"Where's the Prince?"
"Here!" the Prince came rushing to them wearing his armor. "The guns are in the Tree House." His gaze went to the stairs, finally noticing a new addition to the group. "Jenevieve Carmichael from the Land of Terrenes, I assume," he said, facial expression blank as he offered a handshake.
Jenevieve shook his hand with wide eyes, finding him intimidating. A Prince. Prince of Faes, if I remember correctly. Her eyes shifted from her ex-boyfriend to the said prince. How the hell....?
"Is she training with us?"
The Empyrean Jenevieve stepped up. "No. She will just be watching with Lilith."
"This might take a while, though," the Prince said, then looked at the newcomer. "Would you be alright waiting for your friends for 3 hours at the minimum?"
"Wait- 3 hours?!" JP asked, surprised. "I have phys ed class tomorrow. I'll only train for an hour max," he said in full determination.
The Prince stared at him, and for a second, all of them held their breaths except for Lilith, who was still busy with her book.
Sighing, the Prince nodded. "I have no authority over you so you can do whatever it is that you want to do after an hour of training." JP pumped his fist up in celebration. "However, Nazaire and Jenevieve will train you."
JP's celebratory fist slowly lowered. "The two of them?" He looked at the other Empyreans, both staring at him in all seriousness, ready to torture him for a whole hour. He gulped. "O...kay."
From afar, Jenevieve finally had the guts to open a conversation. "What exactly is this place? It looks like our place yet... different."
Lilith closed her book and turned to her. "It is another universe. Our continent is called Empyrea. Empyrea is divided into four Kingdoms, ours is called Ciel Kingdom. That man over there," she pointed at the armored Prince, "was our kingdom's Prince before we defeated his stepmother, the Queen. Then, he stepped down, and claimed the Prince of Faes title after knowing that his real mother is currently the Queen of Faes."
"Faes? As in fairies?" Lilith nodded. "If he stepped down, then who's leading your Kingdom now?"
Lilith tilted her head, amused that the the Terrene obviously does not know about what happened to their world recently. "King Theodore's true bethroted, Leila Sinclair, and her husband, Philip Valentine."
"Oh," Jenevieve said. "Then that would make Leila Sinclair from our world our next Vice President then?"
"I do not know about that," Lilith said. "The outcome that we have may not happen in your world as humans tend to change their decisions and choose other actions than what our own versions did. Your friends think the outcome may be the same as ours but that is only if your versions choose the same decisions as ours. If not, then the outcome will be delayed."
"Still, Sinclair is bound to be the Vice President, hell, maybe even President of our country."
"Yes, although it could take another election. No one knows until you arrive in that situation."
"Right, right," Jenevieve nodded in agreement. "What are you reading, anyway?" She peered over her. "I can't understand the drawings and the letters. It looks like noodles with occassional dots, and long tails to me."
"It's Cielian alphabet. Only those from Empyrea can understand them."
"Oh," she backed away. "Then, what are those about?"
"White Arts. Magic," Lilith said. "It is my specialty."
Jenevieve gasped, lips forming a smile. "That's awesome! What can you do?"
Lilith scanned the surroundings, checking her friends to think of which magic she did best. When her gaze landed on the Prince of Faes, she remembered something that can outbest her recent performances.
"Our Princess died from saving our land from Theo's stepmother but I found a rare spell that brought her back to life," Lilith proudly said. "Although, I performed the spell with my family because I still lacked magic that time."
"Still, that's a noteworthy feat! You should be in the Guiness World Book of Records if that happened in our world!" she looked so proud of Lilith, it made the latter smile. "So, where's this Princess?"
"The Princess is having her extended private lessons in the Castle with her mother. She was not raised to be a princess so she is given lessons about her subjects and what other important information she has to know about."
"I see," Jenevieve kept her eyes on the two Theodores who were still in their own world training. So, Theo will have a new girlfriend.
An hour later, when the trainees and their trainers were gathered together by the staircase, they felt a strong gust of wind.
