A mountain of a man stared down upon Lee. His scorn was filled with emotion. She trembled, his aura made her feel like she was being pushed into the ground.
“Please sir, I’m so sorry. Forgive us!” Lee squealed, cowering.
Shellorn, while playfully skipping through town, accidentally ran into this stranger. She was sprawled out on the ground with Lee kneeling next to her. Her collision with the man resembled an arrow bouncing off a sturdy metal shield.
“Forgive you?” The man crouched down to meet her face to face.
Her heart was racing, the man’s aura and presence sent chills down herback. There was nowhere to run, especially with Shellorn down for the count. How was she going to protect both herself and her friend in this situation?
“Little girl…” Tears began welling in the man’s eyes, “I-I should be the one asking you for forgiveness.”
Huh.
Streams began pouring from his eyes, being sponged up by his large beard. His sniffles were loud enough to make Lee’s eardrums ring.
“I didn’t hear a thing! I blindly walked around the corner sniff. And… and I almost killed her!”
“Agh!” Shellorn grabbed her wrist.
“The pain! It hurts!”
Lee wrinkled her nose. She hadn’t known Shellorn for a super long time, but she was definitely sturdy enough to take a fall like that. Maybe a few bumps and scratches, but nothing that would cause this reaction.
Also, her tone of voice didn’t seem quite convincing. Shellorn was usually quite over exaggerative, but the performance she was giving now was a bit much.
“We need to hurry,” The man said, “She’ll die if we don’t give her aid!”
What?
Lee just sat crouched before her laid out friend, confused. Her brain wasn’t able to comprehend the situation in front of her.
Is… is this normal here? Do people just act like this?
The man reached down to Shellorn, preparing to pick her up. She put up her hand, telling him to stop.
“I-I will be fine,” her voice was raspy, “I will pull through, but I require rest. Specifically sustenance and rest.”
“I urge you,” The man got down on the cobble road, pushing his forehead into the ground, “Please have dinner with me and my wife tonight. It’s not much for the heinous crime I committed against you, but please accept my humble offer.”
“Wha-”
“We gladly accept.” Shellorn sprang off the ground and gave a courteous bow, holding her cloak to the side with one hand.
Her recovery seemed almost unbelievable.
As she bowed, she gave Lee a wink with her hidden face. All of her prior injuries seemed to have magically disappeared at the mention of a free meal.
There is no way in hell she planned that.
“Th-thank you for accepting my offer,” The man looked up from the ground, “If you are unable to walk, I could carry you?”
“Sweet, sounds gre-”
“She’s fine, she’ll walk,” Lee put an arm out in front of her.
“But Leelee-”
“I said you’ll walk!” She gave Shellorn a scowl.
Lee wasn’t pleased with the way her friend was taking advantage of this good natured fellow. Shellorn must’ve gotten the message and didn’t protest any longer. The man nodded his head, getting back up to his feet.
“Then, let me escort you to my wife and I’s residence.”
###
After about a twenty minute walk towards the northern end of the city, Shellorn and the man were well into a conversation.
“And then, the man refused to pay what he promised me! Can you believe that?”
“What a tyrant! I can’t believe he would lie to two little girls such as yourselves.”
I don’t think that’s quite what happened.
Lee’s vision went from the pair walking in front of her to the dog trotting at her side. It seemed to be quite content with this extra long walk.
Am I the only one uncomfortable with this situation?
A random full grown man had offered dinner to two teenage girls. It was with his wife, but that was just his word. Who knows if he’s telling the truth. Lee had learned throughout her life not to hand out trust without people earning it first.
“So,” Lee began, “You said we would be joined by your wife for dinner. What is she like?”
The man’s shoulders slumped, losing the energy he had when talking with Shellorn.
“My wife…” His upbeat tone changed, “She’s too good for me. Her beauty is of the gods, and that is only matched by her kindness. She’s brilliant too. She’s looked up to by many, her leadership is admirable.” The man wiped some tears from his face, “I’m the luckiest man alive. I have no business being with such a perfect woman.”
