"Do I seriously have to wear something like this again?," grumbled Allen.
"Yes," August answered, rolling his eyes. "Now, can you stand still so I can help you finish getting it on?"
"I guess so…," Allen finally said, giving up.
With the weekend finally here, the afterparty celebrating the end of the Annual Magical Knights Tournament with Allen's victory has arrived. Allen was mostly ready for it, but William had let out a crucial detail regarding the afterparty.
"I have to wear this stupid suit while everyone else gets to wear their regular academy uniforms," Allen mumbled, as August did the finishing touches.
"Yeah, yeah I know," August rolled his eyes again. "But remember, the rest of us will be wearing suits and dresses as well"
It wouldn't be only Allen who would be wearing a suit. All of those who participated in the main tournament (not including the preliminaries) were asked to wear something appropriate. However, as August is the prince of England, he would also be wearing something nice.
"There, it's all done," August advised him, as he backed away. "And looking sharp I see"
"Don't humor me," Allen sighed, already dreading the day.
A knock suddenly came from the door from someone outside. "Is he done already? You two are taking your sweet time!"
"Yeah, we're done," August answered on Allen's behalf. "We'll be right out"
The two of them, already both dressed up in their respective suits, made their way out of the room, to find a slightly annoyed Rose. She too was dressed up, as she was a participant in the tournament. She wore a dress similar to one she wore during the royal banquet they attended with August, with her hair once again up in a bun. The dress was blue and gold in color, complimenting her looks well.
"Oh. You look nice, Rose," Allen complimented her, as his face was red in embarrassment.
"Really?," she asked, excited. "Well, I think you look stunning yourself.
"Alright you two, save it for later," August told both of them, as he straightened his own suit. "We should meet up with the others first"
"Uh- right!," Allen exclaimed, as he quickly followed behind August, with Rose following pursuit.
The three of them made their way towards the auditorium, where the afterparty would be held. The chairs that previously filled the large, spacious room were temporarily moved to make room for the tables and nicer seats that would soon be occupied by students who would be attending the afterparty.
Although the afterparty would not quite begin yet, the three of them plus a few extra special guests would get to be there first before everyone else.
"Well, it seems all of you managed to get your suits and dresses on one way or another," August nodded in approval, as he took note of everyone's outfits.
"Yeah, unlike someone here," Rose gave Allen a quick glare.
"Hey, it's not my fault these suits are hard to get on!," Allen protested.
"Well, I managed to get mine on just fine," Stephen pointed out.
"It was simple enough," Cecily added, as she tugged at her dress.
"Easy," Alice agreed.
"I- uh… might have struggled with mine a little bit," Thomas admitted.
All eyes quickly turned to him, before they all erupted into a short laughter.
"Well, make that two here who have half a brain," August chuckled.
"Hey!," Allen and Thomas exclaimed at once.
"So, what happens now?," Cecily asked, once everyone settled down.
"Allen and I are to meet up with the head director himself," Rose piped in. "The rest of you are to help set things up"
"Seriously?!," Thomas exclaimed. "Isn't this supposed to be a party to have fun?"
"If you'd like, I'll kindly ask Lily to have you study while everyone else helps out," Rose smirked.
"I definitely want to help out!," Thomas exclaimed, quickly changing his mind. "Where do I start?"
With Cecily giving Thomas a long glare, the rest of them except for Rose and Allen followed Stephen, who led them inside the auditorium, where they would soon begin setting things up.
Rose had Allen follow her towards an all too familiar room, one Allen hasn't been inside of in several months.
"We're here, head director," Rose declared, as she practically kicked the door open.
"How many times do I have to tell you to stop being so aggressive with that door?!," William chastised, as he slapped his forehead.
"My bad!," Rose raised her voice, as she walked into the room. "That door had a mean look on its face!"
"Yeah, yeah," William sighed, practically giving up. "Just come in, and don't break anything else"
"Can't make promises!," Rose remarked.
"Well, haven't seen you in that seat in what feels like ages," Allen grinned. "But, can't say the paperwork missed you"
"Oh I know!," William exclaimed, throwing his hands down as several papers flew across the desk. "Can't say I'm glad to see this again! Ellen made this worse for me!"
"As if," Rose interjected. "Surprisingly enough, she was organized, but only when it suited her. I would say most of this was due to your laziness now and then"
William slumped into his desk and let out a groan as more papers flew around. "Shhh!"
Allen and Rose looked at each other and back at William as they were unsure of what to say.
"Anyways, take a seat both of you," William spoke, as he quickly sat up in his chair, as if nothing happened.
"Right…," the two of them said at the same time.
With Allen and Rose finally taking their seats in front of William's desk, William had begun to pull out a few papers that he would need regarding their discussion.
"So, I'm assuming this is about the afterparty that's about to begin?," Allen asked, curious. "And why I have to wear this stupid and uncomfortable suit?"
"It does look good on you," William pointed out. "And, your dress looks good on you as well, Rose"
"Thanks, I guess"
"But don't worry, I'll have to wear one myself," William shrugged.
