Invitation of the Charm Lord
Note: This takes place just after "Mindless Manhattan Massacre". Also, if anyone could direct me to a site that has some good Saga Frontier fanfics, I'd be grateful. I can't find a thing on those search engines!
"Hold on to my hand. Do not let go."
It was funny how Ildon had commanded her to do that, yet it was he who grabbed onto her hand, Emelia thought to herself. The mystic's hands were icy, even through his velvet glove, but she held onto the hand and prepared herself.
She'd never teleported anywhere in her life, so it was a bit of a shock. One moment, she was just outside the Manhattan Travel Office and then the world began to grow hazy. She saw a couple coming up to the office as things faded. They might have been staring, but she couldn't tell. Her vision had grown so hazy, she couldn't make out their faces.
The haze shifted suddenly. The bright blue and clean white of the Manhattan sky and skyline gave way to a deep, dark purple that surrounded her. She thought she saw some sort of blue light in the corner of her eye. The world came into focus suddenly. At the same time, Ildon's hand suddenly lifted from hers, snatching itself out of her grasp. Her surroundings were as far away from the clean, modern smoothness of Manhattan's structures as anything she could imagine.
She was standing in a large, circular room. Actually, it seemed more like a great, hollowed out cave. Everything around her was cast in stone and crystal. Shadowed alcoves lay in wait all around the room behind numerous arches of smoothed stone. The place was lit not by electricity or fire, but by delicately cut crystals resting atop poles. Most were shaped like roses. Staring at a blue crystal, Emelia saw a strange, powerful light glimmering at the center. The light expanded and receeded as evenly as she took her breath. As it did so, it shifted colors: blue to green and back again. She felt that it could have burnt a hole through her eyes if she stared for too long.
"Where are we?" Emelia said, shaking her eyes from the crystal. She looked at the floor. A mosaic of tiles covered the stone ground, forming a grand picture of a rose. It might have looked pretty if someone had bothered to give the floor a good cleaning and polishing. As it was, it looked like the floor hadn't seen a mop in ages.
"Facinaturu," Ildon replied, straightening his glove.
"Realm of the Mystics?" Emelia asked.
"No, the *other* Facinaturu."
Emelia cocked an eyebrow. She'd never known Ildon to have a sense of sarcasm, but she hadn't known him long. She kept looking around the room, not sure what she had gotten herself into. She was in a realm she never thought existed, talking to a being most people thought only existed in fairy tales. Up to only a few months ago, Emelia had thought that mystics were just creatures that old, superstitious people believed in. And here she was in Facinaturu, the mystics' fabled, timeless realm, invited to a party by Charm Lord Asellus, someone she hadn't seen in months. In fact, Emelia didn't even know that Asellus was lord of anything until a few minutes ago when she was talking to Ildon outside the Manhattan Travel Office.
Well, better here than back in Manhattan, Emelia guessed. There was nothing but trouble waiting back there. But she couldn't shake the feeling that she might have been better off staying in Manhattan. Acting on instinct, she fingered the barrels of her twin Aguni-CP1s she kept with her. Still warm from helping her escape that trouble in Manhattan. Life could take some strange and sudden turns.
Emelia shrugged to herself. If life had taught her anything, it was that there wasn't much she could do except roll with the punches thrown her way. "So where's the party?"
"Not yet. Lord Asellus is still gathering her guests."
"So where is 'Lord' Asellus?"
"Right here."
Emelia turned to the voice. Asellus stepped from one of the shadowed alcoves, as if she had materialized from the darkness itself. She looked different from the last time they'd met. She was dressed much more elaborately than before. Her simple, but elegant purple dress had been given up in favor of a blooming gown of the same color that made her look like a giant, graceful flower. All sorts of jewelry hung from her head and body: necklaces; earrings; small, precious gems and stones sewn onto her gown. All the trinkets caught the crystal light with each step she took. She twinkled with every movement.
Her hair, once neat, simple, and neck length, was tied back into a tight green bun. She also seemed a bit paler than last time. But it was her face that set her apart the most. She looked so confident and sure of herself, but also a little cold. She moved with a calm and easy grace that seemed natural for her. She just about floated across the floor as she approached.
