Meeting the King

He nervously fidgeted as they were preparing for transport to the palace.

Holly had explained that they could not simply get inside the castle using the usual black candle so she had to cast a special teleportation spell.

She was busy getting ready while Aliester had to wait for her to finish.

"Stop that listlessness." Holly snapped at him. She needed to concentrate but Aliester's fidgeting was getting on her nerves.

"You have to relax and be more confident. It won't do well that a messenger like you would shake in front of the King." She scolded.

"I cannot help it. My social awkwardness is acting up." He murmured. This was due to being a shut in.

He was somehow doing okay when he met strangers who are common folk. But the thought of talking with the ruler of a country made him jittery.

It was true that the original Aliester had been meeting his uncle, the king of Verbena regularly. But since the one inside is Aris, he could not help but feel apprehensive.

[Master, you are not making any sense. You are so nervous about meeting a king. You did not show such emotion when you met the guardian]. Zarame butt in.

'shut up Zarame!' he bit back at the system. 'What if I would commit mistake?'

[Master, it can't get any worse. You simply have to deliver the message.] Zarame said in a matter of fact tone.

[What are you afraid of?] the system asked. [You already have to look forward for the penalty since this mission has not been cleared on time.]

'you really have to remind me that right now?' he sarcastically said.

Zarame had warned him that after clearing the mission, there was a possibility that some sort of punishment or consequences will be given. After all the time frame for him to be able to deliver the message had already lapsed.

[by the way, Master, did you already retrieve the message orb from Mephisto?] Zarame queried.

"I already took it." He said while producing a crystal which was a size of a tennis ball.

Aliester had wondered why of all things, he had taken Mephisto's claymore. He thought initially that the claymore is likened to the fallen knight.

With the claymore in his hand, Aliester felt like Mephisto was protecting him. However, his fighting style and the claymore were slightly incompatible.

Simply swinging such sword exhausted his strength and stamina. So, the other knights have discouraged him from using it. But still he kept the sword with him.

Only when he unlocked some memories with the uncleared mission, did he realized that Mephisto had hidden some of the message orbs in his sword.

Somehow how intuitively Aliester had recognized that he had to carry the weapon. Hence, he was able to get hold of the important information that he needed to deliver.

"Do you really have to meet the king looking like a beggar?" Holly's question made him halt his thoughts.

Aliester looked down and saw that he was still wearing the peasant garb disguise and the worn cloak from Caramel.

"That look won't be appropriate in meeting a royalty." Holly said while scrutinizing him.

The head witch had changed into a rather more presentable black cloak on top of a dress suitable to that of a noble. "Don't you have any clothes that would fit audience with royalty?"

"I have to travel light and have to disguise to avoid getting caught, so I might not have the right clothing." He said with embarrassment.

He also had glimpses of how his predecessor and the knights flee the capital. He wasn't able to pack up properly since they were pursued by the enemies.

"It can't be helped." Holly held hand up and a pentagram formed. "Take off your cloak first. It will get in the way. Since we do not have males in this house, I have to provide you with the clothing."

Aliester did not get what she meant but he followed her instruction and took off the cloak.

"Please, excuse my insolence." She said before waving her hand. Out from the pentagram ribbons of light formed and wrapped around Aliester.

The young lord had to close his eyes since the light was a bit bright. When the light receded, he was surprised that he was wearing an outfit befitting a nobleman of his stature.

"That's better." Holly said as she refocused on the teleportation spell.

"Thank you very much!" he said while looking himself at the mirror. The clothes were similar to the ceremonial military uniform that their knights were using in formal gatherings.

"That magic will only be valid until midnight." Holly added.

Aliester felt bemused. 'Midnight? Am I Cinderella?' he asked himself while fixing his collar. He looked like a proper Duke's son with the suit. 'And I got a witch instead of a fairy god mother?'

He couldn't help but shake his head at his strange fate.

With all preparations done, Holly then asked him to stepped inside the pentagram. She recited an incantation and when the pentagram glow, Aliester was forced to close his eyes.

He felt as if his body had simply swayed a little and after a few minutes, the mana and the light faded.

"We're here." Holly said.

Aliester was surprised when he found himself in a graveyard.

"I thought we would go to the castle. Why a graveyard?" he asked while looking at the rows of graves before them.

"This is one of the shortcuts that we use." Holly explained while guiding him to a trapdoor. "Teleportation spells are forbidden inside the castle and this is the nearest area where we can use it."

After leading him through several passages, they finally emerged in a garden.

"Welcome to the Palace of Marjorana!" Holly said. Then she asked the knight to inform the aid.

But instead of leading them to the King, they were guided to a parlor. A man who seemed like a court minister welcomed them.

"Holly, I knew that it is an emergency, but you do know that procedure in asking for an audience." The bespectacled minister sternly said.

"I know uncle Harris." Holly replied. "But we have no choice, this is urgent."

She then introduced Aliester. "This is the future duke of Alcove and he brought forth grave news."

Aliester felt the color drain his face and himself sweating cold when attention turned towards him. But he manned up and gulped. "I am Aliester Alcove. I need to give a message from Verbena to Marjoram.

The dark haired minister adjusted his glasses. "I am Harris Hallows, the prime minister. Before I led you to his majesty, can I hear the message first? We will have to relay it to his majesty at a convenient time."

Aliester had shared the gist of what had happened to Verbena. The minister left and after a few hours of waiting, he and Holly were invited to the King's study.

"I have to apologize for coming unannounced." Aliester said while bowing to the current ruler of Marjoram. "I am Aliester Alcove. I bring forth news."

"No worries, young lord of Alcove. I also have to apologized for not meeting you soon. I am the current King of Marjoram, Lennox. Can I have the message?" King Lennox did not beat around the bush.

Aliester had given the orb to the King. The young lord took note of the King's image. Like most of Marjoram's royalty, he has the signature blonde hair with blue eyes. He looked as if his age is around early forties.

Lennox threw it on the wall and when the ball shattered, images of how the Queen had place Marjoram under her curse had been shown.

The message orb contained most of what had happened after the Queen cast the dark curse and had suppressed the people. It also showed how the Duke of Alcove allowed his son to escape.