"You're not wearing one right now," Allen pointed out.
"Don't worry about the finer details," William waved his hand down. "Anyways, there's a few things you'll need to know and be aware of regarding the afterparty. Rose is also here, as she is the Student Council President, after all"
William briefly explained to both Allen and Rose how the afterparty would go down. Once all of the students/guests have arrived, William will give a speech in front of all of them, with Allen up on stage with him. With Allen being the victor of the tournament, he will get to include a speech of his own. After the speech is over, everyone is then free to mingle and talk amongst one another, as they wait for dinner to be served. Everyone will then get to freely choose a table they sit at, and enjoy themselves. The party will last for only that evening, to which everyone will be expected to head back to their dorms.
Allen was worried about the speech, but William assured him it would be fine. Allen would only be required to give a short but sweet speech, similar to what William will do. Everything Allen says is up to him, as long as it follows the theme of the tournament and afterparty.
"And now with that out of the way, we will now make our way towards the auditorium stage," William explained, as he got up from his seat.
"Wait… now?," Allen asked, his eyes widening.
"Yes. Now," William smiled.
Once preparations were finished by the student council members as well as Allen's friends who were told to help out, the stage was finally set for the afterparty to begin! Tables were all filled with silverware in preparation for the dinner to take place later, small decorations were evenly placed around the edges of the auditorium, and the floor was properly cleaned.
The auditorium opened up to allow all the students who could attend to come in and take their seats, as they all awaited the beginning speech by none other than their head director. Everyone waited in anticipation for William to make his grand entrance.
"Greetings everyone!," a voice finally came from the stage. "I am William Windblade, your Head Director of this esteemed academy!"
Small cheers came from the crowd of students all gathered in the auditorium. Everyone was glad their head director was back, compared to temporary head director Ellen Marion and her unwanted ways.
"I am glad that each and every one of you were able to make it today!," he continued. "Today, we not only celebrate the successes and hard work of all of you who participated in the tournament, but of course of our student who won the tournament, Allen Fleming!"
Clapping and cheers came from the crowd as Allen, who stood next to William up on the stage, did a small respective bow.
"So please, have a good time and enjoy yourselves! Today is a day to relax and enjoy the hard work you have put into this entire academy year! The dinner will begin soon! Please feel free to mingle and talk amongst your fellow students!"
Clapping once again came from the crowd, as William finished his short but sweet speech. William turned towards Allen, to let him add his part of the speech.
Allen began to shake, feeling nervous about the whole thing. But after taking a small, deep breath, he was ready to add his part.
"Thank you everyone for coming. I congratulate everyone who participated in the tournament and did their best. I worked hard and managed to win against all odds, and with that being said, I promise I will work hard towards my second year!"
Allen's expression finally turned into a smile as his fellow students cheered for him. It had felt so unreal to him this entire time. Defeating Simon Windblade was by far no easy means, but he had managed to pull it off. And now, standing in front of his friends and those who were in the tournament, he could truly take in how great his accomplishments have been thus far.
"Let the afterparty begin!," William announced, as everyone continued to cheer.
With the speeches out of the way, many of the students began to form groups as they began to talk amongst one another, usually topics surrounding recent events, the tournament and even their classes. The afterparty made it both an easy way for friends alike to catch up with one another, or perhaps to meet new friends.
Allen however, was more concerned with meeting up with his friends, so he could celebrate the afterparty with them, That, and the atmosphere was beginning to get to him. While the royal banquet was interesting enough of its own, Allen found he's not a big fan of large social gatherings.
But before Allen could make his way over to where he knew his friends would be, he found himself in a rather strange and peculiar situation.
"Can I- help you?," Allen asked, as he noticed a group of girls surrounding him.
"Nice to meet you Allen!," one of the girls answered.
"You were so amazing in the tournament!," another one added.
"Are you single?," a third one asked.
"Um… uh-," Allen began to say, but didn't know where to start.
What… is going on?, Allen thought, as his face began to grow red and almost sweating in nervousness. What should I do?
The group of girls in front of him kept asking him questions, and ever so slightly inching in towards him. Just what was this attention? What did they want from him? Were they interested because he won the tournament? Or perhaps…
"That's enough!," a familiar voice came from behind the group of girls.
"Student Council President!," the girls all shouted at once.
"Excuse me, but I need to have a word here with Allen!," Rose declared, crossing her arms.
"Oh we see how it is, Student Council President!"
"You want him all to yourself, don't you?"
"We understand, Student Council President, but we saw him first!"
As the girls pleaded with Rose and tried to argue their points, Rose only began to grow more frustrated. Allen was still trying to piece together exactly what was going on, but he got the gist of it.
"Alright all of you, disperse!," she commanded, raising her voice.
Finally the group of girls gave up, and listened to their Student Council President. Finally leaving them some space, it was just Allen and Rose standing near each other.
"Hmph, you're certainly getting a lot of attention," Rose finally said, not looking him in the eye.