The last time they had met, Asellus was an alert and nervous girl, constantly on edge. Her only source of comfort seemed to be her travelling companion, White Rose. Small wonder, since they were constantly under threat of attack by other mystics sent after them. Emelia didn't know the full story behind why that was so, but she did help them fend off two of their attackers: the mighty Princess Lion and the dangerous Ciato. And from what she had heard, there were several others who came before them. It had to have been a tough life, on the run, never knowing that with your next step, a shadowy form might materialize in front of you, ready to take your life.
Then again, Emelia could relate. She never knew when the Joker was going to cross her path back then. He haunted her life for far too long. But now he was gone and now it looked like Asellus didn't have to worry about mystics coming after her. Guess they shared a few things in common.
Asellus held out her arms and they embraced. Emelia stiffened when she felt the coldness of Asellus's body. She never thought she'd ever felt a body so cold in her life. It chilled her and she shivered even as she patted Asellus on the back. They let go, much to Emelia's relief.
Asellus didn't seem to notice any of this. She stepped back and smiled, her eyes focused into hers. Her gaze was confident, self-assured, even a little sinister. She looked as if she knew a secret that Emelia should have been in on.
"I'm so glad you could make it, Emelia. But what happened to you?" she asked. "You're a mess." She eyed Ildon for a moment.
Emelia shrugged and straightened out her long, blonde hair and patted off the dust from her dress. "Ran into a little trouble before Ildon picked me up."
"Ah." Asellus spun around, gazing at something along the walls. She started to pace around her, taking in her form from all angles. Emelia guessed she liked what she saw. That smile was still there.
Emelia craned her neck as Asellus circled around her, starting to wonder if she'd just made the biggest and final mistake of her life in coming here. "So...those problems you were having last time we met. That...turn out well?"
"Oh, yes. Very much so." Asellus finished her circle and focused her eyes into hers once again. "And you? Still playing secret agent?"
"That's behind me." Emelia said, setting her face. She hadn't revealed too much of herself to Asellus in the time they'd known each other. She never did tell Asellus just how she came to work for Gradius, never told her about Ren or the Joker or her time in Despair Prison. Mainly, she just tagged along on Asellus's journey, helping her along, letting herself get sidetracked from her duties in Gradius. But now it was all behind her thanks to a single bullet through the Joker's face.
Asellus nodded. "That's good." She paused and licked her lips. "Listen. I must greet some of the other guests. We'll catch up later at the party. Ildon, go get her some decent clothes." With that, she faded from sight. Even as she disappeared, she still had that creepy smile on her lips.
All through the conversation, Ildon had been standing stiffly, staring straight ahead, as if he had nothing better to do than wait for his next command. "Come."
It was a simple command and Emelia followed, all the while taking in the sights this place had to offer. Everything around her was stone, crystal, and roses. While there were a great deal of crystals lighting the cavernous rooms, there never seemed to be enough light in this place. It wasn't until she stepped out past the great, vine and rose ensnared iron gates of the front that she realized that she had been inside Chateau Aiguille.
It also wasn't until she stepped out that she saw the sky. It was a deep, rich purple, with waves rippling through the heavy, colored clouds. It certainly wasn't a skyline she'd ever seen before. She couldn't see any sign of a sun, a moon, anything that could have served as a source of light besides the sky itself.
The town that waited below was tiny, pathetic compared to the great expanses inside the Chateau. The whole town could actually fit into some of the larger halls of Aiguille. Ildon stepped through one of the buildings.
The man inside was dressed in a finely tailored suit, he looked more like a whipped slave when he laid eyes on Ildon. He sprang up from his counter and strode towards the mystic, asking in a nervous voice, "Yes? What may my humble self do for you, noble mystic?"
"Get this woman a dress. She is an honored guest of Lord Asellus." Emelia was pretty sure that last part was a warning.
"L - Lord Asellus?!" The tailor had to compose himself. "Of course, sir. Miss, step this way."
They went upstairs to a dressing room with screens, mirrors, and a large number of fine looking suits and dresses. Emelia tried on a variety of dresses, all of them more finely made than anything she'd seen in a mall. The tailor eyed the twin guns she kept with her curiously, but went about his business as if it were nothing. He didn't dare touch them or ask her to put them away.
Most of the outfits were white and reminded her of the wedding dress she had picked out the day before her life had been turned upside down. She stared wistfully into the mirror as she put them on, wondering how life could have turned out for her if things had gone differently. If Ren wasn't dead, if the Joker never existed, if she hadn't gone to prison, if, if, if.
