The reading session first belonging to Essia and Tala began with a full blown party, with Prince Cedric practicing violin, Tala playing piano and Mayumi with her harmonica. Essia liked the background music, even sharing the events of the story she was reading with lots of interest to Cedric's sensitive ears dismay.
Tea parties became a weekly occurrence as well by the crystal gardens, Prince Cedric would often share banter,chase and even sword fight with Princess Essia, while Tala and Mayumi would be there cheering, enjoying tea even fighting with wooden swords as well.
"I'm gonna get you this time" Cedric announced his wooden sword raised.
Essia laughed at Cedric's words as one of her eyes let out a golden hue. Cedric who noticed it coated his whole body and sword with his magic before charging towards Essia.
Essia took a step forward her sword raised seeing that Cedric put more strength on his charge but before their sword clashed Essia took a step to the side sending Cedric to collide to the ground with a thud.
"Idiot" Essia said with a grin.
Cedric grumbled, "You're so annoying to fight with you always do this!" He punched the ground many times in anger.
Essia giggled before she bent down and reached her hand out towards Cedric, "It's not my fault you keep falling for it"
"Can't we just clash swords with each other. Why do you always dodge?!" Cedric took her hand then standing up Cedric continued, "Don't tell me you're scared?!"
"I'm not scared" Essia said, placing her sword on her shoulder, "You do know you can win a fight not just by exchanging blows right?"
Cedric rolled his eyes, "Of course I know" his grip on the sword tighten, "But if your good at the sword won't it be easier to just exchange blows and overpower your opponent with strength"
"We got the loot!" Tala shouted towards the two while waving her hands, Mayumi munching on something behind her.
"Some starberry pies." Tala continued.
Cedric dashed towards Tala, "Last one to reach Tala would be an idiot"
Essia immediately ran after Cedric, the two of them racing each other to the spot.
Essia casted her magic on Cedric freezing him on the spot.
"I hate.. time magic" Cedric said as the magic began to fade.
"You pay for this!" Cedric shouted as Essia took over him. Essia had a smug look until she slipped on a puddle of water that appeared under her feet.
Cedric ran past Essia only to be overturned by Essia once more, the two of them reaching the spot after minutes.
"Where's the starberry pie?" Cedric asked, seeing the empty plates at the table.
Tala shrug her shoulders, "I ate it"
"What!?"
Cedric shook Tala, "Why did you ate it all"
"It's too delicious," Tala retorted.
Madame Talia coughed making Cedric let go of his hold on Tala.
"I still got some" Mayumi shoved a pie towards Cedric. It already got a nibble on it but Cedric still took a bite.
"This tastes good" Cedric said while taking a seat, he then ripped the pie in half giving a small piece to Essia.
Essia also took a seat tasting the starberry pie.
Tala poured some tea into their cups and they all began to chatter about things. The topics changed a lot of times still.. They were children
A loud long-bell like sound registered on their ears.
"A bell?" Tala inquired as the clanging of bells.
Essia glanced towards the sound, "It's not a bell it's crystals"
"Someone's getting married?" Cedric inquired and Mayumi only continued to take a sip of her empty tea cup.
"Good for them." Tala clap her small gloved hands, "I hope for their happiness"
"The starberry is very delicious with EnimsaJ tea. It is an absolute combo" She continued.
Essia laughed, "You should really tried ginger milk tea next time"
"Ginger tea.." Mayumi asked, "Is there ginger tea here?"
"There was." Cedric chimed in, "Father like it a lot so we got plenty stocked"
"They are imported from the Sitan Kingdom." He added.
Mayumi's face darkened, "Yeah… Sitan Kingdom"
Essia turned her head to the sound as the dull repeating chime continued to be heard.
The perpetrator for her kidnapping turns out to be Marquess Silva from her very own faction.
Trying to frame the royal faction that wished to make Prince Cedric king, he ordered some people to attack Essia.
That's why Essia easily managed to get away. If it was a real attempt on her life she could have died.
She couldn't remember how she even got stabbed in the first place and how she ran. Her magic, the side effect of being a time mage makes her forget about memories that can cause her too much emotional instability.
Which makes it worse because that means something happened. Something that caused her to feel intense chills whenever she tried to recall.
"You have always seemed to be much mature for our age. Aren't you Essia?" Tala snapped Essia from her thoughts.
"Someday I want to be like you." Tala continued with a smile on her face.
