Let's just pass the disclaimer this time, alright? Yeah, this chapter took longer time to update, but really school's getting on me again, so hopefully this chapter is still good.
I'm not too sure, but there has been some rumour or something that says that review responses aren't allowed, since it does add to the number of words or something like that. But seriously, I don't really think it from that way; I find the necessity to reply back to the reviewers and show my sincerest appreciation and thank-you for their comments. So thank you to the following reviewers:
Kodoku: Yeah, the ball is the climax! I can't afford to let that part down and disappoint the readers…I'll really need to pull it off nicely.
sweetmaiden: Oo, I just made out another Mudshipper!
GoldenSunGeek: Yeah, the battles would be interesting, but I'm not really sure on how to do it…how about some Adepts, Psynergies and Summons?
Princess Viv: Viv-neechan! –glomps again- I'm so glad to hear from you that everything in general is increasing for the better; hopefully this chapter doesn't rate it down! I've introduced a few more Djinn, and more stuff about Adepts, so maybe it'll make the plot more interesting. Oh, and the Mudshipping added in here is dedicated to all Mudshippers, but add an extra special dedication to you…hope you enjoy and like it even more!
Kd7sov: No, the 'Death Potion' is not some part from Snow White. In fact, you mentioning it just stroke me as some slight similarity to it. Hopefully this continuation is still good enough!
Spastic Djinn: A new reviewer! –jumps around- Um, in case you're reading this, then the title means something like this: Reality refers to the Golden Sun characters and places according to the actual game; where as Non-reality refers to the main plot and storyline of Cinderella, the genre and such. So what happens when reality and non-reality are tied together? This is what you get, the Golden Sun version of Cinderella! Hope that clears up any confusion you have about the title. Hope you'll continue reading this fic; oh and thanks for giving this fic such a high rating (in my opinion)!
enigma4ever2020: Cute chick? That was meant for Felix. If you see any other typos again next time when you read, please just write it down or something then post it in the review so that I know exactly which one.
Insanity Team! (A.k.a. Violet): Lol…thanks for your continuous excited supports!
One Who Rides On The Wind: Yeah, I wanted to pass the message on how tiring and monotonous a messenger's work must be to the readers, but not that I exactly know how they feel; it's an interesting impression to include.
Chapter 9: New Friends, The Thirteenth Night!
"Felix!"
The dark-haired man was immediately surrounded by two young people as Ivan and Sheba welcomed their long-awaited friend eagerly with anticipation. They greeted him warmly as they followed him to the stable where he stabled his trusty horse. His mouth end twisted into a tiny curl of a smile as he stepped into the stables. Realization dawned upon him that he was finally back in the castle, back to his home.
"How was the journey?"
"So-so. The message went through to everyone all right."
The female blonde gazed at Felix with much concern one might have looked at an older brother. "You must be tired, Felix. You should take a nice, hot bath and get some good sleep. You do not look as if you have been sleeping well."
He nodded his head in agreement. He did feel tired lately…"Has anything big happened here while I was away?"
Sheba's male counterpart answered. "Nothing really special happened. All of the arrangement for the party ball is done. It will be held exactly two weeks from now. For the mean time, Vale is probably the most popular city people are heading to. This party ball has really got the women worked up like whirring mad clocks. The sea docks are expected to be laden and full with many passengers disembarking from ships all over the world soon. I guess the innkeepers and such will take advantage of this and have a big amount of business this next few months, don't you think so?"
Sheba chuckled. "They'll certainly have their hands full with work. Goodness knows how hysterical some women are about our young prince!"
Felix raised his eyebrows. "Speaking of the prince, where is he?"
Ivan frowned. "Now that's a good question I would like to ask too. I've not seen him since breakfast this morning. I was hoping you would see a glance of him at least."
"You shouldn't worry too much about Prince Isaac, Ivan. After all, he is fond of walks around the castle. Sometimes he even takes a hearty walk around the town in disguise so as not to be recognized by the townspeople! Don't you remember that incident where we could not find him for several hours, and that he returned later in the evening with the excuse that he was out in town looking around?"
Felix frowned. "The young master should not make it a habit to do that. If anything should happen and if the prince were to be assaulted—"
"The prince would most definitely give them a good whacking without getting a single scratch on him. Don't forget that our young prince of Vale is excellent in the fields of swordsmanship." Sheba laughed.
"That is true, but still, he should not take too many chances. Worst still, now is the time where the sand flies around in the air. The weather is very windy and sandy. The strong winds that blow furiously will cause the heavy amount of sand to rise from the ground and fly around. Anyone who does not wear protection against the hurting sands will be exposed to the dangerous possibility of the eyes hurt, or even in the most vital cases, blind."
