? Hm... I guess they want to understand whomever they`re dealing with," Ellyn said, impressed by her sister. "I`ve made friends already," the girl said with a smile, a piece of Ellyn`s crispy bacon in her hand. "Some girls might even be interested in more than being friends, but I told them "only if you plan to travel the world with me". The looks on their faces! You should have seen it. Do you think they are imagining it right now? Who knows? Maybe I`ll not be travelling alone." "And when you`ll return to Salona Kingdom, you`ll realise that this is the best place to be." "Even the best can always get better. I just might find a way." "Even the best sister can be better?" Ellyn joked. "Of course, don`t you see? I`m already a better sister than I was yesterday. Just look at how much food I`m leaving for you." "And by food, you mean vegetables..." "Hi, Marys, Ellyn..." "Marys... did they forget to get you a breakfast? You have to tell them," Selea entered the guest room, her own breakfast on a tray. "Hm? No. I already ate it," the girl answered with a slice of bread in hand. It did not surprise Ellyn one bit. Marys always had an appetite. This was the morning of March 20th, 1218. They were sisters, no doubt about it. Marys was visibly struggling to keep her concentration during the royal gardens walk. Lunor has not only noticed, but likely expected something like that to happen all along and patiently explained why it is so important for Marys to try her very best- diplomats shouldn`t show that someone else`s hobby bores them and not all foreigners she`ll be keeping in touch with, do the more exciting things like falconry, horse riding, physical exercises, drink expensive wine, eat expensive meals, paint portraits and such. The other girls of the group kept nodding. They`ve been training the very same thing- "to not look bored" daily for years, along with socialising, learning languages, looking their best and all the rest of it. A part of them moved here with Lunor from City of Argela, having known her for years prior.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. A tough training for her little sister, who could get bored easily. Selea was paying attention without any problem. It seemed pleasurable to the young woman, even. Smart mages like her often start to specialise in medic spells and drugs and potions, in time. She might eventually aim to be a GMM- Great Medic Mage, unlike Ellyn, who is utterly hopeless in that specialisation. For her, being in the army is mostly about violence when facing an enemy. She`s also not aiming to be an offensive minded battle mage like Master Malgard, but more of a defensive support mage like Master Niriel. When it came to Selea... hmm... GMM Bal Kenra is a medic mage many look up to, her best friend including. "We will be horse riding in 3 more days, girls," Lunor changed the topic to wake Marys up, continuing, "we got 138 good mares and 65 fine stallions as wedding gifts. Our personnel is figuring out how they measure up against those we already had, which to keep, which to transfer elsewhere. Things like that take time, but there is going to be a high enough number for us to ride by then. Those who don`t know how to ride a horse yet... don`t be afraid, you will be taught the basics on the best mannered mares with little to no risk of injury." Ellyn has been aware that such a possibility existed and though it did not seem too tempting to her, being with Lunor would more than make up for it. It has only been shortly after Lunor with her entourage left the 8 girls. "Lady Miral, we have come to pay our respects and thank you for this unique opportunity you`ve provided our family so gracefully," a noblewoman of about 40 told after curtsying. "Baroness Isloe, Idreyn, I`m glad you`ve made it in time safely," Cathe welcomed them, then walked closer to face the presumed daughter of the baroness. "Countess and Count Miral treat me like a family, my lady. No matter what I do, it may never be enough to repay them for the endless kindness they`ve shown me," Idreyn joined the conversation with a polite "thanks", likely prepared in advance. "Well said, Idreyn. Well said." "You must be curious about why you`ve been invited to Princess Lunor`s tea party taking place today." "This is still an information to keep to ourselves, so please, do so. The kingdom`s leadership and Laur Group will invest a huge amount of money into building a major road starting in County of Valcor on River Corrt in the south, heading north-east and ending in County of Archen. It is only going to directly lead to a single city- City of Archen, never entering Cities of Valcor, Dalmon, Miral, Aspion or Riwen and avoiding entering towns or villages along the way as well. Barony of Isloe has been selected for the project, making it the sole exception. Village of Isloe with the population of about 3600 people, run by your uncle, Idreyn, will become