"Please excuse Nikolas, he can be a bit too impulsive at times," Lady Margaret said. "Yeah, I noticed.... It's alright," Kat breathed. Nikolas couldn't respond to their comments and only grumbled silently in his seat.
"Well, now that we know how you got here, it would help in the investigation. We will ensure you are safely returned home. Though I ask of you to be patient," Lady Margaret continued to say. Alarm bells rang in Kat's head at the words 'patient'. "Umm... hold on," Kat caught Margaret's statement. "What are you trying to say? You can't send me back now!?" Kat asked, though she looked calm, she was beginning to panic inwardly.
"Well, no...," Margaret trailed. Kat's face went blank. "What, why not? I mean, can't you open a portal or something, or wave a magic wand? I don't know, something, I just have to get back home!" Kat continued, panicking. Sebastian had already expected this reaction from Kat, as she had reacted similarly yesterday when she arrived. This time he refrained from telling her to calm down. "Deep breaths, Miss Kat," he said. Kat listened to Sebastian, taking a deep breath. A smile that wasn't quite steady came up her face as she tried to mask her panic. She spoke, her voice as steady as she could make it. "I don't think you get me, but the thing is I cannot stay here. This place isn't for me. Please, you have to get me back home."
"Well, I'm afraid it doesn't work like that. We assure you we will help you get back home, but we need time, similarly to you, we also don't know anything on why this happened," Margaret explained, trying to console her. "And how long would that be?" Kat asked, her brows drew together. "That I do not know," Margaret responded honestly. 'Why do I have a feeling it would only get worse from here?' Kat thought to herself.
"It is actually great here, you just need time too...." Nikolas couldn't finish his statement, Kat's head snapped at him, sending him a sharp glare. Again, Nikolas sank back into his seat, shutting his mouth once again.
Margaret turned to Lucain. "Your Majesty, for the time being, it would be best for Lady Kat to be under your care until we can get her back home," Lady Margaret said to the king. Lucain's gaze was lazy, as though the topic had become boring to him. He lazily swept his gaze to Margaret. "I see," he responded.
"Wait, what? Are you really leaving me in the care of a man who doesn't look like he would bat an eyelash if I were to die on the spot!?" Kat blurted out, and the room fell silent. However, a smile came up Lucain's lips, a smile that seemed sinister to Kat, a similar feeling she felt with the old lady. Kat felt goosebumps raise up her skin at the thought. "Now, don't tell me you are scared of me, Katherine,?" he commented.
"And why would I be? I'm simply looking after my own safety. It's not like I could just trust anyone with my life, mostly when..." She trailed "well, you know." She left her statement half finished. The council members could understand Kat's point, as anyone would be scared for their life's being left with the king of Davorin, but then again, he was the best option.
"We are aware His Highness can appear to be quite intimidating, but we can assure you would only be safest under the care of His Majesty, as any other place might be of danger to your life," Lady Margaret explained. Kat bit the inside of her cheek, feeling like the man was trying to provoke her with the way he looked at her. When his gaze met hers, she glared, then looked away. "I'm not intimidated," she corrected. "But if you believe I would be safe here, then alright," she finally agreed, though it wasn't like she had much of a choice.
"Since that is concluded, you are all dismissed," the king spoke, rising from his seat. Margaret and everyone else followed, and Kat got up as well. "I would love to give you a tour of the kingdom, Lady Kat," Nikolas offered, walking over to Kat, but before Kat could respond, he was yanked back by his collar by Adela. "That won't be needed," she said, glaring at him. She smiled at Kat, then walked away, dragging Nikolas along.
They all walked out of the courtroom, Kat following beside Sebastian, who walked next to the king as they descended the stairs. Lady Margaret caught up to the king. "Your Highness, a word please," she requested. The king nodded, slowing down to have a word with her while the rest continued on their way to the courtyard.
"What is it, Margaret?" he asked, discarding the formalities as they were alone. "I wanted to have a word about the girl," she stated. "What about her?" he asked, looking forward, his gaze settling on the girl walking next to his butler, noticing how her expression turned puzzled as Sebastian said something to her.
"The shadow council have received reports that black witches and other creatures have started to appear in villages and towns outside the capital," Margaret said. "It's been a while since we've seen such a surge in black witches, it's mostly licking they are coming out of hiding. And to think that it's all happening at the same time she arrived yesterday... seems like quite a coincidence, don't you think, Lord Lucian?" she asked. Both their expressions remained calm as they walked alongside each other.
