Gathering

*Garden*

I exited the estate with the nannies via a wooden gateway covered in flowers and lovely vines that nearly reached my white hair. The nannies had left me alone to explore the garden I walked around it as the sun's rays brushed over my face. Since I wasn't used to having people around me, I was a little relieved that nobody was seeing me. There were several varieties of flowers, ranging from Chrysanthemums to Lilies, in every color and size. My eyes were astounded to see so many different kinds of flowers that, while I was imprisoned, I was unable to view them. Nothing was preventing me from gazing up at the sky or from enjoying the fresh scent of flowers.

The bouquets were rather delicate to the touch, so I carefully brushed my light fingers through them. As I observed the butterflies fluttering about me like I was in the center of a butterfly storm, I couldn't help but chuckle. I moved away from them without touching or damaging them because they seemed fairly delicate to the touch. They followed me as I continued to explore the area, giving off the impression that they were rather amiable. We began walking towards a silver gate that had roses symbols around it, it seem to be some sort of maze, a massive one.

*Swoosh*

I pushed the gate open after realizing it was unlocked, and as I went inside, shivers ran down my spine. As if to warn me not to go inside, the butterflies didn't dare follow me inside as if they were afraid of stepping inside. Inside the maze, every wall was decorated with flowers in a spectrum of hues, and everything seemed rather lovely. They emitted a lot of pollen when touched, and it appeared that this started a chain reaction since the other bloom also emitted pollen. The pollen smelt rather good, but at the moment, it gave me a lot of sneezes. I moved to what appeared to be the maze's center while covering my nose with my hands. It opened to a big space filled with multiple tables, many of which were quite dated and unusable.

"Young mister, you must be a newcomer to this palace. They should have told you not to investigate the maze, right?" From behind me, I could hear a kind yet stern voice speaking.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize I wasn't supposed to be exploring this region. I erroneously believed that I could enter the maze because the gate was unlocked."

To my astonishment, nobody was there when I turned to look at the person who had forewarned me about investigating the maze. Looking back, all I saw was a smattering of vibrant pollen. "Weirdly enough, were the flowers telling me to leave? Or was someone here just a moment ago?" I made the decision that it would be preferable to leave the maze immediately and started walking in the opposite direction. Fortunately, the gate hadn't sealed itself against me, so I was able to easily exit the maze.

"Now that we've located you, where were you before? We searched all around but couldn't find you." As soon as I exited the maze, a nanny charged for me. She sounded somewhat concerned, but I had only spent some time in the maze. "Oh hello, I'm sorry for worrying you. I was just exploring the maze."

"There aren't any mazes in the area. In either case, we'd better get you dressed for the gathering." As the nanny mentioned it to me, I was a little perplexed. Are they maybe making fun of me because the maze was directly behind me? "Hmm, the maze is directly behind me, or do others around her call it a different name," I wondered. "Or was what I went into not a maze but had another name."

"Please excuse me, but we need to get you dressed quickly. We may discuss your mental labyrinth at a later time." The nannies started hunting for outfits that would appear presentable for the party as we moved towards the bedroom where I had been this morning. They made new cloth since they appeared to be concerned that they may not look their best. I was made to try on what felt like hundreds of pieces of apparel. One particular kind of outfit that was bright pink with white shorts and crystal shoes became popular with everyone. As we made our way outside, they wrapped my hair in a ponytail.

*Carraige*

When I entered the carriage, I was prepared to see the elderly grandfather from the previous visit. But nobody appeared to be inside, and it was vacant. I was a little let down that I was riding the carriage alone. It was my first time riding in a carriage alone or even attending a Nobles party alone. Since yesterday, I no longer held a regal title; instead, I was merely a typical young person. We were in front of a huge castle before I had a chance to retreat and hide. "We have arrived young lord, someone waiting for you."

With water surrounding it and lily pads in the lake reflecting the moonlight, the castle had a somewhat contemporary appearance. The gate, which appeared to be rather huge and was guarded by guards on all sides who were ready to launch an attack at any moment, was located past the sea. The armors had the same insignia as the flags flying in the palace's passageways and were the same shade of blue as the palace from which we had just emerged. I questioned whether that may be this kingdom's emblem. The castle itself was breathtaking to look at; it appeared to be coated in white and gold colors and was constructed out of bricks, marble, and crystal.

When a guard saw me struggling to leave the premises, my feet were hanging over the edge. "Here you go, young lord," the audience chuckles. Even though it was obvious that he was suppressing his laughing, I couldn't help but be grateful for his assistance. I was carried by the guard and then my feet were on the ground. Although it was rather intimidating, I continued to walk to the gate leading to the entrance. There I saw the previous elderly grandfather. I sprinted over to him and flashed him my dazzling grin.

"It appears that you delivered your journey to the gathering quite quickly. Shall we enter and acquaint you with the world of the nobility? Don't worry; I'm confident they will welcome the newcomer."

"I suppose we will, and perhaps I'll meet some new people while we're at the gathering."