《The Secret Heir and the Mistress of Fire》


 Chapter One: Catherine

    Smoke billowed from the windows. Cat cowered. The flames jumped up out of nowhere. They stood in a circle, like fiery soldiers protecting her. The room was completely bright orange, her eyes burned from the heat and smoke. She screamed. She tried to fight her way out. No one was home and she didn¡¯t know what to do. She saw the window to her left and dove right through it.


    She landed on the porch. The wood was hard but she didn¡¯t care. She could finally breathe.


    Just as she stumbled onto the ground in their front yard her father came rushing over. He lifted her up and placed her further away in the grass, then ran into the house.


    Her father, Thomas, was a big man, mostly aged muscle. His chest was the largest part of him. He was solid yet very fast. While she had her back turned to the house there was a huge gust of wind that came out of the window, like an explosion that caused all of the dust and straw to fly in all directions. She hunched over and covered her head with her arms.


    When she thought it was safe to move, she turned around and looked at the house. The fire was gone.


    She didn''t want to get up, but she eventually placed her hands on the grass to push herself into a kneeling position. The metal coin that she was holding in her palm released itself from her grip. Her father came over to make sure she was ok and then noticed the metal on the ground. He picked it up. "Where did you find this?" He asked. She didn''t want to answer. "No, no, it''s ok you aren''t in trouble I just want to know where it came from." "It''s not yours," she said. Her parents had several similar-looking metal objects, they were like coins but three times the size. "Phineas was playing with it, he brought it over. He forgot to take it home when he left. I didn¡¯t notice it until after I ate lunch and I picked it up to move it so I wouldn''t forget to give it back to him and then the flames just appeared.¡±


    Phineas was the man Cat was seeing romantically. He was tall and had soft brown hair. She had been seeing him for a few months, and every weekend they would meet to walk to the city together.


    ¡°Let''s go inside.¡± Her father said. She walked into the house, she was very embarrassed. ¡°I feel so awful, I can''t believe¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± He said. ¡°There isn''t much damage, accidents happen.¡± She looked up at him and he could tell she felt horribly. He knelt down and hugged her. ¡°Seriously, it¡¯s fine.¡± He said. She started to feel better after that, but then she realized she had many questions.


    He stood back up and checked the other rooms. "Doesn''t look like anything damaged in here. You just took out the kitchen." She nodded. She was really surprised that the damage was so minimal since when she was surrounded by the fire it looked like it was everywhere.


    She had just finished lunch before the incident, she could see the remnants of everything on the table still, burnt crusts. She was glad that they did not store their food in the kitchen or it all would¡¯ve been ruined. She began to clean up the ash but he stopped her and asked her to pick some items up from town.


    The town was just a mile away and over the hill from her house. She lived in a pretty rural area where large open fields sat unhindered beneath the sky. There were dozens of houses scattered about, just like hers and no real land definition between them. The grass was hinting towards its brown future as the seasons started to change. It was the end of summer and the cold air was inching its way in more and more each day. It wasn¡¯t a very drastic change since she lived in the south where it was decently warm all year round, to a visitor it was warm weather all year round but to those who lived there, they could tell the distinct difference between the few degrees that marked separate seasons.


    She usually loved walking to the city, it was relaxing and she loved wandering in the fields, but that day the fire kept creeping into her thoughts.


    The town was busy like it usually was at that time of day. It was just after lunch and there were many people looking to buy food for dinner. Cat''s family caught most of their food but there were some supplies that they didn¡¯t produce themselves like bread and oranges. She waved politely as she passed someone she knew. She would¡¯ve normally stopped but she wasn¡¯t in the mood to talk frivolously.


    She made her way to the vendor she frequented. That day, like most, they had a canopy up in front with their best-selling items on display. She ordered two loaves of bread and one bag of oranges. While she waited for the man to get the items she watched everyone walk through the streets. One man was buying a wooden statue and another was buying a scarf.


