As overjoyed as I was to be in the castle, the first briefing initially was as fun as watching a cow try to sleep. For reference, my late aunt and uncle owned a farm, and the smell of manure repulsed me so badly that I subsequently despised being around anything related to agriculture. I scrunched my nose to the side of the discussion.
*It's okay. I'll hold out until this ends.*
"An advisor from the other kingdom, Mr. Wen, has informed me of some quacks practicing, uh,"—Advisor Seiji skimmed his notes—"'animal magnetism' or whatever they claim it to be."
"And where are they?" Inei replied in an unamused tone, twirling a goblet full of strong black coffee above the advisors' heads. The way it levitated, it felt like a threat.
*I think we all need something to stay awake.*
"Altair, one of the border cities. Should we bring them in for an evaluation?" Seiji asked.
"Yes, I'm interested in hearing about their findings. Usually, they amount to nothing, but I can't claim to support research if I don't take a look at any of it." He yawned. "Anyway, send Sinclair if you see them, or General Jisoo, send one of your men otherwise."
Inei turned towards a shorter person who was supposedly the general. I didn't bother to check. Testimonies claimed they were sweet on the outside and entirely menacing otherwise, and I decided to listen to people's rumors and avoid that advisor's bad side—starting with no superfluous looks. Logically, the king wouldn't place a complete cinnamon roll in such a position, so I wanted to be as agreeable as possible with the general.
Around that time, I zoned out, uninterested in talks of mesmerism and greedy merchants.
"I shall fetch one of my soldiers in that case," Jisoo replied, catching my ear in the middle of my trance.
"Excellent."
It took through Inei's pleased response for me to process the low voice I heard, vaguely light but with a commandeering tone seeping through it. It struck me as familiar, but I couldn't put a face to it. Out of curiosity, I peeked across the oval table, seeing a pair of shining black eyes fixated on the king's rambling mouth.
*Wait a minute…*
I sat with better posture, examining a profile with a downturned nose and dark skin, and I recognized those features from before. Notably, the silver lacing on their outfit stood out from the surrounding staff.
"Hey," I interjected, "you were the one who came to the door—"
BOOM!
Bug-eyed, I shot up, almost flying from the chair. I thought I knocked my coffee over in my bout of enthusiasm, but when I looked around the table, I noticed not a single goblet laid upright. My gaze trailed up, and I gaped.
Upon the long, wooden table was a two-tone chariot with the design of a caduceus on its sides. A group of rather grotesque horses covered in armor led it along. One hiked its leg up to dirty the table, while others dug at the wood and left ugly scratches upon its surface like gashes on skin. A nonchalant horse already fell asleep, coffee staining its light coat.
At the top of the chariot was a person clad in a ruffled lavender blouse and white pantaloons. Their dark purple tailcoat reached their knees, and a golden helmet obscured their face. With the tiny wings on their shoes, they promptly ascended into the air, landing gracefully on the marble floor of the meeting room.
*Oh, not another one.*
I shuddered as yet another fairy dropped into my life.
Fairy? It was strange. They lacked wings, but the presence of magic gave a conflicting opinion on the matter.
The intruder removed their helmet, revealing a chiseled white face and large brown eyes that shimmered like melted chocolate. Their hair, which bounced gently a couple of inches beneath their shoulders as they shifted, was curly and a light brown, reminding me of a shaggy dog. With their dainty lips, they managed to have a soft look despite the piles of shrapnel around them.
"Ah, Sinclair! It's been a while since you've barged in on a meeting! How have you been?"
I slammed my face against the table, alarming Jisoo and Seiji.
"Ah, hello. Your name is… Leo. Am I correct? I suppose I should know all the names in the kingdom, but I can be a bit thick sometimes." Sinclair smiled, reaching for a bag in their chariot as everyone stared at them in silence.
*Where the heck did Leo come from? I thought I left him with Akiyoshi! At least I know Sinclair's a fairy by their name because of him…*
"Oh, Fifi!" Leo said to me. "Akiyoshi was just checking the mailbox for any letters from Koharu, but I guess we have our messenger right here."
Sinclair hummed. "I'm afraid the young princess hasn't sent any mail for her brother, but she has a letter for an advisor. Where has Mr. Heide gone?" The fairy scanned the room a little dumbly, oblivious to my presence entirely.
I waved my hand to get their attention.
