Tales Of Romance At The Guesthouse

"I can't do what you want me to do, Father said I should go to his friend's manor and run an errand for him," she said, nonchalantly.

"You are good for nothing, You won't go to the Carnival and you still won't help those who want to go, Lollina, you really love making yourself useless, don't you?" The woman in front of her said, fiercely. Her coiled hair moves to and fro, sometimes getting in the way of her brown eyes and red lips.

Yes, her name is Lollina, she is the only daughter of her mother, the third daughter and the fifth child of her father.

Her father has twelve children,five guys and seven ladies. He has three wives, one of them was her late mother, Lady Mordelia. The second wife is Lady Ramsoona who is a really gentle soul and of perfect character, though she tends to ignore and forget important things sometimes.

The last wife is Lady Jeanie, her second step mother and the bane of her existence, she hates Lollina intensely and likes to flaunt that fact.

"Should I leave father's errands and run your own because I am not sure you will like his reaction if I tell him that you told me to do that,"

"You're rude, spoiled and useless, you are a waste of space," Lady Jeanie said and Lollina mimicked her words while she was talking.

Lady Jeanie hated the fact that Lollina always had her way with her father and never failed to mention how rude, spoiled and useless she was everytime she got the opportunity.

In the whole menage, she is her father's favorite child and her mother was his first love and as the saying goes, you never forget your first love.

Lady Jeanie tried her every possible best to shift her father's love and attention to her, but it was all vain. Lady Mordelia is the first madam of the household and her portrait stood tall in the main hall.

"so are you, we are of the same species,"

"You...."

"If you have nothing else to say, I have to go to the Gonzafelang Manor," She said and got out of the room.

--------------------

"My lord, Lady Lollina is here to see you," The attendant announced her presence.

"Let her in," she heard the booming voice of Lord Gonzafelang and the door opened.

While her house is beatified with every shade of blue, this manor is all white, ash and cream, it was elegant though, she had no idea about decorating so she isn't one to judge and her opinion doesn't count.

"Lollina," The lord said with a small smile and Lollina greeted him gracefully. This man is a good friend of her father, he is a little bit muscular and of average height, he has a mustache on his jaw and thin eyebrows but he looks handsome, at least, for his age.

"Hello, My Lord, Father sent me to give you this scroll," she said, removing it from her bag. She raised it in the air and the Lord nodded.

"Walk forward," he said, raising his hand. Lollina nodded and walked to where he sat, he raised his hand and she gently placed the scroll on it.

Out of the Lords and Ladies that are in their kingdom, Bakainan, Lord Gonzafelang top the list of those few she respects. He is a really upright man, if it was coming from her.

"Why don't I have a good look around the manor while you read those, it has been a few months since I came here," she said with a smile. "If you have anything you want me to tell my father I can do that on my arrival,"

"Okay, do as you wish," he said, waving her away half-heartedly, he was engrossed in the scroll he was reading.

-----------------

She skipped around the manor mindlessly, her body there but her mind far away, she was losing focus and concentration. She stopped when she bumped into a tree or so she had thought until she looked up and found herself facing the back of someone, she had bumped into that person.

She looked ahead and saw that in front of the person was a lake, if that had not been there she would have fallen into the water.

The person turned to look at the person that bumped into him and they were suddenly in close proximity. The first thing she noticed were his lips, not because of the scowl on it but because it seemed like the most beautiful one her eyes have ever grace.

He had pale and smooth skin, his eyebrows were beautifully arched over his eyes, his long eyelashes that frame his beautiful eyes were evenly spaced and she didn't want to get started on those eyes, those very dark shade of brown moderate things are just as amazing and to top it all he was in a white cloth, he look like an angel, he is beauty at it peak and a man at that.

Lollina wondered why the women in Bakainan are not flocking the guy already, she is sure that some nobles would chase him to hell and back if they saw him, he is just that handsome, they both stared at each other as if in a trance and she wondered if anyone can be so perfect.

"Did you forget those darn eyes of yours at home?" He asked with a frown.

There it is! The foul mouth, that's his flaw and a bad one at that, no wonder the women don't chase him, he must have driven them away with his tongue.

