Disclaimer: Fire Emblem - The Sacred Stones is a belonging to his respective corporation and creator: Nintendo and Intelligent Systems. The following characters belong to the author.
Adrion: A recruit from Renais in training to become just like Seth.
Adam: A journeyman from Frelia in training to become Frelia's first hero.
Nicole: A young maiden from Rausten. The uptight best friend of L'Arachel.
Ephraim and Eirika – The Sacred Twin Life
—The One with the Pimple—
-Castle Renais-
It was a Friday morning and light shone brightly through the glass balcony doors of Eirika's suite. Eirika winced quite a few times in reaction to the sunlight and slowly rose from her comfortable Grado-Pedic imported queen bed. She stretched and yawned and got off the bed. She looked outside and smiled at the sight of the Renais scenery.
"I can't believe today is the day of the National Renais Ball." Eirika thought, "I gotta get ready."
She turned around and went to her bathroom. She locked the door and faced her mirror.
"AAAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAA-AAAAAA!"
"AAAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAA-AAAAAA!"
A dozen of soldiers, including Seth and Adrion, ran around the hallways in panic, as they are desperately trying to reach Eirika's suite.
"Princess Eirika is in trouble!" A soldier yelled.
Seth was the first one to reach Eirika's suite and burst the door open. He readied his lance. "Princess Eirika! Are you all right?"
"AAAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAA-AAAAAA!"
Seth and Adrion looked at each other, in response to Eirika's inhuman scream. Seth and Adrion searched around the suite and came across her bathroom. Adrion volunteered to open the door of the bathroom and Seth and the soldiers penetrated inside.
"Princess Eirika!" Seth yelled in panic.
"What's the matter?" Adrion yelled.
Eirika turned around to face the knights, "ONLY THE NASTIEST, MOST GRUESOME AND HIDEOUS ZIT HAS BEEN PLANTED ON MY FACE! BY THE DEMON ZIT HIMSELF!" Eirika pointed at a black pimple with a hair on it the size of a pea, resting left between her nose and upper lip.
Ephraim, Eirika, and Fado gathered for breakfast at the dining chamber. Eirika used her hand to hide her gargantuan pimple from being seen. Ephraim shook his head, "Darn you, Eirika. I can't believe you gave us a scare over a measly pimple."
Eirika gave Ephraim a cold stare, "Measly? You call this—" she showed Ephraim her pimple, "—measly?"
At the sight of the pimple, Ephraim hunched backward and his face turned away from Eirika, "…Ooh. Now that is nasty."
"I know." Eirika gravely replied. She then turned her attention to Fado and whined, "Father! How can I make this go away?"
"Oh don't worry, Eirika." Fado reassured, "I think you need to see a doctor."
Fado's statement froze Eirika. Fado however smiled then went on to say, "A Frelian doctor."
An hour has passed and Eirika was on her bed. Moulder and Natasha were examining her pimple. Moulder ventured, "I see that it is unhealable."
"And uncontagious." Natasha added.
Eirika cocked her head on one side, "Unhealable?"
"Uncontagious?" Ephraim questioned.
"It means it can't be healed that easily." Moulder replied.
"And it's not contagious." Natasha added.
"However, there is an ointment that could heal it." Moulder added.
"It's about from eighty-five…" Natasha added.
"…to a hundred percent alcohol. And I did say and hundred percent…alcohol." Moulder finished.
"Can I have it?" Eirika desperately asked. Moulder bit his lips, "Well…it might cost you."
"Wait a minute!" Fado interrupted, "Cost us? Didn't King Hayden bring you here?"
Moulder and Natasha looked at each other. Natasha shrugged, like it was none of her business. Moulder faced Fado again, "Did he?"
A disturbing silence ensued in the room. Everyone burst out laughing. Moulder stopped the laughter, "But seriously, it's going to cost you."
-Port Kiris-
"Innes, are you sure about this?" Ephraim asked Innes as the Frelian prince began pushing him forward a group of young citizen girls. "I mean, seriously, I don't think I'm ready to get into the game, y'know?"
"Ephraim, we're nineteen years old! You're totally ready!" Innes told him, "Only losers say things like what you just said."
