After her in-laws had told her about the firecore, Neriah at first was too embarrassed about how the firecore was shared. But once the embarrassnt had washed out of her system, she was curious to know if truly her powers had been improved.
She didn’t want to get her hopes up so she started with sothing small. She went to a garden in the Kadan-Rana palace alone, to a part with roses that were yet to go into full bloom.
She had tried this a million tis, frustrated that her powers never seed to show signs of improvent even though according to what she had heard elves were supposed to gain their full powers by the ti they ca of age.
Of course that did not an that there were no elves whose powers blood late, or who never even unlocked their powers at all. But she believed she was a princess and as such was entitled to have elven powers. Even more that she believed because of her royal blood, her powers should have shined way before she ca of age but to her frustration, it showed, but it was weak.
Her mother had told her that in ti her powers would bloom completely, but she didn’t like that she was the only one in her family whose powers refused to work well.
So she stood in front of the roses wondering if really her powers could have increased because Barak had shared that thing called a firecore with her.
With a hesitant heart, she reached for a rose, and closed her eyes as her fingers gently touched the closed petals.
She thought in her heart what she wanted the plant to do, ’bloom’.
Skeptically, one of her eyes slowly opened and the other followed, and her mouth too opened as she saw the rose she had touched, a bright yellow rose that was closed before was now widely opened. Its petals beautifully spread out as if telling her to stroke them.
As she was admiring the rose, the side of her eyes caught sothing and she shifted her eyes from the single rose to the entire bed of rose and her mouth went "Ohhh!" Her hands covered her mouth in utter shock as she realized that not only the rose she touched, but all the other roses on the bed were now in full bloom!! "I am aweso!" She had scread and instantly went on to cause so other flowers to bloom. It was fun. She had never had that much fun in her life. The feeling of finally being able to use her powers was overwhelming.
She imdiately told Aria and Riri about it.
Aria was the one who then explained to her that there was more to her powers than causing flowers to bloom. Since then, Aria helped her train to use her powers, teaching her how she could even control plants to do whatever she wanted them to do.
She also told her that she could even control plants that had been dead like dried wood. As long as it had the composition of plants, dead or alive, she had the ability to make them move and bend them to do her will.
It was during one of her many practice sessions that Barak had silently stumbled upon her doing the magic with her fingers. She had magic hands, was what he thought when he saw her display her powers without interrupting her.
He thought the sight had been beautiful, and the look in her eyes then, the way those green eyes glistened was beguiling. And the smile she had was true, it was probably the first ti he saw an actual real smile on her face.
But who would have known that she would actually use her powers to do mischievous things?! Well she wouldn’t be his wife if she wasn’t planning sothing mischievous, the little witch.
"You have no proof that I did anything." She scoffed and he smiled.
"What were you planning? To make lose and cause my n to laugh at my failure or you just wanted to help the poor man at my expense?" He had to ask. He could never tell what she was planning in that little head of hers, but sothing told him his wife was not one to just want to help a man like Nah or whom she probably haven’t seen before. So she definitely did it just to spite him.
"Well, seeing you fail is not a bad thing to behold." She snickered and he stared at her incredulously. She just admitted it, didn’t she? "And besides what kind of master participates in a contest hee set? You know these poor n stand no chance against you."
"Is that a complint?" He asked with a brow raised and she scoffed.
"You wish. I am just stating a fact. The only person who would have been able to go against you is that friend of yours, that_ that_"
"Reg?" He asked as she seed to be struggling to rember the na. Or maybe she seed more irritated at saying the mane herself even if she knew it.
"Ah, Aye. But obviously she is not here today. So that is why you could partake in this contest knowing fully well that no one here would be able to beat you." She brought her tiny finger to his chest and poked him repeatedly as she spoke. "If you are going to join a contest, then be fair, do it with soone who is your match." She humphed and folded her hands.
He chuckled as he was suddenly reminded of sothing... " Now that you ntion it, I do rember the maid, Riah, telling that there was no better Archer than her princess. And that she was a match who could stand against in an archery contest."
At bus words, her eyes widened as the mories of their first night together ca pouring on her... Indeed she had told him that!
"I_ I do not wish to disturb the contest any further." She pointed at the n who were silently watching the two of them bickering in the center of the training ground. "I shall take my leave." She turned, ready to run, but he grabbed her arm and a broad fake grin was on his face.
"I would love to witness the archery of the princess that I have heard so much about."
"You did not hear so much! I only ntioned it that one ti!" She pointed out, trying to free her arm from his hand while still looking reserved and princess-like.
"Yes, but as you can see, it left a deep impression. I would love to witness it myself."
"I am not in the mood to do—"
"What was that? You agree?" He says with a bright smile, one that creeped her out deeply.
"I never said—"
"Well great! You agree." He nodded and she opened her mouth to speak against his words again but before the words could co out, he was already speaking in a louder voice.
"" The princess, my lovely wife, believes it was unfair of to join the contest which is why she disrupted my chance at winning. She says I should face my match. And that is no other than herself!"" He was announcing and Neriah was busy trying to get her hand out of his own while still keeping a smile on her face toward the n who were now chanting in agreent to what Barak said she had said.
"" Therefore the rest of the archery rounds would be shifted till tomorrow. For now, we shall have another match... An archery contest between myself Barak Der Drache and my fine wife, My beautiful princess Neriah!""
The chanting and cheering of the knights grew even louder after his announcent.
""Princess! Princess! Princess!"" And to her shock, they were cheering for her. "" You can do it princess! Make His Highness taste defeat!"" It almost seed like they supported her and not their prince.
"So tell Spitfire, will you make taste defeat or will you run away like a scared little sheep afraid of this big bad dragon?" He asked with a teasing raise of his brow, "Ah, was it a goat? Strange goats were the words, I believe."
The crazy man! It had been months since she said that, and he still rembered her remark about being a sheep amidst strange goats. He was a crazy bastard.
But what was she supposed to do, the attention he had drawn, the endless cheering of the n as if they were waiting for her to say sothing in response.
Her eyes caught Aria and Riri, both of them stood in a corner and to her shock, they also seed enthusiastic about it. They didn’t say a word, but she could see in their gaze what they were telling her, ’You can do it princess, crush that man! Crush his pride completely so he doesn’t ever have face in front of his n ever again.’ She could see what they were silently saying clearly.
"Neriah, we are waiting my love." He whispered to her and she stared at the crown once again as she exhaled. And inhaled slowly.
"Stop calling that." She said as she turned to her husband. "I am not familiar with Tragonian bows, am I allowed to use my own?" She said and a smile laced his lips as she spoke.
He suddenly took her hand and brought it to his lips, placing a kiss on her knuckles, with a playful bow, "Of course. As Your Highness pleases."
Reviews
All reviews (0)