-Silika, be still. Else you won’t be ready in time.-

Mili asked as she tried once more to button my dress.

More than a week had gone by since Dad had promised to take me out when I got better and today is finally the day!

Unfortunately, my cold had gotten worse again after my short garden visit. The doctor had explained that it was probably because of a cool wind and I had spent the next two days resting under heavy blankets before I was even allowed back on the floor to play or draw…

But enough of that! The important thing is that today is the day!

In my newly renovated room, Mili put the finishing touches on my dress.

-All done! Look!-

Mili announced before turning me to face the mirror. A puffy green overcoat over a long white frilly dress. A short apron-cape was strapped around my shoulder and a large red bow around the collar. If I didn’t know any better I would guess she was trying to turn me into a doll, but it looked cute so I forgive her!

I happily spun around the dress making the frills dance in the morning sun filtering through the windows.

Satisfied and excited about my new outfit I jumped off the short stool she had me standing on and looked around my room for Darkie.

My room had been fixed up for a few days now, but this was only my first time back in here since that night.

Things felt… Foreign. Somehow. Like they belonged to someone else. It was harder to remember where things were.

My mind told me that my room wasn’t here. That it was above us on the third floor by the warm stone fireplace of Lionheart’s office.

I spotted Darkie sitting on a nearby low table and turned to this rooms hearth with a pang or disappointment. It was all the way at the opposite side of the room from the bed, right by the door on its right.

[You think we could get them to move the bed closer to it?]

I asked Darkie.

To which he responded with an imperceivable shrug.

“It can’t hurt to ask.”

His response sounded less than convincing. Maybe it had something to do with the room’s size?

Anyway, I still resolved myself to at least ask once the opportunity arises.

I looked once more at myself in the mirror, happy with my outfit.

-Thank you, Mili!-

I told her to which she politely nodded.

-I’m glad you like it!-

She turned her head toward the door for a moment and said something. She waited another moment and said something else before nodding to herself and turning back to me.

-Sir Ashbrook is waiting. Are you ready?-

I nodded excitedly.

She took me by the hand and we walked down to the main hall where my dad was waiting for me.

When he saw me coming down the stairs he stopped talking with Stash and smiled widely at me. As soon as I reached him he gallantly extended his hand. It wasn’t in the usual way, instead it was in the way a gentleman would offer a hand to a lady.

I gleefully took his hand and after waving goodbye to Mili, we headed out through the door. A carriage was waiting for us and as we reached the step, Lionheart scooped me up and helped me to my seat. Without any further notice, the carriage departed.

I looked out of the window and watched as the familiar front yard of the estate turned into the large paved streets of the upper city. For a while, all that could be seen were the walls and gates of other properties, but soon enough the coach turned into the more busy part of the city. Contrary to the lower city where the orphanage was, the upper city was much more lavish. The buildings were made of even stone walls with perfectly maintained sloped tile roofs. Trees were planted along the crosswalk and every window was adorned with fresh flowers. There was beauty to be found in both of these parts of Evergreen, but here there was an order to things. A sense of safety and cleanliness.

I stopped staring outside the window and turned back toward Lionheart.

-Where are we going?-

Dad had kept the exact nature of our outing a secret, saying that if I knew it would ruin the surprise.

He smiled, knowing perfectly well what I was trying to do.

-Well, for now at least, we’re going to get some food.-

I squinted my eyes in response.

-...But where? What food?-

He gave an exaggerated shrug before looking out the window with a satisfied smile.

The carriage came to a stop and before I had time to look outside dad picked me up from my seat and escorted me out of the carriage.

I looked at the building in front of me.

For a moment, I was too stunned to really process what I was seeing.

It looked as if it came from an entirely different place than here. While the other buildings were made of grey or yellowish stone, this one was pure white. Almost as if carved out of one big piece of marble. The cornices were sculpted in such a way that they looked like waves of whip cream and the windows were rounded at their bottom like fruits or cherries. It was truly a strange sight to behold. In the centre of the building was a signboard of a fluffy pastry.

Lionheart put me down on the ground and took my hand as we crossed the entrance threshold. Once inside, I finally understood why the outside looked so strange. The walls were popping red and the trimmings of the walls and the surface of the counters were all white, like red velvet cakes!

