The Princess of Light and The Knight of Shadow

Year 1: Fourth Month, Part 2

The banners waved in the wind, a rainbow of colors that filled her eyes. To her left, a trio of minstrels played a lively tune using their lutes while a small crowd clapped and waved. Ahead, a group of students lined up in a stall, shooting at a target with a small bow.

Estella eyed it with interest. Archery was never her forte, but neither was she bad at it; Knights were expected to know how to use all manner of weapons. And being a princess, she had been taught at an earlier age.

The prizes were a variety of stuffed animals and magical creatures: horses, lions, phoenixes, and dragons. She had a few like them back in the castle, and she had brought her favorite stuffed horse, modeled after her own, when she had enrolled in the Academy.

Still, it was early for her to join the fun and festivities. The School Festival was rather chaotic during the morning hours, and she was here to check if there were any problems.

So far, everything had been in order. There were no issues with the stall arrangements, no scuffle between stall owners, and the visitors looked really happy.

She passed by a couple of first-years, chatting excitedly over the prizes they had won from a nearby stall. Their fingers were intertwined, and the girl leaned on the boy's shoulder with a contented expression.

Estella averted her eyes. Where was Nox anyway? He told her that he would just buy the honey custard pie he promised her, but that was fifteen minutes ago.

She continued on her way, her gaze darting around. The eastern school grounds was a maze of stalls and booths today, so finding him wouldn't be easy. But the shop selling her favorite snack wasn't far. In fact, she could almost smell the sweet scent wafting in the air.

Estella turned a corner. There he was! Nox stood in front of the stall, taking the bag that the shop owner gave to him. Behind Estella's squire, at least a dozen people waited.

No wonder he took so long. Her smile returned, and she beckoned to him when their eyes met. She tried not to drool at the sight of the bag containing the honey custard pies.

"Sorry I took so long," Nox said after reaching her. "The line was packed."

"It always is." She strode away, and he followed her.

"You're done with the inspection?" Nox was inspecting the inside of the bag, the paper's rustling a melody to Estella's ears. And the smell! She almost wanted to eat the piping hot crust as they walked, but she knew she wouldn't be able to control herself once she started.

They had to find a secluded place. Fast.

"Yes," Estella answered, even though she had not checked the northern sector yet.

Her pace increased. That could wait. Besides, there were others patrolling the grounds. She wouldn't be missed. For now, she needed to satisfy her cravings.

They found a relatively quiet spot near the entrance to the grounds. A row of benches sat around a fountain, and they took their seats on one of them. Nox handed her the bag, and she eagerly opened it.

The aroma struck her face in full. Estella inhaled deeply, savoring the scent. This was the last year she could taste her favorite pie, so she wanted to enjoy it as much as she could.

She took out one wrapped in a thin sheet of white paper, pulling the covering apart as if she was unwrapping a gift until she beheld the golden crust. The first bite nearly sent her to heaven, and she moaned in delight. She took another bite, then a third, not caring if the filling dribbled from the corners of her mouth.

Halfway through the first pie, she froze and glanced to her left. Nox stared at her with a blank expression.

"Oh, don't mind me, Master." Amusement danced in his eyes.