TBATE: The Rook

(Mc looks)/ age:7 / [ I tried ]

(Three days after)

I carefully selected a few articles of clothing and placed them in the bed , after selecting i chose the most appropriate one to fit my body perfectly , i arrived at the base of the browned flight of stairs. Raising my gaze to the hallway where the living room imposing double doors should be, I was met with the familiar sight of a woman looking at me and smiling .

" why is she here again " I thought 

In a loud cheerful voice I said " Hello auntie , what a pleasant surprise to see you today ."

" hello to you too sweetheart, I want to introduce you to my daughter " said the queen in a happy tone.

"Kathyln introduced your self "

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you , Eills Rose . I am a Kathyln Glayder , my mother talked a lot about you ."

Kathyln has a petite, doll-like appearance, with porcelain, white skin, big dark eyes, thick lashes, black hair, and small lips. She also has a delicate, small stature, which makes her appear delicate enough to the point that others would want to protect her. "I didn't know that aunt will bring her today ".

Kathyln regarded Ellis with her usual stoicism, her expression unreadable. As she stood before Ellis, she felt a flicker of curiosity but quickly suppressed it, unsure of how to engage with someone her own age.

"The pleasure is mine, princess Kathyln " I replied with my usual tone.

After introducing us to each other my mother and aunt had a plan for the day so they left us alone in the mansion.

" why are you doing this to me mother, I'm mentally older than you which will make social interactions challenging" , i had spent my early years navigating a world that often felt foreign, and now, faced with another child, i felt a wave of uncertainty wash over me.

Setting on the side of the couch , not really having anything to talk about . So he just settled for a little drink (juice of course).

Kathlyn on the other hand kept a side glancing at him. She herself didn't know why though.

Perhaps.

He appears different to all the others she has met. Is that what has her staring so much? In her eyes, he was an anomaly. Was that all that caught her attention though?

Her mind was as confused as she was curious.

Ellis, with two drinks in hand, crept over to her side she was lost in thought.

She glanced up but saw the boy standing in front of her with a small smile and drink in each hand .

"Can I offer you something to drink ?" she slightly jirked.

reaching a glass out to her. She hesitated before eventually taking it with both hands.

" thank you " she muttered softly.

Ellis proceeds to sit down next to her. "Any particular reason as to why you kept taking glances at me?" he inquired.

She paused.

This was the first time she was confronted in this way aside from her

relatives, others wouldn't normally address her in such a way.

"Just curious." she blurted the only thing that came to mind.

"About?"

Hmm.

She had hoped he would just leave it at that. But instead she was faced with another question. 

He was poking her weak point which was conversation. She didn't know what to say.

Most people wouldn't go so far as to ask her questions and would just ramble on and on. 

As if they were trying to please her with their senseless boasting. She was thinking he would be another one of them.

But this was different.

Should she just speak her mind?

Is that what he is asking of her?

She didn't know.

So she didn't respond, silently staring down at the glass in her hands.

Truthfully, she secretly hopes that he doesn't give up and would continue to pester her.

" Kathlyn Grace, I pity her actually, She had learned to guard her emotions closely, a defense mechanism developed over years of being treated as a prize rather than a person , she doesn't have a childhood or friends and even her love for Arthur will not blooms into something , she also wants to be more independent from her family ".

"Why is there a wolf cub sticking to you , is it your bond ?"Kathlyn couldn't help but ask pulling me out of my thoughts.

" No , it's the cub of my grandfather bond , Who knows? Maybe he just likes me." I gave an honest answer.

I glanced back at her. "Why? You wanna pet him?"

 If I remember right She contemplated Her mother , an enthusiast when it came to Mana Beats and she had, along the way, picked up a thing or two herself.

So she couldn't pass this up , She walked closer, reaching out her hand then steadily letting her hand rest on the silver wolf . She took it silence as his way of approval. She then ran her thumb over and under the wolf ear to which let out a soft purr.

After some time passed she began to relax and talk more about different topics , out of nowhere she said.

" are you really a mage " 

The old lady couldn't help but talk about my awakening to her own daughter , sigh . 

" yes i am a mage "

As we began to to talk more , Kathyln's stoic demeanor began to soften. She watched as Ellis struggled to keep up virtually of topics , For the first time in a long while, she felt a sense of camaraderie, a connection that transcended their differences.

Ellis, too, felt a shift within her .As the conversation took shape, laughter began to bubble up between them, a sound that felt foreign yet exhilarating. Kathyln's laughter was soft, almost hesitant,Ellis's found himself smiling, a genuine expression .

When Priscilla and Grace returned from their shopping excursion, they found the children sitting in the back yard having fun and enjoying themselves.

The sight brought tears to Priscilla's eyes, a mixture of joy and relief flooding her heart.

"Look at them," Grace whispered, her voice filled with wonder. "They are in their own little world."

Priscilla nodded, her heart swelling with hope and excitement, she knew about her daughter , the walls she built around her heart , Kathyln usually has a stoic expression, rarely showing any emotions , When she was a young princess, people often approached her with an ulterior motive , They sought to make connections with her, because of her royalty status. As a result, she felt the need to not show any weaknesses in front of others, which resulted in an unapproachable attitude.

The following days had consisted of condensing my mana core and my elemental skills along with my fighting skills .

I spent a few days out of the week sparring with grandfather but I could tell he was afraid of hurting me, always holding back even when it was unnecessary .

Besides my training, I spent a couple of hours every two to three days going out with the pricess of Sapin . It was a strenuous process and I could see her beginning to be more relaxed and open to me I did my best to help her through it by playing games and going out .

During these past two months, there is One major change had happened recently; she finally transform. Okay, it wasn't really something as drastic as transformation, but she was able to be normal around me , It felt like it happened so suddenly , She had been visiting me every day , it's Began to bother me but I have to keep calm and don't blow this up . 

Throughout this time, both aunt and the king had insisted on giving me gifts as thanks.

Oh I almost forgot about beating the poor prince of Sapin he was jealous of me and his sister relationship .

"Ellis ! I give up!" Curtis begged. I had his arm in an armlock that hurt but did not cause long-term damage. Curtis patted my leg. 

"Eli!"

I let go, and he shot up, moving his arm to make sure he had no wounds.

His sulky expression for not being able to beat me was etched on his face.

Curtis pride would not allow him to accept defeat, so we continued fighting.

However, all of the fights ended in the first few moves, with Curtis attempting to punch me while I grabbed his wrist and threw him to the ground.

"I give up..." He sighed.

_______________________

What a surprise the queen invited me to come with them to the Helstea Tenth Anniversary Auction house . 

" we will finally meet , king Grey " i muttered in a voice full of excitement and other emotions.