True to my word, I started Corie and Lorelei on their physical training the next morning. Before we even had breakfast, I put them through their paces. To get the most out of these exercises, I forbade the both of them from using any internal magic.
Lorelei went through it all without complaint, while Corie called me every insult in the book. Her vocabulary was impressive. She even called me some names I hadn’t heard of before.
To make it seem less odd to outside observers, I joined them in their exercises. However, since I was a cultivator that practiced a body refining technique, the exercises were child’s play to me.
That didn’t stop the rest of the caravan from giving us odd looks. Leroy seemed amused by all this, while Jeffrey shook his head and focused on his own work.
By the time they finished, my two disciples had worked up a good sweat. I also noticed that the two of them were on better terms this morning than they had been last night. If nothing else, they were speaking to each other. Things were still tense and fragile between them, but I had faith that they would work things out.
Breakfast was a quick and simple affair. Since we were so close to Rosewood City, everyone wanted to be on the road as soon as possible. After scarfing down our food, we were on our way.
The hills of the Icefall Region grew flatter and flatter, until we came upon the plains of the Brightwood Region. Unlike what its name implied, the Brightwood Region was mostly grassy flatlands. It got its name from the magical forest that occupied the center of the region, Brightwood Forest.
Brightwood Forest consisted entirely of Brightwood Trees. The wood from these trees was a mid-grade material that was great at holding enchantments. Brightwood was used to create magical items, magic circles that focused on Wood magic, and even buildings that required a lot of enchantment.
House Morton claimed Brightwood Forest as its territory, and it made a lot of money from selling Brightwood to its neighbors. I hoped to get some Brightwood in Rosewood City.
It was an expensive magical material, but I had enough money to buy a decent sized chunk of it. Since it could be used to create Wood focused magical circles, I wondered if I could use it to create formation flags. If I could, that would be perfect.
While formations weren’t as powerful as magic circles, they would still add a lot of versatility to my repertoire. More than that, if I used formation flags, formations were more mobile. Magic circles required time and effort to set up, not to mention expensive materials. If I had a set of formation flags, that wouldn’t be a problem.
Besides, I knew more about formations than I did magic circles. While there was some overlap, they were two different disciplines at the end of the day.
When it neared noon, we rounded the last hill and Rosewood City came into sight. From a distance, it didn’t look like much. It seemed like any other walled city within the Solarian Empire, but as we grew closer I noticed its beauty.
House Rosewood, the rulers of Rosewood City, appreciated art and beauty. This was reflected in the city they had built. When the caravan drew close enough, I saw that the outer wall was engraved with all sorts of patterns and designs, turning it into a work of art.
These engravings weren’t just mere decoration, however. With my divine sense, I noticed that they were imbued with mana. The engravings were a part of some kind of enchantment. Actually, looking at the outer wall of Rosewood City as a whole with my divine sense, I saw that it was a massive and intricate magic circle. Rather, it was a countless number of magic circles, all of them interlocked and interconnected with each other.
Impressive. House Rosewood found a way to combine both form and function. I didn’t know what this particular magic circle did, but given its location, it wasn’t hard to guess.
Another interesting thing I noticed about Rosewood City were the plants that ringed the outer wall. While this might seem foolish to the ignorant, since these plants gave intruders cover, they were actually another layer of defense. As their name implied, House Rosewood focused on Wood magic. With a spell, they could turn these plants into killing machines.
Since we were the only travelers coming in from the Icefall Region, the guards at the gate gave our caravan extra scrutiny. However, in the end, they let us into the city. More than one of the merchants let out a sigh of relief at this.
Several of the gate’s guards gave me and the House Sturm carriage a close look. I resisted the urge to sigh at this. While I had been tempted to disguise myself when entering Rosewood City, to avoid scrutiny from House Rosewood, I decided not to in the end.
I had no enmity with House Rosewood, even though they had ties with House Thorne, and they had no enmity with me. Sneaking into their city in disguise was a great way to change that, especially if I got caught. They would assume that I was up to no good. As long as I didn’t draw too much attention to myself, I should be fine.
Besides, House Sturm was more powerful than House Rosewood. They had more wealth and influence than us, but we had more powerful wizards. Unless I gave them a reason to, they wouldn’t pick a fight with me.
I could have avoided all this by not coming to Rosewood City in the first place. The job was to make sure that the Black Wolf Gang took the package. Since they had, myself and the others didn’t need to go to Rosewood City at all. However, turning back meant abandoning the caravan, and that wasn’t a risk any of us were willing to take.
