Chapter 452 - Verninac Chateau (1/2)
The sun is dim over the horizon casting long shadows over the warm southern countryside of France. A rather strange sight is seen as a rather large peac.o.c.k flutters through the air flying straight for a charming chateau with lavish gardens. (It should be impossible as peac.o.c.ks do not fly more than six feet or so. And yet, here was a peac.o.c.k flying by some extraordinary means!)
The peac.o.c.k in question is Fidel, who is utterly exhausted after his long flight across the English Channel and into southern France. Despite having hitched a ride on a muggle vessel, the trip had been exhausting. However, he could not very well have said no to his mistress. He had his pride as a familiar to consider. And he was not about to let the Prince family name fall into disgrace!
Pumping his wings harder spotting the end in sight, Fidel flutters towards the grounds letting out a great cry as he circled the grounds to land. Furling his great wings, he lands tiredly onto the grass, before pausing to stare at his tail feathers woefully. His gorgeous plumage was in disarray and ragged from flight. Woe is he.
Crying out loudly into the evening, Fidel stomps across the grounds arrogantly and trampling across flower bed in delight. Serves the pesky magical folk right for making him come so far to deliver a measly letter! Why couldn't the house elves have done it?!
Having flown to the destination before, Fidel let himself in through the side garden door, before arrogantly strutting through the Verninac home as though he owned the chateau. A house elf quickly pops in and lets out a dismayed cry, but Fidel simply marches past them towards the dining hall. The house elves attempt to halt the advance of the gorgeous, prideful peac.o.c.k to no avail.
Letting out a loud cry announcing his presence, Fidel proudly burst in through the main doors to find the main Verninac family branch members sitting along with their spouses. The only son of the main Verninac family branch, Philippe. Philippe Vernina has slightly tousled curly hair, elegant features with bright colored eyes, and pale skin.
Furrowing his brows, Philippe glances at his wife, Louise a beautiful French witch with sun streaked hair, and a firm gaze. She arches her brow him as if to say, ”I have not purchased a peac.o.c.k, dear. They are horridly loud creatures! Please give me credit for having better taste than that.”
Philippe's bright colored eyes turn towards his only sibling, his older sister, Noebella, who was a Dubois ever since her marriage to Victor Dubois. Noebella gasps in surprise at recognizing the beautiful peac.o.c.k that was making its way leisurely towards them. Furrowing his brow at his older sister, Philippe asks in French, ”Do you know this creature, soeur?”
”Oui, mon frère,” Noebella exclaimed. ”I recognize the peac.o.c.k as belonging to the sister-in-law of dear Sirsa. But whatever is it doing here?”
Fidel must have heard her question, because it fluttered over to Noebella, before dumping its package onto her lap. Fidel's long tail accidently smacked the back of Philippe's head, before perching on the chandelier above and letting out a loud cry as if to say, ”Serves you right.”
Glaring up at the arrogant, spiteful bird, Philippe glowers at the bird, who smugly stares back down at him and lets out a loud cry of smug triumphant. Rubbing the back of his head, Philippe glances at his sister, who is eagerly reading the note from the Prince family. Feeling a loss of appetite, he summons the house elves to clear away his plate.
The house elves instantly do as instructed, before serving a bit of tea with light snacks to clear the palette such as Choquette, (traditional light airy pastry puffs which have a light sprinkle of coarse sugar crystals on top of the pastry for a hint of sweetness). Despite his annoyance, Philippe remembers his manner and waits for his older sister to finish reading the letter from the Prince's.
His sister's husband, Victor Dubois, a salt-peppered hair elegant wizard peers over his wife's shoulder to read the letter. Finally, Victor draws back first and sends a warning gaze at his brother-in-law, Philippe as if in reply, while Noebella excitedly rereads the letter again. Impatient and annoyed by the peac.o.c.k smugly staring down at him from it's perch, Philippe snappishly asks, ”Well, Noebella, what does the letter from the Prince's say?”