Ephraim looked at Innes, his eyes dilated, "Are you serious?"
"A hundred percent plus." Innes replied, "And besides, chicks dig princes, and princes dig chicks. Now up and at it."
Innes continued nudging Ephraim toward the girls. Ephraim stopped as he saw Fado twelve feet from where they were. Fado veiled himself in a brown monk garment. He looked around, gently knocked at a resident's door and the door swung open by a young red-haired woman. The woman bowed before Fado, but Fado shook his head, raised her up her feet and smiled. The woman returned the smile.
"Isn't that King Fado?" Innes noticed Fado as well.
"What's going on?" Ephraim asked, though he knew exactly what was going on and did not like the image he saw. It was at that moment that Fado entered the woman's house.
-Castle Renais-
Ephraim, Eirika, Tana, Innes and Lyon gathered around the dining chamber. Innes was the only one standing up, his back reclining at a nearby wall and his arms were crossed.
"I can't believe Father is seeing someone." Ephraim's voice shook with anger, "How can he do this?"
"But look at it this way, Ephraim, King Fado can't spend the rest of his life grieving. He has to move on." Tana told Ephraim.
"Tana is right, Ephraim." Innes replied, "I mean, have you ever heard of 'till death do us part'? That's like a contract here."
"Innes!" Lyon and Tana both cried. Innes shrugged, "What? I'm being truthful."
"Him, moving on, is like he's throwing away his commitment to Mother!" The Renais prince exclaimed, "I mean all of my life, I never known Mother, and yet seeing this is like he's hurting her! She's special to me!"
"Unfair!" Eirika whined.
"See? Even Eirika agrees with me." Ephraim spoke too soon.
"My pimple!" Eirika held firmly her face where the pimple rest and ran out of the dining hall. Silence followed.
"Well, it looks like she had other things on her mind." Lyon pointed out.
"Or on her face." Innes chuckled and everyone turned to face him sternly. Innes shrugged again, "What?"
Eirika was in her bathroom, literally pouring all the alcohol ointment on her pimple. Seth passed by and witnessed it. He ran inside and took the ointment from Eirika, "Princess Eirika! What are you doing? Moulder says to only apply a drop a day!"
"A drop a day won't suffice!" Eirika balked, "I have to get this nasty ball out of my nose before the Renais Ball!"
Ephraim was passing by, factually stomping the floor, "And I have to speak to Father before the Renais Ball!"
Seth and Eirika both watch the angry Ephraim heading down the hallway. Seth faced Eirika again, "Okay Princess, first of all, your pimple ain't on your nose, it's between your nose and your upper lip."
Eirika rolled her eyes, "Yeah so whatever…"
Seth continued, "And second of all, it brings about some nasty side effects if you apply a drop or two more."
Eirika scolded, "Have you ever had a pimple before?"
"We aren't talking about me here, Princess Eirika, we're talking about you!" Seth began to shout, "And all I want is for you to be the most beautiful belle in the ball, not a hideous red-haired beast from the netherworld of zits!" Seth began to walk away, also stomping the floor.
"My hair is aquamarine." Eirika corrected.
"Oh! What do you know?" Seth's voice resented. Eirika watched Seth walking away. She then stared into space in thought, looking like she's about to smile.
"Ah yes. We, of Renais and Frelian knights, call it 'As the Silver Zit Turns'" Adam told this to Eirika at the Renais courtyard. His brother Adrion was there too. "Subtitle: 'the Silver Knight's Worst Days of Dealing with his Monstrous Zit'" Adrion added.
"Really? I didn't know that even Frelian Knights knew about that story." Eirika said.
"Well," Adam began, "it all began three days prior to Prom Night, which was supposed to be General Seth's best days of his lives."
"What happened?" Eirika asked, interestingly.
"He woke up one morning, and found a zit on his nose!" Adrion added. Eirika pulled back and gasped, her hand almost touching her lips. "Really?" she asked.
"Yeah." Adam responded, "Days and nights he fought with that thing. Ointment, Cleansing cloth, Acne Wash…"
"But no avail." Adrion added.