"Is that so?" he replied, answering her question with another question, and Margaret could only sigh and continue to say, "I can't tell if lady kat would be to or advantage or the other way, it would be better if she is kept here under close watch. She doesn't seem to have any bad intentions now, but I get the feeling there is more to her than meets the eye." The king responded with a hum, his eyes still on the girl's back as she walked next to Sebastian in the distance.
"However, it is crucial she is kept safe while under your care," Margaret said, to which he hummed again. "And as a guest, not a snack," she added, making Lucain grin. "A shame," he commented in a pitiful tone. They came across some servants who bowed deeply to them and nervously left their presence.
"Will you be spending the night?" he inquired, taking his gaze briefly away from Kat's back to glance at Margaret from the corner of his eyes. "I'm grateful for the offer, but with the arrival of the black witches and everything else going on, it has brought more cases to be attended to and investigations to be held. The lord of Eldoria was attacked yesterday; luckily, he wasn't harmed too much. We shall be heading there at once," she stated. "Another coincidence," he commented.
Kat walked next to Sebastian and the others, passing by a few maids who bowed in greeting, "I apologize for what occurred in the courtroom," she heard Sebastian say. "Incident?" Kat asked, confused. "Yes, when your bag was being searched," Sebastian pointed out. 'What? He saw it?' At this moment, Kat just wanted to dig a hole and bury herself in it. She immediately looked away from him, noticing her discomfort in the topic, he changed the subject.
"How are you feeling about your stay here?" "I don't know. How is one meant to feel when they end up in a world they know nothing about?" Kat asked, not knowing what answer to give. "I see. It couldn't be all that bad. If you are ever in need of anything, I would gladly be of assistance," he assured. Even though this had only been Kat's second day in this world, she appreciated the support he had given since her arrival and putting up with her. "Thank you," she said appreciatively. He nodded and offered her a polite smile.
They arrived in the courtyard, where the two black carriages awaited the council members. Margaret also made her way to them, her eyes locked on Kat as she approached. Kat's eyes scanned for the king, but he was nowhere to be seen. Margaret walked over to her. "I look forward to seeing you again, lady kat," she said. "likewise" kat nodded in response, watching as Lady Margaret boarded the carriage and the coachman flicked the reins, prompting the horses to move.
"Miss Kat," Sebastian said, gesturing for her to follow. They walked back in the same direction they had come from, ascending the stairs to the third floor. "Where are we going?" Kat asked. "To your room," he responded. "My room? What's wrong with the previous room?" she inquired, raising an eyebrow. "That was a guest room. The room you will be moving to now is in the west wing of the castle, which is more secure. It's also where the king's chamber is located. I guarantee you will like it, and if not, I can make modifications to your liking," he explained.
Kat didn't understand why there was a need to change her room, but she didn't went along with it. They arrived at the door, and Sebastian pushed it open, stepping inside. The room was indeed to Kat's liking. There was an obvious difference between the previous room she stayed in and this one. It was larger in size and had a balcony overlooking the picturesque surroundings of the castle. "How do you like the room?" Sebastian asked. "It's lovely, thank you," she replied. "I am happy to hear that. Please make yourself at home," he added. Kat was about to ask something, but he beat her to it. "I will have Vivian sent to you," he stated before excusing himself.
After Sebastian left, Kat took a moment to explore the room further. The spaciousness was evident, with elegant furnishings adorning the space.
Walking over to the wardrobe, she opened the first door to find it already lined with an array of dresses and other garments. The other door revealed her own clothes, neatly arranged. She moved over to the dressing table, adorned with a large mirror reflecting the soft glow of the room; her hand brushed the surface of the table. Her belongings were already well organized on the dressing table. "How did he arrange all this so quickly?" she muttered to herself. It was clear that every aspect of the room had been carefully curated to provide both comfort and luxury.
Kat wandered over to the balcony, where the view of the castle grounds spread out before her in breathtaking beauty. She placed her hands on the rail's, as the wind gently tousled her hair taking in the soothing sight. However, the breeze grew stronger and she decided to close the glass doors of the balcony and retreat back into the room.
