The Life of Livana Garmadon

July 18th, 2023

I find royal breakfasts incredibly... awkward.

Cole and Queen Vania hit it off well because they were better friends. Some say that they're more than friends. The rest of us, meaning the Ninja, Uncle Wu, and P.I.X.A.L, were kind of just having side conversations of our own or just silently eating our food. Queen Vania has tried to make group discussions happen, but it all kind of just faded out and died.

I silently took a bite of a waffle when all of a sudden, Queen Vania turned her attention to me. "So. Livana, right? I hear that you're Lloyd's little sister?"

I quickly swallowed and nodded my head, "Yeah, I'm Lloyd's little sister. If you want, you can call me Liv. Or Livvy. I don't really care though, your majesty."

"Just like you, I have preferences." Queen Vania folded her bone white hands together, "I prefer Vania, thank you." She looked at all of us, "You all have permission to call me Vania."

"Greatttt." Kai dragged out the word, chewing on a strawberry. Nya smacked his shoulder and Kai wrinkled his nose at his sister.

"This is your first time in Shintaro, right?" Vania asked, turning her attention to me once again. I nodded; no one has talked to me for this long without giving up, especially not a queen. I never thought that I would be so worthy of the queen's attention.

"Yeah." I said bluntly, hoping that Queen Vania would just drop trying to talk to me.

She didn't get the hint. "That's great! You'll get to see a lot of things that are amazing, yet historical! Cole and the Ninja helped make history here." Vania said, reaching her hand over to clasp Cole's. I raised an eyebrow and Cole wrinkled his nose at me.

"Hm." I said, "Interesting. So... why is it Cole and the Ninja? Why specifically Cole in front?" I folded my hands as both Vania and Cole blushed. I tried to hide the smirk on my face. I had hit something here. Something interesting...

"Oh, just... Cole and I spent more time together. He's also the ninja I've read most about, so... it's out of habit." Vania fumbled and I nodded.

"I see. Are you sure it's not something different?" I prodded and Lloyd snorted into his tea, causing it to splash onto the tip of his nose.

"What are you trying to say here, Liv?" Cole asked, glaring daggers at me.

"Nothing. I'm just curious. Besides, the queen wanted to make conversation." I glanced at Vania, whose face had started to flush bright pink, "I'm merely returning conversation. What do you think I'm trying to say, Cole?"

Cole's face flushed an even deeper red and he shook himself, "N-nothing. I'm not trying to get you to say anything."

I grinned, "Okay. If you say so, dude."

Cole just glared at me with a mouthful of waffles and I tipped my cup of tea at him before taking a sip. Maybe the visit to Shintaro won't be that bad after all.

-:-:-:-:-

I was sitting in the palace gardens, watching as the world went by on the ground while I floated in the kingdom of Shintaro. Queen Vania had gone to do something important, so she let us roam around in the gardens. I tapped my pencil against my notebook, trying to think of what flower to draw in this beautiful garden, when all of a sudden, Cole plunked himself down onto the chair next to me.

"Hello." I stopped tapping my pencil against the rim of the notebook, "How can I help you, Cole?" I asked.

"I need your help." Cole murmured, "The truth is, that hunch you're onto... you're right." Cole's face started flushing again and I rolled my eyes, tucking my pencil away.

"What hunch?" I asked, blinking innocently. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You know what I'm talking about, Liv Garmadon." Cole growled.

"Fine, fine, fine." I raised my hands in surrender, my notebook still on my lap, "Since when did I become the relationship counselor? I don't even know that much about feelings, anyways." I said that relatively quietly, but Cole's face flared.

"Shhhh. Will you keep your voice down?" Cole pleaded, "I don't want anyone to hear about this but you." He fidgeted with the corner of his black gi and I raised an eyebrow.

"Not even Vania?" I asked, a mischievous twinkle in my eye.

"Absolutely not Vania! Not now." Cole added later and I snorted softly at that.

"Okay... so what are you trying to ask me here?" I asked.

"I'm just... we're always so tense around each other and it's because I'm nervous. Just... she's really pretty and she's kind and she... she's just amazing. But I'm scared to tell her how I feel about her. It's also just awkward. We both know how the other person feels, but then what are we supposed to do if we make it official? She's a queen and I'm just a ninja. How can I live up to her?" Cole finished with a deep breath.

"So, you're asking me right now how you can live up to Vania or how to confess?" I asked, doodling a picture of a tiny hibiscus onto the corner of a piece of paper.

"Both?" Cole edged.

"I guess I can give some advice?..." I trailed off. "I think that if you want to confess and not make a big deal out of it, then do it in private. It's not like Vania will ignore you once she sees you. And if you want to live up to Vania, just be yourself. I don't think there's any reason for you to specifically have to do anything special. If she truly loves you," Cole blushed again, "then she doesn't care about who you are."

"You said that you don't wanna give advice...?" Cole grumbled, "That sounded like it came from the expert, Livvy." Cole teased, "Are you sure that you haven't been in relationships so far?"

"I'm 13." I simply said.

"Sure..." Cole grinned and then took another deep breath, "Liv. I think I'll confess to her tonight. Do you think that... you can be my wingwoman?"

"Uh." I stopped in the middle of drawing a leaf, "Your wingwoman? But you're confessing tonight. I don't know why I would just sit there and watch you two become mushy."

"No, but can you like... hide in the shadows? Watch? Give me hand signals so I'd know what to do?" Cole asked and I furrowed my eyebrows together.

"Um... this is your time with Vania. I don't think she would want me to be there, especially since this is supposed to be a tender moment and just the two of you." I said. How do I even manage to get tangled up in these things? I thought to myself.

"I just don't wanna be alone." Cole murmured softly.

"You won't be. Vania will be with you." I said, "Look, Cole. If you'd really feel that weird afterwards, I suppose you can come and talk to me. I'd be your personal therapist." I smirked.

"Really?" Cole asked, "Because that'd be great. Imagine me going up to Jay and spewing my problems. He'd be more focused on shipping names than actually helping me figure out my problem."

"Vole?" I teased, just to spite Cole.

"That's a type of rat." Cole said, rolling his eyes. I giggled.

"I know. That's why I said it." Cole shoved my shoulder and I grinned.

"You're gonna make me fess up." Cole groaned and I put my hand on his shoulder.

"Look, you won't. Just let your words fly. You'll do great. Trust me." I smiled and he looked at me with a soft smirk.

"Thanks, Livvy."

I grinned and gave him a thumbs up, "Just tell me how it goes, Cole. I'll probably be in my room tonight."

"I'll tell you as soon as possible." Cole said and then he got up and left. I smiled at his back, feeling satisfaction. I had helped someone.

I finally helped someone, instead of cursing them to a doomed death.