"A lack of clarity could put the brakes on any journey to success."

~Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free~

*******

It was hell.

Sekt had no idea that learning manners was this difficult.
He didn't know how people like Kiera, Kegan, Gemma and the other royalties could hold it. There were so many rules.

He just had a lesson of table manners with Kiera for one hour and he already gave up.
Why was it so hard just to eat and drink?
He didn't want to imagine that he has to learn how to talk, sit, walk and shake hands too. He was done.
He didn't want to learn it anymore. Ikari could think anything about him. He would be uncaring.

Inside his head, Sekt was glad that he was born as an ordinary person.

He was lying on the futon when Sion entered the front door. He laughed heartily seeing Sekt's helpless position.

"What's wrong? Kiera beat you up?" Sion asked.

"You can say that. My back is in horrible condition. It's so exhausting sitting straight during the tution that Kiera gave me. Every time I bend my back, she scolded at me." Sekt said.

Sion grimaced a bit. "What a difficult day you have, Son."

"Uh-huh. And it's not over yet. Kiera said she still has many tutorials to teach us. I think I won't make it alive." Sekt added dramatically.

Sion chuckled again as he took a seat near Sekt.
"Well, you can just say no." Sion advised.

Sekt made a loud snort. "With Kiera, it's impossible that she will let me skip."
He stretched his body a bit before he pulled himself up to sit. His hair was a bunch of mess above his head and Sion suddenly looked at him in pity. He really looked so terrible.
It's the first time Sion saw him like that. This whole time, during the sparring, he looked fine. Maybe something like learning how to choose the right fork and knife was really a burden for him.

Sion tapped his hand on Sekt's knee. "Oh, gosh!! I can't look at you like this. Fine, I'll help you this time. I'll tell Kiera you can't attend her next lesson."

"She won't believe it, Sion. I've told you. The only thing that will make her believe it is if I'm dying." Sekt murmured. He imagined what kind of thing Kiera would teach her next and suddenly groaned.
It's really a hell.

"She will believe this one." Sion said firmly. "You'll replace me bringing Qaissara to visit her parents. She missed them."

Nafiz and Jetta.

Sekt almost forgot that Qaissara was coming from a normal family. She wasn't an orphan like him or Shaqilah and Ravika. She had a complete family.
Of course Qaissara missed them. It's been months since she saw them and he bet her parents were worried as well.
Sion was right. It had to be him who brought her back. She left with him.
What would Jetta and Nafiz say if their daughter came home without him?
He would be marked as an irresponsible man.

"What do you say? Do you mind? She asked for my assistance but you can see I'm just an old man. I'm not healthy anymore for a long trip." Sion said. To support what he said, he massaged his shoulders, making an expression like he was in pain.

Sekt snorted. "You looked fine when you attended the first test." He murmured. "But yeah, don't worry I'll take her. It's gonna be trouble if she leaves alone."

Sion smiled happily hearing the answer. "Good. I'll excuse your absence to Kiera. Now you better hurry, I think Qaissara has started walking five minutes ago."

"What? She has left?" Sekt shouted. Without waiting for Sion's confirmation, Sekt raised to his feet and walked outside.
He re-entered the house to pick up his katana then left again.

Sion shook his head looking at him. He waited for a minute to make sure Sekt didn't return again. Maybe he forgot something else. But when some time passed and Sekt didn't return, Sion knew Sekt had caught up with the young woman.
Sion knew he wouldn't let her walk by herself.
Especially when Qaissara was so bad with remembering the way.

Sighing deeply, Sion looked around his house.
In the corner of the living room, there was a new rucksack joining the others.

Kiera's.

He didn't know his house could hold so many members. But as always he didn't mind. The more the merrier.
Beside, he liked the new woman, Kiera. Maybe from all the girls in the house, Kiera was the only one who didn't hesitate to order Sekt around.
She's fierce.

Slowly, Sion got up from the floor. He crouched a moment to get his balance before finally pushing himself up.
"Now, now. Where is Kiera and the others? I bet they won't like it hearing Sekt skip the lesson. Maybe I'll just say that Sekt is running away."
Chuckling in his mind, Sion walked to the backyard.

-------------------

"Qaissara!"

The red hair stopped her step and quickly turned her body around. She quickly made a frown and looked at the newcomer suspiciously.
"What?? What are you doing in here??" She asked eyeing the man as he came closer.

Brian raised one of his eyebrows as he turned his head to look behind his shoulders. He even stretched his neck up while looking around. It seemed like he was looking for something.
When he found nothing, he turned his gaze back to Qaissara.
She saw that Brian was a bit disappointed but he quickly removed the expression from his face.

"You're alone." He stated.

"Obviously." She responded but regretted it the next second.
Brian was a stranger and she was supposed to not admit that she was by herself at the moment.
"I mean.. No.." She quickly changed her answer but seeing the deadly glare Brian sent her, she reused her first answer. "Well, yes, yes. I'm alone. Happy?"

"Where are you going?" Brian asked, ignoring the fact that she didn't like seeing him there.

"Uh..." she was thinking to lie about it but remembering she had failed before, it would be useless.
"I'm heading to the village near the harbour."

"That way?" Brian pointed the path Qaissara chose.

"Yes. Do you have a problem?" She asked back bravely.

