4-17 House of Aeryo II

“I beg your pardon, Mister Cassius, but I am not Aedan’s consort,” Erin said with a huff and a rage that was on the verge of bursting. Though she was furious, there was a small part of her that was thrilled but never will she ever let it be known. She had accepted her feelings for Aedan but that was still too high of a hurdle for her to pass.

“You’re not, m’lady?” asked the custodian with a genuine worried look.

“Why would you presume so?” Erin returned the question.

“His Lordship had said the only one who will be receiving the title deed to his manor would be someone he completely trusted and someone akin to a life partner. A consort or a wife, so to say.”

“Did he just ask for my hand in marriage without asking for my hand in marriage?” Erin’s thoughts rumbled. “Well, Mister Cassius, I am his lover but he had said nothing of that sort to me. He had a penchant for surprises and theatrics even though he seemed so aloof for most times.”

“That does indeed sound like his Lordship,” the elderly said. “Why don’t we continue this conversation inside the manor? I’ll have the servants prepare the fire and some light meals while we furbish your rooms.”

“That will be extremely appreciated, Mister Cassius.”

“Very well, m’lady, but before that, allow me to solve this terrible misunderstanding on my part.” Cassius’ amicable smile disappeared when he turned to Caelan, who was slowly scrambling to his feet. “Caelan, what were you thinking?”

“What?” he retorted. “I was doing my job. I was guarding the estate and manor from a potential threat.”

“She has the medallion, Caelan.”

“She could have stolen it.”

“That’s a very unlikely possibility, Caelan. You could easily ascertain the truth through the Spirits. May I know why you didn't?”

Caelan cast his gaze down with an abashed expression. “I-I couldn't, Cassius…”

"Didn't you already learn it from Rury?"

"I... forgot how to..."

Cassius sighed. “You’re dismissed, for now, Caelan. Torvan will be replacing you,” he said and spared Caelan not another glance as he reeled his attention back to Erin. “Sorry for the wait, m’lady. This way, if you would, please.”

Erin gave Cassius a nod of acknowledgement and headed back to the wagon along with Lilian. Together, they headed towards the manor while Erin was hastily explaining in detail to the rest of the girls of her interaction with the boy, Caelan, and the custodian, Cassius.

“When did Aedan ask for your hand in marriage?” was Lyra’s question after Erin had finished her explanation. She was sitting beside Erin on the driver’s bench, leaning towards her as she asked that question.

“I am curious about that too,” said Nivia, from the back of the wagon.

“He did not, alright?” Erin retorted loudly but not loud enough to be heard by anyone outside of the wagon unless one had a heightened sense of hearing. “He gave me this medallion and said I should show it to an official when I arrived in the city. Nothing else, alright?”

“An indirect proposal? How sly,” Lilian tittered, finding it all amusing as usual. “How envious. He really trusts you a lot, doesn’t he? I wish I had a man like that.”

Nivia glared at her with a frown. “If you stopped acting like that roguish Umbrun, maybe you will, Lilian.”

“Mistress, does this mean you are promised to Master Aedan?” Siv asked.

Erin refrained herself from rolling her eyes. “No one here is promised to anyone. It’s a misunderstanding, damn it.”

“More like a disagreement,” Lyra grumbled. “There’s no misunderstanding. It’s clear that Aedan wishes for your hand in union and you just rejected him.”

“I’m sure that’s not his true intention. He’s an arse. He’s probably doing this just so he can have a good laugh about it when we meet again.”

“If that’s not it?” Lyra questioned.

Erin cracked her knuckles.

“Fair enough.” Lyra finally calmed down. Though she didn’t care who Erin chose to have in bed, save for men, marriage was another line she refused to cross. She liked what they all had now and a union would destroy everything and being the carefree and indulgent individual she was, she would have no place in such a life. She shuddered to even think about that possibility. In the end, all things must come to an end and she knew this relationship she had with her beloved Erin would change in the future. For better or worse, she was afraid to find out.

“Lyra?”

She jolted out her rumination and snapped her gaze to her caller.

“Are you alright?” Erin asked.

Lyra nodded meekly. “I’m fine,” she said.

Erin clasped her hand on top of Lyra’s own. “I’m not going to leave you, Lyra. You don’t have to worry.”

“I know you won’t, Erin, but… what if someone took you away from me?”

“You didn’t I’ll let them?”

“By force, Erin. What if the people who took you away were so strong and not even you can put up a fight? What then?”

Erin shrugged. “I don’t know but I do know that the enemy, or enemies, had better be prepared for one hell of a resistance. I have you and Siv and everyone else. Taking me away won’t be easy.”

Lyra smiled melancholically. “I wish I have your confidence.”

“You will, Lyra.”

As they conversed, with Cassius leading the way on foot, they had arrived before the gates and now that they were this close to the estate, Erin couldn’t but squint her eyes and she peered at the entirety of the estate. The gates opened outwards by themselves and the sight before them rippled with glitters as Cassius walked through the arch after beckoning them to follow.

“Don’t be alarmed,” he had said right before he promptly disappeared into an invisible portal on the archway, with him seemingly swallowed by the space itself.

The girls gasped. Siv and Lyra regained their composure quickly. Nivia was left in disbelief with mouth agape. Aera had gasped the loudest as she was the one most unfamiliar with these Arcane Art wonders.

“Now, this is interesting,” said Lilian with an awed gaze and simpering.

“Indeed it is,” Erin agreed.

