And so Lithisia became a firm believer in the shovel. This was also the moment in which the future of all Rostir knights was set in stone. Sad, sad, stone.
“I can’t believe I did that right in front of you…ugh…”
“I was surprised, sure, but don’t worry about it.”
With Lithisia having finally regained her composure, the pair made their way down the path. She wore a rucksack on her back, with her shovel at her waist. These mining-girl accessories didn’t quite match her princessy dress, but she looked happy enough to start skipping.
“Lithisia, if you’re that excited about the shovel, then I know I can count on you to find me a successor.”
“Eh…? Ah!” said the princess as she froze. Her cheeks immediately warmed up, turning a soft pink. It was as if she’d just gotten out of the bath. “O-of course! Um, I-I’m honored.”
“Honored? By what?”
“I…I can’t possibly say it out loud! It’s too embarrassing!”
Why was she so flustered? Alan didn’t quite understand. Nonetheless, the pair continued to trudge forward. Lithisia went quiet for a bit before finally speaking again.
“Sir Miner, I have another request.” She gripped her little red shovel in both hands, her tone growing serious. “Please, teach me how to use a shovel!”
✦ ✦ ✦
“Heeyah!”
Lithisia used both hands to stick her red shovel into the dirt wall.
“Nicely done. Your form is excellent.”
“Yay! Thank you so much!” Lithisia replied excitedly. “So this is how it feels to wield a shovel! Just holding it in my hands makes me feel like the power of a hero is flowing through my veins!”
Obviously, shovels didn’t have that sort of inherent power. What Lithisia was wielding was just an ordinary old shovel. But the princess would hear nothing of the sort. In fact, she was on the verge of breaking out into a dance as she sang her shovel song.
Seriously, what is with that song? Alan wondered.
Maybe he should reconsider the whole “teaching her how to shovel” thing. Using a shovel required immense physical strength and fortitude. It wasn’t the sort of tool of a member of royalty—never mind a gentle princess—should be using. Or at least that was what Alan attempted to explain to his companion.
“What are you saying, Sir Miner?!” Lithisia said in a furious rebuttal. “Wielding a shovel is a sacred duty, the job of every person of royalty!”
“I highly doubt that.”
“No, it’s true! I’ll be including it as one of the requirements of the royal family going forward!” Alan thought the royal family was in for some rough times in the near future. “P-plus, as a mother, I need to make sure I learn how to wield a shovel properly.”
“What do you mean, ‘as a mother’?”
“Well, I am going to be making a child, after all…” Lithisia shyly hid her lips behind her shovel. “So I want to learn all about your, um…work, Sir Miner.”
“Well, I suppose I don’t mind.”
“Thank you so much! I-I’ll make sure to make a healthy child!” replied Lithisia as she bowed her head over and over.
“By the way, Lithisia,” Alan said. “You should probably stop saying you’re going to ‘make a child’.”
“Huh?”
“Depending on who’s listening in, it could give folks the wrong idea.”
Even if that was the official way royalty referred to the act, should a commoner hear a phrase like that, they’d most certainly think the princess was referring to “a couple making love.” Folks might make the mistake of thinking that a beautiful princess like her was romantically involved with a dirty miner.
Although Alan didn’t know it, this was exactly what the princess intended.
“Oh, um…so you want this to be a secret between the two of us?”
“Not quite. I just think you should adjust your wording is all.”
“O-oh, okay. So it’s like a secret lovey-dovey code between us!”
Alan decided not to comment. He had already long since decided that this princess was a bit funny in the head.
After thinking to herself for a moment, Lithisia seemed to have an epiphany. “Then from now on, instead of saying ‘I’ll make a child’...” She then held her red shovel to her chest, her cheeks and ears turning bright red. “I’ll refer to it as ‘shoveling’.”
A cold gust of wind blew through the tunnel.
“I-Is that all right? Since it’s something I’ll be doing together with you, Sir Miner, I thought ‘shoveling’ might be appropriate.”
Alan went silent. Why would looking for a successor need to be coded as “shoveling”?
But if I say no here…
Lithisia’s eyes were shimmering. She wore the expression of a young girl begging for a new toy. It was the same look she had when she’d asked for a shovel. If Alan were to say no here, she’d probably break down into tears. “I’m so so so sorry, I shouldn’t have shoveled!” she’d say. He could see it clear as day.
“Well, fine.”
“Thank you so much!” She bowed so deeply that Alan thought she might topple over. “Th-then in that case…” She pressed her shovel firmly to her chest and smiled. “I promise to ‘shovel’ together with you, Sir Miner.”
“Uh, sure.” Much to Alan’s surprise, the look the princess was giving him made his heart flutter. No, no. What am I thinking? Alan activated his self-control, trying to be strong as adamantine.
And so the misunderstanding continued.