"And?" Eirika asked again.
"Well," Adrion continued, "the day of Prom Night, and the zit took vengeance."
"We call it 'vendetta of the zit'" Adam added, then looked around to see if anyone was listening. He faced Eirika again and whispered, "'La Venzitta!'"
Eirika took a sharp breath.
"The zit took an unimaginable form, it was showy!" Adrion added.
"People began calling Seth names." Adam muttered, "Instead of being the Prom King, he was the Prom Zit, the lord of blackheads, the holy pimple himself."
Eirika looked like she was about to faint, "Oh my gosh."
"But other than that, he had a great night."
"How do you know all of that?" Eirika asked, "Did he tell you that?"
"No, it's pretty much one of us scary ghost stories we share between recruits." Adrion said.
"It much scarier to listen to it at night." Adam said.
The day prior to the Renais Ball and Castle Renais was alive and humming with various activities. The castle front gardens and courtyard was full of people, all psyched up about the so-called best day of their lives; however there was no excitement in the Renais twin heirs, Eirika and Ephraim. Eirika was too worried about her appearance and Ephraim was too concerned about Fado, for he believes that the king is practically being deceitful to his late spouse, the queen of Renais.
The Renais Ball is an event that celebrates the royal Renais family and their peaceful ruling of Renais for many generations. People from all over, not just those of the royal bloodline but citizen as well, were invited to enjoy authentic foods and drinks, either imported or local, and dance many dances including the famous royal waltz.
Two…no, four carriages, stopped in front of Renais Castle's Gardens Entrance: Frelia, Jehanna, Rausten, and Grado. Coming out of each carriage were the countries' own rulers and heirs. Jehanna's carriage, however, was only occupied by one ruler: Ismaire. Not far from Jehanna's carriage, Joshua was seen peeking through the bushes, looking around and ultimately sneaking through the castle's back entrance after noticing the coast was clear.
Inside the castle, the ballroom was filled with people. Eirika was ravishing in her silk, curve-shape evening gown, matching the color of her hair, which was attached in a two story bun and adorned with a tiara. Eirika had on her hand a hand-fan, which she used it to conceal her still hideous pimple.
"Eirika!" a voice called to her. She turned around and saw Tana and Nicole approaching her. Tana was fine in her ruffling ivory dress, similar to a wedding gown, in addition to a tiara on her blue well-brushed and free wavy hair reaching her elbow. Nicole wore a much more different dress than both Eirika and Tana. She had a lime form-fitting top over her matching down to the floor, maxi skirt, with diagonal patterning ruffles the color of aquamarine. A light blue translucent cape was attached by her colon. Nicole's hairdo was similar to Eirika's, except few of her blonde hair's highlights were tangling in front.
"How's going girl?" Tana exclaimed, "I thought you wouldn't make it!"
Eirika chuckled nervously, "Wouldn't make it? If you aren't aware of this, this, my friend, is the Renais Ball, thank you very much."
"Actually, I only said this because of your pimple problem." Tana replied sincerely. Eirika shrieked then completely hid her face, "Do you have to mention that!"
Nicole crossed her arms, "What's your problem?"
Eirika snapped, "What's my problem? I'll tell you what's my problem!"
Eirika exposed her pimple to Nicole. Nicole hunched back, her face turned away from Eirika's, "Ew! Gross!"
"Thaat's right. That's my problem." Eirika exclaimed.
"Excuse me?" A masculine voice called to Eirika. Eirika turned around and saw a young man about her age. He wore a red cape over his yellow-trimmed blue noble garment, brown boots, and white pants. He looked unique in the ballroom because of his dark green bandana attached to his blue messy hair. Eirika, Nicole and Tana couldn't take their eyes off him.
"Ooh. He is FINE!" Tana bit her lips.
"Are you Princess Eirika of Renais?" the blue-haired man asked.
"Why hello there, Sir Hunk." She giggled then sniffed haughtily, "Princess Eirika you're looking for, Princess Eirika you found."
Eirika bowed gracefully and faced the blue-haired man. The man started to back away from her, "Ohh…" he cringed.
