✧*~☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙ - .*☆

"Asling?"

Steve said as he unlocked the front door.

"Hello?"

He called out again as he walked inside.

"Allie?"

He added as he turned a corner into the kitchen.

"Steve!"

Asling said, a cookie in her mouth.

"Hiiii!"

She said as she took a bite of her cookie before handing one to Steve.

"I made these, eat."

She said, wiping flowered hands onto her apron. Steve didn't know where to start with his questions. First of all, Asling had changed her clothes. She no longer wore the sweat pants and t-shirt Steve had given her. She looked more like someone from a mystical land. She wore a brown ankle length skirt that flowed effortlessly around her. On her torso was a white linen shift that was extremely poofy over her thick arms. Her messy blonde hair was tied into two twin french braids and tied around her head was a white bandana like cloth that knotted above the part in her hair. A black corset kept her fluffy shift and skirt together. A gray arpon was tied around her waist, one of the ones that only covered her skirt with two pockets on either side. A plate of freshly baked cookies sat on the counter and the smell of warm chocolate and sugar was thickly hung in the air.

"Did you- did you make these?"

Steve asked.

"Well yeah."

Asling replied with a grin.

"How-"

He began and Asling chuckled.

"I am a bakers daughter."

She told him.

"Making cookies is a process that stays the same in any dimension."

She added. He munched on the cookie she gave him and what she had said to Dustin the night before was right, She did make the best cookies he had ever had.

"How are you feeling?"

He asked softly and Asling Hesitated for a moment.

"Why do you think I spent all day baking?"

She asked.

"It calms me."

Steve sighed.

"Still not good?"

"No,"

Asling corrected him.

"Better. Not good, and not perfect, but better."

She said shyly.

"Asling,"

Steve said and she lifted her head to look at him.

"I won't let anything happen to you, Asling, I hope you know that."

✧*~☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙ - .*☆

"Jesus, Asling, How many of these cookies did you make?"

Steve asked as Asling pulled another tray of cookies from the oven.

"Don't complain."

Asling replied.

"Who doesn't love cookies?"

She added.

"Now come and tell me about your day."

She said as she turned to him and dragged him by his hand into the living room.

"I want to hear all about this 'school' you go to."

She added as she sat down on the carpet and looked up at him with excited and curious green eyes.

"What, do you not have school where you're from?"

He asked with a raised brow and a grin as he sat down across from her.

"Not really."

She said.

"There's school for the wealthy children without magick but I never attended that, obviously."

She said and she noticed Steve still grinned at her and seemed to be holding back a laugh.

"What?"

She asked but he didn't say anything.

"What?"

She asked again, now wearing a grin to match his.

"Asling,"

He said,

"I don't think you realize just how much flower and sugar you got on yourself."

He said before finally giggling. It was true, however, Asling's skin and skirt was covered in dusty bits of flower, and sugar. There were also notable stains from butter and chocolate.

"Allie, you're a mess."

He said. There was even flower in her hair and on her nose. He lifted his hand to gently cup her cheek, his thumb softly brushed away the flower that was caked over her freckles. Her apple green eyes peered at him curiously through the tender gesture.

"Come on,"

He said as he pulled his hand back and stood.

"Let's get you cleaned up. Then we can talk about my school."

✧*~☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙ - .*☆

Asling and the other chosen apprentices had been lined up in the chapel of the Castle of Scanthia. A wash of all the colors of the rainbow bathed the children, the light being tinted by the stained glass windows that depicted each patron of guardian. From Mercury to Pluto, there was a window for each. There was a hushed chatter from the other children, each wondering who their master would be and who the stars had assigned them to. The king entered the room and announced the starting of the choosing, many of the children became much more excitable with this news. The choosing gave an apprentice a sense of belonging and identity, with your home patron came your future. Asling watched as master upon master entered the chapel. Lupin, the guardian of Mercury came first. His silvery hair seemed to catch the light of the stained glass windows perfectly and his blue robes almost looked as if they were glowing. Mercury, the master heeler. Lupin stepped forward to the group of children all lined up and in his hand was a wooden bowl of blue liquid. He walked along the line of children before finally stoping to one and dipping his pointer finger into the bowl and lifted the finger to the child's forehead. Upon which, he drew the mark of mercury. ☿ . He did this to about four of the children, mercury was known for taking multiple apprentices. Asling watched as many more guardians entered and did the same process, choosing their pupils. Delta, the guardian of Venus, Mara the guardian of Scanthia, Helios the guardian of Mars and then came Kierran, guardian of Jupiter. In his hand was a bowl of purple liquid. Kierran was infamous for being the guardian of the most powerful patron. Students of Jupiter were known to be legendary in power. Typically, they were knights, squires, warrior, or a well built young man. A student of jupiter was never a small female. Kierran looked at all the children gathered before stopping at a young man who was extremely tall with a wide frame. He was obviously the poster child of Jupiter. Kierran dipped his finger into the bowl and went to mark him but when he pressed his finger to his forehead the paint vanished from his finger. This was not his apprentice. Kierran, now frustrated, looked down the line of children. The light of the windows shined particularly bright on one. Asling. His blue eyes narrowed. He obviously wasn't too fond of the idea of Asling being the next child of Jupiter. Skepticism painted his demeanor. He approached her hesitantly before dipping his finger back into the bowl of purple liquid and marking her with the mark of jupiter. ♃ Kierran's eyes widened for a moment. His apprentice would be the daughter of a baker.