[Regalis: in search of Peace and Quiet!]

•chapter seven•

I am here with a new chapter. Hello.

Beta'd by Karp.

Warnings: Even more mysteries and stuck-up elves.

•••

"You really didn't have to go with me," Penelope says, as she and Scarlett walk at a relatively fast pace towards the tall white tower. It was massive, shooting up the sky above even the palace, seemingly build from painstakingly placed white bricks, with glittering windows and ivy climbing up the outer walls. It was the Magetower, and it was a library and center of all knowledge and research in Sheothia, not only magical. It was built by the first prominent Mages in the country, hence its name, and is the seat of the Archmage, as well as the housing unit of various Magi and people of science from all over the country, and beyond.

It was also where Penelope's person of interest lived—her tutor of choice for Adetta. Since they were in the Capital, the Archduchess saw no harm in personally contacting the Magi, and maybe arranging a meeting with Adetta so that they could feel one another out and decide on the best course of the magic tutoring. That, or preferably just hire them fully. With Adetta's magic awakening more and more, a feat relatively rare among children under ten years old, it was only a matter of time before she lost control of her wild magic and caused an accident, therefore learning control with a trained professional was crucial and couldn't wait as long as Adetta initially waited.

She would understand, and Penelope had a distinct feeling that she would also appreciate it. Adetta was always a bit more interested in magic than in other things.

"But I want to," Scarlett says, bringing Penelope out of her thoughts, "also, despite living in Capital, I see Ethel less than I see you. We're both just so busy and our schedules hardly ever align at all. Only now I have some free time as all we're doing is waiting for the elves."

"I thought you weren't overly fond of one another? And I didn't hear anything of that changing."

"Understatement of a century," Scarlett snorts. "But that was fifteen years ago at the Academy, and we're all adults now. I mean... I still don't actually like Ethel, but I tolerate her. Honestly, of our friend group from Academy only four people other than I turned out well, but the rest of them?"

"They called us bastard sisters, do you remember? Nobodies from nowhere, upstarts, all the names, all the ridicule. And look at them now, writhing at our feet, begging for favors—'for old times' sake, Penny, you were such a great friend', and conveniently forget all the torn dresses and venomous words. Oh how I love how their faces contort and all the excuses they come up with when I recount all of their little sins—'for old times' sake, my friend,'" Penelope chuckles, delightfully cruel, and Scarlett can't help but agree.

"If only they knew where those nobodies from nowhere actually came from. Do you think that bitch, Iola, would turn any paler than when Tobias proposed to me?" Scarlett asks wistfully. "If she knew who my mother actually is. And yours. They would probably be more scared of yours, really."