"What?" Eirika was unaware that the blue-haired man was, no longer focusing his attention to her, but to her pimple. Tana and Nicole also noticed.
"I just remember…" The blue-haired man trembled, "I have to be somewhere else for awhile. I'm sorry. I'll be spotting you… I mean, seeing you!" With these shaken words, he took off.
Eirika felt offended. Nicole stepped in, defending her, "Excuse me? These things happened to be beauty marks, you know! So if you're running away, leaving behind a girl that is supposed to be your future bride, GOOOOOOD LUCK!"
Eirika, to Nicole's complaints, realized it was the pimple. Her face turned red and tears began to flow from her eyes as she left the ballroom in haste. Tana and Nicole followed, "Eirika! Wait!"
Eirika was back in her bathroom, pouring more of the alcohol ointment on her pimple. This time, her bathroom was locked shut.
Back at the ballroom, Ephraim came into view. Ephraim wore a Highland frock snow-white coat, open colon, over a white evening wear dress vest, with pants matching the coat and a dazzling pair of quiet white saddle shoes. His hair was combed backward and oily. Ephraim looked frantically for Fado.
"Yo, Ephraim!" Innes called. Ephraim turned around and saw Innes, wearing over a white stripe shirt, a lightweight frock coat with two tails, the color lime and ivory. His sniper boots were polishing and matching his garments. Innes was accompanied by a flock of ladies.
"Words out you don't have a girlfriend." Innes gloated, but Ephraim paid no attention to him, "Not now Innes. I'm trying to find Father."
"Yeah sure, be the Papa's Boy." Innes replied, "Before you know it, you'll be husbandless, fatherless, and you'll live in a dump with sixty-six stray cats instead of ruling the palace."
"Innes!" One of the girls, with wavy red hair and eyes to match exclaimed, "That wasn't nice."
Innes shrugged, "What? I'm just being frank."
"Look Innes!" Ephraim snapped at him, "If King Hayden was dating a woman in front of you and doesn't heed of his wife or completely ignores you and your opinions at that, what will you do?"
Innes shrugged, not caring, "I'll say 'Go, Father'."
"You make me sick…" Ephraim shook his head in disgust and left. Silence ensued for a good minute. Innes faced the girls, "Is Father really dating?"
Innes left and coming into view were Lyon and Vigarde. Both of them were still in their royal garments, but were cleaner. Vigarde looked at his surrounding, "This place looks a lot livelier than last year's ball."
"I'll say." Lyon replied.
Vigarde faced Lyon, "I'm going to go see Fado about something."
"About what?" Lyon stopped Vigarde who was about to leave.
"Just something, gotta go." Vigarde replied quickly and left. Lyon scratched his head, "Well, that's odd."
Seth approached Lyon. Lyon faced him, "Say Seth, have you seen Ephraim or Eirika around?"
Seth started to freak out, "Is Eirika at it again?"
"At what?"
Seth shook his head, "Never mind, Prince Lyon. Anyway, I didn't see any of them since the Renais Ball started. I'm beginning to worry, especially Princess Eirika." He stared up, "Ain't no way I'm going to relive this day."
"O-Kay. Good luck." Lyon shook his head and left Seth.
Coming next was L'Arachel. Her hair was freed and wavy from the clutches of her indigo cuffs. She wore a formal version of her troubadour clothing. Her powder-blue colored blouse had on arrowhead-shaped cuffs and the blouse was shaped as an hourglass. Her dress, matching the color, was still reaching above her knees, but in addition to the dress was a pair of white pants, tucked in her high-heels. Dozla and Rennac were accompanying her. Dozla wore a white puffy shirt with a ruffle collar beneath his red trenchcoat, dark green pants, and noble boots that reached below the knees. Rennac wore the exact same thing, except that the color of his trenchcoat was green and the pants were brown. Dozla's horn-shaped hair was in the same fashion as Ephraim's. Rennac's bandana was missing, revealing his whole new look.
"Why do we have to come here?" Rennac sighed in frustration.
"Because this is the Renais Ball," L'Arachel said, "And rumor has it that royal ball events such as this one, becomes a real life soap opera a minute after it starts."
