Lexy stormed to the security gate. Her steps were heavy with sadness. It was a long procedure but she managed to get to her flight gate and get on her flight from Texas to Kansas.

The plane ride didn’t feel as long as it was. Once the plane landed she exited through one of the gates and made sure she had everything. Lexy walked out to the front of the airport and got a cab.

She sat in the backseat with her suitcase and she looked at the driver after taking a brief look at the address her mom wrote on the letter.

“1214 North Sungrove Road, please?”

The driver gave her one raised brow but seemed to shake off what he was going to ask and began to drive.

Lexy stared in silence as the scenery changed from city buildings when the cab left the city and began to drive past country farms. He took a few turns through the streets and country roads to drive down a single road.

The road looked nicer compared to chipped roads that they were on previously. There were giant oak trees that created an overlay that let dusted sunlight come through the few openings of the treetops.

 Then at the end of the road was a huge Victorian mansion. Lexy’s jaw dropped at the sight of the lavish house with symmetrical brushing and intricate designs.

She saw pedestals set up symmetrically along the sides of the path to the front door. It was odd that only one gargoyle sat on one of these pedestals in the far left corner. She narrowed her gaze at it for a moment before she sighed.

“Well then, no turning back now.”

Lexy walked up to the house’s grand doors and knocked, no response. She was going to knock again when someone opened the door. 

“We don't take girl scout cookies anymore and before you offer those cursedly addictive brownies the answer is also no.”

Lexy was confused by the man’s words and then she realized why she was being confused for a girl scout. Lexy shook her head and took out the letter. 

“Me? A girl scout? That prissy troop of goblins? No. I was told to come here by my mom,Carmin. I even have a letter from her. I'm Lexy.”

The butler gave her a skeptical look with a raised brow and took one look at the letter. His eyes widened,“Oh, she sent you. I see.”

The butler looked back inside and Lexy briefly saw a glimpse of someone at the top of a set of stairs, “Sir Thokath. A Lexy is here to see you. She was sent by her.”

Lexy slunk inside the mansion. She was astounded by the marvelous interior that looked to be ripped out a book of myth and imperial castles. Following the bookshelf, her attention was then brought to a man with messy crisp white hair and ruby red eyes. He walked down the steps and his tailcoat faired out softly with the movement while he raised his brow.

“I am Thokath, and what business do you have with me?”

Lexy handed the letter from her mother to Thokath. She watched as Thokath opened the crisp white envelope and read the message written on the folded paper inside. 

Thokath’s face scrunched, then for a moment, his jaw dropped like something impossible was on the paper. With a sigh he folded the paper and put it in his pocket.

Thokath looked at Lexy and sighed. Patting where the paper was in his pocket.

 “Well then, I guess you will be here for a while. Come, I will take you to the guest bedroom.”

It was when Lexy walked with Thokath, that she couldn't help but stare at the man's hair. Never in her life had she seen hair so white. 

“Um, I don't mean to be rude, but, is your hair dyed?”

Thokath stopped, “Oh, no, this is my natural hair and eye color. By the way, I don't think we were properly introduced, I'm Thokath and you are?”

Lexy smiled.

“My name is Lexy.”

Thokath nodded and resumed walking, “well it is very nice to meet you, Lexy. I hope you enjoy your stay here for the summer.” 

He resumed directing Lexy to the spare bedroom.

They walked up the staircases that started from the main room Lexy was in and up to the entrance of a set of hallways. Thokath led her down the closest one and eventually stopped at a door.

He opened the door and Lexy’s jaw dropped.

 “This is the guest bedroom? It’s beautiful.” 

She stared in awe from the doorway while she looked at the red velvet silk blankets on the queen-sized bed. To the hand-carved walls and dresser that was set up in the left corner by the window.

Thokath raised a brow, “I thought she would have.” He paused and thought for a short moment, “ah I see.”

Lexy shook her head softly while she spoke, “no, why would I be used to it?”

Thokath’s brows knitted further

“Get settled, I need to go make some arrangements.”

Lexy nodded and looked around the room as she shut the bedroom door behind her. With her suitcase in both hands, she heaved it on the bed and opened it.

She first placed her clothes and other items away. That then left the trophies and medals she packed. She set the items up on top of the dresser.

She smiled at her finished work, the dresser had two trophies with three medallions all from self-defense and rifle competitions.

She turned back to her suitcase expecting to see it empty. Only to see her father’s knife. The knife was left locked up in a case at home. The knife that she never put in the suitcase. With wide eyes, she picked the blade up,

“How in the wide world did this get through security?”

Lexy walked over to the dresser. Opening the bottom drawer she neatly placed the knife under some folded clothes. closed the drawer and pleased with how things were organized, she wanted to try and find Thokath.

She stepped out into the hall while she closed the door behind her and she tried to remember the way back to the main area. She looked down the hall to her right and huffed.

“What is this place, a mix of Buckingham Palace, and the Baltimore hotel?”

Lexy looked to the left and noticed a girl in her early twenties. She had long blond wavy hair with a Bunny hair clip at the top. While the girl's attire consisted of a blue turtleneck and a white lab coat, the girl was a good three and a half feet taller than her or more.

