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Jewel did not want to say goodbye.

Valasect had started as a gift from her father.

A burden foisted on them both by the then Countess Bathory’s ‘generosity’.

And a responsibility and duty to let Jewel grow into her future titles.

Granted almost fifteen years ago, she had not thought as much of it as she probably should then. But now it was home. Even if she had been raised in Rochford proper and knew every stone of the old fortress as a welcome friend. The Valasect manor was made for her and the scale of her body.

A body that was still growing. If only noticeable now by the measure of her study’s doorway and all the familiar stones down its length, around the bend and then to the dining hall entrance. When they had laid those stones such an extent was out of reach for her snout if her tail was just leaving her much burdened office.

Now years later she could see how her nostrils were coming closer.

Not reaching it yet.

But close.

Still time had made this her home.

And after this morning Jewel would once again have to say goodbye to her now familiar stones.

She always missed her home and most of all her bath every time she had to leave.

But despite every effort to hone her speed in flight, arrange that messenger birds and expansions to the manor feasting halls and the addition of an entire guest wing. Jewel still could not remain in Valasect all year round.

For one Kaeketeh had far more facilities than Valasect and its little village could ever support.

The entourage of two of her vassals would overwhelm the means of the little village.

Nevermind all twenty eight of them!

Even if Jewel spent the silver to stock provisions half a year in advance the facilities could only handle three or four such parties at a time.

So even with Paul’s new bird tower.

Even with the expanded guest rooms and the mountain spring they had routed down from the foothills of the Ridgetails rising up over her manor.

Even with all the considerable wealth of her county and years of work directed towards it.

Valasect was still not suited as a capital for Jewel’s seat of governance as Countess of Viznove.

And so she had to leave it at least once a year.

But today she would be going for quite a time longer.

Leaving her demesne two days past the first spring green of Fallow Turn.

Jewel luxuriated in the rush of memory as she and Gem flowed together again. It had only been the evening apart but still her daughter and spawn had slept well.

The flavor of her breakfast of seared pork from the ‘Gryphon Pens’ that Valasect had joined Rochford in keeping. Both as a way to feed her brother’s steed on his many visits as well as easing the burden to fulfill Jewel’s own diet continued to produce delectable meat.

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Alexander was already eating too. Little hints of the astoundingly messy habits of the boy he once was only slightly gentled by the man he had grown to be.

There was only porridge and scraps of seared pork caught in his beard rather than all over his face and on his ears. In another household it might have been improper to start breakfast without the lady of the house. But Jewel’s status as one who was two stretched and bent manners a bit.

At least as far as Dariusz had decided to interpret it and Jewel had no reason to disagree.

Technically Jewel had already arrived for breakfast.

So there was technically no need to delay until her wyrm self and Paul made their way to the dining hall.

Technically.

“Ah, Brother! It is good to see you awake and about this morning? Is everything prepared for your time as lord over my demesne?”

Alexander turned to Jewel as she entered and nodded. Brushing porridge out of his beard.

“Absolutely Sister. As we were discussing.”

Jewel as Gem admonished her brother in the lie with a sharp gesture from one hand and protruding tongue.

Before she snickered at his light hearted scowl of betrayal.

“Okay, we were mostly talking about how the people of Valasect were faring.”

“My friends you mean.”

Alexander shifted his gaze from Jewel to Gem with a calculating look.

“Between the both of you, practically every single living being is your friend Sister.”

Gem huffed and hissed out an aggrieved sigh.

“Oh fine...”

Jewel for her part chuckled with the amusement that was underlying the frustrated tone of her spawn. It was strange to be both young and old. Although she was growing ever confused as to precisely how young Gem was supposed to be.

Her ‘daughter’ had only barely grown to three and a half feet tall and most of that was two years ago.

Yet despite her height Jewel’s spawn was filling out and limbering up like she had five or six winters on her peers in the village. Which when Jewel combined that with the fact she also was Gem made for a very confusing sense of age.

It was not helped that both of Bethica’s daughters were considered full grown and they didn't even match Gem’s age combined!

Where exactly between Cows, Men and Wyrm did Gem fit in the manner of age and adulthood?

Jewel did not know.

Her brother laughed at Jewel’s collective bout of confusion. But his tone was gentle, soothing and soft toned for her.

“Are you sure you don’t want to have one of you stay here? You’ve done it before.”

Jewel huffed and shook her head. Speaking for both herselves.

“Not for as long as this, and besides Gem can go places that I cannot.”

Gesturing with Gem from her smaller self to the expanse of Jewel’s vastness as she settled in for her morning pot of porridge.

Her brother sighed and nodded before returning to his breakfast.

“If you think that’s best, but I’ve seen how it soothes you also being here sister.”

Jewel nodded to Alexander. Thanking Dariusz’ children as they hauled her breakfast into the dining hall between them.

The work was putting considerable muscle on all of them. Even the youngest.

“I do, but thank you again for your concern brother.”

And then Jewel began the last breakfast she was liable to have in her home for what would be at least a year.

Today the Countess of Viznove began her grand tour.