No body knows how a simple answer of yes or no can change your life completely.
Thirrin Freer Stong-in-the-Arm LIindenshied, was to learn it the hard way.
* * *
"Now, now Thirrin," Maggiore Totus said in his best teaching and authoritive voice. "You must remember that the first part of your assignment is for you to go outside, and blend in with the others. The second part of your assignment is to find a particular plant, and bring it back to the palace, without anyone to guide you, Do you understand?"
Thirrin rolled her eyes, "Yeah,yeah. Blah, blah, blah."
Grishmak laughed, "No need to be worried Thirrin, it will be ok. I can see you are just choking wit anxiety."
But Thirrin's mood didn't change.
Ever she had refused that horrid prince's proposal for marriage, the dangerous glint in the man's eyes had been hauntin Thirrin ever since.
She had had her helmet on, and nobody had said anything against it because of their dislike and distrust for the prince who was two times the age as Thirrin, so the man knew nothing of how she looked like.
Thirrin's father, Redrought, had told her to forget about him, but no matter how hard she tried, there still came this nagging of worry inside her mind.
But as she and Maggiore left Tharaman and Grishmak by the great doors and came outside of the castle door discreetly, in the knowledge that only Redought, Tharaman and Grishmak knew about this test, Thirrin decided to concentrate on her test.
"Have you got everything?" Maggiore asked, "The things you were mean to wear?"
Thirrin grudgingly pointed to the ugly dress he had made her wear and he smiled, obviously satisfied.
"How can women walk in these heels?" she hissed, "I am certain that I will fall in them and make an utter bloody fool of muself!"
"I am afraid that this was part of the test," Maggiore said pursing his lips, "I can not do anything about it."
Thirrin snorted. "Yes you can," she said, "You are the cursing tutor!"
After a few minutes of walking, the two stopped, and Maggiore turned to face his pupil.
"Alright, you have now completed the first task of you test," he said, "From now, you will go on alone, and meet me at the palace by evening with the yukili flower. Understood?"
Thirrin nodded. "Are you sure the plant is near here?"
Maggiore smiled, "Would I tell you to look in this area if I wasn't absolutely positive?" and he left.
Thirrin searched for the plant until an hour before evening.
When she found the plant, it was maddening for her to see that it was near the forest, a place she went so often.
Thirrin was making her way down to the castle when what she had predicted finally came true. She stumbled upon something, and not being able to control herself because of the shoes, she lost her footing and fell.
Instinctively, her arms came in front of her, trying to atleast protect her face, but she never made contact with the ground.
Someone caught her by the arms, and Thirrin found herself staring into a pair of black eyes.
"Wo there!" the person said as he caught her.
Briefly looking at each other, the boy helped her to regain her balance.
When she was upright, Thirrin saw that the boy was only a year older than her, but apparently very tall for his age.
He smiled at her and bowed surprising Thirrin a great amount, "Hello, our majesty." he said politely.
Thirrin hastily motioned for him to be quiet ,and he looked at her questioningly.
"How did you know its me?" she hissed.
The boy looked at her in the eye, and something seemed to click in him, "Are you having those blending in the society tests?"
Thirrin's eyes widened and the boy smirked, "My mother told me."
"You're not from around here are you?" Thirrin asked. He seemed too agile to live somewhere like this.
"Well...," the boy hesitated before answering, "Well, no. "
"Right"
Then Thirrin noticed that it was nearly evening.
"Damn it, got to go," she looked at the boy, "Thank you for catching me,"
He grinned. Then started walking towards the forest.
Thirrin ran to the palace, and made it just in time.
"Good job," maggiore sais, "You pass the test."