She cast away the dress she was holding with a smack of disgust. She thought she'd left those painful memories behind. Obviously not.
The tailor was clearly alarmed as he went to scoop up the discarded dresses. "Perhaps something else? I did not meant to insult you so." Emelia rolled her eyes. How much groveling could this guy do? Still, the man did know his job. All the dresses he offered were the very best. But it irritated her how he was trying too hard. He wouldn't even meet her eyes. She didn't know why he was so afraid of her.
"Is this all to your liking? Is this all to Lord Asellus's liking?"
Emelia stared into the mirror, not hearing the man. The dress she had on now was pure white and pleated, blooming out only slightly, unlike Asellus's attire. Simple, pretty, maybe a little old fashioned, something her mother might have worn. Just the way she liked it. "This will do."
It was the least elaborate of all the outfits offered and the tailor was a little alarmed. "Are - are you sure? Would Lord Asellus be pleased with this?"
"What does that matter?" Emelia asked. "I'm the one who's gotta wear it."
The tailor lowered his eyes and bent his knees, bowing slightly. "Of course. F - f -forgive me."
Emelia stepped downstairs and saw Ildon still standing at attention, looking exactly as he had when she had gone upstairs. He angled his head slightly. "Not bad." He nodded. "Back to the castle."
Outside, they immediately headed back for Chateau Aiguille. Emelia hurried to match Ildon's quick pace. "What was that all about?" she asked.
"Hmm?"
"That tailor. He was terrified of me."
"He ought to be. I told him you were Lord Asellus's guest."
"What's that got to do with anything?"
"Displeasing the Charm Lord is a serious offense." Ildon set his hand straight and ran it across his throat. "This would be a blessing compared to what awaits that tailor if Lord Asellus is displeased."
"You're kidding."
Ildon stopped in his tracks and stared directly into Emelia's eyes. "I do not kid." He resumed his stride.
"Wait. Why would she be displeased with anything? I'm the one who wears this dress."
"But it is Lord Asellus who must look upon it. If she thinks her guest has gotten anything less than the best, I pity that tailor."
"I had no idea. Is she like this for all her guests?"
"No. Just you."
"Oh?"
"People here already know about you, the Lord's 'good and dear friend'. Everyone's been whispering about you, speculating who you are, what you do, what your relation to Lord Asellus is."
It was Emelia's turn to pause. Good and dear friend? Granted, she liked Asellus, but the truth was, they hadn't known each other for very long. "I had no idea. Word must really get around."
"It's like wildfire here. I think this started when Lord Asellus mentioned you to Princess Gina and some lowly court mystic happened to be around. Now you're literally the talk of the town."
Princess Gina? Who's that? "Oh. I didn't know you people gossiped so much."
"I believe the others prefer to call it rumor trading. But yes, you're right. There's little entertainment for mystic or human in Facinaturu, aside from talking about one another out of earshot. No little thing goes unnoticed around here."
They were now at the castle gates, which lifted with a great rattle. But before they did, Emelia thought she heard someone laughing softly behind her. She turned around as the gates lifted up, but saw nothing. She looked around longer, positive she had heard something. The gates were all the way up now and she backed towards the castle, still staring off into the space where she believed the laughter came from. Finally, she turned around.
"Here we go again," that faint voice whispered.
Ildon must have heard it, too, as he whirled about, his left hand suddenly aglow with purple light. Crackling, dark purple energy suddenly sprang from his clenched fist, forming itself into a blade of pure energy that looked as sharp as the finest sword. Seeing Ildon take up arms, Emelia immediately drew her twin pistols, looking for the source of the voice. Ildon stepped forward, passing Emelia, and thrusted out his free hand, blocking her way.
"Put your weapons away. Get back into the castle," Ildon commanded, his back still turned to her.
Emelia took a few cautious steps backwards and looked behind her to see if it was safe. She stepped beyond the castle gates when the blade that came from Ildon's hand suddenly retracted and flickered out. He turned around. "I don't think we're in danger."
"Are you sure? What was that about?"
"I'm not sure, but I have an idea. Just a child playing a prank, that's all."
"What do you mean by. . ." Emelia's question was suddenly cut off by a great ring that echoed throughout the castle. It sounded like a champagne glass had been struck. A really big one.