Her eyes widened.
I wasn’t expecting that.
She had assumed he had some sort of cover story about his “wife,” but the passion the man spoke with caught her off guard. Every word he spoke from the moment she had met him was soaked with passion and emotion, but these words sounded like they had marinated in it for days.
He must be a great actor, or I’m just paranoid.
“Um-”
“Oh! It looks like we’re here.” The man said, stopping next to a large metal gate.
Lee, caught up in her detective work, hadn’t noticed that they were walking in quite the prosperous neighborhood. The houses surrounding them were still made up of a multitude of different colored woods, but now the design work was even more intricate.
They were not in what seemed to be a wealthy residential area. There were a lot less people around and the houses were spaced a lot further apart than the buildings in the shopping district. This allowed for more shrubbery to be a part of the style, complimenting the wooden architecture well.
Along with that, the sizes of the houses even dwarfed the businesses they walked by earlier. Even further, the gate the man had stopped in front of was quite gorgeous itself. The metal wasn’t rustic, it gleamed, seeming like it had been polished every day. Woven into the repetitive pattern of straight bars were intricate designs, most resembling humanoid figures.
“Th-this is where you live?” Lee’s mouth gaped.
“Yes, well I would call it where my wife lives. I’m more or less of a freeloader.” The man chuckled at himself.
Before her mind had fully grasped the situation, another man in a well fitted black suit came walking up on the other side of the gate. His hands were placed behind his back, with his chest proudly stretched out. His hair was white, but he didn’t seem old or decrepit. He also wore a monocle over his right eye.
“Master Stronwen, you have returned a little early. Did everything go well?” The man’s eyes slowly went from Stronwen to Shellorn and then to Lee.
Stronwen huh.
She just realized the man had never properly introduced himself to them, nor had they introduced themselves to him. She kicked back the embarrassing feelings. Her awareness for social cues weren’t always the best, but giving a basic introduction to someone offering a free meal was pretty elementary.
“No, I committed a heinous crime against this poor girl here,” Stronwen gestured to Shellorn, “I offered to have them over for dinner for payment and they humbly accepted.”
The man’s stern eyes pierced into Lee and Shellorn’s being.
“A heinous crime you say? Very well, we can’t have you discrediting the Vassauge’s great name with your foul deeds.”
The man seemed very used to Stronwen’s emotionally filled words.
He opened the gate without any more words and led them down a long path. The path had gorgeously trimmed shrubbery on either side. Lee’s vision went past the well dressed man in front of her to the house in the foreground.
It was less of a house and more of a mansion… No, it was a mansion. The houses back along the street were grandiose, but this one made those look like small huts. There were two wings on either side, with a large building almost touching the sky in the middle. Unlike the colorful wood used in almost every other building she had seen until then, this one was made mostly of a brilliant white stone. The reflected the sunlight, making it look as if it were shining as bright as the sun itself. The multicolored wood was used more for decorative purposes and accents than structural design, adding an artistic flare to the awe-inspiring building.
While Lee was entranced with her surroundings, Shellorn expressed her interest directly.
“Woah! These bushes, do you have to cut them every day? And that house!” She threw her hands forward, “How do you even manage such a large space? What do you even do with all of this?”
She was rattling off questions much too fast for Stronwen to reply.
Before Lee even knew, they had passed by a luxurious fountain and climbed up several steps and were faced with a grandiose entrance. The doors were more than double the height of Stronwen who was a few feet taller than Lee and Shellorn.
“I have already notified the mistress of your arrival.” The man leading them said, while opening the door.
The group stepped into the mansion. The inside was just as jaw dropping as the outside had been. A large open entrance, with a golden chandelier hanging in the middle. Two staircases from either side of the room met at the top of the second floor as if giving eachother a gentle kiss. Many different doors and hallways routed out from here. Lee found herself already feeling lost just looking at it.
