Light footsteps echoed in the hallway, as the newly reaffirmed Lucille Eastwynd, strolled as casually as possible down the wide and lengthy rolled carpet.
The truth was, he had been walking for a good five minutes without a damned clue exactly where he was going.
Maybe it was that his memories had yet to come back to him completely, or some other factor, but he was yet again too embarrassed to ask a passing maid or servant for directions. What would it be like to be stopped by the young lord of the house and asked for directions within their own home. It would be suspicious to say the very least. It might also lead to some gossip!
Lucille scratched his head.
On second thought... He had an idea.
Lucille continued to walk down the wide corridor, taking a peek around every corner, untill he came upon a maid cleaning a set of vases near a window. A cunning glint overtook his eyes as he slumped his shoulders ever so slightly and put on a strained look.
"You there!"
He watched, stifling a slight smile as the maid yelped and did a little jump, before turning to face him with a look of suprise.
"Young Master, Lucille, you've suprised me!" She breathed out in relief, and bowed before straightening her posture, "How may I be of service?"
Lucille pinched the bridge of his nose and faked a look of dire concentration.
"Well, you see, I've just awoken with a bit of a headache and confused my directions a little, could you take me to the hall? My father is expecting me."
'This should be fine for a noble child's speech, right?'
The maid's expresion turned to one of minor panic and concern, "Headache? Are you sure I shouldn't guide you to the physician instead, Young Master?"
Lucille's lips twitched.
'Does a light headache constitute a visit to the physician? Also... We have a physician?'
"You dont need to bother", He shook his head, "Honestly, it's leaving me as we speak! But I don't want to delay any further. Do you mind?'
The maid, whom he honestly couldn't pin a name to, gave a little smile, before turning and walking back in the direction from where he came, gesturing to him.
"Of course! this way, Young Master"
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It took Lucille another seven minutes with guidance to arrive at the supposed hall. A set of rather large double doors stood before him, which he pushed open without a second thought. There was little point in waiting, especially after the time he'd spent getting lost, not to mention he currently hadn't the slightest idea of how patient of a man his father was.
Beyond the door his eyes met with the sight of a large and spacious hall. It must have been at least 20 meters wide and twice as long. Or larger. Lucian's current grasp of size was rather askew after all.
The walls were lined with decorative foliage and apealing vases. A few maids and attendants could be seen working or inspecting the many paintings along the walls.
In the center of the hall stood two figures of vastly different height and stature. One man and one child.
He immediately recognized the former as his 'father' by the sheer likeness to the portrait; a sharp looking man with a wavy span of white hair, stubble across his face and deep brown eyes. If he honestly had to say, Lucile would place this guy a fair bit farther up in the food chain in terms of looks. He was a well buit, serious looking older gentleman.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
The other one had a deep brown set of hair, and orange eyes similar to Lucille's. His overall features looked just like the older man's if his age were to revert some 30+ years. He was wearing a garb similar to his as well, though his was parts dark green and white instead.
"Lucille! Come over!"
"Benjamin! Father! Good morning!" Lucille's expression brightened as he walked over to them, recalling his eldest brother's name almost instantly. As for his father... He remembere his name and title too.
He was Clayton Eastwynd; the Earl of Arleens, and head of House Eastwynd.
An earl was below a duke and marquess, but a bove a viscount and baron, if he recalled correctly. That meant his house should have a good amount of authority. He couldnt yet decide if this was a good or bad thing.
"My son, Lucille, it seems you have something on your mind?" The Earl spoke relaxedly, looking calmly at him.
But before Lucille could answer his brother interjected from the side.
"Ah father, I bet he's just nervous about his harbering tommorrow! I remember even last year Gabriel was fidgeting all over when you sent him off. Lammond and I did the same thing as well! We'd probably been reading too many of those tales of evil alchemists and the like..."
Lucille hid his deeply confused thoughts, 'Harbering? Evil alchemists?'
Benjamin turned to him, and patted him twice on the shoulder, "But don't worry about it! It's nothing like those stories, even if some parts are a bit... Intense", he faltered in saying that last part.
'Intense...?'
Putting his confusion aside for the moment, Lucille decided to play along. Looking to both Benjamin and his father, who seemed quite concerned with his mental state, he felt a sense of deep comfort well up from within.
