Petrus (9)
On the fourth day of the new year, Mi slept soundly and woke up feeling refreshed. She jumped onto the roof and back down, feeling completely unburdened. She wanted to hurry to Derek's Palace to see little Beatrice. Mi paced restlessly in the inn, politely declining Fried's invitation as she waited for dusk to fall.
As the eight o'clock bell rang, the King and Queen were still dancing the opening dance, while Prince Ryan and Princess Denise continued to lead the waltz. The Derek Palace was filled with music and dance. Mina, in the gardens outside the palace, gazed at the dance floor, cautiously keeping her distance from the royal family.
Petrus was talking to a blonde girl. The blonde girl shook her head, sat down on a chair, and Petrus whispered something in her ear before leaving the hall. Mi watched Petrus dart through the crowd like an inconspicuous little fish. Taking advantage of the moment, she quietly stood up and went outside. The tranquil blue moon was as bright as yesterday. The dark bushes in the distance resembled lurking monsters. Petrus strode confidently towards the neatly arranged flowerbeds, with Lily trailing far behind. Huge torches lit at the four corners of the flowerbeds, making them appear even more eerie. Petrus disappeared into the bushes, and Lily watched from outside until Petrus crouched down and vanished into the undergrowth.
Mi saw that Beatrice was only hiding in the bushes under the torchlight at the edge of the corner; she hadn't gone far. It was dark under the light; the best hiding place was indeed under the light. Beatrice didn't do anything unnecessary; she stood quietly in the darkness, staring blankly at the night sky.
“Miss Beatrice, Her Majesty the Queen wishes to see you.” A maid came out of the palace and whispered a few words to Lily, who then relayed the message to the garden.
“I understand.” Petrice stared greedily at the night sky for a while before turning around and following Lily. Petrice walked all the way to the Blue Moon Palace before a lady-in-waiting came out to lead her inside. Mi stood outside with Lily. Although she was very curious about why the Queen had summoned Petrice, she restrained her curiosity and crouched in Lily’s shadow to wait for Petrice to come out.
After leaving Blue Moon Palace, Beatrice walked straight to the Twin Towers. She returned to her room, said nothing, and quietly lay down in bed. Lily watched her curled-up figure, took a step back, and stood guard by the door. It wasn't time to sleep yet; visitors could arrive at any moment, and Lily needed to see them in advance to give Beatrice time to prepare.
Mi quietly placed a note in front of Bertram: "Lord Zara has something for you." Bertram stared wide-eyed at the note. She reached out, took it, and studied the handwriting for a moment. Then, she lowered her head, folded the note into a small square, and tucked it into her chest near her heart before looking up and surveying the familiar surroundings. Lily stood in the doorway, giving her a questioning look. Mi watched as her mouth opened and closed, but no sound came out. She simply closed her eyes, as if she hadn't seen anything.
Mi hid in the shadows at the foot of the bed. Lily stood in the doorway with the door half open, turning around at the slightest sound from Petrus, which made things difficult. Mi quietly watched Petrus; the little girl's round face had a special vitality. She looked so much like Lord Zara, yet she was so cautious. After a while, the noise of the ball ended and subsided. Lily made a makeshift bed at the foot of Petrus's bed, and another night passed.
After leaving Derek's Palace, Mi felt a lingering scent surrounding her. Returning to the Flower Garden Inn, she changed all her clothes and meticulously examined her body. She dispersed like a cloud, circling the inn's balcony before returning, but found nothing amiss. Mi lay down on the bed, but the image of Little Beatrice's face kept appearing before her eyes. Suddenly, she sat up. Tears welled in Little Beatrice's closed eyes. The child was homesick; Mi was enveloped in the scent of longing.
On the fifth day of the new year, Mi and Sheila said they wanted to go out for a stroll and arrived at King Derek's Palace during the day. She needed to find a way to get Lily out of the way. This time, the hostages from the neighboring city were all at the horse farm, where King Derek had organized a small horse race.
“Petrice, you—” Heina used her riding crop to lift Petrice’s chin: “How did you survive in the border town, so thin?” Heina had fair skin and a full figure; at fifteen, she already possessed an impressive bust and a slender waist. Her chestnut hair was adorned with pearls and jewels. Heina’s whip was made of sharkskin, said to be from a man-eating behemoth of the sea. Heina’s hair was somewhat yellowish, with the split ends common among people living by the sea. Years of luxury in the palace hadn’t significantly changed the quality of her hair. Heina harbored hostility towards any girl who approached Prince Ryan, especially Petrice, who was on good terms with him. She would find any opportunity to cause trouble for Petrice.
“Good day, Miss Hena.” Lily stepped out from behind Petrus. “Each of you was escorted in by the Royal Guard.”
Hena pursed her lips, glancing past Lily and looking at Petrus behind Lily: "Petrrus, shall we have a race?" Hena looked at the stables, "You choose the horse."
"Ahem, I'm sorry, I can't ride a horse today." Beatrice covered her mouth and coughed lightly twice.
Prince Ryan heard Petrus cough and quickly came over: "Petrrus, go and rest in the stands. I'll give you the prize when I win." Ryan gentlemanly helped Petrus to the side of the stands, leaving Hannah behind, her chest heaving with anger like surging waves.
