Stay

It has now been about three months since Viola's arrival. She was becoming somewhat of a fixture in the lives of everyone, regardless of the degree of their interaction with her. There was also a noticeable increase in those gathering at the various temples to worship. Viola's presence was influencing more and more people. While Viola had little time to herself, when she did have free time, she would venture into different areas of the kingdom. The sight of her silverish purple hair would easily grab the attention of everyone around her. They would often flock to her and shower her with praises. It was uncomfortable at first but Viola was starting to get used to the attention. She was now viewing the people in the kingdom as her people.

After completing training the day before, the King advised Viola and the others that they would be required to attend a meeting with the different generals of the kingdom. As such, their training schedule was relaxed on the day of the meeting. Viola got up early to watch the sunrise. She pulled the curtains to the side and opened the window. She then leaned against the window sill. In order to avoid scaring Delia, she no longer sat on the window sill. Viola couldn't forget her expression at those times. While it took some time, Delia was starting to grow on her. William didn't seem that bad anymore and Alexander was becoming more self-confident. Amelia gave her a warmth she never thought she needed. Even Captain Brigg and the other soldiers were showing huge improvements. This new life, although she knew it wouldn't last forever, was pretty good. As the sun rose it brushed away the darkness and brought the kingdom into a breathtaking light. Viola inhaled the fresh morning air and exhaled loudly.

After watching the sunrise, Viola had a bath and got dressed. She wore comfortably fitted pants that met at her ankles and a light blouse. Thanks to Amelia, she had many clothes that suited her preference. Although she was provided with a variety of clothes by the Queen, she preferred what Amelia made. She looked at herself in the mirror and was almost satisfied. She hadn't done a thing with her hair. After moving her hair around a bit, she decided to keep it simple and put her hair in a ponytail. Then to complete the look, she put on a pair of blue shoes which had a simple floral embroidery. She was just about ready to go. In a split second she disappeared from the room. A gentle breeze caressed the curtains as it entered the room. A small bird perched on the window sill. Soon after, another of its kind appeared. They chirped happily as they walked about the window sill. All of a sudden, Viola reappeared in the room. The birds shrieked in surprise. As Viola turned to look at them they quickly made their escape. Their wings flapped with great ferocity. Viola chuckled as they flew away.

She came back because she forgot to get something to eat. As she made her way to the door, she noticed that the knob started to move. Delia had arrived with breakfast.

"My Lady, how long have you been up?" asked Delia as she set the table.

"About two hours or so," replied Viola as she took a seat at the table.

Delia poured the tea for Viola. It was mint tea, Viola's favourite. Delia added three cubes of sugar and dissolved them before serving it to Viola. She then placed the cutlery. Aside from the tea, there were: two slices of toasted bread, some butter and strawberry jam, a hard boiled egg and three strips of crispy bacon. It was all just as Viola liked it. There was a mouthwatering aroma coming from the table. Viola started to dig in. She sliced the hard boiled egg vertically so it would lay flat and ate the rounded parts first. She spread some butter on a slice of her toast then added the three strips of bacon then topped it with the slices of egg. She smiled as she took the first bite. When she was almost done, she spread jam on the other piece of toast so that she could have it afterwards. Delia watched as she ate comfortably.

"You should get more rest. It's not often that you get some free time."

"It's fine. I like getting up early. It suits me."

Although Delia knew Viola wasn't like them, she was still concerned. She had so much weight on her shoulders. Delia couldn't help but feel useless. There was nothing she could do for her.

"I don't like that face," said Viola as she took a sip of her tea, now finished with her first piece of toast and additions.

"I beg your pardon?"

At first Viola was hesitant to respond but seeing Delia's face, she couldn't help it.

"That face that you're making… I don't like it. I prefer seeing your dimples," said Viola.

Tears ran down Delia's face. She fell to her knees and covered her face with her hands.

"What's wrong? What are you doing?" asked a puzzled Viola. She quickly got up and approached Delia who was on the opposite side of the table.

Once she was next to her, Delia flung herself into Viola's arms while bawling.

"My *sniff* Lady *sniff*, you're... so… good to me! But, but *sniff* I can't do anything for you my Lady!"

"Silly girl, you do so much for me. I'm doing well thanks to you. You don't need to worry about me," said Viola as she gently patted her back.

"But, but, what about what you want? You shouldn't overexert yourself," said Delia as she slowly pulled away.

Viola wiped the tears from her face then cupped her face with her hands.

"I'm here to protect you and everyone else here. And I'm not doing it alone, there are others with me everyday, so don't worry so much, okay?" responded Viola as she tried to comfort Delia.

"Okay... I'll try my Lady," said Delia as she smiled.

"Good, now let's get you up before someone sees you."

After finishing breakfast, Viola left to visit the Blooming Tree. Once she got there she saw someone wearing a black hood standing before it. Viola observed the person for a few minutes then approached as they were about to touch the tree. She easily removed the hood using her wind magic. The Princess was startled. She dropped an item she had been holding and backed away. Viola didn't pay much attention to what she had dropped.

"What are you doing here Princess?" asked Viola.

"Oh, well, I… I was just admiring the tree, it is truly extraordinary," replied Princess Cecilia in a panicked tone.

It was strange for the Princess to be this far from the castle without anyone accompanying her. Viola wasn't convinced by her answer but decided not to pursue the matter. She placed her hand on the tree and smiled.

"It is indeed," said Viola.

While Viola was focused on the tree, Princess Cecilia carefully covered the item she dropped using her foot.

"It's quite rare for the two of us to be alone, isn't it? How about I show you around the kingdom? asked Princess Cecilia.

"I've already been everywhere in the kingdom."

"Everywhere?"

"Everywhere."

"Oh, I see…"

Neither of them said anything after that. There was an awkward silence that surrounded them. As Viola was still focused on the tree, Princess Cecilia slowly crouched down to retrieve the item. She constantly looked up at Viola with each movement. Her heart was racing. She slowly moved her foot revealing the item. She almost had it.

"I hear you like archery Princess," said Viola as she turned around.

The Princess hurriedly covered the item with leaves and pretended to be adjusting the strap of her shoe.

"W-why yes, I do," she replied.

"How about you and I hone our archery skills?"

"Um, yeah, sure, I'd like that!"

"Then let's go."

Although she wasn't able to accomplish what she had planned, Princess Cecilia didn't find it to be a total loss, as being able to spend time with Viola was a great opportunity. As they walked away, Viola took Princess Cecilia's hand and they were gone in seconds.