"Certainly you aren't Mr. Heide, young lady." Sinclair chuckled. "He's rather old now." They went into a spell of thought. "Did he perhaps use an anti-aging spell for the day? I don't think he's that vain, but,"—they pointed at me—"you eerily resemble him in his younger years if he grew his hair out."
"Pardon. I don't know how I should address you, but I am his daughter. I was appointed yesterday."
"Delightful! I suppose this letter is for you!" They passed me a small envelope with an official seal and messy handwriting.
I tucked it into a hidden pocket in my blouse.
"In the future, you can just refer to me as Sinclair, or if you insist on formalities, Mx. Clarke."
"Noted, Mx. Clarke." I bowed my head.
Sinclair turned to the king after grinning at my gesture. "How come I wasn't informed of this? Aren't I the messenger? She seems lovely, though, Your Highness."
Inei straightened up from his position; he hung his legs off one arm of the velvet meeting chair, dangling his head and crown from the other end. I was surprised his blood didn't get stuck in his brain and cause him to pass out from how long he sat like that.
"I do agree with you, but what's the use in a messenger if they don't show up to collect the mail?"
"Very well." Sinclair took the hit without a trace of malice. "I'll do better in the future. How were you able to get the word out?"
"A few of Jisoo's soldiers and some of Leo's magic." Inei's voice was directed towards one of the walls.
Leo grinned cheekily as if he had something to say, but he held his tongue.
Sinclair nodded. "I'm quite grateful for your willingness to put up with my… mishaps then."
"Of course." Inei beamed. "Anything for you, though I'm disheartened I couldn't contact you in time. I wasn't sure if you were at your residence in Lunokhod or out sending letters again. At the very least, I wanted to invite you."
*Inei seems pretty nice, but I wish it was easier to hear him since he's pointed away from everyone.*
"Your Highness, I was there last night for a few minutes. You can get someone to leave a note on my doorstep next time. I rarely go there, though. The building might as well be a hotel. It's better to catch me on a delivery."
"I'll keep that in mind. I always forget."
Sinclair nodded and dropped a satchel on the table, likely harsher than they intended. "These are letters from the people, Your Highness and lovely council members. I saw a few grievances, love letters for the prince, and simple requests as usual when I thumbed through them on my way here. Do with them as you wish. I must be on my way now to deliver this sack,"—they pointed to a bag twice the size of the one dumped on the meeting table—"to Gali. They sure enjoy their gossip. I doubt they'll be pleased if I take too long."
"Wait!" Leo protested. He was awfully silent, but he glowed vibrantly when he spoke. "Would you fancy a break for a few pastries before you leave?"
Sinclair frowned slightly. "I'm afraid I can't sit down, but I'd be glad to take a few for the road, especially with the beverages in Gali."
Leaning coolly against the table, Leo snapped, summoning a box swaddled in purple ribbons. The sides were transparent, exposing the extravagant confections: macarons in all colors of the rainbow, cakes with piles of strawberries, and cookies oozing syrup. Sinclair's eyes lit up, fixing on the row of macarons.
"How sweet of you!" They grabbed the package. "Thank you very much! I'll find a way to repay you soon."
"No need—"
With that, as Leo spoke, Sinclair flew back into their chariot. They grabbed the reins and opened a magenta vortex in front of them. A flick of their hand made the horses neigh and gallop fiercely, rearing up on their hind legs as they passed through the portal. It condensed on itself as the last black rail passed through, and not a single scratch from the chariot decorated the table.
*What the heck did I just witness?*
Leo feverishly waved until he was caught off guard. (At least he did a good job impressing the visitor.)
"Leo, would you kindly clean up the room? Horseshoes aren't too kind to this stain," Inei vaguely whined, high tones contrasting with the deepness of his voice.
"Of course!" Leo grinned, clapping to reset and refill the goblets.
Before my eyes, the indentions created by the horses were erased as if they were made by the lead of a pencil and devoid of rubber shavings. The spilled coffee turned into crystals that shattered into nothing, and instantly, the room appeared no different than it had before the ever-mysterious Sinclair arrived.
"Shall we continue?" Inei grinned, opening the bag in front of him and tossing several letters aside. They flew into a messy pile on the floor and missed a trash receptacle behind him as he swung his legs around playfully.
*Are we just going to pretend nothing happened? How weird is this castle?*