the only town the major road will directly pass through. The plan is to raise its population to as much as 40 000 with the potential of expanding to 60 000 fast- the current number will be dwarfed in the span of several years, making it a town on the verge of becoming a city." "Princess Lunor will additionally invest 6 000 gold crowns into your wineries now and more later under the condition that most of the production will be getting sold in City of Archen." The lower nobles must have been utterly shocked, but kept their expressions calm and nodded, as Cathe wasn`t done talking yet. "We want Miril Archen to marry into your family. Her mother, the countess, will also be at today`s tea party. Miril and Erwert will make a great couple." That was enough to break any resistance. The moment Cathe said that a high noblewoman will marry someone, who is most likely Idreyn`s brother, the baroness started thanking her immediately, going as far as kissing her outstretched hand. This marriage alone would elevate them above most lower nobles. Once Baroness Isloe calmed down enough, she continued, "and Idreyn will be staying at the royal palace until she gets assigned to the 5th Aspion battalion stationed in City of Archen." "But that would be against the law..." "Not with the royal exception. She stays." Idreyn has been silently thinking about what all of this meant for her. Ellyn already had her own guess. There was no way any of her former classmates would ever ask to get assigned to an uninteresting border county like County of Archen. Her interest in Idreyn soared instantly. A lower noble that... for some reason... should be staying at the royal palace for 2,5 months and then get assigned to a battalion that would perfectly suit Ellyn`s need to stay hidden? Could it be? The young lower noble has noticed Ellyn`s gaze and, for the first time since the talk started, her face lost the well-trained expression. If she should describe it, it was the look of a girl seeing her closest person raise from the dead. Idreyn made a few steps towards Ellyn, outstretched her hand and for whatever reason, a single tear rolled down her pretty face. The others did not know what was happening. "Uh... I... excuse me, please. All this new information is very overwhelming. Life-changing, in a good way," she said after realising her odd behaviour and slowly returned next to her mom, not understanding what got into her moments ago, looking Ellyn`s way almost constantly. "Ellyn, have you ever met Idreyn before today?" Cathe asked her as they were headed to their guest rooms for the lecture. "No. I don`t remember ever meeting her before." "I thought so. This is the first time she`s in the capital... She must be under a lot of stress lately," the high noble closed the topic, but seemed to be thinking about it some more anyway. They did not mention Idreyn again before the start of their lecture. 8. Forever "Idreyn won`t be joining us?" she asked, when it was only the 8 of them in sportswear again. "No. Why would she?" "I just though that we could be training together." "No. Not today, at least. They`ve been travelling for many hours." "I imagined that Idreyn and her mom had spent the night at one of the inns." "They didn`t. A noble, lower or high, can`t simply stay at the inn, Ellyn. The baroness had been a guest of my parents and together with Idreyn left before midnight, to arrive on time. They may be resting now." "Isn`t traveling at night very dangerous?" Selea asked. "There are advantages and disadvantages, but their group was a large and well-protected one." "I can`t see any advantages." "Then I`ll tell you something that might not seem obvious. Our soldiers and Laur Group`s mercenaries love to surprise bandits laying ambushes at night. If there is a night convoy, you can be 100% certain they are confident in their skill. You may not know this, but I assure you that the bandits do. There is nothing easier for scouting squads than to hide in the cover of the night and find the much less experienced rogue soldiers without any specialised training. Once they do, it is not even a fight. Imagine being a bandit. Do you pretend to be a peasant during the day to mask yourself and stay safe most of the time or go out at night, when peasants are sleeping and groups of people sneaking behind trees and bushes are immediately considered a threat?" "It was a Laur Group`s convoy?" "Yes. Master Tercent had been guaranteeing the security. Night convoys are his squad`s specialty. You`d not want to be hiding in the bushes in numbers near to where his convoy passes at night, girls. Even skilled and powerful enemies die trying." This was the afternoon of March 20th, 1218. Though it was a shame that Idreyn wouldn`t train with them today, it wasn`t really necessary. More than anything else, Ellyn wanted to figure out why was the girl "most likely" chosen to be her future squad mate. She couldn`t