*Growl* Duarno hid his face behind his hands before pretending to spring upon Leah while making weird faces as if he were a drunk tiger of some sort. Leah responded to it with a hearty laughter like she had seen the funniest thing in her life. And that never got old to her no matter how many times it was done.
*Rawr*
*Bleh*
*Meow*
Mommy eventually had to intervene seeing Leah getting worked up due to the constant laughing.
Cassie and Zich, meanwhile, were at the driver’s seat of the carriage which was on its way to Et’thun. The family spent the night at a remote village that lied somewhere near Zserz;)
And while it was noon at the moment, they would surely reach Et’thun by tonight if they maintained the current pace.
'[Hands of corruption]'
The skill was surely an indication that Jonas might have pushed them in to a bigger mess then they might have expected.
“Leona, I am worried that things might never return back to what they used to be.” Duarno said his mind, “This elven-devil war may very well engulf our lives too.”
His words brought upon a grim expression on Leona’s face too as she catered to Leah.
“We have been trying to stay as far away from these things as we could, but I guess there is no more escaping now.” Leona pitched in. She knew how cruel war was from her father, Leonhard. Death, destruction and destitution. She had seen it first hand, how not even corpses returned of those who went on war.
One would expect this the least from Leonhard’s daughter, but Leona truly detested war. Although it was most probably Leonhard’s and Vilvosa’s ideals and values indirectly speaking through Duarno and Leona.
“They say we are supposed to be brutes, but I am far more greedy than I am a brute. I wish for everything.” Duarno laid his heart out to Leona. “For this conflict to end. For no one to die in the process. For me to spend the entirety of my life with my family. Possibly have another daughter.”
“A son” Leona interrupted in a wannabe serious tone.
Duarno seemed to think about it for a while before saying, “Well, why not both? A little brother and a sister for peanut!”
“Almonds and Cashew?” Leona jokingly called out Duarno’s nicknaming sense.
“Well, that depends on if you are hooked upon those things when pregnant” A commendable counter by Duarno. “And peanut sounds cute! See, you too have warmed up with that name even if you protested against it when Leah was born.”
“But yeah, these peaceful, memorable moments…. I wish to make them go till eternity.” The ninth prince sighed.
“And we will give our best to make sure that happens.” Leona added.
Something super-soft touched Duarno’s cheeks. Mommy Leona held Leah near him as Leah curiously/consolingly(?) touched her Da’s cheeks before retracting her hands just as quickly as she extended them, all the while making a face of betrayal and complaining to her mother with bleary large eyes as she talked to her mother in the gibberish baby language that every baby seemed to be proficient in.
“Aw, is that so? Daddy’s beard hurt you? Show your fingies to me. There there now. See, it doesn’t hurt.” Leona didn’t expect it either. She quickly consoled peanut as she blew on her ‘wounded’ hand that was pricked by Duarno’s newly grown beard.
Duarno, in disbelief, grazed his hand all over his face but found nothing out of usual. He knew how sensitive a baby’s skin is, but still, peanut’s reaction had him in disbelief… and possibly guilt as he came closer to Leah to give her a consolation kiss on those cute little cheeks, but things went not as expected for him as Leah vehemently opposed Duarno, going so far as to throw a tantrum and letting some tears leak out of those round eyes.
It was then, that Duarno realized - there was one thing he had to exclude from the list of ‘everything’ that he talked about earlier - a prickly beard. And that’s what he would do.
‘Off with the beard that made peanut cry.’ He resolutely decided as he planned to shave it off when they reach Et’thun.
** **
Et’thun.
The regions of Et’thun and Ligna were under the same fief, headed by duchess Vilvosa Vinci. They were in a far more prosperous situation than Murmur. It was quite evident from the fact that some ten or so guards stood at the gates to welcome Duarno and others.
Although, it was more probable that those guards were waiting specifically for Duarno and Leona.
And soon they were inside the walls of Et’thun. To Duarno, these familiar streets were filled with the feeling of nostalgia. After all, it was a place that he spent his entire childhood in, at least until he had to conscript in the school of Buzrok alongside Leona.
Indeed, things have changed quite a lot since then. Quite a lot of new architect had emerged on the grounds that were once barren.
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But of course, the duchess’ manor remained the same. Those delicately carved structures on walls. And the flower fields around it. And that classy verandah. Everything was just *Chef’s kiss* for the ninth prince. It felt home to him. Moreso than he ever felt these past few years at Buzrok.
‘Wait. Is that Carmen?’ Duarno thought as he watched a young devil in leather armor command a few guards that were posted near the fields. ‘Wasn’t he the gardener’s son? That weak looking brat.’ He could see some other familiar faces in there too, but most of them had changed so much that Duarno either failed to recognize them or was baffled at how he possibly identified them. There was one face though, that of a beautiful devil in her latter middle ages, that neither changed much nor he could ever forget – Duchess Vilvosa.
Correction. Mother-in-law Vilvosa now.
She was the only mother figure Duarno had in his childhood. And he was pretty excited to meet her again after a long time.
Although Vilvosa was more excited for something else than to meet her son-in-law, as she expectantly stared at the carriage that soon stopped in front of them.
“Hey Zich, I know it’s your first time coming here, but don’t be nervous in here. And let me know if anything troubles you.” Duarno peeked his head out and handed over a pouch of coins, “You and Cassie can enjoy for a few days after you finish with the formalities.” And with a wink, he left the carriage along with Leah and Leona. Zich wanted to refuse but he was left with no chance.
