Lively Greetings

We came back with a victory. Arcana does not know how the victory came to be, but still a victory, nonetheless.

However, ever since that battle, everything has been up in the air. And odd events keeps on occurring. No one knows what to do and how to react. One war general died late last night from unidentified circumstances.

It was Norman, a faun, and he was found unbreathing in his bed. There are no further details being told to the public, as the medic team is keeping information on the low, only reporting to Fallon. It is an irritating thought to know that Clairemont is now targeting leaders in Arcana.

Naturally, most of the generals already had their own people for protection, but the crown prince has assigned one personal guard from his royal protection department. Including myself. And this dude gets on my nerves.

Adrian has traces of pure blood in him. If I had to guess, he is slightly above average class, and is extremely bothersome.

Most guards would mask their presence, trying to keep in the shadows, but Adrian is the complete opposite. He makes his presence known everywhere I go, and it is getting on my nerves.

He tried to explain why he needs to be inside my bedroom while I sleep. I crossly drew the line there, demanding him to stay outside, slamming the door in his face.

Another general has shown up dead. It is another vampire noble, and the creatures of Arcana are starting to get angry, demanding answers from the king. The investigative department have been working day and night trying to find the culprit.

It does not make sense for him to commit suicide, even though most evidence points towards it. Coralie and Fallon have been busy, trying to keep citizens in line. I have been in the castle, helping creatures out by making soothing creams and other medication.

I sneak through my bedroom window in the early hours, balancing on the natural ledges of the stone exterior. Step by step, I breathe slowly, letting the wind sway my body in the right direction.

Jumping into a balcony, one leg over the railing and the other, my dress trails behind. I open the French doors, walking into what I am guessing is a guest room. Cracking the main door open, I poke my head out.

The hallway is clear, and I sprint out.

Daniel is at the end of the hallway talking to another man I have never seen before, ending the conversation when he spots me.

"Greetings, beautiful!"

I snort at his lively greeting. "Good morning, Daniel."

The other man bows in parting, and Daniel takes my arm, leading me down the hallway.

"Why are you here?" I ask.

"Am I not allowed to ask a dear friend to a cup of tea?"

"Oh my goodness, you are so full of it."

Daniel gives me a lopsided grin. "I was talking to the castle blacksmith."

We stroll pass what Coralie calls the blue room, and he stops so that he can peek his head in. The blue room is an adorably decorated room by Coralie herself.

All the furniture in the room is specifically placed in her mind, and she takes special care of the room. She takes a lot of pride in her work.

"Is everything in this room actually blue?"

My mouth quirks up. "Yes. I tried to find an item of another color in this room but came out empty handed. Coralie was laughing at me, saying I looked so dejected."

Daniel's eyebrow lifts. "I cannot see you being dejected over such a trivial matter."

I snicker. "I was not."

"We should put a black ceramic pot behind that blue chair and wait and see how long it takes Lady Coralie to find it."

Shaking my head, I grin. "Go for it. If she asks, it is all you."

It should not surprise me that Daniel actually did it. But still it made me laugh. This is so childish, but I am sure Coralie could use a fun surprise these days. Daniel called for some colored pottery, and the blushing servant girl scurries to find some.

With his flirty attitude and charming aura, no wonder women are prone to fall at his feet. The girl returns arms full of many delicate pots, and I take some out of her arms.

She dips her head down, and as if she remembered she had somewhere to be, she tosses us a bright smile before going back to her work.

"She is a gem," Daniel murmurs.

I point my finger at him. "Absolutely not. None of that here."

Daniel makes an innocent face, and I laugh.

Striding into the blue room, our figures are quite out of place. I carefully place a grey colored vase on the desk, setting some azure flowers inside.

Daniel puts some small pottery on the mantle of the fireplace, and I place a black plate with crystal detailing on a hand table.

"How are you doing?" I ask.

Daniel looks up at quizzically. "What do you mean?"

I shrug. "With the amount of security around generals dramatically increasing."

"Hm, I am doing fine. Nothing has really changed for me. Another man added to my security group is nothing."

"Lucky you."

"Speaking of an added security guard... where's yours?"

I shush him. "He is a dimwit. I slipped passed him this morning."

"That is why you were barreling down the halls."

"Eh, more or less. I do that every day."

Daniel grins. "I see that. So where is he right now?"

"I do not know. I am not his keeper. For goodness sake, if he left to take a break, I would sing hallelujah."

"That bad?"

I shudder. "Even worse."

Daniel bursts out laughing. "Seems like you need to get out of the castle for a bit."

"Oh for sure. But still, I know that... his royal highness placed guards specifically over us for safety. I feel kind of bad, as it seems like I am not accepting a gift."

"But I'm sure you can take care of yourself, hm?"

I crack my knuckles. "At least someone believes in me."

He shakes his head, grinning. "Let's go down to the pub. Wait, no. Let's go to my estate for a drink."

"Drinking in the morning? Daniel, are you mad?"

"No. Just male, darling."