Everyone sighed in relief when the school came into view up over the horizon.  It had been a long and frankly trying trip, that had in the end yielded no fruit.  The orb had been a bust, nothing more than a trap designed to drag Leon away from Lira so she was easier to snatch.

“I doubt your employer will be pleased with these results.”  Leon said, calling out to the woman riding the horse several yards in front of him.

“Oh no doubt, I am quite sure they will be pissed,” the headmaster sighed, she had no doubts in her mind that this would make her life hard. “On that topic, there is still the matter of your reward,”  she said. “Normally I would not give you the agreed upon reward unless the task was completed as asked but seeing as the circumstances are what they are and seeing as I have a feeling you will be needing this consider the keep yours.”  she looked over at Lira who was sitting on the horse with Leon. “Congratulations,”  she paused for a second, “You are now a countess.”

Lira’s eyes opened wide as she heard this, this was overwhelming.  Now no matter what she as going to have a place to go, somewhere for her and Leon to call home.  No more fear of being kicked out of her father’s house once his wife had that baby, she was now a countess, she could live the way she wanted.

Her body started shaking ever so slightly, and a few stray tears leaked out of her eyes. “Tha...”  she started, but wavered off. “Thank you.”  she sniffed and wiped the tears away with the corner of her sleeve.

“You are welcome,”  the headmistress smiled. “And you are clear to have the rest of the week off, so here.”  she tossed a key towards them, which was caught in Leon’s outstretched hand. She looked over at Krya and Fluffy as well, “All of you are off, that includes the two of you,”  she pointed down a path to the right that diverged from the school.  “Take this path it will lead you to the keep.”  she said.

After saying their goodbyes they parted ways and went down the path as directed.  It would appear the keep was only a few hours ride away from the school, meaning it could be used as a nice getaway from the craziness that was here lives.

The keep itself was of a smaller size, it was made out of white bricks, and grey mortar, almost like it had been hewed from the local limestone that was abunLeont in these hills.  Great swaths of the outer walls were covered in green and red leafed ivy that crept its way up.  Dismounting Leon opened the main courtyard with the key, and much to his surprise the great door opened by itself.

There was not a soul to be found in the courtyard, just the soft sound of a bubbling murmuring creek as it flowed through grates in the walls of the outer ramparts and divided the courtyard into two.   

Everything was green, peaceful, lush, majestic.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

As they entered the door closed behind them, leaving them all to stare in wonder at the beauty and serenity of it all.

“Now that you are a countess you will be getting a lot of suitors.”  Krya said, looking at Lira, Leon started to scowl.

“Ill kill them if they so much as look at her the wrong way.”  he growled.

“That would be very bad, I doubt Lira would have a good relationship with other nobles if you did this, but I have a solution.”  she blushed, her entire face turning a bright red. “It hasn't happened in the past 200 years, but it wouldn't be the first time...”  she trailed off and looked away, biting her lips.

“What wouldnt be the first?” Lira asked looking at her in confusion.

“We could...”  Kry started to play with her hair, bringing it across her face to hide behind it. “We could get married, you and I… ”  she said in a soft voice.

The courtyard was silent, even the birds forgot to chirp in that moment.

“We could get married?”  Lira’s eyes went wide and her face started to burn.

“Smart.”  Leon nodded to himself.

“Smart?!?!” Lira shouted turning to look at him. “You are agreeing with this?!?!”

“I have no issue with this, it keeps others away, and it keeps the four of us together.”  Leon said, looking at Lira with a slight smile.

“I uhhhhh,”  Lira started to mutter to herself, and stare at her shoes.

“Don't leave the person proposing waiting.” Leon said.

“I uhhhhh, fine, I will marry you.”  she said in a soft voice, the two of them looked away from each other both as red a beets.

“Well this is awkward.”  Fluffy said breaking the silence, ”I am going to explore the keep, you all are welcome to join me if you want.”

If he had to guess Leon would say the inner keep was around 5,000 square feet, completely furnished and immaculately clean, when he had asked Lira how this was possible without any servants around to clean it she had simply answered with one word:

“Magic.”

[Castle Eingrad]

“This could be a problem.”  a shadow said, the room was filled with figures that were just as obscure and hard to see.

“I agree with the sentiment of worry, another unknown is added and we have no way of changing the plans now.”  

“There is no need to change the plans, this has been something we have been setting up for the last 300 years.

“There is something to be said for simplicity. I still feel this is too complex, to elaborate.” the shadow said folding its hands.

“We are going about this the wrong way,”  Said a woman, folding her hands atop her now bulging belly.

“And how might I ask would you handle it lady priscilla?”

“We need to be more direct.”  she snapped back at the shadow.

“Perhaps it would be best if we were to leave that to someone less,” he looked at her stomach, “Inclined to be away for some time.”  he said carefully.

“Are you saying I can't do my job?” she snapped back at him.

“I am saying it would be more difficult for you in your current state.”  she shot the other shadows a look, with a question in her eyes, but there was no response, it would seem they were all in agreement here.

“I see, well then let this be considered my formal resignation from the order, from here on forth i will act on my own to make sure what needs done will get done,”  she looked at once shadow in particular, he had not spoken the entire night.

“What do you plan on doing?” he asked in a deep voice.

“I will do what the council has no stomach for,”  she looked around the room. “I will kill the familiar, the saints ascension will be up to you all however.” she turned on her heals and with more grace than anyone that pregnant should ever have she walked out of the room.