The caravan proceeded through the gate, and what I saw before me exceeded my expectations. Every building within Rosewood City was a work of art. They were all decorated with engravings and mosaics, uplifting base stone and wood into something more.
There were statues everywhere as well. Some were of people, some were of majestic magic beasts, and others were more abstract shapes. Even the roads were made of different kinds of stone, which formed intricate patterns.
There were planters filled with flowers everywhere. Roses were the most common, for obvious reasons, but I saw other kinds as well. They filled the air with their subtle floral scent. Fruit trees lined the streets, providing both shade and sustenance during the right seasons. As expected of a city founded by a House of Wood wizards.
I also saw plenty of musicians and singers around. Most played within various eating houses or entertainment establishments, but a few stood at street corners to ply their trade. They reminded me of buskers back on Earth. Actually, according to the definition of busker, that was exactly what they were.
The people wore beautiful and colorful clothing as well. While the base style was the same as everywhere else in the Solarian Empire, they had been embroidered with all sorts of interesting designs.
That said, some worked better than others. I saw one man wearing an outfit that was a blindingly garish mix of pink and green. Was he trying to emulate a flower? I wasn’t sure.
I gazed around with wide-eyed wonder, no doubt looking like a country bumpkin. I didn’t care. Let others judge me. I just wanted to enjoy the sensory feast all around me. Honestly, it was almost too much. Almost. It somehow refrained from overwhelming my mundane senses.
The others gazed around in wonder as well. Even Leroy, who tended to imitate a stone wall with his expressions.
The caravan headed towards a square known at Trader’s Crossroad. According to one of the merchants I asked earlier. It was the center of trade and commerce within Rosewood City. It was basically the city’s commercial district. Rosewood City’s Adventurers Guild could also be found near here.
Shops ringed the square itself, while stalls and tents filled the center of the square. All kinds of goods, both mundane and magical, could be found there.
Thankfully, the caravan itself didn’t head there right away. Instead, it stopped at a street lined with hotels and inns that catered to travelers. It was at this point that the caravan split apart. Most of the merchants drove their carts and wagons towards Trader’s Crossroad. Some headed towards the Rosewood Adventurers Guild, including the five adventurers sent by Guildmaster Sinclair. A few stayed with the House Icefall part of the caravan, including us.
Flanked by the others of my party, I approached Lieutenant Hayden. He was talking with Caravan Master Jeeves, who sported a new scar just above his eyebrow. However, the two of them paused when our party approached.
“Lord Gabriel,” Lieutenant Hayden said, giving me a slight bow. He gave the others a nod. “Lorelei. Corie. What can I do for you?”
The good lieutenant’s demeanor was much warmer towards me than it had been when the caravan first set out.
Caravan Master Jeeves also gave me a bow, though he didn’t say anything. I couldn’t imagine why.
“I just wanted to ask what the plan was,” I said. “How long is the caravan going to stay in Rosewood City?”
At this, Lieutenant Hayden turned to Caravan Master Jeeves.
“It depends, Lord Gabriel,” the caravan master said. “Our merchants need time to offload their goods. We also need to ask around and see if there are any who want to join us on the trip back to Icefall City. And given what happened a few days ago, we also need to hire more guards.” He shrugged. “At the earliest, we’ll leave in three or four days, and that’s being generous. It will likely take a week or longer.”
I grimaced at this. If we ended up staying for longer than a week, then I would have to pay a visit to House Rosewood. Unlike House Icefall, I couldn’t afford to offend them. Well, I could, but it would tax my family’s already stretched influence and political capital.
That wasn’t ideal. I didn’t know how powerful the Matriarch of House Rosewood was. If she was in the Third Circle, then I was in the clear. She wouldn’t be able to see through my Hidden Lamp seal. If she was in the Fourth Circle, then things would get complicated for me.
I had contingencies in mind, just in case, but I’d rather not use them.
“Thank you, Caravan Master Jeeves,” I said. “And you as well, Lieutenant Hayden.”
“Do you have a place to stay?” Lieutenant Hayden asked. He nodded towards a nearby inn. “If not, we can reserve an extra pair of rooms for you here.”
I looked at the inn and shook my head. While the inn looked decent enough, it wasn’t a suitable place for the First Son of House Sturm to stay at. Now that I was back in what most people considered “proper” civilization, there was a certain standard I needed to maintain. Personally, I didn’t care. However, my actions reflected back on my House, for good and for ill. After everything I did, I didn’t want to embarrass them further.