He didn't allow her to respond before he scoffed and turned, behaving like she wasn't there in the first place. She called him but he didn't even budge so she raised her hand to touch him on his shoulder.

It happened so fast that she wondered when he turned, unsheathed his sword and maintained his stand, but all she knew was that in seconds, she already had a sword on her neck and it was his.

"Wow! Wow! Calm down master, we both know that you are stupid and love being an idiot but," she gave a loud fake laugh, he raised a brow at her. "We shouldn't put a sword to it, I mean, I didn't do anything to you, did I?" She said nervously but put up a tough front.

The guy just kept staring at her like he is a puppet, controlled to do just that. She stared at him tentatively and raised her hand to the sword on her neck in order to push it away.

It seems like that was the only way to make him open his mouth because it was at that moment he opened his mouth to talk, but she already took the sword, and the next thing she knew, she was in the lake.

The person holding the sword flinged her away, she was supposed to do that to the sword but he did that to her?

She managed to raise her head from under the water and let out a loud breath.

"I hate Bakainan," she said in exasperation.

It is only in Bakainan that a sword is so idolized, why on earth did the guy fling her into the water, wasn't she allowed to touch a sword, it is just a sword after all.

She had raised her head from under the water and spat out water, her lungs felt like it was on fire and whoever said that water doesn't hurt?

She felt like she would soon be dead.

"You are prioritizing the sword over the human, how inhumane can you be?"

Have you ever seen a person for the first time and immediately dislike him? You don't know that person from anywhere but as soon as they open their mouth you want to gouge out their eyes and seal their mouth shut, willing them to disappear from your sight, she had many people on that list but this guy tops the list, he is definitely the chosen one.

"Am I supposed to choose you - a lady walking around aimlessly and trespassing - who I don't know which hole she crawled out from, over my beautiful sword which is my best company?" He asked, raising a brow and she stared at him in utter disbelief. "Besides, I didn't fling you into the water,"

"You did," she said with tight jaws, " Is it a crime to touch your sword?" She asked and he looked at her like she was the dumbest person he had ever seen. He had the 'i am done with this nonsense' face on.

He stared at him, shook his head and walked away.

She turned away from his retreating figure to stare at the lake, she was going to tell him when she gets home if she knew who he was, her father would do anything and everything for her, punishing an idiot is not a qualm.

"I see that, you have met him," Someone said behind her and she jumped. She turned to see Lord Gonzafelang standing with his second son, Daviesmane.

"By him, are you talking about that guy?" She asked, pointing to the guy who had walked faraway but they could still see him because nothing was in the way.

"Yes," Lord Gonzafelang said.

"Who is he by the way? He is so rude and annoying,"

"That 'rude and annoying' guy is my brother, Davisgatia." Daviesmane said, glaring at her. She glared back at him, she wondered who asked him to talk.

"Wait.... What?" She said in shock when her brain processed his words, an aghast expression formed on her face.

"What the hell? That is Davisgatia?"

"Yes, he is Davisgatia, that Davisgatia, the one who made that name popular. The True Star of Gnomic Valley and as you know the Gnomic Valley only takes and recruits the best of the best, many people's only life goal is to be accepted into that sect, it has the best of the best of anything you seek for," Daviesmane said.

"I never--" Lollina tried to talk but he placed a finger on his lips, a signal that she should keep her mouth shut.

"Of course, you can't just enter the place the chair was kept and expect it to choose you, the Master, Second Master and the elders would test and bair you over and over again, as well as the chair itself and over the years it deemed everyone unworthy until Davisgatia went there, it choose him in the blink of an eye." Daviesmane continued to sing his brother's praises.

"You–"

" Keep shut, stop talking and listen. The highest position in the Gnomic Valley is the Master position, followed by Second Master and then elders but the most important post is the True Star, the post had been vacant for centuries since the seat chose its owner, the person it thinks is worthy of it," he smiled widely at Lollina. "And it thinks Davisgatia is worthy."

She knows that Davisgatia is one of the rare gems of Bakainan, he held a post so high that teens that are his mate won't try to provoke or annoy him, most elders dare not step out of line whenever Daviesgatia was involved. But did he have to go on a long rant?

