Monody

2- Camai

I beat the girls to the palace and once I got there, I started counting.

By the time I saw Cadenza weaving through the villages, and Monody, who decided to run on the house's rooftops, it had already been a minute.

Finally, Monody beat Cadenza.

"I beat you by a minute twenty seconds." I bragged. "I was faster than a Maiclove. Besides, I had seen you from way over there. I have better vision than a Nixid."

"Yeah, and you cheated." Monody pointed out.

"Just like the Faeries." Cadenza laughed.

"Oh, Cadenza, I've been meaning to ask, what exactly does Faeries mean?" Monody asks.

"I dunno. Grace said it's a word the Humans used to describe small winged creatures, so I extended the definition to all creatures that speak Falish." Cadenza answered.

The door opens and a guard is there. He bows to Monody, and then nods at us.

"Good afternoon, Princess Monody." he says.

"To you too, Sargei." She says in return.

"You kids want any snacks? I'm sure Elizu (Eli-ZOO) could make up something in the kitchen." Sargei says.

Elizu is one of my favorites of Monody's servants. She's always happy to work for us, and she's the head cook in the palace. She cooks better food than the town bakers, and my mom, who won first place in the Bake Sale last year, but that was just because Elizu didn't participate.

"Sure." Monody says, and we follow Sargei into the dining hall.

I sit down and Monody sits next to me. Cadenza sits on the other side of Monody.

"So, what's the plan for tomorrow?" Cadenza asks.

"I think we'll be on the front line tomorrow. Try to stop the MCAA from passing the wall. Easy stuff we're trained for." Monody declares. "Sound good, Camai?"

"Sure." I say, but I'm not playing too much attention. Monody's hair is distracting me. It's the color of caramel, and it's making me hungry.

Just in time, Elizu's high pitched sing-song voice fills up the room. "Who's hungry?" She says.

She's holding a platter of Scorched Bliss, her new favorite appetizer to make. It's fried fish, a bunch of different kinds. She arranges it in perfect curls.

Yum.

I take a rather large portion of the platter and eat it all quickly.

"Camai, you're gonna get sick." Monody said.

At that moment, Grace comes flying into the room and slides halfway across the floor.

"Hey Grace." I say. She's wearing her mother's crown.

"Does Mom know you got that on?" Monody asks.

"Her Royal Highness Queen Bellechex wouldn't like to see you responsible for breaking it." Cadenza says.

It's so weird talking about your friends mom, but having to call her "Her Royal Highness Queen Bellechex."

The law is, unless given permission, you must address every member of royalty by their proper title.

That's why I'm allowed to call Monody and Grace by just their first names.

But since their mom hasn't granted my permission to call her 'Monody's Mom' or even just 'Queen Bellechex', so Cadenza and I have to call her "Her Royal Highness Queen Bellechex."