Wenammy spoke while pointing at the window, to change the subject so that she didn’t need to say anything about her previous life before becoming an Adventurer, “Is that the building where we are going? Why there are so many people in the street? Is this normal?”
Alex looked through the window and frowned. “Not really. I think I recognize some faces. Merchants, most of them, and… some artisans that I already gave some work, and a few lower Nobles that don’t have a seat in the Chamber of Lords. I don’t know, maybe they are waiting to see me? Or… to complain? This will probably be troublesome, and I am glad I brought you along. Maybe we should get ready for anything…”
Anika Wright increased her Magic, and she started to glow a bit, with her hair floating as if she was underwater. Wenammy unrolled her six wings that came from a few disguised openings on the back of her new dress, and her increased Magic made her white air move around as if the wind was blowing inside the carriage. Pearl Pearson also increased her Magic, glowing in a faint light that made her green hair begining to shine and her golden skin became even more yellowish than it already was.
Pearl spoke with a serious look, “You mean like this? I believe anyone out there would need to be a great fool to try anything with us near you. As soon as the carriage stops, I will exit first. Wenammy, you hold Alex’s left arm and Anika the right. Be alert and don’t let your guard down. We won’t probably need to do a thing, but let’s put our Magic on standby, just in case. Alex, you make sure you don’t overflow your Magic around, no one needs to know how powerful and dangerous you are, right? You are supposed to be a harmless young Noble that just got another title and a bunch of lands to take care of, no need to make anyone alert of you.”
Alex slowly nodded, surprised by the seriousness in Pearl’s eyes and the way she was commanding them, taking her job as his protector very seriously.
When the carriage stopped in front of the huge building that served as the Chamber of Lords, the page came down from his seat near the carriage driver and pulled out a step from under the door. He opened the door and then moved to the side and made a slight bow, pointing with his open hand to the marble stairs that led to the main door of the building. As a group of soldiers were making sure a clear path was open for the people that arrived by carriage, the crowd that was waiting looked in anticipation.
The noise of scattered voices and questions about who was about to appear came to a sudden halt when Pearl Pearson stopped on top of the step of the carriage and took a look around with a serious face. She then walked towards the marble stair, with her entire body glowing with Magic, and there were a few people that held their breath when they saw Anika Wright, with her hair floating, joining Pearl, immediately followed by a six-winged Fairy, that had her white air moving with the wind around her.
Everyone became ecstatic, looking at Wenammy in amazement. None of them ever saw a High Fairy, because they never mingled with people outside their lands. To many of them, a High Fairy was something so unbelievable, that for sure couldn’t be true. Hence, there she was, an amazingly beautiful Fairy with white hair and six wings shaking in anticipation.
What gathered a few whispers was not only the surprising trio but the way they were dressed. Extremely expensive dresses complemented with small hand purses with the same fabric and with encrusted precious stones. For sure the one they were accompanying was someone important, and perhaps the rumour that the young Earl Alex Brim was making an appearance on that day in the Chamber of Lords, was not only a rumour, but it was really going to happen.
When Alex stepped out of the carriage with his ostensive suit with precious stones for buttons, the crowd began shouting his name and clapping. There were a few whistles and scattered booing that came to a halt when Pearl Pearson and the other two women increased their Magic and the air became thick with the pressure their Magic was making.
Alex made a slight smile and waved at the crowd while Wenammy and Anika went to his side and held his arms. Pearl walked ahead, going up the stairs with Alex and his company right behind her. The soldiers had a lot of trouble keeping the path open for Alex because the crowd was trying to come closer to him. Pearl mumbled a quick Spell, and the space right ahead of the soldiers became a line of overly increased gravity, making everyone step back, because of the increased weight of their bodies, wondering what that strange sensation was every time any of them approached the soldiers.
As Alex was walking towards the main door, his page quickly went to his place near the driver, and they drove the carriage to the nearest stable, to take care of the horses while they waited for Alex to return from his meeting.
At the main door, two servants made a deep bow and they quickly opened the large door. As soon as they entered, the door was closed again, stopping the clamour that was coming from the outside.
A servant came from the left side of the corridor, and made a deep bow when he recognized whom the women were escorting. “Welcome, Earl Alex Brim. It is my deepest honour to receive you today. Please, follow me to the main room, the Lords are all gathered in there, waiting for you.”
Alex asked while following the servant that was walking next to Pearl Pearson, “Is the King inside as well? I was told he could come today as well.”
“Yes, his Majesty arrived some minutes ago, and he is already in his place, presiding the meeting that is about to occur.”
The servant lowered his voice and looked back at Alex with a conspicuous face. “He told me to warn you that a group is going to make a few demands concerning your new lands and that you should be aware of it, but not to be alarmed because he was working in the shadows for the last months, gathering supporters, in case you needed.”
