Princess of the Sky

ARIANNA

It was a sudden announcement, but a prince from the Civetian mainland across seas was set to arrive with an entourage of warriors to tour the palace of Civet. It was a landmark place in the world, and to many, was considered a wonder, built into the mountain as it was. Once every other moon or so, someone would come to see it—someone important. And this prince's name was Aurelion of Kiva, a very important person indeed.

Arianna was pacing around her room, frantic. "No one told me of this!" she blurted out, flustered. "Why does father insist on keeping everything a secret nowadays?!"

"Because," Kayn said, who kept near her doorway. "Tensions are high in the west."

"Candia?"

He nodded. "His Highness's vessel needs to pass dangerously close to Candian airspace... though so I've heard, a pair of Galleons have been ordered to meet with it as escort."

"Father is always paranoid," she said, scoffing. "Like anything is going to happen way out in the middle of nowhere. That place is a desert flat. And after that, westward? Mountains of sand! The skies are clear there."

He rolled his eyes. "I assume your feet are in tip top shape, Your Highness?"

She looked down. "Oh, yes. I can walk again," she said glibly. "It does still sting a bit, though."

"Then perhaps you should get some more rest."

She shook her head. "No no, and no! This is important. A prince. We haven't had a mainland prince here since... since never!"

"I wouldn't become too eager, Your Highness."

"And why's that?"

"The man is forty four years old."

The princess's jaw dropped. "Eh?"

"Definitely not interested in courting you... although his son will be coming with him. And he is right around your age."

She sighed in relief. "And who—who's that?"

"Sehk," Kayn said bluntly. "It's a Sarkanese name. Ever wonder why 'Sayek' sounded a bit different? More and more families are taking to more uh... for the lack of a better word, 'exotic' names. Sehk means of the sky in Sarkanese."

"Sick? His name is Sick?"

His eyes seemed to droop a bit. "Sehk," he corrected, deadpanning.

"Sick."

"Sehk."

She giggled. "Sick."

"Alright, enough of that," he said, grinning. "Any idea when you might be feeling up to the project I proposed?"

"Huh." Arianna picked her ear a bit. "I really would like to just abandon this whole thing, to be honest."

The Archseer cocked a brow. "Are you not interested in aethermancy anymore?"

She shrugged. "I break things," she said simply. "And before that, I got nothing done anyway."

He threw his hands up in the air. "Oh come now. I say one thing and you take it to heart." Walking up to her, he put a hand on her shoulder. "We all make mistakes in the course of progress."

"What progress?" Her face sunk. "I have none to speak of. Ask Sayek; he'd tell you the same thing."

His lips twisted into a scowl. "Sayek... You may need some more rest then, that's all." He smiled warmly. "These things take time... a lot of time."

"Archseer?"

"Yes, Your Highness?"

She cleared her throat. "Is there any chance I could... find some glass to play with?"

He cringed a bit. "Glass?"

"It was very hard to focus on the pigments when I was trying to alter the painting," she started. "Perhaps I should understand the canvas first."

"With all due respect, Your Highness. It might be wisest to exercise your more innate talents, such as your capability for creating sound inside Elsewhere."

"I should like to create a glass sculpture instead," she insisted. "I'll need glass infused with aether to do this, correct?"

"That is correct." He scratched his chin. "But I'll need to be present for this," he said grimly. "Your accident inside the antechamber was not indicative of talent, but more of an uncontrolled burst of mental power and influence; I beg you reconsider this, Arianna."

"If I am to try anything, it will be this," the princess said defiantly, narrowing her eyes. "I really want to give up, but..."

"But?"

She shook her head. "I can't; not just yet. Help me Kayn. Please. I think I am onto something here. Aren't I our only chance for the throne?"

The Archseer knelt down.

"I will," he said. "But..."

Her eyes widened.

"If you accidentally slice your head off, just remember that you won't be able to complain about it, being like a bird meant for the plate and all."

Looking up with a smile across her face, she kissed the old man on the forehead. "That's what I wanted to hear. Listen, thank you so much."

"My pleasure," he said, stepping away. "Sorry if I have been... ineffective as a tutor."

"But you're the best!" She said, almost squealing. "I've managed to do so many things. Like make tiny little aether sculptures in the low form, create music—"

"An ensemble of death and destruction would better describe it. Do you know what it took to repair my dimension? I chased that damned malignancy for what seemed like miles. The hole in the barrier wouldn't stay repaired otherwise."

She pouted. "Well at least you caught it before it could cause any trouble in the corporeal."

"Indeed. Anyway..." Bowing, he made his way back to Arianna's room's entrance. "I must be leaving now. I am at least happy you are not ready to give up completely, Your Highness."

"Goodbye, Kayn."

"Be seeing you. "And the Archseer left, shutting the ornamented door as his steps echoed behind.

Arianna went back to her bedside and plopped down onto it. A prince? the girl thought. Of... how old? What would a prince's son be then? How old is the king?

She shook her head, confused. Having practically no education on the history of the Civetian homeland of Kiva left a small void in the princess's mind. She was concerned enough with aethermancy as it was, most of her study time being devoted to its practice. Old Civetia would need to wait until her mastery of aethermancy was at a sufficient level. As if history has anything better to do anyway.

For now, she rested, quite comfortably, on the feather-stuffed mattress of her room. Getting up after a short time, she went to catch a glimpse out one of her windows. It provided a view of he palace's courtyard, a rather spacious area devoted to tropical greenery. Palm trees lined the ground, and a four-sided miniature of a river surrounded the enclosure, a sandstone fountain rising up the middle. If Candia and Civetia had anything in common, it was the climate. The city Civet had been built along a gigantic mountain oasis long ago. Suffice to say, it was definitely quite the grab. Father says the homeland is... pretty cold, the princess thought. It only ever gets cold here at night, especially in the gray season.

Arianna shrugged, turning her thoughts to the arrivals that were soon to be coming. "So a..." She cocked a brow "So a prince's son, huh?" Moving toward a decorated mirror, the princess attempted to expand her assets. When she let out her breath, she laughed at herself as her breasts went down to their normal size. I'd say my bust is fine anyway.

At any rate, for some reason, she wasn't expecting much out of the encounter. We'll have dinner, she thought. The prince's son... maybe even the prince himself will ogle me and Luma for a bit and then... they'll leave a week after.

She shrugged.

That sounded about right.