☕️ 🍵

(Italics are for dialogues spoken in Prajan language.)

.·。.·゜·༺♥༻ ·゜·。.

If there was a person whom Cal Junior hated the most in the world, it was Gigi's brother.

He asked Cal to marry him, the audacity!

The fact that he was Gigi's brother infuriated him even more. It gave him a form of security in which Junior could not touch him or punish him for misbehaving.

But could he at least just ask the boy to leave him alone?

Ever since their first meeting in the library, the boy had followed—no, stalked him all day. To the library, the drawing-room, even the kitchen when he was looking for sweets. He was always somewhere around the corner, ogling at him with that stupid stare, and that stupid smile!

But no, Cal didn't want to end up marrying such a goofy boy. He wanted a life full of magic, dragons, adventures; everything that the fairy tales could offer.

And one day, when he was all grown up, it could be nice to have someone who understood him. Someone who saw him as he was.

"Junior, I'm off to sleep. Please don't forget to turn the light off when you're done reading, dear," Senior reminded him as he slipped into the blankets by his side.

Junior lazily responded with a hum and a nod, keeping his focus on the books beneath his nose, still neglecting to give him good night kisses.

"...Are you still upset at me for Gigi?" Senior sighed, leaning back into the cushions. "Even though Gigi forgave me a long time ago? Don't you think I deserve redemption?"

"It hasn't been a month. When I say it's for a month, it is for a month," replied Junior, pursing his lips.

"Are the extra late-night hours not enough to pay for it?" Blinking his eyes, he showed a pitiful expression as an attempt to earn his sympathy.

Junior groaned. "Argh, fine! I'll make it half a month, but no less. You need to learn your lesson, Father."

"Sometimes I forget who's the father between the two of us," Senior muttered sleepily into his pillows. Soon Junior could hear his soft breathing as he drifted off to sleep.

His own eyelids were getting heavier but reminded himself how he planned to pull an all-nighter in which he would not sleep until he learned about the strange girl that had mysteriously appeared in his garden.

Since the day he met 'Fate', he had been looking into books and lore to see if he could find something that would explain who she was, where she came from and how she arrived here.

But the clues were scattered, and most of his attempts had been unsuccessful. His father had even started to notice that he'd been sneaking out to the garden to seek her.

The more time passed, the more his brain started to tell him it was a mere illusion. But he knew she wasn't. She was too real to be an illusion. If his talents and abilities were real, then Fate should be too.

Heading to his father's study to get more books, he pushed the door open. It was locked during the night, but he had figured out how to open it using his powers. As he reached for the shelf, the meowing of a cat broke the dead of night.

"Hey, it's you again, Kitty." Cal bent toward the spotted cat. "Is your master—mistress around too?"

"It's Bast, actually." A girl's voice was heard, and Fate emerged out of the darkness. "Hi, me again. How are you doing?"

"Do you have a habit of trespassing into other people's homes?" Cal frowned. His heart still pounded wildly in his chest, but he reckoned he needed to knock some decency into her.

"Well, Bast teleports wherever you are, and I'm just following through. But if our presence here upsets you that much, we'll leave." She turned her back on him.

"No—!" Cal shrieked before he could stop himself, shutting his mouth with both hands.

Fate smirked.

The cat mewled at Cal, starting to rub itself around his legs, so he bent down to pet its head. "Is this your cat?"

"Bast is more than just a pet; she's my personal guardian. I never got to thank you for saving her from those bullies." Fate smiled, the moonlight dimly illuminating her bronze skin and her long, midnight hair. "Thank you."

Something clicked in Cal's mind; a familiar companion. "Are you a witch?"

"I'd prefer the term 'sorceress'. Although I've not received proper training yet, my powers have just started showing this last year. My mother is a great sorceress. She's the one who helped me to get here."

"Your mother can perform magic?"

"Yes, can't yours?"

The words pierced his heart like shattered glass. It was common knowledge to the entire country that he had no mother since birth, so they never asked.

The only female parent he'd ever known was his grandmother, but she too had passed away. Then there was Gigi... But Gigi didn't give birth to him, and since they were best friends, he wasn't sure she even saw him as a son.

Maybe it was the curse. He was meant to be motherless.

"I... don't have a mother," he said in a broken whisper. "Never had one in my life."

Fate blinked her hazel eyes, befuddled for a moment before they widened as she reached an understanding. "Oh... I'm sorry!"

Cal shook his head quickly, wanting to move past the topic. "As far as I know, none of my family members are able to perform magic; not my father or my grandparents. But my Grandpop was a great military general."

