13. We're Off!

When I reach the Pegasus Stables, I notice that the same Pegasus I saw days ago is here again. Maevis, that's her name. Her wings are a gorgeous, sparkly color of violet. They remind me of Jax's dazzling eyes.

I pet Maevis, then sit on a bench and wait patiently for the royal Pegasus carriage to arrive. What things will we be doing this week at Royal Manor? I don't know everything that the castle holds. Well, actually there are five castles, one for each princess, and then a fifth one for royal gatherings, balls, meetings, and other things. Maybe Jax will give us a tour.

The royal Pegasus carriage pulls up to the stables. One of the footmen steps out.

"Hello miss, your ride to Royal Manor has arrived." He states. "Allow me to take your bag and place it in the back."

"Oh, thank you!" I say. The footman offers me his hand to help me up into the carriage.

"My pleasure, miss."

I climb into the carriage and take a seat on one of the two golden benches. Wow, this thing is fancy! Way fancier than the pegasus coach that brought me home from FTRS over a month ago. That carriage was nice, but this one looks royal!

We take off. I feel the warm summer breeze blow through my hair. There is a pretty view of the Enchantasia village that I gaze at from my window. Well, it's not technically a window, because this pegasus coach doesn't have a roof.

I see the Enchantasia sea ports ahead of me, bustling with workers, boats, and fishermen. The sight reminds me of the time a few years ago when Jax and I crashed that Royal ball. Oh, such good times. I miss that little blonde rebel.

☆𖣔︎᯽-𝓽𝓲𝓶𝓮 𝓼𝓴𝓲𝓹-᯽𖣔︎☆

Thankfully, the ride to Royal Manor isn't very long. The group of castles comes closer into view, and now it's easy to tell which castle is which. Princess Rose's castle is completely pink and covered in roses. Snow's looks a bit more medieval, or, castle-like. Ella's looks the most royal, similar to the castle in the middle.

My favorite-Raz's-is more modern with her big hair care posters on the walls.

We descend outside of the Royal Manor Pegasus Stables. One of the footmen opens my door and I step out. Then, a bellman lifts open the back of the carriage, grabs my bag, and sets it on a tall gold luggage trolley.

"Your assistant for the week will be here shortly to bring you inside." The bellman says, then walks away with my luggage. I nod. Assistant? Wow, this is fancy! These people are treating me like royalty!

A girl wearing a pine green dress comes up to me.

"Gillian Cobbler?" She asks the coachmen and footmen.

"Yes. And shortly, two more Pegasus Carriages will be arriving, so send Annalyse outside, please."

The girl nods. "Names?" She asks.

"One carriage with the name Ollie Funklehouse, the other with the names Kayla Wingtip and Jocelyn-No last name needed because my sister is the evil queen-Uhhh, I don't see a last name."

The girl laughs. "Interesting. Alright, right this way!" She motions for me to follow her.

"Oh! And then shortly after, a stagecoach will be arriving with a girl named Maxine Hockler-you will show her inside." The coachman adds.

"Ok! Annalyse and I will be back shortly." The girl assures, then we start walking. "You're Gillian, correct?"

"Yes, but you can call me Gilly. What's your name?" I ask.

"I'm Emmerlyn! I work here at Royal Manor as an all-around assistant."

"Nice to meet you, Emmerlyn!" I smile. "How do you like working here and what sorts of jobs do you do?" I ask.

"Oh, I love my job! It pays well and I have made some good friends too. I mainly do small jobs for the princesses and guests, like laundry, picking outfits, polishing tiaras, etcetera. But sometimes, I work in the gardens and courtyards." She says.

"I see! How is your job different from a lady-in-waiting's?" I ask.

"A lady-in-waiting is an individual princess's personal assistant, whereas I, as an all-around assistant, do side jobs for all of the princesses, their guests, and their siblings too, if they are around." Emmerlyn answers.

"Do you have any siblings?" I ask.

"I do, and they actually both work here too. One of my sisters has the same job as I do, and my other sister is Raz's lady-in-waiting/personal assistant."

"Oh, that's cool! It must be nice always having both of your sisters around." I say, thinking about Anna and Trixie.

Emmerlyn seems very nice and also is nicely put together. She has very light brown hair in two braids with pine green bows that match her dress.

"Yeah, it is! So, you must be one of Jax-I mean Prince Jaxon's-friends that he invited for his birthday week?" Emmerlyn asks.

"Yes. And I call him Jax too, so you don't have to say his formal name for me. You must be friends with him too?" I ask.

"Yeah, when I'm not working, I hang out with him because he gets bored without any of you guys here." She laughs. "Jax has a great sense of style. I think he gets it from Rapunzel."

"Yeah, I totally agree." I say. "How old are you?"

"I'm sixteen. Annalyse, my sister who has the same job as me, is eighteen, and Camille, my oldest sister, is twenty." She answers.

I nod. "I'm fifteen, and will be sixteen in about one and a half months." I state.

"Nice! We are quite similar in age, because I just turned sixteen." She says. "My sister Annalyse and I will be the assistants for the girls in your group this week."

"Wow, that's really nice!" I jubilate, and Emmerlyn smiles.

We reach the golden gates of Royal Manor. They are already open, and we pass through them.

I gasp.

"Welcome to Royal Manor!" Emmerlyn exults, and smiles.

"Wow, it looks even more extravagant than the last time I was here, which was a long time ago!" I take in the sight of five towering castles.

"It is! The Royal Manor grounds got renovated a bit last year. A lot more plants have been planted, more sculptures and fountains have been added, and everything looks fancier!" Emmerlyn sounds very enthusiastic. "Come on, let's go to the main castle!"

"Alright, Let's go!" I say. We jog up the shiny, white quartz steps and pass the tall quartz pillars. Two doormen are already waiting for us. They each pull open a huge oak door.

"After you!" Emmerlyn insists.

"Thank you!" I comment, and step inside.