I was expecting (or maybe just hoping) that Annora would lead us to either a government office or one of the smaller manors that made up the high end residential district.

Annora led us straight to the biggest mansion in the city. Three stories high, a city block wide, and had an exterior so grandiose it put all others I'd seen to shame. The most ludicrous thing about it though, was the fact it had a lawn. In a city built out of layers of wooden platforms, they had brought in enough soil to construct a huge lawn. It was complete with all the rich amenities you would expect, a fountain, trees, marble statues, etc.

"So that sister you mentioned…" Albatos says, equally dumbfounded by the scenery.

"Just come on," Annora huffs, marching on. The rest of us, barring her husbands, meekly follow behind her.

The guards at the gate stop us, then let us through when Annora flashes some sort of sigil. They eye us as we pass through the gate. I can only imagine how we look in their eyes, dirty from a week of traveling in the wilderness and tired from a sleepless night.

The servants roaming the grounds eye us curiously, but didn't stop their various tasks. Annora pays none of them any mind, marching straight up to the grand entryway and slamming the knocker loudly three times.

We only have to wait a few seconds before one of the double doors swings inward and a short wiry tink with vibrant amethyst hair steps out onto the threshold. He's dressed in the formal attire of a butler, and I have to stop myself from smiling at the idea that it looks like a young child has dressed up to play the part.

"Who, may I ask, is calling upon the house of the noble mistress?" The tink asks politely.

"If she's in, could you let her know her least favorite sister has come calling?" Annora replies, equally polite but with a note of sarcasm.

The tink examines her for a moment, then says, "Come in. I shall see if the noble mistress wishes to meet with you."

He pulls the door open the rest of the way then guides us through the grand foyer to a side room with lounging chairs and a table. He calls over another servant, a male dwarf, and whispers something in a hushed voice, then turns to address us, "I shall have tea and snacks prepared. If you have any requests you may relay them to my associate here." He closes the door behind him as he leaves.

As promised, tea and snacks are quickly brought out. Annora and her husbands take a load off on the lavish furniture, completely unconcerned with the sudden change in atmosphere. Albatos also takes a seat, seeming to have adjusted to the new environment rather quickly. I watch as he strokes the wisps of hair on his chin, likely contemplating the ramifications of Annora's sister being the most important person in one of the biggest cities in Wald.

Orelio, Morvin, and I all stand around awkwardly at the edge of the room, not quite sure what to do with ourselves. Orelio eventually musters the courage to venture forth and try the tea, and I laugh as I watch his face scrunch up from the bitterness.

Seeing Orelio's miserable state, I also try the tea. From what I can tell it's a very standard black tea, not that I was ever much of a tea drinker. It's a bit bitter for me as well, so I ask the attendant for some sugar. With a smile, I can't tell if it's aimed at me or Orelio's dumbfounded expression at the realization you can add sugar, they disappear and reappear with a small cup of sugar cubes.

After maybe half an hour there's a knock on the door to the parlor. The small butler from before opens the door and bows as a regal dwarven woman walks through.

The woman is slightly shorter than Annora, but sports the same golden-brown hair as her sister. They look strikingly similar, perhaps the biggest difference in their beauty being Annora's features being much more weathered from the life of a mercenary.

Albatos stands up from the armchair he had been thinking in, tidying his worn traveling clothes as best he can. Orelio, Morvin, and myself stand around the table at attention.

"Hello Andora," Annora says from her comfortable spot on the sofa.

"Hello dear sister," Andora replies with a somewhat strained smile, "May I ask what brings you around these parts? I do so hope you aren't here to cause trouble."

Annora and Andora, Bodelee and Bodelin, Nakset and Voset. I think I'm seeing a pattern here in dwarven naming conventions.

"I was wondering if you could perhaps spare some space in your modest living arrangements so that I may be a guest for a time."

Andora thinks for a moment then asks, "May I ask who your friends are?"

"Associates. Though I know you don't think much of our profession I can assure you that none of them will be a cause of trouble."

Morvin loses consciousness at that moment and falls face first onto the table filled with fancy china. The quaint table snaps under his weight, shattering cups and splattering tea all over the nice rug.

Albatos and Annora put their hands up their faces in an embarrassed motion. Andora looks at our friend with genuine concern, "Vanderburst, you didn't have anything put in the tea, did you?"

