Avoid The Lead!

.

With Novia and Lady Garrett out of House Scarlett, Celia could take other steps... the first of which was to systematically kick out any Maids or Servants in Novia or Lady Garrett's circle.

It was a cleansing of sorts, and Celia felt great when it was done.

'Good Riddance!' The last thing she needed were spies in her own home!

Two sunrises later, a strange individual visited the Scarlett household...

"Cece! I trust you, but..." Lord Scarlett was eyeing a greasy elf who sat wolfing down several dishes of food at once. "He is...?"

"Ehehe, Papa don't worry! I want to create a new spell, and he has volunteered as a test subject! Just let him stay in one of the empty rooms... I already made arrangements for his care in my absence!"

Celia smiled, as the servants led the hungry looking man to his new living quarters.

In all her fake lives, she had heard about him while working in the Palace.

The man had been born with a powerful boundary technique, but he had been discarded by his family and society, because that technique was capable of canceling any magic around him.

Starving and driven by desperation, he had wreaked havoc in several places, including the capital, which led to his arrest and execution.

His powers were an anomaly, and it had taken two Grand Mages half a day to finally tire him out and arrest him.

In this life, Celia had sent Butler Gray to quickly find and shelter him, and his signed note was one of the few left in her little tin box.

The man couldn't control his technique, but Celia could, and she could even make it targeted!

She had always admired how fortified the Palace was against magic, but it had taken thousands of years to build, and though there were spells which could fortify a place, they were temporary and limiting...

But with this one elf, every high level technique within the Scarlett Estate had been cancelled the instant he strolled in, and they would remain cancelled till he left....

With the exception of Celia, her father, and a few others of course.

This was enough to fortify the entire Estate, and all Celia had to do was channel his magic, making House Scarlett a safe base for future plans...

.

Meanwhile, amidst the chaos of scandals, Celia nearly forgot all about Grand Mage Soren, and she quickly sent Butler Gray to fetch the Magical Post.

She sighed with relief after scouring through several papers and finding nothing written about him or Elfsworth Academy.

'Taze must have succeeded!' She concluded, and the thought brought a smile to her face and light to her eyes.

She missed Taze, and couldn't wait to see him!

But work began after the New Year and there was still some time before that, so Celia distracted herself by visiting Carla as often as possible, burying her worries under Carla's endless optimism and lighthearted chatter.

And when she wasn't out visiting, she spent the days away with Sara, who was always there, always willing to cheer her up.

Before long, the New Year had arrived, and Celia's stomach had taken on the habit of performing funny tumbles...

'I'll soon see him again!' She floated through the days with joy, although the joy was marred by an unpleasant shadow.

The New Year meant the seventeenth year.

The year Taze always died...

.

.

Two weeks later...

A lavish new year celebration had gone by, and now Lord Scarlett stood with Butler Enis before House Scarlett's grand front doors.

Lord Scarlett looked grand. He looked regal, standing tall and proud...

But a closer look revealed his reddened eyes, filled with unshed tears, as he waved at the departing gold and ivory carriage.

The time had come for Celia to begin work in the Palace, and this was the departure day!

"Come now, My Lord." Butler Enis passed Lord Scarlett a neat silk handkerchief. "You visit the Palace every other day!"

"It's not the Saaaaame!" Lord Scarlett suddenly wailed. "She just returned from school, and I could look forward to seeing her whenever I returned hooooome!"

"There there, my Lord..." Butler Enis hurriedly steered Lord Scarlett back into the house, as Celia suppressed a laugh in the carriage.

She would dearly miss her father, but at the moment, she couldn't help remembering Carla's own wailing, and she concluded that only Carla could match her father's drama!

But Celia drew in a breath as the carriage left the Scarlett Gates, and a little later, she drew in another breath as it approached the Palace.

The Central Elfen Palace of Luxia was more than a Palace...

It was living breathing proof of the beauty, wisdom, and power of the elves, and every stone, leaf, and even drops of water were imbued with pure magic, creating a wonderland.

The first part of the Palace was an ancient forest surrounding it... A forest barred to most individuals, with a spell preventing anyone from teleporting in or out, so it was only accessible on foot, horse, or carriage.

