In Aurvina

The group of four arrived to the last town without incident this time.

While they were checking in for the night, the innkeeper, mentioned that there was only one room vacant. He was a jovial man in his fifties, like many others before, he assumed they were a family.

'I'm sure you you wouldn't have a problem. It is the biggest room we have.' He told them.

'Does it have at least two beds?' Francis asked.

'One huge bed.' The innkeeper replied, his eyes smiling behind his glasses.

That night, the four of them cramped together in a single bed. Francis and Laija on either sides, Domi and Aniya snuggling in the centre.

The following day, they took a horse carriage to their final destination. In half a day, they will be arriving to Aurvina.

Domi and Aniya were very excited. Francis had narrated many things about the place, so they were quite eager throughout the ride. Laija herself was actually looking forward but not because of his stories. She had never really seen an ocean. In her previous life, she only saw it in pictures or screen. So, she was kind of giddy, imagining about the sands, shells and blue-green waters.

'I see you are all in high spirits.' Francis remarked, a gummy smile on his face. He had been sleeping since the start of the journey. This morning he complained that he could not sleep a wink the night before. There were prominent dark circles under his eyes but now it has faded a bit.

'Were you able to take a nice nap?' Domi asked him.

'Yes, I was.' He replied stretching out his arms above his head.

Laija stared at his messy bed hairs sticking out in places. She wondered about him in secret. He said he was a prince, a runway one at that, for whatever reasons. She only took his words with a grain of salt.

Francis was indeed an attractive man who carried himself with a finesse unlike any other she had seen. Before, she guessed he was an impoverished nobility at best, or a very talented actor at the least. But after his slight standoffish behavior at the mention of his princely status last time they talked, she found herself second guessing.

All of a sudden, a crisp scent assaulted her sense of smell. Laija looked out the window screen and saw a vast blue that expanded across the horizon. The rich odor had come from the sea.

'We are here.' Francis said with a curl of his lips. He pointed to a large settlement situated besides the ocean water and said, 'Aurvina, city of pearls.'

The carriage stopped at a big square, lively and bustling with all kinds of people. Francis stepped out of the vehicle first, Laija at last.

'Let us eat go eat first. We will find a place to stay later-' Laija was saying but Francis interrupted her. 'No, no. We are going straight to the castle.'

'Castle? Whose?' Laija was befuddled.

'I did mention at the beginning that the place is my domain.' He said, faking a pout.

'...'

'You completely doubted me, didn't you?'

'I simply forgot.' She said. It was a lie.

They walked the long winding pavement, the view of the sky and sea pillared between the storeys of old buildings. Like a painting, Laija mused.

The tall buildings soon cleared and opened the way to a huge stone castle, situated at the edge of a cliff. It stood grand and magnificent, before the background of the wide cerulean waters.

If she thought the scene earlier was like a pretty painting, then this one was a masterpiece of all art pieces. It was beyond spectacular.

Francis led them by the wooden bridge which connected to the entrance of the castle. The two guards stationed on each sides broke out into welcoming smiles.

'Young Master!'

'Lord Vermond will be so happy at your return!'

They greeted him warmly.

'I hope you gentlemen are doing well. How are your ladies and babes?' Francis said with a dazzling grin of his own.

'Fine as ever. My youngest just turned four last month.' Said the guard on the right.

'Mine lads won't stop giving me headaches!' replied the other one.

'Glad to hear you both doing well, Yoel, Kandi. ' Francis told them. He turned back to Laija and the children and said, 'See, I got a cute family of my own too.' He even winked.

The men gaped their mouths open in shock.

'What?!'

'For real?!'

Laija smacked him on the head. 'Not true.' She corrected.

'Ouch.' Francis rubbed the back of his head and almost whined, 'I was only joking!'

The men calmed down after that.

'You are the same as ever, Young Master.' Kandi remarked with a slight shook of his head.

'Go on inside. Lord Vermond is in the garden.' Yoel told them.

Francis gave a salute to the men and entered the threshold, Laija and the kids following behind.

The castle was spacious as expected. The ceiling were high and the floor were neat. They walked into the big living room first, then a hallway which led to the end of the corridor where an enclosed garden stood on the east.

A white bearded man with glasses, looking about sixty years in age, was sitting in an chair before a round table, reading a brown covered book.

'Uncle Hanim!' Francis called out.

The man looked up, startled. His astonished expression was swiftly replaced by one of pure joy, his eyes and lips curling as he got up from his seat. Francis went and hugged him.

'Vita! I missed you!' The man cried.

'I missed you too, Uncle Hanim.' He uttered softly.

After pulling away from the hug, Hanim gazed at his nephew lovingly and said, 'Still radiant as ever, Vita. Tell me, have you grown tired of your wandering?'

'Not at all.' He replied, releasing his hold, he turned back to them and gesturing with his hand, he said, 'Uncle, I want to introduce you to Laija. And little Domi and Aniya too.'

The man finally turned his attention to their presence.

Laija removed her hood and curtsied. 'Pleasure to meet you, Sir. I'm Laija.' She greeted. She instructed the two to pay their their respect also.

'Hello, my name is Domi.' The boy greeted first.

'And I'm Aniya. Nice to meet you, Sir.' The girl held the dress and curtsied cutely.

'The pleasure is all mine.' The lean man greeted them back with a warm smile. But Laija could see the curiosity behind his glass covered grey eyes.

'We got acquainted with Francis along the way.' Laija tried to explain. 'He promised to find me a place for Domi and Aniya here.' She added.