    It wasn¡¯t very hot there compared to other places in the south. It was somewhat temperate. They didn¡¯t have full winters, and there wasn¡¯t ever snow, but it wasn¡¯t a desert either. The average temperature was around seventy degrees. She liked the consistency but often wondered what living in a colder climate was like. She knew about snow but she had never seen it. She imagined it as a beautiful tragic hero of the sky, that tried to soothe the hot land but rather destroyed it with its fridges breath. She liked to write poetic musings about mundane things. It was a skill test. She believed that it was easy to write beautiful words about beautiful things, the real challenge was taking regular things and making them sound spectacular. It wasn¡¯t always about the object of focus, but the words themselves. Most art was created to describe or recreate something of beauty but she liked creating beautiful art from simplicity.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    She began her journey home after she placed all of the food in her pack. She was careful to place the oranges on the bottom so they wouldn¡¯t squish the bread, a mistake she had to correct so many times that she learned.


    She left an orange out and ate it on her way back. She loved to dig her nails into it like an animal. She let the juices drip down her fingers.


    She finished the orange by the time she returned home. She put the food in the kitchen. Her father said the damage was superficial, but it looked horrible. All of the flat surfaces were a shade of black. She smacked her palm down on the table to test its strength. She felt no real difference from before.


    The wind blew gently through the trees as she sat on her desk that looked out her back window. She remained in her room when her mother returned because she didn¡¯t want to explain what happened earlier. She knew her dad would gladly do that.


    That night she could hear her parents whispering to each other in the hallway. She could only hear that they were taking, but not what they were saying. She tried to stay still hoping she could catch a bit any information. She was convinced that they were talking about her.


    That morning her father disappeared and after she and her mother ate lunch she found out that her hunch was right. Her mother sat down with her and explained what happened the day before. She explained that the metal disc she held was what technically caused the fire to appear. "These are called a Numisma, They are for testing who has the ability to conjure our or summon energy.¡±


    She looked at her with a confused expression on her face. "What?" she asked. "This attached itself to your power and let you release it." "wait, I started the fire with that?¡± She asked. "That makes sense, the coin bit, that''s why Phineas had it, he''s been trying to see if he had any elemental energy to help him get into school sooner.¡± ¡°The only way to summon the power if you are untrained is through one of these. That¡¯s why when you picked it up you reacted so strongly." She looked at her hands. So i have elemental energy?" She asked "Yes." Her mother answered.


    Elemental energy was the rarest purest form of energy expression, followed by several others she didn''t know much about. She suspected her parents had similar abilities, there were things she witnessed that were odd. Her parents tried to keep their abilities a secret within the house but in the span of sixteen years, it was impossible to be diligent all the time.


    The palms of her hands were singed and ashy. "Can you do what I did? She asked. Her mother answered. "Sort of. My skills are generated the same way but are a bit different. That¡¯s why your father left, he¡¯s bringing back the headmaster from the academy to test you.¡± What?¡± She said completely shocked.


    She had been studying to attend the Academy of Vasti. The academy was the most elite school in the kingdom. There were three ways that a student could get in, Through Knowledge, Power, or Strength.


    Knowledge gave an in, to anyone with exceptional learning ability and retention for information or had the desire to learn. Power was of course for anyone who had abilities that were fueled by energy and could reach beyond the scope of the average person. The last branch was strength. Strength was for anyone that had advanced abilities regarding war tactics or sword fighting.


    Cat heard about the school from her grandfather, he went there and so did both of her parents. She didn¡¯t know she had any abilities that would be applied under the power category, so she spent her time studying for knowledge and training in sword fighting so she could get in when she turned 16. Her boyfriend, Phineas, was training to go also. They didn¡¯t train together but they did talk about if they both were accepted and that they would travel to the school together. He put all of his faith in his sword-fighting abilities. He considered himself a master swordsman. She always wanted to go against him to practice but he never agreed to it.


