Blessing Moon

Nine: Unrest

"That's how Natanstrelle got its name," Prince Oslac finished the story he found himself telling his new friend. A story that he had heard from his royal tutor over and over again throughout his childhood. He then added, "Natanstrelle translates from the ancient tongue to Floating Stars. That's what it looked like when a Fairy or Sìthicris died, they'd turn into golden orbs of light that looked like stars and would float up to the sky."

There was a pause between the two of them, as Beanni let his story sink in. All that could be heard was the subtle trickling of water that landed gracefully in a pool of water littered with many orange and golden brown leaves. They both were sitting, perched on the side of the fountain that decorated the middle of Central City's nature park.

"A fairy?" Beanni asked, her bafflement evident on her scrunched up brow.

"Yes, a Sìthicris - that's what they called themselves. If you go far enough back into our ancestry there were no beings like you and me. The land only inhabited two tribes - the Trolls and the Fairies."

Beanni drank in every word that he uttered with wide eyes.

"I had no idea," she uttered in an awe filled whisper.

"How old are you?"

"Thirteen, why?"

"That's probably why you don't know, they don't teach about Ancient Natanstrelle until the second year of public History School, when you're fourteen." Prince Oslac said with a nonchalant shrug.

"Oh..." Beanni looked downcast. "Well that's disappointing... It's all so fascinating! So much more interesting than learning about the Astridian era," she said, but then stopped and clasped her hands to her mouth. "Oh! I'm sorry, that's your family history! I-I meant no offence!"

The Prince threw his head back and let out a loud laugh, which rattled at Beanni's nerves. He then tried to compose himself but only erupted into more giggles when he looked at Beanni's bewildered face.

"N-no offence t-taken!" he managed to say through gusts of forced breath.

"Stop it, Oz," Beanni mumbled.

"I can't help it," the Prince said through a wide smile that he could not tame. "That was just so stupid!"

"I didn't know!" Beanni snapped in her defence.

"No, no, I know." Prince Oslac finally managed to calm himself.

"And I don't appreciate you calling me stupid!" Beanni added, whilst getting to her feet with a deliberate stamp of her heel.

"I wasn't calling you stupid," Prince Oslac tried to reassure her, but she looked no happier. He then got to his feet to stand beside her, but with a sharp movement she turned her back on him, with her arms crossed over her chest. "Oh come on, Bay. I didn't mean it like that. I just... I found it funny, that's all." Still Beanni refused to face him. Prince Oslac then let out a large sigh. "Maybe stupid was the wrong word, and I shouldn't have laughed. I'm sorry Bay. Forgive me?"

Beanni turned around, "Okay," she said, with a deep sigh, then shook her head. "It's a silly thing to fall out over really."

Prince Oslac gave her a gratuitous smile, but then his facial expression dropped.

"Do you think we should observe Beanna Cessori, just in case?" Prince Oslac suggested, with a serious look in his hazel eyes.

"If you think it's necessary," Beanni responded with a non-committal shrug.

"I'll activate it," Oslac announced, as he reached for his light orb pouch.

He grabbed his light orb and made it grow to fill his palm. The light he held between them reflected inside their eyes, and the family symbols that were carved into the fountain's marble structure lit up. The magic then began to flutter into the twilight sky. Like golden butterflies, eight different symbols flew around them, casting tiny rays of orange in all directions. Two of them then landed gracefully on Oslac's outstretched arm and on Beanni's shoulder. The magic sank into their skin and warmed their hearts.