INTERLUDE

YOUR DISTANCE

 

I was born as the first princess to the Ascalon Kingdom, Edith Ascalon. At that time I did not have any siblings, and people around me either helped me or stopped me from doing things on my own, even if I wanted to. I never had to work too hard to get anything in my life for myself and with whatever I did people were always amazed around me.

Then one day, my parents brought me my little sister Regis, telling me to take good care of her.

I wanted to act responsibly as her big sister from the bottom of my heart. And so I decided to spend most of my time around her. Whether I would be foolish enough to try talking to her the whole day even if she responded only in ‘aah’s and ‘uuh’s.

I was so happy that I actually got something to do on my own for the first time and I was very fond of her.

After one year, it was around that time that my skill manifested and it was much similar to my father’s foresight skill but even more powerful than his. Just by looking at a glance I could take an estimation of things; whether it was possible to achieve a set-state of existence and would manifest itself in the future or not. At the start I was so happy on being praised for such an amazing ability and did my best in studies and learning magic arts to improve my skills. I wanted to become a sister of which Regis could be proud of and look up to.

Unfortunately for Regis, the only magic she could use was wind magic, and I was glad for her because it was unlike my skill. I helped her in studies and we practiced magic spells together. Turns out, her spells were always more powerful than mine so I had to put much effort on improving my own status. Even then it was a pursuit that made me the happiest out of all things.

But then the day that horrible accident happened in the forest and after Regis lost control over her magic powers and father was badly injured. Just a single touch and his hand was amputated, though fixed by the healers immediately on the spot, but it left everyone devastated.

News around the palace spread of how frightful her magic nature was and they couldn’t be so sure around her when it could go berserk at any time.

But no one considered Regis’s feeling. The whole world was too busy to put the blame on her. But everyone in my family tried to do their best to come up with different solutions to improve the situation and come up with methods that can help her contain her magic. But it was the first of the case and no means or treatment helped to control her destructive magic power.

Consequently it was decided that she won’t use magic anymore unless they had found another way for it to be possible.

Even though Regis was able to settle with that, we always worried about how her powers might get too heavy on her. But whenever Regis had strong feelings, the magic still spilled out and she had to be away from everyone making sure not to harm others.

Regis didn’t want to hurt anyone again, so she never complained and always stayed inside her room, shut and left behind.

That made me feel very lonely. It was always supposed to be just me and her… but since that day my probability foresight skill always relayed to me that things would never get the same between us.

.

 Knock. Knock.

“Regis do you want to play with me. I know you are there. Please come out of the door it’s like you have gone away.”

Every day I would try to reach out to her, with the best smile I could deliver.

I always wish I could know how she felt but I can’t. I wanted to directly ask it to her, if I could. I wanted to break through the door, hug her tight and show that she could never hurt someone from her family.

“Go away. I don’t want to.” A sound would come shooting from the other side of the door.

I could not see her face. Whether she was filled with sorrow or rage? Or, was she just crying from inside and not show how down she was? I knew how stubborn she could be in such delicate matters and still be stiff and undecisive at the same time.

They say I have got everything, and here even when I am trying to… I am unable to do anything. I would wait for hours outside the gate hoping that this time it would flip open and she would welcome me inside. I thought I could have helped her or at least talk things out with her.

 But my skill, even before I tried knocking on the door, I already knew that it would never open over itself. Just the thought of me forcibly opening the door  tells me that the possibility, that things will get worse is high and equal to one.

It’s not that, I do not feel sad. On the contrary, my heart was breaking.

I am terrified what if I end up hurting her even more and she starts hating me or she already does it because I could not become a person who can really help her when she needs me the most. And because of my skill now I could not try any harder and detested myself for having it.

That day something, took over me and I decided that if I cannot find anything inside the palace that could help then I should look for something in the city. Without informing my parents or any of my attendants or guards I escaped from the palace. With my skills I already knew where there would be least surveillance of guards and I could move incognito at that time.

But the city was huge. Much bigger than it appeared from inside the carriage I would usually travel forth. I was overwhelmed by so many people around me, and not knowing where to go; I had already strayed too far from the palace.

STOP.

STOP.

STOP.

SOMEONE.

“…Everyone… move away…MOVE. MOVE.”

Screams roared on the road and as the crowd shifted in the direction of that voice, a cart came rolling downhill at full speed; with a small girl trying to stop it with her legs rubbing all along the street. But as obvious it was to the naked eyes; she was too small to stop the heavily loaded wagon’s advance.

I panicked as I realized that I had been too inconsiderate and the only one standing in the middle of the road while others were warning me to move from the way too.