    Two days later her father returned with the Academy of Vasti''s headmaster, Menthom. As soon as they rode into town the word spread quickly and young people began to prepare themselves, in case they had the chance to be tested.


    Methom had been the head of the academy there for many years. He was a tall dignified looking man, he had dark skin, brown eyes and wore a vest and blue cloak. They amassed a crowd in their neighborhood because he was there. A group gathered right on the road outside their house.


    They entered the house and he apologized for the attention. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, this happens sometimes. I try to keep a low profile these days but sometimes it''s unavoidable.¡± Her dad laughed. ¡°We know, it¡¯s no problem.¡± Catherine stood in front of him, they shook hands. Catherine had just finished eating lunch and was holding a cup of tea. She offered him some and he declined.


    The four of them went for a walk to an open abandoned field behind her house. The grass was brittle and tan, long ago dead. The crowd, of course, decided to follow, the younger members were not yet bold enough to ask for time with the headmaster, but they hoped to work up the courage. Most children dreamed of being accepted into the school and they were excited to see a live admittance test.


    Catherine and Menthom stood facing each other. He pulled out a metal disc and held it in his hand with his palm to the sky. Put out your hand he said. She obeyed. They watched her, but nothing notable happened. She began struggling and it looked like she was trying to get angry. Her father interjected, "it¡¯s ok if you can¡¯t conjure anything, no need to force it." "Run," she said quietly with a very strained voice. That¡¯s when they realized she wasn¡¯t trying to summon something, she was trying to hold back the hurricane that was about to appear.


    Menthom grabbed her parents'' hands and teleported them to the hill where the crowd was.


    Catherine released the energy, and it was breathtaking. Flames danced up violently surrounding her completely. An explosion, that fanned outward in all directions.


    The flames continued to climb. They could see her silhouette amongst the flames. She fell to the ground. Menthom waved his hands and the fire disappeared.


    She lay on the ground for a moment. Her parents ran to her.


    Cat are you alright? Her mother yelled. Catherine sat up quickly. The crowd was visibly shocked.

 Chapter Two: The Blood Was Always There

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    It was breathtaking, the silence before thousands of soldiers began plowing towards each other. They stood, in the final moment of peace. The wind even slowed as a gesture of goodwill. It danced gently through the fickle blades of grass, causing them to tremble. The moment wasn¡¯t very long but everyone held onto it. The moments before a huge battle were fueled by every emotion.


    The air was cold and thin but the anticipation made it almost suffocating. Their breath was still until the enemy horn sounded. The loud billowing hollow noise covered the plains like a thick murky blanket of snow. A blurry dreary mask of confusion as the hysteria began. George¡¯s mind was racing, filled with anticipation.


    The next sounds were not considered as poetic, but the passion and dedication behind them served more than any sound within nature could.


    The primal screams of those defending the honor of the innocent, the purest gesture of love.


    Sent by their valiant kings, the armies of Edegear and Asiroth did not falter, not even in death. They were led by the sons of the two kingdoms, George and Henry. They glanced at eachother from their large white horses. It was their first battle, their first foray into power. They had begged for so long to be there, leading the army they spent so much of their lives training with. At that moment they began to understand their parents'' hesitation.


    They galloped, leading the crowds behind them. Henry felt responsible for their success, their colleagues and comrades trusted him. His father always said, "When one leads an army to war you must remember that you are leading them into a storm of pain and suffering, do not shy away from the truth, just remind them why they are following you."