Next came the Palace itself, which towered over all of Blixia (the Capital), its spires and turrets reaching towards the skies, glistening with a silvery sheen day and night. Each tower was decorated with intricate carvings of vines and leaves, and the highest spire was crowned with a massive crystal which glowed with an otherworldly light, visible for miles around.

Celia smiled fondly as the crystal.

In the Original life, she and Taze often flew to the highest spire and sat beneath the gem, basking in its glow and in each other's company...

At the base, the palace walls were built from a rare, luminescent stone that shimmered with green lights, making it blend with the lush greenery and vibrant flora around it. There were enchanted waterfalls here and there, which flowed with sparkling waters, right into the many tranquil ponds and streams that wound throughout the palace.

The scarlett carriage approached the towering gates, which were an intricate weaving of golden vines, and Celia couldn't help but feel tiny, as the gates swung open and the carriage rumbled through a place called the Grand Archway... a wide pathway flanked by gigantic statues of ancient elven kings and queens.

Celia shook her head at the seeming absence of guards... They were present, but hidden by magic, till one made a wrong move!

Next came the grand oak doors, and Celia gave a nervous sigh.

The doors were somehow imposing in this life, as it was the only life she hadn't freely danced in and out of them.

And of course, almost every nineteenth birthday, she would run out of these doors, and die in the ice clearing near the forest...

She shook away the thought as uniformed guards hurried forward to bow and open the doors.

"Announcing the Young Lady Scarlett!" One announced, reading her name from a long list.

"Announcing the East Sea's Princess Larya!" Another called, and Celia turned to see a shimmering sea blue carriage stop near hers.

The carriage was drawn by large magnificent Seahorses, and looked like it was made out of clear water!

'So beautiful!' Celia admitted, the same as she did in every life.

But she never voiced it aloud, because Larya had always been a 'love rival'.

Not this time...

Knowing Vitav, he was likely manipulating the Eastern Merpeople, and Celia personally felt Princess Larya was too good for him.

She might be able to save Larya from a cruel fate...

"Princess Larya!" Celia called, as Butler Gray helped her down from the carriage.

She instantly hurried over to Larya's aquamarine carriage, then she reached out and touched it! It was something she had always wanted to do, and she beamed when her finger passed through!

'It's indeed Water!'

"Your carriage is beautiful!" She said with no small delight.

"I know." Larya stepped down with all the bearing and pride of a powerful princess. She eyed Celia in curiosity, and then eyed the Scarlett carriage.

"Yours.... isn't bad." She said, and with that she turned and walked in.

Celia merely shook her head. The exchange wasn't exactly polite, but it was the most polite Larya had been towards her...

It was a start!

Celia poked the carriage again and giggled.

It wasn't like it was a complex spell, but she couldn't help wondering who held it up, and for how long! Was it left like this all day?! Forever?!! Or was it made each time Larya needed to go out?!

"Ahem!" Butler Gray gave a reminding cough, and Celia turned and hurried inside...

.

The Palace's interior was no less intimidating than its exterior.

Stepping in, Celia took in the sheer magnificence of the Great Hall, a vast chamber which was famous for its splendour, in Luxia and beyond.

The ceiling was high above, with a dome of transparent glass through which the sky could be seen, perpetually enchanted to show the constellations even in daylight. Enormous chandeliers of enchanted crystals and glass hung from the ceiling, each casting a soft, celestial glow throughout the hall.

The walls were lined with grand tapestries that told of stories past, their vivid colors brightening up the room, and the pillars were made of white marble, lined with gold, each bearing a carving of beautiful elves.

'I'm back here again!' Celia thought.

The room was beautifully lit now, but one particular memory was all too clear... The memory of herself stumbling through the completely dark hall to escape from her assailants...

"Miss Scarlett!" The Palace Grand Mage's voice cut into her thoughts, and she looked up to see him hurrying over. "We meet again!"

"Celia Scarlett greets the Palace Grand Ma-." She was sinking into a polite curtsey, but he caught her upper arm.

"Forget all that! Come with me, come with me! I personally requested you! I can't believe I missed out on such a brilliant student! All those years! *Sigh* Well, at least you're here now..."

The man rambled on about how his students were clever, but "not very intuitive!", and by the time Celia and the other new Palace Mages reached the Palace's Magical Center, She was shaking her head.

'Grand Mage Sidian hasn't changed as well!' He was the same, life in and life out!

And just like that, Celia's life as a Palace Mage began...

.