Blue Rose

The Founder's Banquet.

The name alone carried the weight of centuries, a grand celebration that marked the founding of the Kingdom of Thane. Held annually in the opulent halls of the Royal Palace, it was the pinnacle of noble society—a glittering spectacle where alliances were forged, ambitions unveiled, and reputations cemented.

Almost every noble family near the capital received an invitation, their presence a testament to their standing in the kingdom. And for those of us who had come of age, there was an unspoken expectation to arrive with a proper escort.

It was tradition, yes, but it was also politics.

Honestly, I had been thinking of asking Kael to accompany me. My brother was dependable, neutral, and unlikely to stir any political ripples. But now Prince Valkas had dropped his bombshell offer to escort me.

And then, just like that, he had left.

The afternoon classes resumed, but my thoughts were far from the lecture. My quill scratched absentmindedly at the page as I mulled over his proposal.

The Founder's Banquet wasn't just a celebration. It was the event in the Kingdom of Thane, eclipsed only by royal weddings in significance. To attend as Prince Valkas's date would not be a mere gesture—it would be a declaration.

A statement.

It would symbolize a potential alliance between the Veylin family and the third prince's faction, a shift that would echo across the political landscape. With my unprecedented Diamond-grade summoning potential, it wasn't far-fetched to imagine this as a stepping stone for Valkas to challenge the Crown Prince for his title.

If that happened, I could very well find myself positioned as the future Queen of Thane.

The realization left a bitter taste in my mouth.

But do I even want that?

I stared at my parchment, the ink blotting where I had paused mid-sentence. Becoming a summoner of my rank had never been about power or ambition. It wasn't about rising above Kael to inherit the title of Marchioness or to carve a place for myself in the annals of history.

No, it had been simpler than that.

I had wanted to be seen.

To meet the sky-high expectations my parents had set for me. To break through the shadow Kael cast without resentment, but with pride in my own accomplishments.

And, perhaps selfishly, I had wanted to prove to myself that I could be extraordinary too.

The idea of tying my life to a throne—to court intrigue, to endless whispers and expectations—made my stomach twist. I didn't aspire to be queen. I had no desire to wield power as a crown. And more than anything, I wanted to marry for love, not for strategy.

"Lady Elara?"

My head snapped up, startled out of my thoughts. Medea's eyes bore into mine, a faint frown of disapproval tugging at the edges of her lips.

"Would you care to share your thoughts on the topic?" she asked pointedly.

I glanced down at my notes, which were more doodles than coherent writing, and mumbled, "Apologies, Professor. I was… distracted."

A ripple of subdued laughter traveled through the classroom, though not unkindly. Most of them had already grown used to my absentmindedness.

As the lesson resumed, I sank back into my seat, grateful for the reprieve. But the questions still gnawed at me, their weight growing heavier with each passing moment.

Was Valkas's proposal genuine, or was it simply a calculated move? Could I even trust my own feelings when my entire future seemed to hinge on decisions I wasn't ready to make?

And above all—did I want the path that was being laid out before me?

I exhaled slowly, trying to focus on the faint scratching of quills around me and the steady drone of the professor's voice. At least there were still months until the Founder's Banquet. Time enough, I hoped, to make sense of the whirlwind of thoughts and emotions vying for my attention.

After Kael and I returned home, the mansion felt unusually quiet. Our parents were still at the palace, caught up in whatever affairs occupied the highest ranks of the kingdom. Kael retreated to his room, leaving me to wander the gardens alone, the way I often did when I needed to untangle my thoughts.

There was a tranquility in these gardens, a comforting stillness that wrapped around me like a well-worn cloak. As I strolled past rows of neatly trimmed hedges and colorful blossoms, I found myself smiling softly.

'I do enjoy gardens,' I thought, pausing to lean down and inhale the delicate fragrance of a lily. The soft, floral scent was grounding, a quiet reminder of simpler times.

The reason I chose the Academy's garden for my lunchtime solitude, aside from my lack of friends, was the atmosphere. The quiet hum of life, the rustle of leaves, the playful dance of sunlight through the branches—it all comforted me in a way few things did.

These moments belonged only to me.

Father had designed this particular garden for me, his "little flower," as he used to call me when I was small. Yet, even as I walked its familiar paths, my feet guided me to another, smaller section—a place that always felt like stepping into another world.

The garden of blue roses.

Unnatural flowers, their existence defied nature itself. Their impossible hue shimmered faintly in the late afternoon light, each bloom a testament to something that should not have been. They were beautiful in a way that words couldn't capture, fragile yet stubbornly defying the rules of the natural world.

'Impossible.' That's what blue roses symbolized.

This garden was smaller than the sprawling one back at the Veylin estate, but it carried the same air of quiet magic. It reminded me of the years I spent there, running barefoot through the flowers with Kael, playing hide-and-seek among the hedgerows. Back then, everything felt simpler. Easier.

When Mother became Chancellor, everything had changed. The capital became our new home, and the estate—so vibrant and full of life—was left behind, tended by caretakers. I hadn't been back in years.

The soft rustle of pages broke my thoughts. My Diamond Grimoire manifested itself, the faint hum of its power resonating in the air as it opened. Aria stepped out, her black eyes sparkling like gemstones, taking in her surroundings.

"Are you hungry?" I asked her, more out of habit than anything else. She shook her head, her dark hair swaying slightly.

Aria wandered through the garden with a childlike curiosity, hopping from flower to flower like a sprite inspecting its domain. She paused to sniff a bloom, her expression unreadable but somehow thoughtful.

I watched her, unable to suppress a chuckle. "Did I look like that when I played here?" I murmured to no one in particular. Memories of my younger self surfaced—a little girl with dirt-smudged cheeks and tangled hair, her laughter echoing through these very paths.

Aria's gaze fixed on the centerpiece of the garden, a single blue rose that stood taller than the others. She approached it with deliberate steps, her fingers brushing against the delicate petals. "Blue rose," she muttered, tilting her head. "Can I pluck it?"

"Sure," I said, though I winced as she reached for the stem. The thorns were sharp, and instinctively I opened my mouth to warn her.

But, of course, Aria had no need for such caution. Her Unbreakable Vajra Body made her impervious to such trivial dangers. She plucked the rose with ease, holding it up to the light.

"Memories," she murmured, her voice carrying a rare weight. Her dark eyes closed as she held the rose close, the faintest whisper of a smile playing on her lips. "Nostalgia. Visiting the past is the dopamine for those not wishing to venture into the future."

Her words hung in the air, quiet and profound, like ripples across a still pond. I stared at her, my thoughts tangled in the unexpected depth of her observation.

"Aria," I said softly, but the rest of the words wouldn't come. What could I even say to that?

She turned to me, her expression as unreadable as ever, the blue rose still clasped delicately between her fingers. And for a moment, as the sunlight bathed her in gold and shadows, she seemed less like a summon and more like a fragment of something ancient and unknowable.

Something impossible.

Much like the blue roses themselves.