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Canterlot Dinner Party- Chapter 2
A humongous stack of books teetered precariously on a sagging table. Each book selected for it’s age and air of ancient knowledge.
Mirai had spent her first few hours in the archives gathering up the pile that now sat before her and ignoring the protests from Twilight who repeatedly insisted she “make a list” of the books she took. Unfortunately for Twilight there was knowledge to be had and Mirai had never really been one for organization. Mirai eyed the stack hungrily and selected a particularly old, venerable tome and cracked it open, the ancient binding complaining noisily. “You look like a good place to start,” she cooed. Her eyes flew over the words, drank in their glory before she shut the book with a snap. “I can't read...”
Mirai muttered in despair as she sank back into the voluminous cushion she was sitting on. Her eyes fell upon Twilight running here and there with a roll of parchment and a quill, rapidly cataloguing the places where she had taken books. Presumably so they could be returned without her learning a single solitary morsel of ancient unicorn magic. A solution to her problem suddenly came to her and she stood to follow the purple unicorn. Twilight never noticed a thing until Mirai snuck an arm around her and pulled her to a stop. Twilight froze and started to shake in fear. Mirai couldn't blame her, she had startled her pretty badly. “Twilight.” She said evenly from right next to her.
“Y-yes Ambassador?” Twilight squeaked.
“I've discovered something just terrible Twilight.” Mirai said with only partially fake sorrow in her voice. “I-I can't read pony.”
“GAAAH! What!?” Twilight gasped. “That's horrible! Everypony should know how to read!”
Mirai grasped Twilight’s head pulling her close, her cheeks reddened both from the embarrassment and from her cheeks being mashed. “Twilight, you have to teach me pony words!”
“Of course I will!” Twilight said, writing supplies appearing out of thin air once again. She really did have to learn that at some point. “I'll have you reading before I have to go oversee the Summer Sun Celebration!” Twilight practically bled determination. “I’ll write up a schedule right away!”
“Excellent.” Mirai said with a diabolical grin.
Early the following morning Princess Celestia trotted along the hallway that led to the archives in search of Ambassador Mirai. She had grown a little worried when she had received a message from her staff that she had never visited the room they had set aside for her last night. Certainly she hadn't stayed up the entire night... Though if she was with Twilight then that was not beyond the realm of possibility. Celestia had to hoof it to Mirai, she was the only one to date that appeared to match Twilight’s zeal for knowledge.
As she turned the corner she was met with Twilight’s companion and assistant Spike, the tiny treant <Companionable Twig> and a small gaggle of various maids and guards all watching something through the slightly open doors to the archives. Curious, she snuck up behind them and peered through the gap thanking her convenient height for not needing to disturb them.
Inside was a strange sight. Twilight flashing back and forth, teleporting basic reading materials here and there as needed. All the while giving a lecture to Mirai who was scribbling madly on a piece of parchment, one of many scattered around her seat. Both of them looked disheveled and seemed to move and speak at an almost frantic pace.
As Celestia watched the two she could feel a strange vigor seep into her bones. Her surroundings sharpened and she could feel her mind taking it all in. With her sudden boost she could see in far more detail the scene in front of her, not so much her vision improving but her mind taking in and processing more details. The tiny copper ended cylinders on the table next to Mirai stood out, two laid over on their side with another standing on end as if waiting to be used. As if on cue the elf snatched the waiting cylinder in her hand and without even pausing in her writing held it to her chest. Magic flowed out of the little object and into Mirai.
The situation clicked in Celestia’s mind and she suddenly felt concerned. Artificially boosting mental functions was very advanced and delicate magic and to hold it for any extensive length of time would rapidly result in mental fatigue.
Celestia nudged Spike with a hoof causing him to lethargically turn to look at her. “Spike, how long has this been going on?” She asked the dazed looking drake.
“Princess?” Spike mumbled, rubbing his eyes before looking at her again. The Princess frowned at his lack of coherent response. A little further prodding finally got her an answer of “all night.”
Celestia stepped through the doors with a hurried step, jostling the gathered staff. She felt the stirring of the crowd behind her as if they hadn't realized they had been stationary for so long. They moved around and muttered confusedly before splitting off to continue their work. The exception to this was young Spike and <Twig> who followed her into the room.
