"Marielle, I've arrived!"
In came storming a handsome older boy. No, he was a man. The young man seemed distressed.
"Oh... Prince Odrick! How... unexpected."
Marielle fidgeted behind her back. I could see she was uncomfortable by the man's arrival.
Wait... didn't she just say 'Prince Odrick'?
I shoved Liora's head down and bowed to the young man. I should've known as soon as I saw his attire, adorned in gold.
Atop his head was, indeed, a golden crown.
"What're you doing!?"
"Shut up!"
"I decided to pay a visit to speak about our engagement. I know it's been nearly a year since we last spoke... I hope the arrangement hasn't startled you too much."
"Startled? As if I haven't been raised my whole life being groomed to marry the crown prince..."
"Is that distaste in your voice? Are you unhappy?"
"No... I suppose I just didn't think it'd be so soon."
"Why not? You're ready for marriage, and I'm only growing older."
"Of course..."
Ready for marriage? Isn't she my age!?
"I was hoping I could take you out for the festival, just the two of us?"
"Oh, I'm awfully sorry, but I've already made arrangements! And you came all this way..." she said sweetly.
"Arrangements? With who? Who could be more important than your fiancé, the crown prince?"
Yuck...
"Well, it's these two."
She gestured to the two of us, still bowing. I looked up and saw a look of mild disgust on the prince's face as he observed us.
"Who are they...? I don't recognize them."
"They're the special apprentices of The Everflame Wizard."
"Alwyn's taken apprentices!? I thought... never mind. So he's here, is he?"
"I believe he's speaking with my father right now... why? You wish to see him?"
"Oh, god no. I suppose there's nothing to be done if he asked you to accompany his apprentices... but surely you'll be free one of these nights? The festival isn't over until Sunday, after all."
"I suppose I must be."
The doors swung open once again, breaking through the tension in the air.
"My lady, I've brought the dress."
The butler held in his hands a beautiful salmon-pink dress, covered in frills and ribbons.
"Belen! That's my ugliest dress, how dare you!? Are you hoping to offend Liora!?"
"Sorry, my lady, but won't this be the nicest thing she's ever worn anyway?"
Marielle slapped the kneeling butler with the back of her hand, furious.
"Mari, it's a pretty dress! I really like it, I swear. And it's not like he's wrong, I've never worn anything nicer! Thanks a lot!"
"...'Mari'? Ahem, I have some business to attend to, I'll be taking my leave. You guys have fun at the festival."
The prince left. The atmosphere, however, was still quite awkward. Soon after, the butler left too.
"That man, he's the crown prince, right? Didn't the prince recently turn twenty-one?" I said.
"That's right... he's much too old for me," Marielle groaned.
"He doesn't seem to think anything's wrong with it! It's so gross! Do you wanna marry him, Mari?"
"Ugh, no! But I have no choice. I'm the only child in my family; I'm practically forced to marry him."
That's right. Aliza was telling me that the Saivelles basically owned Corvailles. That would make them the single most powerful noble family besides the royals...
"If you say no, what can they do?" I asked.
"As if it would be that simple! Liora, if you go into that door, it's a dressing room. Change into the dress there."
This is awkward... she totally doesn't like me...!
"So... what's there to do at the festival?"
"Pffft! What isn't there to do? There's food, games, shows, everything!"
"What is it celebrating?"
"Tch... you really don't know anything, do you? It's celebrating the first meal the founder of Corvailles ate when he returned from his treacherous voyage."
"Wow... I didn't realize Corvailles had such a story... did it actually happen?"
"Of course it actually happened. Our great founder built this city from the ground up using the same blessing of Saint Pischt that got him home safely in the first place. That's why Corvailles is so prosperous."
Pischt!? No way...!
"Saint Pischt? Does Corvailles worship her?"
"She's our patron saint! Well... worship has gone down in recent years. But she's still deeply important to the city. Even our family's emblem has her on it."
How lucky! Maybe I'll find some clues as to her whereabouts!
"Right... since she's the goddess of the sea. I apologize, I wasn't taught much about the twelve as a child, only The Maker."
"You're from the sticks? I know they focus on The Maker much more than the twelve out there. Blasphemy if you ask me..."
"Yeah, I'm from pretty far east of here."
"The mountains? How'd you end up becoming The Everflame's apprentice...?"
"Errr... it's a long story."
As if I could tell her!
"I'm done! How do I look?"
Liora stepped back into the room, now wearing the dress.
Though the outfit looked quite strange on her... it was—
"Wow! It really suits you! Let me do your hair and makeup now."
"Hair and makeup!?"
Liora struggled as Marielle forced her into a chair. Marielle took out a large case of makeup and got to work brushing Liora's hair.
"Done!"
She'd brushed out the tangled mess of Liora's hair and braided it into two large pigtails, not unlike her own.
She'd also dressed Liora up in light makeup.
Marielle could only apply the lipstick and eyeliner, since the other products weren't made for Liora's skin tone.
"Your hair is so long...! The longest I've ever seen. how do you take care of it? My hair barely grows past my waist, no matter what I do!"
"how I 'take care of it'? I don't know what you mean. Doesn't it just grow?"
"Wow... what incredible genes..."
'Jeans'? Is that a scientific term...?
"So? Linnie, how do I look?"
"Errr... you look better than usual?"
