The royals ate their meal in silence after that, with Gavriel only drinking wine and left only after a couple minutes. Leaving the family of four to themselves.
Florah was feeling good that she performed her first task well even though she knew nothing about cooking. She made sure to observe how things were done and memorizing them so could better herself.
Now she sat with a couple of maids in the kitchen eating. "Oh the ball is in two days" one of the maids gushed.
"I don't get your excitement as it is triple the work for us and walking on eggshells around those pompous guests". Harriet complained again
"I don't care, maybe I will get to accompany one of them at night" the bashful maid said again.
"You do know that most of these guests are going to be night creatures". Whitney chimed in
" Well it wouldn't be my first time" the maid named Helna said again and the others just let her dig her grave.
"You there, red head" Harriet called.
"Me?" Florah looked up from her plate wondering.
"Yes, you. What is your name?" Harriet asked again
"Am Florah" the red head carefully answered.
" Where did you work before ?" She asked again.
" In a local restaurant in Dradfold" Florah answered maintaining her lie.
"So you have never served at a ball?" Harriet asked again.
"Would you quit questioning her?" Whitney chastised her friend.
"No I have never" Florah answered. She was glad that the other maids were finally talking to her as it seemed that they hadn't even noticed her before.
"Okay, but I presume you have met night creatures" Harriet said.
"Of course she has, they are everywhere" Whitney answered for her.
Softly chuckling at the two friends' banter she replied " Yes I have".
" Well at this ball, there are going to be a lot of them so you better be careful, your appearance is not particularly helping" Whitney warned.
"What do you mean by her appearance, not helping" Helna who had been quiet asked.
"Well, she is a looker. She might not be up to par with the guests who are going to adorn themselves with expensive garments and gold around there necks but she is beautiful".
"Umm thank you" Florah said with her face flashed.
Helna looked at Florah harrumphed and walked away.
"Ignore her" Harriet told Florah. "But why haven't you ever said that to me" Harriet asked her friend pouting her small pink lips.
"You always tell it to yourself, why should I bother?" Whitney said while rolling her eyes.
"Hurry up and go clean the guestrooms" the harsh voice of the head maid ordered interrupting them.
The three bowed at the departing woman and stood up to go do as instructed.
Florah followed the others to pick up the buckets, brooms, dusters and mops. Meeting on the third floor where the guestrooms were, Madam Margaret started giving instructions "You four are going to take the three rooms on the far left, you five take the rooms at the center, you the red and the brunette at the back, dust the portraits on the floor and replace the dead flowers...".
Madam Margaret kept on instructing other maids as Florah and the quiet maid made there way to start dusting the portraits which hardly had any dust but they had to do as told.
In one of the already occupied guestrooms on the third floor which was for the immediate relatives of the king and queen, a flying flower vase hit the wall.
"Why would he constantly aggravate me!!" Roselinda yelled after throwing the vase.
"It is because you fuel it, mother". Caroline calmly stated. Already used to her mother's antiques.
"Carol, mother is right, our cousin brother always finds ways to insult us". Stacey defended her mother.
Caroline just glanced at her younger sister and tiredly exhaled. Her sister was like that because of there mother's constant pampering and her own neglect.
"I am going to visit Harrez town" Caroline said deciding to leave the mother-daughter duo to there antiques.
Walking past the portrait of the old king her great grandfather, she paused coming to stand infront of it, she looked at for a couple of minutes observing how the black painted background made the old man's features stand out.
But she saw nothing special about it except for the fine art work done . Deciding to leave it, as it might just be Gav playing with them.
Gavriel stood among tall green trees, closing his eyes he spread out his hands for a black mist to start engulfing the area around him. Spreading further and further into the forest, the mist became darker as it spread out.
A little bird went close to the mist only for it to fall dead seconds after. "This is the biggest I have seen it. You can stop now lest you want to kill half of the forest". Lester voice sounded in Gavriel's head.
Smirking deviously, Gavriel directed a portion of the mist to Lester which the half witch avoided. "What are you doing!!" Lester exclaimed while avoiding the mist which looked like it was hellbent on pulling him to his death.
" Well I want to see what the witches regard so precious" Gavriel mind linked his friend while directing a thinker mist towards him.
"By poisoning me!" Lester responded while conjuring a transparent barrier to protect him.
"Well if you can't survive such little poison, then why would we be expecting the upcoming battle" Gavriel simply stated.
"You know, sometimes I wonder how am still alive with you as my friend ". Lester said while conjuring up spells to fight the mist that seemed to grow tougher with time. Since it had engulfed his barrier too.
Putting his hands together, Lester clapped for a blast to sound in the forest. The smoke cleared up to reveal a number of scorched trees, 'thud' a big tree fell to the ground.
"You know for a person who was concerned for the trees earlier, your actions rather say otherwise, Duke Tarvald" Gavriel teased as he appeared next to Lester after the blast.
Lester just ignored his lunatic friend's words and said "Hmm.. Matthew asked me if I have ever encountered someone whose energy was unlike any other creature's".
"Yes he said something about that, l think he said he felt it about some maid" Gavriel answered uninterested.
"It might be interesting to meet such a person" Lester said with a mischievous glint in his eyes.
Gavriel just shrugged his shoulders and asked instead "How is the establishment's construction going".
"It is going smoothly, an agent from the 'HOUSE' came by to inspect." Lester said
" How fun, next time be sure to invite me to the party" Gavriel mused.