Chapter 197: Friends In High Places.

Dina's watch alarmed and she stood before the girl.

"My exams start in a bit, Sara will call you, we can spend a bit of time at the mall getting you some stuff." She smiled and left Eve staring in disbelief at her vacant chair, askance and empty of thought while her phone began vibrating in her grasp, that same look carried on for the next three and a half hours as she found herself taking a seat in a luxurious jet on a private airstrip while an attendant placed a drink before her and took her luggage to the back.

"Are you okay, we haven't left yet you can still back out if you want to you know?" Dina sat opposite of Eve with a glass in her hand and her phone in the other while the same attendant came and took a seat after strapping them both in.

"Huh... No, I'm fine, yeah, I'm coming..." Eve stared at Dina across the table and at the attendant on the opposite side who poured herself a drink and downed all of it.

"What are you doing dressing up as a flight attendant, Sara?" Dina raised an amused brow and the maid chuckled and took off her hat, ruffling her hair.

"After coming here I have truly found fascination in attendant culture Milady, whether it be hostess or flight attendants, I think the cosplay is fun too, after sir introduced me to it back home I have been quite addicted to trying different jobs and learning their customs." Sara smiled and crossed her legs comfortably.

"It's great that you've adjusted so well, I remember Arla was completely out of sorts for the first month." Dina smiled and looked down at her phone again.

"Lady Amastacia had it harsh and then was thrown into the forefront of conflict, I grew up as Lady Vermon's security escort and then became a palace maid when I turned twenty, our lives are very different I am afraid." Sara explained and Dina placed her glass down and looked over at her.

"Before we arrived, did you know Arla well?"

"Not quite, after she joined the army she was quite the eccentric, most of us maids were intimidated by her..."

They continued to speak, not in code but everything they spoke sounded so otherworldly that Eve just sat there with her mouth shut, they figured as much so they just left out the simplest details to keep their conversation "human".

"Palaces, Queen's escorts, maids, nobility and secret wars and armies I've never even heard of, Sirs and Ladies, Lord this and Lady that, just who the fuck are these people!?" Eve cried out in her head wondering if she was going to be brought to an island of cultists and praying it was not so.

"You know, Sara, master loves you a lot, I'd say unconditionally." Dina smiled at her and the maid smiled back brightly while Eve stared at her for saying something serious and intimate out of the blue.

"Even before he considered me and Arla, you were there by his side being a wonderful ally and an irreplaceable asset, I'm truly glad he got to meet someone as amazing as you." She rested her chin In her palm.

"Sir is my best friend and my closest confidant, we have spent many nights simply talking about things for the sake of conversation and even more days being silly together, I find in him the brother I needed growing up, just as he sees in me the doting little sister who likes all his weird hobbies, I also love him with all my heart, I will always and forever remain loyal to him, Milady."

"That's great, I can't imagine any of our lives being the same without you in it, it reflects in the way he never leaves you out of anything he does and always seeks your advice, I have the same trust in you, and I believe the others do as well."

"Ahaha." Sara laughed at the generous compliment. "You are flattering me Milady, I am but a humble maid in the service of one whom I consider the greatest blessing, thank you, I am happy to be of assistance even after moving here." Sara quickly refilled Eve's drink and regarded her with a warm smile.

"Ms Eve, are you comfortable?" She asked, and Eve stared at her absently and nodded.

"She is probably just a little overwhelmed." Dina chuckled. "A year ago I'd be shocked speechless if my classmate flew me out on vacation with their family, not that I had any classmate that would, I might have been popular, but nobody really liked me it seemed, they didn't even try to..."

"I-I'm not speechless!" Eve snapped and then dropped her gaze when Dina and Arla looked at her. "I'm just a little... lightheaded."

***

From one private strip to another, five hours after setting off the jet made a safe landing on a tropical landing strip, and there waiting for them was another vehicle and a security team, of course this was all Dina's doing since had she been by herself as intended she would have just flown or have either Sara or Arla teleport her over in an instant, compared to that she had to sit and make conversation to pass the time, but it turned our pretty good considering she almost never had Sara without Sol present, and she was also able to have a few small conversations with Eve.

