Demon's Invitation

“Jharis! Jharis!” The door to Lilac’s room burst open. She bounced inside with a skip to her step and a smile on her face.

The increasingly familiar sight of dust swirling into the air marked Jharis’s arrival. He knelt with one knee on the floor, his hand covering his chest in a dignified manner. “Lady Lilac, is something the matter?”

“Everything is wonderful, Jharis! I just sparred with the hero!” She jumped in front of her assigned servant.

“Oh? Fortune favors you, Lady Lilac. How was the sparring?” He rose to his feet wearing a slight smile, never taking his eyes off her.

“It was amazing!” She stretched her arms wide. “He’s really skilled. Been training for years! Lightning fast. I bet he could beat anyone! Oh, he also taught me a few techniques about using a sword. And then his magic was super cool! He created a magic lance, and then–” For the next thirty minutes, she went on and on about her experiences with the hero, while Jharis sat quietly, listening with a patient attentiveness.

Lilac was cut off from her longwinded rant by a knock on the door. “Who is it?” She called out to the person standing outside.

“S-scarlett…” The shy voice breathed from the other side.

“Scarlett?” Lilac ran to the door and clicked it open, revealing her recent friend. “It’s nice to see you! What brings you here?”

She glanced to the side, as if suddenly unsure of herself. “Is it okay if we talk for a bit?”

“Of course,” Lilac stepped to the side and put some more space between the door and its frame, inviting her inside. She glanced back and Jharis was nowhere to be seen, gone without a trace. “Is something the matter?”

“N-no, that’s not it…” Scarlett dipped her head as she stepped inside. “I thought it’d be nice to… chat a little.”

“I’d love to!” Lilac looked around the room. It was still quite empty; her belongings had been brought when Jharis returned from driving the carriage back to their homeland, but they were still piled in the corner of the room. In the opposite corner of the room was a table of fine wood with two white chairs by its side. “Let’s sit over there.”

Scarlett nodded and followed her over to the table and took a seat across from Lilac. “Prince Glenn was in my group,” she started.

“Really?” Lilac perked up. “That’s exciting! Did anything happen?”

She nodded in slow motion, keeping her eyes on the tabletop. “He approached me during our magic evaluation and said he couldn’t wait to see my magic…” Her cheeks flushed a deeper shade of red than Lilac had ever seen. “I was so embarrassed! I didn’t want to disappoint him, either… And then… something happened. I moved the dummy a few inches!”

For a moment, she was confused. Then Lilac recalled that Scarlett’s magic was of the space category, and everything made sense. “Scarlett, that’s amazing! You unlocked your magic!” She bounced to her feet and enveloped Scarlett’s hands with her own to show her excitement for her.

Steam exploded from Scalett’s cherry head upon contact. “T-t-t-t-t-too close!”

“Sorry!” Lilac let go of Scarlett and threw herself back in her chair. “I wasn’t thinking.”

“I-it’s okay…” Scarlett muttered. “I wasn’t expecting it is all…”

“Did the prince say anything to you after that?”

She gave a firm nod. “He said I did a good job…” Her finger reached up to play with her hair. “And that I could always ask him for help improving my magic…”

“Wonderful news!” Lilac clapped for her. “I’m happy things are moving forward for you.”

“But I don’t know if he’ll like someone as useless as me…”

“You’re not useless!” She told her. “What we did today just isn't in your range of talents. That doesn’t mean you’re any less than anyone else.”

Scarlett took a deep breath. “Y-you’re right. I’m always too hard on myself…” Her eyes widened briefly, and she leaned down to grab something, returning a second later with a slip of paper in hand. “The other girl that joined us for lunch that one time gave this to me… She said it was for you.” Scarlett pushed the paper across the table.

“From Emmalyn? She could have come to see me herself. I wonder what it could be,” she said as she picked it up. It was folded neatly in half and had a cute little heart drawn on the front. She opened the letter and studied its contents.

Dear Lilai, I totally forgot class is longer on the first day for first years! Please forgive me for having a tea party without you! I will be hosting another tea party at the gazebo behind the academy the day after tomorrow. I’d love for you to attend. I’ll make it extra special to make up for my blunder! Some of my other girls will be there too, so it would be the perfect opportunity for you to meet new people. Also, you’re welcome to bring a friend. The more the merrier, I always say! With love, your friend Emmalyn Roswell.

“I thought she usually held her tea parties in the commons,” she wondered to herself. “Scarlett!” She said, snapping her attention back to her first human friend. “Would you like to come with me to a tea party in a couple days?”

“Sorry,” Scarlett shook her head. “I wouldn’t be comfortable in that setting. Please go without me.”

“That’s fair,” Lilac said. “I’m not sure who else I can invite, though.”

“Do you have to bring a friend?” Scarlett asked.

“Well, I don’t have to,” she replied. “But she said I can, and I would very much like to.”

“Then… I hope you find someone.”

“Thanks,” Lilac smiled. Scarlett and Emmalyn were the only friends she had made so far, so finding someone else could prove troublesome. Whether or not she was able to find someone to bring, she would still attend. After all, she was intrigued to see what exactly happened at a tea party.