The Capital from afar, it was a marvellous sight to the eyes but up close, it looked even more beautiful. That is, of course, when one looked past the slummy shops surrounding the walls of the Capital.
We walked up to the gate but were stopped by one of the guards.
"Entry fee is a gold coin per person." he said.
"What? But it was just one silver coin a month ago." my companion protested.
"Wanna go in or not?"
"Ugh, fine."
She took out a small pouch and counted twenty silver coins which she handed to the guard. Then we were let in.
"Put on your hood and keep your head down. We can't have anyone recognising you." She was speaking to me as we strolled down the edge of the streets of the Capital.
"Make way! Make way! Nobles coming through!" There was a shout from behind us. I turned to take a look at the carriage rushing down the street. I recognised the crest.
"Alicia," I called; "that's the Monroe family."
"So?" she retorted, "come on, let's find an inn before it gets dark."
"Don't you understand? My family paid them direct tribute. They know me, I'm sure they would help once they saw me."
"Naïve," she grunted. "Now listen here, squirt! I am helping you out of pity. I sure as hell could've left you for that bandits out there. Or worse, never even healed you, so be grateful... "
"Well, I am." I cut in.
"Then shut up and do as I say." She turned to leave and I just stood there staring at her back.
"Coming or not?" Her words snapped me back to reality and I quickly caught up.
We found a cheap inn where we paid for a week's nights. Things were very overpriced now, probably because of the First Princess's birthday. We paid for a room with two beds. Normally, this ought to have cost two coppers a night in any wretched inn such as this, but instead it cost two silvers a night.
I lay on one of the beds and thought about today. It was the worst day of my whole life. I was even a tad bit surprised that I wasn't crying over everything like every other twelve year old whose whole family was killed on the same day. I slept off soon after.
I opened my eyes to find an empty room. It seemed Alicia had left sometime ago. My stomach grumbled after some minutes of silent contemplation as I lay on the bed. I remembered what I ate last night: the worst meal of my life. It looked like soup and had these lumps Alicia called meat. Just a taste and I gave up. I even almost threw up.
I recalled how any normal day at our family mansion was like for me. I would wake up to find Alphonso: our butler's son, about the same age as me; waiting patiently at my door to usher me to a bath, after which I'd join my family for breakfast.
Recalling all this reminded me of their terrible demise. Tears streamed down from my eyes and onto the bed I lay on. Just then, there was rapping on the door.
"Hello, open the door! We got information that a noble was staying here! Open up!" I immediately remembered that I never got new clothes and my top featured my family crest. I'd made the mistake of taking off my hood prematurely yesternight.
I put on my hood and took to the nearest window. I looked down at the distance and fear took hold of me but the continuous rapping on the door broke me out of its grip.
"Open up this door or we'll have to break it in." I continued into the window sill and jumped without thinking if I would die or not. Fortunately, I landed on my two feet: literally. Unfortunately, I broke the both of them.
I didn't realise this at first because I was happy to have made my escape. However, the number of pitiful looks on me and the fact that I couldn't move my legs made me change my line of sight. I looked down at my lower limbs and felt a very intense sharp pain sent upstairs.
I think I blacked out for a moment there, because when I opened my eyes , the guards I was trying to escape had surrounded me.
"Joey, treat him. He's coming with us to Lord Monroe."
'So that's who sent them.' I thought. 'Ah, well. Let's hope it all works out in the end.' This was my last train of thought before I blacked out. Again.
I opened mine eyes to find myself in a somewhat luxurious room: about as lavish as mine back home, just a little more. Instinctively, I looked towards the door and someone was standing there, most likely waiting for me to awake; though, contrary to my thoughts, it was a soldier and not a butler.
"Hey," I called out. "where am I?" The guard, seeing as I was awake; left the room and closed the door behind him. Few minutes later, I interrupted my thoughts to see a butler enter my room. Cristof was his name, if I remembered correctly.
"Young master Jason. I'm quite sure you can remember me, no?" he started. "Lord Monroe has sent me to prepare you for this eve's party. We all heard of the tragic attack on your family's transport, and frankly, I am amazed you survived. I however, offer my condolences.
"Hmph, you don't care, Cristof. You just want to make yourself feel better by satisfying your ego."
"You are right in that I don't care. However, Lord Monroe and your Father were very good friends so I ought to represent perfectly, no?"
"Whatever, let's get this over with." I'd since noticed that my legs were back in tip-top shape so I moved them slowly and carefully so as not to stress them, and got into a sitting position at the edge of the bed.
There was a window just beside the bed and by the scenery outside, I could tell it was already midday. It was just a few hours before the party began, so I had to hurry.
By the time I got to the palace in an especially procured carriage meant for me: having my family's crest; it was a few minutes before the guests would begin to enter.
My Father was a low level noble: a Baronet to be precise, so he was not well known. But the fact that we were attacked by a Wyvern made our family name infamous, and I, being the only survivor; the talk of all nobles of the Kingdom.
Whispers were heard as I made my way across crowds of Xanderian nobility to wait near the doors of the hallroom. A few more minutes and some palace butlers came and opened the doors to the hallroom. We could see it was very well decorated even from outside. There were already some butlers in the large hall. There were no seats so it seemed this would be a standing party: that's what I was used to calling it anyway.
The announcer began to call the name of guests as they entered. I was the twenty second family to enter, seeing as the announcement was from lowest status to highest.
"I present; Sir Jason of the Xilmoa family." And that was it. A few more hours of name calling and all the guests filled the large hall. Now, it was time for the royal family to enter. The royal announcer who was standing on an elevated platform opposite where we entered from announced the presence of the royal family. It was customary for the highest status to be introduced last and this was why they entered last.
"His Majesty, the Eleventh Prince... His Majesty, the Fourth Prince... Her Majesty, the First Princess: Alicia Xanderwood."
"His Majesty, the King." Throughout those proceeds, everyone was required to bow. I wondered though, what a coincidence it was that the Princess's name was Alicia but quickly put it at the back of my mind.
As we lifted our heads, my eyes went first to the person for whom the party was: Princess Alicia Xanderwood. She was standing right next to the King. I was shocked though, to find that my coincidence had actually been misread. Both Alicias were indeed the same person.