Chapter Thirty- Three: Kick Ass

                                    

                                          
Philip POV

                          
After greeting the crowd, I sat on the throne next to my father. 
                          
"It seems that my nephew is excited about the competition. What a rare sight," My uncle teased from behind my father's throne. At events like this, my uncle always stood behind us in his uniform decorated with the awards he had received as the general. Even though it was for the sake of appearances, it was still awkward to have him stand behind me rather than by my side. My father's brother and I had a great relationship. He had taught me how to fight, and took care of me in leu of my busy father. As the King, it was difficult for him to spend time with me because the country came first, so Uncle Alex taught me many of the things that my father couldn't.
                          
"What do you mean by that, I have always looked forward to the female student's performance at the festival." I argued, a small grin on my face. 
                          
"It's funny you say that because last time I could have sworn that you were on the verge of falling asleep." 
                          
"That's interesting, coming from the man who was practically dragged to every festival by my parents."
                          
"I wasn't-"
                          
"Boys." My mother interrupted, giving us a stern look. She was always concerned about our image, and though it came from a good place, it could be a bit suffocating. 
                          
My attention was brought to the stage when the headmaster stepped out to give a speech before the performance. The headmaster's speeches were always long, so I tuned out before he even began speaking. My eyes lost their focus as my thoughts wandered to Callista, the girl who never failed to leave me speechless. 
                          
It was an indisputable fact that Callista was an extremely beautiful girl. Though few approached her, she held the attention of many who's gazes followed as she walked past. Callista was determined and grounded, possessing qualities that were deemed unladylike by high society. However, I believed that many of those people would change their mind after seeing her perform on stage. 
                          
When I walked into the dressing room earlier, the sight of Callista left me in a state of shock. In front of me stood a woman of strength and beauty, flashing a breathtaking smile that could melt even the coldest hearts. Even Ryland let out a small sigh from behind me, losing his normally unwavering composure. Callista was just that kind of girl, the kind of girl who could knock a dictator off of his throne with a witty remark. That's why, I knew that her performance today would change the hearts of everyone in the crowd, and I couldn't wait to see it. 
                          
Once the headmaster had finally finished his speech, I was brought back to reality by the cheers of the crowd as the first contestant entered the stage. The senior's were the first to perform in the competition, so I would have to wait for Callista's performance alongside the other freshman at the end. As the rounds passed, the competition felt about the same as it did the past years. Not that the girls weren't impressive, but it was hard for them to express their true talent when they were limited so much by the customs of the nobility. They could never show their true power, in fear that it would be considered rude or disgraceful. It was truly an issue that needed to be fixed, but after Callista's performance, I was sure that some minds would change. 
                          
"She was pretty good," My uncle commented after a junior girl's performance. The girl was the daughter of a marquess and a noble of relatively high stature. She was a wind mage, and had used her wind magic to perform a beautiful tune on a flute while floating in the air during the entirety of the performance. The marquess' daughter was definitely a strong wind mage if she could focus on both her music and keeping afloat. The ability to float for long periods of time was rare, so her ability to multitask was impressive. Her control was amazing, it was a shame that she couldn't show any more of her capabilities.