“Thank you, but no, Lieutenant Hayden,” I said. “I appreciate the offer, but we’ll find our own accommodations.”
The lieutenant nodded, as if he expected this answer.
“In that case, let me know where you’re staying after you find a place. I’ll make sure you’re informed when we’re ready to leave.”
“Thank you, lieutenant. I much appreciate it.”
After that, I headed back to the carriage with the others.
“Why can’t we stay at this place?” Corie asked, gesturing to the inn we left behind. “It seems good enough to me.”
“You two can, if you want,” I said. “However, I can’t. As the First Son of House Sturm, there are certain appearances I need to maintain. It didn’t matter much, back in Icefall City, since no one there cared. Things are different here in Rosewood City.”
Corie snorted.
“That’s stupid,” she said.
“It is,” I said, agreeing with her. “But that’s the way House society is. Feel free to stay here if you want. We don’t have to stick together as much here. It should be safe enough.”
Despite its appearances, Rosewood City had a high level of security. There were guards everywhere, and they were just as vigilant as the ones back at Icefall City.
“No,” Lorelei said. “I’d rather stay together, if it’s all the same to you.” She looked around. “This is my first time here, and I’d feel safer if we didn’t split up.”
“Me too,” Corie said, following Lorelei’s gaze.
I shrugged.
“Suit yourselves,” I said. “Come along then.”
The others and I reached the carriage, and I instructed Jeffrey to head towards Trader’s Crossroad. Traffic was a bit heavy, but we soon reached the square. It was as chaotic and full of people as I expected it to be. People shouted and bargained, animals and magic beasts roared, and mana was thick in the air.
I looked around until I found a young man wearing a uniform with House Rosewood’s symbol on it: a rose surrounded by a circle of thorns. A city guide hired by House Rosewood.
City guides were common in every city within the Solarian Empire, except for Icefall City. As their name implied, their entire purpose was to guide and help House scions who were unfamiliar with the city.
The House Rosewood city guide stood at a corner of the square with a bored look on his face. I directed Jeffrey to stop next to him. The moment he saw the carriage, the city guide stood at attention.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
I opened the window.
“What’s your name?” I asked the guide.
“Cale, my lord,” he said while giving me a bow.
“Cale, I need to find a place to stay for the next few days,” I said. “Preferably small, quiet, and modest.”
Translation: I needed a cheap place to stay. Well, cheap by House standards.
Cale nodded after a moment’s thought.
“I know just the place, my lord.”
“Good.” I tossed him a coin. “Come with us and direct my driver.”
Cale caught the coin and climbed up to sit next to Jeffrey. The carriage started moving again, and I closed the window. Lorelei and Corie both gave me incredulous looks.
“The Houses are something else,” Corie said, shaking her head.
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Cale, true to his word, found us a place to stay. It was a small hotel that catered to the poorer members of House society. Despite that, it was still an elegant and tasteful place. The service was excellent as well. I had to admit, it felt good to act like a proper House scion again, even if only for a little while.
I also paid Cale to let Lieutenant Hayden know where we were staying.
Lorelei and Corie gaped when they saw the hotel. There wasn’t any place like it in Icefall City. There was Icefall Manor I supposed, but that wasn’t open to the public. When I talked with the clerk at the front desk, my disciples panicked when they realized how expensive the rooms were.
I told them not to worry about it, since I was paying for a suite of rooms anyway, but they were still troubled. It helped when I told them that my family was paying for it, so they didn’t have to worry.
That was technically true. I used my quarterly allowance to pay for our stay, charging it to my account at the Solarian Imperial Bank. I was fine with using my family’s money when it came to mundane matters like this.
The Solarian Imperial Bank was THE financial institution within the entire Solarian Empire, since it was backed by the Imperial Ministry of Finance, and it had branches all over the empire. Except for the Icefall Region, which was one of the reasons why many people considered it outside of “proper” civilization.
When I set out for the Icefall Region, I had to take my quarterly allowance in coin. Now that I had access to my accounts again, I didn’t have to worry about that. Of course, word of this would get back to my parents, cluing them in that I wasn’t staying where I was supposed to stay. To avoid any uncomfortable questions, I decided to send them a message first.
I would also use this as an opportunity to preempt Leroy, and tell them about my adventuring career first. Despite my best efforts, I hadn’t been able to dissuade Leroy from informing my parents about my activities. Since that was the case, I decided to act first. That way, they wouldn’t hear everything from another person. It would help blunt their anger, though not by much.