    George used all of his strength behind each blow of his sword. He thought he was powerful but he was a mere child among men. Their swords made horrific clanging noises that startled him. He was only sixteen years old, though not much younger than most soldiers, a sixteen-year-old against an eighteen-year-old didn¡¯t seem like a big gap but two extra years of training and battles made those ages look like they were separated by a decade.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    Their hot breath mixed with the cold air and created visible clouds that dissipated within seconds. A scentless tuft that traveled upward like smoke coming from a chimney in the spring. George''s greasy hair had frozen and was no longer sticking back to where he wanted it to stay. Several thick strands had hardened and kept falling down against his cheeks. He shook his head back to keep them away from his eyes but it wasn¡¯t working. While fighting off a soldier he unhooked his helmet and placed it on his head. He felt relieved as soon as he did. He wasn¡¯t particularly a fan of wearing a helmet into battle; he liked to remain as lithe as possible and a helmet hindered his movement and field of vision, even with his specially made helmet. It wasn¡¯t just a metal helmet, he felt metal helmets alone were pretty much unbearable and very dangerous to wear in the winter, his was mostly layers of leather and the inside was lined with fur. On the outer layer of the leather, there were pockets that fit pieces of metal so the helmet was more protective but stayed flexible and warm.


    As they struck down more and more men George and Henry found themselves smirking unknowingly in the pleasure of victory. Their pleasure only lasted a brief moment, taken out of the true context of terror, but they felt it nonetheless. They separated and Henry began to quicken his pace, wacking at anything near him. There was blood everywhere, and bodies carpeted the ground. Henry''s horse leaped over body after body as they laid more to rest beneath him.


    One of the mouthpieces yelled.


    The front foot ranks knelt down and hundreds of arrows shot out. Their arrows arched over the members of their party and struck the lines of enemies assaulting them. Fire-fueled torches were abandoned and bits of grass were set ablaze. After searing quickly through the dead grass the sky poured down its own gesture of bereavement and quelled the fire.


    The soldiers were trained to eat on their horses so they could fight longer. It was an odd but successful tactic. The battle raged on until morning and, what was left of the enemy, began to retreat.


    The enemy horn sounded and the remaining soldiers fled. The victors yelled excitedly. They were left in a celebratory pool of blood and exhaustion. Henry jumped off his horse and they began to loot the bodies. Looting was the most efficient way to get better gear and protect those left. It was also better to gather the supplies rather than leave them for the enemy to restock with. When they were done George led the troops back along the same plains to a patch that was clear of destruction.


    ¡°Success to Royalia!¡± The men and women cheered. They continued to chant for about a minute.


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 Chapter Three: A Lost Friend

    By the time they walked back to Cat''s house, the word had spread of her exhibition. Phineas heard about the test from his brother Thomas. Thomas was one of the members of the crowd and he ran back home to tell Phineas immediately. Thomas was a year older than Phineas and a very strong, hardworking boy. He flung open the door and Phineas whipped around at the noise. ¡°What¡¯s all that commotion out there?¡± He asked. ¡°You¡¯re going to be so proud!¡± He said. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Well someone is here from the academy and they just tested Catherine. She was amazing! I always really liked her you should go congratulate her!¡± ¡°Wait what? She wasn¡¯t supposed to take the test for a few months... What do you mean people watched? She was taking the knowledge test not the strength test, why would anyone want to watch that.¡± ¡°No!¡± Thomas said excitedly, ¡°that¡¯s the best part! She tested for power!¡± ¡°What!?¡± He yelled. ¡°I know isn¡¯t that amazing!¡± Thom said, misreading Phineas''s tone.


    Phineas couldn''t believe his ears, he was completely shocked. He dropped everything and ran to her house.


    The headmaster and her parents congregated in the living room while she sat in the front yard and applied her palms with salve. She looked up and saw Phineas walking towards her swiftly. She smiled at him. ¡°Phineas, you will never believe what¡­¡± She realized he was angry once he got closer.


    ¡°How dare you test before me!¡± He yelled. ¡°How did you do that?!¡±


    ¡°Oh, Well the other day, you left one of those large coins here and I went to move it and ¡­¡±


    ¡°Where is it?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Oh, I think my dad has it.¡± She went inside. ¡°Dad do you have the coin thing Phineas is here and he wants it back.¡±


    ¡°Oh I¡¯m sorry,¡± Menthom said. ¡°I have it, I¡¯ll be right out.¡±


    Menthom stood up. ¡°Who¡¯s Phineas?¡± He asked Catherine''s parents after she went back outside. ¡°Catherine¡¯s friend,¡± she said.