'Ah, is that so? Well, I will surely lend a hand with that.' The man said. He appeared awestruck by her beauty. No matter how many times it happened, Laija was still not used to this.

He turned to his nephew and spoke, 'Well, Vita. If I knew you were bringing along such lovely guests, I would have prepared better. Since that is not the case, I want you yourself to show them their rooms at once while I order the maids to make a proper meal fit for our guests.'

Evening comes, they were all gathered in the dining hall which was just besides the garden. It was a high ceiling space like most most of the rooms in the castle. A glass chandelier lit up with dozens of candles, hung right above the polished dining table.

Laija noticed that the dishes laid out on the long rectangular furniture, were cooked salmon with baked potatoes and asparagus, grilled lobsters seasoned with aromatic spices, creamy prawn pasta amongst others she could not name because Laija had never tasted seafood cuisine before. She never got the chance to have them in her previous life. She grew up in a valley surrounded by hills, so the coastal area was not in her reach.

Lord Hanim Vermond glanced at Domi and Aniya, almost drooling at the smell of the food laid out in front of them. Amused, he said, 'You may dig in, my dears.'

Picking up their forks and knives, they started to eat. Laija took the first bite of the lobster dish and was amazed at how delicious it was. It was cooked so well, the meat tender and bursting with salt and spice. She tried the salmon and potato next, it just as good. She tried the other ones and they were all tasty. Whoever cooked them was an expert because she can't choose the best out of them.

A while later, they were done with their meal, the plates and cups were cleared up by the diligent maids.

Hanim spoke to his nephew. 'Vita, there is a festival tomorrow night. I want you to escort your guests to the city.'

Francis's violet eyes lit up. 'Oh, the Mivrana festival! It's that time of the year already?'

'Yes, I would say you were right on time.' The man said. Then, turning to Laija he added politely, 'Young lady, I hope you will enjoy it. I promise it is one celebration on par with those at the capital.'

Laija nodded. 'Certainly, Your Lordship.' She replied.

'You are Vita's esteemed guest. No need to be so formal.'

Laija did not know what to say to that. Was she supposed to addressed him as uncle like Francis does? That would be too inappropriate. Then, how shall she address him?

She was really not good around new people. These kinds of interactions made her feel very awkward, uncomfortable even.

At that moment, a middle aged woman older than the other maids entered the room. 'Pardon me for the interruption, Lord Hanim. As you have instructed, I prepared the warm waters for our guests in their room.' She said.

Laija was very grateful for this intervention. She got up from her seat and bowed.

'Lord Hanim, thank you for the wonderful dinner. Please, allow us to excuse ourselves for the night.' She said in a courteous manner of speech.

'Why, of course. You must've been exhausted from the journey. Take your rest now.'

'We are grateful.' Laija added, then motioned for Domi and Aniya to come to her side. They got up and took her outstretched hands each. Led by the stout maid, the trio soon exited the dining hall, leaving the two men alone.

'Quite endearing...' Lord Hanim commented with a smile. Then, he glanced at his nephew and said, 'Vita, you have been restless throughout dinner. What's the matter? Tell me.'

Francis released a long sigh and leaned his back to the wooden chair. 'Uncle, do you know who she really is?' He muttered, looking troubled.

The older man curled his lips mischievously. 'Oh, I say, she is the fairest maiden I've seen in my life. I'm rather delighted to see you so interested in just one woman.' He told him, thoroughly amused.

'Not that. She is different... She is unlike any others.' Francis said, closing his eyes and brushing his bangs away from his forehead.

'My goodness, Vita. You've fallen that hard? You are finally giving up your notorious flirting habits?' The man said with a chuckle.

Francis opened his eyes and sat up straight. 'Uncle Hanim, listen. I'm serious.'

'Alright, alright. I'm all ears. Tell me.' The man leaned towards his side, his elbows resting on the table, hands held together under his chin.

'Laija is an enchantress.' Francis said in all seriousness.

'What are saying? The ones who possesed magic had all disappeared centuries ago in the Purification of Mur.' The man remarked, his expression, a mixture of shock and confusion.

Francis narrowed his eyes slightly. 'Yes, that's what I thought too. But I've seen with my own eyes the extent of her power. She can even summon one of the magic beast of legends, Uerafion.' He revealed.

'The mythical creature?' Hanim gasped. 'How is that possible? For years, there was not one case...' He trailed off.

'I'm astonished myself. But the fact remains. Laija had unfathomable magical prowess. And she has already exposed her abilities. I fear that the authority from the capital will start a start a search for her.' Francis said, looking dejected.

'If you are that worried, you should hide her away somewhere.' The man suggested.

'Do uyou think she will let me?' Francis rolled his eyes, a bit exasperated.

'If what you say is true, then I'm not worried. An enchantress who can even call forth a magic beast such as Uerafion can handle herself.' The man said, his tone assuring.

'I would say, I'm more concerned about you. My men confirmed the there is movement in the palace. Consort Qenasi already won the House of Lord Danavir.' The man added in a different tone.

'It is not my concern. I have long abandoned that suffocating lifestyle...' Francis trailed off.

'Whatever you say or think, they have their eyes on you. After all, you are the second son of the king.' The man glanced his grey eyes at him. The latter grimaced.

Hanim spoke again, this time his voice was tender and soft like he was speaking to a child. 'I believe this chance encounter you had with the enchantress is the work of fate. She has already given you enough reasons to look forward to the world and your life again, Vita. And for that, I'm immensely thankful.'