Having no choice and not wanting to get hurt or my clothes dirty, I conjured a strong barrier over myself and placed it in front of me like an upward slope.

Lo and behold, the cart came rumbling and with its unstoppable speed; it neatly took off into the skies as I felt the weight of the cart over me shift away. I removed the barrier and looked at the bottom wheels of the cart produced lightning sparks, as it carried the girl and the loaded things along with it and rammed itself onto the wall.

THUMP.

As the clouds of dust dispersed, I came running along to the crashing site because I felt sorry for the girl. Don’t tell me that I finally went and did it. It’s not that easy to get someone killed in a road accident this ridiculous.

I looked at the mess as different furniture items, steel vessels and vegetables were scattered at the vicious crime scene caused by me. And there lay the girl motionless.

“Don’t just lie like an idiot there. I know you are conscious.” I said in a passive voice. So, after all this at least my skill works pretty decently when it comes to guessing whether a person is alive or not. 

The girl leapt as she came out with a flying jump pose from the dump and landed steady on her feet.

“Are you the one who sent me soaring high.” She said fiercely but adding the fwoooshhh…. sound effect to her voice totally damaged the veracity of her situation.

“Yes, that was me. But are you alright.” I worriedly asked.

“I see. Then girl, you owe me an apology.” She yelped.

“I am sorr… what? Why am I on the apologizing end? Aren’t you the one who couldn’t control your cart? You should be apologizing to me. Don’t you have any manners.” I protested and flashed my etiquettes of a princess.

“You sure have got lot of grace.” The girl took a quick look and scrutinized me from top to bottom.

“Of course, I am well-mannered. Maybe you would have sounded more convincing without that shoe junk hanging on your head.” I screamed at her for mocking me like that.

She pushed her eyeballs up and scrapped the shoe enshrined on her head featuring unshorn and unclipped long hairs by rubbing at it harshly. She slowly jumped from the top of the dump and after climbing down and walking to me; stood at my eye level.

“Yeah. Never mind that. I am Lia. Now that’s clear to you. You owe me one and are going to help me with this mess because I can always score a point.” She  posed a victory sign as she gave her flashy introduction to me.

“Huhhhh…. Did you even hear what I just said?” I stuttered.

***

 

AN OLD HOUSE – {IN THE BACKSTREET}

Somehow, Lia, was easily able to coax Edith into joining her. They successfully collected all the scattered items on the ground and after loading them back onto the cart, the two were easily able to push it to the place Lia wanted to go.

Edith looked at the empty house and the huge front hall, that was uniquely fit into the small place and she was intrigued by the ingenuity of the builders who might have built it ages ago, because the building itself seemed to be ancient in its every aspect.

“Good. Now, that’s over. I am leaving.” Edith realized that she did not had any other reason to stick around anymore. She needed to continue with the search for which she was here for.

“Now, now. Don’t be so hasty. We just got to know each other.  I don’t even know your name.” Lia caught Edith’s hand before she could take off.

“I am Edith.” Edith introduced herself, because being hesitant would have made her look suspicious and might had revealed her identity. Somehow, she found Lia’s grip too tight as if she did not want her to leave… at least she didn’t want to be left alone with t4how the strained creases on her cheeks.

Or, either Edith was reading too much into things.

“So, Edith will you not help me with my dream. I really… really need your help.” Lia winked with sparkly eyes at her and she had to finally give in.

The two of them entered the house which already had a half-broken door. And from inside, it was in even worse condition.

The whole place was in shambles as if all the calamities that had been recorded in the kingdom’s history might just have originated from there.

“Hey. Hey… is this place even habitable. It looks more like a haunted house!” Edith scorned as she thoroughly checked the rooftop, which might had come crashing down on them at any moment. The little rays of sunlight that poured in from the rooftop holes were the only source of light that illuminated the whole place.

Lia turned to me with bright eyes lit with passion and zeal to do something and by not sure what I listened to her attentively, ”This is going to become the place where I will fulfill my dreams. A place where people can enjoy their meals together and I can serve them the best food I can cook. Let’s get started and make this place more livable.”

“A place where people can enjoy their meals… together.” Edith repeated after her, in a hushed voice.

“Is there something wrong with that. And also I am going to live here too.” But Lia’s long ears were too sharp as she asked incessantly.

“Forget about living, there are already centipedes and caterpillars looking like things living in there. The floor is broken and the rest can split and fall any moment. Lia tell me the truth this is not some site of an accident.” Edith looked frightened.

“Yeah! I did score a point by buying it at a very cheap price. But… No... nothing sort of calling that an accident. Probably not.” Lia said turning her head sideways.

