Chapter 7.
Celia looked at the wizard in front of her as she opened Princess Naomi's luggage. They were summoned to have meals together, she had to prepare the exchanged bride so she would represent the human country.
As she rummaging through the dresses and accessories, it was difficult to find a suit which would fit her as she was taller than Princess Naomi. She sneaked a peek at the wizard who endlessly wandered in the room as if she hadn't been into one. She had loosened her curly hair which looked as if it was a dry autumn bush.
She took a few things and inspected them as the chamber was decked with various antiques and her eyes glinted as they fell on small shiny bottles.
"What is this?" She asked as she took one while shaking it, her fingers squeezed it.
"That's perfume." As soon her words left, the small bottle sprayed the liquid and it landed on her mouth. She coughed. A sweet aroma filled the room but it somehow managed to get red haired girl irritated.
"What the hell?" And she put it back with such a force that it broke spreading the liquid all over her hands.
Celia gave her a displeased look. What was she doing? Breaking things in a place like this?
"Could you please not touch anything and break it in the process?" Celia said as politely as possible resisting to shout at her. She didn't know what kind of power she held. If she riled her up it may get her Princess's life in danger.
Yet, the wizard took a piece of decorating and managed to break it within a second. "Huh?" She looked at Celia with a confused look.
What was she, an idiot?
Celia fisted her palms and imhaled a few deep breaths. She needed to calm down and think. She had served her princess for many years and she could handle anything for her even if it meant enduring a wizard who seemed like the Goddess of destruction.
Another cracking sound came to her ear and a frustrated growl left her mouth as the red hair girl cracked a painting on the wall. It was of a white Dragon. Celia knew white Dragons represented as their deities and she managed to give it a crack. What would they do if they find out that their Princess did it? It would cause a real havoc.
"Can you... can you not break their things?" She said through her gritted teeth, her eyes flaring.
At which, the wizard looked at her with wide eyes.
"Wow! You sounded like Merlene."
Celia cocked a brow. Now, who was that?
"What was your name again?" Celia asked as she needed to know from which guild she belonged as she had heard there were many guilds in fire nation. She needed to know how her powers worked.
"Seraphina Flameheart."
The wizard jumped on the bed to sat and the bed rocked with her. What was she a child?
"That's not how you sit. Please be sure not to do this again in front of the dragons. They are very smart and they follow strict rules!"
Celia was sure Seraphina could blow their cover up if she did everything carelessly. Somehow she thought the wizard knew no manners and certainly no etiquettes. She huffed as she had to teach her from the beginning as she taught Princess Naomi, however, Princess Naomi was a gentle creature unlike this girl who was more or less like a gremlin.
"Err... Okay?" Seraphina said as she swung her legs like a child and nibbled on her gown as if she caught redhanded while stealing.
Celia picked out the blue dress, it was long enough to fit her, probably. She needed to sew the dresses but she needed enough material for it. While thinking how to gather some new clothes, her gaze shifted on the red haired girl. She again, was roaming through the antiques and suddenly tripped and fell on the floor.
Now Celia had a doubt if she could manage to play Princess Naomi. However, it brought some memories of when they were children. Naomi used to wander endlessly in the garden and often tripped.
She huffed a frustrating breath as she observed her. She needed to teach her everything from square one.
"Now please come here, I need to dress you up so that we could go for the meal." Celia said and Seraphina stood up from the bed and walked up to Celia. Watching her graceless manly stance Celia smacked her forehead.
"Go back again," She ordered and the wizard looked confused.
"Eh? But you called me up right?" She asked and Celia sighed.
"Your poise is all wrong. You walk like a man! And that is unacceptable for a princess!" She said and the wizard looked rather offended.
"What's so wrong in walking just how you want?" She said.
"Wrong is that you are not in your guild. This is the dragon's palace, if you couldn't convince them that you are a princess then you and our nation both will be gone." She said angrily.
"Now, go back. I'll teach you how to walk just for this meal, please remember. I'll go in a little more elaborate lesson when we are alone." She said and the wizard nodded walking back to the bed.
"Now straighten your back and relax your shoulders," The girl did so, "and slowly start walking towards me, your foot must fall right in front of other as you walk."