be certain, but even Selea thought that it was the case. The first thing that came to mind, was that the girl was known by and loyal to Mirals. Having their person close might be the goal here. Then they also knew her personality and might think it fitting for the job. Ellyn may be completely wrong and either Idreyn won`t be their squad mate or ... they will be hers. The latter possibility was something Selea has suggested. Would it be too far-fetched to see the two of them being squad mates for the lower noble Idreyn? Just because they`ve been at the royal palace longer, it did not mean they would have the more important role. What if Ellyn`s hurried attempt that made her fall unconscious on March 17th messed up the princess` previous plans? Was it possible that her and Selea would have ended being Lunor`s toys in time and get assigned into squad with Idreyn anyway? She`ll be told, if and when necessary, Ellyn knew, but she could still be curious. The yesterday`s situation with the cold prince did not repeat itself today and though it looked like it may start to rain at any moment, Lunor had sent her entourage to socialise with girls and boys of other nobles and has been spending time with Ellyn, Selea and Cathe again, being guarded by "Niri", as she familiarly called her master mage guard. "Wonderful, Selea. Keep at it and you will be a level 2 mage in no time after joining the army," Lunor praised. "Less people being around during my spellcasting seems to do the trick for me. Either that or it is that those people are being as nice and supportive as you are, Lunor."If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. "Are you sure that you don`t want to be a diplomat instead?" the princess asked with a smile. "I can`t see Ellyn ever being one, so I won`t even start thinking about it." "What? I can give compliments as well. Watch and learn, my friend..." "Lunor, those pants look great on you. Better than the yesterday`s. Ehm... I mean those were also good... but the ones you wear now are a little tighter and I can see your backs... I mean... eeehm. I like you? I mean the pants... not that I don`t like you. I do." "Wow, Ellyn, I`ve learned so much," Selea poked and smirked. "My dear toy soldier," Lunor started as she approached her, "I`d love to hear more praises about my... pants, I would, but... is this something you would have been telling to every foreigner as a diplomat?" "No! I... I wouldn`t. Of course, not. I wouldn`t like them the way I like you." "It is the weirdest thing, Ellyn. At one moment, you are terrible with finding the right words and at the next one, you say exactly what you should be saying. Remember this, though- you are mine. I do not own you and I never will, but you still are and... forever will be... MINE." "I want to be yours." "Forever?" Her heart was beating so fast she could die. This was not just some person she loved. Lunor was the divine princess. Their future queen. Ellyn shouldn`t be forgetting her place. "Forever." "Ellyn, you would have been a terrible diplomat, but you do know how to confess. I have much to learn," Selea said and winked, turning Ellyn`s face red. "Teach me, master," Cathe joked with a little bow. "Nice one," Selea replied and smacked Cathe`s backside friendly. So embarrassing..., but she cared not. Lunor was smiling and that was all that mattered and it was enough for her to smile too. Her progress was mind-blowing. The reach must have been around 1 to 1,5 metres. In days! "Ellyn, you will be coming with me," Lunor said as the spellcasting ended and the first drops of rain started to fall. Why? Is this about the backside? The pants? Is she in trouble? Will the divine princess be teaching her a lesson? Hmm... what kind of a lesson is it going to be? Marys did not expect to see her sister return with the princess, by the looks of it. "How do you feel about our guest- Idreyn Isloe, Ellyn?" So, this was the reason. The group had their pretty cloaks and handed 3 to them. Master Niriel did not use a cape, most likely to not obstruct her vision and hearing. "I haven`t talked with her yet, but she seemed like a polite and nice girl." Lunor was silent for a while, the group walking in the direction of their goal- one of the massive buildings in sight. "Idreyn is close to being a level 2 soldier already and would have been the most promising student of this May`s licence testing. She may become a master mage one day, Ellyn, and is precious to our kingdom. I want you to act like yourself around her. Forget that she`s so talented and forget that she`s a lower noble. Be yourself, become her friend and support her the best you can. I know that this will be easy for you and that I didn`t need to tell you all of this, but you should know that this is what we want." That was all. Lunor and her talked a little more before Ellyn simply joined the entourage during the "social waiting" and tried not to