Chapter 11

“The Soreno Kingdom has been known for producing the finest Mages in history,” Caspian said with pride, while Cerise found herself nodding off while she read the tenth book that Caspian forced her to read out of the many piles of books that she must still read. “If you want to be someone befitting of Roselle, then I will train you to become someone who could hold the Grand Duelist title alongside her. It’s the least that I can for my previous sins.”

“Are you still going on about that?” Cerise said while stifling a yawn. Damn it, she couldn’t keep her eyes open! She just needed at least a five-minute nap, or maybe a ten-minute nap…maybe longer. Her head started to swim with histories and dates and names that all jumbled together like indecipherable hieroglyphics. “Caspian, you were one wrong move down to the path of darkness, but I believe that anyone is capable of redeeming themselves. Some people may make a mistake, some may have even taken innocent lives, but it’s never too late to change oneself. However, you managed to overcome your weakness and you’re managing it just fine…though still, you’re devoting all your taskmaster sadisticness on me, aren’t you?”

Prince Caspian smirked at Cerise.

“You may have won over Roselle’s heart, but you haven’t won mine yet, dearest Cerise de Vernase. You need to prove to me that you’re a worthy bride for the Princess, you know.”

“Since when do I have to prove anything to you?” Cerise said with slight irritation, her right eye forming a tic. “You’re just overloading me with books and boring crap of the history of the Soreno Kingdom.”

“Oh, are you saying you’re ready to handle my training,” Caspian said with a smirk and a dangerous gleam in his eye. “You’re not even a tenth of the way there, Miss de Vernase”

“Yeah, yeah,” Cerise said, suddenly letting out a great big sigh and plopping her head into the book that she was reading. “Wake me up in ten minutes.”

“You can’t stop now!” Caspian said. “You need to study! You need to understand the ley line layout of the Soreno Kingdom! You need to be someone of ambition! You can’t be satisfied with just stopping there. No matter how tough or boring it, you must do it for your own betterment. That’s how you become excellent. That’s how you become the Grand Duelist. Did you think Roselle sat idly by and took ten-minute naps when she was studying under her assassin tutors? Not a chance or they would’ve wiped her out!”

“I’m not Roselle,” Cerise said with a yawn, though Prince Caspian lifted up her head and tilted her chin towards him, his face dangerously close.

“Listen to you,” Prince Caspian aid, his golden eyes narrowed towards her. “I will whip you into shape if I must. Now get reading or else I’ll have Viola inject you with a poison while you’re unaware, which you’ll need to discover the antidote for somewhere in this library.”

“That’s not fair,” Cerise groaned. “I’d die.”

“That’s what you keep telling yourself,” Prince Caspian muttered. “Honestly, how could Roselle love a hopeless girl like you.”

“I honestly don’t know,” Cerise said, shrugging her shoulders. I’m not as amazing or talented as her. And to be honest, my match with you was won by pure luck as well. No matter how much I try to avoid my destiny, it seems like the world is conspiring against me to put me in the role of the hero that saved the world.”

“Your indifference unsettles me,” Caspian said in amazement.

“Look at you two,” Roselle said with a smile on her face. “Bickering and squabbling like siblings. I think that you two can become very good friends.”

“No,” Cerise and Caspian said, frowning towards Roselle, before frowning towards one another.

“She’s slacking off on her duties!” Caspian said. “How am I supposed to make a Grand Duelist out of her? She can’t possibly hope to share the same title as you as long as she has this kind of work ethic.”

“Well excuse me, Prince,” Cerise said as she shoved a hand towards his face. “Who was the one who defeated you in a match to the death and spared you.”

“It’s utterly shameful!” Prince Caspian said before she took Cerise’s cheeks and started to grab at them and stretch them with his fingers.

Roselle simply laughed, clutching her sides while she watched her lover and best friend’s antics together. Eventually, Cerise couldn’t help but laugh too, and Caspian joined in.

“I think,” Caspian said. “This calls for a cup of tea, wouldn’t you say?”

“Tea would be lovely,” Roselle said, and Cerise frowned.

“I’d prefer coffee,” Cerise said, to which Caspian and Roselle gasped.

“Coffee? But…” Roselle said while scrunching up her face.

“…It’s so bitter!” Caspian said while making a face as well alongside Roselle.

“Well, you can always sweeten it up with sugar and cream if you must,” Cerise said before Roselle and Caspian gave their minds to Cerise.

“Do you know why they call it afternoon tea here? It’s not afternoon coffee, it’s afternoon tea!” Caspian said in a rant. “Which you should have three times a day and sparingly use sugar and honey if you’d like, but a plain cup of tea is far sweeter than any coffee with sugar and cream. Tea is the quintessential beverage of the elite; if you want to be elite, then you must drink tea too.”

“Well, I say that coffee should be the drink of elites,” Cerise countered. “Even if it’s bitter, once you take down that first swallow liquid that is black as death and sweet as hell! You must absolutely try it sometime.”

“I will never drink that horrid drink!” Roselle declared. “Just no, no, no, NO. Tea is more refined and lovely. It’s a drink befitting for the Grand Duelist.”

“Aren’t you guys taking this a little too seriously?” Cerise said as she sweated a little at Roselle and Caspian's passionate discourse. She could tell that they were good friends in the past and that they were well on their way to mending their friendship in the present.