Her vision focused in. Standing in front of her were two women. A girl around her age in a maid dress, and an older woman wearing a gorgeous white dress. She exuberated an aura of royalty and elegance. She had long silver hair that was nicely tied behind her back and wrinkles that started at the crests of her eyes, but her exorbitant beauty was still present. Her elegant pearl white dress was fitting for having dinner at the most lavish of places, maybe even with royalty.
“Dear, you’ve returned with guests. May you introduce me to them?” She said with a composed smile.
“Yes ma’am,” Stronwen turned to Lee and Shellorn and whispered, “What are your guy’s names?”
WHACK!
“You imbecile!” The older woman’s elegant face turned sharp, she had pulled some sort of stick out of thin air, “You invited them here without first doing proper introductions?”
“I-I’m sorry Tirany.” Tears began to swell in the big oaf's eyes, he cowered in front of his wife.
The woman turned her attention to the girls. Her fury softened.
“Seeing that my husband is incompetent, I will properly introduce ourselves to you. I am Tirany Vassauge, minister of Fangwu,” she gave a small curtsy, “And you have already met my husband, Stronwen Vassauge, minister of being a pain in the ass. And may you kindly introduce yourselves to me?”
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Shellorn stepped forward, dramatically bowing and deepening her voice.
“I’m Shellorn Van-Drighten, minister of a shack in the woods east of here. And this is Lee Johnson, minister of that dog.”
Don’t mock the freaking minister of the town!
Lee stepped in front of her.
“I’m so s-”
Lee was interrupted by Tirany’s burst of laughter. “I can see why my husband invited you two to dinner, you’re quite a pair,” she let out a long sigh before continuing, “Well, Nayu can escort you to your rooms to prepare for dinner.”
The maid standing quietly next to Tirany stepped forward. She was quite small, had blonde hair neatly tucked into a bun. Nayu gave a small bow to them.
“And Chenwore,” Tirany addressed the butler, who had let the group into the mansion, “May you take their dog?” she turned back to Lee, “I’m sorry, but I can’t have animals inside the mansion.”
Lee nodded in agreement and handed the butler the rope.
“We usually use this. You can tie him up anywhere outside.”
Chenwore took the rope gracefully, “I will take great care of him.”
No need to take too good of care.
He bent down to tie the rope around the dog. It wasn’t having it, turning its back and constantly moving around the butler’s legs, refusing to stay still.
“Here let me try.”
Lee took the rope back and firmly tied it around the dog. She had trouble with her knots earlier that day, but this time went surprisingly well. It helped that the dog was much more obedient with her. She then handed the end of the rope back to the butler.
“Thank you.”
He took it and led the dog outside. The dog refused to move until Lee gave it a shove with her shin. It still resisted, but Chenwore was able to pull him outside.
Both Tirany and Stronwen Vassauge left, leaving the three young girls by themselves in the entryway.
“May I escort you both to your rooms?” The maid's green eyes sparkled.
“R-rooms?”
“Yes, you must wash up before having dinner with the mistress and her husband.”
“We get our own rooms for that, sick! Lead the way!” Shellorn skipped after Nayu, who calmly led them through the plethora of hallways and doors in the mansion.
###
Lee’s face softly pressed against the cold glass of a window. She gazed outside into the house’s surroundings. Bushes, trees, flowers, fountains, ponds, benches, pathways and more were scattered around the garden. Lee had a great view, her window was placed at least three stories above the surface.
Their room was on the back side of the mansion, looking over the expansive garden. In the center was a small pond with a statue of a man erected in the center. Gravel pathways wrapped around it and branched off into different directions, going into tall shrubbery that would make the section seem more like a maze.
She had never seen anything like this before, even online. This was truly one of a kind, a fantasy come true.
“Oh man, this place is so awesome!”
