Chapter 13

The woman looked at them with no fear in her eyes, she stood their like she did not feel the powerful pressure around her.

"Your highnesses, Consort." she greeted with a bow which was reciprocated with a nod that caused her to stand.

"Get him cleaned up. He should be versed with the all palace rules before leaving for the academy, make sure of it," the duke told the woman.

"Yes your highness," she said as she gesture Cerrise to the side allowing the royals to leave before leading him away.

She led him to a large room filled with water.

"Please remove your clothes," although still weird at least she asked unlike the ones in the village.

He slowly removed his clothes with no psychological barrier and without being told to he slowly got into the water and relaxed closing his eyes.

As he settled the woman placed something on his side and after some echoing footsteps he heard the door closing.

He opened his eyes and looked at the things on his side. They were probably bathing tools. He ignored them and swam to the other end of the huge bath tub. There was a soothing rose scent in the air.

He swam for a while before bathing using the tools that had been left. He was about to get out when he noticed he had no clothes. As if sensing it a male servant entered and placed his clothes on a beautiful beast shaped stone protrution.

He got out wore the clothes and walked outside where he saw the woman alone.

She gestured at him again. He walked with the woman and she led him to a room where he found Ruda and Ananke, his rude servants whom he had almost forgotten. Closing the door, the woman began to speak.

"I am Reva your head attendant and your royal etiquette trainer, you will be staying here at the castle while learning etiquette. This will be your room," she said and that's when he took time to examine the room. It was the same size as his room at the dukes castle. With gold coated chandeliers, bright, white curtains, a huge bed at the center of the room and what seemed to be a wardrobe on the left side of the room.

"I'll give you an two hours to acquaint yourself with the important parts of the castle before preparing for the evening meal, you will have it with his Royal highness the king ," she said, then she turned towards his servants, "Ananke, Ruda, please show him around the palace."

And with that she left.

"We should take him to the gardens first," Ananke starts.

"No he'll need to know the inside of the building first, As we teach him the castle history" Ruda states.

"We can start from the outside and go in It still won't make a difference,"

"Since it won't make a difference let's start from the inside"

"But….

It seems that they would argue foever, he opened the door and walked outside leaving them to argue he walked for a certain distance before stopping at a beautifully decorated hallway.

Around him were huge clear windows reflecting the setting sun, he move closer to the window nearest to him and looked out, there was a beautiful stream and next to the castle it was a large forest, it was beautiful and it was obvious at glance that it was filled with magic.

The sound of a beast growling made him look down from the window, he spotted a familiar obsidian haired man wearing a uniform unlike any he'd seen before, his eyes were covered in a black blind fold and he stood beside an also familiar golden haired boy, he was one of the princes he had greeted when he first came to the palace, they looked like they were discussing something important, since their voices couldn't be heard even with all the mana and magic around.

Just as he was about to turn the Obsidian haired man turned his head and 'looked' directly at him scaring him stiff, if it wasn't for the blind fold he would have thought he could really see him. He moved backwards a little and look behind him, that's when he realized that he didn't know where he was. He tried walking around a little passing through myriads of hallways and by luck he came across to flight of stairs. Since he was already lost he decide to go up the stairs.

As he went up a feeling of familiarity hit him, it's obvious he's spent his whole life in the village, but as he walked up the stairs he had a subtle feeling of nostalgia although it was fleeting but he felt it, it was like he had been there before.

He walked a little further then stoppes, heard voices.

A sound of a girl giggling together with a familiar voice catches his ear, he walked towards it and he finds a door slightly opened and the voices inside sounded like the crown prince and some girl, the rational part of his brain kept telling him that it was safer leave and pretend to have not heard anything…but since when did he start listen to it. Curiosity getting the better of him and he tried to peak through the space.

Inside, he witnessed the crown prince seated at a table laden with papers. A noblewoman, presumably one of the consorts, was seated on his lap, her arms wrapped around his neck as they gazed affectionately at each other.

"I heard your father brought in another consort for you,"

Ohhhh…they were talking about him.

"It was just a stupid peripheral,"

That's abit harsh he was a forest native but he wasn't stupid.

"Why did your father choose a noble family with such weak power,"

"Probably for reputation, to make the common people not feel discriminated,"

He's not common people he was just from a family of fallen nobles…wait that sounded worse.

Just as he contemplated leaving, he moved abit but with his luck, his foot inadvertently struck a stool, sending a vase tumbling. Instinctively, he reached out and managed to catch the vase, but his action also caused the door to swing open widely, revealing him to the pair inside.

"Oh, you may continue; don't mind me. I was just passing by," he said with an affable smile, setting the vase down as if nothing unusual had occurred.

"Stop!"

He stopped and turned to look at the prince, he placed the lady that was on his lap down stood up walking towards him, he almost took a step back because of the in imitating aura the prince was emitting. Almost.

"Cerrise, right? The new consort,"

"Your highness I –

"What are you doing here,"

"I accidentally got lost, then I heard a voice from this room, I was going to ask for direction, but I found that it was his highness in there and you were busy so-

"You talk a lot,"

'You asked me a question, i was answering' He thought keeping a smile on to hide his irritation.

"Since we are done may I excuse myself," Cerrise said but the prince held his arm.

"You know the castle isn't a place where you can walk in any way you want. You may see something you shouldn't," was he talking about his fling cause if so why would he care about who he slept with, who was he going to tell? The duke? and what was it with nobles and the : 'You may see something you shouldn't'

Is it a line taught in school?

"Thank you for the information your highness," he said while bowing down, the prince squeezed his hand a little before letting him go.

"You can find your way back to your room if you take that direction,"

"Thank you your highness,"

When he walked towards the pointed direction, he reached the end of the hallway spotted a familiar door the one that Rev brought him to. He had been stuck in an illusion, it probably the eason he could not find his way out. He entered the room and the glares he received from the servants were enough to kill him several times.

They can't blame though, him they were arguing and he was bored.