Retrieve the Kingdom

A New Era

It was Friday, it’s the last day of Phoebe’s examination. She was preparing for her school, suiting up her uniform and putting her hair in a bun. She sighed as she grabs her bag, she must get good grades so that her parents can get her at least in a prestigious school. She will understand if they can’t, anyway. She bid her goodbye to his brother who is preparing for later. She went to her school and prepared for the exams. As she finished her last exam and prepared to go, 3 girls stopped her on her steps. She looks at them confused. “Hey, are you that Phoebe girl” She nods and didn’t say anything more. “Well, you are quite really shy, tell me, what’s the name of your mother?” A sassy looking girl said to her, there were not so much notable on her looks since the school imposes a strict style and uniformity. She possesses brown hair, her bangs clipped with a flower. “Why do you need her name?” She asked in confusion. She started to think why, of all things they can ask, why her mom? Is it because of that incident like weeks ago? This is the only time these students bothered to ask. “I know you are transferring out of the school, it’s been a gossip these days.” Another girl said Phoebe is getting weirded out by this. She sighed, “Maya of Mires, happy?” The girls were quite in shock and one of them smiles, "So interesting. I hope we can talk with her." Phoebe raises her eyebrows, "Why?" The girl sighs, "Nevermind." They left her confused.

“Anyway, are you really leaving this school? Like, is this final?” Phoebe giggles at her antics. “I know I have been asking this for a week. Don’t blame me for missing you!” She hugged Dara, “Yes, I am leaving. But please don’t be sad about that.” Phoebe looks at her, who seems tearing up. “I can visit here whenever I am not busy, or you can visit me there. We can still write to each other, you know?” Dara wipes her tears, “School is will not be the same without you.” She giggled, “I know. But, I need to do this.” Dara sighs, “Fine, write to me as soon as you received my letter, okay!?” Phoebe nods, “I will.” They embrace each other as if it's their last. They bid their last goodbye for a while as Phoebe went home. Her brother was waiting for her as they went to their new home through a cart bus. 

They arrived after an hour and they saw the new little restaurant they just built is blooming. It was opened last Wednesday, Phoebe excitedly looks around and the place just looks fantastic. Their main dishes are mostly comprised of fish and other sea edibles. Her father promised to help his friends and the people back in the Mires are directly supplying them with those kinds of stuff. The dishes are a lot cheaper here than any other restaurant in Oliver, but it doesn’t affect the quality of the dishes. “Greetings, my daughter.” Nathan greets her in the kitchen as she hugs him, “How do you like it?” She looks at him with his chef outfit, all black clothes, and an apron. “I never actually anticipated it this will be big!” He laughs, “I am too, since that big-time man came by here on the first day, customers start to go here. He may have spread the news.” He scratches his head, “Well, he will never spread it if you were not a great cook.” Her mother joins the conversation as she kisses the cheek of her husband. Phoebe hugs her mom who is transferring ingredients here and there. “How are your exams?” She looked at her, “It was fine.” She said while smiling. “Great! You can now have your week break here and I will be the one to have your papers and other requirements passed.” She nods as she looks around. “Why don’t you look around the house?” Her mom said as she puts the last ingredients in the cupboard. 

“Oh right!” She looks at the door behind her mom and opens it, it connects to the house. She entered as she saw the red-painted walls and red-themed decorations. “Woah…” She looks around, “This is a good house…” She went upstairs and saw some halls that lead to rooms and the only balcony of the house. It has 5 rooms, which just enough for them and if there’s a guest. She looked around the rooms and found her own, it was not yet decorated but it is already organized.  “I never thought mother could buy this kind of house.” She looks at the window as she saw people go here and there. She also sees the people going in and out of the restaurant from her place. She smiles.

Her father’s restaurant keeps blooming and became the favorite place for seafood lovers. They already have regular customers who go there daily. The name of Nathan and his restaurant became popular in Oliver, The Seafood Paradise. Phoebe transferred into a school in Oliver after a week. She transferred to the only school for females in Oliver, the Fara’s School in Oliver. It was hard for her to adjust since she left her other school after the second semester. She just had to make her way through, since this is the last semester she will have. She sighed as she looks around the school, unlike her previous school, this school has fewer trees and plants since it maximizes the space they will have. They still have a garden for gardening activities. She looks at her school map and a list of her subjects and their schedules. She will have Gardening this morning. She looks at the clock on the top of the school, it’s still 7:50, she has 10 more minutes to familiarize herself with the school.

