Anasthasia rustled off the blanket and squirmed in her comfortable bed sheets. She shifted to the side, seeing Freidmirth snored so deep in his sleep. She sighed and got up from her bed.
"Fried! Wake up!" She cooed, nudging him with gentleness in her hands.
Freidmirth whined as a response, "I want to rest—"
"Lucy prepared a whole barbeque glazed turkey for you."
"Where? Where is Lucy?!" He got up with ecstasy, frantically leered around him only to see they were in a bedroom. Angrily, he huffed out a smoky breath.
"Alright now, don't get too excited about this."
"I never knew you'd resort to dirty tricks!"
"Whatever, I have to get ready." Anasthasia sauntered to the closet, filled with different outfits for her to wear. Her eyes beamed until she took what she deemed interesting, saying, "This is perfect."
She grabbed the clothes she needed today and walked to the bathroom, taking her time to freshen herself for the new morning.
Once she finished preparing, she went downstairs with Freidmirth on her arms. He remained lit ablaze out of frustration, even by the welcoming sight of Lucy and the rest. A gradual shift that came from his amber orbs, marveling at the scrumptious dishes laid on the dining table.
"Sister Ana! You're here already!" Lucy slammed the table, waving her hands as she beckoned her. "I was about to go upstairs anytime soon!"
"Lucy, calm down." Levi, who closed eyes and sat in his seat in peace, carefully sipped warm coffee.
"Levi is right, Lucy. I'm here; I must have taken so much of the time." Anasthasia chimed in, moving closer to them. Lucy apologized right after.
"You're just right in time."
Anasthasia turned his head. She saw Michael on his plain white long sleeves with a fitted black vest. His creamy grey trousers matched well with his cape, clinked and chained by golden strings near his neck.
'Look at him, looking so grand. The twins' outfits bore the same vibe as Michael; at the same time, they had different color schemes. It's just minus the cape he wore.' Anasthasia pondered.
"Sister Ana, that's so beautiful in you! I love how that silver glitters on the ocean blue fabric perfectly matched the short flared dress!"
Anasthasia nodded, agreeing to Lucy's every word. "I also tugged this down to give an off-shoulder effect. How do I look?" She twirled with grace, noticing how the above-the-knee-length fluttered with her whims.
"You're getting prettier each day, Sister Ana."
"Such a smooth talker." Anasthasia tittered.
"So, shall we eat?" Liam smiled so wide, looking at her way, which had her nod right away.
Just like their dinner, it turned into a full circle. The downside resulted in Michael's stifling presence as he ate so prim and proper. Oftentimes, Lucy's rowdy questions threw their way to Anasthasia, which almost choked her multiple times.
Now that they filled their stomach full. All of them grabbed and donned their cloaks. Liam reached out the doorknob and opened, welcoming the warmth of the rising sun.
Anasthasia strolled further, and she could smell the warm, greasy smell that hovered in the air. Sizzles and cracks popped out in every direction as she turned her head, witnessing the hot, sweet-powdered pancakes and waffles.
Birds chorused and mused the mood for a warm daylight stroll.
'This was a lot of different back when we left the afternoon. I can see the wide and long array of stalls at the forefront, meeting the road horizon.' Anasthasia thought so deeply as she marveled at the things she surveyed.
The road happened to be so wide that it accommodated large crowds, people who come and go, and their buzzing and bustling activities.
"Wait, are we strolling straight in this path?"
"Yes, Ana. This is, apparently, the closest distance you could reach if we reach Magician's Headquarters in the Navarre Kingdom." Liam quipped as his other hand preoccupied with Lucy's, keeping her within his reach.
"Why have you decided to leave Freidmirth in there?" Levi asked.
"Well, there's no good use to it. I bet exposing him will do more harm than good." Anasthasia replied, eyes grazing about what's in front of her: Levi also held the other hand of Lucy, and she no one could deny that Lucy turned out to be the happiest girl in the world.
