The Tiny Witch from the Deep Woods: Volume 2, page 21
“If there’s a ball coming up, this is actually rather convenient timing. I have one more thing to give you from the duke.”
Misha tilted her head as she looked at the cloth-wrapped box he placed on the table. It was long enough to fill both of her hands. Reaching for it tentatively, she found it was quite a bit heavier than she expected. When she finally opened it, her breath caught.
“No way...!”
They were emeralds, the same shining green as Misha’s own eyes. The largest jewel was set in a necklace fashioned with brilliantly intricate silverwork, with two slightly smaller ones fashioned into a matching pair of earrings. Whether for their size or their brilliance, they would have been perfectly suited to the role of royal regalia.
“I am told they were a gift for Lady Leyas for their wedding day. I was instructed to give them to you, as you might have a chance to put them to use.”
Leyas had in fact possessed the same green eyes as her daughter. With trembling hands, Misha reached out and touched the necklace, tears starting in her eyes.
“I know these. My mother showed me a picture of them.”
Back in their forest home, Leyas had particularly treasured a picture of herself on her wedding day. She had said it was her greatest treasure, smiling just as brightly and happily as the couple in the picture. In that picture, she had been wearing these.
“They were jewels her parents had left for her when they passed away. My father had them made into wonderful jewelry. She was too scared to take them out into the forest, so she had my father take care of them...and promised when I got married, she’d give them to me...”
It was a promise that she could now never keep. The vivid memory of her mother’s smile coming back to her brought forth a waterfall of tears.
After hesitating for a moment, Kite slid over to sit next to her and put an arm around her shoulders. Misha leaned into his chest, as if trying to cling to his warmth, and his somewhat cool body readily accepted her tears. The way he stroked her hair made it clear he felt a bit awkward doing so, totally unlike when her mother had done the same, but the kindness behind the gesture couldn’t have been more alike. It was all she needed to open up and let herself cry.
She had told herself she was done crying so many times, but there was always something else to bring the tears back out. She didn’t quite understand yet that the meaning behind those tears was slowly changing. She was still too young to understand the old adage that time heals all wounds.
Someday she would. The pain would be wrapped up in good memories, and the tears would become smiles. Those around her could only hope that day would come sooner rather than later.
Chapter 20: A Dance and a Walk
“A messenger from the duke has visited the castle,” Tris declared as he stepped into Ryan’s office, pulling the king’s attention away from the paperwork in front of him. “A fairly young knight. According to Kino, he seems skilled for his age.”
Ryan tilted his head at that addendum. He didn’t understand what Tris was implying, but he was sharp enough to catch his unpleasant undertone. “If he’s on business for the duke, he would have to be fairly skilled, young or not. What are you trying to say?”
“In addition, it seems he is quite close to Misha,” Tris continued, ignoring Ryan’s question. “I hear he has been acting as her partner for her dance lessons. Supposedly, they are perfectly in sync.”
The king scowled. “You of all people know how busy I am. I don’t have time for this nonsense.”
But Tris had known Ryan since they were little. They were far too close for him to be bothered by the king’s low growl.
“Oh my, it’s not good for you to be that stressed for time. Why don’t you take a bit of a break?” Tris suggested. He grinned and snatched the pen from Ryan’s hand before pulling him out of his chair and pushing him out of the office.
Ryan was so startled by Tris’s behavior that he forgot to fight back, only coming back to his senses when the door to the office slammed shut behind him, leaving him alone.
“What is with him today...?”
For a moment he considered just going back to work, but it was clear Tris would force him out of the office if he tried to go back. Instead, he walked off with a sigh.
Tris had been right. Ryan was so stressed over preparations for the Moonflower Festival that he honestly needed the break. He had made good progress on those preparations, so there would be no harm in a short break.
“Speaking of being busy, I haven’t seen Lalaya for a while, have I?”
He’d heard that his sister’s condition had stabilized considerably. At first, Lalaya had been quite combative when it came to her treatment, but Misha’s dogged persistence had won the day, and now the princess was meekly following her every instruction.
Well, perhaps not so meekly. It seemed the resentment born from Misha’s treatment of her was making its way heard through Misha’s screams, the little apothecary constantly finding herself the victim of Lalaya’s pranks.
“I should go pay her a visit.”
At this time of day, Lalaya was probably either studying in her room or taking a break herself. He started off toward his sister’s room.
“Misha is a surprisingly good dancer,” Lalaya murmured, relaxing with a cup of tea while she watched Misha dancing from the corner of the room.
Today Misha was practicing in heels, which gave her an extra eight centimeters. As this was her first time wearing high heels, the teacher had been considerate enough to provide her shoes with particularly wide heels to practice in. Even so, she clearly struggled to walk in them when she first put them on. As a result, rather than dancing, the practice had started off with her practicing walking to and fro while she held Kino’s arm.
Once she started getting the hang of the shoes, they moved on to the actual dance steps. Though she knew the steps themselves, the unfamiliar footwear made her unsteady. The dance teacher insisted that practice made perfect, and so practice she did.
