Sinthia and The Demon Duke of DeSidea: 34

“The Silk Light festival.”

Somehow it had completely gone over everyone’s head. Or perhaps not everyone, but it sure did feel like it to her.  Sinthia turned to Vicktor, her fork halting mid-way to her mouth.

“You remember? The place you talked about before. Where you can see the Silk Light fields glow.”

“Oh my, you’re right! Shall we go tonight, then?” She turned her full attention to the Crown Prince, setting her fork down and giving him an encouraging smile.

“It’s not far?”

”No, not at all. It’s just a little way off behind the palace. It will soon be dark too, so you’ll be able to enjoy it fully.”

“Well, if that’s alright then I would like that very much.” Vicktor gave a quick smile before turning his eyes back to his plate. It seemed that Sinthia was better now. Even happier and more lively. He felt relieved as he glanced up, watching her turn to her older brother to inquire about going today.

”And what about Emilia, Amelia and Cecilia? Are you coming?” Sinthia turned to her older sisters, who had fallen suspiciously quiet. They were avoiding eye contact.

“I’m not entirely sure. I rather like watching the Silk Lights from our balcony.” Emilia said, nervously twirling a ribbon on her dress.

”Yes, the balcony is plenty fine.” Amelia added, not even looking in SInthia’s direction.

To this, Sinthia gave a big pout, her eyes becoming large and sad. “Oh, but I was looking forward to enjoying this year’s Lights with my sisters in my favorite spot. I’m devastated.” Her voice became small and pitiful, and her posture slumped in dejection. Michael shifted nervously in his chair, wondering what to do. “Oh come on, girls. It will be quite fun! It’s rare for all of us to be together like this.” He laughed in an effort to encourage his three sisters, but they remained hesitant. It was then that Sinthia turned her sad eyes to Vicktor, who had been enjoying the wine (and the spectacle) with amusement. When he looked into those big, green eyes, he shuddered. In them was a frightening glint.

“But Vicktor was looking forward to all of us going. We’ve all become such good friends in this short time, so I’m sure Vicktor....” Sinthia looked over at him, her face like that of a pitiful puppy. There weren’t many things that could make Vicktor recoil, but this was one of them.

“Y-yes. I was looking forward to us all... going together.” He nearly bit his tongue with how suddenly the words poured out of his mouth. At this, the three eldest Ophelian princesses sat up, their fear seemingly dispersed. “Well, if His Imperial Highness desires it we shall go as well.” Cecilia chirped, her cheeks flushed.

Good. You’ll absolutely love what you see there. Sinthia smiled slyly as she watched her three half-sisters become excited.

The Novan Emperor chuckled as he watched the young princes and princesses interact. The youngest Ophelian Princess was one to be feared, it seemed. Everything he had heard about her being socially meek and reclusive seemed grievously false. After all, the way she had manipulated her sisters into the little outing they were to take was splendid.

She would do well in his court.

“Tell me, Cedric. How old is your youngest?” Alexander turned to the Ophelian king, who had his eyes glued on his children. He turned to the emperor then blinked. “Sinthia? She is turning twenty-one soon.”

”Ah... I see. Victor is twenty-four.”

Cedric’s brow almost furrowed. “Oh, is that so?”

”Yes! They get along quite well, don’t you think so?” Alexander quipped, turning to look at the children in question. Cedric followed his gaze to the two. Indeed, they were talking casually, Vicktor looking very relaxed and comfortable and Sinthia smiling brightly.

“They do, it seems.” Cedric stated, focusing on Vicktor with a complicated stare.

“What do you say?”

”About what?”

”A wedding, of course. Between them.” Alexander grinned, looking at his old friend. Cedric stared back with his usual empty face, then he suddenly jolted, like as if he had been shocked from a deep slumber. “Oh, you don’t know.”

”Know? Know what?”

”Sinthia is already engaged.”

”What??” The emperor’s jaw dropped in disbelief. “You’re being serious??”

”Quite so.”

”Damn... there’s nothing we can work out...?”

”Unfortunately not. She is a Bride of DeSidea.”

Alexander’s face was frozen in shock. In his mind, he sifted through all the information pertaining to DeSidea as quickly as possible. “Wait, I knew that the Council had chosen a princess recently, but it was your youngest??” He whispered, drawing closer to Cedric like as if they were engaging in gossip. Cedric leaned in as well. “Yes. I thought you knew.”

”Well, I think I knew that her name ended with “-ia”, I hadn’t expected it to be SinthIA, you know?”

“All my daughters’ names end with “-ia”, Alexander.” Cedric whispered back.

“Oh. Oh my, do they? They do, don’t they?”

”They do.”

”But why is it your youngest? Was she not your heir? She should not have been in the Selection at all. Her sisters, yes, but not her.”

”I... also don’t understand how it came to be.”

“Don’t you want to appeal the decision?”

”I do.”

”Then I can put in a word for you. Shouldn’t your oldest daughters marry before the youngest one?”

”I do, but she doesn’t.”

They turned to Sinthia, who was laughing at something her brother said.

”She doesn’t...?”

”No. Not one bit.”

”But why? Does she not fear demons?”

Cedric sighed, slumping ever so slightly.

”No. She writes letters to them instead.”

