Finally, the carriage appeared out of the darkness of the night and pulled up in front of the duke's manor. The footman hopped down and opened the carriage, revealing four beautiful individuals. They leave the carriage and walk into the estate with elegance and grace. The moment they stepped into the garden, everyone fell silent as one of the servants announced them.
"Presenting Crowned Prince Julian Ambrose, Princess Diana Ambrose, Prince Lakeland Ambrose, and Prince Mirrlock Ambrose of the Holy Kingdom of Ainzel."
When the servant spoke, no one spoke. No one needed to know who the individuals were in front of them. They were the children of the king. Everyone knew who they were. Whispers passed back and forth between the members of the party. The four figures were now the hot topic despite this being Jude and Asher's day.
"OMG! That is the royal family."
"I did not think they would show up."
"Of course, they would come. It is a duke's family."
"Julian looks so handsome. I wonder if I have a shot at him."
"I heard he was promised to some foreign princess."
"Diana is a true goddess. I would give my life to her for one kiss."
"Lakeland is beautiful like a dark angel."
"Mirrlock is here. If his siblings are any indication, he will be quite the looker. I need to set him up with my daughter."
The gossip passed back and forth between people like wildfire. Julian looked like the classic description of the prince. He had golden hair and piercing blue eyes that made women weak in the knees everywhere. He was about 20 years old and had the nobility and appearance of an angel. With his arrival, he won over the heart of any woman who had the pleasure to see him and the disdain of every jealous man.
Diana had a beautiful body that made most men drool with lust and women rage with envy but maintained an air of purity that made men hesitant to try and taint it. Many people would go as far as to call her the incarnate of the goddess herself. She was like a goddess that had cast a spell on every man in the garden as she gracefully moved down the step into the garden.
Lakeland was the opposite of his elder brother. He was beautiful but did not have the bright welcoming aura that made women fall for him. Dressed in a black outfit with silver trim, it made him a sharp contrast to his brother's white and gold ensemble. It was like looking at a fallen angel. The air of mystery surrounding him made many interested and afraid in equal amounts.
The last was Mirrlock, or as he preferred to be called Mirr. He was ten and almost eleven. He secretly tugged at the bow tie that tightened around his neck. He felt like this was tedious and boring. He did not like these kinds of parties at all. He would rather be anywhere else. But he maintained the appearance that his siblings had. They looked beautiful, but they were horrible.
Julian was a womanizer, Diana was a gossip, and Lakeland was a manipulative bastard. He wanted to go to the town. It looks much more interesting than rubbing elbows with these losers. They were all just as fake as their lousy makeup.
He sighed at the thought. Before he knew it, a large, bulky man with a jagged scar across his face appeared in front of the four siblings. Seeing him almost made Mirr faint at first, he thought it was a thug or a ruffian but was corrected when he spoke. "Welcome to Richt Manor. I am happy that you could make it. But is your father going to be in attendance?"
Julian was the one who spoke first as he recognized the man in front of him. "It is a pleasure to be in your company, Duke Richt. No, the king has much business to attend to, so he will not be able to come, but he sends his condolences for not being in attendance. He wishes he could be here to celebrate such a day with his old friend." Julian spoke articulately like a true royal, even bowing during his apology.
"You should tell your father not to work himself to death and just take some time to relax. Even a king needs a moment to himself." The duke replied. He let out a laugh at his comment.
"Father," A small boy with white hair appeared beside the giant man. He was young and was smaller than Mirr. He looked over the four siblings and at the man he called 'Father.'
"Oh yes. This is my son, Jude." The man quickly replied. Jude was annoyed that these individuals interrupted his day. He did not care that they were royals.
Despite this anger, he remains composed. "It is an honor to meet you." Mirr looked at the boy and instantly did not like him but could not tell why. Something about his eyes made him feel like the statement was insincere.
"It is a pleasure to meet you as well," Diana said with a curtsy. She giggled like a schoolgirl, charming the boy with her beauty.
Lakeland bowed and turned to the duke. "I heard that you had twins, correct? Where is the other?"
This annoyed Jude, causing him to excuse himself as other people were more interested in him. His father spoke, "He is upstairs. He came down with mana sickness, unfortunately."
"Oh, that is horrible," Diana exclaimed, hiding her face behind the jeweled fan she was carrying. "I hope he comes through."
"As do I," Lakeland agreed. With the exchange over, the siblings split up and shifted into the crowd. Though, it was easy to spot the elder three as they were quickly the center of the people. The men gathered around Diana, each claiming their love. The women were dazzled by Julian and Lakeland. Meanwhile, Mirr was on the side of the garden.
Mirr just wanted to go home. He looked over the garden. He went to the food and got some to try some of the unique foods in this area. Not many people gave him attention since he just had his Awakening and was the fourth child. Even if they did, he was mainly used to get to his sibling.
Mirr tried one of the dishes, a local type of fish with some spices from the Richt dukedom. He found it spicy but satisfying. He saw a dark shadow darting past one of the open doorways. Curiously, he walked back into the manor building and looked around for anything. Maybe he was imagining things.
But then he thought he could follow the shadow, someone who might kill him or return to the stuffy but safe party. "Murderous shadow it is." He decided before adventuring deeper into the building.