For the record, even as sick as she had been, Lalaya was still a princess with plenty of training in dance. Few people had seen it for themselves, but she was indeed flawless. Despite having barely participated in evening parties because of her health, Lalaya had danced a single song for Misha as an example to follow, and she had done so with such light-footed grace that it seemed like she was hovering over the ground instead of walking on it.
As Lalaya concluded her example with a bow, Misha’s applause was riotous. Lalaya responded with a scowl, saying Misha was exaggerating and simply being silly, but the maids attending them caught Lalaya’s quickly hidden smile—visible for one brief moment—that had preceded it. To the ignorance of the two girls, everyone around them was gleefully watching the exchange.
“I thought Misha’s partner was a knight from Bluheitz.”
As Lalaya sipped her tea, she was struck from behind by a sudden question from an unexpected voice.
“Oh, Ryan. What brings you here?” Lalaya looked up at him, standing behind her with a hand on her chair.
The king shrugged slightly and smiled. “Tris kicked me out of my office, saying I was working too much, so I figured I’d pay my sister a visit.”
“Is that so?” Lalaya chuckled, eyes wide with surprise. “I suppose you have been too busy to even sit down for a meal with me.”
“Things will be pretty busy until the festival is over. Give me a break.”
Lalaya laughed again at Ryan’s frown. “Well, apparently her knight had some business to attend to this morning. The maids said he was quite the specimen, so I was hoping to see him for myself.”
“I see... Uh-oh.”
As Ryan nodded at Lalaya’s explanation, the two muttered in surprise as they watched Misha trip over herself. Kino deftly caught her before she hit the ground, but it seemed they had decided that was a good enough opportunity to take a break, so Misha came walking over. She was still a bit unsteady on her feet, so Kino escorted the embarrassed girl over.
“Good work out there. Perhaps you need just a bit more practice?” Lalaya commented as an exhausted Misha plopped down onto her sofa.
Misha replied with a weak smile, no energy left to offer any argument. The moment one of the maids set a cup of tea in front of her, she was downing it fast. She then turned and gave a small bow to Ryan.
“I’m really just no good with these shoes. Could I at least wear ones with a shorter heel?” The way her shoulders slumped would make anyone feel bad for her.
“It looks to me like you’re too focused on how uncomfortable you are with the shoes, so your movements are turning stiff,” Ryan said after some thought, setting down his own tea and standing up. “Let’s do one dance together. Come on.”
After he took her hand, he urged her out of her seat and led her to the center of the room. “Don’t worry about your feet; just listen to the music. Relax. I won’t let you fall. I could even carry you if I had to.” He grinned as they took their positions.
Unlike Kino, who had been very formal and polite as her partner, Ryan was much more forward, holding her a little closer than she was used to. While that embarrassed her a little, it also made her feel steady on her feet.
“Perfect, just like that. Let your partner carry you.” Ryan nodded in encouragement as Misha looked up at him in surprise, and as if that was a signal, the music started.
It was the same song she had been practicing to before. As they started moving, Misha began to tense up again, which Ryan fought off by striking up a conversation. He asked her about Lalaya’s condition and the medicine she was taking, all things Misha was very familiar with. Her attention shifted from her footwork to the conversation, the tension eased from her muscles, and Ryan’s somewhat forceful but skilled lead drew her into the song. Before she realized it, her previous clumsiness was forgotten as she moved in time with him.
In no time at all, the song had come to an end. Before Misha even noticed its conclusion, the next song began. She knew exactly what to do, guided by the movements of her partner. She didn’t even have time to think about her movements, instead letting Ryan carry her into the rhythm of the song as she twirled.
“You’re thinking too much, Misha. Just follow what your partner is doing. That’s why your partner is there,” Ryan said with a laugh as he guided the bewildered girl into turn after turn. As they spun, the long skirt of her dress fluttered in beautiful arcs around her. Ryan’s smile eventually drew one out of Misha as well, and she was even enjoying the music.
As they danced, they grew even more in sync, and Ryan gradually moved on to more and more difficult steps. Carried away by the rhythm of their dance, Misha didn’t even notice, entirely engrossed in the world of the songs. Before long, they weren’t even talking, just smiling at each other as they moved. Their expressions made it clear that the two were enjoying themselves.
After finishing a third song, they finally came to a stop. Although Misha was left a bit short of breath, her expression was many times brighter than before they had danced.
“Come on, Ryan! If you spin her around like that, you’ll just leave her dizzy!” Even Lalaya’s chastising voice was mixed with laughter.
“But it was a lot of fun. Thank you,” Misha said, returning to the table where Lalaya was sitting. That was the most fun she’d had since starting these lessons, and it was probably her best performance too.
“No, thank you. That was a great break for me. I hope we can have as much fun during the event. It’s all about celebrating the coming of summer, after all.” Ryan smiled once more, putting his now slightly disarrayed hair back in order.
Misha nodded happily. “I hope so too.”
Kite was busy in the morning, so Misha’s promised tour of the city had to be pushed off until the afternoon. The festival was in two days, and the city was buzzing with visitors and temporary shops opening to serve them.