“You are lying.“ If Lia was going to say it that suspiciously, then she wouldn’t even need her foresight skill to detect it.

“Anyways… this is all to make a perfect dine-in where people can eat and enjoy themselves.” Lia cheered on.

“Don’t tell me you just wanted to get free labour out of me.” Edith mulled as she said in an exasperated tone.

“Well two are always better than one. Don’t you agree.”

Edith looked at the amount of luggage they had to unload. Chairs, tables, curtains, utensils, boxes which only the spirit of darkness might have known the content of.

“I would feel bad if I left you alone in doing all of this after coming all this way. But I do expect a reward in return.” Edith said whipping her hair in the air and for a moment Lia found herself mesmerized by it.

“Then let’s get started. Don’t leave a single speck of dust and be thorough with your work.” Lia trumpeted with a broom stick as she hardly struck it on the floor, penetrating the very floor she was standing on and left a wide hole agape; creating just more of a mess for them to clean up for later.

First, they began with moving in the little items and the cleaning accessories from the cart.

‘I never would have thought… even for once that my first work in the city would be cleaning.’ Edith thought to herself.

It took them more than two hours just to clean the front but by then they had got the hang of it and the back side rooms were cleaned in half of that time.

Edith certainly did use magic secretly. Since she already knew that people of her age cannot use magic that efficiently, so it would be wise if she had it kept it a secret.

“Perfect.” Edith looked at the walls, the floors and the wooden sills which were now shinning with the special washing material Lia had produced from her hometown. Edith was quite proud of herself for such an impressive work but already knew that she could pull it off from the very start.

“You did a great job. So, why don’t you take a rest from here and get these things from the market.” Lia said passing a list to Edith.

Edith after looking at the long list was quite annoyed by the illegible text, putting a strain on her eye and how she was set on working her through the bones.

But became embarrassed by the realization that she did not had any money on herself. Whenever she needed anything, she had to inform the attendants and they would bring it for her.

“Excuse me!? It’s just that I don’t have any money.” Edith quaked.

“What!? I thought you would be rich.” Lia whispered under her breath but failed to control her voice.

“Did you just tried to make assumptions about me.” Edith jeered.

Lia continued without realizing that her taunt was heard, “Maybe I was wrong in my assessment. But for now all I have is this much.” Lia passed a small bag of coins to Edith.

Edith loosened up the tied string and counted the money, “Isn’t the money less than the things would actually cost.”

“The best thing about a bazaar is you can haggle as much; you have got this. I just know it.” Lia said with an optimistic aura brimming out of her.

‘Yeah, she will just be fine, with her beautiful looks and polite manners she can surely get a good deal on each item. Good day to me, didn’t I just score a streak of points in a row. Maybe I will add another later if she do succeed.’ Lia thought to herself as she got back to the cleaning duty.

It had practically been an hour and Lia was becoming worried as every minute passed by on the clock, she just hung on the front wall as it kept on ticking.

“It’s getting late. Did she run away. No that won’t be like her.” In this little time Lia had learned so much about Edith that she knew she was not someone who would not just run away from things. It was as a sign of trust that she handed her the money, otherwise she would have never asked for help.

“But what if she could not get all the items and don’t know what to do about it. Maybe I will play with her for a little while, but I am already more than indebted to her for helping me out. I will be sure to cook my first dish for her.” Lia hummed to herself as she walked to the door to throw the garbage she had collected by now.

She looks up and four rough and husky men in suspicious robes had gathered outside her place. While two of them started walking in, Lia took a step back inside her place sensing trouble.

“Are you the owner of this place.” One of the men yelled from the outside.

“Yes! But who might you be?” Lia replied with hesitation.

The men smiled and laughed to each other until one of them came forward and blew up the chair in tatters with a single sweep of an iron rod in his hand.

“What are you doing?” Lia protested but still kept her distance from the men.

“You get what we mean? We protect your place from dangerous people and in return we want five gold coin each month. So just hand over the advance payment.” The men sneered at her as they started walking further inside the place.

“Stop it. Just stop. I don’t have that money. It’s way more than I could ever hope to earn. But I will start paying you once this place opens up, little by little.” Lia knew there was no way out. If she had to survive, she needed to do what others says, unless she could stand on her own two feet.

“You think we really care. How can we trust kids like you?” said one of the wicked man.

“What if you run away? And besides we don’t work for free. You live when you pay, or you will leave if you don’t. Just leave every belonging of yours here for even troubling us with your crap.”  The four men laughed in unison as they started attracting attention from the outside.

Lia without thinking jumped in between them before they could try touching anything inside the hall.

“Maybe kids these days don’t listen to their elders anymore. Did your parents not teach you, brat? Are you one of those village kids who think they can make big in the city?”