Leah was once again sleeping in Leona’s embrace as she covered peanut’s face with a scarf, since it was quite luminious even at night, all thanks to the firelight lit in welcome of the couple.
Vilvosa, having found her target, zoomed in near Leona and waited for her daughter to unscarf(?) her granddaughter. Leona, too, tactically agreed on it as she slightly removed the scarf off peanut’s face before covering it once again in fear that peanut would wake up.
The situation played as If Leona was a drug dealer while Vilvosa being an addict. Duarno found it quite funny, how both the ladies simultaneously let out a satisfied grin after taking a peek at peanut. It was as if they were communicating with their eyes instead, or [Telepathy]. They were practically giggling with their eyes.
Sure enough, before Duarno could feel as if he was forgotten, Vilvosa swooped in for a big hug.
“My cute little child has grown up now. Mother missed you. Are you hurt?” She said as she ruffled Duarno’s hair while questioning about his missing horn.
Duarno replied with a 'no big deal' look as he let Vilvosa know that everything was fine.
“What about my hug?” Leona protested as she wanted to jump in and hug too, but peanut’s embrace was far more superior for her to actually try it.
** **
Peanut was currently sleeping in Vilvosa’s arms as the mother-daughter duo toured around the duchess’ estate.
Leona recounted the past few day’s ordeal to her mother as Duarno, who was on the other side of the estate, was talking with general Leonhard about how he lost his horn and how his life in Buzrok went about. The ninth prince especially recounted the incidents that could upift Leonhard’s currently gloomy mood.
To be honest, that was to be expected. The poor man rushed from Mergag when he heard he could finally meet his granddaughter. And yet, and yet Vilvosa had already had her hands on Leah by the time Leonhard arrived and she refused to part with her.
Leonhard could only be satisfied with a glimpse of the sleeping Leah. Duarno and Leona had to tactically separate the couple so that the situation doesn’t escalate any further.
“That’s my granddaughter too!”
“Yes!”
“It’s grandfather cruelty! Cruelty, I say!!”
“Yes?”
“I should probably stage a revolt and try to change Et’thun’s master!”
“Yes?!?”
“Father. I am pretty sure mother would soon be busy in administrative work. We would have plenty of time to spend with peanut then.” He suggested Leonhard in an attempt to calm him down.
“You wish! I have got to go work too. Those damned elves are nearing Mergag every passing second. Nushir’s…” Leonhard stopped in his tracks as he started contemplating something for a bit.
“Duarno!”
“Yessir!”
“Talk informally to me. We are not at the battlegrounds at the moment.”
“Yessir.” Leonhard’s voice was loud and intimidating so Duarno couldn’t help it either. Plus the fact that a 6’9 inch devil like Duarno still had to look up to see him in his eyes further amplified general Leonhard’s authoritative aura.
“I mean… sure, father”
“Duarno. You want me to stay with my granddaughter, right?”
“And you would surely help your father with some work of his work, right?”
Seeing Duarno hesitate in answering his question, Leonhard realized that he was being a bit harsh on the father himself, “Shit. I can’t let Vilvosa’s share of anger on you. Never mind.”
“Father. Don't hesitate and speak your mind. I can help.” The ninth prince resolutely told his stance.
“But I can’t ask my inexperienced son to go capture an elven town and engage in a gruesome battle now, can I? Besides, would you want to leave Leah all that time?”
“If it can protect my family, I don’t mind sacrificing some of my time.”
“No need for that. Your father’s still alive and well! And you are still a spawn to fight those long eared bastards. What’s your level? 16? 17?”
“19”
“54! That’s mine. Even if 19 is quite good — not good actually. I meant ‘not’, not 'quite'!" Leonhard corrected himself as he continued his lecture.
"You are still too weak to protect anyone.” The ninth prince could see how hard Leonhard tried to hide his feelings of appreciation.
“Meet me in the training hall now. Looks like you have been lazing around these last few days.” But before they could talk any further, a child’s sudden cry took them by surprise as both Leonhard and Duarno rushed to where the sound was coming from.
Leah was in her mother’s arms, awake and trying to hold back her tears. She called out Duarno as soon as she saw her.
“Da!” Duarno embraced her while consolingly patting her back.
On the other side stood a heart broken Vilvosa, with a look of betrayal in her eyes.
“What happened?” Leonhard asked, even after he could guess what would have happened.
Vilvosa, clearly still in shock, didn’t bother replying to Leonhard. It was her daughter, Leona, who pitched in.
“It’s Leah’s first time meeting mother and she got scared when she woke up in foreign arms…”
“Hahaha!” Leonhard laughed heartily, which was followed by a trace of guilt on his face that emerged soonafter due to the fact that he was laughing while his granddaughter was spooked moments ago.
He suppressed his laughter as he tried his best to imprint Vilvosa’s current expression in his mind.
“Come to grandpa! He isn’t as scary as that lady.” Leonhard reached out his arms but Leah turned her face as she gripped her Da’s clothes even tighter while hiding her face in his chest.
"It’s alright, Leah. It’s alright” Duarno wanted to kiss Leah’s forehead but soon realized that he was yet to shave his beard so he moved away from both the grandparents and verbaly consoled her. “See. Both of the baddies are now gone.” He said as he left behind Leonhard, who was now making the same face as Vilvosa.
Leona had to now console her parents.
“There there. You need to gain Leah’s trust before anything if you wish to enjoy some quality time with your granddaughter.” She gave an encouraging pat on both of their backs as she too left the scene.