The Tale of the Ice Princess

Part 2 - Chapter 2

I looked outside the window wistfully , the vast blue sky seemed eternal, the radiant sun that burns cold, the warm and pungent smell of cinnamon and clove in the air. Leaves of yellow ocher fell aimlessly , littering the garden , being swept away by the powerful gusts . 

Autumn had arrived , with its boundless splendor . 

Today was also the day of the much dreaded tea party hosted by the Reggienands. If i recalled correctly , that particular house had a son the same age as i was.

It was just about time to leave the mansion to head towards the Reggienand Estate. Since , i was staying in the capital , travelling to other noble's estates was wrought with ease . 

Following that logic ........ it meant that i could spend more time researching and not waste any travelling . 

I got up from my very enticing chair , stretching my stiff limbs . Taking one last quick look at the picturesque scenery before me , i headed to my bedroom to change . 

Hmmmm, what did i - or rather , Lavina , select for this? 

I honestly had no idea , i left most of the 'keeping up the image' part of the job to Lavina . She , thankfully , was much more well versed in the beauty department . I , on the other hand , was unable to tell the difference between outfits , besides color . 

Hung by the wall was a shin-length , light blue-purple dress. It had a conservative halter cut - a style that has became popular as of late, with a light teal underskirt , layered with lavender tinged  sheer material . It left me speechless , it was too perfect for me . It incorporated most of my favorite colors perfectly , with snowflake like decorations sewn on , which i truly loved .

Thank you Lavina .  

I quickly changed into the dress . Not long after , i heard a knock sound at the door . 

"it's me Lavina , I'm here to do your hair ." She said from the other side of the door . 

"Come in and isn't my hair fine already?" I whined . 

Entering the room , Lavina clasped my shoulders , directing my towards the hardly used vanity . 

"No no no . Your hair looks like you haven't brushed it for days . You need to look presentable ." She firmly said . 

I think she has a point ....

Looking at my reflection in the mirror made me realize that my hair was tangled at the ends, making it look like a bird's nest . 

"Urgh ....Fine you win . But it better be simple "

When she was done , i looked at myself in the mirror . 

Woah . 

It looked like someone entirely new was staring back at me . Lavina had combed my hair , applying fragrant oil to make it appear glossier , doing my hair in a half up half down manner . 

I added the final touches to my outfit. Opening my 'jewelry' box, i took out a small sliver pendant with a hollow center and bracelet with many large circular indents .  

Opening the other box next to the 'jewelry' one , i rummaged through it , searching for the right stones to place in the stone holders .

The 'jewelry' i owned all shared one specific property , they each had a circular holder . The holders themselves had a very specific purpose , which was to contain mana stones. This method of interchanging allowed the jewelry to be reused for most occasions , switching out the mana stones in them for each specific occasion. 

My pendent could hold large 1 stone , with the bracelet able to hold 1 large stone and 2 smaller stones . 

Hmm what would i need ......I guess mana zone is a given . 

There might also be assassins too . So i need a weapon . 

So... i guess mana zone on the pendent and icicle sword on the bracelet . Then what about the two smaller stones? What other things would i need ? 

I guess icicle barrier for defense and ice throwing knives then . 

Happy with my decision , i located the stones , clicking them into place in their respective holds. As the dress was a shin-length dress , it was hard to attach a garter belt to my thighs for concealed weapons , because it would have been easily discovered if one looked closely enough.

The mana stones were near transparent with a tinge of pale blue , where as the stone with "Mana Zone" was more turbid , with hints of azure white . 

Besides outwards appearance , there was another difference between the two groups of stones. As the stone with the mana zone spell engraved onto it had to be constantly filled with mana , the mana dyed it a near opaque white-blue color . Whereas for the other spells , it required only a bit or no mana , when at rest . 

"Okay i am ready." I said to Lavina  . 

"Right this way..." 

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The carriage ride was a short one , since we were in the capital , it took under half an hour. 

Looking out the carriage window , i saw Count Reggienand's estate . It was similar to ours in size, being only a bit larger . The estate was well kept with the front lawn meticulously trimmed . 

Pulling up to the entrance of the estate , the driver stopped . He got off and opened the carriage door , as per protocol , offering me his hand to steady myself on the short descend to the ground . 

"Thank you ." I whispered . 

The carriage driver was a new employee recently employed by Lavina for social events or to drive me around . Seeing his thoughtfulness , i was touched . Because i was too short to properly climb the short carriage steps to the ground , i needed someone to steady me if i wanted to be graceful . The driver properly discerned that fact and helped me get off . 

Once i do a background check on him , maybe i should consider employing him full time. 

At the front door , a butler was standing there , most likely to direct guests to the tea party's venue . 

"This way young miss Heldor " a maid nearby said , directing me towards the estate garden.

Putting on my noble façade , i wore my mask of indifference , nodding slightly to indicate that i caught what she said. 

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Word count : 1128