“Children like you always end up hungry and beg on the street. It’s for your good we are saying that no one would come to a tavern run by a kid alone. So be a good girl and scram back to whatever filthy backwater place you came from.” The biggest of the man croaked.

“We, would make sure that no one would visit this nasty place ever again or get poisoned by whatever village murk you will be trying to feed us.”

“Leave now… I am begging you. I will think of something to give to you. I can’t leave not just yet.” Lia screamed as the men took offensive.

She was scared. Her legs trembled as she saw the men enter her places of dream with rods in their hand to smash whatever things she had worked hard to realize. She did not move. She was ready to be hurt if it meant as long as she could keep this place safe.

Lia knew it was the truth that she might have been a mere village girl who came to make big in the city. But it was a dream which she shared with her family too. Giving up so easily after all those things she had sacrificed. She couldn’t just sit back and see everything snatched from her again.

“What did you just say?” a voice bombed from the front gate.

Lia heard a familiar voice, about which she had all forgotten about until then.

“Wahhhaaaaa….” Screamed one of the man from behind as everyone turned in that direction.

But something about her disposition made her look different. Lia looked at her and even though it was invisible on her face. She could feel both anger and resentment in those words.

“Edith stay out of this. Don’t get involved yourself, or you can get hurt too.” Lia warned Edith.

“Who are you? You do not seem of here? Its better if you stay away young lady.” said the big guy, who appeared to be their leader, as he carefully examined one of his unconscious men and sniggered at her.

“Cease her.” Screamed one of the man excitedly and without thinking as two of them further rushed, thinking of crushing her.

One from the front and the other on the back came running in a pincer attack formation. But what worried Lia more was the eerie calmness Edith possessed and it kept her on edge.

“You can decide whether the food is nasty or not after you have eaten it?” Edith did not seem to care of what Lia said.

A translucent shield manifested in her front and the other on her back. The magic shield twisted itself and the shape becoming irregular formed two protruded gigantic hands which punched the man in the front while slapped the other’s fully body to the right.

Both of them felled out in a single hit.

“Damn! Kid… You can use magic shield. But if you will not take me seriously then I am going to cut you down.” Shouted the big guy as he transferred a sword to his other hand out of nowhere.

His sword enveloped in blazing fire, that the light bleached the surface of the Lia’s eyes for a moment.

The leader of the thugs charged towards Edith and in no way, he seemed to be a novice with the sword. His sword tightly held in his hand; Lia was now scared for Edith’s life more than of her own.

Edith again summoned a magic shield much thicker than the previous one in front of her and completely covered herself.

“I got you kid.” The man’s lips curled from one end of the bottom of his ear lobe to the other.

Instead of using his sword he pulled in the massive rod and hitting the magic shield it got crushed and broken half into pieces.

He now flailed his magic sword from the right, his expression clearly telling that he had got the situation under control.

“And what makes you think that I can only wield a simple magic shield spell. Spark O, flash of lightning and lash out.” Edith brandished her left hand and conjuring a purple electric whip, she struck the sword hard and it shattered into crumbling pieces.

The whip further lashed like a thread in complete control of Edith’s hand movement and curling round the big man’s body, the lightning raged.

With a huge thump sound the big leader of the thugs collapsed to the ground and a thick smell of burnt ash filled the room.

“Edith!!!” Lia came running to her and held her hands and tightened her grip.

Edith did not reply, but instead, she freed herself and moved to the back of Lia in a flash.

Lia felt her hair being pulled away and then she felt even lighter than before.

“You should take more care of yourself.” Edith spoke after a long time

Lia put her hands back and trying to feel she found a ribbon tied at the back of her head and rounded up all the strands of her hair that were meddling with her during her work.

“But why?” Lia’s lips tightened; her voice lowered in embarrassment.

“Didn’t you say it was your dream?” Edith said peacefully and an unfound sadness was tightly withheld in those words.

But it was impossible for Lia or even anyone else to understand that ‘dream’ was a rare and an exotic word to Edith.

From the day she manifested her skill; she stopped dreaming. Her sleeps were blank and all her ambitions instead of a living pursuit either became a choice of ‘yes’ or ‘no’. She could perceive everything in probabilities and those with less were a no-go even if it was a tough choice that she could not protect Regis anymore. Her skills psychologically stopped her from doing things that were less probable.

Her existence always flashed in numbers and probabilities and she hated that her life, joy, time, love was all quantified and presented to her beforehand.

“That, is no reason for putting yourself in danger.” Lia cried.

