Welcoming ceremony (2) Alford

Welcoming Ceremony (2)

The ball hall was filled with nobles. Pretentious lots. Every one has her own perfume or his own buttons. 'Hey are you looking at my gold buttons? Ara I bought them from Tur island, packed and brought by sea. Luckily I did at the time, with the war starting down west these days it would have cost more to acquire them'

'I see. Mine is not as expensive as yours but it's the crystal drop from Jazar, bla bla bla of stupidity,'

That's the kind of people I usually interact with in banquets like this, and that's not even the worse, wait till you meet those little children sent to form connections with me. They be like.

'Hey Saint,'

'Ya sup?'

'What is sup?'

'It means super, hey do you know how to ride a horse?'

'No father wouldn't let me touch it, except a pony, he says till I am nine,'

'Oh I ride horses all the time,'

Eyes brightens, 'Can I come with you the next time?!!'

'Huh?' I was just copying the other arrogant young masters to blend in. Hey can you forget what I just said? There's no way I'm letting a kid of six close to a horse.

Those were what the banquets I had attended felt like. But I haven't attended any in close to two years now, and surely none in Crystalis for six years. So maybe this will not be that bad. Plus I know how the children and adults interacts, but I don't know how the teenagers do. It can't be as bad as the two right?

The welcoming ceremony has not started yet so people were just socializing for the time. The men wore simple embroidered coats, but the extravagance of these Crystalis women's dresses always baffles me. Armor of colors that's what they should call it really. They wasn't one kind of cloth or style really; every noble woman seemed to have a different kind, but they had two things in common; there are all bulky and their extravagance.

Layer of layer of colors blended together like rainbows on one. Yet one woman wore a navy blue dress with silver nettings below the bust and silver embroidery all round. And yet another a pink and white dress with purple patches and frills. In fact everyone dressed crazy and everyone stole the show. You can never look at any one woman for too long.

The mix of expensive perfume and colors made me dizzy. I suppressed a sneeze.

"They're a lot of people," Celestine whispered to me.

I nodded and pointed at some couches lined at the side of the hall. "Let's go and sit over there,"

"Don't you think we should make connections?"

"What for? I'd rather the Highvoids don't think I am striking politics,"

Celestine scoffed. "Whatever you do they'll say you are plotting something anyway,"

"Fair enough, then I don't see the need of clearing their doubts. Drop this topic now princess, ah"

The princess seemed to want to press the matter but she shut her mouth finally, pouting. We went to the couches. As we sat I saw an old noble man and woman sitting on the couch beside ours and nodded to myself. Young people will never understand the beauty of sitting in a party. They have enough energy to spend running around. I might be young now but habits die hard. Hmm... It seems I am still sleepy, I can't sleep here! Why did I even come early anyway? The little princess? Stupid girl, even taking Cvela for her own on top of it!

Still it was good that I took out that command I placed on Cvela that she'd be sick when she's away from me. Though I might have inadvertently handed her to Celestine. I am not still sure why I did that. I don't think I am a good person, yet I am also not that bad. I mean, I won't kill people for fun, yet I won't feel bad if someone I don't know is killed, even if I could save them. I'll act in accordance to my mood at the time. Hey someone is drowning, should I save them? Well there's like 95% probability that I would. But then I might not. At least that's what I think of myself, somehow I never found myself in that situation both this life and that. The thing with the loli was Celestine's whole idea after all.

As I was thinking of that and almost dozing off I heard voices rising. I turned my head towards the back entrance to see the king, his retainers, and his family walk into the hall in tow. Me and Celestine rose to our feet like everybody else. The king was a middle aged man with half blond, half blue hair. Instead of graying his hair blues; Instead of ageing he immortalizes.

It was funny in a way, this was the guy living my dream.

King Alford was wearing a gold tunic, black belt with a two head serpent buckle; a silver crown sat atop his head. He was stocky build and sported a beer gut proudly. He look strong and healthy too.

There was a podium lined with thrones towards the back door. The king climbed atop it and spread his hands as his family gathered behind him, "Hello Crystalis!" He said heartily as if he had gathered all the country and not just the academy students and nobles that could spear the time. "I welcome you to all to the welcoming ceremony of our Royal academy, the most prestigious school in all the continent. In fact, the only school with more students than it might only be the Astral school in Adaki empire,

"This school have trained most of the successful people from our neighboring countries...."

I tuned down the kings boosting and looked towards the queen. Amy. A red haired young woman who at twenty is as young as some of Alford's kids. Nobles in Crystalis are born beautiful because anyone with strong powers must be good looking. The problem was queen Amy is not beautiful. You can't call her ugly, but she just doesn't make the cut for beauty. And to be fair, with nobles here being what they were she might as well be ugly.

She didn't have strong powers obviously. Then why did the king marry her? A village girl in Bea iiz. Is she his daughter he's trying to protect? Or does she have strong powers but concealed her face? Or is the shrewd king just love sick? Ah maybe he has an ugly person fetish. Surely, there are ladies from Crystalis to the Rag plains that'll throw themselves at him. Why?

The reason was more tragic than anyone would think. But this Amy is an interesting character isn't she?

The king was still talking. "This year we still have foreign students that enrolled with us too. I welcome you all to the Crystalis Royal Academy of Magic. Thank you!"

The applause that followed escorted him to his seat. I finally looked away from the queen and sat back on my seat too. I had a strong suspicion my seat was more comfortable with the 'kings'. Not that I would ever find out. Sitting on the king's seat?!! I would be executed!

Since the king had arrived everyone was free to partake the delicious dishes the banquet offered. "Let's get something to eat," I told Celestine rising. I haven't eating since lunch though wasn't that hungry, but I can't leave a girl hungry. She nodded and we went towards the buffet together. I hadn't seen anybody I knew when I was seated but as we walked through the hall I spotted a few; Relda and some of my dorm mates. But I did not see Rea or anyone with a likeliness to Sin.

I just got our food and was looking at the line of nobles going to greet the king instead if getting their food when I heard a commotion by the side.

"You tell me. If you lie you'll regret it,"

"I didn't cheat!"

"Oh still lying. Don't blame me for being ruthless,"

"I told you. I swear on Sain!"

Which arrogant young master do we have here? I turned to the direction. I saw a slender dark haired boy my age that had a resemblance to me facing Rea. A sly smile on his face. "Oh now no need of any of that," he said,"try to think from my perspective. You'll have to prove your strength,"

So Sin is trying to bully the MC. None of my business I guess, but the chance to get one out of Sin, arguably my nemesis, is too much to pass. I never liked him in the novel anyway.

I walked over.

So HERE'S THE CHAPTER. I wanted to release it earlier but couldn't do it in time. We have a daily streak going and I'll like to continue it like that till the end of the story I want to tell. But we have to be realistic here; these things are not easy, juggling with time. As I said I want to, and there's support these days. I think people like this story. Aod_Lucifer especially has been fantastic, motivating me on. Maybe without the motivation I would have continued either way but it made it easier. So here we are in a crossroad of sorts as I try to keep up with the dailly releases and life keeps throwing trash at me.

Tomorrow I see you hopefully, I want to release tomorrow, but don't know if I could. As I said I try to be realistic.

Aside from that there are places being talked about in this chapter. If you want to know how far or close there are forward to my Facebook page for maps. Username En Sii

Thank you for reading.

Ensii out!