Shellorn leapt from their bed to the surface of a cabinet. She was refusing to touch the ground, playing her own version of “the floor is lava”. Lee had seen her play this game many times before but with trees and rocks in the forest instead of fancy furniture in a luxurious room.
When she turned her vision back to outside the window, she couldn’t hear a single footstep but still knew Shellorn was jumping around the place like a monkey.
Some movement down below caught Lee’s attention. Chenwore, the butler who took the dog earlier, was carrying some wood. He was heading towards a shed about ten meters away from the side of the mansion. At the shed, the dog laid on the ground. He had tied it there earlier, leaving it with a bit of food. The dog hadn’t touched the food yet, it was simply laying down. Although it was far away, Lee could feel the dog’s eyes on her. Its usual playful manner sombered, their eyes locked on one another.
What am I going to do with you?
She began twirling her hair with her index finger.
Lee had asked that question to herself many times before. When she had first come to this place, the dog was quite a nuisance. She still shudders at the memories of hiking through that forest without food or water for what felt like an eternity. Although, ever since Lee met Shellorn, the dog became much less of a pest. She was even finding comfort in having it around. It was a nice constant in this constant barrage of new scenery and people.
Lee smiled.
Dumb dog, you’re not winning me over that easily. You still have a lot to pay me back for… Especially for my hair follicles.
“Oh shit!” THUD!
Lee snapped out her train of thought, turning away from the window. She found Shellorn sprawled out onto the ground.
Shellorn gave her a sheepish smile, “These shelves are a lot different from the trees and rocks I’m used to… hehe”
Lee burst out in laughter,
“Shell, what am I going to do with you?”
Just then there was a light knock on the door. Nayu’s soft voice was barely audible from the other side.
“The table is now set, I’m here to bring you both to dinner. Are you both ready?”
###
Nayu once again led them through twisting hallways and numerous doors. Lee tried to remember every turn they made, but it was a futile effort. Nayu gracefully stopped in front of a door and opened it. She dipped her head to them, indicating them to walk in ahead of her.
They followed her cue, and walked into the dining room. Just as Lee had expected, it matched the rest of the house. There was a long table that could hold well over fifty people. The chairs surrounding it were much taller than her and each seemed to have its own unique design on their backs. Columns were equally spaced around the edges of the room but the wall on the other side, parallel to the table, had no columns blocking the view. That wall was almost entirely one large stained glass window.
The window itself would be impressive on its own, equalling to about 1800 square feet, but there was something even more impressive that made her mouth drop. The details. As if the entire story of the world was put into one portrait, the window told a story. Figures in silver armor surrounded the base of a mountain. On top of that mountain was a giant dragon. Standing directly in front of the dragon, was a small figure in a white robe. The sun in the foreground hit just right to highlight the dragon and white figure in a beautiful display of the combination of refraction and reflection. Lee could’ve spent all day staring at this masterpiece, but Nayu had finished closing the door behind them and started to guide them to the table. She led them to the far end of the long table and seated them by the head of the table next to each other.
“Lady Vassauge and her husband will be here shortly.”
“Thank you Nayu.” Lee smiled at the small maid.
“My pleasure.” Nayu gave a curtsy that would have scored a perfect ten. She then silently strode out of the room, lightly closing the hefty doors behind her.
“Leelee isn’t this place amazing?” Shellorn’s eyes were wide with excitement.
“Shell, what is even going on?”
“I don’t know, but I could get used to this life.” she slung her boots on the table, kicking back.
Disgusted, Lee slapped her shoulder. She pulled her legs back under the table just in time as Chenwore opened the door behind them. They looked back to find Stronwen coming into the room with his majestic wife behind him.
He stomped his way over to the other side of the table and sat across from Shellorn. Tirany gracefully glided across the room to the head of the table. She then waited for Chenwore to pull the chair out for her before gently seating herself. He then smoothly pushed her chair in. Now all of them were seated. The group wrapped around the edge of the table with Tirany at the head.
An awkward silence held for a bit, but Chenwore chimed in, “What will each of you drink?”
