Knight | Celeste Academy Series BK #1

45th Chapter ♣ Corvan's Cousin

"In Valemnia, your hair and eye color can partially define who you are."

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Chapter Forty-Five ♣ Corvan's Cousin

As they trod down a path while being led by Edeltraud, everything remained quiet save for their noisy footfalls steadily drumming in their ears.

"I must apologize in advance," Laedin told the human girl. "My son will not be able to join us. You and I shall dine alone with a close entourage of mine, Lord Gavin of Arlandia. Perhaps you have heard of him?"

"Not really."

"How odd," he muttered. "Being one of the Twelve, you must've met Lord Corvan, yes?"

"Yeah, what of it?" she mentally told herself it would be hard not to.

"If I'm not wrong, they're supposed to be cousins."

Valeriana froze as her mind screamed at her. "Cousins?"

They stopped and the king worriedly regarded her with his gaze. "Is anything wrong, my dear?"

"Haha," she said, laughing humorlessly. "He never said anything about a cousin. He never talks about anything unrelated to the academy or studying. None of the Twelve do. They keep their private lives private."

"Is that so?"

"Yup. It's kinda hard getting them to talk about something personal since they like to keep to themselves." She then turned her face away and muttered, "I just hope they aren't alike."

"I'm afraid I didn't hear what you last said."

"No . . . uh . . . it's nothing. Just muttering to myself."

"I hope you found my humble abode to your liking," he told her, changing the topic. "This palace has stood for more than three thousand years."

She looked around, examining the grandest details the palace offered. "What exactly is humble about this place? Everything screams SOPHISTICATED. Note that that's printed in bold, capital letters," she remarked, eliciting a laugh from the king.

"Here we are," Edeltraud said and they stopped before two, large, mahogany doors.

Valeriana eyed the symbol carved on the surface and furrowed her brows. Somehow, she had a feeling she saw it somewhere before. She knew it too well to miss it.

The trees of blooming roses and galloping deers and horses . . .

Where had she seen it?

Unconsciously, her fingers brushed the cold metal around her wrists. She brought her head to look at her jewelry, letting her gaze travel to the images portrayed on the surface. With her brows knitting on her forehead, Valeriana contemplated the similarities.

They were the same.

How odd.

She continued to examine her bracelet, trying to spot some differences until she heard the doors groaning as they were pushed open. The noisy creaking of the wood as it turned on its hinges caused Valeriana's attention to snap ahead of her.

She could only gape as the sight of the dining room came to view. Valeriana sucked in a breath and held it in before she found herself running out of air.

"I'll have to ask, Your Majesty," Valeriana said. "What are the symbols on those doors for?"

"Those patterns come with a great tale," King Laedin said. "A story resounded under the heavens about the first creations. There was a tree which bore many fruits and flowers of different kinds. It was the most unique."