I look at Sir Maven with a confuse look in my face before slowly shaking my head and bowing.
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"What do you mean, Maven? You've seen Sev before?"
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"Yes---Well i mean, she does look familiar!"
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I shook my head again and again before we heard Sir Everett's voice.
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"Stop it, Maven. Don't bother the child. Severine, you can go back now."
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I immediately nod and doze off to exit the drawing room. I protected my ears from their bickering inside. I ran off holding the tray and put it in the kitchen. I've seen Old Lida signed to me not to run in the hallway and that I might fall. She took the tray from me and asked if I have already ate. I shook my head in response. When we reached the kitchen, the maids and chefs are already eating. They gave me dishes in the plates and told me not to tire myself out and I should eat more than three times a day. The head chef handed me a plate full of blueberries.
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"I heard from Hermin that your favorite color is blue, so I went to the marketplace to fetch you a healthy blue thing you can chew." He laughed.
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I couldn't help but to smile as they showed their big smiles. Later that evening before I finally close my eyes to sleep, I cried out of joy and gratitude.
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A week after Sir Maven settled down here in Percualiana, I couldn't go to the training ground anymore to watch Dame Blanche train with other knights. We are all busy adjusting in Sir Maven's arrival. The part of the mansion needs to be renovated because Sir Maven wants to add his office near the kitchen. Multiple carriages were in and out carrying a load of things Sir Maven left on the magic tower. There was stocks of potion too. Magic potion, Healing potion, Bomb potion---we are all terrified. He got a smacking from Dame Blanche because of the Bomb potion. They bickered again in front of all the coachman of the carriages. Dame Blanche asked him if he was ever planning to kill us all, while Sir Maven, with roots emerging from his neck and forehead, said that it wasn't really a bomb but just a smoke and that Dame Blanche is stupid.
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There were two magician wearing maroon cloaks who came to visit us in a month of Sir Maven's arrival. They were his peers in the magic tower. Both of their hair colors were dark, their eyes emerald green. They carried two close baskets that has a two crowd inside it, surprising Sir Maven with those gifts. I served them cakes and teas in the drawing room with Hermin. When they left, Sir Maven asked me if I could find a cage to put the two crows in. Sir Everett stopped me then. He said that those crows should never be in a cage. They must be free, and they'll always comeback here even if they fly away cause they know now that this is their home.
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One sunny day when Dame Blanche went home from the training ground, we receive a letter. It wasn't just any letter, it was a letter from the palace, inviting them over for Sir Maven's return.
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Old Hilda told me that Sir Maven is the first prince's secretary temporarily then for six months, and one more thing, Kervioa Estate has a big impact on the empire's economy to which they have an ownership. Once in a few years, the Kervioa is invited to have dinner with the royal family. Due to the hustle and bustle of their business in the past few years, the royal family didn't get the chance to send letters and bother this family. But now that Sir Maven is back, they wanted to held a welcome dinner for him.
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I asked Old Hilda if we are ever going to need to accompany them and she said yes.
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Sir Everett told then that I was going with them in the palace. I was so happy I could jump with joy. I wanted to see the palace, I've never been there before!
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There were two carriages in total waiting for us the next night. The first golden carriage were meant for Sir Everett, Dame Blanche, and Sir Maven to take. Meanwhile the following one is for Old Hilda, me, and the other young knight named Wallace. He's the son of one of the maids in the mansion, Sister Jacey. I've only talked to him twice over the course of my years here because he looks scary. He's under Dame Blanche's command because she's training him.
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My eyes were blessed as I've seen the marketplace before we go on the way to the palace. The crowds were bustling, and its like there's a festival here even though there's no banners. The vendors were all smiling to their customers and the kids were running around even if it's night. They're holding their dragon and boat toys. I've also spotted a river nearby where there's a couple laughing together while holding a lamp.
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"Do you like it?" Old Hilda asked while I stare out the window.
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I let out a big smile, showing my answer.
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My heart was thumping fast out of excitement when I saw the palace gate when we got out of the carriage. I couldn't believe it. It's like the gate of heavens. When we entered the gate, it took my breath away. The palace was such a land. In the time of the night, it shines so bright. The knights were scattered around, some of them were familiar. I've seen them in the training ground. Dame Blanche said her hello-s in other knights, while Sir Maven tugged along holding the hem of Sir Everett's long sleeve like a child. He tapped his arms using his cane.
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"Stop it, you're not a child!"
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"Father! It hurts!"
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"Why are you so scared with the first prince?!"
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"I owe him something! He said he'll force me to eat a frog once I don't bring that something back when I come back!""
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"What?! What something?"
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"A wizard book, I forgot it in the magic tower!"
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Sir Everett took a deep breath. Dame Blanche, once she's heard of this, came laughing.
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"You're so stupid, Maven. I'll watch the first prince fed you the frog."
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Sir Maven's face paled. Hearing all of that, i got a cold run down through my back. I guess Dame Blanche saw me and whispered to me, not too close, "Don't worry, Maven and the first prince are good friends. They're just like that sometimes. Maven won't be really eating a frog."