interfere. The divine princess had 3 consecutive meetings indoors, so Ellyn got to spend much more time of the day with her sister and gained a lot of respect for how natural it was for her to get along with anyone. Even the people she`s only met for the first time, found it easy to talk with her. She will only be getting better. Nothing too interesting happened and the entourage eventually called it a day and split up into groups, some girls still following Lunor, but 3 groups heading in different directions, Ellyn and Marys being in one of them and walking towards their building for female guests. "So, that`s how it is... hmm, but Lunor could have told you this much without the girls hearing it. She wants the information to be known. The star soldier is Idreyn here and we are to be seen as Lunor`s people to be near her, to shield the young woman from "bad influence" and keep informing the princess," Selea thought aloud inside her guest room. "If she wants the information to spread, then..." "It may also be to explain the higher security without it directly pointing at our direction. Think about it. Idreyn`s skill must already be known. She is the best student. All the focus is going to be on her and we will barely get noticed, staying in her shadow. Nothing will change from the star mage`s perspective threat-wise, so she`ll be as protected as she`d be anyway, and we`ll become almost invisible at the same time, while sharing her protection." "True, that may be the case. Wouldn`t being close also place us in danger, though?... Hmm... the marriage of Miril Archen... Isloes will be a family to Count Archen and the royal favour seems to be connected to her," Ellyn theorised. "They will do their best to protect the girl and no one will need to look for more reasons than those that are easy to see..." Selea finished and nodded a few times. 9. I demand "I demand you let me grab your magnificent breasts!" "No, let me be!" "Insolence! Old Hag, tell this "no one" to accept my demand immediately. I won`t repeat myself." "What is the meaning of this?!" Cathe started, leading Ellyn, Selea and her ladies-in-waiting to meet Lunor for a morning walk in the royal gardens, not even out of the guest building yet. "None of your business. Get lost!" "Old Hag! Don`t let the big-chested one go! Why are you just standing there?" "You do not command others around here, countess. Stop bothering the guests or face consequences!" Cathe warned. "Slap the rude bitch!" the countess commanded the "Old Hag". ... "He, he... I`m very sorry... I will act with more respect... when you are around, Lady Miral," the countess promised, smiling the best she could, both her cheeks still red from the two slaps she got even before getting put over Cathe`s knee. Her face was red. Her other cheeks... well, she will be remembering this encounter for days, just like Ellyn will. Those were some nice cheeks. Very much to her liking. As she`s learned, this was Countess Valcor, a southerner high noble visiting the royal palace to attend Lunor`s tea party taking place today. Idreyn has been seeing her mom off and Marys has been with Lunor already, so luckily for those two, they`ve missed the unpleasant situation. "How did she not recognise you? Children of southerner high nobles are raised by Aspions," Ellyn wondered. "Ariade has been a countess since before 3. She has not been raised here and... her situation and upbringing... let`s call it... difficult." "I may have been the first person ever to have disciplined her. Imagine getting raised by someone that should, in theory, listen to your commands. This is what Ariade does, when she wants something." "And the master mage she called "Old Hag"?" "She is actually only above 50 and only here to guard her. From both enemies and boys." "So young..." This was the morning of March 21st, 1218. "Idreyn, now that you know the girls, we will visit the next person responsible for the three of you, starting the day after tomorrow. An envoy of Eastern Empire is only days away now and the number of meetings that need to take place beforehand due to preparations is not small." "I was hoping to be able to spend more time with you, Cathe." "I`m not moving to the other side of the kingdom. I will be right beside Lunor and still meet you daily," "We will be meeting with Princess Lunor daily?" "Yes. A morning walk in the royal gardens and then a spellcasting session in the afternoon." "She`ll be spending so much time with us? Thank you for the incredible opportunity, Cathe. I will not fail to mention it in my letters." Something that has become an expected daily occurrence for the two of them, still seemed like the most precious thing to the lower noble.