He seemed to be mediating as the server along with being the butler.
Both Stronwen and Tirany asked for drinks Lee had never heard of before. Next was Shellorn’s turn.
“I’ll have a Rad Saddler.” Shellorn confidently exclaimed.
Chenwore tilted his head. Stronwen let out a hearty laugh.
“That’s some good taste you got there Ms. Shellorn, but Tirany doesn’t allow alcohol inside the house.”
Alcohol?
Isn’t Shellorn much too young for alcohol? What am I thinking, the laws are probably different here.
“Oh, then I’ll have water then.”
“Same.”
Chenwore left the room, leaving the two hosts with their guests. Tirany started off the conversation.
“How did you two meet my husband?”
Stronwen tried answering the question, “You see, I was out in town when-”
WHACK!
“Dear,” her voice turned momentarily chilly, “Let our guests answer.”
“Um, so-” Lee began.
Shellorn promptly placed both of her hands on the table, “So there I was, walking about town.”
More like sprinting.
“I had just come from trying to sell some herbs, but the shopkeep had lied to me about their prices, so I was very disappointed.” she placed an arm around Lee, “My dear friend here and I wouldn’t be able to sell the herbs for any profit, so we were left completely broke.”
That much is true.
“So, there we are. Completely broke, with no place to go home to.”
Less true.
They had both Shellorn’s shack and her parent’s shop to stay at, but it seems like she was stretching the truth a tiny bit.
Tirany tilted her head, “No place to go home to? Do you two not have parents?”
“No.” Shellorn abruptly replied.
Lee opened her mouth, but then shut in what she was going to say.
She knew Shellorn had a strenuous relationship with her parents, but proclaiming to have no parents so concisely caught her off guard. It didn’t seem like her to lie, so Lee trusted her friend that it was without any malicious intent.
Shellorn continued on with her story about Stronwen crashing into her and him offering them a meal. She obviously exaggerated some details, but overall it was what had happened.
During the story, Chenwore had come back in with everyone's drinks and placed them on the table without interrupting.
“I see,” Tirany took a small sip from her drink, “I am sorry for my husband’s incompetence,” She glared at him, but it felt more playful than bitter, “It seems that he is incapable of even walking about town.”
Lee found herself becoming distracted by the beautiful stained glass window. The conversation flowed by her like a piece of driftwood. Shellorn had held the conversation with Tirany, so she silently sat as a bystander.
“Such a tragedy what happened to Klahn.” Tirany said, gesturing to the window. She must’ve taken notice of her staring at the stained glass.
“Who’s Klahn?” The words escaped Lee’s lips without conscious thought.
Both Stronwen and Tirany looked at her surprised. She felt every muscle in her body tense, but Shellorn had her back, giving a quick explanation in her place.
“Oh Lee here lost her memory. Long story short, I found her lost in the woods with the dog and I’m helping her out.”
“Lost her memory?”
“Yea,” Shellorn giggled, “She must’ve hit her head real bad. When I found her she didn’t even know how to read. But she’s been relearning at an incredible pace. She’s quite good with words.”
Stronwen chimed in, “So, did you two know each other before she lost her memories?”
“No,” Lee finally spoke up, “But Shellorn here has been so kind to me. It already feels as if she’s been a lifelong friend.”
She noticed Shellorn’s usual playful expression slightly change from the corner of her eye.
“So, who is this Klahn?” Lee grasped the confidence to ask this question, squeezing her hand into a tight fist under the table.
Tirany’s expression sombered, “He was the greatest caster in human history, perhaps all of history. He single handedly protected the kingdom for over two hundred years,” she gestured to the window, “This artwork you seem so interested in was his greatest victory.
“North of here, in the mountains, lies a dragon whose main goal is pure destruction. He sleeps for hundreds of years at a time, but every time he wakes up, whole civilizations are wiped out. About 150 years ago, Klahn was able to fend the dragon off for the first time in history. This was a defining moment for human civilization, helping us keep our Empire together without the natural reset coming.”