"The party's about to start. Come."
Note: This takes place just after "Mindless Manhattan Massacre". Also, if anyone could direct me to a site that has some good Saga Frontier fanfics, I'd be grateful. I can't find a thing on those search engines!
"Hold on to my hand. Do not let go."
It was funny how Ildon had commanded her to do that, yet it was he who grabbed onto her hand, Emelia thought to herself. The mystic's hands were icy, even through his velvet glove, but she held onto the hand and prepared herself.
She'd never teleported anywhere in her life, so it was a bit of a shock. One moment, she was just outside the Manhattan Travel Office and then the world began to grow hazy. She saw a couple coming up to the office as things faded. They might have been staring, but she couldn't tell. Her vision had grown so hazy, she couldn't make out their faces.
The haze shifted suddenly. The bright blue and clean white of the Manhattan sky and skyline gave way to a deep, dark purple that surrounded her. She thought she saw some sort of blue light in the corner of her eye. The world came into focus suddenly. At the same time, Ildon's hand suddenly lifted from hers, snatching itself out of her grasp. Her surroundings were as far away from the clean, modern smoothness of Manhattan's structures as anything she could imagine.
She was standing in a large, circular room. Actually, it seemed more like a great, hollowed out cave. Everything around her was cast in stone and crystal. Shadowed alcoves lay in wait all around the room behind numerous arches of smoothed stone. The place was lit not by electricity or fire, but by delicately cut crystals resting atop poles. Most were shaped like roses. Staring at a blue crystal, Emelia saw a strange, powerful light glimmering at the center. The light expanded and receeded as evenly as she took her breath. As it did so, it shifted colors: blue to green and back again. She felt that it could have burnt a hole through her eyes if she stared for too long.
"Where are we?" Emelia said, shaking her eyes from the crystal. She looked at the floor. A mosaic of tiles covered the stone ground, forming a grand picture of a rose. It might have looked pretty if someone had bothered to give the floor a good cleaning and polishing. As it was, it looked like the floor hadn't seen a mop in ages.
"Facinaturu," Ildon replied, straightening his glove.
"Realm of the Mystics?" Emelia asked.
"No, the *other* Facinaturu."
Emelia cocked an eyebrow. She'd never known Ildon to have a sense of sarcasm, but she hadn't known him long. She kept looking around the room, not sure what she had gotten herself into. She was in a realm she never thought existed, talking to a being most people thought only existed in fairy tales. Up to only a few months ago, Emelia had thought that mystics were just creatures that old, superstitious people believed in. And here she was in Facinaturu, the mystics' fabled, timeless realm, invited to a party by Charm Lord Asellus, someone she hadn't seen in months. In fact, Emelia didn't even know that Asellus was lord of anything until a few minutes ago when she was talking to Ildon outside the Manhattan Travel Office.
Well, better here than back in Manhattan, Emelia guessed. There was nothing but trouble waiting back there. But she couldn't shake the feeling that she might have been better off staying in Manhattan. Acting on instinct, she fingered the barrels of her twin Aguni-CP1s she kept with her. Still warm from helping her escape that trouble in Manhattan. Life could take some strange and sudden turns.
Emelia shrugged to herself. If life had taught her anything, it was that there wasn't much she could do except roll with the punches thrown her way. "So where's the party?"
"Not yet. Lord Asellus is still gathering her guests."
"So where is 'Lord' Asellus?"
"Right here."
Emelia turned to the voice. Asellus stepped from one of the shadowed alcoves, as if she had materialized from the darkness itself. She looked different from the last time they'd met. She was dressed much more elaborately than before. Her simple, but elegant purple dress had been given up in favor of a blooming gown of the same color that made her look like a giant, graceful flower. All sorts of jewelry hung from her head and body: necklaces; earrings; small, precious gems and stones sewn onto her gown. All the trinkets caught the crystal light with each step she took. She twinkled with every movement.
Her hair, once neat, simple, and neck length, was tied back into a tight green bun. She also seemed a bit paler than last time. But it was her face that set her apart the most. She looked so confident and sure of herself, but also a little cold. She moved with a calm and easy grace that seemed natural for her. She just about floated across the floor as she approached.