I told Lorelei and Corie that I was heading out. We didn’t really have any plans, so we were all free until the caravan headed out towards the Icefall Region again. The two of them were still in a bit of a daze, however.
I asked the front desk where I could find a good courier service, and made my way there in the carriage. When I arrived, I sent off two messages. One was towards my parents.
I hesitated a bit, before I sent that one off. When they received my message, my parents would either summon me back to Sturm Manor, or come get me themselves. Honestly, I didn’t know which I dreaded more. Regardless, when I faced them again, I would have a lot of explaining to do.
My stomach clenched at the thought.
Leroy also took this opportunity to send his own message. Perhaps he hadn’t trusted me, or perhaps he wanted to give them his own perspective of events.
I also sent a message to House Rosewood’s estate within the city, Dawnrose Hall. Since I didn’t know how long we would be in Rosewood City, I figured it was best to get this particular hurdle out of the way. It was a risk, but one I needed to take.
The message was simple. I requested a meeting with Lady Rosewood, the Matriarch of House Rosewood, so I could pay my respects to her. I would leave the time and place for her to decide. Then I put in the address of the hotel I was staying at.
After that, I was at a bit of a loss. I was tired, so I didn’t want to explore the city just yet. However, I didn’t want to waste the rest of the day. It was early afternoon. Then I had an idea.
When it came to magical matters, I wanted to rely on my own efforts and resources. Since Brightwood was expensive, I figured I’d take this opportunity to make a bit more money.
I found the nearest bookshop that catered to wizards and bought a lot of Mana Ink with the money I made from selling my Protection Talismans. I also bought a lot of high quality paper, as well as a primer on alchemy.
After making all my purchases, I headed back to the hotel. Once there, I gave Leroy and Jeffrey leave to do as they wished. Leroy, of course, stuck by me. It was almost as if he expected me to try something.
He needn’t have bothered. I holed up in the suite and spent the rest of the day making Protection Talismans. Lorelei and Corie watched as I worked, so I decided to turn this into a lesson in talismans for them. They wouldn’t be able to make any until they formed their own dantians, but teaching them now would benefit them in the future.
I taught them about the various magical symbols used to create talismans, and what they meant. Creating talismans wasn’t just about drawing symbols on a piece of paper and imbuing them with mana. It required some understanding of the laws and principles behind the magical symbols used. The better one’s understanding, the more powerful the talisman created.
Since I was a reincarnated Immortal, my understanding was pretty high. That was why my talismans were as powerful as they were, despite my low cultivation base.
I also created several Clear Eyes talismans, giving two to each of my people. That way I could use Beguiling Mist more often without hindering them in the process.
By the time night fell, I had several dozen Protection Talismans ready to go. Selling them would give me enough money to buy a decent sized chunk of Brightwood. I intended to make several sets of formation flags. Not to sell, of course. It was so I could set up formations for my disciples as well, should the situation call for it.
In the middle of all of this, I received a message from Lady Rosewood. She told me that she looked forward to meeting me at teatime tomorrow. That meant early afternoon, between lunch and dinner. This would give me plenty of time to sell the Protection Talismans. Perfect.
I did some body cultivation, something I hadn’t done since leaving Sturm Hill Hall, before heading off to bed that night.
----------------------------------------
I stared out the window as the House Sturm carriage entered the gate leading to Dawnrose Hall. Similar to Icefall Manor, Dawnrose Hall occupied a large plot of land in the middle of Rosewood City. It was surrounded by a tall wooden wall that looked like it had grown into place. Thorns covered the wall.
I only caught a brief glance at the grounds of Dawnrose Hall, but they seemed to be covered entirely with gardens. They looked beautiful, especially in this fine and clear weather. I saw plants of all kinds, most of which I didn’t recognize. There were also magical plants, in addition to mundane ones, that were often used in alchemy or for advancing one’s wizardry. However, they were used for decoration here.
Like every building in Rosewood City, Dawnrose Hall was a work of art. However, it eclipsed all the other buildings I had seen so far. It was like comparing the Mona Lisa to a college student’s art project. It was three stories tall, and made entirely of wood. Like the wall surrounding the estate, it looked like it had been grown in place.
Dawnrose Hall was also thick with mana, and I could sense several enchantments layered throughout the entire estate.
It was late afternoon. After cultivating by myself, and training with my disciples, I spent most of the morning at the Rosewood Adventurers Guild selling my Protection Talismans. Lorelei and Corie decided to explore the city, and see what it had to offer.
