A New Work Space

Ava sighed in relief when she examined the hallways and finally found they were only filled with shadows and the dim moonlight that poured in through the windows. They had long left the warm light and indistinct chatter of the lively and grand party held in the main hall. But even so, it had proved difficult to evade the busy palace staff who seemed to be roaming about even in the more remote parts of the castle.

Ava turned to face Mila and Covin, lowering her voice to a comment in a whisper, "I hadn't thought they'd be so difficult to lose.." Covin clicked his tongue quietly while Mila gave a nod of agreement, wiping the sweat from her brow. Ava looked around as she slowly walked, trying to gather her bearings and silently complaining about how all the hallways here looked the same. She was going to have to convince the maids to put some different decorations around so she could tell them apart.

Her companions quietly followed her as she wandered about, sometimes pausing to think or turn to try walking in another direction. Finally, in the middle of a tiny servants hallway between rooms, she placed her ear against a blank wall. She then slowly slid her fingers along the wall, injecting tiny amounts of magic from her fingertips testingly. After she was finally satisfied with that, she used her fingertip to draw a pattern, a faint glow left on the surface of the wall. Ava then motioned to Covin, who stepped forward to place his palm against the pattern, closing his eyes. The air around them seemed to gain an electric tingle, the wisps of his hair seeming to be stirred by a wind that only affected him. After a moment Covin opened his eyes once more. Underneath his hand, the wall seemed to crumble away soundlessly. Mila clapped her hands lightly without sound while Ava gave him a thumbs up before slipping past him to step into the empty space beyond. Behind the wall, an old stone staircase descending into the darkness. Ava clicked her fingers, lining the steps with small glowing lights that fluttered about like fireflies before she cautiously made her way down, Mila and Covin close behind her.

At the bottom, they were faced with a wooden door, the barest hints of the red paint that once covered its surface only just visible in the faint light. Covin grabbed Ava's hand before she could reach out to touch it. She could only roll her eyes while Covin squeezed past her to test the door for himself. But the moment he touched it, the old rotting wood simply fell away from its hinges, crashing to the ground with an audible sound that made the three flinch. Ava quickly glanced up the staircase, on high alert. But after another moment of no sound, she breathed a sigh of relief. Meanwhile, Covin stared with silent despair at the shattered door pieces he'd been too late to stop from making such a racket. That is, until Ava pushed at his back, driving them both into the room. Mila made a 'yikes' expression as she tiptoed over the broken wood on the ground. Ava condensed the 'firefly' lights with a wave of her hand, the orb floating lazily just off the ground in the center of the room. The door crashing had stirred up the dust in the room, leaving the trio having to suppress their coughs as they investigated the fairly barren room. Although it had clearly once been a storeroom with shelving engraved out of the walls, it had been long out of use and forgotten with nearly nothing being left.

After a short while, the three converged in the center of the room, Ava lifting the orb into her hand and holding it up so they could see one another's faces. "Well, what do you two think?"

Covin scratched lightly at his head as he swept the room with his gaze again before giving a half-hearted shrug. Mila took her sleeve away from her mouth, frowning as she waved her hand in the air.

"Ahh, yes, we do need to do something about the dust," Ava agreed as she smothered a cough behind her hand.

Mila then examined the room with a thoughtful look before drawing in the air with her finger. In response, illusions that glowed faintly began to fill the room. A table in the center with a chair on each side. Papers, scrolls, books, boxes and various other items filling the shelves. A map filling the entire length of one wall. Ava nodded in approval as she walked around the layout of the room but soon enough she was laughing quietly as more illusions came to life. A pile of cushions in the corner with one spoilt dog lounging over it. Baskets with flowers overflowing from them slotted into the corners of the shelves. A rug over the floor, a chandelier that dangled lights like flowing water, small sofas pressed into the corners. "Enough, enough. Start small Mila. We need a door first and to have the dust cleaned out."

Covin raised an eyebrow at the 'we' part to which Ava returned with a wink. He could only sigh, knowing full well those tasks were his and Mila's responsibilities. Ava then nodded her head toward the exit, indicating it was time for them to leave while she busily tried to brush the dust from her dress.

---

"She isn't here, Your Highness."

It had taken a while to excuse himself from the party and by now it had gotten quite late. Avaline had excused herself long ago, stating she was tired from the all the travel. This made perfect sense but what didn't make sense is when Prince Jin went to check on her, she was nowhere to be found. The only souls present in her room were a maid, who was preparing a nightgown for the princess, and the hairy hound the princess adored, who had sprawled out on the silk sheets of the bed and was currently fast asleep. Jin's lips twitched as he eyed that dog who had made himself at home on the bed of a princess but ultimately decided it wasn't worth commenting on.

"Where did she go?"

"My apologies, Your Highness, but I'm not sure exactly. She said she wanted to walk around for a while and get more acquainted with her new home."

"At night?"

The maid could only smile apologetically, clearly not understanding any more than he did.

"Then… Which servants went with her?"

"Well… about that… Originally, Alison and Rixon went with Her Highness, it's just that…" She hesitated at this point, nervously shifting her weight and she wouldn't look up at Jin. Jin was starting to get a bad feeling so he rolled his hand in a gesture for her to continue.

