The old man looked up as I approached, leathery tan skin creasing into a grimace.

"Sorry Miss, it won't be safe ter wander here fer now, we'll be fellin' this tree 'ere soon." He gestured his hand towards the yellowing tree as he spoke, voice raspy and gruff.

I kept walking until I stood next to him, and also looked up at the bare branches.

"What's wrong with the tree? Can it not be fixed?" I asked.

The old gardener sighed, using one hand to massage his temples. "It's got some sorta disease in it that's makin' it sick. I've tried 'ery which way ter fix it but nothin's worked. I've got ter get rid of it now afore it spreads ter the other trees."

Hmm, I think I've dealt with this before.

I looked over to the gardener. "Do you mind if I take a look at it before you cut it down?" I asked.

He chuckled, pulling his straw hat up onto his head and pushing it down into place. "Sure, knock yerself out. Once the young lad comes back with the saw and axe yer better make yerself scarce though."

I gave him a small smile and nod, stepped up to the trunk and laid both my hands against the bark. Drawing my magic through the circle on the arm brace, I focused on the tree. Its energy was weak, its strands of energy barely visible in places, the pulse of its life faint. Small black dots were burrowed into the trunk, and as I watched they seemed to absorb some of the tree's life force.

Yep, I know what this is.

"You've got an infestation of Rapina beetles in the tree. They've dug their way under the bark and are sapping the life out of it," I told the old gardener as I pulled away from the trunk and dusted off my hands. "We'll need to dig them out if you want to save the tree."

"Huh," the old man said as he looked me up and down. "You wouldn't happen ter be the, watcher call, earth magus they dragged in yesterday now wouldya?" He asked.

I gave him a lopsided grin. Evidently news travels fast within the mansion. "Yes, that would be me," I replied.

Another man had joined us while I inspected the tree - dressed the same as the old man, this one was younger with lighter skin and dark hair. He was carrying an axe and saw. "If you're a magus, why don't you just use your magic to fix it?" he asked.

The old gardener smacked the younger one on the back of his head, causing the young man's hat to fall over his eyes.

"A'cos we need to know how ter fix it if it happens when she ain't here, yer fool," he said, although there was no venom in his voice.

I stifled a giggle. I had intended on showing them how to fix the problem without magic, so I was glad the old man had the same thought as me.

"Alright," I said while clapping my hands together. "I'll need a knife to cut the beetles out and some dry moss to pack into the cuts."

The younger man dumped the axe and saw onto the ground and ran off to get the moss, and the old gardener handed me a knife that had been strapped to his belt.

"I appreciate yer helpin," he said as I took the knife from him. "And yer can call me Gordon."

I smiled. "Nice to meet you Gordon, I'm Rowan."

I began cutting out the beetles, showing both men how to spot where they were and what steps to take afterwards. Once the beetles were removed, I packed the cuts with the moss the younger man - who introduced himself as Max - brought back with him. It was tedious and time consuming, but at last we removed all the bugs.

"What do you think you're doing with that tree!" an indignant voice shouted from behind us as I was packing the last of the cuts with moss.

A man was storming up to us, blue eyes flashing against olive skin and short, thick black hair. He was wearing a fine black tunic with gold embroidery around the hem, the long sleeves also embroidered in gold with fire magic circles. A small gold fire lantern swing from a shiny leather belt, small flame flaring brightly.

Oh, here were go.

"Those trees are imported by the Duke himself, do you have any idea what they're worth?" The angry man continued to rage. He had stopped a few steps short of us and kept shouting.

"Young Master, please, she was just.." Gordon held out a placating hand, trying to explain, but was completely ignored.

"Destruction of ducal property is an imprisonable offence! I have half a mind to have you arrested right this moment! How dare a mere commoner..." The young master was red in the face, spittle flying from his mouth as he screamed at me.