"So basically we're looking for more drama is that it?" Rennac's eyes were tired.
"And drama is what we're looking for!" Dozla laughed.
"If you're looking for drama, how about a game a chance, hmm?" Joshua's voice came from behind the trio. The trio faced Joshua who was flipping his coin and giving a grin.
The comical trio took off, ignoring Joshua completely. Joshua chased after them, "Hey wait a minute! A game of chance won't hurt!"
Eirika came into view at the same moment. Her pimple was no more. Only a discolored mark was shown, but that was no big deal. She finally looked gorgeous. She looked around for the blue-haired noble, but instead, she found Seth. She forgot about her search and went to Seth, "Hey Seth!" she called.
Seth turned around to face her. He noticed her pimple was gone, "Hey! Princess! Your pimple!"
Free from the shame, Eirika show off her beautiful face plus her dress, "You likey?" she asked.
"Yeah! Now you can enjoy the ball!" Seth replied.
"Thank you!" Eirika about to take off when Seth stopped her, "Wait a minute, Princess. That pimple of yours? How did it disappear?"
Eirika hesitated. She then produced a raucous laugh, "OH! OH-OH! Could you believe… a gypsy cured it from across the street? GAUH! OH! OH!"
Seth narrowed his eyes. Eirika's laughed went lower into a complete stop.
"You overdosed the ointment again, did you?" Seth snapped.
"Oh, so what if I did?" Eirika barked, "A really cute guy was just about to ask me to dance, and HELLO! The pimple waved at him!"
"Drastic measures, huh?"
Eirika faced elsewhere, her arms were crossed, "I'm sick and tired of hearing people telling me how I should take care of my look! Especially when facing hideous problems like that one! I mean it's not like you have had a bad experience with pimples before."
Eirika glanced over to Seth. Seth was no longer a serious paladin, but a diseased being.
"AAAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAA-AAAAAA!"
The entire ballroom watched him run off. Eirika cracked her fingers and her neck left and right, "My job here is done." She said.
Not far from where Eirika was, Ephraim searched even more frantically for Fado. He finally tracked the king with the woman he saw from earlier and went to hide behind a pillar. The woman seemed shy but then she enjoyed every moment with the king.
"It's so cool." She laughed in response to one of his remarks.
"I know, totally." Fado replied with a smile.
"Oh wow, King Fado. Hearing your comments makes me more anxious that this moment should come." She said. Ephraim gasped.
"Oh, do not worry, it will. And I guarantee, the twins will be so surprised."
"I'm surprised already that you're with another woman…" Ephraim thought angrily.
"This wouldn't have happened if it weren't for you, so I thank you." Fado complimented the woman. The woman laughed nervously. Ephraim gasped even more.
"Oh, King Fado. You shouldn't." the woman nervously laughed.
Ephraim came out of hiding and approached Fado and the woman. He first faced Fado, "Yeah, Father! You shouldn't!" then the woman, "And you won't!" Fado was surprised to see Ephraim, "Ephraim! What are you doing here? Have you no manners?"
"No I don't have any manners, Father, much like you have no sanctity in your blood!" Ephraim hissed.
The woman took a sharp breath. Fado trembled in rage. "Prince Ephraim!" The woman exclaimed, "You shouldn't speak to your father like that."
"AND YOU SHOULDN'T FLIRT WITH MY FATHER LIKE THAT, LADY!" Ephraim pointed the finger at the woman. Just at that moment, Vigarde came into the scene, "Ha, Fado. We're ready whenever you are now."
Fado faced Vigarde and nodded. He then faced the woman and nodded as well. He turned his attention back to Ephraim, "I don't know what in blazes in wrong with you, Ephraim, but we will discuss your attitude later. Right now, I have to leave for something very important."
Ephraim crossed his arms and pouted with a raspberry as Fado took his leave. "Yeah, sure whatever." He then smiled mischievously like he has some sort of plan on his mind then began to follow Fado.
Eirika was passing by. She finally spotted the blue-haired man and ran to him. "Hey you." She giggled.
The blue-haired man turned to face Eirika. He smiled nervously, "Hey."