Sitting in the waiting car Eve stared out the window amazed as these men in suits entered the plane after them and returned with her luggage packing them as per Sara's orders.

"Reality sinking in yet?" Dina asked from the other side of the car leaning forward to get her attention.

"I'm..." Eve paused and looked at her. "You're a lot nicer than you first appeared, I really thought you'd be a total bitch... Ah- sorry."

"No-no, it's fine, honestly I'm a little surprised you didn't back out last minute because of how nervous you were when you explained everything to your friend and parents, but they pretty much just let you come without making a fuss hm?" Dina clapped her hands together praising her for her courage.

"A day ago I was wondering how I'd finish paying off my debts, and today I'm sitting in a private escort on a resort island after flying in a private jet..."

"Life turns around pretty dramatically when you have the right friends, I hope you don't think I'm trying to bribe you into friendship though, Eve." Dina relaxed again when Sara entered the front and the driver returned, both closing their doors.

"It's just that, I don't really know a lot of people and when everyone avoids you it's hard to meet anyone who doesn't have ulterior motifs, so when you actually told me what you wanted up front I found it refreshing."

"We're going now, Ladies." The man informed them and drove off.

"I kind of thought you were doing that in the beginning, but after hearing you speak to Ms Sara and seeing how close you are, and just being around you, I kind of think you're cool now, you have all of this and you never let it show not even once, you don't treat people like shit and you're even going to a regular public college with a bunch of peasants." Eve admitted and Dina smiled to herself as she fished out the compliment and ate it like a hot-dog.

"I'm also a peasant." Dina chuckled. "I simply have a lot of friends in high places."

"True." Sara chimed in. "The only among us who could be said to be of nobility are Sir and the First Lady." She added and Eve lowered her gaze in thought. Sёarch* The Nôvelƒire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"I have never heard of any Lady Ikaris before, Is she..."

"She's the kindest, most caring person you'll ever meet." Dina eased her nerves with warm words. "You'll understand when you meet her later."

The rest of the drive insisted of Eve gawking at every mountain and town they passed going closer to the shores until they reached their destination; a large resort with a lot of people already present, mostly families and celebrities from all over the world, but the first thing that Eve really noticed was that everyone's names were in the green, white and blue categories, making her the only yellow tag there, and yet nobody seemed to even notice her as they all went about heir businesses.

Eve was once again overwhelmed by merely being present. "This is paradise." She mused, and Dina agreed wholly as she stepped out of the car and placed a hat on her head after taking off her blouse and revealing that she was already wearing a bikini top underneath it.

"You can go on ahead, I will sort out the luggage and join you after a few minutes." Sara waved at them and then turned to the security-men with a wave of her hand.

"This is nice~ It's such a drastic change from the city." Dina reached into the small bag on her arm and equipped sunglasses as she walked and took deep breaths of the cool tropical air.

"It's paradise..." Eve stared, following without even looking where she was going.

"Everyone is this way." Dina glanced behind her as she walked towards the beach, but Eve who had not heard anyone tell her or seen her look at her phone since arriving raised a brow while they walked down a cool stone path that lead to a beach full of people just having a lifetime's worth of fun.

"Here, there are three different sets in case you are uncomfortable with any." Sara caught up already dressed for the beach, handing a bag full of beach necessities to her and then running ahead of the two of them, meeting Arla at the end of the path who waved at Dina and then ran off as well.

"My head is spinning." Eve stared down the path and Dina stopped and looked at her. "I feel like I've been on a rollercoaster-"

"Aunt Dina!" Uriyu called to her as soon as she set foot on the sand and Eve saw the girl go crooked and ball her fists shaking them at the man who was by age older than she was, but considering she was supposed to be thirty two had she not been summoned still teased her about it.

"You little bastard I told you not to call me that! I'm gonna smash your teeth in when I catch you!" Dina made to chase after him, but stopped and looked around at Eve. "First, let's get you changed, you haven't met everyone yet." She gestured to a large building off to the side.