I was led to a white marbled gazebo with huge pinkish white Wisteria tree in fool bloom, almost covering the roof of the gazebo, and the surrounding, it's as big as the tree planted in the middle of the garden back in the Wisteria duchy.
There are 2 white day beds, with white tea tables and chairs in the gazebo.
Sir Nitro, the imperial knight with pure purple aura full of respect to my father, informed the imperial guards who let us in, letting us pass the separate glass door.
It's enclosed, as if I'm being imprisoned.
"Did you feel the ground shake?" dad mumbled, motioning for the people to wait and he took me to the Gazebo as I nodded and hold on to my father tightly.
"There's something, don't go there daddy." I mumbled as he hummed patting my back and made me look at him.
"The forest needs to be cleaned, the emperor only disguise it as a hunting competition, there are numbers of beasts that infiltrated the forest as of late, are you sensing it from the right?" dad asked as I nodded eagerly and he hummed looking at the direction where I can sense the aura.
"You don't need to worry, one is required to be able to take down a beasts to become an official knight, and our knights are no ordinary." my father reassured, as I slightly calmed down.
"Just rest here, dad have to go and greet the delegates, if it makes you comfortable, I'll send out some people to scout the area in the shadows." dad said, putting me down the day bed of the left closer to the Wisteria tree's body, as I nodded immediately making him hum and snap his right finger.
A blueish black spark jolted and morphed down the marble floor, dad wave his right hand to the right slightly, as I sense an intense aura yet calming, I watch the spark crawl fast the floor through the grass and flowers.
"You can see it?" my dad asked as I nod slowly, watching the spark enter the forest till I can only see the spark burst into dust, flowing along the wind morphing in the black aura coming from the forest.
I look at my dad who signal for me to shush with his index on his lips as I nodded copying him, making him chuckle, but I can still see worry engulfing him.
"Remember what I told you before? If someone bothers you, ask them if they still value their lives." dad reminded as I hum feeling more at ease now as he stroke my cheek and he motion for Wendy, Daisy, Sir Orion and Sir Ulysses to come, along my brother who all still looks worried too.
"Just let her rest here, she doesn't need to interact with the other ladies if she doesn't want to, I'll be at the platform with the emperor and the delegates." Dad said as he pat my bonnet carefully and go, leaving us to go back to do his duty.
"Are you feeling sick still? I heard you pass out from fatigue last night." my brother muttered approaching me and help me sit properly on the day bed as I nodded while Wendy and Daisy stand close by, Sir Ulysses look stiff on his stand with Sir Orion, eyeing my right hand as I gulp hiding my fully healed palm.
Sir Ulysses definitely saw it, I heard him from my door before I passed out last night.
"I'm alright." I mumbled reassuringly to my worried, clueless brother who sighed in relief.
"My lord, his imperial highness is looking for your presence, the hunt is about to start." Sir Colin called by the door way as my brother sighed patting my shoulder.
My brother left, leaving with Sir Colin who smile brightly at me as I wave goodbye then look again on the right where the dark aura is.
I can still feel the aura from that magic that dad throw there but the nauseating sensation I felt is now away, but I can feel everyone's existence nearby.
And it feels uncomfortably quiet.
"My lady, I'll get you something to drink and eat, is there anything you wish to eat?" Wendy asked as I look up to her and shook my head.
"Anything will do, get enough that we can all eat here." I mumbled even pointing at the imperial guards, Wendy sighed deeply.
"We can't do that here, my lady, we can only do it anywhere but the imperial family's presence." Wendy muttered as I oh, blinking.
"Then I don't want to eat anything." I said stubbornly, getting off the day bed.
"My lady."
I ignore Daisy and Wendy, walking my way to the side where there are various types of roses planted in all shades.
I look around, watching the butterflies flying around and stopping by the flowers.
They have auras too, it's shimmering white.
I tried to touch one, it has a silvery blue colored, I was surprised when it landed on my finger.
