I'm a little worried time passages are a bit on the slow side. I'm not sure I'm managing that well.
Amaiah sighed happily as she stretched. "Can we stay like this forever? Or at least all day?"
Kallian chuckled. The couple laid in his bed facing each other. He reached over and ran a hand through her hair. Free of its usual bun, it fell nearly to her waist. "I wish we could. I have to be up, dressed, and with my father and grandfather in about twenty minutes."
"And you," he continued, sitting up, "need to be with your friends. From what you've told me, your book is nearly done."
"Yes." Amaiah rolled over on her back and stretched again. "It's been such a ride." She laid on her back as Kallian started to dress. "I certainly never expected any of this. if I'm honest with you and myself, I didn't even expect to be allowed in the city."
"You can thank my grandfather for that," Kallian told her. "He wasn't certain until you spoke up. After that, he realized you and your friends meant us no harm and simply wanted to prove to those in your colony that we are no myth."
"Really?"
Kallian leaned over the bed and kissed her. "Yes, it was your doing."
Amaiah was reluctant to get up, but she knew she had to. "See you tonight?"
"Of course."
To the concern of her handlers, Rineah had grown a little subdued. The trip to the reef had allowed her to open up a little to Albion, and even if they saw little bursts of her cheerful personality, she acted sorrowful most of the time. Several days after the trip to the reefs, as they were eating a light lunch, Melia took it upon herself to ask Rineah what was wrong.
"Why are you sad, Rineah?" she asked, watching carefully for Rineah's reaction.
"I'm not," Rineah protested. She was staring at her plate, pushing around a fruit salad made from various fruits from Makna Forest.
"But you are," Melia insisted. "You don't act like you did when my brother brought you here."
"I'm not sure I like it here anymore, Melia," Rineah whispered. Fabrion heard her, but made no acknowledgement.
"Why? Are you not pleased to be with your father?"
"Yes, but... it isn't like I wanted. I always thought if I could come here, he'd spend time with me." Behind her, unseen by the two of them, Fabrion inclined his head to Vasia.
"He does," Melia insisted.
"When he can."
"That's true," Melia said, "but he'd love to spend every day with you. It is just how things work in our family. Father comes when he can, and I am always happy to see him, but he's the crown prince, so he is a very busy man."
"But my father - "
"Is considered to be my father's heir, the next crown prince." Melia smiled, though her large blue eyes were a little sad. "It is something you have to get used to, being here. Is it not true you've seen your father more now than you have?"
"Yes," Rineah's tone was timid. "I didn't see him much at all, living away from here."
"Would it help to look at it that way?"
"I can try." Melia was trying to help, and Rineah understood she, too, longed for more time with her own father. Melia had been looking at it in a positive manner for her entire life. That was still new to Rineah.
As the two of them talked, Fabrion and Vasia were conversing in their own manner. Vasia inclined her head vaguely in the direction of the palace. Fabrion shook his head quickly. Vasia nodded. "He needs to know," she mouthed.
"Later," Fabrion mouthed in response, holding up a finger to stop her.
"Now."
Fabrion shook his head again. Vasia scowled, but returned her attention to Rineah and Melia. Rineah was shaking her head at something Melia had said, something the two of them had missed. It turned out to be nothing important and more to do with their homework.
"Helping me will help you," Melia promised.
"I don't like studying!"
Melia covered her mouth but could not stifle her giggle. "How were you taught?"
"Izo. He'd make it fun. Like... we would go outside so he could show me plants and animals in nature. Or if it rained, he'd teach me history."
Izo was resting, having had stayed up late in the night, still stuck in his schedule of checking on Rineah through the night. "Perhaps we could help?" Fabrion joined them at the table. Vasia was quick to follow.
Melia nodded in agreement. She found that she liked and trusted Rineah's guards, especially having learned from her father that they had been hand picked by Kallian long ago. Rineah frowned, clearly outnumbered and with nowhere to go.
She sat and listened as Vasia and Fabrion started quizzing them on Alcamoth history. Even though she tried to stay out of their game, she found herself answering questions in her head. They were giving them easy questions.
As questions turned to geography, Melia started to struggle. Rineah knew some answers, though her trips to the reefs had also been limited. "Some things you cannot learn from just books," Vasia said gently as Rineah blurted out an answer about the Sea Frogs.
"I don't like them," Melia said, her voice soft.
"I know, I'm not that big of a fan of them either," Vasia said with a smile towards Rineah.
"They're not gross," Rineah protested. "They're cute... and maybe... just a little slimy."
Fabrion laughed. Not only was Rineah's argument funny, but Vasia and Melia's reactions were also amusing. It was clear their idea of "a little slimy" and Rineah's differed greatly.
"Be that as it may," Vasia said, shifting a little in her seat, "let's go back to your work, shall we?"
With a reluctant nod, Rineah allowed the questions to resume. Both Fabrion and Vasia were pleased as Rineah started to answer more, glad to know she had not only been paying attention, but was actually willing to work and study more than she let on.
Their question and answer session went for over an hour. After stumping Rineah and Melia with a particularly difficult question, Vasia decided their little quiz was over. She praised them both, but her concerns about the earlier conversation between the two little princesses still stuck in her mind. Though Fabrion had told her not to, she still planned to bring it up with Prince Kallian.