Brian smirked arrogantly and for the first time, she saw a glint of amusement in his eyes.
"The village of harbour is that way." He said, pointing to his left. "You are heading to the cliff if you go that way."

Qaissara moved her head and looked on her path. She didn't want to believe Brian but she actually wasn't sure about the way she chose.
"You're lying. I have crossed this path several times. I can't be wrong." She said, putting her hands on her hips.

Brian hummed as he rested his back against the nearest tree. "Wanna bet, Little girl? Cause I'm sure I will win and you're gonna lose. Your ability to remember the way is really pathetic."

Qaissara clenched her jaw, trying to keep patience but somehow, his words hit the target perfectly.
"Fine. Let's bet. If I win, you'll never show your face in front of me again. Ever."

"And if I do, you'll spend this Sunday with me as my assistant. What do you say?" Brian offered.

"That's stupid."

"Because you're afraid."

"I'm not!" Qaissara shouted hotly. "Argh, fine! Let's prove it." She challenged him.

Brian crossed his arms and smirked again. "I don't have to. You can prove it yourself. Just walk for ten minutes to the path you chose earlier and see what will you find. Get back here after that, little girl. Don't try to cheat, I know where your village is."

Qaissara cursed him inside her head. She knew it's wrong telling him the truth.
But she already accepted the bet and started walking to her previous way.

Brian started counting inside his heart. Waiting for the moment she came back with defeated look on her face.
He just reached seven minutes when the familiar purple hair showed up. A person he actually searched for when he looked at the red hair woman.

"Sekt, you know how to find me, I see." Brian said.

"I don't know what's wrong with you, Brian, but it seems you always appear at the places I visited. You have to stop." Sekt said. He even sighed deeply to show Brian how bored he was seeing his face again.

"Flash news, genius. I'm not waiting for you." Brian said calmly. He knew he was was lying but since Sekt didn't know that, he's fine.

"Then why you're here?" Sekt asked in curiosity.

Brian pointed to the path in front of him while smiling. "You'll find out soon. Anyway, you really have to get out from your house sometimes. Our marks have been announced. You're in the second place."

"Really? And who's the first?" Sekt said though he already knew the answer.

"Me." Brian said proudly. "Your friend, Shaqilah, was the fourth. Right above Lateef. Ayita was the last and you can count yourself where Connor's position is. Oh, and tell Shaqilah, Lateef is ready to fulfill his promise."

Sekt nodded. Suddenly remembering the silly thing Lateef made if Shaqilah was better than him.
"I'll tell her. She must be glad she is not the last." Sekt said. "Any news for the next test??"

Brian shook his head. "Since we're going to have the honorable dinner, I thing the announcement will be made there. My guess, it will be something tactical. My examiner accidentally slipped it out. And..." He added, looked at Sekt with offended eyes. "You have to stop asking me for information, Purple hair. I'm not your personal mailbox."

"Then maybe you should stop acting like one." Sekt replied.

Brian ignored this as his face turned brighter. "Ah, there she is!"

Sekt followed Brian's gaze and found his youngest group member appearing from behind the trees.
She looked so sad in Sekt's eyes though he didn't know the cause. It must be something with Brian.

"So, little girl, was it a cliff or a village?" Brian asked.

Qaissara refused to answer. Instead she pouted hard. Seeing Sekt there didn't make it better. She's more annoyed now.

Brian chuckled once. "I won, didn't I? Well, don't forget the promise, little girl. Since Sekt's here, I think I can leave now. I'll see you on Sunday, Qaissara."
He nodded once towards Sekt as a farewell then walked away from them. Leaving a very desperate Qaissara and a confused Sekt.

"What's wrong with Sunday??" Sekt finally asked when Qaissara didn't say anything.

He didn't receive any answers but he got a very painful pinch from Qaissara on the side of his body.
"Damn it!!! What's that for?"

"That's for coming late. Why couldn't you walk faster? Then I wouldn't have met that arrogant brat." Qaissara groaned. She tried to land another attack on Sekt's arm but he quickly avoided it.

"How could I know you'd meet Brian? Besides, Sion just told me about your departure." Sekt said, defending himself. "What did he do? Did he annoy you or something?"

She told him shortly what Brian and she did. Before she could finish, Sekt lifted a fist to his mouth and snorted. Clearly he was holding his laugh.

"Sekt!!! This is serious. I just lost and have to spend this Sunday as Brian's assistant. You know how much I hate him." She groaned, annoyed that Sekt didn't take it seriously.

"Sorry, sorry. But...why did you bet for that? You know you're so worse about remembering the road. Of course you'd lose."

Qaissara made a frustated groan and spun on her heels. She started to walk away as Sekt shook his head in disbelief.

"Uhm...that's still the wrong way, Qaissara."

"Shut up!! And don't follow me!!" She shouted but she couldn't hide her embarrassed face and quickly turned to the right direction.

Sekt chuckled once but the next second, he moves his legs and followed her.
Maybe for ten minutes, it's safer to keep a distance with the angry female lion.

---------

A/N

Mmuuaachh
I love you Qaissara. Don't worry, girl! We both are sooooooooo helpless to remember the way.
Fortunately, I have Google Map now. LoL

Don't forget to vote and comments.

Love ya,
27/06/2018

LovelyMiserable