From Ciely to Ciel...

"Hello. Leonard, is it?"

"Yes, it is I, Leonard. I was told that the girl who goes by the name Aver in fact your sister, yes?"

"Yes, she is my sister."

"What is your name?"

"My name," said the brown-haired figure, "My name is Arthur."

"Ohh, I see. Where did you and your dare sister come from? Do live here in Atridorne or some other place?"

"I moved here two weeks ago, and I already got fired. The old blacksmith had to deal with some as incompetent as me."

"You said 'I'. Does that mean your sister lives elsewhere, or was she living here before you?"

"She's been living here before me."

"Quite a beautiful sister you have. Treat her well," Leonard said, "Now," he bowed, "You are permitted to enter the King's castle. Please, let me take you to the King."

"Okay."

Leonard then carried Arthur to the King.

As soon as King Adrian's eye spotted Arthur, his heart suddenly crashed into his chest. His eyes seemed to widen, and he became incredibly uneasy.

Aver noticed how tensed he was and kept shooting glimpses at him while she mopped the floor deliberately.

"Hello, King," Arthur went on his knees, and bowed, "It is an honor to be here. Thank you very much."

"W-who are y-you?"

Arthur raised his eyebrows in confusion, "Huh? What do you mean? I am Arthur."

Aver then said, "Yeah, Arthur's my brother, can't you remember?"

"King," said Arthur, "Can you make me one of your internal guards. I am but a novice, so me as an exterior Guard would not be of any good to you. But I do have some skills. I have been honing my sword skills for years."

The King seemed to be terrified all of a sudden.

"King if you so desire, I can have him withdraw," uttered Leonard.

"But great sir Leonard, the King already planned to employ him as an Internal Guard here. He said he was going to do it for me."

"Silence, maid!" snarled Leonard, "No one gave you the permission to speak so I'd suggest you remain silent until further notice!" he scoffed.

The King would scold Leonard for speaking to Aver like that, but the traumatized state he was in did not allow him to make the slightest move but sweat and tremble.

"My King, you look incredibly shaken by this young man. What is your command? Is he a problem? Is it true that you were planning to make him an Internal Guard here?"

The King could not utter a single word. And as he dug his fingernails into his throne, he managed to silence everyone.

'Did I not hire people to assassinate the boy? Though, it seems to me that the boy does not yet know who I am. He is oblivious. Can he not see that I am the one who took the lives of his parents along with their power?"

The King then finally said, "Make the boy an Internal Guard…"

"My King, are you sure he is not a problem?"

"Just who are you to question my omnipotence and my certainty? Do as I say, or I shall have you decapitated."

"Will do immediately."

'That is right. I can still assassinate him. Aver will inevitably mourn his death. But once she knows, I shall comfort her so that I can get much closer to her.'

The King conjured up an image in his head of Aver crying in his arms and the corners of the King's lips stretched slightly.

'Sorry, Aver, but your brother has to…"

His heart then crashed into his chest again as Leonard left with Arthur.

"Aver?"

"Yes, my King?"

"Your brother," he said, "How is he related to you? Does his blood run through your veins?"

'I do not look like Arthur's brother. And I smell, I smell malice coming from the King, so…'

"No. We are but step-siblings."

'Splendid! So Aver's not of Royal blood like her dare brother. I am forever happy. I am happy because I do not need to murder such a beautiful lady like her.'

"Ohh, I see."

"Yeah."

"King?"

"Yes Aver?"

"I am finished with the mopping. Can I have your permission to withdraw? I shall mop again tomorrow."

"Yes, yes. You can leave."

After those words, Aver withdrew.

The next day, while walking down the Aver met Ciely there. However, she did not quite make her out at first. And that goes to show just how much different she looked. Her blue hair was cut short, and make-up sat on her innocent face. She looked incredibly different now that her hair was cut so short. She seemed more masculine.

"Hey, Ciely," Aver waved with one hand behind her back.

"Hey. But it is just Ciel now."

"Huh?"

Silence moved in for a while.

"I like your new hair-cut, it's so nice. Just love it!"

Ciel's slit eyes then became wider for a second after receiving the compliment, but dimmed again, "Thanks. My family hates it. Fingers crossed for the King hating it too…"

"You cut your hair," Aver walked closer, "Because of him?"