"And that's no different than the male students coming after you?," Allen pointed out.
"I, uh well…," Rose tried to come up with a counterargument. "It's different because I said so, and I don't want you with any other women!"
"Uh… right…"
"And you don't have to worry about me, because there's no other guys I'm interested in," Rose pointed out, her face growing red.
"I-"
"Alright you two, settle down," a voice came from behind them.
"Stephen?," they both reacted at once.
"Come on, it's time for the banquet!," he declared, grabbing both of their arms. "I'm getting hungry!"
With things finally settling down, the three of them sat with their other friends, August, Alice, Thomas and Cecily. They fortunately had a table all to themselves, and could avoid being bothered by any other groups of students.
The rest of the tables were all filled with groups of students of all elements, rank and years. Students chattered amongst each other as they awaited for the food to come out.
The teachers and directors had a table of their own, all sitting amongst each other. Allen managed to spot William, Mr. Garet, Ms. Clark, Ms. Florence, and Mr. Lyon amongst the rest of the teachers. William seemed to be chatting it up with most of the teachers while Mr. Garet and Ms. Florence seemed to remain silent and at the edge of the table.
"Finally, the food is here!," Thomas beamed, as he was already beginning to lick his lips in anticipation.
Several ladies dressed in maid uniforms went table to table as they filled the empty plates in front of the students. There was a variety of all kinds of food, and yet plenty to go around. The academy surely didn't settle for less when it came to the entire afterparty. Just who was funding the entire party? The Triumvirate?
As a maid approached Allen's table, he noticed she looked all too familiar, and a realization pierced his mind as she began to place down the food unto their table as Allen's friends were busy talking amongst each other
"Shh!," she whispered, putting a finger to her lips, as she continued her work.
Reynold, you are a sneaky one for this, Allen thought, as he got a good look at her. So you're the one funding this whole event, aren't you?
The maid that stood in front of Allen was the exact same maid that was in Reynold's office when Allen was requested to personally talk to him in person. She was the one that served them their tea and snacks, and the same one that Reynold had offered to…
Yeah, let's not think about that, Allen told himself, as he shook his head. Let's just enjoy the meal!
"Oh wow, this is really good!," praised Thomas. "I can't get enough of this food!"
"Yeah, I will say this is definitely higher quality food," Stephen agreed. "Definitely better than what they serve in the cafeteria"
"Hmm, it's alright I suppose," August shrugged.
"Oh, used to all the nice food back home, are you?," Stephen grinned. "This must be nothing in comparison, huh?"
"Nah, the food back home is alright too," August explained. "Maybe I just have a picky palette"
"Oh really? Maybe I should take some of that food from you then!," Stephen smirked.
"Go ahead and try," August dared him.
"Wait, I want some more too!," Thomas pleaded.
The three of them began to fight over their plates as Rose and Cecily simply rolled their eyes in annoyance.
On the other hand of things, Cecily seemed to be using one hand to eat and the other hand to read her book. Rose's attention seemed to drift towards the teacher's table, as William and a few of the other teachers seemed to be engaged in a conversation.
Allen was content with how things were. All of his friends were just talking and having fun as they all sat together around a table eating delicious food. There wasn't much more he would ask for. Things had finally begun to settle down as the tournament ended and William returned as head director.
If things can just stay the way they are, I would love that, Allen thought, as he smiled at all of his surroundings. This academy life, making friends, growing stronger, I love it all. There may only be two years left before I graduate from the academy, but I'll make sure to make the most of it!
As his friends continued to bicker and make conversation, Allen suddenly noticed a presence coming from behind him. It was a rather strange feeling emanating from behind him, no sense of tranquility or joy. An almost fearful presence, one he's never felt before.
Allen suddenly jerked his head around, in pursuit of who or what was causing this strange feeling he was having. His eyes wandered around the filled auditorium, amongst all the chattering and cheerful students, until his eyes landed on a figure, an outline of a man. It was very brief, as the outline suddenly disappeared, gone around whichever corner they went behind.
What was that?, Allen thought, as he could feel his heart pounding. Who was that? What did they-
But before Allen could ponder the thought, something else occurred to him suddenly. His attention suddenly drifted towards his chair, where he had originally set his sword down, sheathed away, so that he could eat with his friends without it pestering him at his side.
It's… it's gone!, Allen thought as his eyes widened in surprise and fear. That person, that figure, they must have taken it!
Suddenly jerking up from his seat, his attention drifted towards the last known location Allen had seen the figure previously. Just outside of the auditorium. But, where did they go?
"Is something wrong Al?," Thomas asked, noticing his discomfort.
"Don't worry about it," Allen reassured him, as the rest of his friends' attention laid on him. "I'll be back shortly"
Before any of them could jest at his decision, Allen had already pushed his chair in, heading straight for the exit of the auditorium. He would get his sword back, by any means.
I won't let this slide, Allen thought, as his expressions turned towards frustration. Whoever this is, I'm going to let them know this isn't a funny game!