“Hello Ambassador, Twilight.” She said coming to a halt next to Mirai's table. The girls continued on without acknowledging her until she waved a wing in front of the elf. Mirai jerked back and looked around as if dazed before the feeling of unnatural vigor faded. Twilight kept on talking for a few seconds before coming to a slow, halting stop.
“Wait... what was I doing?” Twilight muttered.
Mirai glanced down at her notes. “You were explaining conjugation.”
“Oh right, so the proper use of the Imperial comma comes after the-” Twilight continued before a loud cough from Celestia drew her her attention.
“Oh, umm... hello Princess.” Twilight said quietly as she suddenly shrank down to cower on the floor.
“Hello Twilight.” Celestia said with a serious look on her face. “What are you two doing?”
“Oh... um... teaching the Ambassador how to read?” Twilight said uncertainty. “We just started to cover Ancient Imperial.”
Celestia's raised a brow at that. “Why were you teaching her a dead language?”
Twilight stuttered for a moment before managing to answer “W-Well I already taught her Equestrian a-and she wanted to know the oldest language n-next.”
Spike elbowed the small tree next to him. “Yeah that sounds like something Twilight would do.” The tree next to him remained silent and perfectly still. Spike watched it for any signs of a response before giving up and rolling his eyes. “Yeesh, tough crowd.”
Celestia's other brow joined the first. “You taught her two languages in one night?”
“One and a half.” Mirai muttered automatically.
“And that spell you were using?” Celestia turned her eye to Mira who was trying in vain to gather up the numerous rolls of parchment that held her notes.
Mirai waved a hand around as if trying to physically grasp errant thoughts. “It's my personal variation of the royal family’s ‘Revitalize’ spell, which I modified to focus the mind in addition to alleviating fatigue and curing minor wounds. It makes staying on task really easy and you get a lot more done, but when you’re inexperienced with the effects-” Mirai gestured to Twilight, “-it takes you some time to reorganize your thoughts whenever you have to change your subject of attention. I call it ‘Scholar’s Focus.’”
Celestia blinked. “How do you-”
“Teach me!” Twilight shouted, suddenly appearing in a flash of magic mere inches away from Mirai's face. The little mare shook her by her shoulders, “In the name of books you must tell me your secrets! Think of all the reading I could do! Think of all the time I've wasted!”
“I can't!” Mirai shouted as her head was whipped around. Finally Twilight was pulled away by a yellow glow.
Celestia, horn alight, placed a hoof on her temple to try and ease her building headache.
“Why not!?” The unicorn demanded as she hung upside down.
“Because you have to have an affinity for life magic!” Mirai said as she regained her bearings. “A strong life affinity to get any effect worthwhile. Forgive my assumptions but I don't even know if you have affinities like elves do.”
“But my affinity is magic!” Twilight said as she slowly spun in circles. “It's my special talent.” She pointed to the pictogram on her flank.
Celestia nodded.“While my student is being somewhat... over enthusiastic, it's true. Twilight possesses a great aptitude for any magic she puts her mind toward.”
Mirai frowned and shook her head. “That's not what I’m talking about.”
The two equestrians shared a glance before motioning for her to explain.
Mirai sighed and did something she hadn’t tried to do in a while. With a flick of her fingers a few pathetic sparks arced into the air and fizzled out uselessly on Twilight’s nose.
Twilight brushed her nose off with a hoof and looked up at Mirai questioningly.
“That...” Mirai said as she waved her singed fingers around to cool them off. “Was my best attempt at Fearghal’s Flame Lance spell.”
“While I’m concerned you attempted to use a fire spell in a library, not to mention on my student, what were you trying to show us?” Celestia said frowning.
Mirai rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry, I knew it wouldn't do anything. Mechanically, I can cast that spell just as well as Fearghal but if he were the one who had cast that just now it would have blown your head off.” The ponies both gasped. “All the magic I’ve got in my body is Life natured.” Mirai said standing up and walking around the table. “That means I can cast things like healing spells very well but any spell that falls outside the concept of ‘Life’ I will never be able to cast.”
Celestia's frown intensified. “I believe I understand. But what of young Spike and the castle staff that were compelled to stare at you for hours?”
Mirai looked over her shoulder but failing to find anyone, the staff having long left, turned back to the princess. “Sorry about that. The truth is this is actually the second spell I got out of modifying the Revitalize spell. The first was Nocturnal Vigilance, which lets you go without sleeping and also boosts your perception to draw your attention to anything that changes in your environment. I got Scholar’s Focus after that by pushing the spell farther. Unfortunately this means the effects of one spell sometimes bleed into the other when I'm not paying attention while casting it. So if you're not already focused on something when I make that mistake, or not used to the effects... well your mind finds you something to focus on.”