The stranger quickly noticed Lexy and approached her with a smile and had practically glowed with energy,

“Hi, you must be Lexy! I'm Carin.” 

Lexy frowned, not sure how to react to someone so joyful. “Yeah...me.” Lexy paused and eyed Carin’s lab coat ``By the way, are you a scientist?” 

Carin’s expression shifted from enthusiastic to a frown. She began to fiddle with something in her pocket and the energy flowing off her faded, “I guess you could say that, I’ll have to leave now. See you later.”

The girl walked swiftly down the hall and was gone as soon as she was there. Lexy groaned,

“No, I was going to ask how to get around here.”

Lexy sighed and decided to map out the palace to the best of her ability. She went back into her room and found some paper and a notebook. Lexy left her room and wandered through all the long halls,

  “Why do all the halls all look the same?”

  She entered another hall that was the same as the previous one. However this time there was a door open. Lexy glanced around to see no one around. So she entered the room to see it was filled with paintings covered with white drapes. Lexy approached the closest one and lifted it to reveal a painting of her mom and a man she didn’t recognize.

The man with his combed-back black hair and outfit of a black feather cloak with a skull on his shoulder. Lexy raised a brow and at one of the larger covered paintings. She walked over to it and was about to look at it when,

“What are you doing here?”

Lexy yelped and turned around to see Carin. Carin walked up to Lexy with worried eyes, “Why are you in here? He won't like you in here”

Lexy took a step back and looked at her skeptically, “Who won't like me in here?”

Carin sighed, her eyes filled with worry, “Why do you have to answer my question with a question?”

Lexy gazed at the painting and then Carin, “Well I'm just hungry and I got lost.”

  Carin sighed, “Alright let me bring you to the dining room.”

Lexy nodded and Carin led her downstairs through a large hallway and through two large doors to a giant dining room with a long table that had different foods along on it. She also noticed about ten butlers and maids.

Lexy walked up to one of the butlers, “Excuse me, is there any way I can help set the table?” she hoped he would say yes. Then she would be able to say she helped someone. People in the books she read always helped people.

The butler stared at her for a moment and looked at her like she had lost her sanity, “young mistress do not bother yourself with a trivial task, maybe go wash up instead.”

Lexy gave a soft smile, but defeat was clear in her eyes. It looked like she wouldn’t be of any use.

 “alright but if you need any help make sure and ask, ok.” 

The butler nodded in response and she decided to take the man's advice to go wash up. The hard thing was finding the restrooms. Lexy ended up asking one of the maids for her to find it. After washing up, Lexy realized she forgot to map the way to the dining hall from the bathroom. She wandered but made sure to map the way this time.

Lexy found her way back to the dining hall and noticed Thokath was giving some orders to the butlers and maids. Lexy came up to the white-haired man, “Hi Thokath, is there any way I can help?” 

Thokath looked at her the same way the butler did, “no, but if you want you can sit down.”

Lexy smiled in return, “Ok.” She sat down in a chair at the end of the table and waited.

Lexy recognized Carin when she walked through the door but not the six people that came in after. 

Carin took a seat to Lexy’s left. Lexy was sitting at the end of the table and watched as the others sat down.

The group of other people consisted of three women and three men. Two of the women looked the same. With their sandy blond hair in short braids and their hazel eyes. While the other female had a short bob cut and a formal short dress with black leggings.

One of the men had a simple set of shorts on and t-shirts. While one had sandy blond hair with glasses his hair combed neatly back while he had a nicely ironed out suit and tie. The man furthest behind in the group had a pencil tucked by his ear.

This was when Lexy noted that all these people have at least some shade of blond hair. Whether it be sand or towhead.

Lexy was not sure if she should bring up a conversation or not so she focused on eating the fancy soup that was served and just listened to the conversation.

When Thokath noticed her silence he turned to her “oh, Lexy, I'm sorry, here I will introduce you to everyone, to you’re right is” 

He was interrupted by Carin, “we've already met.” 

Thokath raised a brow but shrugged it off. “Next to Carin is Axle he is…well he is our local couch potato.”

Axle, “hey! I am not a couch potato, I am a connoisseur in the art of video games and TV, for your information!” Axle said while he glared at Thokath. Axle had simple shorts on and a t-shirt.

Thokath ignored Axle’s outburst and continued, “anyhow, next is Misa and Mina. Do beware of these two, they're quite the pranksters.” He said when he gestured to two girls that looked exactly alike. Both smiled and waved to Lexy.

Thokath continued, “next, we have Leslie. She is an excellent businesswoman and bargains like I never could. Next is Varan; he is, to put it simply, a bookworm, and finally— is Varic. He is kind of a mix of a lot of us. And honestly, is a very good person to talk to. Anyhow, I think that is everyone.”

. Lexy would prefer to let others talk instead of her. But there was a question she wanted to be answered.

Lexy looked to Thokath, “excuse me Thokath I noticed that there is an extensive amount of forest around us and I was wondering if I could go exploring tomorrow morning?”

Thokath paused before he responded, “yes you may”

After dinner, Lexy pulled out the map and navigated her way back to her bedroom, and went to bed.