Sheba shook her head. "True, the prince is taking a risk here. I presume he wants to see the world outside the castle though. But at least the hooded cape that he always wears as his disguise will not be a noticeable question mark among the townspeople now, since everyone is most probably wearing the same thing."
Felix chuckled. "Wherever His Highness is, let us just hope that he is safe from head to toe, and comes back in time for lunch."
Mia stepped on the docks of Vale, the greatest and main city of the whole continent of Angara, dressed in her holey clothing covered by a big hooded cape. Pulling the wind biting into her skin, she quickly pulled the flying cape towards her body in an effort to cover and warm her, not to say at the same time to hid her poor beggar clothes. Hesitantly pulling her hood further to hid her face, she glanced towards the hurrying busy townspeople with curious interest, all of them wearing the same as her, a hooded cape to cover them from the winds. She would definitely not be able to recognize anyone or even see his or her face due to the covering hood.
A feeling of excitement crept to her heart deep inside; after all, ever since she was small, she wanted to visit the city of Vale at least once, and see with her own eyes the magnificent of the happy town. And here she was; her dream fulfilled, but in a much different situation than she originally hoped for…
"Hey you, stop dreaming already and get our bags! We don't want to wait all day just for you!"
The cerulean-haired girl quickly complied from the order given as she stepped forward and claimed all of her stepfamily's baggage. Her own small bag was easily slung over her shoulder, since she had not much clothes and personal belongings to bring along. She had problems getting her stepfamily's baggage though; many other people from Prox, as well as other unknown countries, had arrived from different ships and steamers almost at the same time, thus causing the dock to be fully filled and packed. She was shoved and pushed here and there as many rough passengers rushed to claim their own belongings from the port.
After a good ten minutes of shoving and pushing, she finally managed to reach out for their baggage. Deeply contrasting from her own belongings, her two stepsisters especially had a large bag each. Sweat and perspiration rolled down her forehead from the strain and heat under the hot sun. "All of our baggage is here."
Her stepmother and two stepsisters just stood aside of her, the three of them wearing a nice shade of red and maroon hooded cape each. None of them bothered or cared enough to step forward and offer to help carry the bags. Finally Menardi stepped forward and roughly snatched her mother's bag from the poor young woman. "I'll prefer to carry my own mother's bag, thank you."
"Mother, perhaps we should not let her mix with us in the crowd as we move along. People who stare at her clothing will think us to be poor beggars. Our real bags are inside your bag after all; those bags only contain unimportant minor things, easily replaced." Karst whispered to Merlina softly.
Merlina nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, you're right. I do not think she will dare to lose anything." Hailing towards the stumbling girl, Merlina barked out a sharp order. "We three will move ahead to the inn first. I expect you to be there after us, complete with the bags, nothing missing. Make sure nothing will be lost; or you will pay for it dearly, stupid girl."
Menardi gave Mia a full smirk before going after Merlina and Karst. The three of them set off for the local inn, with not a care to the young girl. Mia was having a hard time carrying all of that baggage piled on her. Even though she had developed a few muscles over the years working as a full-day busy servant in the house, those heavy-laden bags were still much too heavy for her to cope with.
What kind of things do they put inside their bags? Sometimes I really think they purposely place heavy stones inside their bags just to annoy me and make my job so much harder than it already is. And now they leave me here stranded out of nowhere…I don't know the places here! Sigh…guess I'll just have to wander around the city; the inn can't be far away. What kind of stepfamily do I have?
She sighed and tried to carry Menardi's bag with her left hand, and Karst's with the other free hand. Her own bag was perhaps not heavy and a burden to her, but all the same, it still contained some weight, and thus even weigh down her load even more. An irritated sigh escaped her lips as she tried to balance herself with the heavy bags. Stepping forward into the busy crowd, she immediately found herself being pushed and shoved again. She resolutely pushed along, gaining steps as she wandered around the lively town, gazing interestedly at the buildings around her. She felt so hot; her hands were already feeling slightly tired and strained from the burden that she carried.
Suddenly, she felt a rough push behind her. Losing her balance momentarily, Mia tried to regain solid ground on her feet as her strained hand still held on to the bags. Unfortunately for her, what Mia might have considered as solid ground was actually several small blocks of stones in front of her. Tripping on her legs, she gave out an unintentional yelp of fright as she felt herself falling to the ground.
Oh crap!