Alex made a slight smile. “As usual, he never makes a move without making sure the ground is sturdy. A truly amazing man, the King…”
The servant whispered while disguising a smile so that the other servants along the corridor, couldn’t see, “Yes, he is indeed one of the best we ever had in Beliersia.”
Alex remembered the first time he met the King, five years ago when his father brought him to that World for the first time. The King was visiting Earl Kayden like he normally did every time he wanted a break from his duties as the representant of ‘The Republic of Beliersia’. He made a genuine smile the first time he met Alex, that had no clue about how to act or address a King. Over the day, Alex became aware of how much the King liked his father and Earl Kayden, and heard a few stories about those three when they joined forces during the war with ‘The Galtian Khaganat’.
Alex came out from his memories at the sound of another door opening, an immense wooden door with intricate engravings, depicting a scenery of a vast prairie with soldiers riding horses, going to the horizon.
On the other side of the door, a large room waited for them, with platforms all-around at different heights, with some old and newer faces, staring back seriously at him. They all murmured when they noticed the women that were with Alex, and a few gasped in surprise when they saw the six wings of Wenammy. A few scattered voices were heard, asking if she was real, as Alex and the three women went to the middle of the room and faced the King, that was seated in front of a table in a big leather chair at two meters high with a slight smile on his face.
Alex made a deep bow and the three women imitated him. “Greetings, my King. I am glad to see you well.”
“Hello, Earl Alex. It seems that you, as usual, made quite an impression even before speaking a word. Care to introduce to the Chamber your guests?”
Alex nodded and pointed with his open hand to the women next to him. “Of course. My King and distinguished Lords, this is Miss Pearl Pearson, a powerful Elfian and my security guard for this day. Miss Anika Wright, a beautiful Mermaid, and Miss Wenammy, a Fairy, as you can very well see by her wings.”
The scattered noise increased, and the King spoke after bumping a small hammer he had against the top of the table ahead of him, “It seems that Miss Wenammy is not a simple Fairy, but she is also a High Fairy that only a few people ever saw in their life, and most even doubt they exist, and here she is. Care to explain how you met her?”
“I could, but what that would accomplish? Wouldn’t it be better if we addressed the matter that gathered all of us here so that we could all go to your duties as soon as possible? I am sure the King and the distinguished Lords don’t want to lose time hearing about three women that are today my company, when we have so much to talk about that concerns us and this country if I am reading the mood correctly.”
The King raised one eyebrow and pretended not to know what Alex’s words were implying. “What do you mean the mood around? Is something wrong?”
“I won’t say something is wrong, but I was already in this Chamber twice, to watch a younger Noble receive the title that his father used to have, and the environment here didn’t look so heavy. I am seeing a couple of angry expressions, and my words seem to be gathering a few annoying looks. I don’t quite know why, but I am led to believe that it is because of me.”
A middle-aged Noble got up and spoke, “My King, I agree with Earl Alex, we indeed need to address the several matters at hand, and I would like to be the first to question if it is wise such a young man to receive so many lands, considering that he already has quite a lot. Perhaps it would be better if the lands of the deceased Earl Kayden Burke were distributed equally between a few of us, or if a small group took charge of them.”
A group of voices supported his idea, while many others opposed it. Alex waited, and the King asked for silence with another bump on the table with his hammer.
The King looked at the proud Noble that was looking at Alex with a certain air of superiority and said, “Marquess Seth Perry, you are aware that Earl Kayden made proper arrangements years ago, to make Earl Alex as his sole heir, correct? Unless you forgot about that, I regard your words as an insult to the guidelines that rules all of the Nobles’ families in our country. I ask for you not to insist on this matter unless you want to be seen as someone that completely disregards the ancient traditions that made our country.”
The Marquess faced the King with a slight smile. “I am very aware of that fact, my King, as I am sure you are, that the arrangements Earl Kayden made can be changed if enough Lords support my idea. I don’t even need to point out the fact that Earl Alex is not even married, and if something happened to him, may the Kami forbid, he won’t have any heir to inherit his vast amount of lands, and that would cause a lot of trouble if we had to decide what to do in a hurry!”
A few claps were heard, and the King became silent, thinking. Alex raised his hand and said, “I don’t know why the Marquess is so worried about the fate of Earl Kayden’s lands when until now he didn’t even bother to present me his deepest sympathy for the loss of my dear friend. It seems he is way more worried about the lands than the loss our country faced when Earl Kayden died, yesterday. As for the fact I am not married, I am sorry if my words sound rude, but what in the name of the Kami are you talking about? I just arrived here with three amazingly beautiful women, each of them can very well be my wife in the near future, and you are pointing out that I am not married?”