“There’s something in the grass. I saw it move. Michael!!” A shrill voice cut through the quiet evening. The sun was setting, and everything was a warm, beautiful orange. Sinthia continued walking through the tall grass, humming as she did so. Behind her, her siblings, the Crown Prince, his father and her own followed. A little ways off, a squad of guards followed as well.

”Come on, Ceci. It’s alright, just stay close.” Michael huffed as he tried to lead his sister forward. His two other sisters also held on to his coat, their eyes darting around nervously. He lifted his eyes from his little sister’s blonde head to Sinthia’s brunette one. She was happily hopping over the tufts of grass and mud. Having changed from her long, evening skirts to a pair of riding pants and high boots, it was not at all hard for her to do. That was the right idea. Making your way through this would be incredibly difficult in the elegant but heavy skirts of fashion. She had advised her sisters to do the same, but they treated her words like they always did. Nothing more than background noise.

”SOMETHING TOUCHED MEEEE!” Cecilia squealed again, nearly jumping on Michael. “Yes, probably grass. This is why Sinthia told you to wear a pair of pa—“

”I’m not going to wear a pair of pants.”

”Why wouldn’t you? At least some boots!”

”It isn’t the season for BOOTS, Michael.”

”But I admit it would be easier to navigate through this in them.”Emilia’s voice sounded queasy as she lifted her fan to her face.

Cedric watched all this with mild embarrassment as Alexander laughed silently to himself. “Alton.” He sighed, and a knight in deep purple garb stepped forth. “Yes, Your Majesty?”

”Bring three of your men here. Have them escort the princesses.”

”No, daddy! Only two.” Cecilia whispered, letting go of her brother’s arm and dashing forward to Vicktor. “Oh, Your Imperial Majesty. Forgive me for my rudeness. Won’t you please escort me?” She asked, her voice sounding very sad. Vicktor turned to her, his hair glittering in the setting sun. Oh, how beautiful. Cecilia thought to herself as she felt her face redden and her fears lessen. He gave a gentlemanly smile and said, “Of course Princess Cecilia.” He extended his hand to her, and she tentatively took it.

“Fine. Two Knights, then.”

“I’ll admit, she’s very ambitious.” Alexander commented, nodding his head with respect.

“We’re here.” SInthia’s voice cut through the chatter, turning everyone’s eyes to the front.

Below them lay a sea of green, as a warm, gentle breeze made the Silk Light stalks ripple. The sun was halfway down, so it wasn’t yet dark enough for the plants to glow. But as it was now, the scenery was breathtaking too. A soft, warm purple sky awash with shades of peach and pink, orange clouds lined with the setting sun’s fiery light making majestic and etherial shapes as they slowly drifted away. It was beautiful. Beautiful enough to inspire silence in everyone as they simply looked. Sinthia drank this all in, and it brought a smile to her face. A sad one. She liked to watch the sky back then, too. The sky of then and the sky of now. They didn’t look that much more different.

The guards had brought chairs and tents for them, and the royal group waited for them to set it all up as they chatted happily together. Sinthia sat on a stone, ladylike posture and mannerisms taken off for one evening. She simply looked out at the field now, the scene still capturing her.

“You’re sitting like a man, Sinthia.”

She turned to see her father standing besides her, his arms clasped firmly behind him.

”Oh. Yeah, you’re right.” She shrugged her shoulders, then rested her elbows on her knees and planted her feet even further apart.

”Now you’re sitting like a brute.”

”An upgrade!”

There was silence for a bit.

”You came here alone... when you were younger.”

”That I did.”

”You would wade through this grass and mud alone, with no guard.”

”Mm.”

”That was dangerous.”

”It was fine. It’s still on palace grounds.”

”And what if you got hurt and nobody was there to help?”

”I’m actually very impressive in the wild, I’ll have you know. I know how to survive in the wilderness alone with no assistance.”

”I’m being serious.”

”Me too.”

Cedric held his tongue then. He didn’t have the right to ask the next question. Why didn’t you ask someone to come with you? He already knew the answer to that. It wasn’t one he wanted to hear now.

“What about insects?”

”What about them?”

”Weren’t you terrified of them when you were younger? You really couldn’t stand them.”

It was true. When she was younger, she despised insects. This was true for both the Sinthia of Ophelia in her head and herself. She was frightened of anything that crawled, flew or jumped.

“I was.”

”And then what happened to make you stop fearing them?”

Sinthia did not respond. She could only remember. A day, long time ago. Hot and stifling. A time when she was a child. Summer dresses and twin-tails tied with colorful hair ties. Hot and stifling was what she knew it was. But it wasn’t what she felt at all. She felt nothing. Did not taste. Hear, see. The day she didn’t blink. A grasshopper had jumped onto her hand, and sat on it for half a minute. She did not even twitch at it. She only stared at it. Then it jumped away. There was no screaming, crying or running like there normally was when she saw an insect. When she did, she would run to mummy or daddy. But this time, she didn’t. She couldn’t.

Sinthia turned to look at her father. At Sintha of Ophelia’s father. Her eyes were the same shade as his. Her body’s father.

”I realized that there were far bigger fears that one could dread than some little insects.”

We are back with a SADDOD update, lads!