"Ms. Kaden I'm Keneely, Mazaki is super busy so he allowed me to take over. If you will follow me I'll show you to your kitchens."
"Wait, kitchens as in more than one?"
"Yes, there are three kitchens I can offer you. Also while they're not professionals at all. I managed to find 8 people with baking experience willing to help. I can get a wagon to take you into town for ingredients. If they don't have what you need or are sold out. I can easily open a portal to a new town."
Reinette was shocked, "You, you did all that?"
"Is that a problem, Miss?"
"No, just not what I was expecting." She thought she'd have to make space in a corner of one of the kitchens while they cooked and likely had a second oven she could bake a few cookies in one and maybe one cake in another. She never expected three kitchens just for her. Plus with the snow storm, the ball and everything she wasn't sure how much the local shops would have in order for her to be able to bake much. But if he could really open a portal somewhere else then they could easily go to multiple places to get supplies if necessary. Although she herself had never tried to see if she could do magic. She knew several people she met in college that could and did practice regularly. Some even used magic to do several other baking tasks. Even if it took longer she preferred to do things by hand.
In the end Keneely had to recruit some guards to escort them through a portal by wagon to collect more ingredients. Thankfully they only needed one store that had everything Reinette needed and wanted and more.
z-z-z-z-z-z-z-z
After he was done with Reinette, Keneely went to Natalia's place.
Natalia answered the door, "Yes, can I help you?"
"My name is Keneely, ma'am. The king sent me here to get you ready."
Natalia was surprised, "I've never seen you around."
Keneely nodded, "I am always around and available when my king needs me. But between Master Atemu and Mazaki he very rarely calls upon me. But with this year's ball being such a grand affair Mazaki is overwhelmed. So it's finally my time to shine. Shall we go?"
"I don't know if I still want to go. I've looked around at all the local shops and I never found anything I felt was right or good enough for a formal ball."
Keneely smiled and held out his hand, "Please, trust me. Where we're going I'm sure you will find something and you will be the bell of the ball."
Natalia sighed, "I told you there was nothing in the local shops."
"I can take you through a portal to somewhere special and you will find something I'm sure."
"A portal? Like magic? No thanks, I'd rather not go." Then before he could respond she shut the door.
Keenly sighed and opened a portal outside Seto's office and knocked, "Enter."
"Um, sir I have bad news."
Seto raised an eyebrow, "What's the problem?"
"Your girlfriend said she didn't find anything in the local shops. She started looking soon after you called and before I met with her. I offered to open a portal and…"
"Portal?" Seto questioned. "You can do magic?"
"I…uh…sorry. I thought you knew by now." He thought for sure when Mazaki caught him last year that he'd have ratted him out. They could never seem to get along for some reason.
"No, I didn't."
"Mazaki caught me opening a portal to visit my girlfriend and confronted me on it last year."
"Mazaki never said anything." That annoyed Seto that Mazaki had learned about this and failed to mention it.
Keneely was surprised, "I apologize, I assumed he told you."
'I wonder, why didn't he tell? He definitely didn't tell Master Atemu. If he did. He'd have been by my side with questions and then magic questions before I knew what hit me. No way Master Atemu knows. A skilled magic user and he's not here asking for advice or help. No chance.'
"When did you start learning?" Seto questioned, thinking it was at or about the same time as Yami and his learning inspired Keneely.
Keneely wasn't sure how Seto was going to take this, "I didn't. I've been doing magic practically since the day I was born. My parents and extended family are from the Star Kingdom. We are born with magic. I was told growing up that few people ever have to actually learn how to do magic. You learn how to do things with magic in school. Well I didn't, as I went to school in this kingdom where magic isn't taught. I had to learn at home from my parents and from books.