The last time they had met, Asellus was an alert and nervous girl, constantly on edge. Her only source of comfort seemed to be her travelling companion, White Rose. Small wonder, since they were constantly under threat of attack by other mystics sent after them. Emelia didn't know the full story behind why that was so, but she did help them fend off two of their attackers: the mighty Princess Lion and the dangerous Ciato. And from what she had heard, there were several others who came before them. It had to have been a tough life, on the run, never knowing that with your next step, a shadowy form might materialize in front of you, ready to take your life.
Then again, Emelia could relate. She never knew when the Joker was going to cross her path back then. He haunted her life for far too long. But now he was gone and now it looked like Asellus didn't have to worry about mystics coming after her. Guess they shared a few things in common.
Asellus held out her arms and they embraced. Emelia stiffened when she felt the coldness of Asellus's body. She never thought she'd ever felt a body so cold in her life. It chilled her and she shivered even as she patted Asellus on the back. They let go, much to Emelia's relief.
Asellus didn't seem to notice any of this. She stepped back and smiled, her eyes focused into hers. Her gaze was confident, self-assured, even a little sinister. She looked as if she knew a secret that Emelia should have been in on.
"I'm so glad you could make it, Emelia. But what happened to you?" she asked. "You're a mess." She eyed Ildon for a moment.
Emelia shrugged and straightened out her long, blonde hair and patted off the dust from her dress. "Ran into a little trouble before Ildon picked me up."
"Ah." Asellus spun around, gazing at something along the walls. She started to pace around her, taking in her form from all angles. Emelia guessed she liked what she saw. That smile was still there.
Emelia craned her neck as Asellus circled around her, starting to wonder if she'd just made the biggest and final mistake of her life in coming here. "So...those problems you were having last time we met. That...turn out well?"
"Oh, yes. Very much so." Asellus finished her circle and focused her eyes into hers once again. "And you? Still playing secret agent?"
"That's behind me." Emelia said, setting her face. She hadn't revealed too much of herself to Asellus in the time they'd known each other. She never did tell Asellus just how she came to work for Gradius, never told her about Ren or the Joker or her time in Despair Prison. Mainly, she just tagged along on Asellus's journey, helping her along, letting herself get sidetracked from her duties in Gradius. But now it was all behind her thanks to a single bullet through the Joker's face.
Asellus nodded. "That's good." She paused and licked her lips. "Listen. I must greet some of the other guests. We'll catch up later at the party. Ildon, go get her some decent clothes." With that, she faded from sight. Even as she disappeared, she still had that creepy smile on her lips.
All through the conversation, Ildon had been standing stiffly, staring straight ahead, as if he had nothing better to do than wait for his next command. "Come."
It was a simple command and Emelia followed, all the while taking in the sights this place had to offer. Everything around her was stone, crystal, and roses. While there were a great deal of crystals lighting the cavernous rooms, there never seemed to be enough light in this place. It wasn't until she stepped out past the great, vine and rose ensnared iron gates of the front that she realized that she had been inside Chateau Aiguille.
It also wasn't until she stepped out that she saw the sky. It was a deep, rich purple, with waves rippling through the heavy, colored clouds. It certainly wasn't a skyline she'd ever seen before. She couldn't see any sign of a sun, a moon, anything that could have served as a source of light besides the sky itself.
The town that waited below was tiny, pathetic compared to the great expanses inside the Chateau. The whole town could actually fit into some of the larger halls of Aiguille. Ildon stepped through one of the buildings.
The man inside was dressed in a finely tailored suit, he looked more like a whipped slave when he laid eyes on Ildon. He sprang up from his counter and strode towards the mystic, asking in a nervous voice, "Yes? What may my humble self do for you, noble mystic?"
"Get this woman a dress. She is an honored guest of Lord Asellus." Emelia was pretty sure that last part was a warning.
"L - Lord Asellus?!" The tailor had to compose himself. "Of course, sir. Miss, step this way."
They went upstairs to a dressing room with screens, mirrors, and a large number of fine looking suits and dresses. Emelia tried on a variety of dresses, all of them more finely made than anything she'd seen in a mall. The tailor eyed the twin guns she kept with her curiously, but went about his business as if it were nothing. He didn't dare touch them or ask her to put them away.
Most of the outfits were white and reminded her of the wedding dress she had picked out the day before her life had been turned upside down. She stared wistfully into the mirror as she put them on, wondering how life could have turned out for her if things had gone differently. If Ren wasn't dead, if the Joker never existed, if she hadn't gone to prison, if, if, if.