Lee’s violet eyes widened, “He defeated a dragon?”
Tirany smirked, “Well, some say ‘defeated’ is an exaggeration. Maybe a more accurate description is to say he redirected the dragon. The dragon still went on to massacre former Kobold clans in the west. But for human kind, I would call it a victory. His actions of protecting the kingdom for over two hundred years has directly led to the unprecedented prosperity of this kingdom.”
“And… Did something happen to him?”
She could feel an ominous sense whenever Tirany spoke of this Klahn.
“Yes. About a year ago he went missing. Proclaimed dead along with the princess who was being crowned queen. There are many loose ends about that attack…” she paused, “But after that day both Klahn and the princess were nowhere to be found. This left the empire in a hard situation, with the former queen passing and her heir missing as well. Fortunately, the princess had a younger sibling who has prematurely taken the mantle of queen since. Klahn dying has left a massive power vacuum but Queen Kori has done her best despite her young age. She’s been supplementing the defensive power Klahn provided the empire by improving foreign relations with the neighboring kingdom to the east…” Tirany smiled at her own ramblings, “That’s enough politics for now. I have to talk about this stuff all day. I need a break from it.”
As if called, Chenwore came into the dining room with two large covered trays in each hand. Balancing them alone was an impressive act, but Lee couldn’t imagine how heavy they were if they were both packed with food.
“Dinner is served.”
He laid out the two trays on the table, lifting their lids. Steam poured out from them. The savory smell made Lee’s mouth water. Whatever this was smelled way better than the rabbit stew they had been living off of.
They all dug in. Tirany and Lee politely took small bites with the proper utensils.
Although Lee hadn’t grown up going to fancy restaurants, she still knew the basics of table etiquette.
Stronwen and Shellorn didn’t hold back, the discrepancies between each pair's manners was comical. Tirany smiled, noticing that Lee was making the same disappointed face at Shellorn that she made to her husband.
As the group ate their fill, the sun slowly sunk behind the large stained glass window. After the initial scramble of food, Shellorn and Stronwen carried most of the conversation. Hearty laughs and cute giggles could be heard from the servant quarters. Tirany made sure Lee wasn’t pushed out of the conversation by these large personalities, often asking her questions directly or disciplining her husband to allow for Lee to get a word in. After much food and laughter, Nayu entered the dining room.
“Miss Shellorn and Miss Lee, are you ready to be escorted back to your rooms?” She gave a small bow.
“Oh, it’s awfully late. Shellorn and I better get going before we overstay our welcome.” Lee said.
Tirany let a little laugh slip, “You’re such a funny girl. Do you think I would allow two young girls such as yourselves to leave my house without a place to go? Especially when I have so many empty rooms that constantly go to waste. Please, the both of you, stay here as long as you need to. I insist.”
Lee opened her mouth, but it was Shellorn who replied.
“Sweet!,” she sprang out of her chair, “Thank you Minister Vassauge,” she gave her usual overdramatic bow.
“It is my pleasure young Shellorn, and please call me Tirany. That goes for you too Lee.”
“Uh- oh. Thank you, Tirany.”
She gave a motherly smile to the pair, “Now off to your rooms you go, it’s getting late now.”
Nayu led the pair of girls out of the dining room. Tirany’s wrinkled eyes kept looking at the door long after it had shut. She turned her head to the right, wondering about something. There, in his chair, sat Stronwen passed out. He was in a food coma.
“Ugh, you are totally useless aren’t you?”
Her words said one thing, but her soft smile said another.
She stood up from her chair, “I better not have to get Chenwore to drag you back to our bed like last time.”
She looked back to the door.
“Well, maybe you’re not completely useless. Those girls you brought back… They are quite lovely.”
Tirany slowly caressed her stomach where a lingering pain still haunted her.
“Yes, they are just simply wonderful.”