Invited

Chapter 20: Best Friends

Layla picked up the front of her dress, and began running towards Minerva at full speed. Minerva also ran towards Layla as fast as she could, careful not to drop her bags on the way.

The two of them ran right into each other's arms, hugging tightly. They pulled away briefly, which Layla started firing questions at an impossible speed.

"You're here! Why are you here? Who sent you? How long are you staying? Do you need a place to stay? Where are your siblings? Are they coming too? What happened to your hair?!"

Minerva laughed as she listened intently to Layla's questions, finally answering when she was finished. She pulled away to give them more room to talk.

"I'm here to see your Council Selection as a guest. Judah sent me an invite, I assume behind your back. I'll be here for the entire process, and I was hoping I could stay here with you. Unfortunately, my siblings aren't coming. They are all at home in Asclepius." Minerva took a breath between her answer to pull her mid-length hair in front. "My hair got cut, that's what happened. I'm not a noble anymore, so I don't have to keep it long."

Layla touched her own longer hair, feeling it go past the length of Minerva's.

Minerva smiled, "Did I answer all your questions?"

Layla nodded, but she couldn't answer as Summer also came rushing towards the two.

"Minerva!" Summer ran into Minerva, hugging her as well.

"Summer! I've missed you!" Minerva hugged back, still trying her best not to drop her bags.

Summer noticed the bags hanging on Minerva's arms, taking them from her as they parted from the hug. "I'll take them for you. Just like old times."

"Oh, Summer. You don't have to do that. You are Layla's Silver now." Minerva gently placed her hands onto her bags that were now in Summer's hands.

"I insist." Summer shifted the bags away from Minerva, and began to walk back to the men. "Besides, I got demoted. Basilisk is still Layla's main Silver. I'm a Silver for anyone."

Layla and Minerva both followed Summer back. They reached the group with all three men smiling ear to ear at them.

Judah turned to Taka, "You can take a quick break."

Taka closed the book, nodded, and placed it into his bag. He walked away from the group into the main estate, not ever looking back once.

"So how informal do you want us to be?" Basilisk asked Minerva.

"Shouldn't you say formal? I am still an Arcadia." Minerva giggled, while Basilisk brushed off her response.

"Pardon me, M'LADY." He dramatically bowed to Minerva.

"So what's this about sending an invite behind my back, Judah?" Layla placed her hands on her hips and gave the older man a fake pout.

"Surprise?" Judah shrugged, looking at both Basilisk and Saber.

"We were in on it too. I printed and snuck an extra invite to Judah, so that he could write it." Saber added.

Basilisk gave Layla's Minerva's acceptance letter. "I sent out the invite with the rest of the participants, then kept the acceptance letters at my desk, so that you wouldn't see it."

"And you three kept me out of it, why?" It was Summer's turn to place her hands on her hips and pout at the three.

"We forgot to tell you?" Judah shrugged again.

"Isn't it better this way though? You both got a surprise from the three of us." Saber helped Summer with one of the bags in her hands.

"You're right." Summer completely handed over the bag to him.

"So, has everyone in your Selection arrived yet?" Minerva turned to Layla.

"Not yet, I'm still waiting on the eighth seat." Layla answered.

"Who's your eighth seat?"

"Solice Aion."

"Solice Aion?! You mean from Apollo?!"

"That exact one."

The group went silent as Minerva tried to process the story she just heard.

"You mean Rebecca let in Solice Aion, and myself to Vesta?" Minerva asked everyone.

Judah shook his head, "Not exactly. She knows about Solice Aion. You are a secret she would not be happy to know."

"Then, I should hide myself from her!" Minerva laughed, shielding her face from the group in the process.

As they casually conversed between each other, Taka came to the group once more after his break.

"Are you Minerva Arcadia?" He asked Minerva.

"I am." Minerva replied.

"She's not on the list, what should I put her as in the book?" Taka turned to Basilisk, pointing to the book in his hand.

"She's an honored guest of Lady Layla, here to observe the process." Basilisk flipped to the last acceptance letter in his hand. "We are still waiting on the eighth seat."

Taka scribbled down the details given by Basilisk, and returned to his spot to wait for the final guests.

Minerva stepped to the side of Layla and waved to her when Summer and Saber started to move towards the back of the courtyard.

The three went a few steps away from the group when the final car unexpectedly arrived at the gate. They paused and watched as two young men came out of the car to stand by the gate.