Capital Aurélie (part 1)

I gaze at the festive lights of the Capital Aurélie that starts beyond the snow-covered forest and stretch far into the twilight sky. The annual night festival of Roušanak celebrates the last moon phase before the new year. The lively sounds of music and laughter evanesce into the cold air that envelops the castle, as if it has traveled a weary journey from the capital

The food must be good too...

I envision the many food stalls lined up for the festival. As I did that, I felt insanely hungry.

“Lady Esmeray, be a sweetheart and close the balcony door will you? I might freeze to death.” suggests Hayes, who lounges on the sofa eating biscuits with a fluffy blanket draped over him. One biscuit seemed to escape his grasp and landed on the carpet. He picked it up, blew the dust away, and, hopefully, the microorganisms, then popped it back into his mouth.

I gave him a look of disgust.

“What? I clean this carpet squeaky clean every time.” He justified his sloppy actions.

Hayes Sunniva is one of the five great generals of the Kingdom of Roušanak and proudly serves the County of Salvatoré. He is also my bodyguard, maid, and chef. Essentially, he is an all-in-one servant.

Why do I have only one servant, you may ask?

It's because my trust issues run deep.

“Hayes, follow me to the capital. I am craving chicken kebab.” I instructed.

“No way, in this weather? I'll just cook you one.” He said, opposing my idea

I tug his hands, attempting to drag him out of the cozy burrow he made for himself on my sofa but was met with stubborn resistance.

“The ones you get on the streets are different from the castle” I retort.

“Are you saying my food is not good?” He gives me the saddest of faces.

“What kind of bodyguard would you be if you would just up and die from an evening breeze?” I pull with all my might but he doesn't budge one bit.

“I'm a one-of-a-kind bodyguard. I can protect, clean, and cook and I am PHAT.”

“PHAT?” Confused, I unfortunately asked.

“Pretty. Hot. And Tempting.” He articulates each self-proclaimed trait while showing a face you would want to slap.

Instead of throwing hands, I ended the tug-of-war and went to my desk where the phone was. With haste, I dialed my brother’s room.

*Blip-blop… whirr-pzzzt… garble-garb… ka-chunk… bzzrk-bzzrk… reeep-pop!*

I should have replaced the magic gem powering this phone, now it’s making a bunch of weird nosies.

*Krrshh-clonk…whirr-brrt…skrree-zzzt-ping!*

Well, aren’t you full of complaints?

*Thwap…krsshh-brrrzz…clack-clack…whooshhh!*

Enough-

*beep*

[picks-up]

“Yes, my dear sister?” Anrái answered.

“Brother, this one is no good, please fire him.”

“Fire who?”

“Hayes.”

“No way! He is the star employee of this month and besides, who am I going to drink with when he’s gone?” I heard the swift dragging of the chair as he stood abruptly to protest against Hayes's dismissal.

“Star employee? You just made it up didn't you?” I asked, highly skeptical and convinced that he's bullshitting.

“Ask Hayes to come to my office tomorrow for a bonus, it's one of the perks of being the STAR employee.” I feel Hayes’s heavy head pressing against the phone, grinning like a child as he explicitly eavesdrops on our conversation.

With that, the phone call ended in my defeat.

“If you're not coming with me then I'll just go myself.” I strode towards the door, grabbing my coat on the way without sparing him a glance.

“Ugh, will it hurt to show some consideration?” He complains while following me.

I smile and say, “Don’t worry, it's not that cold yet.”

“To you, I grew up in the Ugné Dessert and struggle constantly with this weather whiplash.”

The Ugné Dessert, one of the hottest deserts in the world. No Kingdom has been able to claim the golden land as the unforgiving heat makes it impossible to capitalize on the vast space. All but except for the Sunnivareans, an ethnic minority that is indigenous to Ugné. Hayes's sun-kissed skin and sharp golden eyes are characteristics of the only bloodline that has thrived under the fierce sun of Ugné for millennia.

“It's been six years since you came here, no?”

“It's not as simple as that. It's more like asking a polar bear to live in the desert. My ancestors have lived in Ugné since the age of legend.” He grumbles.

Sensing that he is down with the cold blues, I stop and turn to face him. He frowns in confusion, wondering what I am up to. With my left hand forming an upright fist and the right over the latter in front of me, in a swift motion, I reveal a beautiful Black Hellebore flower in bloom.

Seeing what I did, a smile immediately melts on Hayes's face and his grumpy expression softens to a warm countenance.

"I'm not a child, you know." He said with a glint in his eyes, taking the flower from my hands.

"But look at you, you're so happy." I made a gesture to his cheery complexion.

It's nothing but a silly magic trick but it never fails to cheer someone up.

"Do you just carry flowers with you everywhere you go?" He asked in a voice mixed with curiosity and amusement.

"A magician never reveals her secrets." I cast him a playful grin.

“I know it's hard but bear with it for a few more months. Spring is beautiful here after all.” I said, trying to sympathise with his frustrations.

"Only if you teach me how to do that trick." He pesters.

"Impossible, didn't you hear what I said?" I shake my head, adamant about keeping it a secret.

*a/n latest update on A03 @SHANL*