At first, things were slow for me. Unlike the adventurers in Icefall, the ones in Rosewood weren’t hostile towards me because I was a House scion. They just saw me as some sort of strange and exotic creature, and kept their distance because of this.
Things took a turn for the better when the adventurers who accompanied the House Icefall caravan vouched for me. They told the others about the effectiveness of my talismans, and how they were invaluable for anyone who couldn’t use shield spells.
I was swamped by adventurers after that, since most of the adventurers at the Rosewood Adventurers Guild were in the First Circle. While I didn’t sell all of my Protection Talismans, I sold most of them and made a hefty profit.
After that, I headed back and got ready for my meeting with Lady Rosewood. As always, Leroy accompanied me.
When the carriage stopped in front of the entrance to Dawnrose Hall, I was surprised to see the person coming out to greet me. He was a young man, about my age, with a slight build and a light tan. His face was delicate and elfin. He wore an outfit that looked more expensive and more elegant than mine.
However, his most distinctive feature was his hair. It was pink. Not bright neon pink, thank the ancestors for that, but the kind of pink one saw at the first light of dawn. It was a bit strange, but I wasn’t in a position to judge. After all, I had the white-blue hair that of those born to House Sturm shared.
The young man was in the First Circle, third thread, with an affinity for Wood magic. Given his apparent age, that was a little above average, though nothing special.
Based on what little I knew about House Rosewood, I assumed this was Lady Rosewood’s son and heir, Bertrand Rosewood. Thankfully, I had thought to ask the hotel employees about House Rosewood before coming here.
There was Lady Elise Rosewood, the Matriarch; her husband, Richard Rosewood; her first son, Bertrand Rosewood; her second son, Eric Rosewood; and then her first and only daughter, Violet Rosewood, who was the youngest of the family.
Like my family, House Rosewood decided to have a third child, going beyond the heir and spare that most Houses settled for. The reasons why a House would do this varied.
Take my House for example. According to my mother, she and my father had Roland because they wanted another little bundle of joy. Roland proved to be exactly that, given how cute and adorable he was.
According to my father, the reason why he and my mother went for a third child was because of how talented my sister and I proved to be. They took a gamble, and it paid off. Roland was as talented as Kaylee, though not as much as me. Good thing too. Given my fuck up, my House needed all the power it could get.
A row of servants stood behind Lord Bertrand, including a bodyguard in the Second Circle, first thread, with an affinity for Metal.
“Greetings Lord Gabriel,” the young man said, giving me a slight bow.
“Greetings Lord Bertrand,” I replied, returning the bow. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Though I’m surprised to see the heir of House Rosewood coming out to greet me himself.”
Lord Bertrand smiled at that, though there was something off about that smile. I saw a darkness in his eyes, one that he couldn’t quite hide from me despite his best attempt. That darkness contained disdain, contempt, and satisfaction.
Well, fuck. This wasn’t going to go well.
“The pleasure is all mine,” Lord Bertrand said. “And how could we do any less, when the heir of House Sturm deigns to grace us with his presence. Come, follow me. Mother will meet you in one of the sitting rooms on the second floor.”
The servants started when he said this, though they tried their best to hide it. One of them started to speak up
“Young master, your si-…” the servant started to say, but a severe glance from Lord Bertrand silenced her.
Hmm, interesting.
I pretended not to notice any of this. Instead, I followed Lord Bertrand as he led me through the halls of Dawnrose Hall. A servant led Leroy away, since I couldn’t bring a bodyguard when meeting with Lady Rosewood. He looked unhappy about this. Given what happened last time, with House Icefall, I could understand his feelings.
The interior of the place was even more beautiful than the exterior. Various works of art were on display, most of which had been created with magic. There was even a floating orb created by Water magic that reminded me of a lava lamp, given the way the liquids inside swirled and moved.
On the way to the sitting room, Lord Bertrand and I engaged in small talk and idle chatter. This sort of thing was normal when two House scions met but weren’t interested in becoming friends with each other. It was the sort of polite conversation people like us engaged in when we didn’t want to offend the other party.
As we talked, I wondered what Lord Bertrand’s game was. It was clear that he was up to something, but polite behavior limited his actions. If he tried anything overt, it would reflect poorly on his House. If it was bad enough, that would give me grounds to challenge him to a duel. The question was, how stupid was Lord Bertrand?