"I never asked for your explanation, why are you so long winded, so in short, what you wanted to say is, Davisgatia is the true star of this important place and he is competent, why did you have to beat around the bush,"

"What I am trying to say is that 'you' just called him 'rude and annoying'. Don't you think that you should take that back."

Lollina pursed her lips, even now that she knows the name of the man that wronged her, there is nothing she can do. Her father totally adores Davisgatia, he talks about him at least thrice a day.

He once told her that if it hadn't been for the fact that arranged marriage is considered wrong these days, he would have arranged it with Davisgatia.

"And why should I do that? Even if that brother of yours is here, I dare to say it in front of him," Lollina said, arrogantly. "There is nothing he can do to me, I am Lord Aumles favorite daughter,"

"You wish!" Daviesmane replied. "He would punish you with your father's permission."

"You.." Lollina said walking closer to Daviesmane who just dared her to do something.

Everyone in Bakainan knows she didn't get her powers when others got it but most people already foresaw that she had her mother's family sickness. And right now, Daviesmane is taking advantage of that.

Daviesmane is said to be the ladies man and is very entertaining but she does not get along with him, she met him through her older brother, Evander who is the second son of her first stepmother but they get along well.

This fool is his best friend, how Evander was able to tolerate him is some miraculous thing she didn't want to find out.

"Ok, ok, you should both stop fighting," Lord Gonzafelang said to both of them and they quieted down and backed away from each other.

"Lollina, give this to your father when you get home and remember to send my regards to your whole family," Lord Gonzafelang said to Lollina handing her another scroll.

"I will take my leave now, bye."

"See you never, little witch,"

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The carriage stopped in front of Aumles Manor and Lollina got out of it, the front gate opened when she raised an object made of glass and she entered.

In Bakainan, every single person have different things they have power over or draw power from, they control an element and try to master it to perfection, Jeanie have the ability to control fire, Ramsoona controls light current and her father has control over nature, he makes such mechanism out of nature and it made their life much more easier.

The door to the main hall opened and a girl in beautiful but plain cloth stood there, she looked around the whole place before her gaze settled on Lollina.

"The third lady requested your presence, where the hell were you, I was searching all about for you," she told her and Lollina rolled her eyes as she walked to her, she wondered what the woman wanted from her now. The third lady was obviously Lady Jeanie.

"Did you have any idea what she wants?" she asked but it seems like the girl didn't hear. "Cecilia?,"

The girl's name is Ceclia and she is Lollina's best friend. They live in the Aumles Manor together and do almost everything together. They were partners in crime.

"They were talking about The Rune of Gems when I was called,"

Can't they all stop talking about that carnival. Rune of Gems is a yearly carnival that is done in the wild part of Bakainan, to get there on any normal day, you must go through very hard parts and dangerous traps but on the day of the Carnival after registration, you are brought in through some special part of the community.

A whole community is used for the carnival and participants are to stay in guest houses that made up the community. Different activities and competitions are done in the community, the winner gets a prize and they get to stay there for six months.

All in all, it is a place where you get to enhance and show your abilities and Lollina doesn't have any power or ability, won't the joke be on her if she went?

She raised her head and saw that they were at the door and were about to open the door before Lollina stopped Ceclia, the latter raised a brow at her but she raised her index finger to her lips, a sign that she shouldn't talk.

"Honestly, she deserved it, I just hate the fact that it wasn't me that killed her," She heard the Third Madam, Jeanie, say. She wondered who they were talking about.

"How did she die in particular," A voice that she recognized as Lissa said.

"She died a short while after giving birth to that nonsensical child of hers, maybe she knew that she would be powerless," Jeanie said and Lollina knew that they were talking about her mother.

"Aren't you saying that because you are jealous of Mordelia, you had a problem with her when she was alive, I guess that didn't change after her death," Lady off Ramsoona said and Lollina knew she was in there too. She neither supports nor opposes her, she stays neutral but most often than not, she couldn't tolerate someone talking bad about Mordelia, Lollina wondered how close they were.

"Jealous," Jeanie asked sarcastically, before laughing. "she only got what she deserved, she acted all high and mighty when she was here, too proud about her damn teleportation and telekinesis, it is only fitting that the universe blessed her with an idiot of a daughter who can't fight to save her head,"

" I heard that she gave all her powers to Lollina, is that true," Kelieka asked.