Tilting her head, the girl studied him as she twisted the sheer chiffon of her skirt, muttering a few foreign words. Her clothes resembled what she wore that first day, complete with a starry armlet.

"Is magic common where you live?"

"Yes," she replied with enthusiasm, but it quickly faded. "But not as common as it used to be. Most of our people have abandoned our heritage for a mundane life. So it's just my family, the philosophers and priestesses, and some noble families."

So, did her family rule that place?

"But if you're not Angletonian, how can you speak Anglese?"

"Who doesn't these days? You people are taking over everything!" she laughed, wandering into the bed-chamber. Cal hurried to stop her, but he wasn't fast enough as she already stood by the bedside; where his father laid in deep sleep. "Who is this?"

"My father," answered Cal nervously, afraid to wake him.

"Your fa—" Her eyes lit up and she soon broke into giggles. "You're... You're still sleeping with your parents? How old are you?" She continued to have her little titter, alerting Senior.

Quickly dimming the lights with a flick of his fingers, Cal hid her from his father's sight. They both froze as Senior started rolling over and shifting around. With a gentle swipe of his hand, the blanket moved, pulling itself up to his father's chin and wrapping warmly around him. As Senior's breathing steadied once more, Junior sighed in relief.

Fate turned her attention toward the books piled on the pillows, about magical abilities and the like. "What is that you're reading?" A smug smile came over her lips. "...Are you trying to find out more about me?"

Cal's cheeks quickly heated up. "No, of course! I'm reading about Dinosaurs," He grabbed a copy of prehistoric creatures from underneath the pile. "See? I can their names alphabetically. A - Ankylosaurus, B - Brachiosaurus, C - Carnotaurus, D - Dilophosaurus..."

Fate giggled. "You're such a weird person, Cal Leroy."

"How do you know my name?"

Inevitably bothered by the noises, Senior raised his head, squinting his eyes sleepily. "Junior...?"

At the same time, Bast jumped to Fate's feet, meowing loudly.

"Alright, time to go." She picked up the cat.

In the heat of the moment, Cal rushed over to her, but his hand went right through her. The next thing he knew, she vanished before his eyes.

"Who were you talking to?" Senior asked, rising up from his bed. "I thought I heard a cat."

Junior clenched his fists tightly, trying to mask his astonishment as he climbed back to his father's side. "No one."

***

"Tale of the Five Muses," announced Gigi as she held up the book of the Ancient Mythologies of the Southern Isles. They were going to read it together this afternoon. If only she didn't have to bring her brother along. "You read about it in that other book, right, Junior?"

"They only mentioned the Three of them in the last book," answered the Crown Prince, but Aravin shook his head no. This little prick had no taste in literature, though it was expected.

"Alright. I'll read it aloud so everyone can enjoy the tale, alright? This is a rarer copy, so it may have more details on the lore." Gigi smiled patiently. "Vin, you can also use this opportunity to learn Anglese."

"I wouldn't want to read it, there are no pictures!" Aravin complained.

"Don't you have imagination?" Junior scowled, putting Aravin into silence.

"In the dawn of time, at which hour the universe was just newly made, there was the goddess Isis. She mastered the universe's most powerful force, magic; among her many other talents. For her love and fascination towards humanity, the lady wished to bestow the gift of magic upon mankind. But as her powers were too intense, many humans perished as they came into contact with it. Hence the Goddess created four magnificent individuals to serve as her connection with humanity. They were called the Muses; Irosa, Xero, Delphini and Meto. The Goddess created a star to mark each of their births, so a constellation of four stars appeared in the sky."

"The four Muses carried out the Goddess' will on earth. Not only did they pass down the mystical arts to humans, but they also taught them how to control them. They ruled over the five islands that the Goddess had created for them, filled with many wonders, mythical creatures and fountains of youth."

Cal blinked dreamily, wishing for a day where he could visit the Southern Isles and witness those magical sites with his own eyes; yet Papa told them they were all myths. But a boy could dream.

"The first muse, Irosa, was known for her ethereal beauty and melodious voice. It's said that she could morph into any form that one deems attractive, so there was none in the five islands who wasn't enthralled by her. The second muse, Xero, became their leader. He fell madly in love with her, and she with him. As a symbol of their devotion to each other, they bonded their powers; vowing to love only one another until death. From their amorous entanglement, a fifth muse, Megis, was born and a fifth star showed up in the constellation."

