The sun's intense heat bore down on Elara's head, making concentration difficult. Despite the sweltering conditions, she willed herself to focus on her breathing, clearing her mind. The sound of birds chirping in a nearby tree and leaves rustling in the wind served as her meditation backdrop.

  After a moment, an unexpected silence descended. No birdsong, no rustling leaves, only the sound of her slow breathing. Opening her eyes, Elara was surprised to find herself in darkness, and Prince Sebastian was nowhere to be seen.

  "Your Highness?" Her voice echoed into the abyss.

  Suddenly, a light illuminated behind her, casting shadows against the dark horizon. Turning to face it, she encountered a soft, ghostly orb.

  Contrary to her expectations, there was no distinct color indicating her magical element. However, the mysterious orb seemed to beckon her closer.

  She approached it cautiously, and the orb responded by moving a little closer to her. Extending her right hand, she reached out to touch it. As her fingertips hovered above, the orb shone brightly, blinding her, followed by a sudden pain on the top of her head.

  ***

  Elara opened her eyes to the bright sunshine above. Beside her, Prince Sebastian groaned. Surprised to see him there, she turned toward him.

  Sebastian lay on the ground, massaging his head. "Are you okay?" she asked.

  Pausing at her voice, he turned to face her. The proximity made Elara's cheeks warm, prompting her to rise.

  "I'm quite alright, although I feel a bruise forming here," he said.

  Turning to Sebastian, who remained on the ground, he shielded his eyes from the sun with his arm. "I'm so sorry, Your Highness!" Elara blurted, fumbling to kneel down and bow her head low.

  Sebastian chuckled, rising to sit up. "It's okay, Elara." He reached out and touched her head. "How about you? We bumped our foreheads quite hard."

  It was then she realized there’s a throbbing pain on her head, she replied, "I'm okay, your highness, thank you."

  His touch intensified the warmth in her cheeks. She bowed her head, letting locks of hair hide her reddened face.

  He smiled, observing Elara's reaction to his touch. "Shall we go back, then?" Rising and dusting himself off, he offered his hand. "I'm famished. A cold drink would be nice, don't you think?"

  Taking his hand, Elara stood up. "Yes, your highness," she said with a smile.

  ***

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  The walk through the labyrinth echoed with the soft, deliberate crunch of dried leaves and the occasional snap of twigs. Despite the soothing sounds of nature, both of them remained silent.

  Elara, consumed by curiosity, couldn't shake off the enigmatic encounter with the ghostly orb during her meditation. Questions swirled in her mind.

  ‘What do ghostly orb mean?’

  ‘Could it be that I lack magical powers altogether?’

  ‘But why did it shine so brightly?’

  Sebastian’s voice cut through her contemplation, jolting her back to reality. “What you did back there…was quite interesting and terrifying,” he remarked, turning to face her.

  “Pardon?” Elara's eyebrows raised inquisitively.

  “While you meditated, there were white shining orbs floating around you. I thought it was interesting, beautiful,” he paused, his expression turning serious. “But it was also terrifying because the grass and flowers wilted where those orbs came from.”

  Her eyes widened in disbelief. She struggled to find words, and Sebastian sensed her confusion.

  Sebastian assured her, “I am certain you’ll find answers. When the time comes, you can teach me how to meditate. I’m quite intrigued, imagining if I ever possessed magic.”

  Elara looked at him and smiled, grateful for his support.

  “Hypothetically, if I do have magic, I’m thinking of having a mage train me. Maybe I can utilize it once I rule this Kingdom,” Sebastian continued, then he remembered that a certain temple up north have mages living there but only the royals knows about it.

  ‘Should I tell her?’

  “And how would you use your magic, Your Highness?” Elara asked, breaking his train of thought.

  “Hmm…” Sebastian stroked his chin, and as they continued through the labyrinth, he envisioned possibilities. “I can provide an opportunity for citizens who might have magic to be trained as well. An army of mages could be useful too.”

  Elara was shocked by his ideas for the country and admired his passion. And wondered about his time as a royal.

  “Your Highness, what is it like being a prince of a small kingdom surrounded by other big kingdoms?” She hesitated, realizing the personal nature of her question. “Ah! You don’t have to answer, Your Highness, if you’re not comfortable.”

  Sebastian laughed heartily, shaking his head. “It’s alright; I can answer that, Lady Elara.”

  “I am proud and happy to be a prince of Emberlund. Although it is a small kingdom surrounded by larger ones, I am not afraid. I believe Emberlund will rise on its own. If you didn’t know, there are resources here that only exist in Emberlund. I am reassured that we can stand on our own. Besides, if things go awry with other kingdoms, I have quite splendid swordsmanship skills.” Sebastian couldn’t help but feel proud, throwing a smirk in her direction.

  Elara laughed at his expression, delighted by his answer. She felt assured of his capabilities.

  He then remembered an upcoming competition. “Ah, Lady Elara,” he turned to fully face her and bowed, stopping them from exiting the labyrinth. “It would be a great pleasure for you to come and witness my skills at the sword fight tournament. There I can show you that I’m not all just talk.”

  This sent Elara into a fit of chuckles with disbelief. “Prince Sebastian, I don’t think a lady is fit to watch such a match.”

  He grinned, raising himself upright. “A lady with an interest in magic is quite adventurous to me. I believe you will enjoy such an event, my lady.”

  Elara felt her heart skip a beat at his remark. Didn’t want to have him wait, she replied. “I-I’ll come and witness Your Highness’s swordsmanship skills, then.”

  She turned her head away from the prince, unable to comprehend the mix of emotions she was currently feeling—being invited by the infamous prince, a privilege many young ladies would envy.