Reborn to be Royal

Chapter 31: Mother

[Kai] "Actually...I was wondering if you would tell me about that book."

Her head tilts in a cute, questioning way. I suppose I was a little too unspecific with my question though I'm glad I seem to have caught her attention.

[Kai] "The one written by your mother."

I try to speak softly, as though I were trying not to spook a small, woodland creature. At my words, her shoulders tense and I can hear her heart race.

[Kai] "If you don't want to, it's fine. I just wanted to learn more about the mother you always speak so highly of."
[Lucile] "It's...fine. I'll go and get the book."

She begins to walk towards the door before turning to face me.

[Lucile] "Will you meet me in the garden?"
[Kai] "Of course"

She smiles softly before leaving the room. I let out a sigh, realising that I've most likely put her in a tough position, though I will admit, I am happy that she's willing to share such an important item with me.

Having made my way to the garden, there seems to be no sign of Lucile, so I walk closer to the mana blossom in the centre of the beautiful field. When I do however, something strange catches my attention. The ring that Ilima gave me begins glowing with a faint green hue, mixing brilliantly with the blue glow of the flowers all around me.

[???] "That ring..."

A familiar feminine voice softly muses to itself from behind me. Slowly turning my head, I see the figure of Lucile's mother, Astrid, with her head on my shoulder and gazing intently at the ring on my finger. Her green, ghostly colouring alerts me to the fact that she's still a spirit, though I didn't realise she could leave the tree. I clear my throat in an attempt to gain her attention to no avail. Her attention is focused solely on the Grave keeper's ring.

[Kai] "Nice ring, isn't it?"
[Astrid] "Indeed..."

It takes awhile but eventually the spirit turns to face me. Our eyes meet and for a moment and we simply stare, seemingly into each other's souls, though I'm sure that's not hard for me to do since I'm literally looking at her soul.

[Astrid] "You can..."
[Kai] "See you. Yes."
[Astrid] "How?"
[Kai] "Before that, would you mind moving your head from my shoulder?"

She looks around, taking note of our position before a mischievous smirk appears on her face, slightly alarming me.

[Astrid] "Like this?"

In an instant, her head moves from my shoulder and reappears through my stomach, looking up to me.

[Kai] "Very funny."
[Astrid] "I thought so."
[Kai] "<Zap>"

The spirit's body seizes up for a moment as a strange, gargled noise escapes her pale green lips. I take a step away from her, just far enough that her body is no longer inside my own.

[Kai] "So it effects ghosts. Good to know."
[Astrid] "Was that...really necessary?"

I let a smug smirk show on my face before shrugging nonchalantly, which seems to annoy the spirit.

[Astrid] "Has anyone told you that you've a horrid attitude?"
[Kai] "Nope. Mainly because the people who'd say that are dead. Well, more-so than you are now."