Celestia nodded. It sounded like a fairly easy mistake to make for what sounded like a will based spell. “Any other negative effects?” She felt somewhat rude for grilling the ambassador so thoroughly but the health of her subjects was worth a potential political faux pas.
To her great relief Mirai shook her head. “None. I've used these spells to stay awake for months before with no noticeable ills.”
Twilight nodded in satisfaction and the Princess imagined that within Twilight was rubbing her hooves together diabolically.
Celestia sighed before leaning down to nuzzle her student leaving Twilight an embarrassed wreck. “Very well. I'll request you exercise more caution the next time you decide to use wide area magic. It could have unforeseen effects.”
Mirai bowed her head in acquiescence, it would be extremely stupid to fail her mission because she found it inconvenient to use a little more vigilance. “I will. Thank you for your forgiveness.”
“Twilight I am about to raise the sun, would you, Spike or the Ambassador like to watch?” Celestia walked over and open the door to the gardens before looking back over her shoulder.
“Y-Yes I'd love to princess!” Twilight said, nearly hopping after her mentor.
“Alright!” Spike cheered. “I always love watching this! Come on lady you don't want to miss this!” He said, scampering after the two.
Mirai stared after them for a long few seconds before her mental processes restarted. “What!?” She chased after them, nearly tripping over her own haste in the process.When she made it outside she was nearly blinded by a bright light that filled the courtyard. Mirai averted her eyes from the glowing pony and instead looked toward the horizon. before her eyes the star studded, deep violet sky brightened from shades of purple to a faint pink. The light coming from Celestia lessened, allowing her to look in her direction without shielding her eyes. The princess stood perfectly still with her eyes closed and a serene expression on her face, the light coming from her horn flickering like a torch. The giant burning orb that was the sun climbed into the air taking the sky from pink to orange to finally the easily recognisable clear blue of day. Twilight and Spike were silent as they watched the event with familiar awe before cheering as the light faded from Celestia’s horn. Mirai suddenly felt she had made a grievous error.
“Woo! That was a great show, as usual Princess.” Spike said jovially. “I can't wait for the Summer Sun Celebration!”
The comment earned a smile from her as she leaned down to nuzzle him. “Thank you, young Spike. I think you have learned the art of flattery well. I'm sure your etiquette teacher will be happy to hear.”
“But Princess... you're our etiquette teacher.” Twilight said with a confused look.
Celestia’s small smile grew just the tiniest bit.
The ponies and Spike missed seeing the sudden terrified expression that overtook Mirai’s face as her own thoughts presented one frightening scenario after another. “Excuse me.” She said as she turned back around and walked quickly back into the archives leaving two confused ponies and a drake behind.
“Wonder what's eating her?” Spike muttered, earning a hushed “Spike!” from Twilight.
Celestia stared after the retreating elf with concern in her eyes. Had she scared the poor girl? Her eyes narrowed as she went over their few short interactions for anything specific that would explain the look of sudden terror that had come over the face of the Ambassador but... eventually came up with nothing. Perhaps she had simply been overwhelmed? Sometimes the realization that the sun was under the control of a single pony was a bit much for some beings. A distant memory of a similar occurrence the first time she had met with the zebra all of those centuries ago crossed her mind and she cursed herself for her forgetfulness. New races were bound to have sensitivities and it was amateurish of her to have forgotten that.
“Princess Celestia?” Came the concerned voice of Twilight. “Is the Ambassador alright? She seemed... upset.”
Celestia met Twilight’s gaze with a reassuring look. “I’m sure she will be fine Twilight. Sometimes the raising of the sun, while an everyday occurrence to ponies, is an overwhelming experience to beings who are unfamiliar with me.” She tucked Twilight and Spike under a wing to reassure them. “I’m sure there is nothing to worry about.”
A door in one of the diplomatic suites was very nearly implanted in the wall if not for being caught by a slender hand. Mirai Si’Maire entered the room, huffing to catch her breath. After nearly giving a maid a heart attack she had, politely, asked for the location of the room she had been given. After running most of the way the fear she had felt had lessened greatly but a smoldering anger had taken its place.
