Of Spoken Dreams

I should've known something was drastically different about the Isle of Malaya. Well, of course, there is the usual diversity that can make you dizzy. But, there was something even more shocking than the dozen foreign languages and the bizarre outfits.

It was the women.

The women were treated better in the Isle. I have known in my past life that other countries didn't mistreat their women as badly as we did in the Aerim Continent, but reading about it was different from seeing it in actuality. In fact, I have heard tales that women were even deemed superior to men in other cultures.

So, I was quite shocked when I saw the yellow-haired woman come out of the peculiarly shaped building, wearing nothing but what I saw was scandalous inner garments. In fact, I can attest that my own undergarments as a princess were definitely more conservative than the 'clothes' this woman was wearing.

She hopped down the tiny round steps, and came upon my mentor like a mother to her long-lost son. She hugged him for such a long time and in a way that made me blush.

'Oh, dear Solus!' I cried out in my mind. 'Go on and hug a little bit more, then there won't be any more skin left untouched!'

I covered my eyes with my hands, and I briefly heard the young girl beside me snicker. I then felt Janmira being lifted from the ground with her screaming quite childishly. I peeked from my fingers to see her now being carried effortlessly by the woman, the ghost's poor head pressed upon her bountiful chest. I saw my companion growing pale, probably from suffocation or embarrassment, as the woman crooned about her. I let out a little laugh of schadenfreude.

I shouldn't have.

The woman trained her ruby-like eyes on me like a hawk to its prey. She gently let the ghost down, to which Janmira appreciated gratefully, and I should have felt happy for her, but I knew I was about to be next.

"Elmar! Who ever is this new cutie?" The woman leaped in front of me, staring at me like I was high-quality honeyed ham. Then, she gasped at my mentor, who was standing with a mysteriously amused face. "Did you have a child in your ancient age?!"

"Bah! Woman, I believe you were already well of age when I was just born from my mother's womb. Don't you dare call me ancient," Farseer said with a smile. "Ah, but that child isn't mine. An orphan, one can say, under my tutelage now."

Then, the woman suddenly grabbed me hastily into her arms. I found out that despite the extreme softness of her bosom, I barely found comfort at all. She shouted from above my head, "Oh dear! You must've been so sad. Not to worry, not to worry. I shall steal you from that old codger. And, oh! Your clothes... Hmm... I see, I see..."

She went on babbling for a while, and I wondered if I could handle my embarrassment any longer. Thankfully, my mentor stepped in and reminded the woman that we were still quite standing around in public. But, in my eyes, the few pedestrians around didn't even seem to mind our loud conversations.

She finally freed me from her strong grasps and allowed us inside the pink home. As expected, the interior was as girly as the outside. One might even say it was even worse. Everything was a shade of pink and white and cream. Quite delightful at first sight, but I can say that it can easily become "too sweet".

There were mysterious colored stars floating around the house. I tried grabbing for one, but once I had almost reached it, it disappeared in a firework of rainbow colors. I cringed. I may be a girl, but this princess-y magical abode was a bit too much.

"Now, come here. Feel right at home." The woman gestured towards an arched entryway, where we could see a round table right in the middle of the room. Of course, there were dainty, silver teacups on the table, and the said furniture was bronze with delicate, golden trims. I sighed as I followed them into the room, finding a seat for myself.

"It is almost dinnertime, so I suppose a little pre-meal snack would suffice," the woman announced.

However, my mentor immediately held up a hand. "Actually, Regina, if allowed, we would like to have an early meal. There was a bit of a hiccup earlier so we hadn't had our lunches yet."

"What in the-! Elmar, how could you starve your own children?!" the woman complained, and I saw how the floating stars started to shake in her fury. I wondered what kind of magic this woman had. "Now, now! We'll talk more about this later. Dinner for our guests, please! And make large portions for each."

I assumed there were hidden maids or servants who were around to hear her orders, but I was soon proven wrong. Almost immediately, there was a burst of light and glitter on the table top, and then revealed a scrumptious feast.

"How-?" I let out in shock. After all, I have never seen such magic before in my two lives. It was one thing to use magic as an aid in cooking, and another to magically transport objects around, but to do so as though forming the product from thin air? Definitely highly advanced magic...

I stared at the woman diagonally in front of me, and when she felt my gaze on her, she looked at me and smiled gently. "Are you perhaps a magician, too, my little lady?"

I flinched. "Yes... But, how did you know about my... true gender?"

It seems as though my cover was all but useless here in the Isle of Malaya...

"Oh, don't you worry about it." She flicked her hand in the bare air. "Your secret is safe with me. Anyway, your disguise is well, and I doubt just anybody could see through it."

"I doubt that..." I muttered. "I mean, a mere candy seller saw right through me just this morning."

She looked shock. "Did he really?! There must be some interesting fellows at the Isle these days."

"There was such a person, child?" Farseer turned to ask me. "You should have told me. Only very few people could see through my spell..."

"Spell?" I asked. "What do you mean by that?"

My mentor tilted his head in confusion. "Ah, did I not tell you? I have been casting spells on you weekly to strengthen your disguise as a boy. It isn't too complicated since you are still a child and you already look the part, but it surely would not be easy to see through at the very least."

That took me by surprise. I never even felt him casting a spell on me. I knew only the best mages could do that. I mean, I may not be incredibly strong yet as a mage, but I would think I would at least feel it if someone was meddling with me with magic. After all, I did have a high affinity with notes.

'Who really is this mentor of mine?' I wondered, yet he only looked like the kind, old man when he spoke.

"I should have told you." He suddenly bowed down to me. "I apologize for intruding your personal space without your permission."

I hastily shook my hands. "No, it is alright, master. In fact, it is something to be thanked for."

I saw the woman nod her head from beside my mentor. "You raised her well, at least. What do the people call you, little lady?"

I got up from my seat and approached her side, and then, I curtsied. It was a bit awkward because I wasn't wearing any skirts, but I tried my best to look elegant. I said, "This one is called Eleftherion. I come from the Kingdom of Saule, and am currently under the tutelage of Elmar the Farseer and a junior sister to Janmira of the West."

"Oh, don't bother hiding anything, child," I heard my mentor say from the side. "You can trust this woman with your true lineage."

Hearing that, and trusting the old man myself, I got back up and bowed slightly at the woman. "Forgive me for keeping information from you, esteemed mage. My true name is Eleftheria of House Saule, daughter of King Thrace and first princess of the Kingdom of Saule. Now, however, I have all but relinquished my right to the throne after I had escaped from the palace without leaving any word. I seek now to live as a man."

I do not really know why I continued to speak, but it might have been because of the serious look in the woman's eyes as she listened to me.

"I plan to gain as much power as I can... and I dream to banish all forms of misogyny in this continent."