Dark Prince & the Doe

Chapter 9: A Misunderstanding

Chapter Nine: A Misunderstanding

Calden

The sun dipped completely beneath the horizon. Calden swallowed sharply, waiting for an angry outcry. But there were no accusations or pointed fingers. People were returning to their seats. Except for a couple girls, who giggled and began picking flowers. He smiled at their excitement and slowly sat. He turned to the princessa to point out the Overlanders' antics but found her kneeling on the ground to pluck a Blue Blessing flower as well. She held the narrow stem carefully between her fingertips as she returned to her seat.

"May I see it too?" Princess Adele whispered.

Well, no one was staring at him anymore. Maybe he'd imagined everyone's sudden attention? The servers were coming out with plates laden with food and the crowd burbled merrily. The celebration was surging back into full swing.

"Do you know what these are Prince Calden?" The Duke asked loudly, holding up three of the flowers and twisting them between his fingers.

"Blue Blessing flowers? Of course, we do a similar blessing in Remeria."

"Well, I've never seen a Blessing Flower before," the Duke said. "Princessa Cezanne, have you ever seen one?"

Cezanne sighed. "They are rare. I've only ever seen a few, but I've never seen them blue."

"Really? But Blue Blessing flowers always bloom during Blessings."

"I've cast many Blessings," Princess Adele said, her voice soft. "And I've never experienced one so powerful. When Devarian stated you were an enchanter of great skill, I had not thought it this great."

"Is this some sort of odd Overlander joke you make at my expense?" Calden huffed. "If so, I do not understand it."

"Joke?" Princessa Cezanne said, shaking her head. "Do you have any idea how powerful a Blessing you enchanted in a mere two verses? Don't think I didn't hear you only start to sing during the last two. I've been trained in enchanting since I could speak and am one of the most talented in the Emperor's Hold. Your enchanting is easily of a master enchanter's level."

"Ha? Master? Hardly. I'm adequate at best. I barely passed my aptitude tests and that was only because Kiren helped me cheat. My tutor called me a hopeless imbecile. I even have difficulty remembering quick enchants. The reason I didn't sing the first verses were because I didn't remember them."

"Quick enchants?" Adele muttered, eyebrows scrunching together.

"Oh, you know," Calden said with a wink. "It's when you sing only the important parts of an enchant."

"Are you saying you can enchant without singing all the verses?"

"Yeah? No one actually uses full enchants outside ceremonies. Come on, don't tell me you Overlanders are going around stuffily singing all the ridiculous verses to every enchant?"

"Yes, because that's how it's supposed to be done."

"Bah," Calden grunted, leaning back and rocking his chair on two legs. "You sound like my great grandmother."

A woman lit candles at the head table as the tiger-masked woman came past and refilled everyone's wine glasses. Calden smiled broadly at her and she nearly spilt the wine over the rim of his glass. A server with a bronze wolf mask came past next and replaced his empty appetizer plate with a large plate of meat. There was not even a single leaf of green. 

"Excellent," he said and leaned forward to grab the fork only to realize something was a bit off. He poked a chunk of meat. It was red and bloody. Very rare. Practically raw.