“You are such an idiot!” she hissed quietly to herself. “Celestia is a god, she controls the damn sun! ” She paced back and forth in the spacious suite, anger fueling her steps. “I should've known, should have been watching. I thought she was just a powerful ruler or her dynasty was conflated with the sun by her people.” She paused, a shiver of fear making its way down her spine. Gods, she hadn’t thought about that possibility and the prospect of becoming at odds with one made her mission far less pleasant. Maybe she should beg Celestia to share her lands with the elves?
The thought was discarded bare moments after entering her mind.
“Gods do not bargain.” She muttered to herself. “They seek only to secure their own. An elven life is a worthless coin, they want nothing more than to toss it away.” The words she learned from Kiera, the young demon hunter who had journeyed alongside her. She closed her eyes, mind tracing back to recall the girl’s striking eyes that glowed slightly in the dark, like a predator’s. “Demons deal, Gods do not bargain.” Mirai repeated it like a well worn mantra as she slowly lowered herself to sit on the bed.
Now here she was in a brand new world and already in the clutches of another god.
“Aillil, Melisim preserve me.” She whispered as the consequences of failure crept back into her mind, images of her friends and family dead - or worse - infected her thoughts like a disease. The Forgotten One’s horde preying on their flesh, scraping their hideous teeth with the splintered bones of innocents. All of them dying knowing that Aillil and Melisim were helpless to prevent any of it, restrained by the jealous and petty gods of other races. Mirai shivered and wrapped herself in her own arms in a vain attempt to ward off the disturbing images.
A quick glance around the room had her going to her pack that had been helpfully leaned against a nearby wall and pulling the thick blanket off of the top. More than anything the thought of being wrapped up in something from home eased her mind. She grabbed the edge and flicked the blanket to unroll it but a loud clatter distracted her from the waiting warmth and comfort. Against the far wall lay a long, intricately carved, tube of brassy metal with a wooden grip. Various delicate parts were welded to the exterior, all leading back to the chamber that held a fourth mana storage device.
Mirai recognized it immediately as the original inspiration for the huge cannons that now lined the walls of Dorast that she had used as a personal weapon for years before returning to Eogan. Reaching down and gently lifting it from the floor she closely inspected it for damage. After finding none her hands clenched tightly around it. “Thank you.” she whispered as she held her weapon like a talisman against her fears of failure.
Hours passed as Mirai plotted a way out from under Celestia. It was difficult but finally a clear course of action emerged.
First she would learn as much as she could from Twilight and the archive. These ponies seemed to have a firm understanding of teleportation and that was a much better place to begin than trying with nothing. Fortunately she had some time before the next phase of her plan, plenty of time to study and if she had to trade Twilight every spell she had to get any help she needed then it was just something she would have to do... An image popped into her mind of Twilight, mane wild and crazy eyed flinging around Famish sent a cold chill up her spine. “Ok, maybe not every spell.” Mirai muttered as she wrapped her blanket tighter around herself. She stared sightless at the other wall as the next piece of her plan took shape.
Then, she would ask to accompany Twilight on her business. This Summer Sun Celebration sounded like some kind of festival and Twilight said she had something to do with it soon. Once away with Twilight on her errand she would make her excuses to not return to Canterlot, something along the lines of ‘Needing to experience Equestria first hand.’ should do.
Lastly, find a way to do what she had to do. Do it. Save everyone.
Mirai swallowed a lump in her throat. “Ok I can do this...”
After a few extra hours of wallowing in the closest thing she could get to assurance and a nap Mirai was awakened by a knock on the door. Rubbing her eyes she answered it still wrapped in her blanket. A maid waited on the other side and looked up at her with a smile.
“I’m sorry to interrupt if you were sleeping ambassador but the princess asked me to invite you to dinner.” The maid said, the little brown mare fidgeting with her uniform.
Mirai paused, food sounded nice, she thought as a rather unladylike grumble echoed in the marble hallway.
“I'll tell them you accept!” The little mare said as she pranced away down the hall.
Mirai watched after her with a dumb expression on her face until the maid turned a corner. Shaking the sleep out of her mind Mirai retreated back into her room to wash up.
When she finally did feel elvish enough to attend dinner with a princess she left her room and walked out into the hallway. A few moments passed as she just stared at the opposite wall... Then turned left and looked down the marble corridor before doing the same to the right. “I don't actually know where the dining room is.” She muttered as frustration welled in her mind.
