The palace dining hall buzzed with laughter as Kieran entered it alongside Lunabelle and Arlo. Thick curtains covering every window were neatly tied back, revealing a breathtaking view of snow-capped mountains in the distance and town settlements at the mountain's base. Frostwyn wasn't a sprawling city, but it was still far more advanced than Rainvale. Advanced, yet somehow more conservative and rigid. Furthermore, since the central palace relocated to this city, many high nobles had also moved here."My neck is really hurt," Arlo groaned, tilting his head upwards to the ceiling, then lowering it again to massage his neck. The young man grabbed two trays and asked Lunabelle, "Bella, would you prefer a ham sandwich or tuna pizza?""No tuna for Lunabelle, Arlo, she might itch if she eats that!" Kieran interjected, taking a tray for himself and pretending not to notice Lunabelle's pouting face. "She's allergic, remember? By the way, why is your neck hurting?""Well, but Lunabelle loves t
The sky in Remirer was always clear, with rainfall being a rare occurrence. Stepping off the plane, Dravon realized he had forgotten the sensation of being in the city: the heat emanating from the earth, seeping through his shoes; the dry wind gently caressing his face and hair, almost imperceptible; and the gleaming exteriors of skyscrapers piercing the daylight.Suddenly, Dravon's eyes darkened slightly, as if a twilight filter obstructed his vision. Will donned sunglasses. Dravon glanced over to see him already wearing them, fitting his pale, gaunt face perfectly."I must concede, you're more 'Remirer' than I am," Dravon said, then smiled as they walked away from the plane towards one of the many cars parked on the airport runway. "That's slang for cool or wild in Varidianth.""Oh, don't worry," Will replied. "Anne taught me a lot. Now I am indeed more 'Remirer' than you, 'the White Knight Prince'."Dravon smiled widely, not expecting Will to still be able to joke around. They quic
As their plane touched down in Remirer, their arrival was met by a throng of reporters and cameramen at the airport. Pushing, shouting, greeting them with irritating blitz lights. Arlo tried to maneuver comfortably among the knights protecting his family, but it was difficult."We've heard from the nobles that Duke Nyxshade has called off the engagement with Queen Seraphina. Is it true that it's because Queen Seraphina never loved you from the start, Your Grace?"It was truly strange to hear such questions being uttered in front of Seraphina herself, yet she seemed oblivious. Kieran too. Both of them remained silent, striding on towards their car, which felt miles away. They could have called the car directly to the runway where the plane landed, but the Queen's advisors insisted on this — being surrounded like this, to ensure the people of Varidianth knew every development in the coronation process.Infuriating."Arlo Nyxshade!" Someone called out his name, and unfortunately, Arlo ref
With still an hour to go before lunchtime, Kieran and Serena were already seated in the dining room, facing easily digestible meals while working, surrounded by stacks of documents. Alongside the high nobles of Varidianth, they all began their tasks.Grand Duke Elios, Princess Fathma, and Prince Vikrant Nightcrown were present merely to oversee and hear the outcomes of the large meeting before the coronation ceremony.The Chief Justice, a ninety-year-old man with sharp and astute eyes, quickly scanned his notes. "Have you finished reading the data you have?" he asked, his voice firm and devoid of any tremor. There was boredom and a sense of urgency in his tone. Elios silently admired someone whose intelligence and spirit he secretly admired.Seraphina tossed her pencil onto the document she was reading, then massaged her temples. "All this data is rubbish and useless," she commented. Some of the older nobles were surprised by her remark, but the Chief Justice simply responded, "Indeed
It took a while for Lunabelle to hear the rhythmic breathing of Arlo, her older brother, signaling that he had fallen asleep in the bed across from hers. She promptly got out of bed, feeling Cloud, her guide dog, calmly walking around her.Upon reaching outside the room and softly closing the door behind her, Lunabelle whispered to her dog, "Take me to Franz, Cloud." The dog acknowledged with a small whine before starting to lead her through the bustling and crowded corridors."Good day, Young Lady," greeted a cheerful servant as Lunabelle passed by. She quickly stood and faced the servant, trying to recall the woman's height from her limited view. "Do you need any assistance?""No, thank you," Lunabelle replied. "I'm fine.""In that case, we'll take our leave. May your day be good, Young Lady."Lunabelle nodded and continued walking. Cloud guided her, veering in a direction towards a fragrant garden filled with various types of flowers. Then, Lunabelle heard som
The old central palace of Varidianth had formal protocols that hadn't changed in a century. As a result, not much had altered. Each flowerbed in the garden still boasted the same type of plants. Every servant still donned the same uniform, moving around the palace to carry out their familiar tasks. However, everything was busier now, with the palace receiving numerous guests in anticipation of the coronation ceremony for the new Queen. Even as Dravon observed the servants bustling about with anxious and hurried expressions, he felt the urge to dash to the servants' quarters and inquire, "How can I assist?" It took a concerted effort to recall that he was in the palace as an esteemed guest, not the son of a palace gardener.As the car door was opened by a knight, the boys of the servants began unloading their belongings. Meanwhile, a servant, whom Dravon distinctly remembered as Jenny, bowed respectfully and said, "I am Jenny, and I will attend to Prince Dravon's entourage during
The ancient Central Library of Varidianth Palace surpasses the library in Valorthorn, not in the variety of its books, but in the abundance of copies for each title. Stepping into the dusty, dancing light, between two shelves so close they seemed to embrace him intimately, Dravon felt a wave of beautifully nostalgic emotions wash over him. In his youth, when his world revolved around serving the palace's inhabitants, he would steal away to the library in his spare moments, losing himself in its pages of books.But now, Dravon couldn't afford to let those feelings cloud his judgment. Leaning against the bookshelf, he sighed deeply. "Speak your mind, Sera," he urged Queen Varidianth, his half-sister, seated before him. "You know I have little time to spare."Seraphina tried to steady her breath, perhaps also gathering courage. "Dravon," she said softly. "Dr. Lemecier called me."D*mn, he's truly a doctor who doesn't respect patient privacy, Dravon cursed inwardly. Nonethel
Despite the heavy rain in Rainvale, Julian's ice cream shop remained bustling as ever. Although its clientele mostly consisted of young girls and women, rarely any children except on weekends."Hey! Um, could I have a large serving of ice cream in a bowl, please?" A girl, perhaps fourteen or fifteen years old, requested. It was her first time visiting Julian's ice cream parlour, as she was unfamiliar with it. Her long, black hair was neatly braided. Her sparkling eyes reminded Julian of Serena from their younger days, causing a sudden pang in his heart."Yeah, of course," Julian smiled softly. He swiftly grabbed a sundae bowl and filled it with four scoops of ice cream, then drizzled it with chocolate syrup, condensed milk, chocolate chunks, and various other sprinkles. As a finishing touch, Julian placed a cherry on top. He then slid it towards the girl, who deliberately sat on a bar stool next to the ice cream counter.Meanwhile, the other customers were delighting in