"What is 'amorous entanglement'?" Aravin furrowed his brows curiously.

But of course. What would Aravin know about true love? Cal snickered. Only adults do. Papa had told him once, that when grown-ups love each other very very much...

"It means... they were very much in love," Gigi replied, suddenly nervous. Cal frowned, why didn't Gigi grant him the explanation that Papa had granted him? Now, Aravin would stay dumb forever. Instead, she fidgeted awkwardly, "I believe we have only so little time before I should meet people at the embassy. Shall we get on with the story?"

Pursing his lips, Cal nodded and allowed Gigi to continue.

"The five islands became the most prosperous place on earth at that time. The people who lived there knew no suffering, for they were blessed with the power of magical arts which helped them experience their lives to the fullest."

"Seeing they'd done a virtuous work, three of the muses, Irosa, Delphini and Meto sought to expand their influences to the other parts of the world. Alas, the remaining muses Xero and Megis forcefully opposed the idea, selfishly claiming that their gift should belong only to the people in the five islands alone; as the goddess entrusted them to."

"The conflict between the three and the two muses became the first recorded rift amongst them and caused a strain on Irosa and Xero's relationship. He kept refusing to yield even though she continued to plead and beg. She tried to convince their son, but his father distorted him too."

"Though disheartened, the three muses decided that they mustn't stray away from their destiny. They were made to perfect the world, and they must complete their mission. But as Xero and Megis's people started attacking them, Irosa made a heartbreaking decision to sever the connection between them and the remaining two islands, breaking the ties with her lover and son once and for all."

"So if the three islands were the Southern Isles, then where are the other two? What happened to them, did they just perish?" inquired Cal. He had always loved to have discussions about these folk tales.

"Sadly, it wasn't written here," replied Gigi. "The three muses continued to better their powers. They pushed the boundaries of magic like never been before. Inseparable, they became invincible, till it was the time for them to descend to the heavens and leave their three beloved islands in the care of mankind."

"Well that's not a happy ending," Aravin complained. "I don't like this story!"

Rolling his eyes at Aravin's petty comments, Junior wandered into an imaginary land where figures of the five celestial beings stood. Xero stood at the edge, as their leader. Irosa was standing in the middle, her long hair cascading down her back, showcasing her exquisite beauty. Megis was tall and quiet, standing in between his parents.

"And here's their symbol," Gigi tapped on the bottom of the page.

Peering into the pages of the books, he saw a constellation of five stars. Where had he seen those stars before...?

"But none of the magical people exist now, right? I heard my great-great-grandfather brought the Southern Isles to their feet," Cal said.

"Perhaps," Gigi pet the top of his head before one of her ladies asked for her at the door. "I'm sorry, boys. I think the embassy people are here and I must meet with them. Can you go on without me?"

Not waiting for an answer, she left the library, leaving Cal with her ever-so-annoying brother.

As soon as she was gone, Cal immediately seized the book for himself. Aravin clearly wasn't actually interested anyway, so he did him no harm.

"Let's play," Aravin pleaded, poking his arm. "Play, play, play." Gigi had been teaching him to speak the Anglese tongue but apparently, all he was able to say was 'play'.

"No, thank you," replied Cal tediously, eyes not leaving the pages of the book as he stood up and moved away farther from him.

But Aravin wasn't giving up so easily, throwing a ball toward him. "Play ball."

"I don't like playing ball," Cal refused nonchalantly, rolling the ball back toward the other boy.

"I like you. Play with me now," plead Aravin again, now trying to tug at his hand.

"No. Don't touch me!" Cal hissed with animosity, glaring at him this time. He hated having strangers touching him. Not nannies, not maids, and especially not Aravin.

"So pretty, yet so mean. A pretty face with an evil heart. What a pity," Aravin muttered quietly.

"I beg your pardon?" scowled Cal, voice loud and clear as he spoke in Prajan. Did he just insult him?

Not expecting Cal to have heard it, Aravin's eyes widened as he was struck by surprise. As he quickly regained strength, he screamed, "Fine! I will not like you anymore!"

Rising up to his feet, Cal stared at him sharply. "Nobody asked you to like me! You're the one who keeps bothering me! It will be nice to spend the day without you tailing me for once!"

Suddenly the other boy began to crumble down and cry.

"W-What are you doing? Why are you crying?" asked Cal, frowning.

Ignoring his questions, Aravin burst out of the door, leaving Cal completely dumbfounded.

.·。.·゜·༺♥༻ ·゜·。.