It had been a day since the Ligrel clan had arrived, and the king was listening for news of changes in his niece's home. Nothing. He heard nothing. He started to get worried that they had handled things so quietly, the Steinhouse household had vanished in the night. He wished to go there and check for himself; but, where bad news went, another was close by.

The capital had woken to a missing Beaumont household. One was not sure when it happened; a neighbour living from the capital in the Beaumont earldom had gone to check on them and found that the entire property was quiet as a burial ground. He saw nothing. Not an animal or human. Even the plants had browned and died. It was like looking at a ghost settlement. The neighbour had sent word to the capital and by the time it arrived, it was morning. The king had sent people to check on the Beaumont property in the capital and the same sight as reported from the neighbour, was seen. They had been worried Lady Wickshire had not made a move, yet she had long since punished her enemies.

The king had wondered about the two Beaumont he had in his prisons and sent one to check and found the cells empty. If this was another day, they would have sent out search parties, crying that the prisoners had escaped; But, the entire bloodline and any related to them had just vanished from the world. This situation needed no thinking; this was Lady Wickshire's punishment.

Only one person of Beaumont blood was left alive; he was the youngest son of a mistress Lord Beaumont had been keeping outside. The son and his mother were not touched. They lived in a cottage just outside the capital; Lord Beaumont had made them known to the world after his wife had died a few years back. Looking at how things turned out, many wondered if this was the outcome Lord Beaumont had hoped for; after all, he did not try to preserve his family after he found out of his daughter's crime. Did he know that if he confessed, Lady Wickshire would show mercy? To claim a bastard child and recognise a mistress; caused many to think they must have been important to Lord Beaumont.

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

But, even though they escaped disaster, what would become of them? Was this really mercy at all? They were now known throughout Thriegor, as survivors of a family that committed a crime against Lady Wickshire. Would they survive at all? Was this not a slower death?

The date for Nanny Han's funeral had been set. It was a week from the announcement. The Wickshire Household had invited many of the high standings. Even ambassadors of some countries received invitations and many knew it would be their rulers to come themselves. This was not just the king's wedding. Even though this was the funeral of a nanny; a servant, this was the nanny that raised Lady Wickshire.

Many did not know why Lady Wickshire intended for Nanny Han to go out grandly, but Lucy had her goals. Nanny Han may have been by right, a slave, but she wanted no one to look down on her nanny. If they had dared not look down on her in life, they would not in death.

The series of events was enough to tell people; even those that held their doubts, that Lady Wickshire was scarier than they could ever imagine. Many had waited for Lady Wickshire to respond to the provocation, they had anticipated the outcome, but never had they thought her actions would give them chills. Soon, it became a saying; "Provoke the heavens, provoke the earth, but never provoke Lady Wickshire,"