Vanderburst, the tink butler, replies in a panic, "No, not at all my lady!"

I hurriedly say, "Sorry, our friend hasn't been well recently," Turning to Orelio, I hiss, "Help me get him up!"

Orelio and I manage to pick Morvin up off the broken table with the help of Vanderburst, who willingly stepped in to assist. We lay him on his back on the floor, tea soaking through his clothes.

Andora, still a little disturbed by that sight, says, "I'm not opposed to housing you for a while, Annora. Especially with your… friend being in such a state. I do, however, feel that you have other reasons for coming to me, and I will hear them. When you get settled, meet me in my office. It's not big enough for all of you, so bring only those who are essential."

Vanderburst leads us to spare rooms, where we lay Morvin down and free ourselves of our belongings. Before we meet with Andora, Vanderburst insists we bathe. Not an unreasonable request, considering there isn't much of a chance to wash yourself on the road.

We're led to a massive bathhouse style room, a giant pool of heated water waiting for us. I have to admire Vanderburst's proficiency. Considering there was no time for Vanderburst to slip away between here and the parlor I assume he prepared this bath for us ahead of time.

Despite being the only woman in the group, Annora didn't bother sitting out, instead joining the rest of us with a towel wrapped around herself. I suppose traveling with a group like mercenaries stripped away one's sense of modesty. Most of us in the group are mature enough to avert our gaze, minus Orelio, who got soapy water splashed in his eyes every time he tried to steal a peak.

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I can't believe how good a proper bath feels after so long. It isn't quite as good as a shower would have been, but it's still a comfort I have been sorely lacking in the previous months.

"So Annora," Albatos starts with a look that's at best unamused, "You didn't think it a good idea to warn us in advance that the sister you mentioned was the Duchess of Voset, also sister to the queen."

"Wait," Orelio says, looking glazed out of his mind from the bliss of the hot bath, "If your sister is the sister of the queen, doesn't that also make you the sister of the queen?"

"An impressive deduction my friend," I say, patting him on the back.

Annora snorts, "That's not exactly something you go around advertising, especially when you'd rather not be a part of the family at all."

Albatos wasn't satisfied with that explanation, "Still, it would have been-"

"I didn't mention it because it doesn't matter," Annora cuts him off with cold words and an icy stare. "We needed a place to lay low, I provided it. What does it matter what family I belong to? It doesn't change who or what I am."

An uncomfortable silence settles over the bath. Albatos seems to retreat into himself, accepting that she has a valid point.

"Do you mind if I ask why you're a mercenary when you could have all… this?" I gesture around, asking my question with as much innocent sincerity as I can.

She sighs, "Sorry, but I do mind. I guess you could say this kind of life simply didn't resonate with me, and I found the political side to it to be a massive pain in the ass. More than that, I won't say. I had honestly never intended to return, as I didn't leave my sisters on the best terms."

"Is that going to be a problem?" Albatos asks.

"Shouldn't be. Though I did say to introduce myself as her least favorite sister, I don't think Andora would be so coldhearted to just turn us away. Especially when we're not asking too much." She sighs, "Though I'd like to be on our way as soon as possible nonetheless."

Albatos nods but says, "We'll be here for a few months, so I suggest you learn to deal with it."

A smile forms on Annora's lips, "I'd recommend you remember who you're talking to. Though in a military chain of command you may be my superior, I am not bound to you by anything other than my whims. You see now I have no need to remain in Zeph's company if I have no desire to. With my husbands at my side and the amount of connections I have I can well and truly do just about anything I want." Her smile widens, "So I'd recommend you be a little nicer, at least while we're here."

Albatos' only response is to fold his arms and close his eyes. Annora chuckles at his stoic behavior.

"I don't get it," Orelio says, to everyone's surprise.

"Don't get what?" Annora asks.

"If they're your family why would you want to distance yourself so badly?"

Everyone present is surprised by the sheer innocence of the question. I don't think any of us expected that in a profession where lives were sold for less than literature there would be someone who had such a wholesome outlook on the concept of family.

His genuine optimism sparks a memory from long ago, suddenly causing a headache and a pang of regret in my chest. Thankfully it seems nobody noticed me putting my hand to my head to try to soothe my headache.

