Lafiel had vanished back to her room after greeting a few of the early arriving guests she had suddenly felt really nervous and had decided she would come back down again later there had been one gentlemen he hadn't felt right being around it had made her shiver was it the fact he was nobility no he just felt sinister and cruel in someway which she couldn't quite place as why she felt this way. She heard the door silently open and close she turned her head as she sat on her bed to see the arrival she had half expected Sophia or her father but before her stood Charles Augustus Tarrant Duke of Arundel in all his aged authority.
He crossed the room to place a comforting arm around Lafiel for all of is one hundred and eleven years he still moved very fast for someone his age he spoke warmly as he questioned her, "Here's the birthday girl. Oh my what is wrong why are you cooped up in here missing your own party my Granddaughter are you alright?" Lafiel looked at him and turned hugging him, "Oh Grandad how do you do it? Swim amongst so many people with such confidence. How do you deal with so many people that aren't what they seem so many people that aren't genuine don't you feel it doesn't it affect you the ones that mean you ill or worse?"
The Duke looked at lafiel his facial expression had become very mixed it looked like concern and worry was threatening to break through that warm old man's expression the one that only someone that has been a parent can give that everything is going to be alright. The Duke looked his granddaughter in the eyes as if observing her for any sign of change in her expression as he spoke, "Well my dear understand that it is perfectly natural you are still young and haven't quite gotten used to the way people act towards one of status. You will of course see that in time it is all just a tedious game of courts there will be people that will mean you ill as well as people that mean you the best, there will be those that want to use you as a means to an end but it is the honest ones that you can trust you will learn that are the people you keep close to you. You are not old enough yet but you will become accustomed to how you deal with the person depending on their purpose you will become accustomed to seeing with your eyes and not feel with your heart the world that is around you like I have its just a matter of knowing the dance and what steps to take next. You are special my dear and your family loves you; know that you are special somethings will happen easily somethings you might struggle but you are unique and that is a blessings do not worry about the moment for it is the shortest place in time. Now listen no more fretting or worrying I want you to go down stairs and enjoy yourself think not of the people being there to judge you but as being there to celebrate your life."
The duke broke his locked gaze with his granddaughter as if he were coming out of a dream, "My my I do ramble on off you go now I don't want to see my granddaughter in here mopping about." Lafiel got up and made for the door he hadn't let her think over what he had said or speak or question she turned back as the words grandad formed on her lips he just gestured with the back of his hand, "Off you go Lafiel your missing out on the party. I will see you at dinner for now I will go find your father."
Lafiel wondered were the best place was to start. She nodded and greeted the few stray guests that were wondering around the halls as she past them as she came to the the fork in the road the Grand staircase would she head upto the great hall on level five were everyone would be eating or head down to the lower levels were there would be most definitely a lot of people by now. She sighed she knew going to the great hall would be pointless no one would be in there yet she leaned against the banister and looked down to the people below were she saw a few familliar faces she smiled to herself was it cheating she wouldn't judge herself so but she would start there. Her dress was flowing as she gracefully descended the stairwell she didn't realise how picturesque the moment actually looked as she arrived on the ground floor she saw one of the few people that had made her feel really uncomfortable she couldn't put her finger on it why she felt terror looking at the odd figure she ignored it as best as she could as she duct and dodged past people like a dancer till she saw a few armed forces officers she knew by the bar if she was not mistaken Police Commissioner palmer as well though she had only seen him in a picture or on the news and never met him.
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