The next morning, the sun's rays streamed through the window, casting a gentle glow on Kat's face. She stirred, turning to shield her eyes from the light. Just then, a knock came from the door. "Lady Kat!" Vivian called out, knocking persistently.
Kat muttered, her voice muffled by drowsiness, "Not now, Emma, let me sleep." But Vivian continued knocking, "My lady?! It's me, Vivian." Kat's eyes fluttered open, and she slowly sat up, "it wasn't a dream" she muttered rubbing her sleepy eyes. She grudgingly dragged herself out of bed and walked towards the door.
Unlocking it, she opened the door to find Vivian's relieved face. Vivian had been knocking for a while and was worried when she didn't get a response. "Good morning, Lady Kat. Did you have a pleasant night?" Vivian asked, stepping into the room.
Kat yawned, "Good morning, Vivian. Yes, I did, thank you. Did you?" Vivian smiled, "My night was fine, my lady." She had assisted Kat with her bath and waited by the door until Kat was done.
Coming out of the bathroom, Kat prepared to get dressed. Vivian brought forth a beautiful off-shoulder flowing cream dress with floral pattern work. Kat admired the dress but declined, preferring to wear her own clothes. Vivian looked slightly disappointed but put the dress away and went to fetch Kat's breakfast.
Kat chose a long corset milk-made cream dress embellished with delicate flower prints, feeling stunning and delicate as she slipped it on. She styled her hair, securing it up with a flower-designed claw clip, allowing a few strands to fall loosely around her face.
As Kat ate her breakfast, she heard the sound of carriages rumbling through the castle gates. Curious, she rose from her seat to check. Walking to the window, she saw two imposing black carriages come to a stop in the courtyard. The guards rushed to open the carriage doors, placing a small step at the entrance. A woman emerged from the first carriage, exuding confidence and authority as she stepped out. She refused the guard's aid, descending gracefully with impeccable posture.
Following her, a man emerged from the carriage, and from the second carriage, two men and another woman appeared, all carrying an air of authority and mystery. "Who are they?" Kat asked, propping her head for Vivian to come take a look. Vivian hurried over, following Kat's line of sight, her eyes widening as she spotted the symbol adorning the side of the carriages. "The Shadow Council," she breathed.
"The shadow what?" Kat asked, confused. Vivian paused, her lips parted, before speaking, "They're an elite council that serves the royals of the five kingdoms. They handle matters of utmost importance directly involving the kings or the five kingdoms. I've heard a lot of rumors about them, but this is the first time I'm seeing them in person." Vivian explained, her voice tinged with awe.
Kat thought to herself, "I see, so they are like the personal investigators of the kings. I'm guessing they are the ones Sebastian spoke of yesterday." "I see," she said aloud. Vivian continued, "They are also said to be the cruelest form of justice in all the five kingdoms, and their leader... she is said to be the cruelest of all the ten Shadow Council members."
As they spoke, the woman seemed to sense Kat's gaze and lifted her head. Their eyes met, and a warm smile graced her lips before an unsettling sight unfolded: her eyes, once green, flickered momentarily to a fiery red, the woman gaze didn't linger long and she looks away.
Kat couldn't be sure, but she thought she saw the woman's eyes flash from green to red. Her attention was diverted when Vivian bowed and excused herself to attend to something. After Vivian left, Kat returned her gaze to the window and saw Sebastian approaching the group. They exchanged greetings before he led them inside. With a furrowed brow, Kat returned to her seat to finish her breakfast, her mind lingering on the strange sight she might have seen.
Kat followed Sebastian as he led her to the courtroom, located in the west wing of the castle. "How has your stay here been, Miss Kat?" Sebastian asked.
Kat's eyes darted along the paintings on the walls as she replied, "Not bad." Her mind was preoccupied with anticipation of what would happen in the courtroom. "What questions would I be asked?" she inquired, seeking to know what to expect.
Sebastian glanced at her from the corner of his eyes. "Mainly questions that would clarify if you harbor any ill intentions against the Kingdom or its people. Once it is shown that you do not, they will proceed to inquire about how you arrived here." Kat didn't press for further information, simply following behind him.
They ascended the stairs to the third floor, arriving at a large double door at the end of the hallway, where two guards stood at attention. With a nod from Sebastian, the guards pushed the door open, and they both stepped inside.
Upon entering the courtroom, Kat was met with the imposing figures of the Shadow Council. Their presence commanded attention, dressed in black and white, like sentinels, their expressions stern and unwavering.
The atmosphere in the room was gloomy, until suddenly, someone appeared in front of her face, his handsome features graced with a charming smile. "Oh my, you are even more beautiful than I could have ever imagined, you to be" he remarked.
Kat: "...."
Slightly startled, Kat stepped back. "Your beauty is truly commendable," he continued. Kat thought to herself, 'where the hell did he come from suddenly?' "Um... thanks...," Kat replied, feeling a bit off at the unexpected compliment.
"Which is why the possibility of you being a black witch is higher," he stated, catching Kat off guard with the sudden change in words. She raised an eyebrow in response. "What's with you people and witches?"
Before the man could speak again, his words were interrupted by a woman's voice. "Please excuse sir Wilson for his rudeness. I'm Lady Margaret Wilson, head of the Shadow Council. It is a pleasure to meet you," she said, stepping forward with a polite smile. Kat recognized her as the same woman she had seen earlier from the window.