"Quit mentioning that jinx name,but yes, Mordelia's powers were transferred to her baby's body at her deathbed," Jeanie scoffed. "God knows that that woman deserves death, she was such a peacock, spending money and hopping around in warrior's clothes. The disappointment that was given to her in form of a child is the best karma she could ever get,"

Lollina never missed her mother, not for a single day because she doesn't know her, it is hard to miss someone you have never seen, she just know that she was a great woman, at least that's what she heard from most people, so she won't like to be the one to stain her name and reputation.

" I am so excited about this, Rune of Gems is the best, you get to meet a lot of people there," Kelieka gushed.

She opened the door and entered the room, she saw Jeanie sitting beside Lissa and Kelieka.

Kelieka and Lissa are the daughters of her father's mistresses. Her father had a lot of wives and a lot of mistresses too. He went into a fornicating spree when her mother died and got some women pregnant, he was a man of honor and accepted the children as his and took care of their mothers, they never stayed though.

Kelieka and Lissa stuck to Lady Jeanie for protection, Lady Ramsoona does not want to have anything to do with them because they are gossips.Turns out they were packing all they would need at The Rune of Gems.

Hi, Lollina," Another beautiful girl who was sitting at a corner said, if she hadn't greeted her, she was sure that she would miss her. She was surprised to see Achlys but it is obvious from her appearance that she doesn't want to be there.

Even though she is Lady Jeanie's second daughter, she is nothing like her. She is so sweet and shy and they get along quite well.

"You lose every match they set you up with anyway, why the over excited expression?" Lissa jested, rolling her eyes.

They both stared at Lollina who bowed slightly and just stopped in front of Jeanie

"You called me?,"

"Since you won't be going to the Rune of Gems with the rest, you can buy all the necessities they need, I have already written a list, it is inside the pouch," Jeanie said handing the pouch to Ceclia, who collected it with a bow,

"Why must I be the one to go?" she asked hoping Ramsoona would talk but the older woman just kept arranging things.

"Any reason why you can't be? you would be at home jobless like every other year. Get out of here and do what you need to do, get back here early," she commanded, Lollina wants to refuse but an idea comes to his mind, Jeanie will tear her head off. She smirked and removed the list from the pouch.

"Can I follow her to the market?" She heard Achlys ask and the reply was instant; a swift and fast no.

She muttered how much she hates her step mother.

"You should not hate her too much," Another lady said, walking out from one of the rooms beside the one she came out from and Lollina just scrunched up her face. Ceclia also fell in step beside them.

"You hate her too," Lollina replied with anger.

"Don't follow her Kaminar," Jeanie said from behind them.

"You have no right to stop me from going," Kaminar said. "My mother is okay with it" she gestured to Ramsoona who just ignored them all.

"By the way, you should stop telling Achlys what to do."

Kaminar is the second daughter of Lady Ramsoona, she isn't gentle like most ladies and prefers to be in trouser and mens outfit, she is so skilled and can control water with so much ease, inherited the ability from her mother, she doesn't like Lady Jeanie at all .

"I am her mother and she is my daughter,"

"And so is Sphinx," Kaminar turned to stare at her with a raised brow. "I don't see you commanding her about now, do I?"

"Where is Synderione?"

"She went to the palace, the king requested her presence," Ceclia replied.

"She is making quite the connection, even the king wants an audience with her," Lollina said, smiling. "Talk about the angel and lights shall appear," She gestured to the main gate which just opened and a beautiful lady with glossy black hair entered, she carried herself gracefully.

"Lollina, Kaminar, Ceclia," She said when she got to them, her blue eyes reflecting beautifully in the evening light.

"Synderione," Lollina said. "Welcome,"

Lollina absolutely loves her, she is the first daughter of both her mother and father, meaning, she is the eldest daughter in he menage, she is the type of soul that gets along well with everybody. She has a high reputation and qualities, she is gentle and kind. She is more powerful than girls her age and controls her abilities very well.

"Where to?"