Remembering her experience in the other cities she had visited, Misha had decided to get lunch out on the town today, and now was applauding herself for that wise choice. There were plenty of stalls selling rare foods never seen outside of Redford, and they all looked great. Of course, even Misha’s home comforts counted as foreign cuisine here, a fact that really reinforced how far she was from the life she’d known.
Maybe I’ll have some reno soup. I haven’t had that for a while... Misha thought idly, leaning against one of the pillars in an unladylike manner outside the front of the library, their designated meeting place.
It was a famous dish in Bluheitz, one Misha had eaten about once a week in the past, so it was quite a nostalgic dish for her.
Oh, but Kite wouldn’t like that. Well, we’ll get lots of different stuff while walking around, so I could just get a little, right?
As Misha convinced herself with a nod, she noticed someone out of the corner of her eye. Looking up, she saw the person she was waiting for had arrived. Or maybe “people” would be more accurate, though she hadn’t been expecting anyone except Kite.
Beside the young knight was a man in his thirties, about half a head taller than Kite and a good bit more muscular. He had bright red hair and reddish-brown eyes, lit with amusement as he looked at Misha. But the biggest thing that stood out about him was one of his sleeves, flat and empty below the elbow.
The man grinned as he saw Misha’s surprise, like a child who had just succeeded at a prank. “Hey, kid. Long time no see,” the man greeted her with a wave of his good left hand.
“Captain Shydein!”
He was one of the soldiers she had treated back at her father’s mansion. He had lost his dominant right arm from the elbow down and had survived a deep wound to his chest. If things had gone badly, the injuries could easily have taken his life, but despite his grave condition, his positivity and charisma had been instrumental in lifting the dark, despairing atmosphere of the infirmary.
Besides, he was a knight, so his body was far more robust than an ordinary person’s. When Misha left the mansion, his wounds had been healing at an unbelievable pace. Never mind rehabilitation, he had already begun practicing with a sword again. Misha had scolded him for aggravating his injuries at the time.
“I’m not a captain anymore. You can just call me Shydein.”
“Oh, you quit?” Misha frowned at his cheerful declaration. She glanced over at Kite, who just shrugged.
“I did. I can’t fight like I used to with my arm missing, and there’s no room in the army for a captain who can’t pull his own weight.”
“Not that he wanted to resign,” Kite interjected. “It took a lot of effort for us to get him to take it easy.”
Misha tilted her head at the contrasting expressions from the two. “Huh? Then, why are you here? I thought you came with Kite, but...”
“Of course I came with Kite. Even with one hand I can still handle a carriage. I’ve been hired as a coachman.” Shydein laughed heartily, while Kite sighed gloomily. It seemed even that had been a bit of a compromise.
As curious as she was, Misha felt like this was something probably best left untouched, so she just gave a small smile and pretended she didn’t notice.
Instead, she found something that interested her far more. “How are your wounds doing?”
Shydein waved his right arm energetically, the partially empty sleeve flapping about. “Thanks to you, I’ve got no issue in daily life. At first it threw off my balance a bit, but I’ve gotten used to it now.”
Meanwhile, Kite was shaking his head. “After he quit as captain, there was no one left to stop him from overdoing it, so his chest wound opened up quite a few times. He’s still not back to full health.”
“Come on, Kite! You weren’t supposed to tell her that!” Shydein hurriedly tried to cover Kite’s mouth, but he missed his chance. He couldn’t spare himself Misha’s cold glare.
“I told you so many times it wasn’t going to heal properly if you did that...”
Misha’s irritation sent a shiver down Shydein’s back.
She continued, “There’s an herb garden nearby that I’ve been working with. I have some herbs and tools there, so please let me take a look at your wound.”
The icy smile she turned on him didn’t reach her eyes.
After Misha gave Shydein a thorough examination and spent a good deal of time yelling at him, the group somehow managed to get things back on track and went out for a bit of a late lunch. Of course, it was Shydein’s treat.
“Why did you come with Kite anyway?” Misha asked again as she enjoyed the nostalgic taste of her home. She didn’t think he was the type to travel to a foreign kingdom just to give a thank-you.
Shydein was happy-go-lucky and not particularly conscientious, but he had still been entrusted with leadership in the military. Misha knew from their short acquaintance that he was logical and had a strong grasp on any situation he found himself in.
Biting a piece of meat off the bone he was holding, Shydein returned Misha’s direct gaze with a strained smile. “Well, no point in hiding it, I suppose. Being subtle isn’t exactly my strong suit, so let me get right to the point.” With a shrug, he put his food down before he deeply bowed his head. “Please introduce me to the People of the Forest.”
Kite gulped. The People of the Forest were legendary to anyone who frequented the battlefield. Treatment from them happened too often to be treated like fairy tales. Most soldiers knew people who had been saved by them. They were like ghosts, appearing across the front lines, saving friend and foe alike, then disappearing once more.
Those close to the duke knew that Misha’s mother had been one of them, and they had an unspoken understanding that it was not to be spoken about. Misha was also quite surprised by the sudden request, but eventually she sighed.
“Why?” Her voice was remarkably quiet in the tumult of the busy street.