"Really? Thanks!" her golden eyes sparkled.
Liora twirled around. She did look a lot different than the day I'd found her in the back of that carriage...
"Okay, it's still really early, so I'll leave you guys for a bit while I take care of some things," she said. "Belen! Where are you!?"
The butler came in instantly.
"Take these two to their guest rooms. Give them the nice ones, they'll be staying here a few days after all."
"Yes, my lady."
We followed the butler out of the room and back into the halls.
"Wow, isn't she great?" Liora said to me.
"Well... I guess. I'm sort of uncomfortable around someone of such a high status..."
"What? Didn't you hear the crown prince? Linnie, we're of high status now, too!"
What is she talking about? We're basically dirt compared to them.
"What? As if."
"If we were really peasants, don't you think we'd be treated like it? Don't you remember the way they were addressing Alwyn? 'The Everflame' wizard. Isn't that hilarious?"
Now that I think about it, she might be onto something. The crown prince seemed to accept Marielle going with us to the festival awfully quick...
"I don't know... regardless of who our teacher is, it's so clear we're out of place here."
"Ehem, allow me to interject. The young miss is correct, you two are essentially nobles, regardless of your... upbringings. Hence, your rooms. Here we are."
The butler gestured to two adjacent rooms.
"Thanks!" Liora waved him off. "See? I was right. We can act however we want!"
"I don't think that's what he meant..."
I'm a noble? Really? That's kind of... nice. But why do I sleep outside every day!? 'Sleep...' right.
I opened the door to my room, revealing a large, beautiful bedroom.
If this is the guest room, I can only imagine what the main bedrooms look like.
I jumped into the bed.
Wow! It's like a cloud! The most comfortable bed I've ever touched!
I rolled around for a while, enjoying the feeling. It was a shame I wouldn't be able to experience sleeping in it.
I hoped, though, that this city could lead me to the end of my sleeping problems.
I rubbed my eyes. They stung thinking of it. Aliza and Alwyn pestered me about my dark circles.
Ahhh... if only they knew.
I lay there for a while longer, enjoying the silence. Of course, it didn't last long.
"Linnie! Open the door please!"
Liora... what does she want?
I unlocked the door, swinging it open. Without warning, I was on the floor.
Déjà vu!?
"Liora... what are you doing..!?"
"I'm sorry! It suddenly came over me..."
No, no no no!
I felt her fangs plunge into the side of my neck. They didn't hurt, but it was the primal fear from within me that sent chills down my spine.
"Get off me!"
Liora stayed planted on top of me, draining me of my blood.
From behind her, I could barely see something in the doorway.
"Wow... how scandalous..."
I finally managed to push Liora off of me, revealing the boy standing in the doorway.
I slapped my hand to the wound on my neck, trying to conceal it.
"Who're you?" I asked.
"Who am I? Don't you recognize me?"
The boy stood proud in the doorway, pointing a thumb at himself.
"Sorry, no..."
"I'm Prince Sylven!"
"Wow... another prince!?" Liora exclaimed.
She was wiping the blood dripping from her chin. Quite unsuccessfully, though, and was really just spreading it across her face.
The youngest prince!?
"Forgive me for not recognizing you. There weren't any portraits of the princes in my town..."
"So you're from the sticks, eh? How'd you end up here... doing that no less?"
"I wasn't doing anything! That's a misunderstanding! Me and this girl here are the apprentices of the wizard Alwyn. We're staying here temporarily."
"Alwyn!? So he is here...! He's actually why I'm visiting. I must speak to him!"
"To our teacher? I just assumed you were sticking around your older brother..."
"Well, that too... but I only used him to get here. As if I'd follow him around for no reason!"
I wasn't as careful with my words speaking to the prince.
Maybe it was because he was a boy my age, or maybe it was because I was light-headed from blood loss.
The boy held out his hand and I took it. He helped me up and shook my hand.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Linnie and—"
"And I'm Liora! Nice to meet you, prince!"
Liora violently shook his hand.
"A southerner as an apprentice witch... how unique! It's very inspiring. Nice to meet you, Liora."
Both this prince and Marielle didn't react negatively at all to Liora. Maybe nobles care about it less than commoners?
Or maybe they specifically don't care... regardless, I'm glad there's been no problems so far.
"Are you close with Mari as well?"
"Mari? Oh, Lady Marielle. No, not at all I'm afraid... we've barely ever spoken."
"What?! That's a shame... why don't you come with the three of us to the festival? Unless you have other plans..."
"Really? Well, I don't have anything better to do. But the lady would have to approve first... I wouldn't want to intrude," he laughed.
"No."
We all jumped in surprise. Standing in the doorway was Marielle.
"Awww, why not?" Liora cried.
"Tch... you don't even know him, why do you care? Did you fall in love with him or something?"
It's true... he was quite handsome, much like his older brother! It wouldn't be surprising.
"No... I just don't have many friends..." she replied sadly.
Wow... how depressing...
Marielle seemed struck by these words, she had a similar reaction to seeing a stray puppy in the streets.
"Ehem. Fine. I suppose he can come..." she glared at the prince.
"Amazing! Thanks, Mari!"
Liora hugged Marielle, which shocked her. I wasn't sure affection was so... physical... among nobles.
I looked at the prince. He was laughing awkwardly, scratching his head. There was no crown atop it...