Welcome to Gaia! ::

Kassandra nodded and bowed her head to him, a rarity for the headstrong queen. "Thank you Ritic. You will do wonderful things that even someone like I can not accomplish. We will do our best to train you. And Ephira and Carmaen are the best fighting and weapon instructors in Arcana. You may work with either of them to learn whatever fighting and weapon skills you want." She told the boy. She wanted him to be comfortable here and learn a lot. It would be at least six to eight years before he could take the throne. She would do her best to mother the boy and let him still enjoy his life. He would be the best king the land had ever seen. She had known this from the moment she had seen him and had a prophetic vision.

Ephira stepped aside to let him out. When the door closed she looked at Kassandra. "My instincts tell me he still doesn't think he fits in around here. We have a lot of work to do with your new favorite my queen."

"Carmaen, what will you be teaching the boy, so I can teach him different things, we need a well rounded king and there is no point in teaching him the same things over and over."

"I believe he only trusts me because of my sister. That and I keep telling him he does have choices and that they do in fact matter." she shook her head. "I just wish he would calm down and trust the faith others have in him. We barely know him and look how we treat him. He's going to be the best thing for this kingdom. The people obey but they don't believe in Kassandra anymore, mainly because of her being so kind to halflings and humans. The people of our kingdom do not take differences lightly. Which is terrible."

That suggestion took her by surprise. Carmaen never took interest in what she said most of the time, Ephira hadn't figured that she would remember she had a sister. But on the other hand, Carmaen was one to do her research on people when it took her interest or she needed to get information for her Majesty.

"I'll be around Miss if you need me further.'' She bowed her head and left the room.

It hadn't taken her long to find Ritic, when she did, he was sitting under a large tree by the stream that ran through the massive garden in one of he castles many yards. She sat down, and bumped his shoulder with her own, in a friendly gesture she had seen people do when they wanted to talk to a friend, it was odd for her. "What is on your mind, you know, other than the obvious? I'm a pretty good listener if you want to talk that is."

Having most of her time spent alone, Ephira had never really had time to speak with new people. Her free time was usually spent training or sitting with Kassandra having tea and little sandwiches. In a weird way Kassandra had become her best friend since moving here with Elliana.

She nodded. ***Better not press him too much or he might shut himself up again and go back to being completely un trusting.*** She watched the ripples from their feet in the water. "I may as well get to the reason I tracked you down, I would like it if you'd come meet Elliana. She has the day off from her duties and I usually spend the day with her."

Nodding she said "It's not so bad you know." his confused expression made her smile. "Letting someone take care of you. You're much too young to worry so much. And you shouldn't have to constantly be concerned with where your next meal is going to come from."

"I'm not saying you need the help because clearly you are more than capable of taking care of yourself from day to day. But I also think you'll come to enjoy living here if you give it a fair chance." She looked toward the sky through the branches of the tree they were under. "If you decide you do want to meet her, let me know and I'll introduce you. She would be more helpful when it comes to understanding what you are feeling than any of us can."

She waited another moment before standing. "I hope you come to like it here, I really do." And with that she left him to his thoughts and went to find her sister.

After spending an hour or so with Elliana, Ephira made her way back to the training room. She arrived to find Carmaen standing over Ritic who was hunched over a book. A rather large book at that. She quietly moved to the side of the room and started stretching for when they were done with his first lesson.

Carmaen skimmed over the passage in the book and quietly explained it to him. She easily guided him through he rest of the chapter before marking the spot and closing the book. "That is enough today, young Ritic. You must start your lessons with Ephira now. She picked up the book and was gone in a flash, leaving the boy to practice his fighting skills with the other assassin.