"Alison and Rixon returned some time ago, without Her Highness… I asked them about it and they stated she had been wandering around the east gardens and she asked to have a moment alone with her servants. Only… they couldn't find her after that."

"If I understand this correctly… Princess Avaline hasn't even been here a day, doesn't know her way around the castle and she doesn't have anyone accompanying her," Jin folded his arms, his finger lightly tapping on his arm, the silent cue that he was annoyed. The maid lowered her head, mumbling apologies. Jin only sighed, turning to leave the room. He would have to scold those servants later and ensure they had clearer instructions. For the time being, he had to go find his wife who had surely gotten herself lost by now.

Only, it seemed she hadn't. He hadn't even walked very far before he bumped into said princess and her servants. "Princess Avaline."

She curtsied, smiling courteously. "Prince Jin, were you looking for me?"

"I was. I wanted to ensure you were well before I retired for the night," He had been about to continue talking when he paused, seeming to notice something. "There's dust in your hair. Did something happen?"

Ava didn't falter, nor did her companions at her sides give any reaction. She touched her hair with a slight frown. "Oh, my apologies for my appearance, how shameful. I had been exploring the library and pulled a book from a desolate corner. It must have scattered dust on me."

Jin eyed her with some curiosity, wondering if it was really true that neither she nor her servants had never visited the castle before. After all, the location of the library really was inconvenient and the hallways leading to it were like a maze. "I hadn't thought you'd be able to navigate to the library on your first day. That's quite impressive."

Once more, Ava didn't miss a beat as she waved her hand. "I'm unworthy of your flattery, Prince. I simply asked one of the servants for directions."

Jin still found this slightly strange, most of the servants were cleaning up after the party, that part of the castle should have been empty, which servant had been wandering around? "Could you tell me which servant?"

Ava shook her head lightly. "Unfortunately not, I didn't ask for a name nor did I note their appearance. My apologies."

"I understand," he then turned to her silent servants, "What are your names? Do either of you recall what the servant looked like?"

The two servants could only shake their heads, bowing to the prince.

"My apologies once more, Prince. This is my maid Mila," Ava introduced, gesturing to Mila who curtsied as she offered a small smile, glancing at him from under the hair that spilled over her face for only a moment before looking down at the ground.

"She can't hear anything. If you need something from her, just ensure she can clearly see your face and enunciate your words. She's quite adept at reading the movement of lips." As if to accentuate this point, Ava raised her hand by Mila's ear, clicking her fingers a few times. Mila stared ahead without reaction. Ava then gestured to Covin, who bowed his head again in a show of respect. "This is my servant and guard, Covin. Due to an injury to his throat, it's quite painful and difficult for him to talk." She reached out, unhooking the clasp that held his high collar in place. Covin seemed to understand what she wanted to do, obediently lifting his chin and pulling aside the collar of his shirt to reveal the messy scars at his throat.

"Your two best servants… one is deaf and both are mute?" Jin asked, unable to contain his disbelief. Avaline seemed to find something new to surprise him with every time they came face to face.

She replied nonchalantly with a smile on her face, "Yes."

Jin still couldn't wrap his head around it. "You rely on servants you can't talk with?"

Ava raised an eyebrow. "Who said I can't talk with them? You're mistaken, Your Highness. I have many ways to talk with them." At that, she made a few gestures with her hands that Jin didn't understand. 'The Prince is asking how I talk to you both.'

Mila signed back. 'Does the Prince know any sign language?'

Covin shook his head as he signed as well. 'Why would he ask if he did know?'

Ava maintained her polite smile, the devious glint in her eyes only noticeable by her companions. 'He's a bit inept, isn't he?'

Mila suppressed the way the corners of her mouth threatened to lift, trying her best not to give anything away. 'Be nice.'

Covin clicked his tongue helplessly. 'You shouldn't talk about your husband and a prince like that.'

Ava then turned back to the prince who was watching with silent confusion. "We communicate either in sign language, with illusions or sometimes in writing."

Mila wrote in the air, her fingertip leaving behind glowing lines. 'It's a pleasure to be at your service, Prince Jin.'

Covin followed her lead, writing in the air with the same method. 'I hope our service will be acceptable to His Highness.'

Jin had to admit he was slightly impressed. Not only were Ava's servants literate, they could write in the language of Eden as well. Of course both he and Princess Ava as members of the royal family were required to be competent in multiple languages, but two servants? And on top of that, there was the fact they could use illusion magic. Although it was very low level, it still wasn't common to see it in servants. "I see. I look forward to your service."

Covin then swirled his finger, dispersing the writing to instead draw a teacup, looking to his princess.

Ava understood easily, the three of them quite used to using writing, images, code words, sign language and even colours, lights and symbols to communicate with one another. "Ah, no thank you. I'd rather have some more of the wine that was served at dinner."

Covin nodded in acknowledgement, wiping away the image from the air.

Ava turned her attention back to Jin. "If that's all you needed, Your Highness, I'll be retiring for the night."

"Oh, ah, yes. If you're well then that's all."

As he watched the trio walk away, he got the distinct feeling that he was forgetting about something.