NOCTURNAL ITINERARY TO ALBIANA

October 27, 1879

THE SIGHT of the crown prince entering through the doors of the ballroom. Everyone was pleased and mesmerize by his arrival. "Make way for His Majesty, The Crown Prince of Luxtonia!" Zephyrl, His Majesty's retainer, proclaimed with a bow in front of the entrance, before making way for the Royal Personage."It's... the Crown Prince.""What a sight to behold, a spectacle of sheer beauty," the guests whispered to each other. All of their heads turned towards the entryway as the great Crown Prince, adorned in the most exquisite robes of gold and silk, made his dazzling entrance. His majestic and dignified presence commanded the attention and adoration of the people, as he entered the great hall with purpose.With each stride, the air was filled with an aura of regality and dignity, as the crowd fell silent in awe and respect. His Majesty, The Crown Prince of Luxtonia 'Dominique Alois Ruthania' the epitome of grandeur and grace."His Majesty has appeared," Callistopher whispered as he and Charlotte laid their gaze on the prince."I have heard from my sources, His Majesty arrived from his kingdom in Albiana to Normaine a few months ago. His retainer mentioned that he was attending some official duties here in Normaine, but it seems like He is also attending a state function, for which His presence has been requested by the hosts as well." Callistopher expanded his reply, adding further details from his sources.Upon hearing about the origin of the Crown Prince, Charlotte's eyes widened in curiosity. "Albiana?" She inquired of her brother, "Will His Majesty return to Albiana after the celebration?" She asked her brother.Callistopher frowned, indicating his lack of information regarding the Crown Prince's stay in Normaine. "Apologies my dear sister, but I'm afraid that I do not possess sufficient information about His Majesty's intentions in Normaine. Perhaps His Majesty is only briefly present to attend the celebration and your engagement, or He may also have other pressing matters to attend here in Normaine, and thus, will be leaving shortly after the party comes to an end," he replied, his words tinged with regret and slight disappointment."Engagement!? So, they were serious about this? How obnoxious of them!"Returning her gaze towards the prince as she heard her brother's words, Charlotte was lost in thoughts about the possible outcomes had she decided to travel to Albiana. Whereas it is the prince's birthplace, it would have been easier for them to locate her if she didn't conceal herself well. On the other hand, the thought of moving to a foreign land, one that she wasn't much familiar with or understanding of, was rather daunting and a must adjustment for her.Once the prince set foot in the ballroom, he acknowledged the Earl by nodding, signaling for him to proceed with his speech. The Earl nodded back in affirmation, and as the prince turned to face Charlotte, she immediately gasped and diverted her gaze elsewhere. Upon witnessing her reaction, he merely smirked in amusement and proceeded to make his way towards the staircase of the mansion, standing at its foot and awaiting the Earl's address."My dear esteemed guests, tonight I invited you to celebrate this joyous occasion with my family and I. We are gathered here to celebrate the 18th birthday of my beloved daughter, my lovely Charlotte, who has grown into a beautiful young woman. Today, she embarks on a new chapter in her life as I am pleased to announce her upcoming engagement to the Crown Prince of Luxtonia. The union between the two families will herald a new era of prosperity and friendship for both our countries, and I am delighted to see my daughter play a vital role in building this bright future together with His Royal Highness's Son, Prince Dominique!"The guests applauded the Earl's speech, they all raised their glasses of exquisite wine in a sign of appreciation for the noble patriarch's words. Charlotte exhaled, having witnessed the widespread display of support for her engagement, which left her feeling both distraught and disappointed.When orchestra starts to play their piece, the dance began with the music, Callistopher looked towards Charlotte, gently patting her back to reassure her. Everyone's attention was drawn towards her as she inched her way down the staircase in slow, steady steps, her heart leaping in her chest and her hands trembling nervously.The prince looked at her with a charming smile as he extended his hand towards Charlotte, requesting for her company with a dance, "Shall we dance, mí lady?" She hesitates at first but gently took it afterwards, and with a nod of confirmation, uttered, "Certainly, your Highness."The air was filled with the music and laughter of a delighted crowd. As the majestic Crown Prince led Charlotte in a flurry of graceful steps across the dance floor, the spectators watched with awe and admiration. Their movements were fluid and elegant, creating a captivating performance that drew the attention of the entire assemblage. The prince exuded a regal presence, while the Princess was a vision of beauty and grace. Together, they created a magical ambiance that filled the ballroom with joy and enchantment.While engaging in a dance with the Prince, Charlotte's eyes were drawn towards the eye-catching ring on his finger, her gaze distracted for a moment as she glimpsed the jewel-set gold band.Noticing her interest in it, Prince Dominique couldn't help but feel a bit pleased and a hint of hubris in his voice. "Is something the matter?" He inquired with a mild smugness, clearly aware of the attraction he was causing with the dazzling piece of jewelry in his possession.As they continued to engage in a waltz during the ball, Charlotte made a comment about the prince's ring, expressing her curiosity and admiration for the striking golden piece. "I just want to know about your Majesty's ring," she uttered with an awed expression, her face reflecting admiration for the sparkling and eye-catching jewel.With a hint of pride, the prince asked Charlotte in a playful manner, "Oh, that? Does it look familiar to you?" to which the young lady replied thoughtfully, "No, it's just simply stunning." The prince let out a soft chuckle at the compliment Charlotte had given to his ring as he nodded with a slight smile, clearly pleased with her response."This ring was from my uncle, although I am uncertain if I can truly consider him my relative since I have never met him in my entire life. My father simply relayed the information to me." The prince's tone turned solemn as he thought of the distant relative, he had never gotten the chance to meet, although he also tried to remain composed and enjoy the moment with Charlotte as he continued to indulge in the dance.Charlotte acknowledged the prince's explanation with a short and simple response, her voice remaining neutral as she spoke. "I see..." She uttered, the coldness in her tone contrasting with the warm atmosphere of the ball.In a pleasant manner, the prince tried to gauge Charlotte's artistic prowess. "I have heard you are quite the artistic person, is that true?" he inquired, gently holding her waist as they continued to waltz at the center of the ball, the music and dance setting the pleasant atmosphere between the two."Yes, Your Majesty," her cold, neutral tone remaining the same.

