SCARLETTE
"The very first Halloween at Wisteria and we do not get to attend it." Augustine has been sulking over it for the past two hours.
It was Halloween eve.
We were in Delphinia as Pauline's father; King Alphonse had hosted a little get-together for the fourteen major kingdoms. All of our families were here. Particularly, they were downstairs, enjoying a feast while we were gathered in Pauline's room.
"I wasn't aware that you were so attached to Wisteria?" Angus raised a questioning brow.
Personally, I was neither intrigued to have attended Wisteria's Halloween nor was tempted to be here.
Augustine forced out a sarcastic scoff.
"Attached? You know I am talking about the Halloween party. The costumes, food, competition for the best costume, the dance and the party overall."
He wasn't wrong.
Wisteria is notorious for the grand Halloween party that it holds every year. Though I cannot conclude how opulent it is as I have never attended it.
"Oh, come on! we can attend it next year. We have four more Halloween parties ahead of us." Aprialla sat up on the bed. "Besides, can't you see how thrilled Pauline is to have us here? Stop sulking like a baby and try not to throw tantrums in front of Pauline."
Though Augustine didn't counter, I caught him muttering something and rolling his eyes.
Augustine was displeased to have missed the Halloween of Wisteria while some of us were thrilled to spend two days out of the dorms of the school.
The door creaked open.
Pauline.
She had gone to bring in some appetizers and hence she was expected but another individual joined her company.
Princess Patricia.
She had stepped into the room, sticking right behind Pauline. I smell some drama approaching when I spotted Irene's scowl deepening and Samirah almost jumping out of the single couch she was settled in.
"Was it not a get together of the fourteen major kingdoms only? Who invited her?" Irene raised a brow.
Pauline opened her mouth to speak but Kristian interrupted her. "I did." He walked up to Patricia and placed a hand on her lower back to guide herself into the room.
"Dunce dimwit, it would've been better if the grim reaper pays the both of you a visit." I overheard Irene mutter under her breath.
The environment certainly was a little excruciating.
However, in the lapse of time, everyone settled in. Though it was an uphill to ignore that most of us were not much fond of Patricia's presence.
I did not like her either.
But I did not hate her.
While I was engaged in an enthralling game of chess against Shanon, Irene left for the washroom. It might sound like I am boasting, but I am above average in this game.
And currently the game is in my favour.
I smirk at the perturbed Shanon in front of me. As being the Ace, she is not familiar with any debacle which has made the situation even more amusing.
However, it wasn't so for long as spontaneously my eyes fell on Kristian and Princess Patrcia who were sitting beside one another, dissolved in a conversation, giggling from time to time.
This flooded my brain with memories.
My friends had always regarded Dalton as a gangster, a drunkard, and a controlling freak.
But it was not so. They were wrong. They didn't know him. They would never regard him like how they do if they knew what a sweetheart he was to me when it was just the two of us.
They didn't know him and it was fine.
As he was a song only I knew the melody to.
I agree that the things did not end on a good note. The ending was unconventional. But that does not make the journey any less appealing.
I sighed out and was about to tear my eyes back to the chess board when strange muffled noises echoed from downstairs.
All of us were alarmed.
Sceptically, Pauline headed out of the door after telling us to stay put here.
And so, we did. Seconds turned into minutes and single digit minutes turned into double digit ones but Pauline was not back and everyone was growing anxious.
But the moment Aprialla was about to tail her out, the door opened and she was back.
Aprialla approached her as she walked in and closed the door behind her. She was wearing a glum face. "What happened?" Aprialla questioned.
I and the others gather around them.
Pauline sighed out.
"Your parents have summoned you to go back." She told everyone. Aprialla blinked her eyes a few times. "Excuse me? Go back?"
"What happened downstairs, Pauline?" I feel leery about this. "Something happened, am I right?" Shanon asserted.
"Someone has been murdered." Pauline stared at her feet.
My heart immediately fell.
Gasps echoed around me. "Who?' Several voices chorused. "Astrid. Our royal sorceress." Pauline answered. "King Reynold was headed to the kitchen when he encountered her body in the corridor."
A part of me empathized with Pauline as sorcerers aren't a common commodity.
Every major kingdom has a hereditary royal sorcerer who steps down for their offspring to take over only when they die.
I have met Miss Astrid a few times and she was young. She hadn't married. Let alone possess an offspring.
Another part of me was glad that no harm doomed upon any of my family members downstairs. Was it selfish of me to think so?
"Why was father headed to the kitchen?" Aprialla pointed out.
If she hadn't pointed that out, suspicion wouldn't have surfaced in my mind. Pauline shrugged. But why would the king of Brindlemark perform such an act? There was no way King Reynold would've done it.
Whatever it was, the situation dimmed down the light of the night.
"We should go back…" Benjamin suggested.
There was no reason for us to stay.
"Unless you would want us to stay ov-" Aprialla had cupped Pauline's hands with hers but Pauline brushed them away. "I will be fine. You are all free to leave." She didn't meet Aprialla's eyes.
Aprialla frowned.
The sudden shift in Pauline's approach towards Aprialla indicated that she must've grown suspicious of King Reynold.
The others must've sensed the tension as well.
"Why has everyone gathered around like this?" Irene had returned. "What's up with the atmosphere? Did someone die?" She sarcastically said.
"Where were you?" Shanon went to her.
"Washroom, duh?" Irene relaxed her brows.
"You were there for quite some time." Aprialla pointed out. I figured out that they were accusing Irene. They were suspicious of her.
But she wouldn't do such a thing, would she?
Her kingdom's history isn't that clean though.
"Join me next time if what I do there intrigues you so much." Irene snapped.
"Irene…. Miss Astrid, Pauline's royal sorceress has been murdered." Samirah timidly said. "Oh, so that is wh-" It must've dawned upon Irene.
"Are you people accusing me?'
"You were away while the commotion was going on. We are just aski-" Benjamin was interrupted by Kristian. "Yes. Yes, we are." He walked up to Irene.
Irene scoffed.
"Did you do it?" Kristian towered her. "So, you people regard me as a murderer now?" Her eyes ran through us. "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree you see." Kristian was provoking her.
"You know what? Suppose whatever you desire. Don't bother talking to me if you think I am the murderer." She stomped to the bed and snatched the navy blue and black floral fan that she recently has started carrying.
"Also, if I had the chance to murder anyone, it would've been him."
Gesturing to Kristian, she furiously stomped out of the room.
"I agree that she is a little crooked, but she won't murder… would she?" Pristine slowly said.
"She did disappear right at that time…" Samirah spoke up. "She has had some history with taking bullying to the next level I mean…" Aprialla said.
"Your father is a suspect as well, April. You shouldn't accuse Irene in absence of evidence." Pauline said in a weary voice.
"You're siding with her!" Aprialla loudly said.
"I am not. I am just-" Before Pauline could finish her sentence, Angus intruded. "Guys, I don't think this is the apposite time to be pointing fingers. Let us just give space to Pauline, uh?"
Everyone gave in and slowly departed from the room.
By the time we exited the palace, the guards were scrounging around the palace in search of any intruder.
The Halloween sure took a gloomy turn.