"The market," Lollina replied, gesturing her hand southward. "Lady Witch told me to get thing for you guys, the things you would need at the Carnival,"

"Oh, I see, I will talk to you later , I don't want to hold you guys." She said, before taking Lollina's hand. She handed the umbrella she was holding to her. "It is quite sunny, you should shield yourself from the sun, it also has a protection mechanism," she smiled, before walking away.

"God, I love her," Lollina said.

"Don't we all do?"

-----------------------

They arrived at the market and have been shopping for the past hour. She hasn't got herself a single thing and she wants to.

"If it's not the girls of Lord Aumles," Someone said behind them and they turned to see Daviesmane.

This guy is the center of her outer headache, can't he keep his mouth shut?

"I swear that you must be stalking us," Kaminar told him and he glared at her.

"What makes you think that you all are worthy of that," he asked."I came to the market with my brother to finish some deals with a merchant,"

"And where is he?" Ceclia asked.

"He is here," he turned and noticed no one was behind him. "He walked away,"

"I am trying my best not to think that this brother of yours is not an idiot who shows up once in a while to show us that he is a fool," Lollina sassed.

"I don't think you should talk about him like that, Lord Davisgatia is a force to reckon with," Kaminar said and Lollina rolled her eyes.

"Of course, you have to admire him too, what's so special about him?"

"I don't believe there is any guy so special these days, they are just a bunch condescending men who want to prove they are better than women, they -"

"Shut up!"

"No, I am not done and besides I am not talking to you, so keep shut!" Ceclia dissed him and he stared at her speechless.

"You had to see this guy, Ceclia, he is so annoying, he actually pushed me into a lake just because I tried to remove his sword from my neck," Lollina said.

"Shut up, little witch," he replied. " My brother, Davisgatia, as I said, is the best of the best you can find around here, I don't think you are worthy of speaking in his presence. He...."

She immediately turned when she knew he wanted to start ranting and sighted a hairpin, it is really beautiful so she went there to buy it, she reached to take the pin and another hand did the same, it turned out she was not the only one who wanted it.

The other person was also holding it so their hands were slightly touched, she raised her head to look at the person and she just stared when she saw who it was.

It was Davisgatia!

Talk about the devil a little bit and it shall show up bringing his hell along with him.

She dragged the hairpin closer to herself but he held on tight, both of them staring straight into each other's eyes intensely.

"Leave it there," Lollina said to the guy, glaring hard at him, he barely raised a brow at her. "I saw it first,"

"And why should I do that because you claim you saw it first,"

"It is the right thing to do as a gentleman,"

"Whoever told you that I am a gentleman?" He asked and she snatched it from him. He signaled to the trader that his presence was needed and the man ran to them, looking like a rich couple having a quarrel. If he played his game right, he would make a huge sale.

"Yes, you called,"

"Tell her about the hairpin," he said and upon second glance at the guy, he saw that he was the man that came earlier and told him to keep the hairpin for him after paying for it but he had forgotten because another person wanted to buy something.

"Uh, my lady, this gentleman here had paid for the hairpin, he only asked me to keep it for me and I forgot,"

"And how does that concern me?"

"Because the only thing a noble lady would do is leave it when it is taken,"

"I am sure that you both planned it, you colluded with him, right?" She said turning to the trader and hitting a part of the stall in the process.

"I swear this is the first time I am seeing this man," the trader said to Lollina. Davisgatia sighted a long piece of wood falling and if she didn't move, it would harm her.

The trader was still explaining to her and had Lollina's full attention until she felt herself being grabbed by the waist and turned to hide her face in the man's chest.

His scent filled her nostrils and pleased it, he smelled good, she raised her head and stared at his face while he stared behind her. The guy's face was perfect, if only he wasn't rude, she would have made him her friend.

She heard a bang behind her and turned to see that a part of the stall - the part she unknowingly hit - had fallen. Maybe the handsome guard isn't that bad.

"Ok, I would leave it to you," she said when he removed her from him like she was some sort of leech.

"Oh?" The trader asked surprised, he wondered what made her change her mind.

"By the way, you should not put important things in such an open place for display," she said, smiling as she raised a beautiful small blue scroll he had attached to his clothes.

He stared at her, surprised for a moment before he shook his head a bit and a small smile formed on his lips.