I walked out to face multiple enforcers, who all nodded at me as I walked down the hallway. I could already see the effects of my new status.

When I opened the door leading outside, I found a beautiful blue carriage that looked like it was out of a fairy tale waiting for me, complete with two horses, with manes as white as feathers.

One of the guards from earlier offered me a hand with a smile, and I stepped in.

But once I was in, I frowned. I didn't have my stuff on me. Was I not going to take any of it to Altair?

"Excuse me, is there any way I could take my belongings with me to Altair?"

"Don't worry, Miss, you'll be given everything you need there."

Oh, I should've figured.

But as much as I don't want to admit it, I want to see Lydia and Damian before I go.

"I know, but I have some very personal belongings that you can't find anywhere else."

The guard looked me in the eyes, like he was contemplating it, sighed in defeat, and said, "I understand."

We turned back around to the center of Aries, where my home was located. I quickly scrambled off the carriage and into my house.

"Lydia! Damian! Where are you?"

That's when I noticed a note on the door.

That's when I noticed a note on the door [https://img.wattpad.com/f1ab7694214131a5da78089ce0b2adc16d22bd7c/68747470733a2f2f73332e616d617a6f6e6177732e636f6d2f776174747061642d6d656469612d736572766963652f53746f7279496d6167652f6f5643617359415f5173666b62773d3d2d352e313765333137343863386236656339623435383036303837353437392e6a7067?s=fit&w=1280&h=1280]

A couple of hours. If only I had a couple of hours.

But I've got two royal guards outside the door, waiting for me, and I don't have those hours.

So I stared at the only home I've ever known and started making my way toward the door.

But that's when a hand pulled me back.

I was shocked and started calling for help, but I heard a familiar voice.

"Gods, Ara, it's me!"

Cyrus.

"What are you doing here? Why are you in my house?"

"The real question is, why are you leaving your house?"

It's hard to face the fact that I'm leaving my one and only friend. And it's really hard to tell him this, but...

"Cyrus, you really won't believe it, but you know the king's announcement yesterday? I'm a Child of Aster apparently..."

He looked at the ground and mumbled something like "figured" then met my eyes.

"So, this means you're going away then."

"Seems like it."

We stood in silence for a while, but I heard a guard say, "Miss Bella, please hurry, we need to be on the road to Altair today."

I twiddled my thumbs a bit and inhaled.

"Tell Lydia and Damian I love them." And I proceeded to walk.

But Cyrus caught my hand again.

His eyes darted around the room, like he was contemplating it, but he told me,

"Ara, you should know, give it your all there, ok?"

I stared at my best friend and took what he said to heart. Despite his silly attitude, he honestly says smart things.

So I'll give it my all, I'll completely throw myself into a new life.

And that means leaving this one behind.

So I didn't spare him a second glance and returned to the carriage.

I twiddled my thumbs and thought to myself on the way. I really wonder what's waiting for me at Altair, and I'm especially curious about the other children. When I get there, I'll need to assess them and their abilities as well as-

"Miss Bella, you should know, the journey will take two days, and we'll pass through Aetos on our way," the guard interrupted my chain of thoughts. Annoying.

But I've never been to Aetos, the capital of mid-ranks before, and I'm kind of curious. And I actually have a question that's been bugging me.

"If you don't mind me asking, have any other children been found?"

The guard scratched his head in thought and replied, "You may not know this, but the king made his announcement in Altair first, then Aetos, and finally Aries, so for the other areas, the search for the Children commenced before Aries knew."

Honestly, should've figured.

"Many Children have already been found in Altair and Aetos, and the rest will most likely be found today, but considering where they were found, you could be the last to arrive."

I turned this over in my head, then thought about it a bit, and realized that I haven't really seen any other carriages around Aries.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

It'd be very bad if I was the only low-rank; I wouldn't want to be picked on.

"Thank you for telling me. I was very curious."

"No problem, Miss Bella, if you have any other questions, I'd be happy to answer them."

Any other questions.

I don't really have any other questions that desperately need answers, that was really the only thing I really cared about.

I'm sure I'll figure out everything soon.

Soon the day transformed into night, and I fell asleep to the trot of the horses and the turns of the wheels.

After a while, I woke up to a strange city I didn't recognize, though to be honest, I haven't been to many cities. Aries was our capital, but there were other cities and villages where low-ranks gathered, and I sometimes visited them for supplies.

Basically, I'm not very well-traveled. We're not really allowed in Aetos or Altair without a good reason anyway, like being there for service.

I drew back the curtain and peeked out my window. Aetos seemed to be a far nicer city than Aries, though that was to be expected. The houses were actually complete, with nice neat gardens and a busy atmosphere. As well as that, many people could be spotted, with children practicing magic in groups on their way to school, and neighbors having conversations while they cleaned their windows.

"Miss Bella, I'm glad to see you're awake. As you can see, we've arrived in Aetos now."

"Oh? We seem to be stopping here, how come?"

"Ah, well, another child was found here yesterday, and we've been sent word to meet with the guards here to secure their transport."

"How were you sent word? We've been on the road for the last day."

"Ah, as you may know, middle and high-ranks have greater powers than low-ranks."

No need to remind me.

"In Aetos, a guard used their magic and sent word telepathically. It's usually how we communicate back in Altair."

Now I do have a question that desperately needs answering.

"Will my fellow child be riding with us?"

"Ah, no, Miss, it'd be impolite for you not to have your own carriages. You are children of the Gods, after all."

