Caught by Fate

“I’m spent.”

Annette dropped herself onto the couch inside Miss Cynthia’s house. Her adviser had dragged her and Esmeraldo around the market from morning until noon, but it didn’t stop there.

The excited professor brought them to have lunch in a tavern, which was also packed with customers. Miss Cynthia said their Evernight special menu was one of the best dishes around here. It was a huge pie with meat and pumpkin fillings that might have been too big for Annette.

With their bellies full, Miss Cynthia then dragged them to shop for street snacks and some biscuits to bring home until evening.

“Do you guys still want to have dinner?” Miss Cynthia said as she stored the biscuits and snacks she had bought into jars.

Annette immediately shook her head hard. Her belly was still so full of food that there was no room left for dinner. Esmeraldo, who saw her shake her head, also did the same.

“Hmmm, well, we had eaten a lot, I guess,” said Miss Cynthia as she placed one hand on her hip. “Oh, Esmeraldo! Won’t you try the clothes that we’ve bought?”

Esmeraldo silently turned to their shopping bags next to him, which had been placed on the floor by the couch. There were a dozen of them. Miss Cynthia then came to find his clothes among the bags and gave them to him.

“Try these on! I am confident they’ll look good on you!”

Esmeraldo put the long coat and gloves on as Miss Cynthia wrapped him with the dark green scarf before placing a hat on his head. Now he looked very warm indeed.

“Look at you! Why didn’t you come in this form instead of your dragon form from the beginning, when you’re this adorable?” Miss Cynthia exclaimed.

Annette, who was still lying sideways on the couch, then spoke up with low energy. “It does look good on you, Esmeraldo.”

Esmeraldo stared at his new clothing and wore an apologetic expression. “I apologise. I was so caught up in chasing after the Heart that I forgot I could have come in human form.”

Both Miss Cynthia and Annette smiled wryly.

“Can I hear how the Heart got stolen? Did someone attack you?” asked Miss Cynthia.

Esmeraldo hung his head lower. “Um… They took it… while I was asleep…”

So the Heart of Spring was stolen while he was sleeping, and he woke up panicking and ran to Athenya. Both of them silently came to the same conclusion, exchanging wry smiles.

“Um, where have you been all these centuries?” Annette slowly rose and sat on the couch.

“I have a barrier that conceals my dwelling. It lies deep within the sacred jungle. Humans would not find it unless they were somehow lost deep within the jungle.”

“Hmmm… It doesn’t sound like a place someone from Athenya would casually wander to,” Miss Cynthia said.

“Humans have never once found it all these centuries. I was bewildered that I awoke and found it gone, so…” A small ball of tears formed in the outer corner of his eyes.

“Oh my…” Miss Cynthia knelt down and consoled the little dragon. “Don’t worry too much. We’ll do the best we can to help you find it! You’re not alone.”

“Me too… Um, I will also do my best, Esmeraldo! We’ll definitely find it!” added Annette.

“Thank you, human mages.”

***

Miss Cynthia had invited both Annette and Esmeraldo four days ago to go and check the bazaar held in the Central Square, but Annette begged her to let her stay in the house for the day.

The exhaustion Annette felt after their shopping day was too much for her to experience the same thing again right away. As for Esmeraldo, he refused to go anywhere without Annette. He had been clingy and had quietly followed Annette around wherever she went all this time.

Both of them ended up helping Miss Cynthia with her year-end house cleaning until yesterday. And today, Miss Cynthia finally could take them out of the house again.

The Central Square was located in the middle of the royal capital, not very far in front of the royal castle’s main gate. It was a wide area where most of the major festivals were held.

The Evernight festival was one of the major annual events in the Kingdom of Sheldiawald. In celebration for the winter solstice and the new year, the bazaar would be held for three weeks in the Central Square.

Today, Annette followed Miss Cynthia to the bazaar at noon. Unlike the usual street market, they had more variety of street foods and snacks from all over the kingdom. Some of the stalls also sold a variety of specialty products such as unique decorations and accessories.

“Hey you two! Look! They sell some meat buns!” Miss Cynthia pointed at the stall excitedly.

Fortunately for Annette, although the Central Square was also crowded and bustling, it was very spacious and people walked at a slower pace. Instead of merchants calling out to passers-by, people were either crowding or queuing in front of the stalls. This time, surely, Annette wouldn’t have the problem of following Miss Cynthia.

