Aliza didn't go towards the mansion to great the Silver Fox, which would have being the proper way of doing things. But she was not in the mood of doing things proper, she wanted to work out her pant up frustration first. Before setting foot in a mansion filled with priceless knickknacks. She went straight towards the practice grounds of the Wolfpack, which was the nickname of the House Eldar guard.

"Hey, Aliza. Young master Harel." Shir, the captain of the guard, said. She didn't return the greeting, but went straight towards the chest that held wooden weapons. "I smell trouble."

"You have no idea," Harel tuned in. Aliza once again didn't join in, instead she looked around the training grounds. But saw that there was no one to spar with. There were only the younger recruits, and releasing her anger upon them seemed a bit unfair. Then there was Shir, but he was badly wounded a couple of years ago, and then there was Harel, who was not much of a fighter. The frustration and anger was reaching the boiling point, and she needed to let it out in a way she wouldn't hurt someone else.

"Aliza, Harel, I saw the two of you coming. But when the butler informed me that the two of you didn't come in, I was slightly confused. Oh, I see someone that is ready to explode, unless she has a challenger that can keep up with her." Lord Eldar, Harel's grandfather, approached together with the Imperial family. Empress Meyda, Emperor Ginat and the twins Crown prince Artal and Young Mistress Nilith. Emperor Ginat raised his hand up with a sly smile.

"I will offer myself up as tribute," he said, and Shir scoffed. "Is something the matter, captain?" Shir shock slowly his head.

"There is nothing, Your grace, but I have to warn you. Aliza li Shay is my best student to date," Shir replied, which filled her with some pride. She started to train with Harel and Artal so that she wouldn't feel left out, and Shir let her. He didn't turn her away, or treated her differently because she was a girl. Instead, she trained hard, which was her saving grace when she joined the Paladins at eighteen. Still, Shir's and Artal's warnings didn't stop the Emperor. She had heard stories about this man, the Black Wolf, who was a master swordsman when she was pretty young. But that was in the days before he became Emperor. But he was willing, so she wouldn't stop him. He grabbed a wooden sword out of the box, and she directly attacked him. Not giving him time to get his bearings.

"Wait, who," he said while blocking her attack. "You aren't taking any prisoners, aren't you." She smiled and attacked again, and again. He blocked all her attacks, and wan not able to get any attacks in.

"So are you going to enlighten us," Ginat asked, clearly out of breath. She smiled, and sighed, but didn't stop her attacks.

"My unit, including me, are being suspended. Because someone stole the map to Silora, during our late night shift. I was not even near the vaults, and I have worked so hard to earn my double swords." she sighed. "So here I am, beating up the Emperor with a wooden sword, without my black and gold armor, without my swords. Without any ounce of sleep and a bit of food in my stomach. But please, Your Grace, do not go easy on me now. I am a trained warrior."

"I am not going easy on you," he said with a labored breath, but he was still able to keep up with her. "But the map you speak off, is that not the same map that nobody is allowed to see?" She nodded and he frowned. "Because of the curse," she again nodded. "And how large is a whole unit?"

"Thirty, we have thirty Paladins inside our unit." she replied.

"So you are probably not the only one feeling slighted, but I can understand that you are frustrated. Because I know how hard you worked, how hard you have being training. And how much you place value in the duty of presenting the physical strength of the church." his words hit the sore spot. He was right, she was not the only Paladin that got suspended. But she forgot them completely. She halted her attack, threw the wooden sword away and screamed loudly. "So, is it out of your system?" he asked. She shock her head, what in Volaris name was she thinking? The short answer to that question was simply, she didn't think at all. She was too angry to think straight, she was done with the fighting, though. "You didn't lie about her being your best student. She didn't leave me any room to breath?" That was directed to Shir, and she was glad that the attention was no longer any attention on her. "But now that we are done, I think it is time for us to have a family conversation. What do you think, father?"

"Well, your brother is not here, because of the breaking, but let's do it. Aliza, please wait for us in the drawing room." Lord Eldar asked. She stood up with the help of the Emperor and walked behind the Eldar family.

*******

The drawing room was a large room with two couched in the middle, a large fire place was inhabiting one wall and windows on the other wall. A small coffee table was standing between the couches, Aliza sat down on one of them with a large sigh. She wondered what was being discussed, in the Silver Fox's office, knowing Harel she will learn about it soon enough. Milly, Shir's wife and former ladies' maid of the Empress, entered.

"Aliza, how nice it is to see you. Can I get anything for you?" she said with a large smile upon her face.

"Good to see you too, Milly. Something to nibble on would be nice." Aliza replied. Milly nodded and stepped out of the room. She was such a nice woman, and Aliza was glad to know her. Aliza looked once again around the room, although she knew this place as good as her own house. She has read many of the books inside the library, learned how to swim in the pound inside the garden. This place felt so much like home, just like the temple. She smiled, and the Eldars have treated as one of their own. Her father, in the beginning, often disliked the fact that she was at the temple or at this manor. But he has learned to live with it, and that was all that mattered. Milly entered with a tray filled with some snacks, and a cup of coffee. Aliza smiled at her, coffee was a luxury and this was another sign that she was accepted inside this manor. Although she preferred tea, over coffee. But she would take it, with a smile. But first a biscuit, she reached out to grab on and started to eat it. The coffee was nice and warm, it was laced with some chocolate. Normally, coffee was used to wake people up, only in her case it didn't help.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

********

"You can't mean that, I am not even a full-blooded member of this family!" Harel screamed. But his grandfather placed his both hands on the desk.

