Aricia was made to stand still in her dress. As the more time had passed, the more irritated she became.

"Mom, I have my lessons," she emphasized.

"Oh, just another second. I'm almost done fixing up your dress."

Aricia sighed in impatience. She knew this was going nowhere quickly.

"Let's see. If we made the ribbon's left side a bit longer to match her hair, wouldn't that look better? Then, how about her hairpin? Is it alright? Hmm, a bracelet, she should wear a bracelet. I have this wonderful, jewel encrusted bracelet that would match her eyes so well. No? Well, I guess having a child wear that would be much wouldn't it?"

Her mother continued to ramble on to the man who stood next to her. His name was Harri. He was the person that was usually in charge of organizing their wardrobes.

"Ah! I forgot about the finishing touches for your headdress. Stay here while I go finish it."

"Hey!"

"I'll be right back."

Aricia watched wearily as her mother had, yet again, left the room to run more errands. With nothing to do, she grabbed the bronze plate from off the wall and stared at her own reflection

Why was she so obsessed with how I looked?

Deciding that she will wait no longer, Aricia waited for the short, well-groomed man to leave before hobbling her way towards the door. She couldn't just leave through the front doors, which were guarded by her maids, so she pressed her ear next to the door and, after making sure no footsteps were approaching, went to the back of the room to open the door to her balcony. Glancing between the gaps of the marbled, stone columns that made the railing, she spotted a means of escape. Going back to her dresser, she grabbed a loosened knob off one the drawers and walked back to the balcony. Aiming carefully, she threw the knob perfectly at her escape aid.

"AH!"

Aricia heard the distant cry of discomfort as the object bounced off one of the distant helmets of the two men off in the distance. The guard she struck took notice of her and the two exchanged a quick conversation before he came meandering towards her. It was Reed, one of her guardsmen's apprentice. He approached, rubbing his helmet sorely.

"How'd you hit me from that far? HEY, BE CARE-!"

Before he could finish, Aricia stood herself on top of the railing and hurled herself through the air. She waited enthusiastically as she crashed into Reed's grasps, causing both to fall onto the coarse grass underneath.

"Hey, what happened!" cried a distance voice.

Reed just glared at Aricia disapprovingly. She shushed him, got up, and hid behind a bush as the footsteps approached

"It's nothing. Just thought I saw a snake around here."

"You crazy... Don't be yelling so suddenly." the other man sighed.

"Sorry 'bout that."

As the man walked away, Aricia popped her head from the bush and smiled at Reed before resuming her escape.

"Hold it." Reed grabbed her arm. "What're you doing. You could've got hurt, and I heard about you runnin' away from your classes. Your tricks aren't gonna help you escape this time."

Aricia turned around innocently. "How's Mary?"

"She's fine. Don't change the topic. You're still going to be in trouble."

Aricia smiled. "If I'm in trouble, then you are going to be too."

Her grandma would hire young workers only for a short time. She didn't understand it, but she knew he could get in trouble for secretly meeting up with Mary all the time.

The teen had finally caught on to what Aricia was implying.

Reed frowned at her. "Cunning little...That's the last time I'm telling you my stories."

Aricia frowned at that. She enjoyed listening to his stories. "That's okay. I can ask Mary then."

"That's... She's not... wait,"

Aricia watched as the man dejectedly let go of her arm.

"Alright. You win. Don't go telling anyone alright little missy?"

Aricia nodded and turned away to the open fields, laughing to herself. As she approached her uncle in his usual purple cape, a fun thought suddenly crossed her mind. He was always looking off into the distance so Aricia could probably sneak up on him if she tried. She began creeping up on him. Eyeing the ground below for empty parts in the grass, she navigated closer and closer to the tall figure. A light wind blew across the field, making her clothes shuffle under the shift of the breeze. She quickly held them down again. Though it was barely audible, she wanted to stay as quiet as possible. Glancing up to make sure her uncle hadn't noticed, she kept on creeping nearer. Just as she was ready to pounce, Aricia watched as he quickly turned around towards her.