Jenevieve immediately let out a shriek when a huge direwolf appeared running towards their direction. When the boys stood up, another boy appeared from the woods, his feet off the ground as he followed the dire wolf.
She squinted, trying to have a better look at the boy. "Justin?"
"Jen?!" the boy smiled from ear to ear. "You're finally here!" He flew towards her, stepping down only when he was already in front of her. "Anyway, please make way people. Rev has to go up." Gently, he pulled Jenevieve down the stairs as the others dispersed for the direwolf. "That's Reverie, by the way," he pointed at the direwolf making her way to the top of the Tree House.
Her jaw dropped. "A wolf?"
"Direwolf," he specified. "We were betting on who could go here faster. Unfortunately, I lost."
"You always lose to her," Nazaire said. "It is only her fondness of you that she agrees with your antics every time."
Justin's cheeks turned pink. "I really wanted to win this time."
Agustus came right after, his dragon slowly descending a few feet from the Tree House.
"Two Carmichaels?" Gus said.
"From the Land of Terrenes," the Terrene Jeremiah explained.
Gus looked at him, eyes boring into his. "I am aware."
"Let's continue the training," Nazaire said, pulling Jeremiah with him despite the protests of the Terrene. "Prince Theodore is not your trainer so he has no say about this. You will spend another hour with me and Jenevieve."
With the trainees leaving, Agustus turned to the girls, his hands behind him. "I will be leaving Light here for a moment. He is waiting for me in the Castle, and I still can not bring Light there," he scrunched his nose then leaned closer to Liltih, careful not to make his dragon hear him. "He might cause trouble from that memory with his mother."
Lilith nodded. "We will take care of him while you are gone."
"Thank you." Gus turned to Jenevieve. "It was nice meeting you, Jenevieve Carmichael."
The interaction sent a chill on Terrene Jenevieve's spine. "I know that I should be scared of the dragon but... our classmate... he died not long ago. He looks just like him," she pouted, tears brimmed her eyes as she watched the boy walking away.
Lilith rubbed her back to comfort her. "We know about him. The Princess, Reverie, and your friends told us about how he was smart and a reliable person. We apologize for your loss."
"I'm not close with the guy but," Jeneiveve sniffed. "I saw JP and Theo growing close to him just before he died. It pained me when the two of them looked devastated. I often asked them how they're feeling, but they always reply with a reassuring smile and say they're fine. It didn't look like that for some time."
"You are a good friend," Lilith squeezed her shoulder. "They are lucky to have befriended someone like you."
"Thanks," she shyly replied. It felt weird coming from someone who looks like the girl she once bullied. Then, once again, she felt guilty.
I need to fix my relationship with her.
Three hours later, Jenevieve woke up from an unexpected slumber by the stairs. It was already dark, and the night made the forest chilly, she was surprised her legs were covered with a blanket.
No one was with her by the staircase, but she could hear people speaking in hush tones from upstairs.
Silently, she stalked upstairs, the now folded blanket close to her so she wouldn't trip herself.
"- could die if word gets out," she heard the Terrene Theodore say.
"Her half-cousin is already exposed to the public, she even got exposed to her class because of that same cousin," JP added. "Good thing Jade's family overcame it."
"You say that Astra is Jade's aunt, right?" Nazaire asked. "And she has Ir- I mean, her under her wing?"
"You can say her name," Jenevieve heard Theodore's voice again but it sounded deeper, if it was possible. She assumed it was the Prince who spoke. "I am mourning, and it does not mean that I am completely ignoring any conversation about Ira."
"Ira," Nazaire corrected himself after that.
"Yeah, Ira's under Astra's wing. She adopted her, and now she's studying with us with her bodyguard," Theodore said. "Guess who her bodyguard is!"
"Haze?" A new voice joined in, a familiar voice that Jenevieve could recognize - Reverie's. She wouldn't forget that girl's voice since it was one of the sweetest voices she has heard.
