Cloaked Beauty

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen - Celeste

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My name is Celeste Edulici.

The doorway that had been “guarded” by the knights actually led to another hallway that led to another door. This was just confusing.

As I paced over the wood floors to my destination, my mind raced over what had just occurred.

To some people, announcing my name would mean nothing. Other than knowing that I was part of one of the societies most praised families. But that wasn't the point. No, not one bit.

I knew how everyone here would react now when I spoke my name. And it was all because of my father.

John Edulici.

There's always someone who's the best at something. My father was the best knight in all of Lorendian, and I'm not bragging. Maybe, he was even one of the best in the world.

Until he died, that is.

My father was a legend, a legacy. When someone spoke his name, they spoke it with wonder and praise in their voice. He was practically a hero.

Everyone knew who he was, especially the knights in the castle. They knew how well he had fought, how the king had been so impressed he had promoted him to be his guardian knight.

And look at that, his daughter's following his footsteps.

I continued waking and realized how long the hallway actually stretched. Glancing around, I tried to put some more questions into answers.

Why did Derek send me to go see his father? Wasn't I suppose to be protecting him at every moment?

Though I was pretty sure he was safe right now, since there were knights everywhere in the castle. But if they all worked like the ones at the door, I feared everyone's safety.

Finally coming to the door, I reached for the handle and pushed the door open.

“Adam, I'm sorry to-”

I stopped short when I realized how many eyes were on me. It seems the council meeting wasn't quite over yet.

The council was looking at me in surprise and disgust, as if I was some kind of disgrace. Well of course, people weren't allowed to be in the meetings other then the monarchy and the council. And I had just called the king by his real name.

“Oops, y-your majesty. Should I come at another time.”

The king was looking over at me in delight and surprise.

“That's quite alright Celeste. You're allowed to be in here.”

One of the council members, a man with blond hair and hazel eyes spoke. “B-but your majesty, she's not in the council. That's forbidden.”

The king shook away the words as if forbidden wasn't even part of vocabulary. “Nonsense, Grant, there's one empty seat left, you can sit there Celeste. And that armor looks very fitting on you.” I nodded my thanks and shuffled towards my seat, keeping my eyes on the ground, trying to show some respect. My family may be one of the most important in our society, but on the ladder, every council member was way on top. “Celeste is a new knight who I initiated not too long ago. She will be Derek's guardian.”

All the heads in the room other than the king's and I whipped in his direction.

“That girl is going to protect your son?” a woman asked. Everyone glanced at me, and I tried to gauge all of their reactions. Most of the women in the room were looking at me in disapproval, some in jealousy, and some in confusion. Half of the men were looking at me with narrowed eyes and uncertainty while the other half stared on in what looked like appreciation. In what ways, I'd rather not say.