From the time she was a small child growing up in the haunting castles of Alsaideas, Hiromi had always been a bit aloof. Some even said of her that she was a bit strange in her ways, from the way she undid the laces of her ballet shoes, to the way she would climb atop trees to spend time with the beautiful sparrows. With hair that swept down her back and skin that was as bronze as those of famous statues, she looked a formidable beauty. It didn't help much that her eyes were so fierce, she was known in some gossipy circles for her dead stare. There was the time her younger sister Yumi fought with her over a doll. Hiromi did not have to say a word, for Yumi shrank back when her sister hissed at her to return the doll to its rightful spot on her bookshelf. Hiromi had always been very particular about the way she wanted her dolls arranged, in order of their date of birth, which was the day she'd got them, and the youngest always looked the prettiest in her eyes. The older they got, the less affection she had for them. When she turned a teenager, she realised that perhaps her parents felt the same way about her and Yumi, and she regretted growing up. This proved to be futile, she knew before anyone could scold her for it, and she gradually learned to be less particular, a bit younger in her ways, maybe she should play in the sun more often, and she would climb the trees still to be with the beautiful birds, not wishing to talk to anyone.
Young men all over the kingdom and even those from neighbouring kingdoms were vying for her affection, not so much because they loved her but because they wanted the power that came with being married to a princess. Alsaideas was a wealthy kingdom, and it was worth the torture of being married to a snobbish princess who looked at everyone with disdain.
Lysander had heard these rumours about Hiromi and her family. Royalty were like celebrities here, and Hiromi was no different. People talked about her, the smallest details of her life from the way she dressed up to the revealing mini skirts that she wore. They thought it improper that a princess should wear such clothing. They talked about how much she read, some said that she read very little, a princess was expected to educate herself. They said that she was never punctual for family dinners, her parents must be exhausted with having to care for such a rebellious daughter. They also talked about how unlucky her parents were not to have a male heir to the throne.
Lysander had never paid much attention to the gossip for all he cared about was the fight to become a great and powerful sorcerer, one of the best Utshide had ever seen. How anyone could waste their time with such petty gossip was beyond him, but when he saw Hiromi in person, he understood why people said so much. She was dazzling. With eyes that shone bright despite the sadness that hung over them, skin that was as smooth as satin and hair that had the scent of peppermint, Hiromi was a dazzling beauty alright. Annoyed that someone so different would be a part of his classroom from that semester on, Lysander sighed a pathetic sigh, knowing full well that Hiromi would be the talk of the entire town from now on, who would even care to hear of what he had seen that morning? He grabbed a notebook and scribbled notes on it, so that he would not forget what he had witnessed. Fears ran wild in the back of his mind as the teacher drawled on about the physics of alchemy, a subject that had never quite been his forte and therefore one that he had ignored ever since he reached junior high. He drifted off into his head and remembered the faint smell of the potion. He wondered if his hunch was correct, and he knew with foreboding that trouble was imminent. Youth is never a hindrance to the ones who seek fame and fortune, and neither are principles. Lysander knew this was true, and he tried hard to hide his overwhelming fears.
His friend Leroy asked him why he looked so nervous. He made up some lie about having slept too little the previous night, and tried to listen to the lecture. Despite his most sincere efforts, he couldn't shake the fear out of his mind, for he could have sworn Hiromi looked a bit shaken. And wasn't she new to this place? How could anyone trust her? Maybe she was nervous it being her first day of school, but maybe not. Maybe she was hiding something, something dark and sinister. He vowed he would keep an eye on her and make sure she nor anyone else would obstruct him on his journey to greatness.
Greatness can only come to those who strive for it. He repeated this mantra in his thoughts a thousand times over as the teacher spoke about some inscrutable equation that could predict the movement of a particle of gold. It bored him, because all he wanted was to be so great that he could live in those esteemed kingdoms built of gold and diamonds. Lysander visualised this scene in his head, the wealth and fame that would one day be his, and he did not notice the teacher say his name asking him to come up to the blackboard and solve a puzzle. The whole classroom had turned his way, he only noticed when Leroy nudged him, and he could feel under his skin the taunts that some of the bullies were making at him. He got up and walked over to the blackboard, but Hiromi had stood up before he could even pick up a piece of chalk.