"Ah! Your Imperial Highness Princess Aefia!" The queen remarked while abruptly standing up to offer a bow. "I didn't think you would afford the time and come down almost instantly. Unless... Maybe you have been forced?" She shot a glance at her daughter to step aside before offering a sweet nod to Aefia's direction.
I am sorry... But are you all this pathetic? Because the only person I thought would be normal... Is also extremely abnormal.
"No, I came with my own will. Afterall, it is a tea party where I—as a guest—was invited. How could I reject what the Queen and the Princess of this kingdom offers? It is more like a blessing to be invited." She offered a tilt of her head and a gentle smile.
"Oh? Well I suppose you have a point." The Queen clasped her hands and nodded at a servant, who came towards Aefia to settle her at her own place at the table. As soon as she was tucked in, a cup was brought out.
"Would you like coffee or tea?"
"Tea please."
The Queen and the Princess looked upset at her for a while, before one of them decided to open their mouth.
"May we ask why you chose tea?"
"..."
Aefia wrapped her index finger against the handle and lifted it to smell the frangance of the drink that had been poured in front of her.
"Apparently, since it is still early morning, I prefer a very light amount of caffeine to keep myself going through the day. Coffee makes me feel more tired, while tea on the other hand has a more refreshing tone to it." She breathed out, taking a sip and then placing it back onto the saucer. "Besides, I am fully rested and I really enjoy using my own energy instead of artificial stimulants."
The Queen recoiled back onto her seat and let out a sigh of relieve. "Well then... Who are we to oppose your choices?" Beside her, Rosetta chuckled silently, watching Aefia take another sip of her tea.
Although Aefia though it was a rather funny name for a sister older to Cedric.
"Furthermore..." She suddenly placed her cup down and leaned forward with a smirk linguring at her face. "I don't want to cause myself a headache that can only be cured by the very substance that created it. In case you hadn't observed yet... People who drink coffee often, gets so obsessed with it that later on, they drink coffee thinking it will cure their illnesses. What a delusion... Am I right?"
The two woman sitting opposite to her turned horrified and embarrased by her words. They shared one glance at each other and immediately ordered servants to take their cups away—asking for a change of drinks.
Soooo... We are here trying to impress each other, huh? Aefia grinned while finishing her tea completely in one gulp. As soon as she was done, a servant took it away and placed pastry in front of her. The same chocolate cake that she, Lewis and Henry used to fight over.
An awkward silence flew through, before she decided to take the fork and taste. "It's good."
Given she skipped breakfast, hunger had taken over her mind by the time she knew it. However, there was no reaching for a second plate or anything.
"I suppose that now I am done, I may take my leave?" She asked while tucking her hands beneath the tablecloth. She just wanted to get done with it.
But the two other women hesitated.
"You haven't spoken much with us. Won't it be better to get to know each other?" The princess asked while pushing her plate forward. "I know! Let's each tell a joke. Sense of humor differs per person you know."
"Yes yes! Let's tell jokes. We go twice each round." The Queen blurted out almost instantly. Like she was anticipating it.
"Since your Imperial Highness Princess Aefia is here, why not we start with her?"
All pair of eyes flew towards only one person with stark black hair at the roots and silver at the edges. She let out a sigh and leaned her elbow against the table, playing her fork against a chocolate stain on the plate.
They really are expecting something vulnerable from me... What should I say? I don't know any jokes that may define other then my personality... I only recall what Lewis used to tell me.
Then, an idea flickered inside her mind.
"Why did the cow die twice?" She asked with a smile, not diverting her eyes from the plate. It may be a dark humor joke... Or an indirect threat.
"Uh... Why?" The pink haired girl asked in curiosity.
"Because it was slaughtered once, then cooked. Then on the dinner plate, it was cut into pieces again."
There was only silence for a moment. Then forced laughter. It was actually awkward for Aefia too. But she forced it back.
"Alright. What's your second one?"
Aefia tapped her fingers against her chin. Her eyes flickered to something that made her smirk. "Why do you think the princess wearing a tacky pink dress not make it out alive?" She asked in response, her fork scratching against the plate harder then the last time.
"Why?"
The fork stopped with a stab on the porcelain surface. Aefia lifted her twin crimson gaze towards the mother and daughter, leveling her chin under her clasped fingers, shooting them each a personal gaze. The brightness of the greenhouse suddenly reduced due to the thunder clouds hovering over them. The dimness made her eyes look like two glowing rubies.
"Because the dress was made that way for a purpose... It caught fire and she died."
The words echoed louder than the volume that left her mouth. For a split second, they both lost all colours from their face. At that exact moment, Aefia tilted her head to the side and stared directly at the space between them.
"Don't take that it seriously. It's just a joke."
This caused them to move at least. "Yes, it is a joke. You got us on this one." The Princess muttered while her mother shot her a glare.
"Anyways, let us all head back. It is about to rain. No one wants to get drenched... Right?"
"Sure thing." On the other side, Aefia pushed the plate slightly in front of her. But while she stayed sitted, she could sense that something was going to go wrong.
"For the record... You aren't trying to plan anything against me... Are you?" She asked in curiosity towards the two people. Her eyebrow arching up to make her suspicions seem more noticable.
"No no! We would never do that to our guests!" The Queen snapped while half rising from seat. Her eyes widening in a moment of total disarray and shock.
"Well that is good to know then..." Aefia replied while folding her arms in front of her. Her legs crossed under the tablecloth in a way of complete anticipation and wanting not to move out of the scene for the moment. "I will mark your words... Because if I catch any of you lying—you might even find yourself in between a problem you don't want to be in."
"What is that—" the princess shouted, slamming her hands onto the table. She suddenly froze, staring at the way the dark-haired girl was observing her movements and actions.
As if calculating... Whether they were truly telling the truth.