She closed her eyes tightly as she awaited the moment where her body would fall to the floor shamefully. A thump, or perhaps a 'plop' sound when she touched the ground heavily?
But that Mia never got to know. She opened her eyes half-fearfully, half-bewilderedly.
Her eyes told her that she was staring directly close at a dark brown cape. Her ears heard distinct breathing above her. Her skin felt two arms circling her waist tightly. The voice, so gentle and caring…speaking to her…
"Are you all right, my lady?"
Fixing her blue curious eyes on her saver, she found a pair of matching beautiful cerulean eyes looking back at her with concern evidently in it. Those eyes were the only things that she saw, for the rest was covered by the hood that the mysterious stranger wore. Somehow, she could not recognize them, but...where have I seen those eyes? They seem sort of familiar to me in an odd way, but I can't somehow place it…
Shaking her head in order to exit from her disturbing thoughts, she began to notice more of her surroundings, and she finally noticed that she was in an embrace, in the arms of the stranger. A deep blush crept up her cheeks as a jolt of adrenaline coursed through her. Why…why do I feel so excited and happy? So...warm...I feel as though I'm so safe and protected...but he's just an ordinary stranger! Yet my heart is thumping like crazy…fluttering wildly…I...
The stranger apparently must have seen the blush, for he quickly loosened his hold on her, released his wrapping arms and took hold of her hands as he helped to steady her on her feet. "Are you all right?"
Strangely enough, Mia could not help but to feel a slight disappointment and an unusual sense of emptiness when he pulled away. Nevertheless, she dismissed that thought as she pulled her cape around her tightly. "Oh…yes, I'm fine." She looked up at the stranger with sincere gratitude. "Thank you so much for saving me, Sir—oh I'm so sorry, but I don't know your name…" She trailed off uncertainly.
The stranger looked amused, but then his body somewhat stiffened unconsciously at her statement. "Uh…my name…" Surprisingly he seemed unsure, but before he or Mia could say anything further, another voice interrupted them.
"These your bags, lady?"
Mia turned around in surprise. She caught another male figure wearing a maroon cape with a low hood covering the back of his head. What appeared extremely odd to her was that his red flaming hair was spiking up, and that it did not pipe down even under the hood. The spiky hair did not look as if it was gelled either, looking most natural. Her eyes trailed to his outstretched arms which held two familiar bags. Her eyes widened.
"Ah, the bags!" She cried out thankfully.
The red-haired guy laughed. "You're lucky we came by here, lady. You were seriously going to land quite heavily on the rough ground. Luckily my friend here was able to hold on to you, eh?"
Mia smiled. "For strangers, you two sure are being extremely friendly and nice towards someone you don't know."
The mysterious stranger chuckled. "May I say that you, my lady, behave the same as us too."
The redhead extended a hand. "Well anyway, introductions first. My name's Garet. Pleased to meet you, er--"
"Mia. I'm Mia." She shook hands with him.
"Yeah, pleased to meet you Mia. What are you doing here carrying so much stuff all by yourself anyway?"
"Well, actually I'm looking for the local inn. Do you mind directing me to it?"
Garet himself beamed. "Yeah, sure! I'll be happy to carry your bags for you!"
Garet's companion bowed. "It will be a pleasure to escort you to the inn, Lady Mia. Nothing is ever so pleasurable as to aid a young lady like you."
Mia flushed slightly. "Please, just call me Mia. I'm not really too used to being addressed so highly." I feel…happy…why this sudden sweet feeling of intoxication? I barely know these two…and yet I feel as if I've known them for so long…
"But if you are not used to being addressed so highly, then I may also claim that I am not used to address young ladies without their rightful title, Lady Mia." His blue eyes twinkled. "The inn is just nearby. Let us not stand here until night falls, and move on."
The three of them, Mia between the two young men, walked slowly amidst the packed crowd as they led her on the way to the inn. They got along well surprisingly; chatting as if they were none other than long lost close friends finally reunited after a period of time.
"What is your purpose in visiting Vale, Lady Mia?" The blue-eyed man inquired politely.
"Oh, me and my stepfamily came here to attend the party ball that will be held in the castle in the coming two weeks. At least, my stepmother and stepsisters are going." She noticed somewhat with a curious look from the corner of her eye that her 'saviour' raised an inquisitive eyebrow in following to her casual response.
"For Prince Isaac to choose a suitable bride, isn't it?" Garet chirped in, throwing interested glances at Mia.
"Yes. I do not think I will be going though…"
"And why is that, Lady Mia?"