    "I feel like I''ve heard that name before, I don''t think he''s been tested yet." He pulled a book out of his pocket and flipped through the pages quickly. "Oh, yes, he¡¯s on the list to be tested in a few months, can''t forget a name like that."


    Back outside Phineas became even angrier and Cat wasn''t sure how to deal with his attitude.


    "Menthom has your medallion, he''s bringing it out in a minute." Cat said


    ¡°Who is Menthom?¡± He yelled.


    Menthom walked out to join them. ¡°I''m Menthom, I¡¯m so sorry I believe I accidentally kept your medallion." He handed it to him. "You must be very proud of Catherine for getting into the academy today." He looked at her and winked. ¡°I got in?¡± She said excitedly, ¡°oh my goodness thank you!¡± She hugged him and he went back into the house.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.Catherine didn''t realize it but Menthom saw something in Phineas that concerned him. He stood on the other side of the door in the shadows and watched them.


    Phineas turned to Catherine. "I don¡¯t believe it! You must have tricked them all!¡±


    "What?" She said, ¡°what are you talking about?


    "You can¡¯t have power, you don¡¯t belong at the academy, I do!"


    She was completely confused, "Phineas, there aren''t limited spots, we can both get in¡­¡±


    He began picking up flowerpots and throwing them. ¡°You¡¯ve been keeping this from me to make me look stupid haven¡¯t you!¡± He threw another pot as he spoke, that time it hit the outside wall of the house. H paused then looked at her with a glare that was birthed from insanity, ¡°I want to see your powers for myself.¡± He said inching towards her.


    He held out the coin. She realized he was going to try and make her hold it. ¡°Stop!¡± She yelled, ¡°I haven''t recovered and it could kill everyone." She tried to back away from him. The disc suddenly flew out of his hand and to the door where Menthom was standing. He caught the disc calmly and placed it in his pocket. ¡°Give that back!¡± Phin yelled. ¡°What is your name?¡± He asked, ¡°that¡¯s none of your business!¡± He spat.


    Catherine had never seen him act like that before. He was a little cocky sometimes but never once was he mean or aggressive. Menthom looked at her. ¡°His name is Phineas.¡±


    Menthom waved for her to go inside. He pulled out a book from his inside robe pocket and opened it. ¡°Phineas¡­Rotham? Correct? You have an entrance test to get into Vasti in two months. Here let me help you out. He scratched out his name. ¡° I think we are done here.¡± Catherine listened from the window. She thought she loved Phineas before that outburst, but after, she was pleased the headmaster shut him down instantly. ¡°You can¡¯t do that!¡± He yelled. ¡°What power do you have?! Why do you have my name in your book!¡± ¡°I¡¯m reporting you!¡± Menthom was unexpressive until then and he turned around and made eye contact with Phineas. ¡°To who?¡± He asked. ¡°Who are you going to report me to?¡± Phin began to think. ¡°The¡­ the headmaster of the academy!¡± "I am the headmaster, and you just tried to force a young woman into expelling her powers which would''ve effectively used her as a breathing weapon that could''ve harmed all of us. Your actions are against the code of ethics here." Menthoms eyes suddenly became dark and he towered over the young man. "do not go near her ever again."


    Menthom went back into the house to check on Cat. ¡°Are you alright?¡± Menthom asked. She nodded, She was still surprised by his behavior. ¡°He¡¯s never been mean like that before.¡±


    ¡°Power can do that, though it won¡¯t bring out any ugly behavior that wasn¡¯t already there.¡±


    Menthom returned to the living room and told Cats her parents what happened. He expressed extreme concern at something Phineas drew his attention to.