Deciding to follow the only clue she had she headed left after the maid who came to get her. She walked for a while, turning here or there as dead ends or came up or something looked particularly interesting caught her eye but ultimately ended up wandering aimlessly. After nearly ten minutes of exploration she heard the sound of hooves clicking against the marble.
Down one of the branches she saw a white pony dressed in the top half of a very ornate looking suit. As he neared Mirai waved a hand to get his attention. “Excuse me.” She said as he came to a stop to look at her. “Would you happen to know where the dining room is?”
“Certainly.” The pony responded in a haughty voice before continuing on his way. Figuring that he was leading her, Mirai followed after. A few long moments of silence stretched between them as they walked before the well dressed pony spoke up. “You must be the ambassador I've heard about.” He said without even turning his head.
“Yes I am, my name is Mirai Si’Maire of the house Ancea here from the kingdom of Eogan.” She replied formally.
The pony drew himself up taking a deep breath before speaking. “I am Prince Blueblood of Equestria.” He spoke with as much authority as he could muster. “Tell me, what purpose does Eogan have contacting us?”
Mirai shot him a look out of the corner of her eye, her mind working quickly to add more detail to the excuses she had already used. “At the moment we wish to learn about your monarchy and your surroundings Your Highness. If all goes well there may be trade talks in the future. I have seen a great amount of exotic foods and goods the merchants of my home would likely be quite interested in.” None of which was a lie... Though the circumstances would be wildly different then she let on.
The pony swelled up even more as he walked. “It is good to hear you know the proper way to address your betters ambassador.” He said with a smug lilt to his voice. “I would assume your kingdom had the sense to send a noble daughter as their representative?”
Mirai’s rolling eyes were thankfully unnoticed by the Prince. “Yes Your Highness. The house of Ancea is very well acquainted with the royal family. Once many centuries ago we were even offered the kingdom in the aftermath of a great calamity, though we declined.”
“What?!” Blueblood suddenly yelped, whipping his head around to look at her. “Why would you ever decline?!”
“Self Awareness.” Mirai said with a smirk. “My family is known for... Extreme personalities. It is likely we would have driven the kingdom into the ground before the decade had been out. But then a much better candidate showed up soon after that anyway so we were quite happy to dump the entire thing in their lap.”
“Humph” Blueblood turned back and continued down the hallway. At the far end of which were a pair of large double doors with stylized sun symbols etched in the surface.
“So...” Mirai began uneasily. “Are you really related to Celestia by blood or...?” She left the question hanging.
Blueblood sighed and picked up the pace slightly. “No.” He said, bitterness on full display. “I am a direct descendant of Princess Platinum. Ancient unicorn royalty from before the founding of Equestria. My title is mostly just ceremonial.” He hissed, face twisting into a countenance of fury.
Mirai glanced off to the side as she broke out in a sweat. “I didn't mean to upset you Your Highness.” She said as they neared the doors. The guards standing there saluted and went to pull them open.
“It's quite alright, tis a millennia old grievance.” Blueblood said as he checked his mane with a hoof. “It was nice to speak with someone who shows me the respect I deserve for once.”
Mirai caught the guards who stood next to the open door rolling their eyes.
“But dinner awaits, let us not keep Aunty waiting.” Blueblood said as he gestured to the table, a certain purple unicorn already seated alongside a certain Goddess.
Mirai grimaced as she nodded and followed him in.
Dishes clinked as everyone sitting at the table ate in silence, Mirai trying hard to ignore the looming presence of Celestia. She spooned a little more of the stange foods she liked onto her plate, the mushy round green things were avoided like the plague. The cheese and bread were by far her favorite things, and the least strange, but it would have been rude if she had hogged them all for herself. The utter lack of meat was something she head learned about and was used to from her short stay in Vanhoover so it was no surprise that the food was all some sort of fruit or vegitable.
“So...” Celestia began, everyone at the table freezing the moment she opened her mouth, either out of respect or in Mirai’s case, fear. “I see you have already met my nephew, ambassador.”
“We spoke after meeting in the hall.” Blueblood said, holding a spoonful of soup aloft in his magic.
“He helped me find the dining room.” Mirai said quietly, trying to keep her eyes away from the deity at the table.
Celestia smiled at Blueblood who stared at his plate as though important life truths were hidden among the broccoli and cheese.