"So listen, what were you about to ask me? I'm all ears." Eirika blinked quite a few times.
"Yes. I was about to ask you a question."
"Shoot."
"What's that HIDEOUS THING on your face!" The man had stopped smiling and pointed to Eirika's face. Everyone in the ballroom quickly noticed Eirika and all began to scream in horror. Eirika looked around and even noticed Tana and Nicole, her supposed-to-be best friends, fleeing from her. Next thing she knew, everyone was hiding. Eirika felt alone and rejected.
"What's wrong with you, all? People! Come on, people!" Eirika attempted to approach a green-haired maiden, but the maiden backed away even further. She tried confronting an indigo-haired noble, but the noble left his hiding place to go to another one far from her.
Eirika turned around and faced her reflection on a punch bowl. Her pimple was back, this time it took the monstrous size of a tennis ball. And because it was tattooed between her nose and her upper lip, her upper lip was connected to it, showing her upper gum.
She looked away; her face drained of color, as if she saw a zombie.
"AAAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAA-AAAAAA! MY FACE! MY BEAUTIFUL EXQUISITE FACE! "AAAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAA-AAAAAA!"
Adrion and Adam appeared in the scene and saw Eirika. Adrion's jaw dropped. Adam was about to laugh hysterically.
"There it is." Adrion muttered, "Vendetta of the Zit."
"La Venzitta!" Adam was still smiling.
Adrion faced him, "It's not funny, you know?"
He chortled, "I know."
Seth came into view as well and saw Eirika. His eyes went white and he collapsed on the floor.
"Silver Knight?" Adrion and Adam went to aid him.
Everyone in the ballroom began making fun of Eirika. The mortified princess looked around for a place to hide. Lyon bumped into her, "Oh, Eirika! Thank goodness you're here. I have to tell you someth— Ooh…" Lyon turned his attention on the grotesque orb.
"WHAT! SPEAK!" she screamed, "AM I THE PROM ZIT? AM I THE LORD OF BLACKHEAD? THE HOLY PIMPLE?" People were nodding, pointing, and still laughing.
"Actually, I was about to ask you why you didn't get rid of that thing?"
"AUGH!" Eirika stormed off and quickly the laughing and mocking died.
"Ladies and gentlemen." Vigarde spoke at the ballroom podium, "His Royal Majesty, King Fado of Renais, will be performing the royal waltz with a special unexpecting guest."
"Oh no, he ain't." Ephraim muttered. He was still hiding behind the curtains. Applaud emerged from the ballroom. Fado stepped in the dance floor and bowed. He faced left and positioned himself as if he was about to waltz with his invisible dancing partner. The music started to play and he started waltzing. People looked at him as if he was crazy.
Ephraim looked to his left and saw the red-haired lady behind the curtains with her eyes closed as she was muttering some things. He faced up a handle to open the curtains. He also saw an end to the rope that could drop if he opens the curtain. He turned around; facing the lady then looked at his left and saw a bucket on the floor. He smiled. He picked up the bucket and left quickly.
Fado was still waltzing, and people were still looking at him strangely. Suddenly, a figure started to fade in to Fado's grasp. The figure looked like a gorgeous middle-aged woman at about her late thirties. It was difficult to make a description of her since she was still looking blurry; however people started to recognize the woman ghost dancing with Fado.
Ephraim came back behind the curtains with a bucket of red punch juice. He climbed up the ladder and attached it to the end rope of the curtains and moved it right above the red-haired lady. "There's no way you're going to dance the royal waltz with Father." He thought.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Vigarde's voice was heard on the podium, "Please allow me to introduce King Fado's royal waltzing partner, our special unexpecting guest, her royal Majesty, Queen Renais!"
The gorgeous woman finally took her appearance to Fado and the couple was waltzing in front of an entire crowd. The woman resembled Eirika, except that she was older. She still looked translucent but she was witnessed. Everyone gasped.
"What?" Ephraim exclaimed. He tripped from the ladder and quickly grabbed on the bucket. The bucket swung back and forth. The red-haired woman opened her eyes, looked up and saw Ephraim screaming and balancing on top.