For some reason my parents cut contact with their families and moved here. I was their only child and was born and raised in this kingdom. Since this is mostly a non magic kingdom they trained me in magic and taught me to keep it hidden. They passed away a few years ago and I don't know any relatives so I can't ask. I didn't want to hide it, but knowing how much you don't like magic I just never used it except to be in the shadows more when you were in public meetings or I felt I might be useful. But, I swear on my life, I have never done anything like spy on you or anyone in private. I only ever wanted to be useful!"
Seto didn't know why but for some reason he actually believed him. He probably would have dismissed Keneely a long time ago and banned him from the kingdom if he'd known he was a magic user. But now that he's more used to magic because of Yami, he's willing to let it slide. "Fine, I believe you."
"You do?" Keneely asked, surprised.
"You've never given me a reason not to trust what you say is true. For now don't tell Yami and be more careful about using magic. After New Years I'll consider telling him."
"Yes sir, thank you!" Keneely said extremely happy Seto didn't just dismiss him then and there. He didn't know or care why.
"Find Mai and Isis and see if one or both are willing to travel by portal with you and try to convince Natalia to go with them. Tell them that they will be permitted to buy themselves what they need and may attend the ball. Stop by Grażyna the accountant first let him know what you're doing. Let him decide about how much money he thinks you will need but that you may need more."
"Yes, sir. But what about the card, sir? We usually just use it."
Seto shook his head, "That's for the local townspeople. You are talking about another kingdom. They wouldn't accept the card as it means longer to get paid. Some might even refuse the card as they wouldn't trust we'd pay. They know their kingdom isn't going to start a war over a couple of unpaid dresses. Even with this currency they may still send you to the local bank to swap it out."
"Yes sir." With that Keneely left and had some not so pleasant conversations with Grażyna over money.
"Grażyna, how are you?"
"What do you want, Keneely? Where's Mazaki? He usually does everything."
"You forget the king is hosting an important ball today. Mazaki is super busy."
"Yeah, yeah all balls are important."
"This is the first year that the Star Kingdom or the kingdom of Kamilah or Leyva's queen will be attending. Plus the king and Master Atemu will want to show off the kids. The king wants to make it extra special. That's why he asked me to take his girlfriend to get her a dress, hair and makeup done. But she doesn't like anything in this kingdom. So I'm taking her to Parie to shop."
"The king has been overspending a lot since that kid came. Master Atemu was always an overspender on those useless antiques. Then he goes and gets a kid. Now the king wants to send his girlfriend to Parie to get a dress? How are you getting to this other kingdom and back in time?"
"I have connections with a magic user and the king has approved of it." Seeing as Seto said to be careful about using magic. He assumed that meant not telling anyone. He only told about Parie because he knew Grażyna would want receipts for everything purchased. He would have blown a gasket if he hadn't told him ahead of time. Then he would have threatened to tell the king and the king would be angry. Then he'd have gotten in trouble for not informing Grażyna ahead of time where he was planning to go.
"At least the king made a deal with the shop owner Yuranzo to sell back a lot of the antiques and allow Master Atemu to keep going without overspending anymore."
Grażyna sighed, "I'm very grateful he did that. Now with that deal in place Master Atemu rarely spends more than what was sold. Only once every three months or so he'll get out of control and overspend. Here take this. It should be more than enough." handing Keneely an envelope of money.
"Will this be enough for the king and Master Atemu's maids Mai and Isis to get what they want as well?"
"Why are we paying for them?"
"The king's girlfriend refused to go with me to look for a dress, saying she already looked and didn't find anything. I offered her to come with me and take her by portal, she not only refused she slammed the door in my face. She only knows Mazaki." He intentionally left out the part about him opening a portal. "The king told me to offer to get Mai and Isis to go and hopefully convince his girlfriend. I'll get the magic user to open a portal and we'll head out."
"Who's this magic user? Don't tell me it's Yugi or is the king trusting the Star Kingdom?"
"I'm not at liberty to tell you that." Although that gave Keneely an idea.
"Fine, here. Come back if you need more."