Mia's expression saddened. "Well, for one thing, I don't have any suitable dresses to go into, and another, I am sure my stepfamily will not allow me."
"But why not? And if your stepfamily is here, then why are they not with you, helping you to carry the bags?" Garet blurted out.
"I am nothing to them but a servant paid for." Saying so bitterly, she looked down at her one and only pair of shoes, reminiscing her sad past. "I was once happy with my own family in Imil, but my mother passed away due to pneumonia. After my father married again in Prox, he went away and was never heard of again. Ever since then, my life has been one of a servant, serving for my unkind stepfamily." A tear escaped her sad aquamarine eyes. Do I really deserve this kind of past, present and future, or have I done something bad in the pasts?
The blue-eyed stranger was startled when his eyes caught the running tear. Stepping in front of her, he gallantly reached out a finger to wipe her tear as he soothingly tried to calm her. "Please don't cry, Lady Mia. If anything bad happens, you can always speak to us, even though we are just mere by-passers. We will do our best to aid you when you are in trouble, for that is what friends do."
Mia stared once more into the stranger's eyes. Those wide blue, cornflower eyes…possessing some kind of unknown nameless power to draw her in…so mesmerizing… She forcibly pulled her gaze away from them and looked at her shoes with somewhat unduly fake interest.
"Yeah, that's right! If your stepfamily dares to do anything cruel to you again, just give us a call and we'll help you right away!" Garet shook a determined fist. "I'll show them a good bang, that's what they need!"
Mia could not resist the urge to laugh out. "Oh please, if you do that you'll just get yourself into trouble." She sobered up immediately. "I have been foolish to relate all of my troubles to you two; it is not of your concern to know and worry about my life, just by saving me I have already poured all of my feelings out! I really apologize to have burdened you unnecessarily with my problems."
Garet frowned. "Hey wait a minute, we don't mind listening and lending a hand to help you out!" He suddenly stopped in his steps as his brownish eyes caught a building structure. "And speaking of your destination, here's the inn that you've been looking for!"
She looked up and saw a surprisingly big comfortable building with those three welcoming letters. Her heart leaped. Finally! "Oh yes!" Her face lighted. "Now please forget everything that I have said, and everything that has happened. But thank you so much anyway for lending an ear to my babbles." She smiled serenely and held out her hands for the bags. Seeing that he could do nothing else, Garet hesitatingly gave her rightful possessions back.
"Very well, Lady Mia, if that is what you wish us to do, then I cannot say anything to change your mind further." The stranger uttered a low sigh before he bowed, his voice laced with genuine regret; something the young woman could not help but notice clearly. Grasping her right hand gently, he placed a light kiss on her hand, emitting a light blush on her cheeks once more. "I hope our paths will cross again soon. Farewell, my lady."
"Well, guess this is goodbye for us. Don't forget to call for us if you need any help! We still might be strangers to each other, but we're friends, right Mia?"
"Yes, thank you, Garet. Farewell!"
With the bags in hand, Mia walked towards the front door of her destination, but not before taking another glance at her two new friends. Her eyes rested especially on the blue-eyed stranger; those mesmerizing eyes…she would never forget those kind eyes…those eyes that were so much like her own…
She walked away, her cape flying behind her.
"Hmm…so what do you think of her? Pretty, isn't she?"
The blue-eyed stranger rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Yes, she is beautiful, but sadly she is much drained. That I can tell from her sad eyes. She is an interesting young woman, that."
Garet raised his eyebrows mischievously. "You mean you're interested in her, aren't you? I could see that during that short period of time. She also seemed quite interested in you too. Didn't you notice the blush and stuff when you held her?"
"Yes, that I did. Well…I am not too sure…but there was something in her that seemed to draw me with much interest. The lovely, kind lady…it is a great pity I may not see her in the coming ball. I wish to see her again at least once more, to know her better. She is not the typical type of woman you often see everywhere; Lady Mia is what one would say one of a kind."
His companion smirked. "Heh, a special outstanding candidate having high percentage to strike the prize eh? Too bad she doesn't know that she was actually talking to the prince of Vale himself! And I noticed you were in quite a tight spot when she asked for your name earlier. You're lucky I noticed that and came to the rescue by interrupting her."
"Yes, and as we talked she totally forgot all about my name. That is perhaps somewhat a stroke of luck."
Garet scratched his forehead. "Hmm, maybe we can arrange something to outsmart her stepfamily. They sound like real daredevils, intent of destroying her. I'm pretty sure you would choose her as your bride if she came. After all, since all of the women who want to 'win' your heart will be there, so you should be able to choose at that time. Who knows King Kyle might just give you a 'nice lecture' if you don't get one."