I rolled my eyes, not caring that he'd see. This stuck up prick clearly wanted an excuse to go on his little tirade. I set my hand against the tree again, and pushed a large amount of magic quickly into it, focusing angrily on the branches. Suddenly - whump! - all the branches of the tree sprouted fully formed bright green leaves so forcefully it made an audible noise. The young master staggered back a step, mouth agape as he stared upwards.

"My apologies, young master," I said, ensuring I kept my tone polite and even the way mum had taught me to when dealing with noble idiots. "I merely sought to repair this tree since it was dying. I shall ensure I won't touch any plant in these grounds again without appropriate permission. Now, if you would excuse me, I have an appointment with the Duchess I must attend."

I gave a small bow, then turned and strode away towards the front of the mansion. No-one called after me, though I remained tense as I walked in anticipation of a shout or a blow.

I really hope that doesn't come back to bite me in the ass.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

By the time I made it back to the steps of the entrance to the mansion, most of my annoyance had cooled off and was instead replaced with a small amount of worry. I reasoned with myself that if I found myself in trouble over the encounter then I could plead my case with the Duchess. I was genuinely helping in the moment, and hopefully Gordon and Max would back me up. With luck, the Duchess would be a reasonable person. I didn't hold much hope.

I pushed open the large door and stepped into the foyer, only to almost run right into Harold.

"Oh! Shit sorry Harold I didn't see you," I said as I staggered back a step, then winced when I realised I had sworn in front of this man.

"That is quite alright, Miss Rowan," he replied, seeming to be completely unfazed as he straightened his jacket. "The timing is quite perfect, I have come to fetch you for your appointment with Her Grace."

Oh, I hadn't realised how much time had passed while I was outside.

I followed Harold up the grand staircase at his urging and onto the second floor, this time heading left. Down the end of the long hallway, again passing identical doors and the many fancy looking paintings, we turned onto a smaller staircase that led up to the third floor. The carpet here was a dark green, but felt just as soft under my boots as we walked. The doors in this hallway were a bit fancier - each one carved with a swirling design. The paintings hung on the walls all consisted of important looking people in fancy attire with sombre expressions staring out from bulky gilded frames. Glass orbs holding magical light were evenly spaced along the ceiling so nowhere was cast in shadow.

Harold stopped before a pair of double doors which were carved with a howling wolf on each side. The eyes of the wolves were painted silver. He knocked sharply on one door, pushing it open once a voice from behind it called "Come in."

Harold stepped into the room beyond the doors, and I followed closely behind. The room was wide and spacious, polished timber floors peaking out from beneath a large round rug the same colour as the carpet in the hall, but trimmed with yellow around its edge. Tall bookshelves that reached the ceiling took up one side of the room and were stuffed to nearly bursting with books. The other side held a pair of comfortable couches set around a low table. The centre of the room was dominated by a heavy timber desk with neat stacks of paper seeming to hold it down. A tall window behind the desk framed it perfectly in glaring white light from the midday sun.

The woman sitting at the desk, the Duchess, paused in her writing and looked up, tucking long black hair behind her ear as she did. I felt myself flinching at the sight of her face. A deep, heavy scar ran down over her right eye, leaving it white and unseeing, and continued over her cheek and ended at her jaw. Just above where the scar started was a thick streak of white-grey hair that stood out in stark contrast to the black.

A couple of delicate gold bracelets adorned her wrists, sparkling with gems of different colours. Delicate embroidery in dark red ran down the sleeves of her white dress, and I thought I spotted the shapes of fire magic circles hidden amongst the patterns. A gold chain necklace hung on her neck, disappearing beneath the collar of the dress. Her posture was perfect, and her movements while writing seemed elegant despite only doing a simple task.

"Miss Rowan for your next appointment, your grace," Harold said, giving the Duchess a deep bow before leaving the room when she waved her hand.

The Duchess considered me with her good eye. I gulped, wiping my now sweaty palms against my pants. It felt like I was waiting to be scolded, and found myself mentally running through everything I had done since coming here to see if I did anything wrong.