Silence.
Someone sighed loudly. "It's me, isn't it?"
"You got that right!" JP exclaimed. "Justin's the bodyguard. And, apparently, she's also Jade's ex-boyfriend."
"Ex- what?" Gus asked.
"Ex- uh- former lover," JP explained. "Yeah, former lover."
"How can you forget about that word? I am that person, De Villiers," a voice Jenevieve couldn't recognize said.
There was silence again.
"Stop looking at me," the Prince warned his friends.
"Anyway, Theo here is Jade's present bodyguard so he wins this time," JP sounded so proud of his friend.
"Be careful of her aunt," Prince Theodore said. "And take care of Ira. Tell Justin Hastings that he should be alert at all times, do not leave Ira on her own."
"Will do," the other Theodore replied. "What about Jade? What should I do with her? She already found out I'm her bodyguard. I already broke her trust."
"Jade will come back!" someone said from behind Jenevieve, startling her.
Jenevieve stood straight before turning around, actually scared to hear that familiar voice.
When she saw her face, lips turned up to a smile, Jenevieve thought she was just dreaming. Good Lord, they're all here.
"Can someone explain why Carmichael is eavesdropping outside?" Jade asked the group by the door.
Seconds later, the Prince and Terrene Theodore came out side by side, looking puzzled at Jade and Jenevieve.
"I woke up," Jenevieve chuckled nervously.
"You let her sleep outside?!" Jade exclaimed, pulling Jenevieve to the final steps and inside the Tree House. "Who let the poor girl sleep outside?"
Everyone pointed at the Prince, who has his hands in his pocket, looking unbothered.
"Lockhart. Explain," the girl said.
"I don't trust her yet," Prince Theodore said. "I personally placed the blanket over her though."
Jade pursed her lips, like her patience was wearing thin. "And that's supposed to absolve you from letting someone sleep outside in the cold?"
"There is someone out there who sleeps outside and still wakes up feeling fine," the boy reasoned. "And Lilith put a spell around her. She only felt cold when she woke up."
"You could just let her sleep inside the room though," the newcomer still hasn't given up.
"I apologize," the Prince finally gave up, then turned to Jenevieve. "It will not happen again."
Jenevieve nodded, confused. Did the two just bicker in front of her and the other Theodore?
Jade sighed before looking at her. "It's nice to see you again, Carmichael."
"Are you..." she tried to connect the dots. "Are you Jade Thompson? The one who disappeared?"
The other girl smiled with a nod. "I stayed here with my family," she answered before glancing at Reverie, who then smiled widely at her.
"But your friend... De Villiers-"
"Jen," Theodore stopped her. "Just sit here with us. We'll fill you in."
She let her friend drag her to the couch where JP and the other Jenevieve were sitting.
In the next minutes, JP and Theodore let Jenevieve and Jade catch up with what was happening in their own world. In the end, no one could give a significant solution to their problem, especially when the outcome still depends on each person involved.
At 8:30 in the evening, after Prince Theodore finally decided to let Theodore take a rest from the self-defense class he took, Jade and the Prince opened a portal at the back of Jenevieve's house while Agustus opened a portal for JP and Theodore's unit.
"We'll see you tomorrow," Theodore told Jenevieve before they went inside their own portal. "Good night."
"How is your situation with Jade?" Gus asked once they landed inside the apartment unit.
"I already told you about her finding out-"
Gus shook his head as if saying Theodore misunderstood his question. "No, that you like her. Have you told her?"
"Oh," Theodore said. JP snorted behind him. "Was I obvious a while ago?"
"I do not know about the others, but I could see it," Gus said. "The way you told us about how your cover was blown reminded me of how I knew about Jinx's family when they were supposed to be long dead already. Jinx did not have anyone but me, so he could not ask others about what he should do to regain my trust. He followed me around, hunted food for me while I was training with Light, and even cried when he was already dying to talk to me again. It was just 2 days when I started ignoring him."