I had seen one once at Knox’s birthday. Apparently it was his favourite cake. I don’t really remember what it tasted like, but it was very pretty!

A strangely dressed man with a long curly moustache approached us. He smiled politely in the direction of my father, but as soon as he noticed me his smile widened into a full grin.

He proceeded to give an exaggerated curtsy, his nose almost reaching the floor while lifting the hem of his coat like a lady would a dress.

I tried my best to maintain my composure, but I couldn’t hold a puff of laughter from escaping my lips. He looked completely ridiculous. Seeing the man’s beaming expression, it was all according to his plan. Once his act was over he stood back upright and politely addressed Lionheart who answered without blinking.

Were people usually so odd here? Was this not dad’s first time here as well? Why wasn’t he surprised? It didn’t look like the type of place he would come to…

After the short exchange was over, the strange man consulted a booklet he took from his breast pocket before happily guiding us through a muffin shaped doorway. The place was so strange. Everything looked luxurious for sure, but no two tables or even chairs looked the same.

The place was packed to the brim with people. Some simply drank tea while others seemed to be eating things that looked more like sculptures than confections.

He sat us at a table by a large window, actually, it would be more accurate to say that my seat was the window. Apparently, their peculiar shape I had noticed from outside made them a very convenient seating spot.

-What is this place?-

I finally asked Lionheart who raised an eyebrow.

-Well, I would say it’s a cake shop by the looks of it.-

He answered with a smirk and I felt my brows sink into a frown.

What’s with that answer?

Despite my annoyance I still tried to ask again

-I mean… Why is it so…So…-

-Weird?-

He completed with a raised eyebrow.

Why couldn’t he be forward like this in the first place?

-Yes! Weird! Why is this place weird?-

-Well, the people who work here are weird…-

-Yes, and?-

-...And for someone to hire them, the owner has to be weird as well, right?-

I frowned.

-Yes that makes sense, but…-

-...And so, a weird owner, would also build a weird restaurant, to sell weird food for weird reasons!-

He concluded, before nodding to himself.

…What?

-So this place is weird… Because it’s weird?-

I asked, confused.

Lionheart’s lips parted into a wide smile.

-Exactly! Isn’t it interesting?-

He said as he looked around.

I followed his example and looked at the different oddities around the place. A chair made of spoons, a chandelier in the shape of a nose… Two women eating a cake shaped like a stone.

It made me… Uncomfortable somehow.

Lionheart looked at me and tilted his head.

-You don’t like it?-

-It’s not that… I just don’t understand. Why does a place like this exist? Why do people want to come here?-

Lionheart nodded understandingly at my confusion before rubbing his chin for a moment.

-Well it’s a bit like this.-

He said as he extended his hands once more.

-You’ve been to church before, you know what a church looks like. Some churches are bigger while some are smaller. Some are impressive while some are simple, but no matter what; a church always looks like a church. The same can be said for everything in life.-

A waiter came to the table interrupting his explanation.

Lionheart made an order and once the waiter left, he continued.

-Do you like going to church?-

Do I?

I enjoy seeing Jade there and the Bishop is also nice… But do I enjoy the ‘church’?

Seeing my hesitation, Lionheart intervened.

-Let me say it differently. Do you think churches look interesting?-

He asked.

The question was much easier to answer. Churches all looked the same to me, so I shook my head.

-See? You understand. Once you have seen a church, you’ve seen every church. It can be a small church, a big church, a beautiful church or an ugly church. You know what a church looks like. You stop thinking it looks interesting. It’s the same everywhere, even our homes. Once you’ve seen one house in Evergreen, you always know what other houses will look like. Of course they are all a bit different, but eventually seeing similar things over and over again becomes boring.-

He stretched his hand toward the restaurant.

-This is why people like coming to places like this, because it’s different!-

People like things that are different… Is that right? It didn't feel right.

Isn’t it more comfortable to be with things that you’re used to? It’s true that I don’t think churches look especially interesting, but aren’t they interesting once you go inside?

“Maybe what he meant is that, it’s more interesting to find out about new things than it is to always see the same? Like when we play games with Mili, it’s always better when it’s a new game!”

Darkie suggested from my lap.

[Mmmh…. I guess you’re right.]

