C4 The royal castle.

Two days on the road and they had finally arrived.

From the smell in the air to the beauty of the plants everything was different and unique.

Looking outside the window he could see the magnificent castle that he had only heard about in the books and the books weren't lying.

From the magnificent gold coated doors to the silver walls everything looked exquisite, as the carriage got closer he could feel ancient magic all around him, probably the protection circle that was said to be beneath the castle, place there by the first mage of the empire.

When the horses stopped his so called servants woke up and immediately sat straight, they both looked at him and Ruda spoke.

"We are at the royal castle, so we have to teach a few things before you greet the royal family,"

"When you greet the king and queen you have to kneel as a sign of respect, when greeting the prince's and princesses you will bow down and when greeting the Crown prince whom you are engaged to, well for him wait for him to come and kiss your hand before you bow down to him,"

Do they expect him to remember all that.

As Ruda finished the door opened and the guard placed a small stair on the ground the stood aside waiting for us to get out. Outside the carriage he saw multitudes of people wearing the same kind of clothes, they were probably servants of the palace.

Ananke and Ruda stood near the carriage and he stood in front of them. The duke's carriage was also opened and he came out with his fake kind smiling expression, he walked toward him and held his hand, guiding him towards the castle.

"I presume that you've been taught what to do?"

'Yeah like five minutes ago'. But of cause he wouldn't say that.

"Yes your highness," he said with a smile.

As the two walked an announcement was given.

"Bow down before the royal family," every one that was looking at him turned and looked at the palace doors, a group of people with beautiful golden hair and clothing with expensive fabric showing power walked towards where we were, every one bowed and as Circe was about to do it too the duke squeezed his hand prompting me to stop.

The royals stood in front of us and one of them walked towards me and took my hand from the duke he kissed my hand then looked at me with a smile. He restrained the urge to hit him.

"Hello, I'm Caecus Lukeion your future partner,"

"It's a pleasure to meet you your highness, I am Circe Islwyn,"

He says as the prince pulls his hand without greeting the duke and escorts me to the rest of the royal family with Casius following behind us obviously displeased with the lack of respect from the prince. This showed him that the royal family was not in good relation with the Duke.

Circe bowed down to the princes and princesses, then he was led to the king and queen, he knelt down in greeting as the prince bowed down in greeting. The king and queen didn't speak, they just touched his head as a sign of blessing before the king at the announcer who then shouted.

"Please welcome Circe Islwyn, consort of the crown prince of Quirin,"

The people who had stood up bowed down, the prince who had not let go of him led him to the palace entrance where a blind folded man of about my age stood. He was tall.He was dressed like a noble but not like any other noble he'd seen before, from his demeanor Circe guessed that he must be some one of a higher status.

"This is the Duke of Carpathia, Merikh Aneislis, he'll be your escort," the prince said to him and he turned to look at the blind folded man closely and he was shocked.

The aura around him was suffocating. It made him instinctively want to run away, he literally had to dig his nails into his hand to prevent himself from running, the last time he felt such cohesion was when Eliphas released it on him while training him but the man was just excluding such aura by standing there.

"Your highness," Circe greeted but he was ignored.

"He should be versed with the palace rules before leaving for the academy, make sure of it," his deep' low voice sounded as he spoke to the servant next to him he then turned around without giving him or the prince a second glance.

"Yes your highness," the servant that was next to him says to the duke and then procedes to bow to the prince as a sign of greeting. It was interesting, the servant didn't bow when the duke was was there.

There must be a reason the king wanted to place a leash on the duke.

"Please follow me Master Circe," he then took his hand and lead him to another carriage.

He walked with the servant and entered the carriage where he once again found Ruda and Ananke who he had left behind in it. Closing the door, the servant began to speak.

"I am Azar the head servant of the Carpathia house hold," the servant starts to speak, "You will be staying here at the Duke's castle while studying at the academy.

"Once we arrive at the castle I'll give you a two hours to acquaint yourself with the important parts of the castle before preparing for the evening meal, you will have it with his highness the Duke," he says, the he turned towards Ananke and Ruda, "The two of you will teach him the basics of the palace, what to touch and what not to and where to go and where not to."

And with that he bowed down to me then looked aside as the carriage moved.

The sound of a beast growling made him look out of the window, he then noticed a huge castle in front of the carriage around it were some beasts feeding and playing and judging by the fact that he couldn't understand them it meant they were high level beasts.

As the carriage stopped he was led out once again and this time it was not to a multitude surrounding him but to a quiet place. The environment around was beautiful and the plants excluded an aura that made him feel peaceful, but along with that there was an almost invisible source of dangerous aura around, it felt like there was a beast lurking in the dark waiting for a chance to attack him. The same aura the duke had.

"Well master Circe I'll get going, make sure not to be late for the dinner, the duke likes punctuality," Azar says to him.

"Well it was nice meeting you,"

"We'll show you your room first," Ruda says as he pulls Ananke and walks forward leaving him behind.

He follows the to a flight of stair that was near the entrance, as he went up a feeling of familiarity hit him, it's obvious that he had spent his whole life in the village, but as he walked up the stairs he had a subtle feeling of nostalgia it was fleeting but he felt it, it was like he had been there before.

They walked down the hallway as he admired the beautiful design of the castle. After a while they arrived at a certain door Ananke took out a bunch of keys and opened the door. The room was huge. It had gold coated chandeliers, bright, white curtains and black, a huge bed at the center of the room and what seemed to be a wardrobe on the left side of the room and another room at the right of the ward robe which he assumed to be the bath area.

"This will be your key, I'll keep an extra with me, make sure to remember the direction," Ananke says to him.

"Let's walk you round the castle,"