His friend smiled handsomely as a light blush settled on his cheeks. "You cannot say so definitely, Garet. It is only a light interest; there may be someone else whom I shall really love."
Shrugging his shoulders, Garet smirked at the sight of his friend's blush. "Whatever you say. Sounds like a promising sudden crush though, if you ask me. Anyway, I wouldn't want you, of all people, to get someone you don't even like as your bride, Isaac. You're too good to deserve that."
The stranger smiled as he pulled back his hood a little, showing clearer features of his face. "Yes, thank you kindly for the advice, 'godfather' Garet."
"Hey! I'm not your godfather!" Garet exploded indignantly. "People like to call me as that, but oh please, I'm almost as young as you!" He made a face. "Can't imagine myself so old for now…no 'godfather' please. Just take me as your 'god brother' if you insist, but I really just prefer Garet only, alright?"
"Whatever you like then. Let's go back home; I'm sure Felix is already back by now. I would like to welcome him back as well. Who knows, Ivan might just be feverishly looking for me know, but he and Sheba might just catch the thought of me wandering about in Vale."
Garet laughed. "That midget? Nah, maybe he's just spending some quality time with Sheba."
"For a person of high-class, you sure like to call Ivan and Sheba midgets. That's quite insulting to the mind really. My parents are thinking of electing Ivan as my personal advisor when I become king. He is very wise, independent, reliable and agile despite his contrasting size."
"Yeah yeah, guess he does have the brains to do so. I'm sure I won't be of much help in this kind of field."
Isaac laughed. "So you do admit and accept the fact that some people call you a brainless oaf?"
"No, I can be just as good as other people. You know, sometimes I can't really believe you're to be the future king when your father passes the throne to you."
The spiky blonde shook his head. "Sometimes I cannot help but wonder how am I going to manage this city, this country, in my hands only. I cannot help but to doubt my capabilities in leading my country."
"Nah, I'm sure you'll be a great ruler. You're just the best person suited for this job." Garet spoke reassuringly with confidence. "But like everyone else, of course you could really use some help too. Bet you wish that Mia girl is sitting beside you on the throne. I'm sure she can give you lots of help." He chuckled heartily to his own joke.
Prince Isaac's eyebrows twitched humorously. "Garet…" He sighed with defeat as his clear blue eyes stared at the inn door with some longing in them. I hope I shall be granted the opportunity to set my eyes on you again, Lady Mia...sometime…
"You're late! What took you so long to get here!"
Mia was immediately bombarded with harsh statements as soon as she opened the door leading to Room 39. There was no doubt that this particular inn in Vale was by far the biggest and largest inn she had ever saw and went into, for she never knew of inns that contained more than fifty renting rooms. Most probably the innkeeper had been a clever individual, for he or she had taken the initiative to expand the whole building to receive incoming guests as a place to stay for the party ball, and gain much more promising business.
"I'm sorry for my inpunctuality, stepmother."
She replied calmly with some chill and monotone in it. Her eyes met squarely, without any signs of cowardice, with an angry Merlina and a set of smirking stepsisters in the corner of the room.
"Stupid, slow, lazy girl! Give us back the bags!" She stepped forward and snatched the bags roughly. "You will be having your own small minute room in Room 50 at the end of the corridor, and we three our own individual comfortable rooms, Room 38, 39 and 40. I have paid for your expenses, so be grateful!" She added with a smirk, "Also, I have politely offered your 'services' to the innkeeper to help as a servant to this inn for the time being. I can very well imagine that they are short-handed now with so many guests arriving, so he was very grateful to me for giving permission to use your services. You are to report to the head maid tomorrow morning at five o'clock sharp."
Mia groaned inwardly at the hard work coming up. Resting was perhaps never a word for her, but then again, she didn't feel like relaxing the whole day unlike her stepfamily that enjoyed doing nothing.
"Of course, one cannot expect us to bow so low down as to work like a servant to clean our rooms, so I shall see to it that you will keep our rooms in perfect order and cleanliness despite whatever job you have, or we three will have something to say. Do you understand?"
"Yes." Mia had expected something like this to happen; it just was no use trying to budge a response from her stepmother, nor her two stepsisters. Her shrewd mind immediately knew that the stupid excuse of not enough maids and servants was just to get her to work, yet the excuse was unfortunately considered a good help to go well with the innkeeper's thoughts.