Cerise wondered how the two of them met, though she supposed that would be a story for another time. In the present, she could see taht some part of Caspian truly cared about Roselle this entire time; though his love ended up being smothering to her and It made Roselle retreat from him. However, Cerise had tosmile. She was glad that roselle opened up her heart again, and she could see that the Prince started to open up his heart as well. Somehow, Cerise had a way to open up people’s hearts. That was her special power. She wondered if love really was magic, that it was the most potent force in the universe. It can topple over dragons and Krakens; it can even topple over entire civilizations and rebuild them anew.

She wondered how the Soreno Kingdom would prosper now that Prince Caspian finally came back to his senses. It seemed that he could become a fair ruler, just like Roselle. And now they gained an ally on their quest for the Philosopher’s Stone. She knew that some part of Caspian would always pine for Roselle; you don’t forget your first love so easily. But she was sure that Prince Caspian, with his handsome face and his smarts and talents, could find a suitable wife for himself if he wished. Or a husband. He was rather beautiful in a patrician sort of way, almost as fair as his sister, Princess Nautilus.

“You two look good together,” Cerise said with a smile, and Roselle and Caspian turned to look towards her in confusion.

“Do you really think so?” Prince Caspian said with a flush, and Roselle giggled at the Prince’s plight.

“Hahaha, Cerise, sometimes you say the strangest things,” Roselle said while sliding Cerise into a hug and giving her a slight smooch. “What do you personally think about Cerise and I, Caspian?”

Caspian smiled before saying, “Roselle looks radiant as usual…”

Then to Cerise. “And this redhead is too much for me to handle. Are you sure you can handle her, Roselle?”

Roselle sniffed.

“Please, Caspian. I’m the Grand Duelist. Though speaking of that title…”

“There’s no need for a rematch,” Prince Caspian said. “You’ve rightfully earned it. I would like to spar with you again, though, not as a claim for the Grand Duelist title, but as friends that have a deep bond with one another.”

“You were the one who taught me hot to do swordplay, after all,” Roselle said with a giggle. “I wanted to become a Prince just like you.”

“Whether you’re a Prince or a Princess,” Capsian said with a smile. “You’re definitely my beloved Roselle. Never change.”

“Get a room, you too,” Cerise muttered before Roselle flushed.

“Oh please, Cerise, there’s no need for your sass. Caspian and I are very dear friends, that’s all!”

Cerise then wondered how their battle went with one another, for the title of Grand Duelist. She learned that Roselle wanted to be a Prince like Prince Caspian. Cerise thought that was adorable in a way, and she learned a little more about Roselle and how her bridge to strive for greatness. It was through Caspian, who was a stepping stone to her greater career as a Dueling Princess. Their battle must’ve been must’ve been magnificent to behold; Cerise could only imagine the footwork they used in their duels, like graceful dancers, parrying and thrusting with their rapiers.

“Honestly,” Cerise said as she looked towards Prince Caspian and Roselle. “You two are on point with one another. You’re able to think of what the other is thinking.”

“That’s because we’ve known one another for so long,” Caspian said with some pride in his voice. “I know that Roselle wants to…”

“Caspian!” Roselle said in a warning tone, and Caspian merely laughed at his friend’s flustered state while Roselle turned several degrees red.

“Did we suddenly forget that we’re training Cerise to hold the title Grand Duelist alongside you?” Caspian said with dead seriousness before Roselle waved it with a hand.

“My beloved wife will be able to uphold the title. I have absolute trust in her, after all.”

“I see,” Caspian said. “Well, Cerise, Roselle may have gotten you off my training regiment, but you have to remember that it takes diligence and consistency to become a Grand Duelist.”

“Sure,” Cerise said. “But I want to learn more about magic. Why don’t you teach me how to summon creatures like Princess Nautilus? Like she could summon a giant Kraken and flying jellyfish!”

“That will come in time,” Capsian said sternly. “But first you must research the lore and history behind the Soreno Kingdom”

“It’s so boring!” Cerise said as she tossed a book aside. Caspian’s eyes widened and he managed to catch the book before it toppled face down on the floor.

“How could you do that to these sacred tomes?” Prince Caspian said. “After the Soreno Kingdom spent so many years collecting these priceless treasures, you would dare toss them aside like they’re garbage!”

“They’re so boring though!” Cerise said while scrunching up her face. “Why don’t we do something more exciting like have a magic duel.”

“You don’t wish to challenge me to a magic duel, Cerise,” Capsian said with a tic forming in his right eye. “I am destined to become an Archmage of the Soreno Kingdom.”

“Well, teach me how to be like you, then,” Cerise said. “ I want to be able to summon powerful magic.”

“You’re not ready yet,” Caspian said with a certain finality. “It takes years of training, and you’re a fledgling young Mage that has untapped magic potential You need proper training, so that’s why you need to learn Magic theory.”

“I can help you with that, Cerise,” Roselle said eagerly. “I’ve read tomes upon tomes of Magic Theory! I couldn’t perform magic myself, but I will be able to help you in this regard surely, along with Prince Caspian.”

“Mm…” Cerise said. “How am I ever going to get a break from you two? You two are such stern taskmasters!”

“If you think it’s hell now,” Capsian said seriously. “Wait till tomorrow.”