Queen Renais' ghost disappeared. Fado looked at his hands, perplexed. Ephraim and the red-haired woman's screams behind the curtains caught everyone's attention.
The cord snapped and Ephraim and the bucket fell on the woman, splashing the punch everywhere. The curtains opened up, exposing them. Everyone gasped.
"Oh no." Lyon muttered.
"Ephraim?" Tana, Nicole, and Innes exclaimed.
"I told you there would be drama." L'Arachel said.
The angry Fado walked up to Ephraim and the red-haired woman. "Ephraim! Are you mad!"
"Apparently, I am." Ephraim got up. The punch apparently stained most of his coat and pants. The red-haired woman was however totally drenched.
The red-haired woman got up and appallingly looked at her dress, "Ew! Gross! I can't believe you!"
"Ephraim. Seriously, what were you thinking?" Fado exclaimed.
"Thanks to you, your surprise is ruined." The red-haired woman exclaimed, "Fado hired me to summon in the queen of Renais for the royal waltz and for a surprise visit to both you and Princess Eirika.
"Now that the summoning is ruined, it'll take another blue moon to restart all over again." Fado exclaimed, "And do you know how long a blue moon takes?"
"I guess I do." Ephraim replied. He still looked angry but his voice sounded regretful and cheerless, "Sorry I ruined my surprise and sorry you were hitting on my father." He rudely spoke to the red-haired woman then walked away to the castle's balcony. Everyone in the castle muttered.
Once at the balcony, Ephraim sat at the bench and sighed while staring at the stars and the moonlight.
"They were making fun of you too?" Eirika's voice spoke. Ephraim looked to his right and saw his twin sister at the same bench, facing away.
"Ah, Eirika." Ephraim sighed, "I didn't see you there."
"That's because I'm invisible." Eirika lamented.
"Invisible? You're right here." Ephraim countered.
Eirika faced Ephraim, "I mean my beauty is invisible." She pointed him her enlarged pimple.
"Yeah. That's nice." Ephraim didn't react. Eirika was concern, "Are you all right? I thought you would be fleeing from me by now."
"I just realized that Father was not dating that woman." Ephraim said, "The woman was a Summoner he hired for the Renais Ball. She would have summoned Mother's spirit in the event of the waltz, but I screwed it up."
Eirika sulked, "Aw, great. Just when I was about to be the belle of the ball and get a chance to see Mother, this pimple ruined my entire night."
"No. My recklessness ruined my entire night." Ephraim said. Both twins sighed.
"Maybe we should put him at the balcony for some fresh air." The voice of Adrion sounded.
"Great idea." The voice of Adam followed.
The twins turned around and saw Adrion and Adam entering the balcony, carrying Seth. They dropped him on another bench next to the twins. Seth started to come to, "Oy…"
"Adrion, Adam. What happened?" Eirika asked.
"Seth saw your thingy." Adrion responded.
"Maybe we should let you guys alone for a while." Adam proposed, "Because there's more to the story of, 'As the Silver Zit Turns' that you need to know."
"Princess Eirika…" Seth slowly faced Eirika. Eirika looked away and frantically searched for her hand-fan.
"No, no! It's okay. I'll try not to look!" Seth quickly said, his eyes staring elsewhere. Ephraim rose from his bench and began to walk away, "Well, I think I should leave you two alone."
Eirika and Seth were alone. "You know what, Seth." Eirika spoke, "Tell me what's on your mind. I deserve it. I deserve the punishment from not listening to you."
"Princess Eirika. You shouldn't feel guilty. And I'm not going to punish you, since that's not my job." Seth said. He turned to face Eirika. Eirika had her hand on her face, concealing her hideous pimple. Seth gently moved her hand away and went on, "I know you've heard of this story 'As the Silver Zit Turns.' The story of how I dealt with the pimple on my nose. But, you know, I'm okay with it." He looked away to mutter, "Darn you, Adrion and Adam. If I ever find you, I will—"
"So, what happened?" Eirika interrupted him.
Seth faced Eirika once more and sighed, "Well…that hundred percent alcohol ointment, it's actually a hundred percent alcohol ointment, mixed in Pure Water and Energy Drop imported from Tellius."