"Here, your keys to your lousy room, Cinders. Catch!" Karst laughed as she threw a key to the undaunted Mia.
She caught it perfectly and walked out of Room 39 without another word, heading towards the room with the number 50 on it in big bold letters.
Here I thought I could rest after all the hard work I did at Prox; the trip to Vale here was tiring too…seems like I'm fated to serve and not to be served. Oh well...
She opened the door and stepped in. Casually looking about, she made out a tiny room, containing little furniture consisting of a small bed, a small wardrobe, a medium-sized table and a chair with a mirror above it fastened to the wall. Everything was just simple.
Letting her bag down on the bed, she sat down and opened the zip. "You can come out now, Fizz. I need to unpack my clothes too."
From the brown bag, Fizz hopped out eagerly, munching a biscuit as she did so. "'Bout time I make an appearance too. It's been so many hours I've been cooped up in the bag!"
"Sorry, Fizz."
"Nah, it's okay. Oh, and by the way, in the bag I could hear muffled voices of you talking to two other guys. New people?"
"Yes…they were very kind people despite we were total strangers to each other." Mia's eyes held a faraway look. "Garet was one, and the other was—" She clapped her mouth. "I can't believe it! I forgot to find out his name!"
Fizz cocked her blue head to the right. "Huh?"
"There was this blue-eyed young man who helped me along the way…there was something about him that seemed unusual, perhaps…I couldn't see much other than his blue eyes, since he wore a hooded cape like mine. His eyes were deep and lovely, as if more than meets the eye…And I forgot to ask for his name!"
"Well well, just remember to ask for his name if you see him again. I can't imagine how you knew this Garet person's name but forgot to ask for his friend's."
Mia struggled to remember the past events during the last few hours. "I did ask, but I think we got interrupted, then I forgot to ask since we were talking about other matters."
"I'm sure you'll see him again; people say the world is getting smaller and smaller."
"I sincerely hope so, Fizz. Those two are very interesting companions…especially the blue-eyed one…" Her mind couldn't help wandering, those blue eyes haunting her mind. There's really not muchdoubt about it...Idid feel...happy around him…so enchanting…contentment…it really does sound silly, but somehow I can't help wanting to see him again…
"Mia?"
Mia snapped back to reality. "Huh?"
Fizz gave an 'a-ha' wink. "I see you've got the major hots for this new guy, Mia! Wow, he sounds pretty attractive from the way your face looks! Dreaming of him eh?"
The young woman blushed furiously at the comment. "N-no, of course not!" She hurriedly rose and started unpacking to drop the subject.
"Nah, you just don't really want to admit it. But never mind, I heard that you're to work as some sort of maid here again?"
Mia's face at once took on a bitter look at the mention of the unpleasant matter. "Yes."
"Man, those stepfamily can be such pain! I'll help you in any way I can, Mia. Remember how I used to help you over in Prox?"
She went over the wardrobe and opened its doors. "Oh yes. It was fun—" She gave a half-shriek when two blue things leaped onto her, causing her to fall down rather bumpily. "Ahh!'
"Mia!" Fizz quickly hopped over to her companion and stopped dead when her yellow eyes caught two familiar things on the ground.
"…Oops. Guess we landed on her too hard."
Fizz couldn't believe her eyes. "S…Spritz? Is that you, Spritz? And Serac too?"
The two blue things turned their heads and gaped. "Fizz! Oh my god, it's really you!" The two Mercury djinn known as Spritz and Serac jumped up to their long-lost friend and the three of them jumped up and down excitedly, talking at the top of their voices.
"Oh my god, I've missed both of you so much!"
"Yeah, me too! It's been so long ever since we were together!"
"To think that we would meet up again! I seriously thought that we wouldn't find each other again after our house was burnt down!"
"Yeah, really too!"
Poor Mia who was being ignored coughed, diverting the three djinn's attention to her. She looked around the three djinn, confused as to who was who. "Excuse me, but who…"
Fizz shook her head excitedly. "Oh yeah! Sorry Mia, let me introduce to you my two long-lost best friends, Spritz and Serac from the Mercury Djinn clan! And Spritz, Serac, meet my best human friend, Mia! She's been very good to me."
Spritz and Serac humorously bowed. "Pleased to meet you, Miss Mia."
"Uh…" Mia was at a loss for words. "Pleased to meet both of you too…um, I'm sorry if I'm offending you, but which among you is Spritz and which of you is Serac? You all three look alike!"
