Chapter 4

One of the two most powerful kingdoms on the continent of Iver is the Kingdom of Kona, which is located in the east and is bordered by the vast ocean to the south and east, the Audile Mountains to the north, which are home to magical crystals, deadly animals, and priceless flowers, and the other powerful kingdom, Flona, to the west.

Today was their Queen's grand celebration;who was highly regarded for her healing prowess and renowned for her exquisite ability to enchant. As she believes that any injury she sustains can be healed as long as energy continues to flow through everything. 

The grand hall was furnished with tastefully arranged tables and chairs by the servants in preparation for the occasion. Since the Queen loves crescent flowers, they were used as the centerpiece of the decorations. They were also used in table arrangements and as patterns on the walls, and instead of using candles or lightbulbs, the hall was lit by a brilliant starry night. Some of the ingredients used in the carefully prepared meal came from the middle and dangerous part of the Audile Mountains, and the chefs were skilled and reliable in their work. Masterpieces were created using such high-quality ingredients to delight the Royal Family and their invited guests at the celebration. 

With the servants in full swing, the 6 feet 7 inches Second Prince Bruno, with his stunning blonde hair, ocean blue eyes, well-chiseled face, and playful smile on his thin lips, entered the hall with grace. His well-groomed body was concealed by his raven blue tailcoat, white quilted vest, raven blue trousers, and black laced shoes. He then carried out the last touches of the hall's decoration. 

Comparable to a maestro, he skillfully orchestrated the décor, skillfully combining the hues, floral arrangements, and furnishings in a refined yet artistic way to create an overall breathtaking impact. Each component is a star in its own right, supporting the others at the same time. Not a single component was missing.

He was not aware he had an audience until he heard applause behind him when he finished, at which point he took a bow and everyone resumed their tasks.

Admiring his creation, Prince Bruno felt pride. At these kind of occasions, when he can just stroll in and do anything he wants, he truly enjoys being a member of the Royal Family. Of course, he still made the decorations for his mother's birthday, but now a little more of himself was visible. If nothing else, he can give it to his mother as a present.

Being a passionate art enthusiast, he adores the ability to infuse his own style into everything around him. He told himself, "It was going to be a good party," mainly because some decorations would only come to life when the guests arrived and others would only become visible when the Queen, the celebrant, entered the hall. True enough, he took pride in his accomplishments. 

He then started to explore the area; he was primarily interested in the artistic aspect of the event, nothing more and nothing less. He went outside and mostly just strolled aimlessly through the hallway. He briefly saw his father, the King, but he quickly fled.

Indeed, Prince Bruno was only interested in the artwork—not more nor less. He detested being a prince because it came with a lot of duties, rules, and—most importantly—having to worry about things that you really do not care about, like the Nobles—knowing their identities and what they do. He particularly detested the classes he had to attend in his younger years, and fortunately for him, magic prevented him from even dozing off in class! The horror! That is correct; he needs to pay close attention the entire time. Since he has experienced so much suffering in his early years, he has resolved to never again allow himself to be caught in a vicious cycle of pain. As such, he will do everything in his power to stay away from his father, the King.

He thus skillfully sidestepped the King, or rather, fled and, thinking to himself, "whew, that was a close one," made his way into the palace gardens. 

Despite his frequent visits, he never grew weary of the palace gardens he dubbed Haven—clearly without the King or Queen's approval, though neither of them objected—which he turned into his own private canvas. The grass, the flowers, and even the trees bear witness to his talent and love for the arts. 

As he was brainstorming new garden arrangement ideas, his radar went off—more like it exploded—and he followed his instincts,the radar, because of the sensation he felt from the radar.

Being an art slave *cough* an art enthusiast, Prince Bruno had an eye for art his entire life. He was always aware of new works of art when they appeared. He even attempted, primarily for his own viewing, to persuade the Richts to be interested in art for their research, but they vehemently rejected him. That did not stop him, though, he even attempted to persuade them through his lovely sister Vexanna, and as expected, she severely beat him up. What he gets for leading such a non-chalant and eccentric life, is that he is practically a punching bag at this point.

So, in order to locate the treasure his radar had detected, he embarked on a dangerous quest, if you will (Bruno: *rolls his eyes* how dramatic). (He is ignored by the author).

However, he was actually perplexed as to how from Princess Vexanna's castle came such a powerful pull towards art, coming from his art radar.As he wanted to be sure he was in the right place for his search for the art treasure, he attempted walking in various directions, but none of them coincided with the radar. He was afraid because he had to jeopardize his life in order to enter Princess Vexanna's castle. He was apprehensive about facing her, and if she truly loves the targeted art piece, then he is doomed.

He entered after taking several deep breaths. At the entrance of the castle, no guards were present. And the reason there are no guards at Princess Vexanna's castle, is that they are unnecessary. As the workers in the castle themselves are quite formidable opponent themselves, guards are not necessary. 

Upon noticing the Prince, Elliot, the groundskeeper, gave him a salute by placing his left hand on his right shoulder And the Prince questioned him, saying, "Is my sister here?"

Elliot responded, "I can not tell if she is around or not because she has not left the castle yet today." 

Humming "okay," Prince Bruno moved to the door with the intention of asking head maid Irene about his sister. 

The castle was a sight to behold, with towers on both the eastern and western sides, and magic imbued into every brick. In certain areas, the walls and towers were lined with pure magic crints that were sculpted into exquisite architectural details. 

When Prince Bruno saw a maid, he motioned for her to come. When she approached, she saluted him, and he asked, "Where is my sister?" 

"Your Highness, I have not seen the Princess this morning," she replied. 

She left after he said, "Okay, you may resume your duties." He thought to himself, "Hmm, that is quite strange, she is always up early or maybe she is up to something." In any case, he could still search for the artwork that caught his attention. 

When he eventually arrived in front of the door while whistle-walking through the hallways, his radar finally gave out. Irene, the Head Maid, arrived before he knocked and said, "Your Highness, how may I be of assistance to you?" 

"I was looking for my sister," he said, clearing his throughat after taking a big swallow.

"Well, Her Highness is not in that room and would not like for anyone to be in that room," Irene retorted.

His curiosity was piqued, "Oh, and why is that the case?"

"That was her instruction, Your Highness," Irene replied. 

"Well," he grinned, "I am the Second Prince, and I think I can enter unless a maid tells me not to."

"The castle of the Princess is not owned and does not belong to the Royal Family, it belongs solely to the Princess and even the King will never make such a statement," Irene calmly replied. However, you are welcome to proceed if Your Highness so desires, and I will make sure Her Highness is informed of this. I am going to leave now."

"Oh no, please do not tell her," he said and he thought to himself in a panic. "She will kill me."

"So, what would His Highness want me to do?" Irene asked, pausing and turning around. The Princess still has authority over this.

"All right, I would like to see her then," Prince Bruno replied.

"Your Highness, right this way," Irene said, extending her hand in front of her.