"How did you know all that? It didn't say it on the label?" Eirika examined the empty bottle of the ointment.
Seth took the ointment, "That's because I overused it on my pimple. And as a result…"
"…it grew." Eirika finished, "Just like mine."
Seth nodded. Eirika faced Seth again, "Then why would this ointment contain all of those ingredients to heal pimples then?"
"That's why." Seth pointed to Eirika and the princess noticed her pimple was shrinking into normal size. "Hey!" she exclaimed, "My pimple!"
Seth explained, "The effect of Pure Water would grow weaker each turn, so does the pimple's appearance when in contact. Energy Drop leaves cleanses away any marks as soon as the pimple disappears. That's why Moulder told you to apply the ointment once a day so that the pimple would disappear in less than a week."
"So, if it wasn't for my recklessness, my pimple would have been gone before the end of the ball?"
"Perhaps before it even started."
Eirika sighed, "I guess I screwed up."
"But hey, the night is still young. You should go back out there and have a good time."
"But…what about…"
Seth began to escort Eirika back inside, "Forget it, Princess. I don't want you to miss out. Renais Ball only happens once a year."
"You're right." Eirika replied in confidence, "I'm going back out there. Even if I get poked fun of, I won't care!" She walked back to the crowd.
Seth pumped his fist in the air, "You go, girl!"
Ephraim sat at a table not far from the punch juice table. Fado saw him and approached him, "Ephraim, we need to talk."
"There's nothing to talk about, Father." Ephraim said, "I screwed up, so there. Punish me if you'll like."
"No, I'm not going to punish you."
Ephraim looked up to his father, "What? How come?"
Fado sat next to him, "Well, first of all, you're a growing man, so punishing you will embarrass me. And second of all, I spoke to Lyon and Innes. They told me what was really going on."
Ephraim sighed, "Yeah, at least, they know how I feel."
"Ephraim, I do know how you feel too. This woman you saw me with is only a…"
"A Summoner." Ephraim finished, "Yeah, I know. I figured it out after the punch juice incident."
There was a silence between the two. Ephraim went on, "it's just that…all of that time, I thought you were moving on. I thought you were dating. I thought you had completely forgotten about Mother, when all of that time, you invited a woman to bring forth her spirit to the Renais Ball and dance the royal waltz with you. How could I be so stupid?"
"You're not stupid, son. Although it was stupid of you to confront us earlier. I totally understand you. I, myself, am sorry, for not letting you or Eirika know about this, but I wanted to surprise you, myself, and everyone else. And besides, I would never betray my marriage to your mother even if death did us part. I love your mother with all of my heart. Even if I start to date or not, no woman in this universe will ever replace her."
"Really? Even if death did parted you two?" Ephraim exclaimed, "Well, tell that to Innes, 'cause he thinks that that was your marriage contract."
Fado snorted, "Bah, that boy knows nothing, even if pigs fly."
Ephraim chuckled. Fado sighed; noticing the ballroom filled up and everyone were dancing a different ballet, "Well, I guess I will have to dance the royal waltz some other time."
"Yeah, well, the night is still young." Ephraim said, "Wonder if the DJ can tune up some tunes?"
"I think he better."
Tana went to the center of the ballroom and became the attention of the ball, "Come on everybody and let's do some hustling!"
The DJ, a sage, snapped his finger and the ballet music switched to a hustle music. Everyone began to do the hustle. The youngsters did the back flipping and the technical moves of the hustle while the oldsters did more than that, almost embarrassing the youngsters. Everyone was having a good time.
The hustle continued. Somewhere in the ballroom, Joshua walked around, frantically searching for someone to play a game of chance with him. He finally saw a tall, red-haired woman nearby and approached her.
"Excuse me." He chuckled impishly, "Would you like to flip a coin and draw a card at the same time? Double chance at success in life."
The woman turned around, revealing to be Queen Ismaire, "Joshua?" she exclaimed.
Joshua's smile turned upside down, "Uh-oh. Gotta go." The gambler ran away in a rush.
END OF CHAPTER
