Chapter 20

                                    

                                          
Vivienne's heart raced as she paced back and forth in front of Milo's room. They had agreed to meet up to discuss what had happened while they were apart. Initially, she hadn't given it much thought, but now the idea of being alone with Milo in his room was both exciting and made her nervous.
She felt a mix of emotions. On the one hand, she was glad to have this opportunity to spend time with Milo in a more intimate setting. But on the other hand, she couldn't help but feel a bit anxious about flirting with him.
Taking a deep breath, Vivienne finally mustered the courage to knock on the door. Startled by the unexpected sight of the Northern Duke opening the door instead of Milo, Vivienne's heart skipped a beat. She quickly checked the door number to confirm that it was indeed Milo's room. Doubt crept into her mind, wondering if she had made a mistake or if something had changed.
"Welcome, Vivienne, to Milo's room!" the Northern Duke greeted with a cheerful smile, guiding her to a seat. "Milo will be back shortly with all the snacks."
"Thank you for the warm welcome," Vivienne said to the Northern Duke, her confusion slowly increasing as she entered the room.
"I heard from Milo that you two will be having an interesting conversation, so I wanted to join too," the Northern Duke said with a smile.
Vivienne then understood why the Northern Duke was here. Vivienne felt a twinge of disappointment, but she quickly realized that the chance to be alone with Milo was too good to be true. 
As they waited for Milo, the Northern Duke engaged Vivienne in light-hearted conversation, sharing amusing anecdotes and making her laugh. Despite her initial confusion about his presence, she found herself enjoying their time together.
Just as they were immersed in their laughter-filled exchange, Milo returned with a tray of delicious snacks. He grinned upon seeing Vivienne and the Northern Duke getting along so well.
"Snacks are here!" Milo announced, setting the tray on the table.
"These look lovely," Vivienne commented as she took a piece and happily savored it.
"Now, Vivienne, would you like to tell us who that man in the white attire is?" the Northern Duke asked while Milo had barely settled into his seat.
"Your Grace, the man in white attire is His Holiness, the High Priest Raphael, so we must regard him with high respect and give him very warm hospitality," Vivienne said.
"Why is he getting all cozy with Ava?" the Northern Duke went straight to the point.
"You're making it very obvious, Your Grace," Milo commented with a hint of amusement.
"I'm not the only one curious. I know you are as well," the Northern Duke defended himself.
Vivienne could see the curiosity in both the Northern Duke and Milo's expressions as they eagerly awaited her explanation.
"Okay, okay, I'll spill the beans," Vivienne said, enjoying their enthusiasm. "It all started when the High Priest discovered Ava's magical power. He believed that if he and Ava were to be married, their powers would combine and bring forth a world of profound peace."
"Wait, magic is real?!" Milo interrupted, his eyes widening in surprise.
"Wait, the High Priest wants to marry Ava?!" the Northern Duke exclaimed, equally taken aback by the revelation.
Vivienne nodded, confirming both of their reactions. "Yes, it's all quite extraordinary. Magic is real, and the High Priest truly believes that marrying Ava would bring about a world of profound peace."