EMRYSA

Chapter One (V)

"Yes, good afternoon, sir. I am looking for Gaius Hampton," Ciara replied, her voice tinged with unease. The man's intense gaze made her even more tense. "This is he," Gaius confirmed, accepting the letter from Ciara. "My father asked me to give it to you," she explained. Gaius read through the letter, glancing from Ciara to the people in the carriage. "So, you are Garrett's daughter," he finally stated. "Yes," Ciara confirmed.

"Inform them to bring the luggage in. There's a carriage park at the end of the street; take it there and tell the man it's from Gaius," he instructed Ciara. "Yes, sir," Ciara acknowledged, and she and the others followed his instructions. "This is my wife, Hunith," Gaius introduced a short, plump woman with straight black hair, streaked with thin strands of white. She wore her hair in a neat bun. "Hello, children," Hunith greeted them warmly in her sweet, motherly voice. They exchanged greetings with her.

"And that's my daughter, Morgana," Gaius continued, pointing to a girl with straight black hair and green eyes, who was engrossed in her magi-slate. "My son, Mordecai, is not here at the moment," Gaius added. "You must be Ciara, yes?" Hunith enveloped Ciara in a tight hug before she could respond. "You look just like your father."

"Thank... you," Ciara managed to utter, feeling as though Hunith was squeezing the air out of her. "And who are these adorable young men?" Hunith asked, her attention turning to the triplets. "Micky, the classy brother," Micky introduced himself. "Ricky, the smart brother," Ricky chimed in. "Dicky, the brave brother," Dicky added. The Ickies took turns kissing Hunith's hand, impressing her with their good manners. "And this is my friend, Prudy," Ciara added, introducing Prudy to Hunith.

"Morgana, Prudy, and Ciara will stay in your room. Get some bedding from the storage, and get the boys settled in Mordecai's room," Hunith instructed Morgana. "Yes, mother," Morgana groaned, clearly unhappy with the arrangement. "Follow me."

As they entered Morgana's room, Prudy sarcastically remarked, "She seems nice." Ciara and Prudy noticed the grim decorations in the room, particularly a portrait of a man with black hair, wearing a nasty scowl. It felt as though he was judging and insulting them.

Beside the man's portrait, there was a picture of seven young men. Prudy and Ciara instantly recognized their smiling faces. They were members of a traveling boy band called Be The Song.

"What did that letter contain?" Prudy asked, curious. "I don't know. My father told me not to open it," Ciara replied. They finished unpacking their things and returned downstairs. "Hunith, dear, I'm going to the castle. The king has summoned me," Gaius informed his wife as he prepared to leave. "Excuse me, I couldn't help but hear that you're going to the castle," Ricky interjected.

"Yes, I am," Gaius confirmed. "Do you want to come with?"

"Yes, I do," Ricky eagerly replied. "Can I come too?" Micky asked. "Yes. What about you, Dickson?" Gaius inquired. They bid farewell to Dicky and left for the castle.

Later in the evening, Mrs. Hampton called for her daughter. "Morgana, Mordecai didn't come home for lunch again today. I need you to take this food box to him," Hunith instructed. "Ugh, why do I have to? He'll come back when he starves," Morgana complained. "Yes, you do," Hunith insisted, handing the food box to Morgana. In a low tone, she added, "Invite them to join you."

Morgana, exasperated, turned to Ciara and Prudy. "Ciara, Prudy, would you two like to come with?" she asked in a bored tone. Prudy pinched Ciara severally in an effort to make her decline but Ciara accepted. “Sure.” She said and shook Prudy off. "Grea-at," Morgana responded with mild enthusiasm.

They made their way to the forge where Mordecai worked. Morgana emerged from the forge, with Mordecai following closely behind. Mordecai had short black hair with bangs that partially covered his forehead. He was taller than Morgana, and they shared the same eyes. He greeted them with a smile. "Oh, new victims, Morgana. Hello, I'm Mordecai," he introduced himself, a playful tone in his voice. "I'd kiss your hands, but as you can see, mine are covered in soot."

"Ha-ha,” Morgana snickered. “She is Ciara, and that's Prudy. Ciara is here for the contest," she said, gesturing towards them. "You look familiar," Mordecai commented, his eyes resting on Prudy. "I get that a lot," Prudy replied nonchalantly. "They're staying with us," Morgana stated, a mischievous smile forming on her face. "There's a triple surprise waiting for you at home. Bye, now." She knew that Mordecai disliked people invading his personal space, so the thought of him dealing with three teenage boys delighted her. Mordecai waved them off with a resigned expression. "Bear with her," he said as they left.

