Daybreak

Twenty-One - Saihi

Saihi hadn't found the opportunity to sneak back to the lake since the girl in red admitted that her name was Ai. It was all because Kenta found every opportunity to catch and pester Saihi in matters regarding the ball which was only a few days away.

Saihi desperately wished to escape to the woods where a mystery awaited him. He hungered for it like he hungered to hunt.
"Your highness, are you listening?" The royal interpreter, Sir Berthold William, who was now also acting as the prince's temporary instructor, asked. He was short, but only because he was still a teenager. Bert, as Saihi decided to call the young man, is a noble from a foreign country, but Saihi couldn't remember from where exactly since he wasn't listening when Bert first introduced himself. Bert was definitely not from anywhere near Kuroba because he had an euro-centric facial structure and a head of yellow hair and eyes the color of wet moss.

"Your highness?" spoke the interpreter in his perfect Kurobanese accent. Then he switched to the common tongue of Gardeinia which Saihi hadn't practiced nearly enough. "Today, we will memorize the names of the princesses and each of their nations. And we will pronounce them," Bert looked at Saihi sternly. "... correctly."

Saihi slumped in his chair. He hated the desk he had to sit on which had a small butt space and was so hard, Saihi was sure his behind was now its shape, flat as a board. The large chalkboard in front of him, which was quickly being filled by foreign names, wasn't helping lighten the prince's mood. Saihi could feel his eyes burn as they threatened to blur.

A sharp pain ran across the back of his hand along with the sound of books hitting the floor. Saihi sat up straight as his reddening hand registered what had happened. Bert stood in front of Saihi's desk with a ruler that was still vibrating from the impact.

"Nice of you to join us, your highness!" Bert chirped, smiling with fake delight which was unnerving coming from a man younger than he. "I've just talked through each of the names and nations for the princesses so now it's your turn!" Bert turned and walked back to the board.

Saihi gaped at him. This was just too much.

"Uh, umm..." he lifted a finger as if he might point to something. He put it down. He jabbed at a name again.

"Your highness, do you need a minute?" Bert was still smiling that odd smile that made Saihi's skin crawl.

"No. No... It's all good..." Saihi scratched the back of his head, misplacing strands of his black hair from his bun. He tried again, pointing to a name as he attempted to make a sound using the accents of the common language of Gardeinia. "A, A... Alice!" Saihi looked to Bert for approval and the prince nodded his head.

"Now finish the rest of the name," Bert urged.

"Alice, Alice..." Saihi furrowed his brow. "Can I skip that one?"

"No."

Saihi sighed as if he'd already given up. "Alice Fedorabu?" he tried.

"Fedorov," Bert sighed. "That was the easiest one. Now go down the line."

Saihi nodded his head, swallowing and moving his dry lips as his eyes ran across the board.

"Eeezer Kirali," he said confidently.

"Eszter Kiraly," Bert spoke slowly. "Es-ter, Kee-ah-lee."

Saihi nodded his head, "Eszter Kiraly." He said it perfectly, or so he thought since Bert didn't correct it the second time. "Calumen Belasuco," Saihi said, moving on to the next princess.

"Carmen Velasco" Bert tapped his foot. "Car, men, Velasco!"

Saihi bit his lip and repeated it.

"Seaweea Rutkosuki?"