Cedric nod his head, "When we turn sixteen i make sure to bring Essia along so i can copy her answers"
Essia raised an eyebrow, "Seriously?"
"But didn't the academy only send a minimum of one invitation to each noble house?" Mayumi asked.
"Well. Father is from the Benilda house and The duke don't have any children so Essia would most likely get one too" Cedric said.
"Then maybe i could also get one as well" Mayumi smiled, "The four of us would go to class together"
Another dull like chime echoed and all of them snapped towards the direction of the sound once more.
"Did lots of couples get married at the same time?" Tala muttered, "Or did someone do a very bad stuff"
"Probably a Dreamscape punishment." Essia said.
"What's a 'dreamscape'" Mayumi asked, "I have heard many punishment like exile, imprisonment and de- but there was no such thing as Dreamscape from the Sitan Kingdom"
Tala and Cedric shrugged then the three of them glanced at Essia who surprisingly answered with, "I don't know"
"Did you just suddenly expect me to know everything?" Essia said.
"I honestly thought you knew" Cedric said, "Your always the all knowing amongst us"
Tala and Mayumi nodded their heads to Cedric's words.
After their conversation the children went on to eat some pies with Tala nodding in her every bite, her legs that hang from the chair swayed with enjoyment.
Essia giggled at the sight, "You really enjoyed food aren't you Tala?"
Tala nodded her eyes sparkling with delight, "It's very tasty. One day when i grow up i'm gonna taste all the food in the world"
Wiping down his lips with a handkerchief beside Essia Cedric spoke, "That seems like a nice dream" He then saw Essia giving him a side eye, "What? Don't tell me you don't want Tala to leave her life eating the things she loved"
"No, This is the face that means 'I'm surprised you finally have some useful things to say for once' " Essia said, making Cedric pout.
"That's just mean" Cedric replied, his eyebrows raised, "Well if you are so smart. Why don't you tell me of your grand plans, Your highness"
Essia let out a bitter smile, "I'm gonna go find my family"
"??? You're gonna find who? But aren't we already here?" Cedric asked.
Essia nodded, "That's right" Changing the topic Essia turned to Mayumi who was scraping the icing on her plate, "What about you Mayumi what do you want to do when you grow up?"
"Me?" Mayumi pointed to herself, "I'm gonna be strong and powerful"
Cedric smiled at Mayumi's words, "Then if your gonna be strong i also want to be strong too"
"Why could the two of you stay together?" Essia teased making Cedric cover his face with his hands.
Tala and Essia laughed while Mayumi too was flustered, turning her gaze away.
Once Princess Mayumi turned ten, the matters on Sitan Kingdom were settled with a peace treaty after the issue with Spade Spiders was gone. Princess Mayumi was sent back to her home. To the Sitan Kingdom.
Princess Essia and Prince Cedric along with Tala waved her off. After that Prince Cedric was crowned as the crown prince. Along with that title he was placed on heavy lessons about politics and sword, archery training giving him no time to even tease or see Essia at all.
Princess Essia on the other hand also received lessons from high ranking ladies, most focused on money related works and social networking. Despite her wanting to contact Tala she was forced to socialize and attend with the daughter of the royal faction nobles.
Same goes to The Viscount's daughter of the neutral faction. With Tala entering quite late in terms of academics. Tala was put towards learning the proper ways of nobilities as well as the introduction of a long list of names and houses. She too also was focused on practicing healing magic under the Viscount's close teaching.
What Happened to Mayumi in Sitan? Well it stays within Sitan.
Years go by and the Letters written by Mayumi, Essia and Tala dwindled with Cedric even almost unable to talk to him being constantly sent off to many places and given no time to settle for letters to be written or to be received.
Still gifts and letters for many occasions were sent to each other, the four of them still being considered acquaintances despite many things going on.
The royal faction and neutral faction remain to keep close yet at the same time distant. And everything was still. It was like a 'calm before the storm'.
But before the storm was of course the darkening of the skies.
Letters proceeded to be sent to multiple kingdoms, leading to multiple strong houses and royalties.
An invitation of to young mages of nobilities and even some selected commoners to go to the Democratic Kingdom of Manawari to their prestigious academy.
However before that at the age of fourteen, Tala was engaged with her supposed fiance.
"My name is Tase Racine" A ruby eyed boy said to Tala with a smile, Those red eyes so deep that it pulls Tala in. With a sword of black sheathed on his waist.
At that moment Tala wondered if Cedric had felt this too.