She waited a few minutes for Vivian, but when she didn't arrive, boredom began to creep in. As expected, there was a bookshelf in the room. Going through the row of books, she found that, sabastain had even moved the books she had been reading into this room, she picked up the book she had been reading earlier and returned to reading it. Kat wandered if this was how she would spend most of her time here, just reading, and she sighed.
It was already noon when Kat heard a knock on the door. Expecting it to be Vivian, she opened the door. "There you are," Kat said as Vivian stepped in. "Good afternoon, Lady Kat," Vivian responded, looking a bit worried as her eyes scanned around Kat's body before she let out a sigh.
Noticing the look of worry on Vivian's face, Kat asked, "What's wrong?" Vivian shook her head. "It's nothing. I was just worried that they might have hurt you. I'm glad to see you're okay," she smiled. Kat couldn't help but pinch Vivian's cheeks, finding her worried face to be quite cute. "I'm perfectly fine, Viv," she reassured with a smile.
Vivian, taken aback by Kat's action, froze for a moment, she blushed before speaking. "I will dish out your lunch," she said, raising the tray in her hand, which Kat hadn't noticed until now. After having lunch, Kat went out to the balcony. The bright sun hung in the sky, though it was windy. The view was beautiful, and the castle was quite similar to her mansion in setting.
While engrossed by the view, Kat felt a soft fabric being draped around her shoulders. "It's really windy out," Vivian said as she placed the fluffy black coat over Kat's shoulder with a smile. "Thank you, Vivian," Kat thanked, returning her smile. "So, did you grow up here in Davorin?" she asked. Vivian replied, "Yes, I did, but I wasn't born here."
"I was born in the neighboring kingdom of Davina. My family moved to Davorin when I was very young," Vivian explained.
"Oh, I see. What was it like growing up here?" Kat inquired.
"It was great. Davorin is an amazing kingdom," Vivian responded.
Kat nodded, curious about this world. She asked Vivian about the other kingdoms. Vivian's expression turned thoughtful.
"Well, there are five kingdoms in total," she began. "Davorin, where we are now, is one of them. The others are Davina, Eldoria, Valeria, and Artena."
"Davina is the neighbor to the east," she said. "Davina is a peaceful kingdom, known for its warm hospitality and delicious food. The people there are known to be welcoming. Eldoria is a bit farther away, but they're famous for their weapons. And Artena... well, Artena is a bit of a mystery. Not much is known about them, but rumors say they're a land of ancient forests and mythical creatures."
Kat listened thoughtfully to her explanation. "And the last kingdom?" she asked when Vivian didn't mention it.
"Well, after the last queen of Davorin passed away, the king struggled to cope with the loss. At the time, the kingdom's resources began to fall apart. Valeria tried to take advantage of the kingdom's weakened state. They even threatened war."
"Oh," Kat muttered, and Vivian continued, "Out of the five kingdoms, Valeria is the smallest in comparison. At the time, they were hoping to expand their territory."
"But didn't work out for them, I assume?" Kat commented.
"Yes, His Majesty was still young at the time and had just been crowned king. Valeria lost the war and was forced to surrender a significant portion of their territory to Davorin."
"I see, so Valeria isn't no longer a independent, though they maintain some autonomy, but Davorin it's significant influence over their affairs. Vivian nodded in response.
They both continued to chat, Vivian explained as much as she could about her world to kat.
The day went by, and When night fell, same as kat had done yesterday, Vivian helped Kat prepare for a bath. This time Vivian had picked out a nightgown for Kat, and she didn't reject it.
After adding more logs to the fireplace, Vivian wished Kat goodnight and left. The room was dimly lit by the yellow light coming from the candles. The windows were closed to keep the cold air out, and the sliding glass doors of the balcony were closed as well, with the curtains pulled shut. Kat moved back and forth on the bed but couldn't bring herself to fall asleep, thinking it was probably because of the change of room.
She wore a coat and went out onto the balcony. As she opened the door, the cold air of the night touched her face, making her shiver slightly. She placed her hand on the cold rails as she stared at the moon. "I miss you guys. I wonder if anyone knows I'm missing yet. I hope they won't get too worried," she muttered under her breath, thinking of Miss Emma and Hanna.
After a while, Kat went back inside and tried to fall asleep, which she eventually managed to do after some time, the warmth of the blanket and the flickering candlelight lulling her asleep.