“D-d-duchess Coldwater?” Earl Blizwarn asked completely horrified.

“Hello Blizwarn” Duchess Coldwater said with a bright smile before her eyes narrowed on him, “It’s so good to have a proper conversation with you finally.”

“W-w-why…” Earl Blizwarn stammered unable to form a sentence.

“Why do you think?” She said sweetly looking at Blizwarn as if he was a tiny mouse caught in her trap, “You don’t need to answer that. Allow me to explain.” She said sauntering her way over to the couch moving past both Kristel and Florence and offering them both a kind smile.

“You did amazing.” She said to Kristel before regarding Earl Blizwarn once more.

“I am here to have a civil discussion with you. Are we not fellow nobles who follow our great King Avildor? It is only right for us to have conversation. Especially since I don’t believe that we’ve ever been able to talk in parties before.” She said as she sat down elegantly onto the couch.

“Oh, this is a very good couch. Let me guess, phoenix feathers?” She asked.

“Uhhh…” Blizwarn said looking lost.

“Those are some very expensive cushions, especially if you are to buy them legally.” She said as she felt the softness of the padding before looking over to the Earl, “Oh, I see you’re nervous about all the extra company?” She asked.

Blizwarn gave no verbal response only staring in wide-eyed stunned silence so Duchess Coldwater turned to the others, “Would you all lovely people step out for a moment and leave us alone? Everyone but Bryson of course.” She asked sweetly.

The guards needed no further encouragement and immediately saluted and exited out. Florence and Lottie looked over to Bryson who gave a nod of approval. Florence then guided Kristel out while Lottie waved goodbye to them.

“Ah, right, we still need some protection.” Duchess Coldwater said coming to a realization, “Omen! Please come in!” She sang out.

Loud stomping was suddenly heard and a massive suit of armour marched its way through the doors, past the other guards. Lottie looked at it in awe as it went past her. It marched itself all the way over to Duchess Coldwater, stomping its large heavy metal boots all over the carpet.

“What is this?” Blizwarn managed to shriek out.

“Oh this? This is dubbed The Omen, it’s an autonomous suit of experimental armour that follows commands. It’s only a prototype however.” Duchess Coldwater explained casually enjoying Blizwarn’s expression.

“Don’t worry, it’s just here for security reasons and nothing else.” She said as the door to his house was now closed leaving only her, Blizwarn, Bryson and the massive seven-foot-tall suit of armour alone.

“Why are you here Duchess?” Earl Blizwarn asked in barely a whisper.

“I am here to make a deal.” She said with a wicked smile on her face.

Bryson was a bit too preoccupied with staring at The Omen to pay much attention to the conversation his mother was having. He swore that the thing turned and looked at him for a moment. As Bryson continued to stare at it he wasn’t able to notice anything out of place from the thing, but it still bothered him that the thing was here right next to him.

(I need you to focus now dear.) A voice suddenly emerged in his head. It was his mother’s voice.

What? Bryson thought back incredibly confused.

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(It’s me your mother dear, I’m talking to you in your head.) The voice said. Bryson looked over and saw his mother offering him a kind smile.

(It’s a simple messaging spell. It allows us to talk to one another.)

(You can do that?) Bryson thought back finally managing to figure out how to reply to her.

(Oh wonderful! You figure it out already. I thought it might take another minute for you to figure out how to reply to me.)

(Wait, is this how you and Father always seem to come to a decision without uttering a word?)

(Of course. Communication is key. Though in this case I am making a two-way channel to allow you to talk to me. You will need to learn this spell yourself soon enough.)

(How is this the first time I’m knowing about this.)

(Because I know that you would want to learn this spell quickly, so I waited until you were old enough.)

(I… can’t argue with that.)

(Good, now we will continue this conversation later. Focus on this other conversation now.) Duchess Coldwater messaged him as she began to speak with Earl Blizwarn.

“You seem to have financial troubles don’t you?” She asked Blizwarn.

“Why would you say that?” He said trying to play it off.

“I could say that I checked your recent records.” She said with an amused sigh, “Which I did, but I know you do because you said so.”

“What? When?”

“Earlier, with my son Bryson. You mentioned that you have financial issues.”

“Wait, how do you know that?” Bryson said suddenly speaking up.

“Because of the tracker of course dear.” She said to him with a smile.

“You put a tracker in me?” Bryson screamed.

“Of course not!” Duchess Coldwater said looking mortified at the thought, “Your father and I aren’t monsters.”

“Then how?”

“Yes, how did you overhear our conversation!” Blizwarn spoke up. Only to immediately cower back as Duchess Coldwater sent a venomous glare to silence him.

“I put a tracker that allowed me to listen in on your conversations on Kristel.” She explained.

“Where?”

“Her hairpin.”

“You bugged her hairpin?”

“Yes, the lovely black one, did you notice?”

“No…?”

“Oh baby, you need to notice these things to be successful.” Duchess Coldwater said disappointed.

“For what? Also does she have to wear that tracker on her all the time?” Bryson asked.

“Oh, don’t worry you can replace it after this.” Duchess Coldwater said ignoring his first question before looking back to Blizwarn again.

“So. You clearly have some financial troubles. I don’t think it would be very difficult for me to prove this and have all your assets seized.” She said.

She enjoyed watching Blizwarn squirm before her. Bryson almost felt bad for him, almost. Bryson still wasn’t happy about what the man did to Kristel, but he knew that Blizwarn was about to pay a lot for his actions.

“However, with all these valuable items around your house and the legacy of the Blizwarn family, it would be a shame for your family legacy to be tarnished like that.” She said deviously.

“So… what do you propose.” Blizwarn asked nervously.

“I will take on your debt.” She said simply.

“What?” Blizwarn and Bryson said in unison.

“In exchange. You return the mask back to the museum.” She began before being interrupted.

“What makes you think that I have it?” Earl Blizwarn asked sheepishly before quieting down again once, “Of course duchess. Right away.”

“That’s not only it. Considering everything that you owe has been paid by me. You officially work for me. Meaning this whole place is unofficially mine.” As she said this The Omen moved behind Blizwarn.

“So that means that you listen to me, you make your family listen to me. Or you can be in jail and I can destroy everything you own.” Duchess Coldwater, “So do we have a deal?” She said extending a hand towards him.

Earl Blizwarn stared at The Omen for a long moment before turning back towards Duchess Coldwater. He knew that this would be the end of the life that he knew no matter what happened next. Was it to be under the thumb of the Coldwaters, damning his entire family to this fate for potentially all of eternity? Or accept the loss of everything he had worked for his entire life? He thought long and hard before finally, reluctantly nodding in agreement.

“Yes… agreed.” He said accepting her hand and shaking it.

Bryson swore he could hear the sound of thunder the moment they shook hands. Which made no sense considering it was a bright, cloudless sunny day.

“Bryson. You may leave now. There are a few finer details I want to get into that might be boring to you.” Duchess more so advised than ordered.

“Right. Goodbye mother, Earl Blizwarn.” Bryson Coldwater said leaving the home, ignoring Blizwarn’s pleading eyes.

(Remember dear, always make sure you have the upper hand in a ‘negotiation’. Also figure out how to do this spell. I’ve told Primrose not to help you until you learn the basics of Psionics.) She messaged him cheerfully watching him leave.

(Yes mother.)

When Bryson left the building, he saw all the extra cars that were now parked all over the area. As he closed the door he was immediately greeted by Lottie.

“What happened?” She asked curiously.

“Nothing much. Job’s done.” Bryson said as he plucked the hairpin out of Kristel’s hair, “I’ll get you a new one.” He said as he walked back to the way came from.