THE KINGDOM OF CELESTIA CHAPTER 3

“DID THE KING REALLY ASK YOU TO INVITE THE NEXT GUEST SPEAKER TO THE AMPHITHEATER FATHER?”“HE DID INDEED ICHIGO. IT WAS TRULY AN HONOR.”“YOU MADE A MOST EXCELLENT CHOICE, HUSBAND. EVERYONE IN THE MARKETPLACE TALKED NOTHING OF IT.”

LORD YIDI CHEN CERTAINLY SEEMED TO BE DOING ALRIGHT FOR HIMSELF.HE WAS STILL A LESSER NOBLE COMPARED TO THE LAMPRIGHT AND HASHMI FAMILIES, BUT WITH HOW WELL HE’D CHOSEN A WISE MAN TO INSTRUCT THE PEOPLE, SURELY HIS FAMILY WAS ON THE WAY UP. BUT EVEN IF HE WERE NOT HIGHER IN THE KING’S FAVOR, HIS LITTLE GIRL RUKIA STILL THOUGHT THE WORLD OF HIM.

HIS WIFE TANISHI VISITED THE LOCAL TEA HOUSE WEEKLY. SHE TOOK HER YOUNG SON ICHIGO WITH HER. IT WAS ONLY PROPER FOR A YOUNG MAN TO BE WELL VERSED IN SERVING TEA.

HER DAUGHTER RUKIA WOULD SOON BE OLD ENOUGH TO JOIN THEM. SHE WAS GROWING QUICKLY. TOO QUICKLY IT FELT LIKE SOME DAYS.

TANISHI FREQUENTLY INVITED THE OTHER NOBLE HOUSES OVER FOR MEALS AND PARTIES. SHE’D ALWAYS BEEN PRAISED FOR HER HOSTING ABILITIES GROWING UP, AND SHE INTENDED TO USE THEM TO FURTHER HER HUSBAND’S HOUSE.

SURE ENOUGH, IT WASN’T LONG AT ALL BEFORE RUKIA HAD GROWN INTO A LOVELY YOUNG LADY WITH SHIMMERING GOLDEN HAIR.

RUKIA WAS RATHER QUIET AND ENJOYED WRITING IN THE LIBRARY.

RUKIA AND HER ELDER BROTHER ICHIGO WERE STILL VERY CLOSE THANKS TO TANISHI’S CAREFUL UPBRINGING. SHE’D ENCOURAGED HER SON FROM A YOUNG AGE TO SPEND TIME WITH HIS SISTER.

IN FACT, HE’D OFTEN PLAYED WITH HER IN THE EVENINGS. HE SEEMED TO QUITE LIKE BEING AN OLDER BROTHER.

AND OF COURSE, RUKIA WAS STILL A DADDY’S GIRL. SHE HAD YIDI WRAPPED AROUND HER LITTLE FINGER. THOUGH TANISHI, WOULD MAKE SURE HER DAUGHTER DID NOT TURN INTO A SELFISH AIRHEAD. SHE REFUSED TO HAVE ONE OF THOSE LIVING UNDER HER ROOF.

TOWARDS THE END OF WINTER, YIDI SURPRISED TANISHI TO THE NEWS THAT THEIR FAMILY HAD BEEN INVITED TO LADY HASHMI’S WINTER BALL. THE TWO ENJOYED THE FESTIVITIES IMMENSELY! ICHIGO HAD EVEN GOTTEN THE CHANCE TO MEET THE CROWN PRINCE AND THE HASHMI HEIR PRANSHU.

THE FEAST HAD BEEN HELD IN THE QUEEN’S HONOR AS SHE AND THE KING WOULD SURPRISINGLY SOON BE WELCOMING A LATE SECOND EDITION TO THEIR FAMILY.

TANISHI HAD LEARNED THAT LADY LAMPRIGHT’S GOWN HAD BEEN SEWN BY VANESSA PETERS, ONE OF THE MERCHANT VASSALS IN THEIR HOSTS SERVICE. HOW THE WOMAN COULD MAKE SOMETHING OF SUCH FINE QUALITY IN HER DELICATE CONDITION HAD BEEN ADMIRED BY ALL THE WOMEN AT THE FEAST.

VANESSA FOR HER PART LOVED RUNNING THE STORE. HONESTLY, IT WAS AN ESCAPE FROM THE STUFFING CONFINES OF THE APARTMENT SHE SHARED WITH JACOB.

HER HUSBAND, HONESTLY SHOWED HER ANY REAL INTEREST. HE WAS USUALLY CAUGHT UP WITH HIS OWN WORK TO NOTICE HE HAD A WIFE AND DAUGHTER. PERHAPS, IT WAS THE FACT HE HAD NO SON THAT MADE HIM SO DISTANT.

WELL AT LEAS SHE HAD THE SHOP AND A LITTLE GIRL TO KEEP HER COMPANY.

HER DAUGHTER LYANNA HAD BEFRIENDED MILDRITH NOBLE. MY THAT GIRL SEEMED TO MAKE CONNECTIONS! WORD HAD SPREAD ABOUT HER INVITATION TO THE PALACE DESPITE HER CLASS.

HER DAUGHTER NEVER CEASED TO PUT A SMILE ON HER MOTHER’S FACE. THE GIRL DIDN’T SEEM TOO BOTHERED AT ALL SPENDING HOURS ALONE IN THOSE CRAMPED APARTMENTS WHILE HER MOTHER WORKED JUST UP THE STREET. WHAT THE GIRL POSSIBLY GOT UP TO ALL ON HER OWN, WELL VANESSA DIDN’T REALLY PRY TOO MUCH. THOUGH PIRACY SEEMED TO BE A COMMON TOPIC!

AS SPRING BEGAN, VANESSA WELCOMED A LITTLE BOY INTO THEIR HOME. PERHAPS, NOW JACOB WOULD SHOW HER AT LEAST A BIT MORE ATTENTION NOW THAT HE HAD AN HEIR. THOUGH, HONESTLY VANESSA DIDN’T HOLD OUT MUCH HOPE WHAT WITH JACOB SHOWING NO INTEREST EVEN IN NAMING DAVOS HIMSELF.

HOWEVER, VANESSA’S SPIRITS HAD LIFTED SLIGHTLY A FEW WEEKS LATER BY THE SURPRISE VISIT OF PRINCE OCEAN WHO HAD HEARD OF DAVOS’ BIRTH AND HAD COME TO OFFER HIS CONGRATULATIONS. WHAT A SWEET AND CONSIDERATE GESTURE! WELL, THE PRINCE WOULD FOREVER HAVE HER ALLEGIANCE.

AND SO ENDED ROUND 2 IN CELESTIA. WELL, RATHER PRINCE OCEAN HERE GROWING UP INTO A TEEN DID, BUT YEP IT’S TIME FOR ROUND 3, AND SOME POSSIBLE MATCHMAKING. HOORAY! THANKS FOR READING! HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED.