Annabelle and I stared at each other for several long seconds. She looked even more beautiful than I remembered, regardless of which lifetime I was talking about.
Annabelle was a tall woman, almost as tall as me, with a lean and toned body. She practiced martial arts back on Earth, and it looked like she kept up her training even after she arrived in Lumina.
I knew this from personal experience because she beat the ever-living shit out of me when she broke through my shield spells during our duel.
Annabelle had long blonde hair, tied up in a fancy do, and brilliant blue eyes. Currently those eyes were glaring at me with anger and hatred. She had the face of an angel, the avenging kind to be exact, beautiful and terrible to behold. She wore a blue dress that matched her eyes.
In terms of magic, Annabelle was a Second Circle wizard, second thread, with an affinity for Fire, Wood, and Lightning. So she had reached the second thread in the time since our duel. That was where I had been before she shattered my Circles. I felt an echo of the jealousy and envy I used to feel whenever I compared myself to her.
Who is this woman? Aurora asked. Why are you reacting like this to her?
‘She was the love of my previous life,’ I said to Aurora. ‘Back when I was Brandon Norwood.’ I paused. ‘She is also the Otherworlder who shattered my Circles, back before I regained my memories.’
Oh.
Yeah, oh indeed.
“You!” Annabelle snarled.
I put on a smile that didn’t reach my eyes and gave her a bow.
“Lady Annabelle,” I said with false cheer. “What an unexpected and unwelcome surprise.”
“I could say the same about you, Lord Gabriel,” Annabelle spat out.
She spoke the common language of Lumina, imaginatively called Common Tongue, with an American accent. It sounded jarring to my ears, even with the memories of my life as Brandon Norwood. That was one of the things I had mocked about her, back when we both attended the Solarian Imperial Academy.
When Annabelle mentioned my name, a woman rushed forward and put a short sword to my neck. I had been so preoccupied with Annabelle that I hadn’t even noticed that she had company.
The woman looked to be in her late twenties, lean and pale-skinned. She had light blonde hair and sharp features. Her eyes were gray. Like Leroy, she wore leather armor. I suspected that she was Annabelle’s bodyguard.
This woman was a Second Circle wizard, fifth thread, with an affinity for Air and Metal. This put her ahead of Leroy by one thread.
The woman gave me a cool, assessing gaze as she held her short sword to my throat. I recognized that look. It said that she didn’t even see me as a person. Just a potential threat that needed to be eliminated.
“Now, now,” I said. “There isn’t any need for that.”
The woman pressed the blade harder against my neck, almost drawing blood.
“Would you like me to eliminate him, Lady Annabelle?” the woman asked.
Gabriel, would you like me to shock this woman? Aurora asked.
I was tempted to say yes. However, I gave Aurora a mental head shake. While she was a former divine being, Aurora was in the same boat as me. Her power level was tied to mine. As I grew more powerful, so would she.
At the moment, I wasn’t in a position to injure a Second Circle wizard, let alone defeat one. Not without a Ghostfire Sealing Talisman at least, which I didn’t have. I left all of my talismans back at the hotel, since I didn’t want House Rosewood to find out about them.
“You’re not going to have her kill me,” I said to Annabelle.
She crossed her arms.
“Don’t be so sure, Lord Gabriel,” she said. “After everything you pulled, I’m tempted to let her slit your throat so you don’t try anything else.”
“I can assure you, after what happened during our last meeting, I won’t try anything, as you put it.”
At this, Annabelle gave me a cruel smirk.
“You mean when I kicked your ass and…”
She trailed off.
“Your Circles,” she said in an astonished voice. “I shattered them. I know I did. How did you fix them?”
My smile widened.
“If I told you that a divine being fixed them, would you believe me?”
Annabelle narrowed her eyes at me.
“Fuck off.”
I thought she would say that.
“Suit yourself,” I said with a shrug. “But the answer to your unfinished question is yes. I am many things, but suicidal is not one of them. I learned my lesson.” My smile dropped. “Even if I were in a position to pursue any vendetta against you, I wouldn’t. The last time I went against you, the people I cared about most in this world suffered as a result. I won’t do that to them again. Believe that, if nothing else.”
Annabelle scoffed at this, though she looked away for a brief second.
“Besides, you wouldn’t have your bodyguard kill me even if that wasn’t the case,” I continued. “You’re too good of a person for that. You wouldn’t kill someone in cold blood. Not without good reason that is.”
“I’m surprised that you’re betting your life on my good nature, Lord Gabriel,” Annabelle said, her voice sickly sweet. “I didn’t expect that from you.”
“I always believed you were a better person than me,” I said in a quiet voice. “That is why I hated you so much.”
This caught Annabelle by surprise, and her eyes widened. She didn’t reply for several seconds, before letting out a sigh.
“Let him go, Avianna,” she said.
“As you command, Lady Annabelle,” Avianna the bodyguard said.
She pulled her short sword away from my throat and sheathed it again. However, she continued to stare at me as if I were a potential threat. She needn’t have bothered. I would rather die than willingly hurt Annabelle again.
“Thank you,” I said, rubbing my neck.
Thankfully Avianna had excellent control. Despite pressing a sharp blade against my throat, she hadn’t cut me.
“What are you doing here, Lord Gabriel?” Annabelle asked. “The last I heard, your father exiled you to the Icefall Region.”
“Actually, that was my idea,” I said. “I figured that your House was still angry with me after what happened-…”
“They are.”
“-…so I thought exiling myself to the furthest reaches of the empire would be a good way to appease their anger and escape their grasp.” I gestured to Annabelle. “Clearly, I was wrong.”
“That still doesn’t explain why you’re here in Rosewood City. Specifically, what are you doing here at Dawnrose Hall? In this room?”
I was tempted to tell Annabelle to fuck off, since it was none of her business. That was Lord Gabriel’s influence. However, I kept that part of me in check.
“I have business here in Rosewood City,” I said instead. “Since I don’t know how long I’ll be here, I came to pay my respects to Lady Rosewood. Her son, Lord Bertrand, brought me to this sitting room, saying that she would be with me shortly.” I nodded towards the pavilion. “However, as you can see, he misled me.”
Annabelle followed my gaze and saw the pink haired woman sitting in the pavilion.
“That smarmy little fuck!” she said. “I’m going to throttle him!”
“You should have let me castrate him when I offered, Lady Annabelle,” Avianna said.
I raised an eyebrow at this.
“Lord Bertrand did this to spite me,” Annabelle said. “I called him a pretentious prick a few days ago when he showed me his art collection and wouldn’t shut the fuck up about it. I mean, I like art as much as the next person, but he wouldn’t stop bragging. He forgot his place, and Avianna taught him a lesson. This is his way of getting revenge.”
I stifled a laugh at this.
“You think this is funny?” Annabelle growled.
Avianna gripped the hilt of her sword and emanated killing intent. Sheesh. This woman was more touchy than Leroy.
“A little, yes,” I admitted. “It is amusing to see your ire directed at someone other than me.”
“Yeah, well, I still think you’re an egotistical shithead with an overinflated opinion of yourself.”
Ouch. I mean, it was true, but ouch. Talk about a shot to the heart.
In my dantian, I saw Aurora create an illusory scoreboard. On one side was my name, on the other was Annabelle’s. Aurora put a mark on Annabelle’s side.
Hey, whose side was she on?
“What about you?” I asked, changing the subject. “If you don’t mind me asking, what are you doing in Rosewood City? I thought you were still back at the academy.” I paused. “I was rather hoping for it.”
“I do mind you asking,” Annabelle said. “But since you answered me, I might as well do the same. I decided to take a break from the academy, so Mom and Dad sent me here. They wanted me to see more of the world, and Lady Rosewood agreed to host me for a few weeks.”
If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
I resisted the urge to smile again. She called Lord Thorne “Dad”, and Lady Thorne “Mom”. Back on Earth, she had never been close to her birth parents, despite her best efforts. They always insisted that she call them Father and Mother. It seemed that wasn’t the case with her adopted family.
Good. I was happy for her.
“I was supposed to have tea with Lady Violet, Lady Rosewood’s daughter,” Annabelle continued. “Though, given how late she is, I have a hunch that she’s in on this petty scheme of Lord Bertrand’s.”
I shrugged.
“Maybe,” I said. “Or maybe her brother waylaid her. Regardless, I shall take my leave of you. I don’t want to keep Lady Rosewood waiting.”
“About time you fucked off.”
I snorted at this.
“With any luck, we won’t see each other again.”
“We’ll see about that,” Annabelle muttered under her breath.
I pretended not to hear it.
“Before I go, however,” I said. “There is one thing I need to do.”
I gave Annabelle a deep bow. It was the kind of bow I would give my father, or even the Sun Emperor. It was a sign of complete and utter submission.
“I am sorry for everything I did to you,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “I am sorry for every insult, every scheme, every injury I caused. I am sorry, Lady Annabelle. You deserved none of it. There are no words to convey the depths of my guilt and shame. I don’t ask for your forgiveness, because I know I don’t deserve it. I just wanted to let you know that I regret my actions.”
Stunned silence met my words. I didn’t look at her as I stood up straight. I was afraid of what I would see. Rather than risk it, I turned around and vaulted over the railing. I landed on the ground below without issue.
“Lord Gabriel!” Annabelle called out.
I ignored her and headed towards the pavilion in the center of the water garden.
----------------------------------------
The water garden was thick with Water mana, with some hints of Wood mana. The air smelled of water, the scent of life. It was a place of peace and tranquility. On any other occasion, I would have appreciated it more, given my affinity for Water. However, my heart and mind was in turmoil after my conversation with Annabelle.
Seeing her again, after all these months, had ripped away all the lies and walls I had built up. All the emotions I had kept in check now flooded through me, and it took everything I had to keep it all under control.
Anger, guilt, shame, pain, joy.
I felt like I was drowning.
Do you want to talk about it? Aurora asked.
‘Not right now,’ I said. ‘I still have to deal with Lady Rosewood. We can talk after.’
Is it a good idea to meet with Lady Rosewood, given your current state of mind?
‘No, but I have little choice.’
I sent my divine sense forward and took a look at Lady Rosewood. Rather, I checked her aura out. To my relief, she was only in the Third Circle. Good. Given how I felt at the moment, I didn’t think I could pull off any of my contingencies.
I retracted my divine sense and continued towards the pavilion.
Like everything else in Dawnrose Hall, the pavilion was an elegant and graceful work of art. It gave its occupants a clear view of the water garden. No wonder Lady Rosewood chose to have tea here. If I had a place like this, I would too.
Lady Rosewood herself looked a lot like her son. Slight build, light tan skin, pink hair. They even shared the same delicate, elfin features. However, she had an air of dignity and gravitas that set her apart.
She didn’t look old enough to have a son Lord Bertrand’s age. At most, she looked to be in her mid-thirties. That wasn’t surprising. Wizards aged slower than regular mortals. While they didn’t live as long as cultivators, they still lived a pretty long time.
With the pavilion’s open nature, Lady Rosewood saw me long before I arrived. When I got closer, I saw her frown. She stood up when I reached the pavilion. She wore a pink dress that matched her hair.
“Welcome, Lord Gabriel,” she said, giving me a curtsy. “Why are you alone? Where is my son, Bertie? I asked him to escort you.”
I returned her curtsy with a bow.
“Lord Bertrand did indeed escort me,” I said, giving Lady Rosewood a tight smile. “To a sitting room on the second floor, where I had an encounter with your other guest, Lady Annabelle. Needless to say, neither of us were happy about that.”
Lady Rosewood’s gaze sharpened.
“I see,” she said in a deceptively mild tone.
From what I could tell, she was unhappy about her son’s actions. Good. My opinion of her rose by a fraction.
“I apologize for my son’s actions,” Lady Rosewood said. “I asked him to escort you here, specifically so you and Lady Annabelle wouldn’t meet each other by chance. I am aware of what happened between the two of you, and I wished to avoid stirring up old feelings. I hope you find it in yourself to see past this.”
A wooden table and a set of chairs stood in the center of the pavilion. A tea set was laid out on top of the table, accompanied by a small platter of finger foods.
Lady Rosewood gestured for me to sit down. I did, and she followed suit.
“I’m afraid I can’t do that, Lady Rosewood,” I said.
Lady Rosewood, who had been reaching for the tea pot, paused.
“Why is that, Lord Gabriel?” she said. “I’m sure Bertie meant nothing by it.”
My opinion of her fell by a fraction.
“If it had been a mistake, or even a childish prank, I would have let this go,” I said. “However, given what Lord Bertrand said to me before he left me in the sitting room, it’s clear that his actions were planned and deliberate. My conversation with Lady Annabelle further clarified this. She told me of what happened between her and Lord Bertrand.” My smile sharpened. “I do not appreciate being embarrassed and humiliated like this. And I especially do not appreciate being used as the instrument of someone else’s petty revenge. Is this the level of hospitality that guests can expect from House Rosewood?”
I was being too harsh on Lady Rosewood. She wasn’t the one who set me and Annabelle up. However, as the Matriarch of her House, she was responsible for the actions of her people. And I wasn’t in a forgiving mood.
In fact, I really wanted to find Lord Bertrand and beat the shit out of him. After my meeting with Lady Rosewood, I would find the smarmy little fuck, slap him across the face, and challenge him to a duel. I wouldn’t kill him, since that would cause too much trouble, but I would break every bone in his body.
I gave Lady Rosewood a look that conveyed exactly how I felt about the situation. If this surprised or offended Lady Rosewood, she didn’t let it show. Instead, she picked up the tea pot, poured me a cup of tea, and then poured a cup for herself. There must have been an enchantment on the tea pot, since the tea was still steaming hot.
I checked with my divine sense. Yep, it was enchanted.
Lady Rosewood spoke up after she took a sip of her tea.
“I’m sorry you feel that way, Lord Gabriel,” she said. “Is there anything I can do to avoid things from escalating further?”
While she spoke in a conciliatory tone, I detected a hint of steel beneath it all. She was willing to make up for her son’s bullshit, but I better not take it too far.
I was tempted to tell her to go fuck herself, but I managed to rein in my temper. The last thing I needed to do was make an enemy out of House Rosewood. While they weren’t as powerful as House Sturm, they weren’t without means.
They also had a connection to House Thorne, which was much more powerful than my House. Given Annabelle’s presence here, it was clear that House Thorne still valued House Rosewood. Maybe they even valued House Rosewood enough to come to their aid in a war, should things devolve to that point.
I didn’t plan on finding out.
My smile softened.
“There is one thing,” I said. “Part of the reason why I came to Rosewood City is to purchase Brightwood. If you would help me with that, I would much appreciate it. I just need you to point me in the right direction.”
Lady Rosewood raised an eyebrow at that.
“Is that all?” she asked.
With that the way I acted earlier, I assume she expected me to make a more onerous demand. I probably should, just so she wouldn’t assume I was overreacting.
Ah, I knew just the thing.
“And a bottle of Rosewood Wine,” I said. “It is difficult to get a good bottle of wine in the Icefall Region.”
As long as I didn’t count the wine in the cellar of Sturm Hill Hall.
House Rosewood owned Rosewood City, and earned revenue from the taxes, but its main source of income was wine. They owned several wineries throughout the Brightwood Region, and had created several brands. The most well known of those brands was, of course, Rosewood Wine. It was rather famous across the empire.
The reason for this was simple. Through a process that no one else had been able to replicate, House Rosewood managed to find a way to infuse mana into Rosewood Wine; Water and Wood mana to be exact. Drinking Rosewood Wine was beneficial to wizards, since it aided their progress in wizardry. It would also benefit my cultivation, especially since I had an affinity for Water.
This also made Rosewood Wine very expensive, and it was one of the reasons why House Rosewood was as wealthy and influential as it was, despite the relative weakness of its members.
“Very well, Lord Gabriel,” Lady Rosewood said. “That can be arranged. I hope this is enough to dismiss any ill feelings you have towards my son.”
I nodded.
“It is, though I think it’s best if Lord Bertrand and I don’t see each other again,” I said. “Lady Annabelle is another story. I speak from personal experience when I say that she won’t be as forgiving.”
My mind flashed back to the moment when she hit me with the Lightning spell that shattered my Circles. It was impossible to put into words the pain I felt in that moment. It was as if my entire being was ripped apart. I felt it deep in my soul, which was probably how I ended up regaining my memories in the first place.
“Leave Lady Annabelle to me,” Lady Rosewood said. “You don’t have to worry about that. I’ll speak with her myself.”
Good luck with that.
I finally took a sip of my tea. It was good tea, at least by Lord Gabriel’s standards. Brandon Norwood hadn’t been a tea drinker, so he didn’t have much reference for what was good tea or not.
As for Immortal Celestial Thunder…It was best not to judge any teas I found in Lumina by his standards. After drinking tea grown and brewed by an Immortal, any tea brewed by a mortal tasted like mud water in comparison.
“Now that we have all that unpleasantness out of the way,” Lady Rosewood said. “Tell me, what business do you have in my city?”
“Other than purchasing Brightwood?” I said. “Nothing. The only reason I’m here is because I’m guarding someone who was part of the caravan that arrived from Icefall City. We will leave when the caravan leaves, though I don’t know when that will be. I’ve been told that we might be here for up to a week, maybe even longer.”
Lady Rosewood blinked at me.
“Guarding someone,” she said. “As in, you’re someone’s bodyguard?”
I grinned.
“Yes.”
“I see,” she said after a moment’s hesitation. “I didn’t think a scion of House Sturm would fall so low as to become a mere bodyguard.”
I shrugged.
“There isn’t much to do in the Icefall Region,” I said. “So I took up adventuring as a hobby.” My grin widened. “I even joined the Adventurers Guild.”
Lady Rosewood lowered her cup, looking slightly scandalized. That wasn’t a surprise. Back on Earth, I was the equivalent of a trust fund baby who said that they joined an underground fight club.
“Oh my,” she said. “How…”
She couldn’t even finish her sentence. I wondered what she wanted to say. Surprising? Crude? Vulgar?
“Does Lord Sturm know about this…hobby of yours?” Lord Rosewood asked instead.
She was still shocked and scandalized by my words, but also a little intrigued. That was a surprise.
“I sent him a message,” I said. “I have yet to hear back a reply. He won’t be happy with me, I imagine.”
That was an understatement. Father would be furious with me when he found out what I had been up to. I did not look forward to that conversation.
“Are you not worried about what people will say?” Lady Rosewood asked. “About how this will affect your reputation?”
I snorted.
“What reputation?” I asked. “I’m already a social pariah and an outcast.” I sipped my tea. “It’s quite liberating, actually. I no longer have to worry about people’s expectations of me.”
Except for my family. I still cared about what they thought, even if I had to go against their expectations in order to accomplish my goals.
“I see,” Lady Rosewood said. “This has been an…enlightening conversation. Feel free to enjoy your stay here in my city. Though, please exercise restraint. I know how rowdy adventurers can be. Don’t use that as an excuse to cause trouble.”
“I won’t, Lady Rosewood,” I said. “You remind me too much of my own mother for that to happen.”
“Oh?” Lady Rosewood said, raising an eyebrow.
“Beautiful, refined, and protective of your family,” I said.
My mother was petite and looked delicate, but she turned into a vicious hellcat whenever someone messed with our family. One time, when Kaylee was a child, she got into a fight with a girl from another House. It was a minor scuffle between children, but the girl’s mother made a disparaging remark about Kaylee afterwards.
In response, my mother choked the woman out, and then went to her home to burn her garden to the ground.
I got the same kind of vibe from Lady Rosewood.
“Tell me,” I said. “What would have happened if I rejected your offer?”
A vicious gleam appeared in Lady Rosewood’s eyes.
“You would have found your stay here in my city to be much more unpleasant, to say the least,” she said.
“Good to know,” I said. “If that’s all, shall I take my leave now?”
Lady Rosewood nodded, and I stood up.
“Thank you for your time, Lady Rosewood,” I said, before leaving. “And thank you for the tea. It was delicious.”
She smiled at this.
“You’re welcome, Lord Gabriel,” she said. “Have a good day.”
With that, I left. I felt her eyes watching me the entire time.