Although the dust in her room stung her nose, Kyra lay on her back and stared at the brown ceiling. Feeling disrespected by the condition of the room she was given, Kyra decided she wanted a new one after realising she could not stay in it any longer. But as she opened the door, Isaac was there, his red eyes steadily widening as he knocked.

“Miss von Stein! I was just about to knock.” He said, standing back in a straight-back position. Kyra blinked, opened the door widely, stood aside, and pointed at the room.

“Do you expect me to die before I finish training your prince from dust inhalation?” She said, her lips once again forming a tight line. Isaac leaned to the side, looked at the room, and nodded.

“You’re right. That’s why I’ve come to collect you. The king has provided an upgrade.” He spoke in the same candid tone he usually uses.

"Excellent, lead me to it." Kyra answered. After giving a nod, Isaac went outside. The two then started walking down the hallway of the west wing, passing the dining hall, library, and infirmary until they arrived at the courtyard, where Isaac came to a stop. Then he faced the brown wooden door that stood in front of the see-through doors, turning away from them. The long trip was taking a toll on her legs, so Kyra thanked God that she was finally nearing the courtyard.

Isaac opened the door to reveal a massive cream-walled room—a whole different from the overly blue interior. Once Kyra stepped inside, her breath was taken away. The room was far more extravagant than any room she had ever slept in. A king-sized bed lay in the middle, with beige satin sheets, pillows, and what appeared to be a fluffy blanket. Brown bed curtains with gold floral patterns hang around the bed, giving it a luxurious feel. Two large round windows stood on her left, with brown curtains draped over them. In the middle of the windows was an open balcony with a white table and beige seats. A vanity with beige sofa before it was placed near the door, as was beige wooden cabinet. Kyra’s eye then wandered to the pearl chandelier that hung low.

This exceeded her request by a great deal. Her attention was then drawn to Isaac's cough, and she followed his hand as he gestured to a voluptuous ginger woman wearing a pale blue kirtle. A white ribbon was wrapped across the front of her ginger hair, which was styled down in a single braid. The woman's dark eyes went dull as she raised her head.

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“This will be your personal maid. She shall wash your clothes, provide your meals, and fulfil any requests you might have. And just like you, she’s new to the palace,” he said. “Is that clear?” He added. Kyra nodded, and Isaac left the two women alone. Kyra was the first to make a move, taking a long prideful stride towards the woman, who stood a foot shorter than she did. She towered over the woman like a colossal and looked down on her without judgement, however.

“I won’t be needing you that much, but do feel free to be casual. Call me Kyra instead of von Stein, and address me in a formal tone. I need a sense of normalcy after all.” The young woman rambled. The ginger maid nodded and moved back slightly, feeling uncomfortable with how close they were. "Okay, now that the formalities are slightly out of the way, state your name.” Kyra ordered.

“Isabel Fondue.” The maid answered.

“Do you possess mana, and if so, what is your first base?” Kyra questioned and sounded a little too pushy. The ginger’s cheek flushed and she stuttered over her words before answering.

“Earth, ma’am.” She answered meekly. Kyra took a step back and nodded.

“Well, it’s late, so you’re dismissed.” Kyra stated, pointing at the darkened sky and courtyard. The maid nodded and left. As soon as the ginger-haired woman closed the door behind her, a sharp snarl formed on her lips as an angry look coated her expression.

‘Calm down, Catherine. This is all for the sake of your plan.’ The woman thought to herself: She took a deep breath and walked across the hall and to her sleeping quarters, which happened to be Kyra’s old room. On her way there, she passed the prince, who was dressed in a white robe, with his blonde hair dampened and pulled back into a low bun.

‘He’s surely grown.’ The woman thought to herself as she studied his retreating figure. Isaac came out of the corner, eyed her, and ran after the prince, walking side by side with him.

Back at Kyra’s room, the young woman paced around, a hand placed under her chin. She was bored, understimulated, and in need of a large pint of apple ale. What better place to do just that than a tavern? With her mind made up, she waltzed over to her wooden cabinet and pulled it open. Various items of clothing filled it, and Kyra immediately grinned.

She grabbed a striped white vest, a brown pair of trousers, a black hooded cloak, and black socks. She immediately put those on and opened the second drawer, grabbing the leather brown belt. She wrapped that around her waist and placed her black boots straight on. The young woman then waltzed out of her room and into the hallway. The prince walked out of the corner, and the two’s eyes locked.

“Where are you going?” The blonde male asked. Kyra grinned.

“To get shitfaced.” She replied. Isaac looked at the prince and could immediately tell what he was thinking.

“Go with her, but wear a good disguise.” The butler stated: The prince snapped his head towards Isaac, and his lilac eyes gleamed with happiness. Kyra looked at the two, waiting to be dismissed. Instead, Gabriel looked at her with a face she had never seen him make. He looked like a child who had been taken to a sweet or toy store and was told to pick whatever he wanted.

And all Kyra could think was...

“Oh no.”