    ¡°Because of her caliber, there are some major dangers. Phineas tried to force his Numisma onto her skin, this creates a very large liability. She has to learn how to control the power now. Would it be alright if she started school immediately?" Her father was surprised. "I understand the concern, the best bet is to get her away from the city as fast as possible and of course, she can start school now." Her mother nodded.


    ¡°The faster we teach her how to control her energy the safer she will be. Honestly, she has a good start, in the field she did last a while holding back. That was very impressive, but she still has a long way to go."

 Chapter Four: Yearly

    The journey back from the battle was cold and wet, but enjoyable in an odd sense. The men chanted occasionally as they rode, a bonding sort of ritual. Dark and ominous clouds floated above them, but the rain and snow had stopped. The group traveled for a whole day before they stopped to sleep.


    George and most soldiers or knights knew never to sleep on a battlefield. It was a precaution. War could lead men to do unethical things and they knew the enemy could easily retreat and then return at night to kill the sleeping soldiers. It was better to get out, so the enemy would be able to figure out where they were.


    George sat next to Henry, This was fun, wasn''t it?


    Henry nodded.


    Do you think we will get to do this again? Henry questioned


    George shrugged, I hope so but honestly I''m not in a huge rush.


    Henry nodded, it was a lot more brutal than I thought it would be.


    The cold air whistled through the sparse trees that dotted the plain.


    George lied back against a rock. I''m so sore, he said.


    Henry looked at him, I am so glad you said that. I am in pain.


    They laughed.


    After eating the next morning, they left. At the halfway point between the Kingdom of Asiroth and the Kingdom of Edegear, George and Henry separated the armies They put out their arms and grasped each other.


    See you soon, George said.


    Henry smiled back.


    George led the army of Asiroth home. They entered through the city via the main street and they were greeted by citizens in the streets cheering George''s victorious return. He was absolutely touched by the investment in his family and he got off his horse and shook the hands of many men and women. This made them appreciate him even more. It was easy to tell how exhausted he was and he still made time to talk to a decent amount of people.


    Your majesty, we need to go, his aid said.


    He nodded and leaped back onto his horse and continued to wave until they reached the gates that led to the castle grounds.


    Dismissed! George yelled.


    The men went off in the directions they desired. George rode to the stable and left his horse so he could get inside as fast as possible. Unfortunately, once he got inside, he was immediately approached by his father''s aid.


    Your parents would like to see you now. He said.


    George was still covered in blood and dirt. Can I at least change or rest first?


    No, he made it clear he wanted to see you directly.


    George nodded reluctantly, where are they?


    The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Throne room, he said.


    George walked to the throne room doors, he tried to wipe the grime from his face but it didn¡¯t work. He took a deep breath and entered. The image they saw, of George returning from battle with mud-covered gear and blood across his hands and chest, made him look extremely powerful and authoritative.


    The room before him was long and about half the length wide. The floor was covered in a runner carpet that was red, green, and brown. The most notable bit of the carpet were the edges, they were decorated with dozens of gold tassels.


    There were several guards in armor standing along the walls. One for each pillar, like their own watchdogs that stood at attention.


    He walked to the throne where his father sat. Did you want to see me?


    King William smiled. You look exhausted, he said chuckling. How did you like it?


    It was tougher than I thought it would be but I had a great time, he said. I¡¯m very cold and wet... and tired.


    King William nodded. We have all been there.


    I wanted to summon you while the battle was still fresh in your mind. Are you injured at all?


    George shook his head, I am fine, just sore.


    Good, good, his father said. Ok, you¡¯re free to go, rest as you need to and be ready for a new task four days from now.


    George hobbled to his room and was barely able to get his clothes off and eat before he laid back and fell asleep.


    The next day approached and he awoke and ate. He thought about what he wanted to do then a great idea popped into his head. He decided to go to the steam baths. He threw on a smock, loose silk pants, and sandals and walked down to the sub-basement. The prince walked through the second-floor hallway and slowly descended the marble staircase. The staircase ended at a door that was made of light wood and had metal bars. He pulled out a key and opened it. and quickly descended the crumbling stone steps into the depths of the ground. A handful of torches lined the walls every couple of feet yet, somehow, the darkness seemed to be swallowing the light.


