The Storybook Mystery

"It's impossible!" Mumbled Anne.

What's in front of her is the beautiful palace of the Valorian kingdom. The picture that she saw seven years ago, on the front cover of a mysterious fairytale book. She was confused. The only thought on her mind was, was it real? The new world. Was it just her illusion?

"What is happening?" Anne asked herself. Her mind just went numb.

"Miss! What are you doing, standing in the middle of the road?!"

Anne jumped behind when she glances at the man who scolded her earlier.

"I am sorry, sir." Said Anne, while smiling awkwardly.

"Hmph… You seem not from the capital. Where are you going, anyway?"

"Oh." Said Anne, while in a hurry, searching for her documents in her travel bag, "I need… to go… to… Oh, Icarus Dorm!"

Suddenly, the man's face lit up. "Oh, you're the people that will take the civil exam, right?"

"Yes, sir, I will stay in the Icarus Dorm for the duration of the civil exam."

"Oh, good for you, miss, look, there's a carriage central station there, asked the driver that you need to go to the tenth street. There's the location of the Icarus Dorm."

"Uhm… could I just walk from here?"

The man scratched his head, "Miss, this is the O street, the alphabet's street. It will take hours to walk to your dorm."

Anne nervously laughed at him. She knew that the capital is a vast city, but never imagined it will be this colossal. She finally give up and took the man's suggestion. One hour later, the Icarus Dorm is in front of her. Anne takes a deep breath and step inside the dorm. An elderly man greets her in the front lobby.

"Hello miss, may I help you with something?"

"Uhm… Yes, sir, my name is River Anne. I'm one of the civilians that got the silver pass, and will live here for the civil exam…"

"Oh my God, one of the silver pass recipients! Welcome, but I'm afraid I don't have a room ready for you."

Dropping her bag to the floor, she looks in disbelief at the inn patron. "What? you're kidding me?!"

"I need another document from you, a registration document from the administration office. After you give me the document, I will set up the room for you."

"Oh, you should just say that in the first place, make me a bit scared."

The man chuckled at Anne while giving her the direction to the administration office, which is located on Q street. She asked permission to entrust her belongings to the inn patron, however, the demon kitten, refuse to leave her side. The demon kitten settles in nicely on her shoulder. Anne was just thankful that she wears her high collar dress for today. She doesn't know if the demon cat hybrid has some kind of poison on its claw.

Anne, once again walked into the carriage central station, she need to wait for half an hour for the carriage that was on route to Q street. Her mind is still full of the revelation of the new world. She is inside the book. That's the only thing that she concludes about for now. In her head she knew, there was a purpose for her to be here, still a blurred reason, but there's definitely something.

"Q Street! Q Street!"

The conductor of the carriage shouted at everyone inside. She jumped from her seat and ran towards the pavement. Her feet trip on one of the bricks, and she almost falls, thankfully a sturdy pair of arms hold into her body. She looks up to see Henry smiling at her.

"Anne, are you okay?"

"He… Henry?!"

"The one and the only." Said Henry, while helping her to one bench on Q street.

"Oh, I was so glad to see you are already in full health."

"Not yet. I don't want to compromise the stitches, but, yeah, glad that I am not confined on my bed anymore."

"Good, then I can do this." Said Anne.

She flicks Henry's nose, making the blue eyes gentleman scream.

"Ouch! What is that for?"

"I'm still angry that all of you have gone away without even saying anything to me."

Henry's face is a bit odd. He then asked Anne another question, "What do you mean that we never said goodbye to you?"

"You don't know?"

"Of course not!" Said Henry, with a slightly angry intonation.

"Okay, calm down. I believe you."

"He just said that you're going away and all of them already wrote a letter of goodbye to you."

She is already imagined, as the one who lied to Henry, but then, Justice also has a good reason to cover my injured from Henry. He was a patient, the only thing he needs is to recuperate. Having him worried about her will affect his health.

"Well, at least I'm here now, ready to take the civil exams." Said Anne, grinning at Henry.

"and I think I knew why you're in Q street right now. You need the registration document, right?"

"Yeah, I couldn't enter my dorm without the registration document."

Henry took Anne's hand and brought her to the administration office. One employee greeted the pair.

"Oh, captain Henry, it's so nice to see you, again."

Her mouth gaped open, while her eyes stared directly at Henry. Anne finally saw the suit that Henry wears, a soldier's uniform. She was suspecting it, but she never suspected that Henry was already a knight captain.

"Moses, my friend here needs her registration document. Could you give it to her right away?"

Moses looks at Anne and said, "I need your pass and your full name."

"It is Anne, River Anne." Said Anne, while handing the employee her silver pass.

Moses was so excited to see her silver pass. "Oh, you're the River Anne, the late entry for the civil exam. What a lucky girl, did you know that…"

"Wait, Moses, we are kind of in a hurry." Said Henry, Interrupted Moses' excitement with a pat on his back.

"Oh, yes, yes… So sorry, let me bring your necessary documents, and then you can go back to your dorm immediately."

Moses walks away as soon as possible, and within a minute, he is already back with a signed registration document for Anne. Anne gratefully take the document, and together with Henry, they went back to the carriage central station.

"You could go back on your own, from here, right?"

"Yes, and besides, I need to learn it. Thank you, Henry."

"No problem, and we'll talk soon, alright?"

Anne nodded her head and then parted ways at the central carriage station. She goes back to her dorm, while Henry rides his horse into the O street and enters the palace. He took a step at the magnificent entryway and goes upstairs to the third floor, where there is a private study room.

The butler announced henry's arrival to the crown prince inside the study. Henry immediately enters the room, without giving a chance to the crown prince to reply.

"Hey, guess who I met at the Q street?" Said Henry, while his hands are on his chest, looking at the man behind the desk.

The man glances at Henry and smirks, his red flaming hair shining like fire, while his red ruby eyes got amused. "So, she is here, already? Good, then." Said Justice with a smirk on his face.