I was quite disappointed at that. I wanted to know more about the other child.

"Please wait here. I'll be meeting with the other guards, and I'll be returning in an hour."

"That's completely fine!"

He finally left the carriage, and I sighed and rolled my eyes.

What am I supposed to do for an hour?

Nothing, apparently.

I actually waited a full hour until I saw the guard return with a man with tired eyes and chocolate brown hair that drooped around his head. He honestly kind of looked like a loser. But he was handsome in a strange sort of way, I'll admit.

I assumed he was another Child of Aster, seeing as he climbed into the green carriage that was equally as beautiful as mine behind me, not to mention that he also had two guards waiting for him outside the carriage.

I wonder why he needed my guard to come and escort him.

It made me very curious. In fact, it sparked a few questions within me. Did all of us children have the same powers? How could our powers possibly change the world? I pondered over this, and my guard returned. Sweat was racing down his forehead, and he seemed to be panting a bit.

"Sorry for the wait, Miss Bella. I ran into a bit of a problem collecting the other child."

I could see that. But I wondered what the problem was.

I smiled at him and replied, "That's absolutely no problem at all! Please, in these things, take as long as you need!"

Never do that again, you imbecile.

He looked me in the eyes and smiled, "You're very kind, Miss Bella. We'll continue our journey to Altair now."

I nodded and stared out the window.

The rest of the journey went rather smoothly, and the neat houses of Aetos left us behind, turning into the green grass of the countryside and many villages.

I got to eat on our journey, and even the "best they had at the moment" was better than anything I'd ever eaten in my life.

Finally, after twenty-four hours of a surprisingly relaxing journey, we arrived in Altair.

And-it absolutely took my breath away. It was miles ahead of Aetos, and obviously light-years ahead of Aries.

Many manors came into view, all painted vibrantly in red, the color of Calypso, that seemed to all be outlined with gold. There wasn't an average house in the place. People in refined robes walked the streets, who all seemed to have an air of importance. The roads were all perfectly straight, made with polished stone that I could actually see my reflection in.

I could get used to this.

Finally, we rolled up to the castle, which was-wow-to say the least. It was built with dazzling white stone, and many towers and turrets sprung up from it. It had a golden and dazzling roof that reminded me of the Gods themselves. It seemed to have many more windows than it needed, which all reflected the light perfectly.

Yep, I could definitely get used to this.

"Miss Bella, we've arrived at the royal palace now. From here you'll be shown your new room, and you'll get to meet the other children tomorrow."

"Thank you for all that you've done for me," I said with a forced smile.

"It's been my pleasure. Please, take care now."

Those were the final words that were said to me before I was dropped off at one of the entrances.

I really can't believe it. I'm here in Altair. I've always known I was meant for more than Aries.

I watched the mysterious child from earlier also depart his carriage, escorted by what looks like ten guards.

I'll have to find out what's up with him later.

I turned to face the entrance. For now, I'll focus on my room.

Three girls in maid uniforms stood outside the entrance, all with their heads bowed. They looked at me and curtsied but didn't say anything.

I think I've read about this before. In the royal castle, servants can't address masters and such until they're addressed first. Weird to think that could've been me in two months.

"Good evening, I'm Ara Bella. Are you to escort me?"

The one in the middle with glasses and red hair startled and replied, "Y-yes, Lady Bella, we're your personal maids, and we'll be escorting you to your room."

I thought about it, and if I made friends with these maids, I could learn some information.

"Thank you, that's great. What are all your names?"

The maids looked at each other, as if not sure if they could answer that question, but the smallest one with brown hair spoke up.

"I'm Mary, Lady Bella."

She pointed at the one with red hair, "That's Rebecca," then pointed at the blonde one, "And that's Lilly."

I put on a bright smile, "Well, it's nice to meet you all. I hope we can be friends!"

Mary looked at me and smiled in return, "I can tell that I'll like you very much, Lady Bella."

"Goodness, Mary, do not talk to the new lady like that!"

I let out a light laugh in response.

"No, it's really okay. I'd genuinely love to get to know you girls!"

After introducing ourselves, my maids started showing me the way to my room, as well as the multiple rooms we passed on my way. There were so many, I don't think even I would ever remember them all.

"You girls are low-ranks, right? I am as well!"

Rebecca gave a nervous reply, "That's correct, Lady Bella. Every servant in this castle is a low-rank, but it was unknown to us that you were previously a low-rank. I'd also like for you to know that Children of Aster are all high-ranks themselves, so please do not think of yourself in that manner starting today."

A sneaky smile slid up my face.

Hm, another perk to being a Child of Aster.

After walking to my room, my maids bowed and exited. I took this as a chance to look at my room for the first time.

It was the royal red of Calypso, with a king-sized bed sitting in the middle. I sat on the bed while feeling the blanket. It was also accessorized with curtains and flower pots surrounding it. There was a beautiful furry mat in front of the bed, and to the side, there was an extravagant white desk, fit with a mirror as well as pens and ink. Not to mention that there was an elegant white nightgown sitting on the chair.

There were also two doors, one leading to my new bathroom, which was much more than the bucket full of water at home, and the other leading to a walk-in wardrobe, that had more clothes than I had ever worn in my life.

Not to mention, there was also a balcony that hung above a colossal garden. There were a multitude of flowers of every colour.

I felt very satisfied now.

So with a smile on my face and an inflated ego, I put on my new nightgown and fell asleep to a whole new world.