At the castle

The competition ended at the castle and the king dismissed himself before the guests returned to their chambers.

Elizabeth was escorted to her new chamber at the castle.

The castle seemed to be so busy as many people walked here and there. Maids wandering around carrying their usual duties as many people came to the castle recently, their works increased in panel. Carrying their stuffs, attending to their needs and escorting them back to their chambers.

Elizabeth and her maid stella trailed behind her arrived at the suite prepared for her during her stay at the castle.

"Feel at home, my lady " the maid who showed them their room retreated back to the door after making sure she provided them with everything they needed.

Elizabeth investigated the room around her, it was spacious with large bed at the middle, large dressing table at the corner and private bathroom at the other room. The suite was decorated with blazing curtains and vases of different shapes and drawings with colourful flowers and fresh plants in them, also the suite had a small veranda for resting and having tea.

The light and fresh air were entering through the large windows of the room.

Elizabeth looked at her suite and left her wondered if she become a queen, how would her room looked like if only the guest rooms looked like that.

Enough of admiring her suite Elizabeth ordered her maid to prepare the bath for her, likely she wanted to remove her exhaustion caused by the competition today.

After bathing, she slid into her beautiful gown and she was ready to explore the castle maybe she could hear or get useful information about her painful competitors.

She and her maid strolled out of the room, pacing around the grand outstretched corridors of the castle she came to notice her hard to bite competitor, princess eleftheria was talking her walk around the corridor likely taking a tour inside the castle. Beside her she spotted guards and eleftheria personal maids but also the king's cousin, Sylvester. Here she was acting as tour guide, showing the princess the area around the castle and introducing her to many things she had to adhere during her stay at the castle.

As every single palace has it's rules and she had to abide to them even if she was the princess from Crimson.

Both her enemies, she noted.

Sylvester was smiling to the princess but her smile seemed pretentious since she also harboured jealous towards her while the other way princess Eleftheria minded her words and stayed cautious to her prying eyes.

They met along the corridor, as more as she wanted Elizabeth felt hiding herself from them, she felt pressured and unsecured in front of them strangely different from her behaviour.

She tilted her head as she bowed slightly since she held the same status as them. They bowed respectively to her gesture, her maid stella only bowed deeply towards them since she was not a noble but only a servant.

"How did you like the castle, lady Richard ?" Sylvester made herself a tour guide by asking her a question.

"Good" she replied shortly before she excused herself, not wanting to waste her time on them Elizabeth harried to find her way around the castle before she found herself spitting critics towards them which in return might cause damage to her respectful demeanour.

She stoped in her tracks when she heard the king's cousin voice again. She turned, gazing from princess eleftheria to her.

"Would you like to have us in your company?" Sylvester said in low voice but still demanding. She probably noticed that Elizabeth was avoiding them while princess Eleftheria was standing still battling her eyes unconsciously without muttering anything.

How could she avoid them if she wanted to dig their secrets ?

As if she saw hesitation from her eyes, Sylvester added "By the way it is lunch time. We are on our way to the dining hall, we all have to be there"

Elizabeth saw this as an opportunity to stay close and learn them. " Of course I would love to" smiling to her own satisfaction she walked with them to the hall.

Upon arriving, they found their way to their seats, catching each ones movement before they sat at the same table. Their maids stood nearly beside them helping with arranging cutlery and serving them food.

When she was about to dig her food Elizabeth heard strange prayer from princess Eleftheria. She was praying before eating, her voice sounded eerie and magically powerful but very slowly and in low voice.

She dropped her spoon aside and adjusted herself before she took it again after princess eleftheria opened her eyes and encouraged them to eat.

At least she prayed for their food, she will think on that before wanting to destroy her later.

Opening her floral lips she shoved a mouthful spoon into her mouth, enjoying this delicious food in the castle, she ate non stop while others posing sometimes for the conversation. She peered her eyes at them, taking every expressions from their faces.

She was masterful in this watching while focusing on her food.

Her maid provided her with water sometimes not wanting her lady choked on her own food.

Other aristocratic daughters invited at the castle were eating their food partially and off the mood likely their sunken shoulders could tell their failures on the competition and soon they will be eliminated and sent back home. Not wanting to sympathise with them....well it is not her problem!!

She finished her food early and started asking questions towards her enemies.

Yes, enemies!

She didn't find anything special from them since they tactfully dodged all of her questions not wanting to reveal more about themselves. As she expected, she gradually changed talking topics after topics.

She doubtful looked like an interrogator as she asked interesting questions.

She squinted her eyes, furrowed her eyebrows smiling boldly between comments, mimicking their laughter and their facial expressions.

The lunch was some sort of knowing each other as their barely knowing one another.