The slightly awkward atmosphere continued as the meal progressed until the Princess cleared her throat. “*ahem* Ambassador, would you mind if I posed a question?”
Mirai glanced around the room, seemingly looking anywhere but at Celestia. “I wouldn't mind Your Highness.” She finally said, looking intently at the various artworks that hung here and there around the room.
“Demoted me back to ‘Your Highness’ have you?.” She said narrowing her eyes. Mirai broke out into a sweat as the look bored into her composure. Celestia held the glare for just another moment before brightening again. “I was wondering if you would be willing to tell us a little about your homeland? This Eogan must be an interesting place being so far from here.”
Mirai’s sweating intensified as she glanced around the room in a panic. What was she going to tell a deity that wouldn't be caught out in a lie? “Well...” She began, taking a moment to clear her throat. “*ahem* Eogan is the name of the country and the capital city, but I have only rarely visited. I lived in a village nearby named Aran.” The elf looked up to see all present looking at her with interest. She closed her eyes and tried not to think about who was listening and more on what she was going to tell them. “Unlike my army of cousins I was always a bookish girl.” Mirai let herself smile as she calmed and began to remember the carefree days of the past. “I stayed inside and read... Unless there was knowledge to be had at the end of whatever adventure my cousins proposed. We always got in a lot of trouble for those but me especially as the heir.”
“So you were being groomed for the responsibility.” Blueblood spoke up, nodding. “Your family knows how to raise their offspring.”
Mirai nodded with a smile. “Yes, my mother Maire was always very strict. She had to be as the Matriarch.”
“Your mother’s name was Bitterness?” Twilight said with a grimace. “She sounds kind of scary.”
Mirai boggled at the fact they already knew the meaning of her mother’s name before Celestia spoke up to clear the miscommunication. “It's the translation spell, please continue.”
“Right...” Mirai said, scolding herself for forgetting about that. “Anyway, apparently I was a handful but I was happy to get childhood out of the way. We have this marriage tradition where when the children of the family reached the proper age they would leave home and search for a spouse. I was particularly excited for it because it meant I got to leave Aran and see the rest of the kingdom.”
“You had to get MARRIED?” Twilight nearly shouted only to be hushed by Celestia.
“There are many cultures that practice ceremonies that seem strange to us.” Celestia whispered in Twilight’s ear.
“Well...” Mirai said with a nervous smile. “The very first thing I did when I got out of Aran was forget all about that and go visit an ancient dangerous ruin in search of arcane secrets.”
Blueblood huffed. “You acted irresponsibly.” He said drawing himself up. “It should have been your top priority to ensure your family’s line of succession.”
Mirai shot him a sour look. “That's probably what mother would have said but instead I met Princess Assa and saved her life... After being the reason she fell down some stairs in the first place.” Mirai glanced toward the corner, unwilling to meet anyone’s eyes. After a few moments, feminine laughter filled the room. Turning back towards the table Mirai was surprised to see the source was Celestia.
“You... You...” Celestia fought to get herself under control. “You really ended up adventuring together after you almost killed her with a fall down the stairs? That's how you met?”
Mirai nodded, shamefaced. “To be fair she was the one who over reacted and tripped herself.”
Celestia took a deep breath and get herself back under control. “Well, this was certainly an enjoyable dinner.” She said standing up from the table. “I haven't laughed like that in quite some time. Thank you for that Mirai.”
The elf grinned and waved it off, happy she was able to avoid anything sensitive.
“Now I feel we must be getting to bed. Twilight, you especially, you have a very big day tomorrow and you'll need your sleep.” Celestia hurried along a protesting Twilight who seemed to want to stay and ask more questions. The princess was having none of it though and quickly had her out in the hall.
“Indeed, it was certainly entertaining.” Blueblood said as he also stood and walked over to stand in front of Mirai as elf also vacated the table. “I think I see now what you meant earlier. Your kingdom would have certainly perished with a royal family like you.”
Mirai laughed and nodded. “The scary thing is, my relatives are worse.”
“Worse?” Blueblood looked at her incredulously.
“Worse.” Mirai said with a nod. “Grandmother Metrea set her own house on fire so the man she liked would come and sweep her off her feet... And put out the fire.”
Blueblood stared at her for several moments before turning and trotting out of the room before turning and shouting back at her. “Mad! Your family, all mad!”
Mirai giggled before walking off to find a spell book.