She cast away the dress she was holding with a smack of disgust. She thought she'd left those painful memories behind. Obviously not.
The tailor was clearly alarmed as he went to scoop up the discarded dresses. "Perhaps something else? I did not meant to insult you so." Emelia rolled her eyes. How much groveling could this guy do? Still, the man did know his job. All the dresses he offered were the very best. But it irritated her how he was trying too hard. He wouldn't even meet her eyes. She didn't know why he was so afraid of her.
"Is this all to your liking? Is this all to Lord Asellus's liking?"
Emelia stared into the mirror, not hearing the man. The dress she had on now was pure white and pleated, blooming out only slightly, unlike Asellus's attire. Simple, pretty, maybe a little old fashioned, something her mother might have worn. Just the way she liked it. "This will do."
It was the least elaborate of all the outfits offered and the tailor was a little alarmed. "Are - are you sure? Would Lord Asellus be pleased with this?"
"What does that matter?" Emelia asked. "I'm the one who's gotta wear it."
The tailor lowered his eyes and bent his knees, bowing slightly. "Of course. F - f -forgive me."
Emelia stepped downstairs and saw Ildon still standing at attention, looking exactly as he had when she had gone upstairs. He angled his head slightly. "Not bad." He nodded. "Back to the castle."
Outside, they immediately headed back for Chateau Aiguille. Emelia hurried to match Ildon's quick pace. "What was that all about?" she asked.
"Hmm?"
"That tailor. He was terrified of me."
"He ought to be. I told him you were Lord Asellus's guest."
"What's that got to do with anything?"
"Displeasing the Charm Lord is a serious offense." Ildon set his hand straight and ran it across his throat. "This would be a blessing compared to what awaits that tailor if Lord Asellus is displeased."
"You're kidding."
Ildon stopped in his tracks and stared directly into Emelia's eyes. "I do not kid." He resumed his stride.
"Wait. Why would she be displeased with anything? I'm the one who wears this dress."
"But it is Lord Asellus who must look upon it. If she thinks her guest has gotten anything less than the best, I pity that tailor."
"I had no idea. Is she like this for all her guests?"
"No. Just you."
"Oh?"
"People here already know about you, the Lord's 'good and dear friend'. Everyone's been whispering about you, speculating who you are, what you do, what your relation to Lord Asellus is."
It was Emelia's turn to pause. Good and dear friend? Granted, she liked Asellus, but the truth was, they hadn't known each other for very long. "I had no idea. Word must really get around."
"It's like wildfire here. I think this started when Lord Asellus mentioned you to Princess Gina and some lowly court mystic happened to be around. Now you're literally the talk of the town."
Princess Gina? Who's that? "Oh. I didn't know you people gossiped so much."
"I believe the others prefer to call it rumor trading. But yes, you're right. There's little entertainment for mystic or human in Facinaturu, aside from talking about one another out of earshot. No little thing goes unnoticed around here."
They were now at the castle gates, which lifted with a great rattle. But before they did, Emelia thought she heard someone laughing softly behind her. She turned around as the gates lifted up, but saw nothing. She looked around longer, positive she had heard something. The gates were all the way up now and she backed towards the castle, still staring off into the space where she believed the laughter came from. Finally, she turned around.
"Here we go again," that faint voice whispered.
Ildon must have heard it, too, as he whirled about, his left hand suddenly aglow with purple light. Crackling, dark purple energy suddenly sprang from his clenched fist, forming itself into a blade of pure energy that looked as sharp as the finest sword. Seeing Ildon take up arms, Emelia immediately drew her twin pistols, looking for the source of the voice. Ildon stepped forward, passing Emelia, and thrusted out his free hand, blocking her way.
"Put your weapons away. Get back into the castle," Ildon commanded, his back still turned to her.
Emelia took a few cautious steps backwards and looked behind her to see if it was safe. She stepped beyond the castle gates when the blade that came from Ildon's hand suddenly retracted and flickered out. He turned around. "I don't think we're in danger."
"Are you sure? What was that about?"
"I'm not sure, but I have an idea. Just a child playing a prank, that's all."
"What do you mean by. . ." Emelia's question was suddenly cut off by a great ring that echoed throughout the castle. It sounded like a champagne glass had been struck. A really big one.
"The party's about to start. Come."
