4. Departure

"I don't want to go!" everyone could hear a little girl wailing loading in the once serene courtyard. The girl in question was Esumi, Lord Goto's younger twin daughter. He could only watch helplessly as the butler stuffed his daughters and their scapegoat of a friend into a carriage bound for the Tower; even the new servant boy wasn't spared.

The culprit stood off to the side watching the situation unfold with great interest, it wasn't every day one got to watch such heart-wrenching drama. Meredith could only sigh that she was underage; she would have had some wine to enjoy the scenery openly. Seeing that the twins and their friend, who was surprisingly okay being dragged along, were secured in the carriage she signalled the coachman to get moving.

Meredith turned to her uncle without an arrogant nor servile attitude and nodded at him, "I gave you time to say your farewells. With the addition of your daughters, our clan will now be a double prestige clan, you must be secretly delighted, am I right?"

If looks could kill, she would have died many times over with how hard Lord Goto was looking at her. Soon the fierce expression was replaced with longing as he started in the direction of the departing carriage. Hmm, she was starting to feel bad.

A carriage bearing the Tower's sigil slowly pulled into the courtyard and the lord's expression changed again. He really did have a plethora of expressions. The coachman was the same although the carriage was different; her master was fairly consistent, now he's being generous? At that moment a servant brought out the cleaned-up version of their servant boy; his curly black was pulled back into a bun, revealing a peerlessly white room face. His glassy grey eyes flashed about in confusion as well as clarity, what did he know? She scoffed.

The coachman realising her wishes opened the door to the carriage and he stepped in like it was normal. Interesting… Meredith bowed to her uncle and got into the carriage as well.

"Are you really a child?" Lady Meredith questioned, shocking Eizan out of his thoughts. He could feel the carriage grating painfully against the uneven road, he also noticed that the feeling was isolated so as not to bother the occupants of the carriage. It must be sorcery taught at the Tower. "Why do you ask, my lady?" he replied with a question and maintained his position, looking out of the window.

Her eyes scanned him and she clicked her tongue, "You don't play with other children, you are too refined and reserved to be a child."

"If so," he turned to her, "do you want to play with me?"

This time her face went out the window in retaliation. Who was the child here? Eizan's mind wandered back to what his parents were discussing the day he was brought to the Goto mansion, it was probably why they abandoned him. He remembered how careful they had been raising him, even the scoldings were too few for an energetic boy his age and when they thought he was not looking, they revealed traces of fear, reverence and… revulsion. "No one has the right to be absentminded in my presence," the lady once again interrupted his thoughts.

"Yes, my lady".

The carriage continued moving without rest for two days until they got to a strange clearing and suddenly pulled over. "This is where we leave you," Lady Meredith began after the twins and Agnes disembarked from their carriage, "you will undertake the tests all future apprentices must, to go into the Tower. Before you lies the Misty forest, behind you is me. Cross the forest within twelve hours or go home," she grinned, "but that does not apply to you. I'll see you at the Tower."

As Lady Meredith departed other carriages arrived until children of different ages filled the area, and then they were instructed to head into the forest. The twins and Agnes paired up, however, Eizan couldn't find anyone to pair with. All the others were nobles and those who were not were already paired up. Sighing, he steeled his heart and ventured into the forest on his own.