I have heard of these type of people... I just didn't think she would be one of them... Then that means—
Before anyone could open their mouth, a knight came flying in to the greenhouse. The glass shattered with his weight as the sword directly pierced into the marble floor.
Ah! Just as I thought. Something was wrong. Aefia thought to herself. Rubbing off any smile and signalling for another sudden cup of tea. The servants obeyed her, while the two pink-haired woman stared with disbelieve.
She took a seep, shut her eyes and took in her surroundings only through sound. If something was wrong anywhere else—like where Cedric was—her ghost would come over to inform her. But nothing like that had happened yet.
Besides—that cup of tea will vibrate if any disturbance caused the ground to shake.
Which meant... No one else was aware something might be happening only near the greenhouse...
Where I am.
As she set down her cup for a split moment, she heard the sound of ceramic hitting the ground. Her eyes immediately flew open, seeing that the princess was already starting to cause a scene. Outside, a shadow-bodied creature was roaring. Many knights were trying to fight it off. And it seemed—like it only had its eyes focused on one thing. A human.
The knight who was thrown in was already dead. Many were fighting to stop it. However, no one was trying to figure out a way to remove it. Which was a rather odd thing as a witness.
Well? What is the worse that can happen? One of those pink-heads will get caught up in this disaster? And say 'luckily the guest is alright!'—making me feel guilty.
Her eyes turned half-lided as she focused on her drink. But the greenhouse doors just happened to shatter at that exact moment. Aefia was facing the door. When she realized...
Not a single piece had landed near her.
Ah yes... I forgot about one thing when I mentioned 'worse'.
The shadowed creature was breathing right next to her, waiting for a reaction. In fact, neon pink was quite the bright colour. Which foreshadowed the pastel pink of the Queen and Princess's hair. So when Cedric said he knew this dress may have not been from the King, he was also aware such a peculiar design can only be used as a part of a much bigger plan.
Aefia finished her tea and stood up, facing the giant mammoth—who stood with black smoke rising from his head—making it seem like a tuft of hair. She let out a sigh, and reach to her side where Spectrum naturally rested. She had hid it with her illusions, which immediately lost its invisibility as the blade left the scabbard.
With her other hand, she tugged at the tight high collar of the dress, and set it on fire.
Naturally, a human would be burnt too. But for fire elemental user—they could easily avoid it—since an extra five percent of their body is just magic that repel its own effects.
The Queen and Princess watched in shock and awe.
As the flames descended, it revealed a layer of a different fabric. The ashes fell to unveil a burgundy and black pinafore along with sleek black trousers and a billowing cape falling from her left shoulder. Her tight pink sleeves melted into lose white ones. When the flames ended at her fingertips, it left a pair of black gloves covering her hands. Two strings of pearl acted as a 'sleeve' on the same left shoulder. And the weight actually made Aefia's movements more fluid.
It gave when the idea that her right arm moved lighter.
The key to doing this was to make her under-layers fireproof and her top illusion a semi-reality. She wanted to do this to highlight the fact that she was always prepared and that there was no such thing as a totally naive female in this world—all while staying quiet.
As soon as the fire had died down, the mammoth charged forward. Given she was clad in a much freerer clothing then before—she managed a dodge a spear that was directed towards her torso. If only Puppet were here, she would have been able to easily tell what the mammoth's weakness was.
But she found herself all alone, only with powerful skills that could defend her. Besides, two people were constantly marking her moves. She had to make things fast if she didn't want them to memorize all her attact styles—and use it against her.
Her eyes flew to it's throat, where a crest rested.
Apparantly, based on what I had learnt at the Empire. Each family member had a crest of their own. And if I can remember correctly—then the Princess is using her magic to torment me. Hm... This truely is a strange family.
The mammoth slammed its trunk towards where Aefia stood previously.
She stomped her leg on the trunk, held her sword high and sliced the shadow where the edges of its curved teeth rested. Immediately, she burned the limp. The princess looked terrified and happened to be silently choking for something.
Ashes that were created with fire magic—can't be reused to enhance the shadow creature again... Princess. Aefia silently smirked. Her crimson eyes turned towards the outside of the greenhouse, where the knights were still struggling with more approaching beasts.
This is my fourth day staying at the Mides kingdom. And my first day after I came to this palace. Its already this bad... What should I expect anymore?
Aefia lifted her sword above her head once more over her shoulders while walking past the mammoth's face, coming to stand near its stomach. She plunged Spectrum once into its body—and the entire shadow creature burned up. Her eyes drifted towards the nearing princess.
Then...
Shatter! Crack!
Glass broke in front of her, blood splattered onto it. A chair broken into splinters onto the ground where it drew blood from Aefia's ankle. Just a scratch. Meanwhile, Rosetta stood holding her bleeding palm on top of the ground in front Aefia.
"You are really a genius... I couldn't believe my eyes for the entire time since I saw you." She smirked, then falling to her knees and stained her own forehead a deep crimson.
"Someone help!!" Ms. Pinkhead shrieked.
What the fuck! Aefia stared with disgust at the sobbing girl, who was begging to an approaching young knight. How the heck did I stumble over a goddamn pick-me!... I need to bleach my eyes!
"Darling!" Rosetta shouted while holding a hand in front of her. "She is trying to kill me!"
More like YOU were trying to kill ME!
"Take her away!" He commanded while the Queen stared with the same level of disgust at her own daughter.
"Wait wait wait!" Aefia held out her hand to stop him. Her eyes hinting at the busy horde of knights outside the greenhouse. "How exactly do you wish to capture me? I just happened to kill a shadow creature right in this place... An we were NOT alone."
Her gaze flew to the nervous servants at the corner.
"Many people saw it... Did you lose your sense of judgment just because a princess is acting all helpless?"