At least that was what Annette thought.

Some people still lightly brushed against her shoulders as she tried to follow her adviser. Eventually, she bumped into someone enough to make herself stumble.

“I-I’m really sorry!” She quickly bowed and turned back to catch up with Miss Cynthia.

However, before she could leave, a strong arm grabbed hers and firmly pulled her in. She fell into someone else’s chest.

“Eeiiikk!”

Eh?! Why why why?! What happened?! Why do I feel like this happened before?? Annette silently screamed.

When she looked up, a young man wearing a black winter robe stood before her. His hood was big enough to mostly cover his head and face, but Annette could see his features from below. 

The young man mischievously smiled under the shadow of his hood.

“Caught you,” he whispered.

Annette’s eyes widened the moment she recognised who the person was. She instinctively opened her mouth, about to call out to him, but the young man quickly put a finger over her lips before she could say a word.

Why are you here, sir?! Annette panicked.

Esmeraldo stood behind her quietly, trying to assess the situation. Should his favourite human mage be in danger, he would help. After a while, he slowly walked towards Annette and tugged her clothes.

“Are you in trouble?”

Annette quickly turned to Esmeraldo. “Ah! N-no! This is… um…”

Behind her, Miss Cynthia had just arrived with a perplexed look on her face and a bag full of fragrant warm meat buns in her arms.

“What’s going on here? Who are you, sir? Is there any problem?” asked Miss Cynthia the moment she saw a man whose face was covered by a hood grabbing Annette’s arm.

As the girl panicked, another young man with his hood on—who had been standing silently behind the other man all this time—suddenly stepped forward and lifted his hood a little. Miss Cynthia gasped.

“Good day to you, Miss Cynthia. Shall we move to a quieter place?”

***

Miss Cynthia guided the two young men in hoods, Annette, and Esmeraldo to a quiet alley, away from the Central Square.

The two young men lifted their hoods enough to show their faces.

“Good day to you, Prince Henry, Lord Lucas,” Miss Cynthia said quietly as she offered them a bow.

“Good day to you, Miss Cynthia. I happened to catch Annette on my walk today. I can see that you are enjoying the bazaar.” Prince Henry glanced at Annette with a slight smile.

“You indeed caught us by surprise, Your Highness,” the professor said with a wry smile.

“Speaking of which, may I know who this young boy could be?”

Annette flinched. Esmeraldo had been quietly gripping Annette’s clothes as he followed her.

Miss Cynthia stared at the young boy for a while before she turned to face Henry once again and said, “Hmmm… Let me introduce you, Your Highness. This is… um… Guardian of Spring, the Verdant Dragon, Esmeraldo, sir.”

“Huh?! The guardi—That huge…?!” Lucas was shocked.

Henry had a serious look as he silently shifted his gaze towards the young boy who shyly stood behind Annette.

“Yes, I know, sir. He is small now… and has transformed into a human…” Miss Cynthia understood how the two young men before her must have felt. “We couldn’t find any clue about the Heart in the old ward area, but instead we found him. According to him, the Heart is still somewhere in Athenya.”

“Ah, um, Esmeraldo, this person is the Crown Prince of Sheldiawald Kingdom, Prince Henry, and the person beside him is his aide, Lord Lucas,” said Annette to the little dragon behind her.

“Hm, why did he come in his dragon form back then?” Henry asked.

“Ah, yes. It seemed like the Heart was stolen while, um…” Miss Cynthia hesitated and glanced at Esmeraldo.

“Yes, it was stolen from me while I slept. In my panic, I chased after it in my original form. I apologise,” said Esmeraldo quietly.

Lucas was still speechless at the young boy before him and at what he had just heard.

“Hm, and after you arrived here, the reason you didn’t transform into a human form was…?” Henry asked.

“I… forgot…” Esmeraldo averted his eyes.

Both Annette and Miss Cynthia smiled wryly.

“Hm, I understand the situation. Please take care of him, Miss Cynthia. Should you need anything, please do tell us. Also…” Henry glanced at Annette before he continued, “...would you let me walk around the bazaar with Annette, Miss Cynthia?”

Miss Cynthia smiled as her eyes widened. “Of course, Your Highness!”