THE APPRENTICE II

36

It was late in the morning when Hazel arrived in Pentadilune. She had just finished rigorous training with Stephen and a rather tedious class that, in consolation, did help her wind down a little bit. When she arrived, Makky led her to the royal garden. It was a majestic and immersive place that was filled with what seemed to be a mix of willow and angel-oak trees, with little flowers blooming on them, blue, green, purple— cool colored ones, with some pink. The entire place smelled of sweet floral notes and wet soil from the flowing stream, nearby. This place only seemed to be getting more and more beautiful.

"Master Wolfe!" King Heint boomed with enthusiasm. The family was dining in a marble gazebo with an iron roof, a table at the center.The queen gave her a grin and a smile, while the prince instantly shot up from his seat. He gave a quick genuflect and gave her a lopsided grin. The two were about to the same when she stopped them.

"Please, no more genuflects from my end. I'm not quite used to it." She rose up from her own bow and bowed her head. "Good morning,"

"Good morning, Master Wolfe. Have you had anything to eat?" Rein inquired and gestured for her to sit. She approached the round table and sat parallel to the prince. It was filled with different breads and pastries with some accompanying spreads, beverages that ranged from blue to brown, an assortment of eggs, and something that resembled an edible lotus-pad flower.

"Hm." Has she had anything to eat? She angled her head in thought and her eyes rolled up. She started off the day with some tea, went straight to training, and had some coconut water to repenish herself. Then, she went straight to her class. That took about a little over an hour, then went to the palace right after. "I don't think I have. I've had a busy day,"

"Well." The king dusted himself off, then stood to offer his wife a hand. She took it as he pulled her chair back. "We will leave you two to it, then. Good morning,"

"Thank you, good morning." She gave a deep bow this time and nodded her head. Makky gave Heskit a back pat and her, a head bow. She returned it and sat back down. "So. You said you had something important to discuss with me?,"

"Yes, but after some eating. What's wrong with your face?" He questioned and stared at the red mark on her right cheek.

She was alarmed by this question; Hazel had forgotten about her burn mark. What was she supposed to say? She was born with that face. Was she unknowingly frowning? Was he being serious?

He observed the reaction on her face and laughed. "You have an injury,"

"Oh! Oh." She shook her head to ground herself and let out a snort. She waved it of while angling her head to the side. "Training. We were fighting with relics, today,"

"I see. May I?" He walked to her cautiously. May he what? She was too puzzled by what he was trying to say.

He knelt down and his large hand hovered on her cheek. He shut his eyes and a mint colored light glowed on it. The wound was taken over by a cooling feeling that soothed the inflamed area. She recalled that the mystics on this land were proficient healers and illusionists. "There,"

"Uh, right. Thanks." She met eyes with him, and they were now swirls of a golden brown and light blue.

Pentadilunians had a few biological differences from regular humans, especially when it came to the variants, range, and distribution of melanin. It was something about the conditions and diet.

"Healing magic. Your magic sounds so fascinating— your world sounds so fascinating,"

"I'm sure it is to you." He stood up and leaned over from behind her, then reached over for some tongs, getting dangerously close. He grabbed some kind of bread with a foreign egg and placed it on her plate. "You should eat, I think you'll enjoy this."