While I pondered on this, the waiter came back and placed teacups in the shape of bunnies in front of us.

Immediately I scooched down to look at mine excitedly. It was a white teacup except it had two little protrusion for ears and cute little eyes and nose drawn on it. I looked over at Lionheart’s teacup just as he was lifting it up to drink.

-Wait!-

He stopped in his tracks and put back down the cup, a curious expression on his face.

-Can I have your cup?-

I asked him.

His teacup was black. I wanted to show it to Darkie.

Seeing where my eyes were drawn, he smiled and nodded.

He exchanged our cups and we both took a long sip simultaneously, but to my surprise it wasn’t tea.

-It’s sweet! Like cake!-

I exclaimed.

He smiled knowingly.

-It’s called hot chocolate. It comes from a plant known as cocoa that grows in the Kingdom of Avlir, far to the west. Do you know about it?-

Avlir… I had heard the name before. Many interesting things came from Avlir. I once saw it on a map and it was easily three times the size of Firsland.

-A little bit. It’s a very big country. They make spice and silk.-

Lionheart nodded proudly.

-That’s right! Spice and Silk from Avlir are sought throughout the continent. Very good!-

I smiled happily, a warm feeling spreading through my cheeks.

It was pretty rare for him to praise me like this.

-I heard they make very pretty clothes as well.-

He nodded strongly.

He was obviously very happy that I knew so much about that place… Maybe I should ask Mili to help me read a book on it later so I can tell dad more about it.

In the meantime, I happily drank more chocolate from the cup.

The waiter came back, this time carrying a large tray of sweets and pastries which Lionheart and I slowly ate as we chatted about different things.

He told me a lot about his travel when he was younger. Although he hadn’t gone all the way to Alvir, he had many times travelled to the Heillhs empire and to the Seeir Theocracy. He told me about how different people there were. In Heillhs, people were harsh but also honourable and with a good sense of humour, while the people of the Theocracy were often stiff and serious, but also polite and helpful.

He also talked about what he called their "political structure".

It was a bit hard to follow, but the gross lines were that in Heillhs, there were three types of people. Those who didn't own land, those who own land and don't fight, and those who own land and fight. Since they followed the teaching of Steihnner they believed those who engaged in warfare to be most honourable and so every landowner who fought was considered nobility while those who didn't were considered their vassals. The Seeir Theocracy on the other hand had no nobles at all! Only Kinsmann which administered all aspects of the country

Strange for sure.

We talked for what felt like hours and finished our meal. Dad reordered hot chocolate three times and they even brought a stuffed cupcake for Darkie to eat! We got up to leave and I tried to return the plush cake to the waiter, but he refused and Lionheart explained that it was a gift.

Satisfied, we left the restaurant.

-So did you like it?-

He asked as we walked hand-in-hand into the street.

I nodded strongly before looking around confused.

-Where’s the carriage?-

I asked him.

-Nowhere. We’re walking.-

-All the way home?!-

I asked incredulously.

The house would take at least an hour to reach by foot if not more!

-The day is only beginning, you already want to go home?-

He asked, disappointed.

Just beginning? I shook my head. I don’t know what else there is, but if that place was only the beginning, I can’t wait to see the rest of it!

He looked visibly relieved and glanced up at the sky for a moment.

-There’s still some time, why don’t we take a stroll at the park?-

The ‘park’? I don’t think I’ve ever been to a park… I heard it’s like a garden, but bigger?

I nodded and we started walking.

We headed to the park and sure enough it looked like an enormous garden. Easily ten times as big as our house and the flowers were just as impressive! Small buildings, sculptures and fountains were scattered about the place all adorned with a flurry of colourful plants.

People sat on benches and had picnics on the grass. Performers were dancing, singing and other things.

It was very lively… But I, on the other hand, suddenly felt very sleepy.

Seeing me rubbing my eyes, Lionheart stopped walking for a moment.

-Do you need to rest?-

-I’m– -

I said before another tickle in my eye interrupted me.

I rubbed my eye strongly and once the itching was gone, continued.

- –Okay…-

He looked at me with an unconvinced expression before picking me up. Instantly I felt a wave of fatigue take me over as I rested my head on his chest.

I closed my eyes and felt myself drift to sleep almost instantly.