"It is a pleasure to meet you too. I'm Katherine Young. Lady Wilson...?" Kat trailed off. "Oh, not at all. Sir Nikolas Wilson, as in my twin brother," Lady Margaret clarified. Kat nodded, acknowledgeable, apart from their dark-colored hair, she couldn't really see the resemblance between the two.
Sebastian bowed slightly at Lady Margaret, and she returned his greeting with a nod. "Sebastian," she greeted in return. "If you would please excuse me," Sebastian spoke, about to take his leave. As his eyes met Kat's, he noticed the flicker of nervousness in her eyes, giving her a reassuring smile. "I will be back shortly," he said, not speaking to anyone in particular, but Kat understood he was referring to her.
"Please, let me introduce you to the rest of the members of the Shadow Council, Lady Katherine." "Just call me Kat," Kat said, offering an equally polite smile. Lady Margaret nodded, walking Kat over to the table where the rest of the three Shadow Council members were standing.
Lady Margaret nodded, walking Kat over to the table where the rest of the three Shadow Council members were seated. The table wasn't too wide, with four chairs arranged on the opposite side, facing the head of the table. Two chairs were positioned at the edges, one more majestic than the other, likely reserved for someone of higher position, and the other for the head of the Shadow Council, which was Lady Margaret herself. On the opposite side of the table from the four chairs, there was a single seat, presumably for Kat to sit.
As Kat approached the table, Lady Margaret introduced her to the rest of the council. Gesturing to a man who was equally handsome as the others Kat had seen so far, she said, "This is Sir Serum Kingsley." She then gestured to the other man, and said, "This is Sir Jefferson Whitmore." Finally, she introduced the last member of the Shadow Council, a woman, saying, "This is Lady Adela Vanderbilt." She then introduced Kat to each of them, "This is Katherine Young, or better still, Kat," addressing each council member in turn.
Lady Margaret then gestured for Kat to take a seat and said, "Please, sit."
As everyone took their seats, Lady Margaret informed them, "Please be patient as we await the king's arrival." Kat thought to herself, 'Oh, I see, the king will show up.' Right on cue, the double doors were pushed open, and everyone stood up and bowed deeply, except Kat, who didn't feel obligated to bow her head to anyone. But as she spotted the king, her fists clenched in surprise. It wasn't the old man she had expected, but the rude man she had encountered earlier, walking alongside Sebastian. 'Him!' she thought, her eyes fixed on the king.
As the king approached the table, his red robe majestically draped around his broad shoulders, Each step he took emitted the same feeling of power and authority from that day. His handsome face wore a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, "It's the feeling again, it's the same type of feeling I got from the old lady," I muttered under my breath.
His soul- piercing dark grey eyes locked onto Kat's, demanding something from her. Not being the type to back down, Kat stared back, her gaze unwavering, she wasn't aware she was slightly glaring.
As he arrived at the table, he ordered, "Rise," and everyone raised their heads. Sebastian pulled out the chair for the king to sit, and the others waited for him to be seated before taking their own seats, as a sign of respect. "Thank you for gracing us with your presence, Your Majesty," Lady Margaret greeted. "It has been a while. How have you been, Lady Margaret?" the king asked, his tone commanding. Lady Margaret smiled subtly, her tone conveying authority without lacking respect for the king. "I have been alright, Your Majesty." It was clear they were well acquainted.
"Your majesty. This is Lady Katherine Young. Lady Katherine. His majesty, Lord Lucian Hawthorn, the King of Davorin," Sebastian introduced.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Katherine," he said without any formalities like he had done with Lady Margaret.
"The pleasure is all mine, Lucian," Kat responded, also throwing his name back at him with an innocent smile.
Sebastian glanced at Kat as she spoke, a smile coming up his lips at her bold response. Sebastian thought her response to be amusing. Everyone at the table noticed the slight tension in the manner in which the two spoke as they held each other's gaze. The king's smile broadened in an almost impossible way. Kat kept her gaze on him as he did on her.
"Since that is cleared, let us begin," Lady Margaret announced.
Kat broke her gaze with the king and turned to look at Lady Margaret, but she could still feel his piercing gaze on her. 'what is with this man' she thought to herself, Wanting to inform him that it was rude to stare. She held her tongue back, not knowing what kind of person he was, though she didn't need a magnifying glass to tell the man was not much of a good soul, as she had already pulled a stunt by addressing him by his name; she wasn't going to pull another one and find out what happens.
"Miss Katherine, we will ask you some questions, and I will need you to be honest with each question. Although you wouldn't be able to tell a lie due to sir Nikolas," Lady Margaret said.
At her words, Kat's eyebrows frowned. "What do you mean?" she asked.
"Well, Sir Nikolas here has an ability he has harnessed quite well, which makes it impossible for anyone to lie to him," she explained.
"Nikolas," she called. He nodded in response. "Lady Kat, tell two lies and one truth," he requested.
A little confused, Kat glanced at Sebastian, who gave her a reassuring nod. 'Could he really tell if I tell a lie?' .
"Umm... Okay, I'm 21 years old, I'm wealthy and famous, hmmm...,I'm allergic to mangoes," Kat stated, letting out a sigh at the end.
"There's no lie in your answers," Nikolas stated with a smile.
"He is right." Kat said...