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"Really?"
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Dame Blanche nodded. "They are kind, the royal family, I mean. Trust me, they're father's great friends."
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I kept myself close to Old Hilda while following them as their attendants, trying to calm my heart from thumping so fast.
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I'm entering the palace. I can't believe it. Never been in my dreams that I'll see myself in this kind of place. I never dare to be greedy enough to want and to be excited about things this badly.
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"Are you...alright?" I heard older Wallace whispered. I flinched and nodded my head when I saw his scary yet showing concerned face.
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"Do you want me to carry those for you?" He asked, pointing the cage with a rainbow colored bird inside I'm carrying as a gift to the emperor and empress.
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I shook my head. "I-I'm fine. It isn't heavy."
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Older Wallace didn't say anything more as we entered the large door, with the people with crowns and big blue and white robes greeting us. The surroundings glittered in my sight.
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Just by looking at them, I know that they're the royal family. The emperor and empress was smiling widely to us. They are together with the three princes, all with black hair and brown eyes. The first prince was tall, surpassing the height of the emperor and empress. The second prince on the other hand, didn't pass the first prince's ear, but Dame Blanche told me he's just 18, so he's pretty tall for his age, and he's holding the hand of the youngest prince. They have a huge age gap because they thought the empress isn't capable of getting pregnant anymore.
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"How are things with you, Sir Everett?" The emperor asked, leading us to one of our rooms.
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"Everything's going well with Maven's arrival, Your Majesty. But he's still adjusting after being away for four years,"
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I didn't got to listen to their conversation because I heard Dame Blanche's laugh behind them while watching the First Prince and Sir Maven bicker.
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"I told you to bring that book!" The first prince's voice grunted, annoyed.
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"I told you, I forgot it! You should've sent me a letter before I depart!"
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"I'm going to sparr with you if you don't go back there and take it,"
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Sir Maven's face paled. "T-Then! I'm going to take Miss Pearl away!"
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The first prince glared scarily to Sir Maven, like he's going to kill him.
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Dame Blanche turned to me and whispered. "Miss Pearl is the librarian in the royal library, the first prince likes her."
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I laughed along with Dame Blanche after knowing it.
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Older Wallace held the cage as the royal family along with Sir Everett, Sir Maven, and Dame Blanche entered the separate room. We were told to wait.
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"Do...you want to explore the castle?" Old Hilda looked at me as Older Wallace asked.
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"Do you want to?"
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"Is it alright?"
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They nodded. "Wallace is a knight, he'll keep us on guard all the way. But we need to get permission,"
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As Older Wallace and Sister Hilda got permission from the chief of the knights, we've been given three more knights to accompany us. We were only allowed to see the ground floor of the palace, hence more than that, not. Seeing big things and rooms seemed to have become normal to me because of living in Sir Everett's mansion, but I was still amazed and mesmerized.
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The kitchen here were as thrice as large as what was in the mansion. The chefs and servants' uniforms were all not basing in the same design, it's all different. While the chefs wears all white, the maids wear a white with a deep blue on it with their long hems, the gardeners wear a long brown pants and white. There's always a white in a uniform.
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As we were headed on the outside in the palace hallway, I saw a figure from not far away to we were headed. The moonlight shone over his left side of the body, shadowing his right. As we paced more steps, I could tell he was looking directly at me.
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"Is that the Wizard?" The knight behind us whispered curiously.
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"Ah, that's him!"
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Wizard?
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"Graves!" The knights called him. I peaked at Older Wallace to see his reaction. His surprised eyes showed his excitement too.
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The cloaked guy didn't respond. I saw him slowly took a deep breath as we get near him and stopped.
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"Good evening," He greeted us... or only the knights? "It's been a long time,"
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"It's really you, Graves! It's been five years huh?"
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The wizard smiled, showing his white teeth. His looks seems to be a bit refreshing to stare at.
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"Oh, they are the guests of the palace," The other knight said.
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The wizard look at us. Suddenly, he offered his hand as his white gloves slowly dissapitated into thin air. I was a bit taken a back by it.
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"I'm Graves," He introduced himself. I stare at his hand for a brief second before I accepted it.
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"I'm Severine."
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I saw him blinked, a serious look in his face took in. As he shook our hands, I began to wonder of why he's giving it such force like he's never going to let go of it. My heart thumps a little bit fast as we both let go. When I glimpse at Sister Hilda, I saw her face with a surprise look on it. I began to wonder why.
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The wizard didn't shook Sister Hilda and Older Wallace's hands. He just greeted them with a genuine smile and happiness on his face.
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As we bowed our heads with his departure, he glimpse at me for a second before he turned back to the garden pathway. I looked away and followed the knights.
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We stayed at the separate room, some maids of the palace gave us a dinner. Still, I couldn't get away with Sister Hilda staring at me. I asked her why she's staring at me since we got here. When Older Wallace left, she gave me an answer...more like a question.
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"Are you not scared of being touch by someone anymore?"
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