Oh, I was rude to the noble idiot before, but would she know about that already?

The Duchess set her pen down and folded her hands in front of her, resting them on the desk." You are one of the earth magus that repaired the wall after the demon breach?" she asked, gaze unwavering from my face.

"Yes'm... I mean, yes your grace," I replied. I could feel sweat sliding down my back.

I just need to get through this report, then I can get home and help with the repairs.

"Please," the Duchess said, gesturing with one hand, "tell me everything you found at the Wall."

I took a deep, steadying breath. I can do this. I launched into the explanation on the Wall breach, sparing no detail. I explained how large it was, how it was bleached white and crumbled to the touch around the edges, and how it felt unnatural. When I came to mention my impression of the damaged pieces of iron vine feeling aged, the Duchess held up a hand, causing me to falter to a stop.

"One moment," she said, eyebrows knit together in a frown and gaze sharpening on my face to the point I felt she was trying to bore a hole in me. "You said the breach felt as though it was much older than the remaining Wall, can you explain that to me in more detail?"

My fingers fidgeted at the fabric of my pants. "It's... difficult to explain, your grace." I told her. "It felt the same as an old dead tree feels when its been left to dry in the sun for many years. But the sections of vine immediately around the damage were perfectly healthy."

The Duchess tapped a finger against her desk and pursed her lips. "In your opinion, could a fire have caused such an effect?"

I hesitated a moment, considering carefully before answering. "Possibly, your grace. I'm no expert on such things but... there were no signs of fire in the surrounding area. None of the grass or trees in the surrounding area had any signs of burning, nor did any of the Wall. Plus, iron vine is very resistant to fire, to be able to completely burn through fully mature vine... I'm not sure how hot a fire would need to be."

The Duchess sat back in her chair and fiddled with the pendant of the gold necklace she wore. The black stone setting glinted in the light as she twisted it to and fro with a faraway look in her eye. I shifted awkwardly on my feet.

Was she going to dismiss me, or do I need to stand here while she's lost in thought?

I found myself staring out the window behind the desk, counting any birds that flew past and trying my best not to act impatient. I had counted up to nineteen when the Duchess cleared her throat and straightened in her seat.

"Very well, I will report this to the Royal Palace. In the meantime, you will remain here until we receive word back regarding how they want to proceed. You may visit the town freely during your stay, I will have Harold arrange a token to show to the guards at the gate so they know you are permitted to come and go." The Duchess rested her elbows on the desk and laced her fingers together, staring at me over her hands. "Also, you are not to discuss the Wall breach with anyone outside of myself and those that were present with you that day. Should anyone question why you are staying here, simply tell them that you were asked to consult on the gardens."

"I'm staying here?" I blurted out, before coming to my senses and lowering my gaze to the ground. "Er, umm, I mean... Yes, your grace," I stammered.

"Do you have an issue with staying here, Miss Rowan?" the Duchess asked, a slight iciness tinging her voice.

I jolted, quickly lifting my head and holding my hands up in front of me in panic. "No! No, not at all you grace. It's just..." I lowered my hands. "Our farm was hit by a fire demon caster, with my father injured they'll need my help to repair everything." I explained.

Honestly, Mason could probably handle everything himself, but I really didn't want to hang around a house full of nobles for longer than i needed to. Who knows what could set them off?

The Duchess' face relaxed, her gaze softening. "Loyalty to family is a commendable thing. However, it doesn't change the fact that you must remain here for the time being." She waved a hand at me. "You are dismissed," she said, her tone not allowing for further protests.

I stepped back out into the hallway, feeling more than a little dazed. I'd be staying here until the damned nobility allowed me to leave.

But how long will that be?

Harold was standing with his back against the door when I exited. Upon seeing me, he gave a polite nod, caught the door before it closed behind me, and slipped into the office.

Ok, looks like I'll be finding my own way back then