The Hathway Kingdom. (Book 1)

Chapter Twenty-Nine.

~Twenty-Nine. ~

Months went by in which Larissa became quite busy. Between her lessons with her tutor, taking over some of her Uncle's work and her training with her weapons and her abilities, time seemed to escape her. It wasn't until one night, after she'd had a busy day running back and forth between her Uncle's study, her own, the training grounds and where Professor Strickland had been teaching her, that she realised what day it was. Looking at the calendar that was on her desk as Elissa hurried over with some food for her, Larissa sat up suddenly, her eyes wide.

"What is it, Princess?" Elissa asked her as she placed the tray of food down on the desk and looked up at Larissa curiously.

"My...My birthday is in a week..." Larissa said in a small voice, swallowing heavily and Elissa nodded her head, looking at her confused.

"It is, Princess. The invitations have already been signed and sent out by you and His Majesty," Elissa said with a confused frown as she watched Larissa.

"And what, exactly, do you mean by that?" Larissa asked Elissa, who gestured to one of the piles of paperwork that sat on Larissa's desk now.

"What did you think that all of these were? They are all the replies to the invitations, Princess. His Highness had them directed to you as part of your work," Elissa explained to her and Larissa groaned before she fell back in her chair and slumped as she pressed her hand to her forehead.

"I suppose that I will have to find a dress somewhere in between now and the party that my Uncle has planned..." she began to say, and she looked over at Elissa as she heard her almost drop the plate she was carrying. Larissa raised a brow at her maid before she spoke up.

"What is it?" she began to ask as she sat up and reached for her cutlery. She stopped and looked at Elissa now. "Oh...Don't tell me he has organised that as well without my knowledge, Elissa..." Larissa pleaded with Elissa, who promptly shook her head.

"No, Princess. Lady Ayers wrote to me the other day to let me know that she would be arriving a few days before the part with a present for you. She also said that she had arranged a dress for you and that she spoke with His Majesty about it already," Elissa replied, and Larissa sighed in relief.

"Oh, thank heavens! At least now I know that it will suit me and not be something from when he was growing up," Larissa said before she turned to her food and began eating now.

Just as Lizbeth had said she would, she arrived a few days before Larissa's birthday and in the most magical and spectacular fashion. Larissa was waiting at the top of the palace steps with Elissa, Tristan, and the other servants that her Uncle had assigned to her. She could tell that the servants were new, but she wasn't too concerned about that. So far, Elissa and Larissa had managed to train most of the palace staff without issue. She knew this group would be the same.

The musical sound of a bird's cry had Larissa looking towards the sky before she spotted it. A silhouetted shape of a bird could be made out as it flew closer to the angle where the sun sat in the sky and Larissa smirked slightly.

"Why is a bird flying like that?" Larissa heard Elissa ask one of the others and she chuckled softly.

"That isn't a bird, Elissa," Larissa began to say as she glanced back at her maid, who gave her a questioning look. Larissa smiled at her before she looked back at the bird as it let out another musical cry.

"That...is a phoenix," Larissa said as the others gasped as the phoenix came into view.

They all watched as the phoenix spread its wings as it was outlined by the sun. It stayed there for a moment longer, letting out another cry before it flipped over, folding its wings into itself and dove towards the ground at the base of the stairs. Larissa heard the servants all gasp as the phoenix collided with the ground in a ball of flames that soared high in the air and she began to make her way down the stairs.

"Princess!" Elissa exclaimed as she reached out and went to grab Larissa's arm to stop her. Larissa shook her off before she looked at Elissa.

"Don't worry, Elissa. She won't hurt me," she said, and Elissa frowned at Larissa's wording as she walked further down the stairs.

Larissa came to a stop just as the phoenix's head came into view and she raised a brow at the magical bird. The phoenix looked at her a moment longer before its head disappeared again.

"I think that is long enough of an entrance, Lizzie," Larissa said as she looked at the flames before her. A chuckle was heard from within the flames before they disappeared, leaving Lizbeth standing in front of Larissa upon the now charred gravel path. Larissa looked at it for a moment before she looked up at her friend.

"Did you have to burn the gravel?" she asked as Lizbeth walked over to her, glancing at it for a moment before she scoffed.

"Oh, please! Like that won't be dealt with the moment we walk away. Forget about that now, Larissa! I came here to commandeer your attention before you are surrounded by party guests...And suitors, now that you're finally of age," Lizbeth said as she took Larissa's arm and directed her away from the charred gravel path.

"Don't remind me of that part, Lizzie. I've had them in droves since I was old enough to understand what the word meant," Larissa groaned as she lifted the front of her dress so that she could walk up the stairs.

"Well...Never mind all that now. As I said, I am here to distract you for the next few days before your party. There are so many things that I want to do and, if it gets here before the day, I will help you with your dress for the party," Lizbeth said as they reached the top of the stairs and Larissa lowered her dress.

"I'm very much looking forward to the distractions, Lizzie," Larissa admitted, and Lizbeth grinned.

"Let's get started then!" Lizbeth cried before she took Larissa's hand and began running with the now confused, but happy and laughing Princess.