Chapter 20 - Bryan's best friend

Serefina, Bryan, Kyle sat on a bunch of comfy chairs outside in Professor Natalie's balcony. The snowy circular table was filled with four cups of tea, four plates of cake which looked like it was coffee-flavored.

"Dig in!" Professor Natalie said and Serefina picked up the cup of tea and took a sip.

"It tastes so good," Serefina said and tasted the cake.

"Thank you. Special tea from Timniz."

"It's another kingdom inside the Time Crystals?"

"Yeah," Bryan agreed. "This kingdom is famous for its classic English Tea."

Wow! Serefina thought. The cake was delicious.

"Bryan, your father asked to inform you about your coronation," Natalie said.

"Oh right. Not that topic again." Bryan sighed.

"Coronation?" Serefina asked.

"You know being an official prince," Bryan said. Though he sounded weary.

Bryan was about to become an official prince. That probably meant she had to call him Prince Bryan. That sounded weird. But it was going to be the reality.

"So when is that?" she asked.

"Next month." Bryan sighed again. Wasn't a Coronation a good thing?

"You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Since Bryan has turned fourteen. He is supposed to be handling a big responsibility," Kyle said.

"What kind?" Serefina asked.

"To look after the kingdom," the professor replied.

That was a huge responsibility. And also hard work.

"Back to the point," Natalie said. "When are you going to choose a crown?"

"I'll let Kyle choose it for me," Bryan said.

"Really?" Kyle was just about to spill the tea out of her mouth. "Okay, what's happen to you Bryan. You're acting different. Did something happen?"

Bryan cross eyed Serefina. What was he hiding?

"Nothing." Bryan shook his head.

Serefina was about to say something but a voice interrupted her.

"Your Highness," the voice said and when Serefina turned she saw a man standing on the doorway of the professor's room. "He has arrived."

"Already?" Bryan asked.

"Who has arrived?" Serefina asked.

"My best friend. C'mon I'll introduce you." Bryan stood up from his chair and so did Serefina and Kyle.

•••

"What's up?" Bryan's best friend said. Serefina's jaw dropped when she saw this guy. He was fully red. Not that his skin was but his hair, his eyes, his clothes and apparently he was sitting on a red chair as well. On his hand was a sword. His head was rested on his fist. And his one leg rested on the other.

"You're back, Rhys," Bryan said and the boy stood up from his chair and climbed down the stairs.

"Yeah, I am back," Rhys said. The boy's voice was deep. "Your still the same Kyle."

"Of course I am. And you know that swords should be inside the quilts unless it's an emergency," Kyle noted.

"Sorry, I kinda forgot my quilt. The ambush got me distracted."

"There's was an ambush in your kingdom too?" Serefina blurted out, forgetting she wasn't introduced yet. Bryan had told Rhys was also a prince. His kingdom's name was Timnetia.

"Looks like this is the friend from the outside world you told me about," Rhys said.

"Yeah, her name's Serefina. She is Kyle's classmate," Bryan answered.

"Gotta admit she is pretty," Rhys grinned. Why everyone kept saying the 'is' word in a different tone.

"Rhys, that's-" Bryan began.

"Don't worry I get it. Anyways, yeah, Sedvie did plan this ambush for my kingdom as well."

"Did she attack all the kingdoms?" Serefina asked.

"Nah. Just mine and Timezium."

"That's weird."

"Well, we have a past with Sedvie." And at that moment, Rhys's grin dropped.