"I know that Harel, that is why we do this. To give you a better life." his grandfather said, Harel looked at Nilith, and she was not happy about it either. She was raised in the knowledge that she would be grandfather's heir, and she knew that she needed to marry well to keep their house going. And apparently marring well-meant, marrying him. Something the both of them never would have seen coming. They don't even like each other, she was such a spoiled princess. And he, he was in many ways, not spoiled. He knew that he was not an Eldar, but in name, and he never dared to dream about inheriting anything. But marrying his cousin, no, never crossed his mind once. Harel needed to process it, he stood up and walked out of the office. He was however followed by his uncle.

"Harel, I know this is not what you would have wanted. But..." his uncle started. But Harel shook his head, a female head of a Major house is not widely excepted. And to have the female heir already married or even engaged would help. But why does it have to be him? The entered the drawing room, where Aliza lay fast a sleep on one of the couches. Milly was just in the process of placing a blanket over her.

"My Lord, young master. I gave her some coffee and something to eat, like you requested. But I think the call of Hodes was a bit too strong." she said and Harel nodded. He already knew that she was tired, it was written all over her face. And it was part of why she couldn't control her emotions.

"I will bring her towards one of the guest rooms. Milly, can you send one of the page boy's towards her father?" Uncle Ginat said.

"I have sent my son already, My Lord." Milly replied. "The room next to My Ladies old room is almost ready for her." Harel smiled. That room has become Aliza's room at this point. She stayed over a lot when they were younger, now that they are older everything has changed. She now goes directly towards her own home after a shift, or from her home towards the temple. Even on her days off, to train. Which meant if he wanted to see his best friend, he needed to drag his ass towards the temple. Uncle Ginat walked out of the room, with Aliza in his arms, Harel followed them with his gaze. Nilith entered the room not soon after they left, she looked at Aliza with narrowed eyes. It was not a secret that she didn't like Aliza, she made that more than clear. But aunt Meyda and uncle Ginat corrected her every time.

"Is there something going on between the two of you?" she asked, after a brief period of time. But Harel shook his head, it was not that strange of an idea, so he can't blame her for asking. But other than a kiss, when they were children there was nothing but friendship. "I know you two are friends, but as your fiancée. I need to know," she was going to throw the fiancée cart.

"No, there is nothing between us then friendship. I see her more as a sister than a love interest. And I know you do not like her," he said. She huffed.

"I simply do not understand her, that is all. And I indeed do not like how close my brother, and you are with her. All because she knows how to handle a sword." she said, it was maybe a wrong move to point out that Aliza was able to handle two swords at the same time. So he didn't say that. "But I know where you are going with this, and I will not say that the two of you can't meet up. I will not play the jealous girlfriend, fiancée, however you want to call it." That was good to know, not that he needed her permission.

"I will be your fiancée, but let us agree on one thing," he said. She looked at him with her head slightly tilted. "That we let each other go, if we find someone we actually love. And I do not mean a fling, or the incling that we love that person. I mean the kind of love your parents have." To his surprise Niltih nodded.

"That sounds agreeble," she said. "And I think, my parants and our grandfather, can agree on that as well."

"I do," aunt Meyda entered. "I think that it is more than fair, but the both of you have to know that it was not love at first sight. Ginat didn't marry me because he loved me. He married me, because that was the only option he had to keep me safe." Harel knew the story, he was partly in it as well. The former Emperor wanted aunt Meyda dead, all because she had some Oran blood in her veins. Which made her a threat. Uncle Ginat, and aunt Meyda met each other inside a tower of her families manor during the purge of her family. A practice that allowed the crown to eliminate major and minor houses, if they didn't behave accroding. Aunt Meyda's father and the rest of her family was, according to her own words awful, and she has the scars to proof it. But the Purge is being outlawe, by her and uncle Ginat. Stating that it is a relic from the past. Which in his mind makes sence. Nilith hugged her mother, with a large smile.

"Thank you, mother," she said. Harel nodded, he was grateful to her. Not only because she supported them now, she was the one who got him out of that orphangage. The one who brought him to his father, the one who gave him a loving family. His grandfather entred with a large smile upon his face.

"Well now that we all agree on something, Harel I think I have found a solution to Aliza's problem. Your uncle and aunt has reqeusted someone of the wolf pack to join their crew on their next voyage. Shir has asked his men, but none of them are willing to do it, sea sickness and other excuses. But I am not one to force them in doing something they do not comfortable with. Especially when it is taking them to sea. But Aliza is free, a good warrior and she needs something to distract herself. This would be the perfect solution." he said, and Meyda nodded in agreement. And to his surprise Harel argeed with them as well. He know that he was going to miss his best friend, but this was the right choice. Aliza needed a purpose now that she was not able to train with the Paladins or preform the rest of her duties.

"Is currently is fast asleep, so we need to bring it up when she wakes up." Harel said.

"Good, she seemed really tired. I know that she is trained to function on little to no sleep. But learning that you have being dismissed, because someone in your unit didn't act accordingly, well that is emotionel draining." aunt Meyda said.

"Not only that, she didn't let herself explode. She was holding it in until she was on the trainingsfield." Harel added, aunt Meyda nodded in agreement.

"She is a good kid, and always was." she added. Harel looked out of the window. This was indeed a good idea, but the vision he had seen earlier this morning came back to him. And he know that as soon as Aliza steps on that boat, her life would never be the same again. And he hoped that she, and he was up for it.