The wizard tried to do so, but she got misbalanced and ended up falling.
"Why is walking so hard?" She whined as she stood up.
"Do it again!" Celia ordered and she grunted before regaining her posture and started walking only to fall again, a toddler was an easier student than this one.
If this continued then she wouldn't be able to reach the dining hall in years. Celia found herself in a helpless situation. The only relief was that, her princess Naomi was safe and away from the dragons. But then again, wizards were no good than the dragons, so she wondered what her princess might be going through now. The place where this wizard was supposed to go, what kind of place was that?
Celia walked over to the wizard and stood beside her, "Watch me and try to imitate." She said and started walking down the path, with the grace in her steps, perfected poise, even pace and with the elegant sway of hips.
"Give it a try." She said and the wizard nodded.
The wizard took a while in learning to at least walk in a way that seemed less manly, though she had no grace whatsoever in anything that she did. Celia then started getting her prepared for the meal, she grabbed the corset and started tightening the strings. The princess's dresses were made according to her measurements and this wizard was slightly thicker than her princess so, the corset would have to squeeze her in.
Celia tugged onto the strings and the wizard retaliated, "What the hell?! Is this your way of killing me?"
"No, but you are way thicker than my princess and her dresses won't fit you unless I squeeze some of your weight." Celia said.
"That's cruel!" She cried.
"Cruel or not, but since you are here and I'm your mentor you'll have to listen to all I say and follow my orders." Celia said and the girl turned around with ire in her eyes.
"I don't listen to anyone's orders."
"Fine then walk out just as you want and let them know you aren't the princess. Remember your life is also on line along with my nation." She said and the girl opened her mouth only to close it again.
"Now, listen carefully." Celia said firmly, "At the dining table, everyone will be observing you. Under no circumstances, you are to eat until the head of the family starts eating, in this case it is the First prince. You have to wait till he starts eating and only then you're allowed to eat."
"What if he doesn't eat?"
"Then don't touch the food." The wizard gave her a mortified look.
"Second, don't. Just don't start eating like you've never had food in ages. You'll have to follow the strict dining etiquette, don't take a lot of food in your plate. Don't take big bites and don't open your mouth too much, and don't chew with your mouth open." She instructed, the wizard girl's mortified look just intensified and Celia started worrying.
"Listen, just please don't mess up. I'll be standing right behind you and I'll give you a signal whenever you'd be doing anything wrong." She said and the wizard girl looked slightly relieved.
"I have one request." She said and Celia nodded.
"What is it?"
"Am I allowed to eat later here?"
Celia's eyebrows twitched, "Fine."
"Ome more thing." She said and Celia frowned in annoyance. Why did she have so many questions?
"What is it?"
"What's your name?"
Celia blinked, she hadn't given her name yet, "Celia." She simply said and heard the wizard repeating it.
Celia managed to get her dressed and then led her outside, her stance was awkward as she walked ahead, Celia was praying from behind that she wouldn't just go and fall right in front of the Princes. Her prayers seemed to have been heard as they reached the dining hall without her falling and she lowered down in the chair.
The dining hall of the dragons was just as the castle, made of dark stone walls with the wallsized windows pouring in the light. The chandeliers hung from above and the dragon carvings etched over the pillars holding the massive ceiling.
"Straight!" Celia whispered-hissed.
With a jolt, Seraphina straightened her back and wondered how could one eat peacefully while maintaining the stiff posture as if they had a rod in their back. Besides the food was far from her plates and it was difficult to reach her plate as well. Her stomach was suffering from the aroma of the meals in front of her. They certainly prepared a feast for her.
However, she could not endlessly eat everything as both of the princes and the future queen sat across her looking at her with their hawk eyes. Celia stood behind her. Wasn't she going to join them?
Now that they sat, she noticed the people standing behind them. They must be attendants. However, all of their eyes were at her as well and she felt nervousness crawling on her skin.
After a few moments, the first Prince said, "Enjoy your meal Princess. You must be very tired."
Seraphina nodded stiffly while her eyes darted between the first Prince and her betrothed. They weren't eating.
