Spiritless Life

Satisfied Life

After breakfast, Dolph sent Bracken and Sabeen to run around the castle a few times while he brought out the books for Karam.

Karam had always been good at studying. In her last life, she preferred research over textbooks because her focus never stayed on one thing for very long. But Karam had been curious about the language. It sounds a lot like english, which made it easy for her to understand, learn, and pick up as she knew it as Ishii Ayano, but she hadn't yet seen the written language.

He opened the book to reveal an entirely new language altogether. Of all the languages on earth that she could recognize, this wasn't any of them. He skipped over a number of pages before it began looking like a kindergarden textbook.

"Do you recognize any of these?" Dolph was laying on his stomach propping himself up with his arms while Karam laid between his chest and the floor under him. Being as they were, it wasn't weird and neither of them converted it into anything dirty.

Karam shook her head, "Nou."

"Okay. this page ays to match the sounds to the animal who makes them. Here's a pencil.

She took the pencil, but didn't do the activity. Karam pointed to the first few characters. "Disu?"

"It says 'Roar'."

Karam wrote next to it in romaji what she heard.

"Disu?"

"It's says 'Grr...'"

Again, she translated it into english to make her understanding easier. They continued like that down the page. Than, she began comparing the writing in the book to the sounds. So, this part of this kanji that looks like a romaji, lower case 't' makes the sound 'rr' while the part that looks like mountain in japanese sounds like 'oo'. That means they read it this way. But what's with this character...?

Dolph watched as she worked. She was using signs and creating a key for their language. Essentially, she was translating. Though Dolph was confused as to what signs she was using and what they meant to her. Whatever it was, she was gaining understand and asked him questions about how one sound has a different effect on another.

Karam flew through the pages faster and faster as she went until she finally felt she had a basic understanding of the language. In the end, it wasn't to different than english. Except they created a character out of the sounds of the word.

The young princess sighed and pulled out a blank piece of paper. In sloppy, unpracticed penmanship, she explained to Dolph that there was a mix up.

My name is Ishii Ayano. I come from another planet. Does Dolph know how I got here?

Dolph read it out loud after she handed it to him. "Another planet? Never heard of something like that. Do you want to go back?" Dolph looked down at Karam seriously.

Karam thought about it. She took the paper and wrote again.

Dead.

"Oh." He read over her head as she wrote. "So? Do you wish to live as I-shii Aano or Karam Hocking?"

No matter what, I am still me. What people call me will not change that.

"Ohh, Very mature!"

Karam hit his arm.

I was twice your age.

"So what, that makes you... Forty three?"

Karam paused.

A woman never reveals her true age. Where I come from, it's rude to ask.

Dolph 'mhmed'.

"Whado?" Karam turned to him, slightly annoyed.

"Nothing. I was just thinking... I don't know how to act around you if that's true." Dolph avoided eye contact.

Karam watched him for a while before turning back to her paper. It might sound like a line, or it might be weird in other ways, but she decided she wasn't about to hold back just because her appearance had changed. She had always been a very affectionate person.

Don't change.

She turned back and held it up for him. Dolph glanced at it and laughed. "Alright, I'll do so. After all, who am I to turn down a princess's request?"

Karam thought that, as a Diernae, he might be able to. But she knew that he didn't like his true abilities being known to others. Bringing it up might drive them apart. So Karam put the thought aside and laughed along with him.

After they were done laughing they looked at each other. An understanding that she hadn't known before shone within their eyes as they watched each other. After a moment they began laughing again.

Dolph took a deep breath, his spirit regained and turned back to the book. "Okay, what's next?"

During lunch the Princess arrived. She opened the door to a room of laughter. Sabeen was on the floor, collapsed, since her workout ended and bracken was happily clearing away empty plates. What she didn't expect was a man in the room who held her daughter in his lap.

Dolph was sitting criss-cross with the Young Princess laying on his legs while he reclined with his hands above his head. He was laughing with Karam, who hadn't looked so happy in... for as long as the Princess had known her.

As she entered, three pairs of eyes turned toward her.

Dolph was the first to speak, "Ah! The future Queen!" He picked up Karam and stood to bow politely. He smiled, "Have you came to play with your daughter?"

Rena observed him closely, but could find no ill will within his actions. "I did not know we hired a new caretaker?"

"Ah! Well, don't be alarmed. The Prince assigned me to the post early this morning. Bracken went to fetch a Spiritualist because the Young Princess wasn't eating, and seemed to have mistaken me for one." He smiled gently and bowed again, being careful not to harm Karam.

"Wasn't eating?"

"I have explained it to you husband..." He paused, "But your daughter is quite the special child. Her tastes are far ahead of those of her peers and her intelligence is extraordinary for one her age! I must say she is worthy of being called this kingdom's Hope." As he spoke, he motioned to some fruit and the books the two had worked on earlier which were still spread out on the ground.

Princess Rena glanced at the writing, "And? Your credentials that allow you to touch me daughter?"

"I have... favor with the king."

Karam shook her head, That's certainly putting it lightly. Karam stepped in to save him, "Omma!" She held out her hands towards the Princess.

It worked just as Karam had hoped. Surprise flashed over her face and she rushed over to take her child. "What was that?" Rena looked like she was on the brink of tears as she smiled down at Karam.

"Omma, root!" Karam thought, that it was so near lunch, that Rena might not even have eaten before she rushed over here. Therefore, her plan was to use her new knowledge to both bring up her spirits and fill her belly. Honestly, Karam was a little uneasy about having a mother younger than her. But if it was something like this than she didn't mind. It was like caring for a child who thought they were the ones caring for you.

Dolph quietly picked up Sabeen and left with Bracken. Karam smiled at him before he left, thanking him. He nodded in understanding and smiled back before shutting the door behind him.

After spending some time with her mother, Karam began to drift off. She had taken a nap earlier with Dolph, but her little body was meant to sleep for most the day. Karam yawned, showing Rena what she was after and accepted the help she offered into her crib. For the second time that day, Karam drifted off feeling fulfilled with her life.