“Interesting?” Nivia scoffed. “Lilian, are you not aware of what spell this is?”

Lilian shrugged. “Enlightened me?”

“This is a blatant copy of the Fae’s Spirit Formation. They know about our people’s means of defence and how we are hiding from the world. Shouldn’t we be, I don’t know, alarmed about this?”

“No reason to be,” she replied calmly. “If they reveal our secrets, they will be revealing themselves. Moreover, this is a Grove. Do you think the people here will be untrustworthy or foolish to think harm upon the Fae?”

“I’m sorry, Fae’s Spirit Formation?” Erin asked, cutting into the exchange.

“A vast illusion on the scale of a town or even a city. It is cast on a terrain. It’s how us Fae hide our home forest from the world,” Lilian answered.

“And should you be telling us this?” Lyra asked as she pointed at herself, Siv, and Aera.

“No,” Nivia answered for Lilian. “Fae’s law actually forbade us to.”

Lyra looked at Lilian, concerned.

The Dryad giggled. “Nivia here neglected to mention that exceptions are provided for those we deemed to be trustworthy and I trust you all. I hope you all will have the same amount of faith in me.”

“We do trust you, Lilian,” Erin said as she drove the wagon through the archway of the gates. “We just find that crafty side of yours annoying and a tad unsettling.”

There was a mild sense of discomfort like their whole bodies were being squashed but after completely passing through the archway, the discomfort was replaced by a relieving touch of a gentle warm breeze that carried the scent of flowers and honey along with it. Suddenly, the dull and mundane estate they were seeing from a distance had transformed into a small lively and garish community filled with various flora, fauna, and people. There were small buildings and houses that decorated the grassy street, leading to a manor in the distance, and that manor was huge.

This time, the whole group gasped loudly and ironically, Aera was the only one who didn’t gasp as she was exhausted by the prior surprise and the tension of the short battle she witnessed between Erin and the boy. Just a week ago, she was just a common village girl that could be found anywhere and now, she was on a journey of revenge and the detour she embarked on was simply full of wonders. Her mouth was agape nonetheless even though she didn’t gasp out loud.

They did not stop at the portal. The wagon continued to move despite their astonishment. Erin was astounded but not to the point that she forgot to move.

The residents' races were varied. Most curious of all, there were no humans. Lyra and Aera appeared to be the only humans. Since that was the case, there were a lot of gazes on the two but so far, there was no hostility shown, just caution and vigilance.

“Welcome to Eden,” announced Cassius as they traversed down the vast street, passing by huts and houses that each had their own purposes aside from being someone’s residence. This place was almost like a functioning town with its own economy and everything.

Erin raised an eyebrow. “Eden? Does it have some underlying meaning to that name?”

“Most likely not, m’lady. I have been told that his Lordship doesn’t give much thought when it comes to naming something.”

“Aedan named this place?” Erin mused in her heart.

“The name of this dimension probably bears a name of trivial origin.”

“This dimension?” Lyra blurted out. “You mean this is a different dimension? We’re not on Evarenan?”

“We are still on Evarenan, just not on the same plane of existence. It would be hard to explain to you if you knew nothing about the concept of space.”’

“I don’t…” Lyra admitted.

“This place is old…” said Nivia as she looked around in amazement. “And the Spirits… they are Exalted. Just how long has this place existed for?”

“As long as the Fae Forests, Lady Nivia,” Cassius answered. “Perhaps even longer than Willowglade.”

Erin only realised Willowglade was the name of Nivia’s home forest and also her last name after she appraised Nivia. She muttered a silent apology to Nivia.

“Willowglade is thousands of years old,” Nivia said.

“Then I suppose so is Eden. Truth is, I do not know exactly. This place has been here since I was born and I’m already over a thousand years old.”

“A thousand years old?” Lyra exclaimed. “Are you perhaps a—”

“Yes, I’m a Dragon.”

“Oh, that’s bloody terrific and unbelievable,” Lyra scoffed in stupefaction. “And just on a hunch, you are not the only Dragon here, are you?”

“Caelan is a Dragon too.”

“Caelan?”

“The one who Lady Erin fought, which I’m very impressed by.” Cassius’ gaze shifted to Erin. “You held your own against a Dragon. I suppose it is to be expected from his Lordship’s paramour.”

“Just what is this place?” Lilian asked. “Is this some kind of refuge?”

“It started off as one, aye, but it grew to what it is today, a home to those whose ancestors were vagrants, exiles, lost ones… those sorts.”

“Oh, what’s this? Are my eyes deceiving me?” an incredibly familiar voice cried out loudly.

Erin pulled on the carriages, halting the carriage, and spun her head to her left where she heard the voice from.

A female Augur emerged from the small woods just some ways from the road. She was wearing nothing but a towel wrapped around her love body with another towel loosely draped over her shoulders, barely covering the private spots of her bountiful chest. Her scarlet hair was dripping wet and her dark skin had a lustrous gleam to her damp body. Her incredibly toned body was bared for all to see and the person herself didn’t look the slightest bit perturbed by her state.

“Amyra?” Erin muttered in utter shock.

“I’ll be damned. It really is you, my lovely foxy belle.”

Cassius was rolling his eyes as he looked away. “For Aeryo’s sake, Amyra, please stop wandering around uncovered after a bath. You’re a Priestess, for crying out loud. And please stop taking your baths in the lake.”

Erin coughed and retched, choking on her own saliva upon hearing that shocking revelation.