Chapter 34

34 Crystal Blade and The Lunch Date

“What exactly just happened? You seem to know far more about her?”

Darla confronted Anne when Heirim had already gone to her room, and disappear from their view.

“I’ll tell you everything after I successfully carry this humongous box into my room.”

Said, Anne, who was busy carrying her box. Finally, Darla took it upon herself to help her friend. They carry the box together to Anne’s room, and some nobles almost knock on the box. Thankfully, Darla has already given them a death stare, and most people will definitely be scared of her.

Darla is intimidating, with her muscular body and chubby cheeks. Most men were terrified of her. Although for Anne, she is one of the sweetest girls that she has ever met.

“So, now, can you tell me what happened between you and that noble b*tch?”

The sweetest here, not exactly, meant that she also has a golden tongue.

“As I told you, she is the sister of... An acquaintance of mine. Safe to say, she doesn’t like it that I have known her brother.”

“Ah... So, you get chummy with her brother. The noble-born don’t want it, I see.”

.....

A frown appears on Anne’s face. “Chummy? Darla, he is not my-”

“Yeah... yeah... I get it, too early, or maybe because of that magi captain? Oh! Or that tall, and dark handsome fellow that gave us the Wismushroom seat number?!” Said Darla with a bit of enthusiasm.

Rolling her eyes, Anne tried so hard to calm her friend by enticing Darla with the content of her box. She handed her a jar of Agave Cucumber pickles and a tin box of freshly baked biscuits. In her letter, Anne told her parents about how she got new friends and it makes her days in the capital more colorful and fun. Her mother sent her three boxes of tin with biscuits and also her famous pickles.

Darla took her presents with a leaping heart. She was gone to her room with a word of thank you to Anne. She looks at her friend, who happily skips into her room, Anne’s smile blooming when she saw how happy Darla was. Anne takes a sigh of relief and takes out all the items inside the box.

Suddenly, Chikara awakens from his sleep. He climbed the window and stared into the sky. Curious about her demon kitten behavior, Anne approached him and peek at whatever the thing that he saw outside. It turns out there’s a bird, an enormous bird with silver feathers, flying closer to her window.

The bird then perches on her window frame, its enormous size closing the view from the window completely. The bird was overwhelmed and almost fall because the window was not large enough for it. Anne chuckles and helps it go inside her room. It finally settled on her bed frame. She folds her hand on her chest and stares at the bird. Anne let the bird inside because she recognizes the owner of this familiar.

“You’re Vale’s familiar, right?”

‘You know me, miss?’ The bird tilted his head with a bit comical move.

Anne chuckled. She even remembered the bird’s name. “Silver Hawk?”

‘Yes, I am Silver Hawk. My master is Vale, and I came here to deliver an invitation from my master.’

“Invitation from Vale?” Asked Anne to Silver Hawk.

‘He will wait at Peony Restaurant in the north of B street, tomorrow at lunchtime. He also apologized because he can deliver the invitation himself.’

“Alright, I’ll accept the invitation. I’ll be there at lunchtime. Thank you so much, Silver Hawk.”

‘You’re welcome, miss.’

Anne smiled at the bird, she then waited for Silver Hawk to fly away from her room. Instead, the bird just calmly perched at the bedroom frame a little longer than he should.

“... .... .... Silver Hawk?”

‘Miss... I’m sorry, but you need to carry me back to your window. I couldn’t fly because the window is too small for me.’

Flustered after the confession that comes from the bird familiar, Anne goes to Silver Hawk immediately, and offers the bird her hand, “Oh my God! Yes, I will carry you to my window.”

She stared at the silver feather bird flying away into the night sky. Chikara is beside her, purring, asking for her attention.

“What a handsome bird he is, right, baby?” Said Anne, muttering while her fingers brushed the furs of Chikara.

Chikara’s meowing at her, and rubbing himself on Anne, probably jealous of all the attention that Anne gave to Silver Hawk. She chuckles and embraces her familiar. She goes to sleep with Chikara on the bed with her.

Meanwhile, Vale was waiting for Silver Hawk outside the garden, while Justice and Xavier were inside. Henry stepped outside, wanting to accompany Vale.

“So, did you send her the invite?”

Vale turned his head to see Henry walking toward him. “Invitation to have lunch actually, I need to invite her formally. Best to tell her myself.”

“Good luck. Hope she will accept your invitation.”

“You’re not... I don’t know, jealous?”

Laughing is the response Henry gave to Vale for his question. “Vale, why should I be jealous? In fact, I was so happy that you have the initiative to bring her to the palace ball. Now, all I need to do is to ask her to dance well after you, of course.”

Vale snorted at Henry’s light approach in everything. “Sometimes, I couldn’t believe that you’re the grandson of Horden the Great.”

“Oh, shut up.” Said Henry to Vale while throwing some aggrus seeds towards him.

“Where is he now? Heirim told me that he prefers to go around the kingdom to check on the dark, mischievous road.”

Sighing, he chug his drink in one gulp and complain excessively, “Yeah, my father was almost livid when he realized he was gone again and just left us with a note. Did you know he gave away his crystal blade to a girl? Such an immature act from him.

“Oh, you’re betrothed now, congratulations!” Teased Vale at his friend.

“What?! you jester, I will not marry some random girl just because my grandfather gave her the crystal blade.”

“But your crystal sword came from the same stone with the blade. Your destiny will bring you to her. I believe in it.”

Henry winces and glares at Vale. “Would you stop?!”

“Nope, I’m not going to. I even going to tell Justice and Xavier about this,” said Vale to Henry. He was enjoying this moment a little too much.

“Ugh, that was actually my grandfather, making his own opinion about the sword and the blade. That’s why he never gave Heirim the crystal blade in the first place.”

“Yeah, because he told you that whoever is worthy of becoming your bride will become the owner of the blade.”

Not long after the conversation, there’s a silver light coming from the night sky above. It was Silver Hawk with the news about Anne. Vale breathed out a sigh of relief when Silver Hawk told him that Anne accepted his invitation for lunch.

“Congratulations buddy! Now, the hardest part is coming, asking her to go to the palace ball with you.” Said Henry, winking at Vale while he raised his glass.

They go inside to help Justice arrange the palace ball. The night disappears and the light of the morning came by to say hello once more. Vale took his time to have breakfast. He lives in the same barrack with Henry and Xavier. Captain Barrack is more like a small apartment. There’s a kitchen, two bedrooms and one bathroom. There’s also a living room for their guests.

Vale is living on the second floor, while Henry and Xavier’s apartment is on the third floor. They also have a cleaning lady that keeps their apartment spick and span every day. Henry and Xavier came to have breakfast with Vale. He already knows the two of them were here to tease him endlessly.

“So... big day today,” Xavier said to Vale, while his right eye winked at Henry.

“Yes, if you could put it that way.” Said Vale as calmly as he can be.

Henry chuckled after looking at his friend tried so hard to be as calm as he can be, “You know, finally we can give you a big boy badge after a long time with no interest in pursuing a romance.”

Both Henry and Xavier laughed so loud while Vale remained calm on his seat, not until he grab his empty plate and pointed at Henry.

“Henry just got himself a fiancé.”

Xavier’s mouth gape open, while Henry chases down Vale with a mouth full of curses. The morning passes by, and it was finally time for Vale to meet with Anne. He arrived at the peony restaurant fifteen minutes earlier. He patiently waited for her with a book in his hand. Vale is in his own little world whenever there’s a book to read.

“Hey, what kind of book that you read?”

Vale turned his head, expecting to see Anne, but there was Heirim standing with a smile on her face.