Chapter 36
Three weeks later.
On the bright morning of the April, when the sun shined the brightest being the only star in the sky, an array of ten carriages stopped in front of the Etkinson mansion. Everyone looked curiously for the visiting guest, carrying a seal they are unfamiliar to.
Even Alice, who was reading quietly in library, looked out of the window when she heard the rattling sound. When she saw the carriages outside, she scanned their seal on the carriage. It was a red phoenix.
Startled, she opened a familiar book, rummaged through the pages fast, and stopped when she saw a familiar design. The red phoenix. Seal of the Northern Duchy. The family of Fogreaver.
Within few seconds, the library door opened and she could hear someone running hard towards her. As Emma stood in front of Alice, panting, she started to stutter.
"Milady…. the duchess…. is calling you…downstairs" she said taking deep breaths.
"Emma, sit down first" Alice gave place for her maid to sit.
"No… duchess immediately…. Called for you" she said.
"Emma. Sit" Alice ordered.
Emma sat beside her taking deep breaths. After a while when she calmed down, Alice asked, "now tell me what is happening?"
"The people of northern duke are visiting. They are downstairs. The duchess called you to greet them" Emma explained.
"I understand" Alice said and got up.
She brushed her wrinkled gown, ready to walk away.
"Milady, you cannot meet them in nightgown" Emma reminded.
"Ah… I forgot. Let us go to my room and get changed" Alice said.
When Alice finally reached downstairs in a decent dress, she found people already seated. The duchess was the first to find her.
"Oh Alice, you are finally here" she called for Alice in a usual way.
Seeing her mother acting usual made her smile naturally. For past few weeks, she rarely saw her mother. Even if they met, she looked tired due to her drained face.
"This is my daughter, Alicia Etkinson" she introduced her daughter to the guests.
"It's a pleasure meeting you" A man with broad shoulder said.
He was wearing a designer suite made of blue fur. With the heavy beard and his purple long hair, tied in a circular gold ornament, he looked like a prominent person from every angle. When he got up, Alice found out that he is twice her height. Seeing such huge man in front of her with a well-built body, her neck pained to look into his eyes.
"It is nice to meet you" she returned the greeting awkwardly.
"Alice" the duchess called the distracted Alice, "he is the Duke of the North. Alexander Fogreaver."
"Ah… I see" Alice smiled at them.
"You are very young" he said looking at Alice.
"I turned eighteen this year" Alice said uncomfortably.
How much ever she tried, she felt awkward talking to a man who looked like a double sized gorilla to her. In front of him, she looked like an ant standing in front of an elephant. And this feeling really made her uncomfortable.
"Oh… meet my son" he introduced the boy sitting beside him.
The boy got up from his seat. She looked at them with wide mouth. The two people standing in front of her felt like two huge pillars to her. The boy was tall just like his father and wore a coat made of white fur. Though he did not grow beard like his father, he had long purple hair just like father, which is also tied in a gold ornament.
As he looked at Alice down, his cloudy grey eyes reached for her hands. He took her hand and kissed it's back like a gentleman. Alice, first shocked and then confused looked at her mother nervously, who can just stand beside her and smile awkwardly.
"I am Harrison Fogreaver. It's a pleasure to meet you" he introduced himself perfectly.
Alice, who came to her sense looking at his perfect greeting, did not wish to embarrass herself. She spread her dress with the tips of her fingers.
"I am Alicia Etkinson. It's a pleasure to meet you" she repeated after him nervously.