COBALT: The Red Phantom (Book One)

Chapter 28: Fairez Stella (Part 3/3)

          Káel waited for the Songbird to go in, slowing his steps to whisper at Phantom. "It's not his house. He's just in here somewhere." He eyed the small gatherings of colourfully dressed nobles littering the palace's grand entrance. Many of them lounged on the plump sofas like dogs, the expensive furniture looking more than welcoming to the exhausted group. "It's like Versailles or something, he probably just rents a room..."

          "And who did you have a meeting with?"

          Káel flinched at the sharp voice. He'd lingered too far behind his friends, and now faced a younger man, dressed in a white button up with glossed back hair and a warm smile. 

          "I uh..." He took a step back, relieved as the man didn't close the distance. "My uncle..."

          The man's lips moved to speak, but emptied as he shifted his gaze to a shadow over Káel's shoulder. Locke paid the butler a nod, leading Káel back to the group as they passed a waxed counter barring off similarly uniformed people. One of them broke away, a fair girl with her golden hair pinned up. Locke slowed to allow her to take the lead.

          "Ariabella is between meetings. You'll have less than ten minutes unfortunately." The girl started, waving them out of the expansive lobby of an entrance, the carved golden stone halls as busily decorated as the building's exterior. In a strange contrast to the lobby however, they were empty, spare a few guards stood at each turn.

          After cutting through a hall laced with an abstract display of paintings of ships, the buttress gave the waxy door at the end three knocks, 'Augebelle' carved into a gold plaque at its eye level.  She was careful not to scratch the rich brown surface as she pushed it open a crack, slipping through to hold open the door at the other side.

          "Ariabella, you have a guest."

          Káel barely caught the tail end of what the woman named Ariabella muttered, "busy" the only distinct sound that met his ears as he entered the room behind Locke. It was a large office space, windowless at the heart of the castle with more paintings of ships, twice as extravagant, lining the sandy yellow walls. The space seemed to be the root cause of the hallway's theme.

          His gaze landed on the single lady sitting behind a wooden desk. Like Samanthra's, it was teeming with papers, but in a stark contrast it was painstakingly organised, every slip of paper and envelope filed or stacked within the clutter. She was busily signing a small bundle of invitations, her straight black hair tied back and the few loose bangs tucked behind her ears.

          Káel couldn't help but squint. He'd seen her before, from a distance perhaps. 

          The buttress raised her hand to stop Káel from stepping closer. "Your guest holds a crown sigil, he requested you by name Ms. Augebelle."

          Ariabella lifted her gaze, something in her face surprised by the multitude of guests, and something else sprinkled with dread as she eyed Locke. Káel paled when her golden eyes shifted to him, but it wasn't fear that spurred the nausea.

          He knew that scowl, even from the distance of a small blue car. The car that always sped off with his uncle after barely a few hours of conversation. He'd assumed she worked with him, or was in some sort of strange relationship. 

          The words came out before Káel could control himself, his entire body moving forwards as if closing the distance would bring some truth. "You're from Iridis."

          Ariabella's eyes narrowed, her voice filled with shards of ice to prick away Káel's encroachment. "I'm not sure what that is." she eyed Locke, disappointment dragging the corner of her lips. "You were to bring them back to Cobalt."