"Hi!

Aricia, caught by surprise, began stumbling backward.

Oh no! The clothes!

She flailed about in a futile effort to rebalance herself and just as she was about to fall, Aricia felt a hand stop her descent.

"Haha, sorry about that." her uncle teased.

As she was propped back up, Aricia checked the droopy side of the dress to make sure that no dirt had smeared on it.

Clearing his throat, her uncle suddenly began talking in a politer tone.

"Excuse me miss but have you seen my mischievous niece around here. She's especially late for our lesson today."

Aricia chuckled. "Sorry. Mother had me locked up for the party."

"Well, I wished they would have told me about that. By the way, you look great in those clothes."

"Thanks. Mother made me these for me."

"Really? How long did it take for her to make it?"

Aricia thought a bit before shrugging.

"Hmm. Well, in any case, I don't think you should be out here getting your clothes dirty then. Let's go back inside."

Astor began walking towards the house.

"What about my training?"

"We will continue it later. For now, you just focus on the having trying to have fun at your party."

Aricia sighed as they started towards the house. "It's going to be boring. I have to do exactly what Margery tells me to do."

Astor chuckled in amusement.

Aricia continued, "Didn't you ever have to take classes like with Margery?"

"What does she teach?"

"Manners, math, history, and more stuff."

"Well, when I was younger, most of the things I learned was taught to me by my mother. Sometimes, she would hire tutors for me, but they never stayed for too long."

The two trailed off the path of stepping stones and began traversing through the grass.

"Grandma taught you? But she always looks so busy."

"Back then, she..."

Aricia watched as the tall figure shuffled anxiously.

"...wasn't always so busy. Hey, by the way, are you excited about the presents you're going to be getting?"

Aricia had almost forgotten about that. "Yea!"

"After all your studying, It's the least we can do for you."

Aricia wanted to ask more about Grandma Helen, but by that time, the two were already through the doorway and up the stairs. She watched as the two maids standing in front of her room turned to them in shock.

"Miss Aricia! When did you get out?"

The two hurried over towards them.

"It seems you somehow snuck your way out, huh?" her uncle smiled to her.

She shushed him.

As the two approach, her uncle began talking, "I thought it would better to hold off from our training for now."

"Thank you for guiding her back, sir."

"It's no hassle."

Astor turned back around to face her.

"Good luck at the party tomorrow."

"Thank you."

She watched as her uncle proceeded back down the hallway. Aricia turned back and glared into her bedroom.

"Mother has not yet returned, correct?"

Both maids averted their gazes.

Of course. Even after all this time, she's still not back.

Aricia strolled into her room and planted her face onto the soft mattress of her bed. Today was supposed to be her free day from the relentless amount of studying. Instead, she had to wait through the whole morning and a good portion of the afternoon because of her indecisive, dallying of her mother.

Rolling around in the comfort of the sheets, she settled on a thought.

What are the present going to be like?

Her grandmother had always got her the best gifts. Last year, she received a Frost Weaver's Net. It was especially useful during the really hot days. Aricia stared up at the cooling device above her wardrobe on the other side of the room. From the contraption, a spider-like web protruded outwards in the shape of a cone. Placed at its core was a cream, blue shard, glowing eerily to a steady beat. Acting as the support for the gem were six, nearly symmetrical antlers that connected to form a hexagonal frame.

Aricia wondered how the it worked. From what her uncle had shown her, a crystal needed an external source of energy to work, but hers seemed to activate by itself.

Having no idea, Aricia flipped over on her bed and stared at the ceiling. Just as she was about to close her eyes, she heard a succession of footsteps approach her door from outside.

"I'm sorry, Aricia. I've wanted to add a veil, so I had to a person run to the nearby town. It took much longer than I expected"

Her mother held up a purple hat that had two wispy fibers hanging down the front.

"Can you put this on for me please."

Aricia reluctantly put on the hat.

"It's perfect!" her mother affirmed.

Aricia rolled her eyes.

At least, at the end of this, I might get some interesting, new things.