"Oh, uh, I am slightly nervous, but seeing how well it has turned out for you, brother, I feel far more confident" Lucille deflected back to Benjamin, hoping to glean a bit more info on the topic.
His brother smiled. But failed to comply.
"That's the spirit! Oh, and I should probably mention that Lammond and I have a little wager going on what your symbol shall be, so uhm try and make it a ring or bracelet or something, ok? I don't want to lose my spare sword to him." Benjamin spoke quietly with mischeivous demeanor.
'My symbol?'
A cough from their father interupted the conversation between the two. Though the old man seemed to hide amusement in his eyes from the boys previous conversation.
"Alright Benjamin, that will be all from you."
"Yes, father" The boy gave a qiuck nod, turned, and walked to the door Lucille had entered from, He looked shortly to Lucille as if to say they would talk later.
Then the Earl, turned calmly to Lucille.
"As you've heard, your ceremony, is indeed tommorow. Everything has already been set in place. As the sun rises, a carriage will take you and your mother to the tower by Lake Kerr, the alchemist there is a good friend and colleague of mine, so treat him respectfully. I will not be present as there are a few mishaps within the teritory this time around, sadly it is the same situation as your three other brothers this time around too... I wonder what fate this is... "
The Earl looked reminiscent for a moment.
" Behave yourself well. Hopefully, by the setting of the sun tommorow, something remarkable will join the ranks of the instruments protecting our family."
"Yes, father!" Lucille replied, though not really understanding half of what the earl had said.
"Go, see your mother in the garden. She has more to say on this topic, as well as what comes after." The earl shooed him off with a tired smile.
Lucille bowed his head, and reaffirmed the duke once more before leaving the hall. A thoughtful mood overtook him, reviewing the information he'd been told so far and pondering their meanings.
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His memories must have been coming back to him more quickly. Ever since he'd recognized the faces of his maid, father and brother, other things began clicking into place. As he walked away from the hall, tidbits of information resurfaced in his mind. He knew his general location now. He could "feel" it just how one would imagine subconciously walking to a place they knew well.
That being said, he was quite relieved and pleased with this turn of events. Now, he didnt have to trick a maid again or do something suspicious.
A few long hallways and an open entrance later, he walked swiftly between two thick columns, and out onto a stone pathway. The manner in which he transitioned from the grand indoor halls to a stone pathway, by which green grass grew on both sides - felt so natural it was strange.
Vivid memories began pouring into his mind like a raging torent every time he gazed at a particular place, or object, like the green grass, a bed of flowers, and garden gate.
It felt as if he was remembering who he was. Not the Ariel who was Lucille, but the Lucille who was Lucille, if that made any sense. So grew the concern of losing one identity over the other. It was less scary than it sounded in actuality, more like a man of one life, remembering what happened in a life of his past. Or vice versa in this case.
He shook his head and pushed open the gate.
A straight path of tall green hedges alluded to the entrance of a maze, but Lucille knew it wasn't so. He walked directly down into it, made a short left at the end, and immediately came upon a vast open space filled with the multicolored petals of flowers, neatly organized rows of all different kinds, formed around the entrance like layered arcs, at the center of the field, was a barren patch of dirt.
Lucille recalled, in his ever growing net of memories, that his mother was to use this patch of dirt for a new type of flower. And lo and behold, there sat three figures crouched on that very plot.
One held the figure of a lady, which was his mother's obviously, another was a youg boy, and the last, an older man. The young boy, with a head of curly white hair, Lucille soon recognized as his third brother, Gabriel, a soft spoken kid who Lucille (previous) felt calm around. The old man looked rather simple and forgettable crouching next to Gabriel, his shoulders shouched and back arched with age, yet Lucille recognized him nonetheless. It was the Gardener; a man named Benteheim. Though Lucille recalled just naming him, Bent, which was rather cruel now that he thought about it, but the old guy didn't seem to mind...
He walked towards them.
Yet, some people in his family seemed to have a penchant for noticing him, because as soon as he stepped within the confines of the field, his mother's head of dark brown hair swerved ever so slightly to the right, before turning back to stare at him with bright orange eyes.
She smiled, and a single hand waved him over.