Tales of Centellia

The Banquet

As I twisted the polished silver doorknob I looked around to make sure that no one else was nearby. I wasn't fond of being dressed by others and because of my high status in this castle, I knew that a servant would be obligated to help me. In my clan, I could easily refuse, but I wasn't sure how the other Jade would respond in this situation. I knew that our spirits were the same, but based off of the vision I had I got the feeling that we acted differently.

I remembered the wild mane of hair that I had at the time and how flamboyant his clothing choices were, especially since he was off at battle the first time I got to actually look through his eyes. This boy was raised as royalty and I was some nobody who managed to rise up in the ranks through years of hard work. It was likely that our mannerisms and personalities wouldn't match up at all. At this banquet, I would have to watch my tongue and be observant of the people that surrounded me.

The bedroom I entered was beautifully furnished, almost gaudily so. The colors that were most prominent in the chamber were rich red and golds. I preferred simplicity, but the way this room was decorated allowed me to figure out what my past self was like. A woven tapestry hung proudly on the wall, it was in a place that he would be able to view it as soon as he woke up for the day. The bright colors made this art piece eye catching and I decided to study the tapestry for a bit. The design was very intricate and I knew it must have taken hundreds of hours to complete. It was what I assumed to be the Centellian family crest. The shield was split up into four pieces each symbolic of something I didn't understand.

The vision that I believed Haku had shown me frustrated me even more than not knowing anything. The little bits and pieces of information I knew weren't helping me at all. At most all, I found out from the dream is that in the past I was too careless and powerless to prevent my own death, and a terrible war broke out in Centellia when I was gone. He's probably trying to turn me into a paranoid wreck. No, he definitely is doing it on purpose. He only sent me back here for his own sick entertainment, not to help me complete my goals. Although I knew this I was somewhat thankful to get this opportunity.

I decided that I needed to try and get through this life one minute at a time. I would have to stay on my toes and pick up information little by little. I grabbed the clothing that was laid out for me on the bed and started to disrobe. The clothing I had on now would stick out too much in this place, I would get rid of it as soon as I got the chance. I put on the matching midnight blue tunic, trousers, and leggings. The last thing I put on was the cloak. It had gold woven into the fabric and an embroidered coat of arms on the back, the inside was lined with thick white fur. As soon as I finished I heard three taps on my door.

"Prince Jade all of the guests are waiting for you to make an appearance." The soft voice coming from the other side of the door had a hint of forced politeness in it. I opened the door and examined the man who stood in front of me. He kept his head down, thin white hair covered his face but his piercing cobalt blue eyes were somewhat visible. His energy felt too pure to be a human's but there was also a heavy, melancholy air surrounding him. I was immediately intrigued by him, but I could imagine his body crumpling up like paper and drifting away if I asked the wrong thing.

"Ah, thank you..." I wracked my brain for what his name might be, but it wasn't coming to me anytime soon.

"Forgive me if I'm incorrect, but you seem to be stuck on what my name is. It's Noel. I had another name before this, but when I started my new life at the castle I took this one. Of course, there are hundreds of servants here. Just ask the questions you need and any of us will be happy to help." He bowed to me. His tone showed that he had a massive amount of respect for the man I used to be.

"Noel." I repeated the name to show my understanding. I had taken an instant liking to this man. Unlike Carl, I knew that he already trusted me. This might make things a little easier. "Escort me to the grand hall."