The prince continued to flirt with her as they engaged in the dance, his tone growing playful and teasing as he spoke. "You are quite the interesting woman," he spoke with a smirk, trying to catch the young lady off guard.

"To be honest, I don't know why but I don't see him charming as how the other fair ladies saw him." She speaks through her intrusive thoughts as she looks at him with a facade of smile.Charlotte, however, maintained her composure, not letting the prince's charm and wit unnerve her. Instead, she proceeded to carry on with the dance as it continued to unfold in the elegant ballroom, under the warm and ornate surroundings of the majestic estate.When the clock continued to tick and the dance progressed, she suddenly glanced towards the clock and saw that the time was swiftly approaching eleven-fifty. A look of realization came over her face as she realized that she could not afford to spend any more time in dancing with the prince, as it would mean missing her escape route with her plan.While Charlotte continued to engage in the dance with the prince, Helena had her eyes set on the young lady, her mind fixed on the task of finding a suitable reason for Charlotte to excuse herself swiftly. Helena saw Delphine with a tray of two glasses of red wine, she swiftly came up with an idea, as she thought the drink could be used as a plausible excuse for Charlotte's abrupt departure."Is that for my lady?" Helena inquired, gesturing towards the glass. Her tone was polite yet filled with urgency, eager to secure the drinks and use them as a perfect excuse to quickly assist Charlotte in her secretive departure."Uh...Yeah? Why—?!" Delphine exclaimed in confusion; her words interrupted as Helena snatched the drinks from her grasp. "Perfect!" the young lady said excitedly, already preparing to play her part in the upcoming charade. Pretending to be flustered and clumsy, she quickly made her way to Charlotte with the wine glasses in hand, her performance set to begin in a matter of seconds."Mí Lady, look out!" prompting everyone's attention to be cast on Helena and the chaotic scene she had just created. The wine splashed all over Charlotte's dress and caused a scene, the young lady shrieked in exclamation.The Earl, seated at a nearby table with a few of his peers, noticed the occurrence with a deep sigh, overcome with embarrassment at the incident occurring in front of the entire ballroom.The prince was visibly displeased with Helena's clumsiness as he addressed her with a sharp tone. "Be careful next time," he remarked, irritation evident in his voice as he nearly got his clothing stained with red wine.Charlotte looks at the crowd reassuring them by raising her voice, "It's nothing, everyone!" She exclaimed, putting on a brave face while extending her hand towards Helena.Helena then whispered into her ear, "Mí lady, the ship awaits." Although Charlotte did her best to maintain a cool exterior in front of the public, she was anxious for the time to escape with Helena to the ship, away from the environment of the ball.Charlotte watched with growing apprehension as she observed Helena seemingly trying to grab the prince's attention, and he too seemed confused and wary of their actions, his eyes rising as he tried to fathom what they were scheming behind his back."Your Majesty, I apologize for the trouble caused by my maid. If you will allow me, I must clean the stain she has left on my garments." Charlotte explained while rushing away, not heading towards the changing room, but rather her very own room where she intended to retrieve her suitcase and prepare for her departure.In her rush to escape the manor, Charlotte proceeded to take her suitcase from underneath her bed, but she was cut off in her path by a woman in her hood. The hooded figure then extended a black cloak towards her, speaking with a cold voice, "Need a hand?" In her state of hurry, the lady did not think twice as she readily dawned the offered garment, wrapping it around her body, ready to make her way towards the exit with the help of her unknown benefactor."Stop wasting your breath at this moment and let's get going." Charlotte hurried after the mysterious figure, moving from one corridor to the next as she followed the woman's orders to escape the manor."Your Lindice, right?" Her uncertainty and confusion became evident, and while her lungs were starved of oxygen due to the hasty movements, she waited anxiously for the woman to confirm her identity.As they traversed the courtyard, the woman instructed