Chapter XXII

The following day, King Arden sent Demetri to inform Emress Ayaan was ready. It was a tradition for the assigned mage to be the escort of whosoever was in possession of the rare powers to the training ground.

She was in her garden picking some, strawberries and herbs when she sensed their coming. A smile formed on her face. The guards horses came to a halt in front of her house.

"Greetings to you Emress," Demetri said.

"Greetings to you too," Emress said.

She knew why they had come but she was not one to be forward rather she listened.

"The King says Prince Ayaan is ready to begin his training," Demetri said.

"That's great. You go ahead, I'll be right behind you." Emress said.

"Alright," Demetri said as he pulled the reins and turned the horse to leave.

Emress didn't waste anytime, she went into the house and kept the herbs she had picked. Then headed outside to untie the horses.

"Alrighty you two. Come on now," She said pulling them out.

Now she and the horses were standing some distance from the house, she clapped and the house vanished.

"That's about it, giddyup" she said and the two horses neighed and galloped away.

Prince Ayaan awaited Emress's arrival eagerly. Queen Maya watched her son and smiled.

"Ayaan she's on her way," she said.

"I thought she'd return with Demetri," he said.

"Maybe she needed to do something," Maya said.

King Arden entered as they were seated. He paced around awhile and picked up the glass of water that sat on the table.

"Calm down Arden," Maya said.

"She's here," Ayaan said as he stood up to look from the window.

King Arden's face lost its glow, he was beginning to miss his Winter Bear already. Ayaan lead the way to the courtyard. Queen Maya too began to miss him, but she wanted her son more than anything to be free of those nightmares and be okay again.

Reaching for her king's hand as they now before Emress.

"Arden he'll come back," she whispered with a smile.

"Greetings to your highnesses," Emress said.

"Greetings Emress," they returned.

Ayaan hugged his family and waved everyone present as he was about to leave.

"We'll miss you Prince Ayaan," Marcella said so did the others.

"Prince Ayaan, are you ready?" Emress asked.

"Like I've never been," Ayaan said in a time filled with valor.

"Goodbye everyone," Ayaan waved.

"Giddyup horses, we have a Prince to train," Emress said and horses ran like the wind.

"He'll be fine," Queen Ara said with a smile as they all went back in.

***

Finally they came to a stop after riding for hours. Ayaan got off the horse and looked around, all he could see was nothing but trees. Suddenly, he began to scratch his head with uncertainty.

"Ah... Emress are you sure we're in the right place?" He asked.

"Yes why?" She asked.

"We're in the woods..." He said.

"Do you have problem with trees?" She asked funnily and alighted from her horse.

"No," he returned.

"Then good, staying in a treehouse wouldn't be a problem now would it?"  She asked funnily.

"No way! Emress you have got to be kidding..." He returned solicitously.

"Hahha, you know Ayaan not everything is what it seems to be." Emress said.

"Sometimes you have to look ayond what you see," she added and smiled.

She clapped just as she did before leaving and her house became visible again.

"Wow! How did you...?" Ayaan asked amazed.

"Magic!" Emress returned keenly.

"There's so much you need to learn," she thought and smiled.

"Come now, you don't want to keep standing there do you?" She added.

"Ah, yes after you." Ayaan returned.

"What a nice place you have," Ayaan commended.

"Aw thank you, we mages like to spice things up a little." Emress returned laughingly.

"Do feel at home... Well I know it's nothing like your place at the palace," she added.

"No no, it's more than fine." Ayaan said.

"Alright, what would you have? Soup?" She asked.

"Soup would be fine thank you," Ayaan said.

"Alright give me a minute or maybe a second," she said.

"A second?" He asked.

"Well yes," she returned.

"Oh I know. Magic!" He said with a smile.

"Exactly!" She said.

"But I was just kidding. I don't do all the cooking with magic," she said as she headed to the kitchen.

"You don't say." Ayaan returned with a funny ha-ha.

Emress read her cookery book as she prepared a special soup for the prince.

"Now I'll add a tinge of salt, two chilis, some pickles, one sliced corn, some meat," she said and the items on the table floated up and into the boiling pot in order.

While she waited for the soup to get done, she ate some of the strawberries she had picked earlier. When it was ready, she put two bowls on the the table and poured it into them. Then place them in separate trays and carried them to the dining.

"Here you go," she said.

"Thank you Emress," Ayaan said.

"You're welcome, but it's quite hot you might want to cool off a bit." She said.

"Okay," he said.

When they were done having their meal, Ayaan insisted on helping her take the dishes to the kitchen.

"That's very thoughtful of you, thank you." Emress said as he put them down.

"Emress how long will it take for me to fully control my powers?" He asked eagerly.

"It won't take long, just be determined. See every training as a challenge you have to face with unwavering valor," Emress said.

"It will decide when you finally have." She added.

"It? What exactly is this it?" He asked.

"The one thing that can tame your power," Emress said.

"What is that? I don't understand." He said.

"That's for me to know and you to find out," Emress said.

"Come on Emress," he whined.

"Those before you did it, you can too, okay?" She asked.

"Okay," he said a bit relieved.

"Don't you get scared of living here alone?" He asked.

"Well yes, scared I might fall asleep while I'm cooking and the house might get burnt," she said.

"Haha really?" He said laughingly.

"Things can happen I tell ya," Emress said funnily.

"And wands, I haven't seen you with any." Ayaan said.

"I use them, when necessary. And you, any hobbies?" She said trying to deviate from the topic.

"Yes, reading and painting." He said.

"That's great. Your training starts tomorrow, you should rest." Emress said.

"Your room is the first one on the left from the living room," she added.

"Alright, goodnight Emress." Ayaan said.

"Goodnight Prince Ayaan." Emress returned.

As he left the kitchen, tears started to well up in Emress's eyes. When he asked of her wand, a thousand arrows went through her soul. She had tried to use it to erase the memories of that day from his mind the night after she visited him years ago. It didn't work. She felt sorry because she couldn't help him.