JP, who was listening as well, nudged Theodore. "You need to step up, man. Jinx hunted for Gus. You just sulked in your room after being ignored by Jade. Do something!"
"Fine," he gulped. "I'll do something about it... after three days."
Gus nodded once in satisfaction with his resolve. "It was great seeing you again, Theodore, and JP. I hope we get to train longer the next time I visit the Tree House. You could use some dragon-riding training."
"But we don't have any dragons here."
"Who knows? Maybe any of you two may have the opportunity to fly an airplane."
"I don't think flying a dragon is like flying an airplane," JP said.
Gus shrugged."Well, I should go now. Light is waiting for me."
"Thank you, Gus," Theodore said, smiling at him. "For sharing about Jinx and giving me an idea."
"I just want to help. I am sure that the Terrene Jade is feeling conflicted as well. Fix it once you find the right timing. It is good that you are giving yourselves time to think about the situation but three days is enough, alright? If you drag it out, then you might lose her."
Theodore nodded eagerly, listening to every word Gus was saying like he was his own older brother. He always wanted someone like that.
Inside his bedroom, after all the events that happened that day, Theodore thought of something drastic to do.
Taking his phone out of his pocket, he typed a message and sent it to the only person who he thought could help him solve his problem in some way.
Before he could overthink his action, he pressed send and went to sleep, hoping that the next day would be better.
—
The silent treatment extended until three days, and Theodore has finally reached his limit.
He followed her every after class, seated beside her in every class together, and even told a professor that Jade knows the answer from his question even though she wasn't raising a hand. He wanted a reaction - a glare, sneer, anything - but all he got was a nod (that was even directed to the professor, not him) before she stood up and answered the question.
At lunch, Theodore followed Jinx's tactic - give Jade coffee but the girl just gave it to Reverie, who was more than happy to drink it on her behalf. During those three days, he walked behind Jade to the car, parked in an alleyway behind the school just so other students wouldn't see her.
"It's like deja vu, really," Kieran told him after closing the car door for Jade. "This is exactly what happened when she had her personal bodyguard before. His father didn't hire one again after that."
"Because she got mad at Hastings?"
"Because their relationship was kept a secret, and then her parents only knew about it when they broke up."
"What exactly happened?" Theodore couldn't help but be curious.
Before Kieran could answer, the window from the passenger seat slid down. "You're not even hiding it anymore, are you?" she asked Theodore then turned to her bodyguard without waiting for an answer. "Kieran, let's go!"
"I'll tell you about it later. Just endure it until Saturday," Kieran winked at him before hurrying back to his side of the car. "Take care on your way home, T."
Theodore waved a hand as the car drove past him.
T. He smiled to himself. It was the first time he heard an older man make a nickname for him. I want an older brother like him.
3 days ago, when he sent Kieran a message, the older guy told him to wait until Saturday. Before that day comes, Theodore should still carry on his duties as Jade's bodyguard.
As usual, dinner with JP consists of catching up with Theodore's work problem.
"Remind me again how she knew about you being her bodyguard?"
"When she ate dinner with us and slept here. She probably realized that her family was too complacent with the idea of her sleeping with two men her parents haven't even met yet."
"Wow!" he exclaimed as he munched his food. "She's smarter than Thompson."
"I know!" Theodore threw his hands. Then he asked, "What if I quit?"
"What? What about the money? It's not even the second semester yet."
"But Jade..."
JP pointed his spoon at him. "You like her more than your education?!"
"How can I guard her when she's angry at me?"
"I don't know. You're the smart one here."
"Actually," Theodore trailed. "I already quit but Kieran told me to think about it first until the weekend."
"Did he say that you'll at least get your money?"
"Yeah, for the whole month."
"Okay, that's a relief."
Later that day, when Theodore kept on tossing and turning on his bed, he finally decided to take his phone from the floor. 9 in the evening. "Why hasn't Kieran texted me?"