"You see," she became uncomfortable, "Last night. The King did it again. To me this time. It is you. I think he is so aroused by your presence that he just molesters us to have his desires fulfilled."

"I'm really sorry to hear that."

"So I figured I would cut my hair so that he sees me not so much as a woman anymore," she looked away, "I feel like it will all stop when I become less feminine. More like a man. Maybe if I was born as a man, I'd be stronger. I don't know. It's stupid. I'm sorry. I just thought hiding my beauty would be the best thing to here."

"What were you thinking. There's no way you can hide your beauty. That's impossible. You are far too beautiful for that. Despite the haircut you are still stunnly gorgeous.

Ciel blushed, "T-thank you," she looked down at the floor, raising her shoulders higher than normal, and swiped some of her hair behind her ears.

"No thanks needed. I'm serious, you are beautiful, you shouldn't make anyone steal that from you. Can I get a hug?"

"Y-yeah."

Ciel got incredibly uncomfortable the closer Aver got.

But after drowning in her soft arms, her tensed muscles were at ease.

"Thank you, Aver. For everything."

"What do you mean? This is nothing."

Two other maids then encountered the two hugging figures.

"Ciely!"

Ciely immediately broke away from the hug.

The girl with ponytails then ran over, "I see you are hugging the new girl."

Ciely looked down at the floor.

The other blonde-haired girl strolled over, "Aww, that was so cute of you two."

"Sofia!" the other girl gave her a glare.

"Sorry, Anita."

Anita then said, "Ciely, what the hell did you do to your hair!!?"

"I-I, I cut it…"

"And why did you do that!?'

"What is the matter? Y-you do not like it?'

"Of course, I do not like it. It looks horrible. That's more of a male cut."

"Well, it looks pretty to me," said Aver.

"Who asked for your opinion?

"I don't see a King nor a Queen here. Why would I need your permission?"

"Ciely? Is she your friend?"

"Yes," said Aver, "We're friends. Got a problem with that?"

"Why do you have to be like that? Wench."

"What are you talking about? Unlike you, I might be the only untouched maid here."

"Ciely. I am no longer your companion. You are ugly now anyway. And I hate your mood."

"Guys. Please don't fight," said Sofia.

"Ciel does not need you as a friend. We have only spoken to each other for about a minute, and I can already tell that you are a horrible person."

"Ciel?"

"But I won't bother you. This is probably the King's fault. The King's fault you're like this, Anita. I don't care if you were always like this, my resentment will still point towards that nasty man sitting as a King down there."

"And Anita. You can stop thinking about attacking me. Because you will just be putting yourself in a lot of trouble. Trust me, I wouldn't underestimate me based on my current appearance if I were you…"

Anita stomped away aggressively, and Sofia followed.

"Thanks," said Ciel.

"Save it."

"Ciel? Those girls, were they really your friends?"

"Not really. She had a reason for calling me 'Companion' alone. She is but a bully. Sofia is fine. But Anita is awful. She makes me do part of her cleaning and plays with my mind so much that I sometimes question my existence. You see, her magical ability allows her to see her target's emotions, and dig further than that. The 'mood' she mentioned earlier was the tendency of my emotions being filled with only depression and fear half of the time."

"Don't worry," Aver smiled brightly, "I'll make sure no one like her ever takes advantage of you again. Including the King himself. As for the King part though, you have to wait patiently for that."

"Why though? Why would you do this for me?"

Aver, smiling brightly, then approached Ciel and placed her hand her face, "You're such a sweet girl. That's why, Ciel."

Ciel's eyes widened as her heart started pounding. In that moment she seemed to be seeing a blinding luminance around Aver. Thousands of light rays seemed to all direct themselves at Aver in her eyes. Then came a strange sensation. And her lips trembled all the way up to a smile.

'Are my eyes deceiving me?'

'This feeling…'

'All of the sudden lights. Her hand on my cheek. It gives me warmth. And that is not the only warmth I feel, for there is a warmth within my heart right now too. Her smile. Her beauty.'

"This feeling…'

"Her smile. Her beauty. She is so charismatic. She is so confident. She believes that she can stop the King. Yet I believe in her somehow. Such is the power of her charisma."

'This feeling…'

'She makes me feel…warmth. Why is my heart racing right now?'

"See you later Ciel. I'm going to mop the throne room. I'd ask you to come with me. But don't the King's presence to break you, so I'll do it alone."

'Aver, you are an angel!"