Olivia's Wrath

The morning sunlight covered every part of the open school halls. My fellow classmates chatted while walking to class, planned to meet, and joked around. Pretty much everything that I’d seen from day one.

Beside me, Lacy smoothly strolled along the hall, wearing a simple smile. I couldn’t help but be glad to have her by my side.

Mikin had always loved its drama. Rumors about royal affairs and political drama always found its way around balls and societal gatherings. It didn’t matter the secrecy, somehow, it would always get out. Maid’s talked.

Yet, Lacy hadn’t ever leaked a single peep. She mentioned how starved her friends were for drama, yet not a zip came from her.

That security alone made me feel safe around her, safer than any other one of my family members could muster.

Granted, that was a ridiculously low bar to clear.

“Hey Rio,” Lacy asked, keeping her voice low enough so we could drop the formality. “Why did you like, call me today? I thought servants were discouraged at your school.”

“From time to time they’re not an issue. If you’re embarrassed you can head back though.” In reality, Mai had been swamped the last few days, and without her bickering school felt a bit more lonely.

Not that I would ever admit that to her.

“No I don’t mind!” she said frantically. “I like prefer this to mindlessly cleaning any day.”

“Glad to know I’m above cleaning duty.”

“So like, what’s the plan?”

“Not sure, but today feels like a great day to head into town.” Who knew how long this good weather would last. Mikin never was a place known for its consistency.

“You know I'm so for that,” Lacy said. “Wait! Could we go back to that cake shop? There's so many other flavors I want to try…”

I couldn’t think of a better way to waste the king's money, why not? Besides, I could still vaguely feel the soft taste of the lemon cream. Lacy sure knew where to find some good tasting sweets.

“I’m down, lets-” I froze. From the end of the hall, I could barely hear a voice; a scathing, horrifically familiar voice.

Without another word, I started my march towards the voice. “What the hell is she doing here?”

“Who?” Lacy asked, confusion evident in her tone.

“My sister, Olivia.” Lacy stiffened up at my words. “I have to make sure everything’s all right.”

“Rio? Shouldn’t like, we go the other way if it’s really your sister? You’ve never wanted to face her like this before.”

For some inexplicable reason an image of Mai flashed into my mind. “This feels different. Let’s just take a look.” Lacy visibly shrunk at my words. She may put on the braver face, but with how terrifying my sister could be, the truth was self-evident. No one connected to me got the luxury to stand tall while she was in the room.

We arrived in a grand lecture hall. Wooden benches curved around in a half circle-all pointing down to the small chalkboard at the bottom. It was there my sister wore her emerald pencil dress.

She spoke with a commanding, smooth voice, letting the air shift around her blonde hair with every step she took. “Mikin stands at a crisis! It’s because of that very crisis that I, Princess Olivia, have been granted the privilege to stand here today and tell you a grand truth about our country.”

“To the breeze,” I muttered. I’d heard very similar speeches in the past, all about Olivia’s favorite topic.

“As Mikin citizens, we serve as a guiding light for those cultures and countries around us that have yet to evolve to a civilized age. And for this duty, we are attacked, raided by savages with animal ears on their heads. That’s not where it ends either! Their savage, animalistic tendencies spread far beyond aesthetics.”

“That’s enough, Olivia.” I stepped into the room, forcing every bit of authority I had into my tone.

“Ah, hello Rio,” Olvia spoke with a dry voice. “Here to make an embarrassment of yourself again?”
“Me? Don’t worry, you seem to have taken my jester's hat, and can I say you’ve done some fantastic stuff with it in my absence.” I leaned against the wall, arms crossed. There was no backing out now.

“You bitch! Watch your tone.”

“Oh holy breeze, may you forgive my sister for her hypocrisy. Go on with your hatred of Arhonian’s. I'm sure it won't be the same shit I’ve heard fifty times before.”

“My hatred? Please, is it a crime to tell the truth? It’s not pure Mikins who commit most the–”

“Did you know, sister of mine, we have an Arhonian student among us, and as I child of the king it is my solemn duty to watch over her as a representative. Do you think this… blubbering like a common whore will help our cause?”

“Watch your mouth! Since when did you forget your place as a runt?”

“One of us has chosen to work on their flaws, the other clearly hasn't accepted their role as the jester.”

“BOOM!” A blazing trail of fire soured through the air, turning the stone mere inches from my face into a pile of smoldering ash.

“Stay calm…” I muttered, much too low for Olivia to hear. Yet, I couldn’t stop the rapid beating of my heart like a drum, nor the ever so slight shaking of my wrists. It wasn’t much, barely a tremor, yet to Olivia that was enough to make her smile.

She slowly walked up the stairs like a beast hunting its prey. “I see getting a bit of responsibility led your ego to inflate beyond its means. As your older sister, it's my job to… correct that.”

Flames danced in her palm, yet I stood my ground. For Lacy’s sake I had no other choice.

I glanced behind me. She’d smartly backed away towards the door. Her combat skills made me look like a first rate warrior, but even still she was way too close for comfort.

“May the breeze protect us…” With a snap, sparks of lighting began to dance around my arms. Compared to Olivia’s magic, my best looked like a child's first attempt. “Go ahead! Show our Arhonian guest that we’re exactly the same as the stories we profess about them.”

“Gladly!”

“May I ask what is going on?”

“Mai…” She stood just beyond the room’s entrance, sword slightly out of its scabbard.

“I heard an explosion and came to help. Is there anything wrong here, Sir. Rio?” She wore her ice cold expression I’d come to know, but the frantic swinging of her brown tail let the truth be known.

She wanted the fight more than everyone in this room combined.

“You cat eared bitch! Who allowed you to bring your repulsiveness in here?” Olivia’s face smoldered in her rage, losing any trace of elegance it had mere seconds ago.

“Father did. Surely Olivia, even you wouldn’t dare to assault an official envoy of the king.”

“Like that catnip sniffing bitch has any rights!” Yet, despite her tone, the flames around her diminished bit by bit until nothing remained.

“I apologize for any disturbance I may have caused the princess. To the holy flame, I pray that we can forge a path together and move past these events.”

“Fine,” Olivia scowled, marching past us out of the room in a fury. “Don’t expect yourself to be so lucky next time around.”