    The stairs led to a stone corridor that opened into an enormous bathhouse. They had several outdoor bathhouses, but the one he stood before was private for royal soldiers and family members.


    He took his clothes off and placed them on a marble bench near the edge of the pool. The water sloshed as he sat down on the stairs in the water, allowing it to come up to his chest.


    The water was hot, it was a soothing coating of medicine for his muscles. He leaned back and inhaled the steam.


    George was coaxed into slumber for a bit before he was jolted awake by the sound of the metal door closing.


    It was a woman he had never seen before.


    Oh, I¡¯m sorry she said I didn¡¯t think anyone was here.


    No, it¡¯s alright, come on in. I¡¯m just curious, how did you know about this place?


    The queen told me to come down here, I¡¯m the daughter of her friend Geneva.


    Oh yes, of course, Cassandra, right?


    She nodded.


    When she approached him she bowed. He nodded and gestured for her to join. Her robe was quickly dropped to the floor, and George was immediately privy to her whole naked body. Unfortunately, the prince was not the master of subtlety. He was immediately attracted to her, he acknowledged to himself that she had the perfect body, large thighs, a significant waist and dark brown hair that cascaded down her back.


    She slipped into the water a few feet from him.


    Based on her body, he could tell she was wealthy, he had never met a small woman that was wealthy. He wondered if she would be an acceptable partner... She was the daughter of a family friend... He shook the thought out of his head.


    I have quite a while before I have to worry about marriage. He said in his head.


    Silence haunted Cassandra, she was shy and had no way of knowing what Geroge would be interested in talking about. Every so often she tried to coyly glance at him, but every time she did he was already looking at her and she broke the eye contact.


    Where do you live? He asked


    In Redponn, she said.


    Oh lovely, he said, I should¡¯ve known, Redponn is known for its natural beauty, and you are no exception.


    She blushed. You are sweet.


    George wasn¡¯t trying to flatter her in any way, he thought his comment was a simple fact.


    Cassandra began to warm up to him, and they spent time talking. When they grew tired of the heat they jumped into the cold water and talked even more.


    Geroge found himself thinking about Cassandra long after they parted ways in the steam room that afternoon.


    The next night she was at the dinner table with the whole family.


    She sat next to him and while the king queen and older members sat near the front of the table she and George sat near the end and talked. The queen gently poked her friend in a gesture to show her that George and Cassandra were talking.


    They seem interested in eachother, she said quietly.


    The king leaned over to his wife, setting him up now is pointless, he has to leave for his Yearly soon.


    It can¡¯t hurt to know who his options are for when he returns.


    That night when everyone had cleared out of the dining hall the king and queen met with George in the throne room.


    I think it¡¯s time we mention your next task, his mother said.


    George raised his eyebrows, what is it? He asked hoping it would be war-related.


    The Yearly. His father said.


    The Yearly was a rite of passage that most heirs to the throne went on before they were allowed to be crowned. Asiroth and Edegear both partook in the tradition, among others.


    The point of the Yearly was for the future king to learn what life was like outside the kingdom. They had to leave the castle and kingdom for a year. They weren''t allowed to return before that, tell anyone who they were, or use their privilege to their advantage.George closed his eyes trying to reject their words for a second.


    He opened his eyes. The Yearly? He asked, he hoped they weren¡¯t serious. I just started leading the army.


    King William nodded, that¡¯s why we are dispatching you now because when you get back we are sending you to the academy early.


    Excitement washed over his face,  I get to go to the academy next year?!


    The queen nodded. You did a great job leading the army we think you are ready to top off your skills I think it will be the final step for you to take before you¡¯re ready for the throne.


    He smiled


    Even though he didn¡¯t want to go on the Yearly, he did want to go to the academy, so he was willing to go along with their plan.