"I mean, he's harmless—"
"Brother, just because Freidmirth is harmless to us, doesn't give the assurance that he is for the rest of the people in this kingdom. Your Highness doesn't like that." Levi sighed, nudging his chic black glasses.
"He should be under surveillance for a couple of days, and we'll see about that," Anasthasia suggested in hopes to break the unnecessary tension of the conversation and enjoy the pavement.
"Alright, Ana. We'll do that."
'The three of them look so cute.' She giggled inaudibly but stopped as she noticed the intense gaze on her peripheral vision; she cleared her throat before she muttered, "That's not cute for you to stare at me like that."
Michael hummed and then glanced forward.
By the next stop, what Anasthasia appeared afore her turned out to be a crowd of flowers, varying sizes, and colors that enliven her core. She turned left and right, only to see the beautiful arrangement of flowers in different pots, beds, and whatnot. It was as though she ran and dropped herself in a field of pastel florals in a bigger picture.
The stroll took quite some time, but none of their legs gave up. All of them feel invigorated by the busy streets.
Anasthasia dawned her eyes on the inclining steps made up of white marble. She glanced at the twins and facepalmed as she discovered both of them arguing over carrying Lucy. Both their heads fumed in rage, which had her sought after Michael, who also kneaded his forehead's temples.
"Michael, is that the place where I'll take the examinations?" Anasthasia inquired, earning her a slow nod from him.
"Finally! I won this time around! I shall be carrying Lucy!" Liam thrust his fist in the air, smiling from the result of the tug of war.
"I will get my chance next time." Levi's glasses glinted as he adjusted them once more, grinding between his teeth.
"If you can." Liam laughed out loud.
Lucy smacked his firm legs, reprimanding, "Brother Liam! Don't tease brother Levi like that!" Which had Liam sincerely apologized
"Let's go! Sister Ana is waiting!" Lucy spread her arms wide, waiting for Liam's embrace.
Liam bent down, huffing as she carried her so quickly, and without further ado, they started to go on. Anasthasia had questions that obscured her vision—it was an insatiable thirst from her curiosity. She needed to ask, which had them move at a slower pace.
"So, Lucy is already in her teenage school years. What—"
"Sister Ana, I'm homeschooled."
Anasthasia's ears perked up from Lucy's utterance, and it turned out to be an excellent opportunity to strike while the iron was hot. "Does this involve your erratic powers?"
"It's more than that, Ana." Levi glanced at her, and all she could discern was nothing but sadness in his bejeweled green eyes.
"I see, for what reason did homeschooling stop, and how long has it been?" Levi shook his head from Anasthasia's question.
"She's been homeschooled ever since she was five years of age, and stopped about two years ago."
"Then, did you not search for another one?"
Levi took a deep breath and faltered, "We did, actually almost all of the institute's prominent employees and staff, but not all could bear with her."
"I got the gist thus far. Thank you for the information, Levi."
"The pleasure is mine, Ana."
'I assume none of the magicians here had helped Lucy ever since, with their connections that is, and they could only bet on me. This letter of recommendation may tell me more information later.'
When Anasthasia stopped by the front door, a high-end wooden ceiling, with a flashing array of lights, blanketed the room's broad area. Her blue eyes darted to the ground and saw a hundred sets of long tables with chairs of the same kind, occupying the polished cream marble tiles.
The people in the area stopped as they stared daggers in their cloaked figure. The utter silence loomed the air as their faces screamed with curiosity, envy, and mockery. Though Anasthasia and the rest paid no mind as they sauntered close to the reception area.
When they reached the area, Anasthasia propped her hand over the counter and quipped, "I'd like to take a test for a magician's license."
The lady in prim blue uniform had watched in surprise. "Oh—I'm sorry, we're currently under maintenance—"
"I have a letter of recommendation." Anasthasia handed over the letter, which had the lady graciously received and surveyed with care.
Didn't even take long as panic swelled, visible in her red eyes.
"Please wait a moment! Let me contact the Head of the Administration."