Above

11

Estelle
"So, you're not even going to answer?" Gabrie asks. "I guess I'll tell."
I look up at Leeciy, shock etched across his features.
"You all probably know Pangaea is a kingdom, ruled by Queen Menma. A few of you might've heard about the prince's tragic death, mauled by Norisks, shame." Gabrie starts. "He died on his coronation day, which is also his wedding day."
"Leeciy." My eyes widen.
He stays silent.
"Anyway, I would like to introduce you all to my beautiful fiancé, Leeciy Galdea, ex-prince of Pangaea." Gabrie smiles.
Everyone around us turns and looks at us, either bewildered, scared, or furious.
"I'm not him anymore." He says. "I changed my last name, I'm not part of that lineage."
"Oh, but you can't really change your blood." She sasses.
"I'm not royal, or above any of you, I'm an equal." He bites his lip.
"Oh, we all know you think that." She nods.
"What did he even do wrong?" I speak up. "Even if he did anything wrong, he's clearly a different person."
"He killed my father!" Someone yells.
"That was Menma." Leeciy says. "I refused to kill anyone, my father and mother did it and gave me the credit."
"Oh, being of the royal bloodline is wonderful, especially when you run away."
"I didn't have a choice, I didn't want to be king." He says. "We all have a reason for coming up, and that's mine."
"Either way, he left me a teary mess." Gabrie says, jumping from her soapbox, walking towards us. "Either way, we never properly broke up, so Leeciy, want to grab some dinner?"
***
I sit in the community kitchen, chopping onions with Melissa.
"Are you excited to be a mom?" I ask.
She rubs her bloated belly and nods. "Yeah, I can't wait."
"What about Ned?" I ask.
She looks up at me. "He's ecstatic, he's painted the entire nursery yellow with blue flowers, it's really beautiful."
"Is it a boy or girl?" I ask.
"It's a surprise." She answers.
I smile, tossing the onions into the stew.
"How are you, emotionally?" She asked. "You know, after August kicked the bucket."
"I dunno, I feel like the month of me moping helped a lot." I say. "I guess, I'm okay."
"That's good, you deserve the best." She replies.
"Thanks." I smile softly.
Her hand flies to her stomach and she grunts.
"Are you alright?" I ask, dropping the knife on the counter.
"My baby is a kick boxer." She huffs.
"Can I feel?" I ask.
She nods, moving her hand.
I put a hand over the place hers was, feeling the small foot push into my palm.
"Isn't it amazing?" She asks. "I can't believe I'm making a little person."
"Neither can I." I look up at her. "That's absolutely astonishing."
"You should feel them when Ned's around. It's already a daddy's person and they haven't  even taken their first breath." She laughs.
I go back to chopping various veggies. "I bet he's already obsessed and he hasn't even met them."
"I'm obsessed, and I haven't even met them." She says. "Ned doodles on my stomach."
"Really?" I ask.
She tugs up her blouse, revealing a cute little drawing of a baby.
"That's the sweetest." I marvel.
"Tell me about it." She swoons. "I can't wait to marry that moron."
The kitchen door bursts open, and we both turn to see Fran.
"I had a feeling you would put the pot on a burner." She says, walking over, grabbing the monestrous pot. "We don't have electricity."
"We know, I guess we weren't really thinking." Melissa says.
"Yes, I understand." She says, looking in the pot. "I'm forgetting something."
"What?" I ask.
"Nigel told me something and I can't think of it." She says, pressing two fingers to her temple.
"News on Annaliesee?" I ask.
She shakes her head. "It was something about a trainer."
"Oh." I sink back.
"Oh, yes, they've gotten you a new trainer." She grins, happy that she'd remembered. "You're wanted in the school gym, dear."
I nod, walking out of the kitchen.
***
The gym was lit with candles, and some familiar stranger was standing in the center.
"Oh, um, hi." I say, closing the door behind me.
He looks up at me, red messy hair flopping over his freckled forhead. "Hi."
"Do you have a name?" I ask, walking closer.
"Wrenton." He says. "Greeny's brother."
"That's how I recognized you." I chuckle.
"I'm your new trainer." He explains. "Since Annaliesee's captured."
"Couldn't we just wait until she gets back?" I ask.
"You have to train before you go. Like Gabrie said, pebbles won't do a lot." He says.
"What if lifting pebbles is my Oura konnes?" I ask, raising a brow.
"Rumor has it that you got through eight trials, which is amazing, but pebble-lifting is just your beginning, I can sense it." He says.
"What's your Oura konnes?" I ask.
His green eyes flicker to the lights, which turn on before all bursting in a shower of glass.
My hands fly over my head, resulting in a scratch on my thumb. Whatever.
"I control electricity, just like Greeny." He answers.
"Weapon of choice?" I ask.
He grabs something off his belt. "Metal whip, I wrap it around the enemy then fry them."
"Where'd you get it?"
"I made it, I'm kinda crafty." He answers, putting a hand cockily on his hip.
"Are you any good at hand-to-hand?" I ask.
He nods. "Just less of amazing."
"Hmm." I say, cocking my head. "When do we start?"
"Tomorrow, first I'm going to break through the pebble habit, then I'll train whatever surfaces." He says, smirking.
"Did Nigel choose you?" I ask.
He nods. "Handpicked by Nigel and Jackson."
"What is your experience?" I ask.
"Who do you think trained Luca and Annaliesee?"
The door to the gymnasium creaks open and Nigel pokes his head through. "Dinner's served, you guys can wrap up."
I nod. "Thanks Dad."
He grins at the use of the word. "C'mon kiddo, it's my favorite, squirrel stew."