Arcadia's Ignoble Knight: The Sorceress' Knights Tournament

Chapter 17

"Um, Lady Erica, what did you wish to speak with me about?" Elincia asked as she and Erica sat around a table, eating a small snack. Behind the raven-haired sorceress was her faithful knight, Derek. Tiffania sat next to Erica, trying to mimic the sorceress's refined movements as she drank tea.

"Why, I thought that would be obvious, my dear," Erica said, smiling benignly. "I'd like to ask about your relationship with Caspie, of course."

Elincia squeaked. "M-my relationship?!"

"Indeed." Erica took a sip of her tea before continuing. "I was quite surprised to discover that you and he were acquainted, and I was even more surprised to learn that you are his childhood friend. It must have been quite the shock to see him after all this time. I bet he's grown up quite a bit since you last saw him."

"T-that is true." Elincia tried to cover her embarrassment by taking a sip of her tea. "He's become... very handsome, and strong, and confident." As she pulled the cup from her mouth, a smile tugged at her lips. "But he's still the same Caspian that I remember."

Erica's expression, the upward curve of her lips and the crinkling of her eyes, made Elincia feel self-conscious. This woman's beauty seemed to defy all natural laws. Elincia had never been the most confident person in her appearance, but just sitting next to Erica made what confidence she did have plumet.

"So, then, just what is your relationship with Caspie?" Erica asked. "Is he really just a childhood friend, or is he something more? It is all right. You can tell me."

"W-well," Elincia started, placing her hands in her lap and twiddling her fingers, "th-the truth is... I've always loved Caspian, ever since he and I first became friends."

"Ho? So, it was love at first sight?"

"U-um, no, not quite." Elincia struggled to find the words to adequately describe her feelings. "When we were younger, Caspian was introduced to me after I... left my home due to family issues. I had no one who really accepted me, and Lady Sylvia has always been somewhat impersonal. D-don't get me wrong. Lady Sylvia is very nice, but she didn't spend much time with me because she was always working. It was... lonely."

Erica stared at her, and Elincia suddenly felt very uncomfortable for some reason.

"A-anyway, Caspian was the one who took all that loneliness away. He was introduced to me about two months after I moved in with Lady Sylvia. I—during the time we spent together, I really grew to love him."

"So I see." Erica leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms. Tiffania, seeing this, also leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms. "I suppose love would blossom quite easily under those circumstances, and Caspie is quite the naive cutie. He definitely seems like the type of person someone such as yourself would become enamored with. However, let me give you some advice. It may be best if you don't allow yourself to fall in love with Caspian."

"W-what?" Elincia gawked at the woman.

"Now, do not get me wrong," Erica said, raising her hand to forestall any argument. "I am not saying this to be cruel. I am merely saying this because I know what lies at the end of this road. Love seems like a wonderful thing at first, but you must remember that Caspian doesn't have your lifespan. Even if he's not fully human, he's still not going to live even half as long as you. Falling in love with someone, only to watch as they wither and die, is a terrible fate that I would not wish upon anyone. That is why I am warning you right now: do not let yourself fall in love with him anymore. For a sorceress, love can only lead to heartache."

"You... have been in love before?" Elincia asked.

Erica's bitter smile made her regret asking. "I have been in love several times. The first time I fell in love, I watched as my knight, the man I had wished to one day marry, withered away like ashes disappearing on the wind. The second time, the person I fell in love with was killed during one of the dwarven rebellions. The third man I fell in love with died from a plague."