Afterward, they headed to the City square for contestant registration. The line was long, but eventually, Ciara signed her name. On their way back, her magi-slate vibrated. "Yes, Dad," Ciara answered the call. "Yes, we're all fine… Yes, we had a safe journey… Yes… No, the boys went with Gaius to the castle… No, well—“

While speaking, Ciara accidentally bumped into someone. She looked up and was captivated by the young man's appearance. He had golden blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and an attractive presence that made her heart skip a beat. "I'm s-sor-r-ry, mister," Ciara stuttered, scolding herself internally.

"No, it's my fault. I should have paid more attention to where I was..." The young man picked up her bag of groceries and noticed her face. He had a deep monotone voice and his gaze lingered on Ciara until he realized he was staring for too long. Clearing his throat, he spoke, "…To where I was going. Here you go." He handed her the bag, and she returned his book. "Thank you, mister..." Ciara began, her cheeks warming up. "Arcwick. But you can call me Arc," he said, gently kissing her hand.

Ciara felt a mixture of embarrassment and excitement. Just then, her father's voice erupted from the magi-slate. "Hello?! Ciara?! Are you alright?! Is that a man's voice I hear?!" Garrett's gruff voice filled the air. Ciara quickly remembered her magi-slate and picked it up, replying, "Yes, dad, I'll talk to you later." She placed the magi-slate back into her pouch and turned to rejoin Prudy and Morgana. Arc watched her until she blended into the crowd, quietly saying to himself, "Likewise."

"We saw the whole thing. Who was he? Tell us," Prudy exclaimed with excitement. Ciara pretended not to care. "Oh, him. His name is Arc," she replied dismissively, trying to downplay the encounter. "It's not what you think," she added quickly, noticing the teasing looks she received from Prudy. Prudy's eyes widened, a huge smile on her face. "Did you get his goblingram?" she asked eagerly. Ciara defended herself, blushing slightly. "No, of course not. I just met him," she said, brushing off the idea. Attempting to change the subject, Ciara turned to Morgana and asked, "What are you thinking about, Morgana?"

Morgana furrowed her brow, deep in thought. "I think I've heard his name before, but I don't remember where," she said, pondering for a moment before shrugging it off.

At dinner time, the Hamptons' dining table was cramped, with nine people squeezed around a table designed for six. "Mordecai, have you met our new guests?" Gaius asked. "Yes, I've met Ciara and Prudy, but not them," Mordecai gestured toward the Ickies seated beside him. "We haven't met you either, guy that smells like fire," Dicky remarked, sounding offended. "You mean smoke?" Mordecai asked, clarifying. "No, he means fire," Ricky replied. Ciara stepped in, instructing the Ickies, "Introduce yourselves to Mordecai."

"Micky," Ricky said. "Ricky," Dicky said. "Dicky," Micky said. "So, next time, don't—" They imitated his gesturing towards them"—us."

"You got it," Mordecai replied. Morgana couldn't hide her delight, remarking, "They will be staying in your room."

As the conversation shifted, Hunith inquired, "Boys, why don't you tell us about your little visit to the castle?"

Micky eagerly started, "I met Chef Tom in person and his daughter, Emma. She's the most wonderful girl I've ever seen. Her hair was as soft as silk flowers, and her eyes—“

Ricky interrupted, saying, "Okay, enough, lover boy. I had fun inside the castle library. I read a lot of new books and even befriended the castle librarian."

"Dork," Dicky mockingly remarked. "Airhead," Ricky retorted. The banter continued as Micky joined in, and Ciara eventually stepped in to break up the fight, declaring, "Alright, enough."

Micky, eager to share more, added, "On a different note, we saw something weird at the castle."

"Yes, an old portrait of King Richard and his sons. And Nicholas looked a lot like dad." Ricky added. Ciara quickly dismissed the idea, saying, "That is not possible." Gaius, too, dismissed the notion, stating, "Yes, Ciara is right. It is not possible. You boys must have just been mistaken."

With dinner finished, the children cleared the plates and did the dishes. Later, Morgana opened up to Ciara and Prudy, discovering their shared interest in BTS, and they became fast friends that night. Meanwhile, the Ickies annoyed Mordecai with their tales of the day until they all fell asleep. Ciara couldn't shake off the thoughts about what the boys had mentioned during dinner, but she eventually dismissed them and drifted off to sleep.