Chapter 4: The meeting in the garden

James walked to the palace of the gardens soon he found Eira sitting on a stone bench alone. 

Eira sighed. She felt helpless and stared at her hands. 

“It’s getting worse… all I can do is shoot out some ice now… I’m so useless.” She said in a defeated and frustrated voice. 

Then soon, a young man approached her. “You're not useless, you just need to focus more,” James said as he stood next to her. She raised her head to face James, unaware he was the king. 

“W-Who a-are you?” She asked if she had ever seen this man, which was strange because she knows most nobles in the area. “I’m just a humble mage. With some advice if you want to hear it. Can I sit here?” James asked as he looked to the bench. “Oh… sure,” she said and scooted over to give him some room. “Thanks!” James said, then sat down next to her. “I am pretty experienced in magic myself. Why don’t you tell me what’s going on?” He asked with a friendly tone with moonlight shining in his green eyes. Eiras eyes widened when he noticed the handsome man. She cleared her throat,  turned her gaze away from him, and focused on her hands. “I don’t understand… Why am I so weak? I know Ice magic is the weakest element but still… I feel useless…” She admitted she didn’t know why she vented to the strange young man.

“Well, I don’t consider ice magic the weakest magic. It’s how you use it. Unlike popular opinion, there is no such thing as “weak magic”. All magic is powerful. But what makes a mage powerful isn’t their element; it's how they use it. Magic is fueled by the person's will. The stronger their will, the stronger their magic…. You need to trust yourself. You need to let go of self-doubt and believe in yourself for your magic to flourish. I know it sounds cheesy, but it’s true… I should know,” He said, then looked up and stared at the sky, the stars shown above them. 

It was a clear and beautiful night. Eiras eyes widened as she once again began staring at the man. How can someone so young be so wise and knowledgeable? “H-how do you k-know so much about magic?” She asked with bewilderment. To which James let out a small laugh. “Is it that surprising?… I spent my entire childhood studying magic…and even though I no longer use magic, I still know a lot about it,” he told her. Which was, in fact, the truth. When it was revealed that James had light magic, his childhood was consumed in the magic study. His daily routine became eating, sleeping, and studying. It was a dull existence… until… someone freed him from that monotonous routine… James’ thoughts were interrupted by Eiras voice. “That must have been tough…” 

Eira said sympathetically. “It’s okay… I’m used to it,” James replied. “But thank you, I appreciate it.” He added as a faint smile appeared on his face. This was the first time in 10 years that James genuinely smiled. “What’s your name?” Eira asked him if he preferred to know his name so that she could stop identifying him as a handsome man in her mind. James thought about it for a moment; he knew he couldn’t give her his name or else she might put the pieces together and realize he is the king. “….you can call me Jay,” he said as he tried to hold in a laugh. It was genius. Jay is short for James, so it won't be wrong if she discovers his real identity since he can just say it’s a nickname. “Jay? What an unusual name… but I like it… My name is Eira Chanallet,” she said, then winced. She began to panic slightly. What if he dislikes her because of her family name and reputation? But her fears were quickly put to rest when James replied, “Eria… it has a nice ring to it. Well, it’s nice to meet you Eria…. Or should I call you Lady Chanallet” he said with a teasing smirk. Eira blushed from embarrassment and quickly said, “E-Eria is fine…” as they continued to talk. A strange figure watched them from a distance and began to approach them.