“We have worked so hard; I just cannot let it go to waste. Also it just turns out that the shopkeepers are no match for me when it comes to a good bargain and I was able to save up some money and buy it for you. And also I got something pretty interesting to hear.” Edith tried to change the topic to uplift Lia’s mood and stop worrying unnecessarily.

Edith walked towards the four people and chanting a quick heal spell, the men became conscious. But they were too lethargic or weakened to even stand up properly.

“Get out of here now…, or do you want me to expose of your collusion with the restaurant in the next street.” It just turned out that Edith was able to ascertain the probability from the way the restaurants and eateries were scattered in the city. When one of the shopkeepers enquired of the shop, he explained the situation about how there was just a single shop that sold inadequate food for a very high price and discriminating.

Edith found it strange because this area even with lot of traffic in both trade and people would have only one huge business that provided food. It came clear to her that some other force was at play and her assumptions were correct that they hired thugs to cut out any root before it sprouted and would give them competition in future.

Lia found the present Edith scary and promised to exercise caution with her.

The enemy ran away as soon as they heard that their plans had been unveiled and people might start treating them as liars if they overheard of it.

“Edith you are so strong and all I am good for is a little water magic I can do.” Lia said pouting and feeling inferior to Edith.

“Don’t worry then I will just have to teach you to use it more skillfully and then people like those won’t be able to bother you anymore.”

Then, I will work hard for that and even I would be able to pull off something like you. Or maybe even more electrifying than that.” Lia jumped trying to move like Edith in excitement.

“Now, now don’t go putting weird ideas inside your head. We have still a lot of ways to go.” Edith said pointing at the broken chair pieces and those disobedient and unmannered people who walked in with mud from the outside.

“Don’t worry. I will do that on my own. Why don’t I get to cooking and make something for us. You will like it.” Lia again posed with her victory sign.

I was not acquainted to cooking nor had any previous experience. So I helped Lia in at least cutting the vegetable with her directions. Within half an hour we had a multitude of dishes laid out on table.

“My secret special dish.” Lia said garnishing the dish by squeezing a lemon over it.

“It’s really tasty. And I am going to call it Humburger.” Edith came up with the name as soon as she took the first bite.

“Have seconds fourths as much as you like.” Lia watched Edith mindfully taking small yet quick bites like the rabbits she used to play with back in the village.

After that the two said goodbye to each other. They never promised to each other that they would meet again after this. But just maybe for the first time her skill would be able to predict a miraculous meeting again.

Lia looked up high in the sky and at the setting sun as it was one of the things that might had reminded her of her village.

“Father just as I promised I think I will be finally able to fulfill my dream, meeting new people and making new friends along the way, my life will become more colourful just as I will add more flavours of taste to my dishes. And when I return, I have a wonderful person I can talk to you about, mother.”

Lia watched at the setting sun as she squinted in the sunshine streaming in through the window. She stretched, feeling more relaxed than she had since…

She brought her hand back to get a feel of the gift she had received from Edith. It was a silky ribbon with a beautiful red coating and brilliantly tied to put all her messy hairs together.

But suddenly she found herself in confusion of whether to call it a gift or not since it was bought form her own money. And also with how she was duped into thinking so on purpose, and realized how formidable Edith herself was.

Edith on the other hand walked back to the palace and was awfully tired. She had found a place where she could enjoy meals with everyone.

 

And for the first time she could have been a part of a dream. Just because someone out there wanted to share it with her. Even if she couldn’t do anything for Regis now, it wouldn’t mean that she can’t do it in the future. She just needed to be ready for the day when the future just might change and she can visit with everyone to Lia’s dine-in to enjoy their meals together.

But then the thoughts of being chased around the whole palace by her mother for running away from the palace, clouded her virtuous thoughts and was a prospect she wanted to avoid no matter the cost. Edith moved her legs faster than ever before.

 

Well, that is a story for later.

***

 

ELVEN KING’S OFFICE {PRESENT DAY}

“Are you sure that you want this.” Regis’s father asked with a stern face.

Regis stood in front of her King father and with a request.

She had decided to win and now she knew better than anyone that she could not do that alone. She needed to get help for herself. So after Edith and Alicia left, she decided to ask from her father and came to ask for help in the King’s office.

“Yes... Because I want to win.” Regis replied.

Leaving her father and the attendant prime minister in awe to see her passion and a hint of impatience in her words.

Strong winds blew in through the open window as the pages of the thick register kept on table flipped open through several pages and might had ruined the budget’s calculation of the kingdom and the long hours of hard work the two might had put in it.

For the first time, Regis had asked something so considerately after she had shut herself inside the palace, but now she was more like an explorer who wanted to fight against the odds even if they were astronomical.

***

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