"Oh yeah, sorry about that. We Mercury Djinn look all alike, so the only we differentiate each other is by the colour of the ribbons we have at our tails. Like Fizz, she has a pink ribbon. For Spritz here, she has an orange ribbon, and as for me, I have a yellow ribbon. It's pretty confusing for humans to distinguish us, but us Djinn easily know each other even though we may look alike." Serac explained fully.
"Oh…" Mia frowned slightly. "So, you're Spritz" she pointed to the Djinn with the orange ribbon at the tail "and you're Serac."
"Yup, you got it."
"Okay…" Mia smiled. "But isn't it a coincidence that you three should meet here in Vale?"
Fizz jumped onto Mia's shoulder as she sat down on the bed. "Yeah, great coincidence, isn't it?"
Spritz's face became serious. "No, I don't think it is a coincidence. You see Fizz, you mayn't know that before all of us big family of Djinn separated when our home got attacked because you weren't with us, but we all agreed to meet up again twenty years later, and we decided on this city of Vale. The bad thing was that we forgot to discuss which part of Vale to meet, since it's so big."
"Twenty years? …Whatever, but where's the others then?"
"They're probably either already here somewhere else in Vale, or on the way to Vale. In any case, we try our best not to show ourselves to the public people since it'll just freak them out to see talking animals like us. We'll look for the rest now and then."
"Wow. Means that I'm lucky to have come here, even though I didn't know about this, right?"
"Yeah. Thank your lucky stars I guess."
Mia intervened politely as she smiled. "Well, if you like, both of you can stay here with me and be company for Fizz. There should be plenty of room for two additional djinn, and no one will see you. You're welcome to stay with us. What do you say?"
Spritz jumped up and down excitedly. "You really mean it, Miss Mia? Oh thanks a lot!"
"Yeah, thanks too! We've got so many things to talk and catch up with Fizz over here, right?"
"Yeah! Mia, you're the best ever!"
Twenty-one-year-old Mia couldn't help laughing. "You're welcome, and you shouldn't talk so loud; other people outside will hear you."
"Oh yeah, I forgot about that! Sorry."
"It's all right. Now you three can have a nice chat on the bed, but not too loud and hyper please, while I unpack my clothes properly, then I'll fix something for us all to eat. That okay with you three?"
"Yeah!"
"Sure!"
Shaking her head amusedly, Mia rose from the bed and left the three excited happy djinn on the bed. Gathering her clothes from her bag, she couldn't help the feeling of happiness, her mouth curling into a sincere smile. She had made more friends, and she was happy with them.
Maybe coming to Vale was not such a bad idea after all. …Who knows? I may just be able to somehow attend the ball myself and have some fun if I ever do get the chance…and I'll see the prince of Vale with my own eyes!
It was still a busy life for her. The whole morning she would spend her time making up the beds and clean the rooms properly, taking the pain to ensure every speck of dust was swept, and not a single bed sheet laid on the bed would be crooked in any angle. In the afternoon, she would be a waitress and cook in the inn kitchen, serving other guests who ate in the dining room supplied by the innkeeper. After her work well done in the night, she would retire to Room 50 and spend the time with her fun-loving companion, Fizz, and her two new friends, Spritz and Serac. They livened her life, and she was grateful to them for it.
Life for young Mia was perhaps not entirely what any ordinary person would call enjoyable and pleasant, but to her, everything was different. Taking the job as a servant-maid was perhaps tiring, but it was perhaps the same as what she did in her home at Prox. Seeing the cleanliness and neatness of the rooms that she cleaned and made up gave her enough satisfaction.
Time passed indeed very quickly for Mia. Mornings and nights passed by, and soon the days began to fly, and before she knew it, a week was over. And soon the thirteenth night came…
"Anyone outside?"
Mia popped her head from the door. "No; the coast is clear." She closed and locked the door, and then she walked over and sat down on a chair.
"Great! So let's revise our plan, shall we?"
Mia nodded her head. "As far as our plan to fail my stepfamily's plans goes, I've already replaced the vial that contains the 'Death Potion' with ordinary water in Menardi's bag. Luckily I was able to replace it without being seen. I hope it will go unnoticed, since the colour is almost of the same. See, this is the 'Death Potion'." She held out a small vial with a white blurry liquid inside it as she laid it carefully on the table.
"Okay. That's good enough for now. We'll have to keep it properly." Fizz nodded her head.
"But we can't really guarantee that they don't have spare vials of the same potion, even though we've already checked their bags and rooms. They may even keep it in person, ya know. I'm sure they're smarter than that." Serac spoke quietly.