Annora gives him a gentle smile, "Simplicity is a luxury many families live without. If you had such an ordinary life then you should count yourself extremely fortunate. I would wager most of your comrades have not been afforded the same luxury."

Orelio doesn't respond, but his troubled face says everything he doesn't verbalize.

Once we're done with the bath we find that clothes have been set out for us alongside our weathered traveling clothes. While the presentation of complementary new garb is appreciated, I'm rather more impressed by the consideration to leave our old clothing out as an option as well. It takes a decent amount of tact to remove yourself from the perceptions of wealth and imagine that those not accustomed to it would find it jarring.

Vanderburst had even managed to find things that were in the style of our previous clothes. I gratefully put on the finely made tunic and slacks that had been set out for me.

After that, we were finally ready to have a formal meeting with the Duchess.

She had said to bring the essential people only, so that narrowed it down to Annora, Albatos, and myself. Vanderburst leads us to a door at the end of one of the long corridors that make up the mansion.

Annora knocks on the door and we hear, "Enter," from within. Opening the door, Annora strolls into the office like she owns the place. Me and Albatos follow in behind her.

Andora looks up from a piece of paper she had been looking over as we enter. Once Vanderburst closes the door behind us she starts the conversation, "So, Annora, what brings you here, truly?"

"As I said, we need a place to stay for a while."

"If that was all you wanted you would have stayed at an inn, despite knowing that I would have welcomed you even if there weren't extenuating circumstances. So out with it, you know I have little tolerance for bullshit, and I get enough of it from my job so just spare me and out with it."

"We need a place to lay low for a while."

"From who?"

"Reverie fanatics."

"There's a bounty now too," I remind her.

Andora's eyebrows furrow, "Who has a bounty and why?"

Annora explains what happened in about the most brash way possible to her sister. I figure Andora must be really tired of people beating around the bush because she doesn't even bat an eye at Annora's rude language.

When it comes to my blessing I was a little surprised when Annora brought it up and Albatos said nothing. He had been vehemently against telling anybody about it. I suppose he felt better knowing the one being told was a Duchess, somebody who likely kept dozens of secrets of national importance already.

Still, the gaze I receive at the mention of a blessing is a bit unnerving. It's like a predator set its eyes on me and couldn't decide whether I should be dinner or bait. I suppose I should expect that to be the reaction people in power give to a blessed.

When the explanation is over Andora sighs, "So you were at the center of that debacle with Gen. Well, considering the circumstances it should be fine to let you stay a while. You haven't come at a very good time though. Some idiot spread a rumor about treasure of some kind and now the city is flooded with vagabonds. I'll see to it that your bounty isn't distributed anymore, here or anywhere else in Wald."

"Thank you," I say. Not having a bounty is a load off my chest.

"Still, I wouldn't recommend going out without some kind of concealment. If that white hair of yours wasn't so distinctive I could probably play you off as a new servant, but I don't have much to hide the hair."

That was fine, though I wondered whether the concept of dyeing hair had been looked into in this world. Or the concept of wigs. Neither was an option I particularly liked though, so I kept my mouth shut.

Andora sighs again, "Well, despite the circumstances, it's good to have you back Annora." She gives a warm smile, "Things have been a little stiff since you left."

"I thought that was how you and the others liked it."

Andora leans back in her chair, "It's necessary, to be sure. But liking it is a different matter. I tolerate it, but it does tend to drag you down after a while."

"Well, that was the path you chose."

Andora's gaze becomes a little reproachful, "No, Annora. It was the path you chose."

Annora looks away, not willing to meet her sister's eye.

"By the way," I say, trying to break up the awkward atmosphere, "Would you happen to know any talented dwarven doctors? We'd like to get our friend looked at. You saw his, uh, problem earlier."

Andora looks at Annora and asks, "Is it the heartstone?"

"Probably."

"Woah, woah," Albatos interjects, "You knew what was wrong with him the entire time and didn't say anything?"

"I was respecting his wishes. Both me and my husbands were," Annora responds without any hint of penitence.

"Respecting his wishes… So he knows what's wrong as well then," I conclude.

"It is a weakness every dwarf bears. Well, weakness may not be the correct word. A heartstone is much harder to crack than a heart of flesh and blood, after all. But still, once cracked there is nothing that can be done to repair it."

Andora looks at me straight in the eye and says, "I'm sorry, but your friend is dying."