While they weren't eating and since he wasn't looking Seraphina took the liberty to study her would-be husband. Apart from his cold and emotionless electric blue eyes, his face was quite exquisite. The slightly boyish roundness hadn't left his cheeks but somehow, Seraphina knew that once he grew he'd have the sharp cheekbones and jaw. She almost started picturing him as a grown up as she continued staring at him. The ebony strands fell over his forehead, his straight nose which seemed to always have anger sitting a top of it, those cupid bow shaped lips which always seemed to have a frown. She wondered if he ever smiled, how would he look if he smiled? Whenever he blinked those thick dark eyelashes just seemed to accentuate the electric blue sparks of his eyes. Those sparks which sent the chills down her spine, she felt those chills running up and down her spine now, the hair on her flesh stood right up as she noticed that he had turned and locked his eyes with hers. The heat slowly climbed over her face and Seraphina's cheeks turned as red as her hair, she quickly looked down. Waiting and feeling famished. It was strange to have these feelings for a child... What were these feelings anyways? Putting aside the strangeness her stomach made its discomfort known.
Celia had told her some dining manners as in never to take food unless the head of the family began. What the hell? Did they want to tease her or something? Because they weren't even touching anything.
Besides, Celia would kill her if she started to eat now.
But given in the situation, where the first Prince and his wife scrutinized her every movement with their emotionless faces she wondered whether they had already found out that she wasn't the princess.
Her future husband didn't look at her after once they'd locked eyes, he remained as cold and stiff as before looking everywhere but her. Did they always eat in such silence? It was hard to imagine her guild in silence while eating or doing anything in silence for that matter.
"Serve." As the first Prince commanded, a few servants came and placed food on their plates and now, Seraphina was resisting the saliva from dripping off her mouth. Her stomach engaged in a battle and she wanted to devour every damn thing on the table.
As the first prince put a piece in his mouth, the others started as well. Celia pinched. A bit hard. Seraphina almost squeaked but managed to hide it and turned to Celia to send a glare.
But the girl stood there emotionless as if she was nothing but a loyal, motionless statue..
Seraphina took a piece and was about to relax her shoulders when another pinch came from Celia and she jolted straight.
"Is the food not of your liking?" Zenith asked.
"No! It's good..." She didn't know what to reply. She looked at the Dragons before her and hoped they didn't see anything unusual but froze as she found her future husband's cold gaze on her. His fine brows lowered a little and her heart thumped.
He didn't see Celia pinching her, right?
***
The bride was acting strange as she took small pieces of her meal but in an urgency. Was she that hungry?
Earlier Demian had noticed her gaze on him, somehow he knew she was staring. He didn't know if it annoyed him or just made him self-conscious because when he turned to see if he was wrong or not. He found her jade green gaze on him, those eyes which made him feel as if he was close to the warmth of the sun. There was something strange about this girl, she lacked the grace of a maiden and the way she was looking so disoriented, he found it rather unsettling as even though she was a human in the dragon's land she seemed just, misplaced in the entirety.
Demian's eyes bore into her as she looked at him with her widened eyes, the healthy color rose till her cheeks. He was seeing her face for the first time as she was behind a veil. Her red curly hair was tucked behind with accessories but a few curls managed to squeeze out of them and hung on her face rather in disoriented ways. Just as she got caught staring she looked down and Demian took his time to look at her, she wasn't all that bad looking but not quite extraordinarily beautiful as well.
"Well, the marriage ceremony is day after tomorrow. While we have enough time, why don't you two talk and get to know about each other?" The first prince said and Demian looked at him, thinking he would be jesting. Billard turned and looked down at Demian with a smile and steel in his eyes, "Demian, why don't you take her to see our lotus garden after lunch?" His brother asked and he looked at him with a shocking glance. He didn't want to go near her or get to know anything about her.
He looked at the human princess and her body went stiff as she looked between both of the Princes. She must be scared.
He grinned in his head. It would be a perfect chance to let her know her place.
"Why not?" He went back to eat his meal in silence however, his eyes could not stop glancing at her. He was amused the way she reacted like a small jittery animal whenever she felt his eyes on her. She indeed was scared and he would make sure it would stay that way.
25th Feb, 2021