The school uniform is just like the uniform in her previous school, but this time, it's blue. They tie their buns with a uniform hair tie. Instead of having turtle necks, they have round collars with the logo of the school on the side. She walks around the school, most of the subject classrooms are in one building, so she can’t be entirely lost. The library is conquering the first floor of the third building, the school staffs’ rooms conquer the first floor of the second building. At exactly 8 am, she went her way to the gardening area after going around the school. The students were piling around the garden, the others were sitting on the bench. There’s a greenhouse on the side and a big garden plot. There are other plants here that act as decorations, but due to the inconsistency of the plant kind, it may be a project of the previous students. The teacher arrived, “Good morning, Miss Pandora.” They all said in chorus. “Good morning students and welcome to the last semester of your school year. Also in this semester, you have a new classmate, please step forward and introduce yourself.”

Phoebe steps forward, everyone in the class looks at her. “Hello everyone, I am Phoebe of Mires, nice meeting you all.” She said as she steps backward, some of her classmates are still looking at her. “Welcome to Class 1, Phoebe. Anyway, let us go to the first lesson this semester.” The class officially starts. After the several class, Phoebe looks around and picks a spot to each her lunch. She was eating the dish her father cooked for her. She stopped as she saw a girl who seems going to her place. “Hey, is this your spot?” The girl was about to go away as she turns to her, “Well, yes… But you seemed occupied it, I’m just gonna… Take another spot… Sorry for interrupting you.” She said as she walks to her way. “Hey!” She went to her, “This might be your favorite spot, I am just a new student here, so you are the first owner, so you’ll take it.” The girl looks shyly at her, “Really?” She said in a soft shy voice. “Mhmm.” Phoebe nods as the girl looks at her, “How about you? You are new here, and you don’t know which seat is already taken here at the little plaza. Come… You can sit with me if you want…” She said as Phoebe smiles, they went to the isolated spot.  “I am Phoebe of Mires, by the way.” She said as she continues to eat. The girl starts eating her soup. “I am Shyrene of Oliver.” She said as she slurps. “Wow, you live by your name.” Phoebe giggles as Shyrene did too. The shy girl looks at what she is eating, “Is that a fish fillet from The Seafood Paradise?” Phoebe nods, “Mhmm, father made it for me.” Shyrene looks at her confused, “Father?” “Oh, well, my father owns that restaurant.” She said as Shyrene’s eyes sparkle, “Really!? I love what your father cooks!” Phoebe smiles, her father changed a lot in this city with his cuisine, and maybe her life too. “Me too, I remember the times he just cooks for us, now he is cooking for a bunch of strangers. And they love my dad.” Phoebe gave some of her lunch to Shyrene and they both enjoyed their time. 

Phoebe goes to her home with a new friend, and she is just streets away from her. She arrived at her house smiling, even though she is back here in the lands of reality, she seems to enjoy her youth once more than ever before. But, she still needs to overthrow the king as much as possible before everything collapses on his feet. She changed her clothes and went to the kitchen of the restaurant to help his father and her brother. “Phoebe, some food critic is going here. Let’s make it worth it.” Phoebe was shocked, this is going too fast, a food critic? “Why would be there a food critic? Is there something wrong?” Her father laughs, “Phoebe, it is the process of verifying our restaurant and making it more well-known. It may be Oliver’s new pride!” He said as he starts to cook. Phoebe continues to chop some vegetables. It was a busy hour for them. “Phoebe, you can rest and stop now.” Her father said as he starts to organize the food they have for the food critic. Bastien goes into the kitchen, “Father, he is already here.” Nathan sighs and calms himself. “Just calm…” 

Meanwhile, outside of the kitchen, Maya is assisting the food critic. “Mr. Palledo, please take a seat.” She said as she offers the gentleman a seat. Sir Palledo of Gumpel, the famous chef in Eshecaea and also the famous food critic in the kingdom. He works before for the Late King Clemence and Queen Persephene as the royal cook, he continued until Desiree’s parents' reign, then retire halfway through. Phoebe goes out of the kitchen and looks at him. She is familiar with him, she whispered to herself, “That’s Sir Palledo… I think.” Her father serves him the dish they prepared for him. He started to taste it all. He kept a flat reaction to every dish. Nathan was worried about it. Every one of them wishes that he will approve this. In Phoebe, her father’s cooking skill might not be like his, but she hopes he would like it. After he ate the last dish, he looks at Nathan and suddenly smiles. “Great work, I’ll rate this 5 stars.” All of them celebrated as other customers were happy too. From this day on, her father’s restaurant will be famous. Phoebe smiles, everything is going on her side. Everything is so good and victorious. It was a new era for her, and it's a good one.