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. "Cathe? What a pleasant surprise!" Ruelm with his guards met the group of 9 on their way to the mysterious person who`ll take charge of Ellyn, Selea and Idreyn, starting the day after tomorrow. "Ruelm, I would not mind conversing with you, but we need to meet with someone soon and hurry to meet with Lunor next." "No problem, I have time to walk with you right now." "Hm... you are new here, the girl that is suspiciously close to Miss Arte," he said. Idreyn has really been a little too close to her for some time now. She`d say that the lower noble does not see a problem with walking in a way that her and Ellyn`s arms and hands touch on every other step, as if "by complete accident". Every time Ellyn moved a little further away, the girl moved closer until she simply gave up and smiled at her newest friend, thinking that this must be some weird habit of hers. An awkward attempt at befriending Ellyn, possibly? "Ruelm Argela, this is Idreyn Isloe, daughter of Baron Isloe and our guest," Cathe said, a little annoyed by knowing what he`s about to ask next, but trying to not be rude. "Say, you wouldn`t happen to prefer girls when it comes to relationships and sex, Lady Isloe, would you?" "No, I don`t, Lord Argela. I also pledged to not marry or take an official lover before becoming a master mage and won`t break my pledge." "Ruelm, I think I know exactly the kind of person you are looking for... She should be demanding some girl to let her grab a body part somewhere near the lake at the moment, I would say. There is a master mage by her side, easy to notice. Hurry up, because she might move away before you find her." "Grab a body part? Tell me more," he asked with a spark of interest in his eyes and tone. The young man wasted no time and ran towards the lake the moment she mentioned big breasts. "Ruelm also loves big breasts and got spanked by me in the past. They`ll get along well enough." "Isn`t it dangerous to let a man near her? Ariade has a master mage as a guard," Selea pointed out. "Don`t worry. Unlike Ariade, Ruelm knows what restraint and consent mean. She is also not his type, when it comes to body. What I meant was that they might become friends and influence one another in an unexpected way." "Like Countess Valcor also undressing and getting chased by her guard?" "She does that too, on better weather than this. Them running together would not have been unexpected, had it been a little warmer. I meant that she will have someone to talk with and may somewhat calm down and stop bothering others." Hm. Are all nobles weird in some way? Would Idreyn stop with that dangling arm of hers?! She said she`s not into girls, so what`s her deal? Ellyn only smiled at her again. It may be the girl`s way of getting closer. Better not ruin it. She has an important task from Lunor herself. "This is one of the Laur Group`s buildings. The person I`m about to introduce to you is a female level 5 mercenary, who speaks our language. Don`t believe her if she pretends it`s not the case. This assignment of hers is not what she had in mind when asking for a new one, so try not to be overly reliant on her or it will get on her nerves easily and the woman might snap. Rillen will protect you, even if only by her perpetually angry look and wearing Laur Group`s mercenary level 5 uniform. No one around messes with them." "Cathe! What brings you here? Lady Isloe, it is a pleasure to see you again," a handsome, but obviously a powerfully built redheaded mercenary master mage with a strong foreign accent and a big smile approached them. "Master Tercent, I wanted to talk with Rillen. She is assigned to guard these three girls starting the day after tomorrow, while your squad is staying here." "That seems like a bad idea. Are you sure?" he said after looking at the trio. Ellyn with Selea glanced at Cathe, worried. "As long as the girls don`t anger her too much, her temper should only be to our advantage. In any case, she is the only female mercenary of that level who knows the language and has no day assignment at the moment." "I admire the confidence in your plan. Stay brave, girls and follow me." What does he mean? Is this dangerous? "Is it necessary for our guard to be a woman? Master Tercent also seems reliable," Selea asked Cathe while walking up the stairs, obviously worried about the mercenary girl no one would dare to mess with. "No, only a girl. Master Tercent has 9 female level 5s in his squad and they will be at the capital for a month, but Rillen is the only one who knows the language. Don`t worry. She has all we need and more. Don`t rub her the wrong way and all will be fine. I believe in you." "There must be more female mercenaries than just those in his squad, then." "Another one that knows the language is a talented level 2 aura user from City of Aspion, but the girl has a terrible sense of direction. Not only is she a little too young, lacking the experience, but it won`t be exactly sending a threatening message to walk hand in hand with her so that she doesn`t get lost." "Does it have to be a mercenary?" "Yes." Great...