We arrived at the sitting room, which was an elegant and well appointed space. A pair of glass doors led out to a railed balcony that overlooked one of the many gardens that surrounded Dawnrose Hall.
“Tell me, Lord Gabriel,” Lord Bertrand said when we arrived. “I’m curious. Is it true that you had a feud with Lady Annabelle Thorne, the Otherworlder, when the both of you attended the Solarian Imperial Academy? I heard rumors, but given how far we are from the Imperial capital, it’s hard to distinguish fact from fiction.”
An icy claw gripped my heart at the mention of Annabelle’s name. Her surname was actually Smith, but she changed it when House Thorne adopted her. Had she kept her middle name? I didn’t know.
So, this was what Lord Bertrand was after. He was trying to embarrass and humiliate me. However, unlike when I met with Lord Icefall, I wasn’t going to fly off the handle. I had learned my lesson already.
“Yes,” I said, feigning a calm that I didn’t feel. “It ended when I challenged her to a duel and lost. Since then, Lady Annabelle and I haven’t seen each other. This is for the best.”
Lord Bertrand’s smile widened just a touch. That smile gave me a bad feeling.
“I heard about that as well, though I hadn’t believed it. Lady Annabelle had only practiced magic for a few years, and I had heard that the First Son of House Sturm was a genius. I even heard that she shattered your Circles, though that one seems to be false.”
Strike two against Lord Bertrand. If he said another fucking word about this, I would slap him across the face and challenge him to a duel. I already planned to let his mother know about his obnoxious behavior. Treating an invited guest like this was in poor taste.
If Lady Rosewood didn’t care about her son’s behavior, that would tell me all I needed to know about House Rosewood.
I gave Lord Bertrand a tight smile, and didn’t respond.
The bodyguard leaned forward and whispered something in Lord Bertrand’s ear.
“Ah, it looks like our time together is over, Lord Gabriel,” he said. “I have some business that I need to attend to. Mother should be along shortly.”
With that he left, bringing all the servants with him. That was odd. If nothing else, he should have left a servant to attend to me, in case I needed anything. Instead, he just left me all alone. Hell, he hadn’t even offered me anything to eat or drink while I waited.
Rude little fuck. I wanted to strangle him for his behavior. Even Lord Icefall, who disliked me and suspected me of working against his House, hadn’t treated me so poorly.
Oh well, nothing to do about it now. While I waited, I walked over to the balcony and looked out at the garden below. Unlike the ones near the front of Dawnrose Hall, this one was some kind of water garden. It was a series of interconnected shallow canals made of white stone that resembled a labyrinth. Plants, such as lilies and hyacinths, grew in the water. I saw colorful fish swimming in the canals.
In the center stood a pavilion, which had a perfect view of the water garden. A stone pathway, complete with little stone bridges, led to the pavilion. I saw a woman sitting inside. A pink haired woman. That was the only thing I could tell about her from this distance.
Wait a minute. If that was who I thought it was, then why had Lord Bertrand led me here to this sitting room?
As I was about to use my divine sense to take a closer look at the woman, just in case I was mistaken, I heard the door to the sitting room open.
“If you would wait here, my lady,” a male voice said. “Lady Violet will be with you shortly. I shall return with refreshments.”
“Thank you,” a husky, and achingly familiar, voice said.
My blood ran cold when I heard that voice. My heart clenched.
No.
No, she couldn’t be here.
What was she doing here?
Gabriel, what’s wrong? Aurora asked in my mind, her mental voice laced with worry. What happened? Why are you so upset?
Upset was a mild way to describe how I felt.
She was supposed to be at the Solarian Imperial Academy, which was back in Sunheart, the Imperial capital. I fled halfway across the fucking continent to make sure I never saw her again. How was she here?
Gabriel, answer me, Aurora said.
I grabbed the balcony’s railing, gripping it so hard that my knuckles turned white. I wanted to jump over the railing to escape. It was only a two story drop. I could survive that. Hell, with my cultivation, it wouldn’t even injure me. Yet, I couldn’t make my body move. I was frozen in place.
“Oh, there’s a balcony, Avianna,” the husky voice said. “The view must be-…”
When she stopped speaking, I knew she had seen me.
Well, there was no helping it now.
I took a deep breath, before I turned around.
Standing at the threshold between the sitting room and the balcony was the woman who I had never wanted to see again, yet yearned for with all my being.
Lady Annabelle Thorne.
However, in another life, I knew her as Annabelle Marie Smith.
The love of Brandon Norwood’s life.