Charlotte, "I told you my name earlier and yes. If you want to ask me more anything you need to know then maybe later once, we reach our destination, for now, refrain from wasting your breath. We are almost at the entrance, which happens to be behind this rusty, old gate that has been abandoned for so long." The mysterious woman pointed to a dilapidated entrance at the back of the premises."Woah, I didn't expect that from her to know about this. Did she learn all the entrance and passages here?"Lindice was about to unlock the gate when they heard footsteps approaching. Quickly, she turned towards Charlotte and hissed, "Hide in the bush!" The two of them hurriedly concealed themselves in a large bush, where they watched as a man entered the courtyard carrying a lamp. He passed the bushes they hid in without giving it a second thought.In a rather unexpected turn of events, a soft rustling noise arose from the bush, prompting the man to investigate the source with his lamp. "Shh!" the voice of a woman hissed, urging for Charlotte to remain mute. "Who's there?!" the man inquired as he stepped closer towards the bush, his light illuminating the area.A stroke of fortune came as a small rodent emerged from the bushes, bringing slight relief to the man. "Oh, 'tis just a damn squirrel," he exclaimed, as he departed from the courtyard.In an attempt to ascertain whether the coast was clear, Charlotte posed a query to the mysterious woman in a cloak. "Has he left?" She inquired, as the hooded figure checked their surroundings before surmounting to her feet and attempting to unlock the entrance.The door, however, was rather reluctant to yield, due to its rusted condition. Despite her struggles, however, she eventually managed to force open the gateway, providing her with enough space to slip outside.Once the gate was wide open, the woman allowed her to leave first, but upon making her way outside, a guard suddenly caught sight of her and shouted loud and clear, "Intruder!" As the guard's loud exclamation echoed across the vicinity, they grew startled and uneasy, uncertain of the consequences of their actions.Amidst the chaos, the anonymous woman hastily exited and closed the entrance behind her. "Quickly, get inside! We must leave immediately!" She instructed, as both she and Charlotte dove into the carriage that stood ready for departure.The coach of the carriage was quick to command the horses to gallop forward, racing through the streets with utmost urgency as they sought to escape the city via the Port area.

A sense of curiosity swept the air, when the woman lowered her hood, revealing her crimson hair and bloodied eyes to Charlotte. As a tinge of horror and uncertainty rippled through the young lady, she mustered her courage and addressed the unknown woman, whose identity remained a mystery.

"Your name is Lindice, correct?" Charlotte inquired with a hint of fear in her voice. "Precisely," the ominous figure responded to her with a coldness in her tone, crossing her arms in front of her chest as she revealed more about her mysterious persona.As Charlotte rode inside the moving carriage alongside Lindice, she glanced over towards the mysterious object that was wrapped in cloth and resting beside Lindice, her curiosity peaked in regard to its true nature. "Uh...What's that thing besides you?" she inquired, gesturing towards the curious polearm with a large blade wrapped in a cloth. Lindice's response was decidedly chilly as she stated with a tinge of stubbornness, "That's none of your business, Lady of the Northern Mist." Her arms remained crossed firmly over her chest, a clear unwillingness to divulge whatever information Charlotte desired to know about the wrapped object."Alright, ignore that nonsense question, what time do we get to the port?" she inquired, feeling a sense of urgency to get there at a timely matter, especially given the events of the ball and all that had taken place there."Much earlier if we didn't come across to those—" Lindice was about to make a remark, however, she was abruptly cut off. The carriage suddenly accelerated, sending both Charlotte and Lindice bouncing around at their seats, their bodies being roughly jolted by the sudden change in pace. As their ride became increasingly rough and uncomfortable.The rough ride in the carriage continued, Charlotte suddenly burst into a moment of panic, her heart quickening in a bout of uncertainty as she inquired about the reason behind the sudden surge in speed. "What's that?!" she exclaimed."Speaking of those devils...."