4 A Mixed Start

Several knocks on the door were heard from the darkness. He was eventually woken by the noise and cleaned his eyes.

"Come in."

A man entered his room with a metal rolling cart. As Tysashi's vision cleared up, he noticed a plate of pancakes and scrambled eggs. Silverware laid to the left and a glass of water to the right. A container of syrup sat above the plate, as well as salt and pepper.

"Courtesy of the queen, please enjoy. We also have your clothes prepared."

He placed Tysashi's clothes on the opposite arm of the sofa.

"Oh wow, thank you. Both you and Marissa."

"You're welcome. She wishes to see you downstairs, so be quick. When you're done, leave the cart outside and someone will handle it."

"Understood, thanks again."

He left the young man to enjoy his breakfast in peace. The incredible aroma of butter and sugar came together to create a wonderful scent that could draw anyone in.

His stomach begged to taste the meal, growling at him so that satisfaction would arrive sooner. The first bite taken oozed with syrup as his teeth broke down the piece. His stomach demanded more, and those demands were met.

It didn't take long for the plate to be cleared out and the glass emptied. A pleasant sigh ran out his mouth once the folk was left on the plate.

"Ah, that was...indescribable. I might have to ask her if she can teach me how to make pancakes as good as this. But right now, I should report to her."

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He met with Marissa and Aradressa in the throne room, ready to hear the queen's words.

"Good morning, Tysashi. Did you enjoy your breakfast?" The graceful queen asked with a smile.

"Definitely, I appreciate it very much."

"Glad to hear it. Moving forward, I was thinking you two could walk around the Kula Outlet together. It'll be a perfect opportunity for you to get accustomed to our land."

"Excellent idea, mother. If he's with me, I believe the public opinion of him will change as well."

He agreed with the ladies, quite excited to explore with the princess.

"I'm ready to go now if you are." Tysashi turned to Aradressa, waiting for her response.

"Yes, I'm ready."

Their smiles towards each other told Marissa they both were excited.

"Tysashi, do you mind waiting outside for a bit? I need to discuss something privately with my dear daughter before you run about with her. It won't be long."

"Of course I don't mind, take as long as you need."

Once he was gone, Aradressa stepped forward to hear her mother's words.

"Please protect him from any nasty comments. He doesn't need anymore negativity to taint the idea of a civilized environment."

"Understood, mother. Unruly behavior shall not be tolerated."

A breath of relief came out the older woman's mouth.

"Thank you. Now go and have fun."

With a nod, Aradressa walked out with those words in the back of her head.

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The queen's men walked around the field, tending to the lush greenery. Aradressa saw Tysashi gazing at the statue and joined him.

"I'm guessing this is your father, King Holtman?"

"Correct. There's an interesting history under his name, but we can discuss that at a future date. Instead, I can tell you some tidbits about his character."

"Please do."

"His weapon is named Vandux, a powerful tool infused with wind. His undying bravery and the might of Vandux made a team that entire armies fear."

Tysashi observed the weapon in more detail; the king held it with such honor.

"Though he was teased for his weight, he could eliminate groups of enemies and have fun as well. Some referred to him as the Heavy Hurricane, for he wielded Vandux effectively."

"He sounds like a legend. I bet the people who made fun of him seriously regretted it."

"Mhmm. I attempted to claim Vandux as my main weapon, but it proved to be extremely difficult to master. I find myself carrying it with me as a good luck charm, though."

Her eyes scanned the statue slowly as images of him flew into her head. Tysashi picked up on her sudden silence and let her be.

"Ah, excuse me. I'm supposed to be directing you to the outlet. Shall we?"

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"Welcome to the Kula Outlet, a popular general shopping area. You can find just about anything here, food, weapons, clothing, and whatever you desire."

As they walked down the white cobblestone path, Aradressa pointed her finger towards various stores.

Though Tysashi was paying attention to the locations she was pointing at, he gathered some worrisome looks from others. He tried to ignore their comments, but could still hear them.

"Why is he with the princess?"

"Did the queen allow this?"

"No way he has her trust."

They approached Rosin's statue, which had been repaired. A child ran around the area positioning their arms like the wings of a plane.

"Don't run too fast or you'll trip." She advised to a little boy.

"Ok, Princess Aradressa. Is that guy your friend?"

She kneeled down to meet his height. "Yes, his name is Tysashi."

He waved his hand to the young boy.

"Heyo, I'm Malik!" His pure green eyes shined like a star.

"Hey, Malik. Are you waiting for your parents?" Tysashi also got down to his knees to talk to him.

"Yup. I got bored in the store and decided to run around the fountain until my mom got back."

"That's definitely not good, Malik. You must be more patient with your mother."

"I understand, princess. Though the lines get really long and I get tired of staying in the same place."

"Well next time, ask your mom if you can walk around the store. That should solve the problem."

Tysashi ruffled his blonde hair in a playful manner. His cheerful giggles set a fire in Tysashi's heart.

"Malik!" Another woman called. She ran towards her child at full speed.

"Malik, I've looked around the entire store for you! I can't believe you'd just wander off like that! Young man, were you looking after him?"

"Oh, I wasn't exactly-"

Aradressa cut in between his sentence.

"Yes, he found him running around the fountain and watched over him for your child's safety."

"Thank you so much! I know it isn't much, but please take this."

The woman dug in her purse and gave Tysashi a bronze coin with the engraving of a man on the front. Afterwards, she took Malik away and scolded him more.

"Pardon me for interrupting you; I thought it'd be an excellent chance to improve your reputation."

"And you were right, thank you princess. So about this coin..."

"That's a Tinley, it's worth twenty coins."

Tysashi held the coin in awe, flipping it to the front and back. His eyes scanned the object like a child discovering something new.

"Wow. What should I spend it on?"

"Anything you'd like. If you want, we can browse different stores to see if something catches your interest."

"Ah, I wouldn't want to waste your time."

"Not a waste, rather an investment. I can teach you about our currency system as we walk."

"Sounds good, let's-"

"Hey, you!"

The sudden burst of sound caused him to drop the coin. He frantically tried to grab it, but only launched it far away. It rolled towards a familiar boy.

A legless shadowy replica of him flew to the coin, picked it up, and dropped it in his pale hands.

"You're the guy who trashed the statue! No way the queen let you get away with it!" The brown-haired boy exclaimed, shooting his finger forward.

Many fairies were drawn to his voice, directing their attention to Tysashi.

"I- it was an accident. I already explained that to the queen, and she trusts me."

"Well, that doesn't mean I trust you. You've got a long way to go before that."

The crowd stared at him with skepticism, conversating amongst themselves.

"The queen sees him as a citizen, and you should too. I'd also appreciate it if you returned the coin he earned."

"Actually Aradressa, he can keep it. I don't want to make this even worse."

"Heh, thanks for the Tinley. Not like you need it anyway." He slipped the coin in his pocket, walking away.

Though one issue was solved, many others arrived. Tysashi was assaulted by a barrage of questions; questions that repelled him from the crowd. Unpleasant memories of last night flooded his mind during this moment.

Aradressa was immediately remained of her mother's words and knew she had to take action. Her soft, warm hand caught his and took him out the area.

"Where are we going?" Tysashi asked as he looked back at the outlet.

"Somewhere quiet and peaceful." She responded.