"Yeah, that's why we're going to send Mia here to the ball to talk to the prince about it, just in case. You'll have to convince him of it properly before he gets a dose of it. Mia, have you already got the dress you've been sewing this last few weeks ready?"
"Yes. It's right here." Mia rose from her position, opened the wardrobe and took out her dress. It was a short-sleeved cotton gown of baby pink colour with tiny laces at the hem. A long pink ribbon was tied to the waist. There was nothing special about it; simple was the word, but it looked neat and pretty. It was a masterpiece, considering that every single stitch was homemade.
"Wow, pink! Nice colour, Mia! It's really a great dress you've made there!" Spritz bounced over to her.
Mia chuckled. "Thanks, Spritz. Actually I would prefer blue colour, but you guys provided me with this pink cloth. But really, pink is one of my favourite colours too, so I like it very much. But the dress is nothing short of simple."
"Oh well, it's the best we could do in such a short time. I mean, we don't really have the money to buy a nice one, and the money you earned for working as a maidservant was only enough to buy this pink cloth."
"Yup." Spritz nodded her head comically. "So the dress is ready, and the vial is replaced. What else do we need to do?"
"Spritz, don't forget on how we're going to send Mia to the ball. I'm sure those people won't care to give her a lift to the palace castle thing." Serac reminded her companion reproachfully.
"No worries about that, Serac. I can easily hop a lift in any carriage that arrives in front of the inn, since the innkeeper tells me that he will be very happy to provide transportation to the ball for me, as I have been very successful in my work as a maidservant. He has promised not to mention anything about it to my stepfamily." Mia explained patiently.
Fizz nodded thoughtfully. "Great, everything's going well so far. So all you need to do tomorrow is to do your daily work in the morning and afternoon, while we three Djinn will help you to get things ready. When you come back and your stepfamily's gone to the palace, you'll come up and get dressed, then hop into a carriage and go to the ball. You'll have to do your best there, Mia. We've done our best, and you have the most important job; ensure that the prince, whoever he is, is safe. And we can't help you in any way when you're there."
Mia set her chin determinedly. "I don't really know what to say since it sounds really silly and unconvincing to an innocentlistener,butI'll certainly try my best to fail their plan; I won't let them destroy another life as they like."
"Great! Now that's the spirit!"
"Yeah!"
"Shh!" Mia placed a finger on her lips. "Not too loud; other people can hear you! Anyway, it's late enough; time to go to bed!"
"Yeah yeah..." Three djinn hopped onto the side of the bed.
Mia smiled as she got into her bed and pulled the blanket over her. Hugging the three small djinn, her hand gently patted their blue heads as her eyelids slowly closed. "Good night, everyone; sleep tight!"
Little did she know that tomorrow would be the most exciting and unforgettable day of her life…
"…And that is what has been said. I have heard every single word, dearest mother. They were careful, but not careful enough in every single moment."
"Hmph. So they have replaced our vial of 'Death Potion', haven't they? But as they assume, of course we have spare vials in person; such a valuable thing cannot be left alone to be tampered with!"
"Those tiny voices…that can only belong to the class of Djinn, is it not?"
"Yes…to think that that girl has actual Djinn of her own…they would only appear to an individual if he or she was an Adept. That perhaps complicate matters…I did not expect her to come up with her own plan to defeat us."
"But that does not matter. If she has her plan to destroy ours, then we will strike ahead first, and in turn destroy her plan! Nothing will stop us in order to win; not even the ancient Djinn! We must ensure that she never has the chance to even place a footstep in the palace!"
"Yes, that is well said, but what do we do?"
"Listen then, I have my own counter plans. Do as I say when tomorrow approaches, and we shall not lose to this stupid hindering obstacle!"
"The long-awaited day where the wheels of fate will turn, where we shall alter our own fate with our own hands and gain power!"
Author's Note: …Did that last sentence actually sounded kinda cheesy? Hope not. Note: I'll be updating one chapter for my Fire Emblem fic first, so maybe it'll be some time before I update this fic.
Anyways, quite a long chapter to go this time eh? Hope it's still good, especially when Mia meets Isaac and Garet! Actually I planned on them meeting only during the ball, but I just couldn't resist the attempt of Mudshipping in this chapter…but it's really the first time where real romance is included, and only very slight at that. Hopefully I didn't screw it up!
Next chapter coming up: It's finally the day of the party ball! Mia and company has planned their moves, but not everything always goes right as planned…they do not know it, but the stepfamily has their own plans to backstab them too behind their back! Evil lurks dangerously just around the corner…what do they do?
Stay in tuned to this story always, and don't forget to review!