Ryan asked a waiter to bring him a book: "You can sit here and read. You'll go back with everyone later." Lily stood observantly below the stands. As Prince Ryan turned to enter the riding arena, a group of children around ten years old immediately surrounded him. Prince Ryan had the traditional silver hair of the Derek family. He was too thin for a fifteen-year-old, though he was relatively healthy for a child born after a difficult birth. Ryan had healthy reddish-brown skin and a pair of gray eyes that seemed to see right through people. His princely upbringing made him appear noble, elegant, humble, and polite.
“Ryan,” Haina pushed through the crowd and said, “Let’s ride horses together.” Most of the people around her dared not speak out against Haina.
"Let's go together," Ryan said gently. The crowd escorted the prince away, and the prince on horseback cast a worried glance at Petrus. In the center of the stands, Princess Denise sat next to King Derek. They both looked at Petrus on the edge of the stands, and Princess Denise snorted, "Brother is too fond of that Petrus."
“Denise, watch the race properly. You were the one who wanted to watch the horse races again.” Derek glanced at Petrus. Petrus was plain-looking, not as pretty as Denise. Why would Severus want her? Derek looked at the racecourse again. It was full of teenagers, boys and girls. Hmm, there weren't any girls under ten. Derek stroked his chin. Maybe he could get the Acropolis lord to send some girls too. The Acropolis was rapidly depleting its resources; once the lord died, these little girls would be ignored. Severus's needs were growing.
Petrus opened the book Ryan had left behind; it was a collection of poems about heroic adventurers battling a Yeti. Petrus opened the book, her mind elsewhere, her eyes fixed on the pages. Mi quietly placed Yana's letter between the pages. Petrus opened the letter without a sound, acting as if she hadn't seen anything. Mi heard Petrus holding her breath and slow gasps. After a long while, Petrus pointed to each word in the book and asked, "Could you keep this letter safe for me?"
Mi didn't know what Yana had said in the letter, whether Betric knew that Zara was dead, whether anyone had told her that the city lord of Lincheng 17 had changed, and where Betric, as the daughter of the former city lord, would be sent. Mi silently put away the letter, watching Betric softly recite the verses from the book:
Yeti, the ruler of ice
Yeti, the embodiment of destruction
The vast snow-covered region
It is its kingdom
Its eyes
Like a deep ice cave
Freeze all life
It roams freely in the world of ice and snow.
Until one day
Brave adventurers
Embark on the journey
······
Mi couldn't find time to talk to Petrus. After the horse race, Lily followed Petrus closely, even preparing what ball gown Petrus would change into. After the King and Queen left, Mi carefully observed the ballroom. The men and women there were incredibly enthusiastic about dancing, regardless of whether they knew each other or not; they'd embrace anyone given the chance. The bloated men always invited the young girls to dance. Mi finally understood why Petrus always avoided attending the balls. These children from Lin City, without parental protection, were prime prey in this palace filled with nobles. Only by attaching themselves to a noble could they leave the palace and escape being sent back to Lin City.
After the ball, Mi accompanied Beatrice back to the Twin Towers. Suddenly, Mi turned around and saw a dark figure standing in the grove of trees by the roadside, watching the hostages. Mi watched the figure see the hostages into the Twin Towers before leaving. He wore a gray robe with strange curves drawn on it and headed towards the Derek Gallery, where the king resided. Mi stopped at the entrance of the Derek Gallery, but ultimately turned and left. She didn't want to be exposed to Derek's sleeping gas again.
Princess Denise's laughter echoed through Derek's corridor as she proudly displayed her newly acquired jewels: "Father, Father, look, it's a ruby!" A ruby adorned Derek's crown, a symbol of power. Denise held up the gem: "Father, please make me a golden crown, just like yours."
Severus heard Princess Danes's clear voice in the Derek Gallery and smiled. He quietly withdrew and waited to the side. Princess Danes, tired from playing, fell asleep in the king's arms. Severus walked up to the king, knelt on one knee, and pleaded again, "Your Majesty, please make me the Queen's apostle."
"Has the Queen's apostle been killed?" Derek, holding his daughter, stared coldly at Severus. "I told you, Denise is not someone you can lay a finger on."
“Princess Denise wants to be queen,” Severus tried to entice the king.
“Severus, I may lack the ability to govern, but I am not a fool. I will always make the right choice. The Derek royal family will only flourish under my rule, and the Derek bloodline will never disappear from my hands.” Derek insisted, “I need to see the head of the Queen’s Apostle. If you want to become the Queen’s Apostle, Severus, I will be the first to take your head.”
“Your Majesty, I need a seed of longevity; the power of the Queen’s apostle is too great,” Severus changed his request.
“Yes, I will instruct Mrs. Aldrich.”
* * *
Inside room 17 of the Twin Towers, Beatrice lay down on the bed. Lily was making her mattress at the foot of the bed. This time, Mi had prepared a goodnight note: Goodnight, Beatrice. Tomorrow I'll deliver Zara's letter to you. Try to get your maid out of the way. This time, Mi also showed Beatrice the wooden plaque that Di had given her. She saw Beatrice nod quietly before leaving the Twin Towers, and behind her, she could hear Beatrice and Lily talking.
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