I slowly stand up from crouching, careful not to startle the butterfly, even Daisy and Wendy tense up still, with a bright yellow aura radiating on them, they must like butterflies too, they seem so happy but just holding it in.
The butterfly flew up and stop on top of the tip of my nose which cause it to feel itchy, I sneeze out of control, stumbling aback.
"Oh my God, my lady!" Wendy caught me immediately in amusement before I even land on the floor, which made Daisy and my knights, Sir Orion and Sir Ulysses stifle their laughter and even the two imperial guards next to them.
I feel flustered further when Wendy cleared her throat.
"Caw!"
"Ahh!" I yelp in surprise, completely slipping off Wendy's grasp and fall on my bum after a small chubby black crow with red eyes fly out of nowhere and cried, landing on the floor in front of me, tilting it's head and hopping closer and closer.
"Oh no! Lady Althea!" Daisy and Wendy cried out as I watch the bird get closer till it landed on my knee, it's gawking at my face.
It's still a baby crow, so tiny.
It's definitely staring at me with curiosity, it has an aura too, a powdery pink that contradicts it's appearance.
"So tiny." I mumbled trying to pet it's head as it buried it's face to my hand, it fly and hop to land on my hand, tilting it's neck again, eyeing me thoroughly.
"Caw!" the baby crow cried as I pet it and it looks like the crow likes it, even leaning it's small body against my hand.
"My lady." Wendy help me up but the crow wasn't even surprise and just stay still.
"It's cute." I muttered lifting it up for Wendy to see who hummed chuckling as she dust my dress off, taking the grass leaves off that got stuck.
"It looks like it has an owner already." Daisy said, pointing out the tiny gold leg band on it's right leg.
"Caw! Caw!" the crow suddenly started panicking, it suddenly fly and charge towards me, head butting my face causing me to squirm in shock and even Wendy, Daisy and the knights all gasp simultaneously.
I watch it fly as my brother suddenly appear by the door way and catch the crow with his water magic, forming a rope like around the bird's body who cried as it float on my brother's right hand.
"Caw! Caw! Caw!"
"You're so curious, you even wasted spell to spy on my sister, you rascal." my brother said with a sardonic smile, as the bird suddenly exploded which cause me to scream in terror when it turn into a ball of fire but was quickly extinguish with my brother's water magic and disappear along it.
"My lord!" Wendy and Daisy yelp while the guards looks taken aback.
"B-Brother killed the bird." I hiccup mortified, which made him froze on his spot as I feel like throwing up, my knees tremble in shock.
"Thea, it wasn't a real bird!" my brother exclaimed, approaching as I blink trying to understand.
"It was! The crow said caw caw to me!" I argued, which made him cough along the knights who cleared their throats, even Wendy and Daisy giggled.
"It's a magic spell, it's not a real bird." he said as he approach which cause me to flinch and made him froze on his spot.
"Lady Althea!" "Thea!" They all called when I run away, charging out of the inner garden, trying to find my father.
Now that I realize, this place is huge.
I look around only to find myself bumping into someone, I almost stumble again but was quickly pick up.
"Lady Althea, where are you going?" I look and realize it's Sir Colin, my brother's personal guard.
I feel myself uncontrollably bursting to tears which made the knight frown in worry even his aura turn grayish pink.
"Brother killed a crow! I saw it! The poor bird exploded to ball of fire! He drown it first them boom!"
"My lord did? Ball of fire?"
"Uhuh." I nodded while hiccups started to escape my lips as the red head knight sighed deeply just as a sound of footsteps interrupt us and he turn gland to where it came from, quickly walking his way back to where I ran from.
The aura, it's same as the crow's aura but it's human.
"It's just a magic spell, my lady, my lord only save you away from a small curious beast." Sir Colin whispered in a hush as I frown and he smiled brightly, but his aura is still the same.
"Let's go back to Wendy to wipe those tears away, the hunt is about to start, you're only resting here for awhile and needs to go back where the Grand Duke is."