4-37 Tea Party I

Erin feasted her eyes wide at the great piece of land before her, spreading out beyond the horizon. She had seen this land from a long distance away and she had always thought it was the noble district or simply the area where the rich loitered. However, this was, in fact, a single piece of land, owned by a single house. Erin blinked her eyes a few times to make sure she wasn’t seeing things wrong. After a few blinks, she knew there was nothing wrong with her eyesight.

This vast and amazing land was none other than the estate of the prominent House Valdrun, which was the place she was treading into. She could enter without any issue because she was riding the carriage of House Valdrun itself, courtesy of Melissa. The invitation letter Erin received yesterday had informed her that a carriage would be prepared and waiting for her in the town square nearest to the forest.

All of Erin’s companions had expressed their intentions in going with her, except for Aera, but she had shot every one of them down. Her reason was that she moved faster on her own should things turn upside down and chaos makes its descent. Besides, it was better for them to stay in the Grove to continue their training and cultivate their skills.

Erin had put on a black and red gown with a high slit and a deep plunge with strings crossing the revealing parts. Dragon and Fae aesthetics were sewn onto the fabric and the lining to give prestige to the wearer and also to define Erin’s alignment. She was also given a pendant of a serpent-like Dragon chasing its own tail in a circle, the Aeryon’s symbol.

Erin had found the carriage the moment she stepped into the town square. The carriage wasn’t like the one she had imagined. The shape was different and there was no horse to pull it. She only knew this was the carriage in question due to the Valdrun Insignia engraved onto the back of the said carriage. It looked like a normal carriage from a distance but upon drawing close, there were many differing and uncanny aspects.

The person waiting for Erin was the same knight who received her and her companion on her first day in Sephrodia Valley, Sir Clause of House Ritus. The seasoned knight looked delighted when Erin recognised him before he was to introduce himself again.

“Lady Erynthea, it’s been a while,” the knight greeted.

“Likewise, sir,” Erin returned the gesture with a faint smile.

The surrounding onlookers faltered in their steps and routine when they caught a glimpse of Erin’s smile, no matter how small it was. They were already training their sights on her the moment she entered the square. It was not every day they saw a Fae wandering around in this part of the city, let alone a Fox-kin with five tails.

The attention was something Erin had gotten accustomed to and it would actually feel odd if no one was staring at her.

“Shall we go, milady?” Sir Clause asked with an extended hand.

Erin nodded and hopped onto the carriage without taking the knight’s hand. She acted as if she did not notice the slight disappointment on the knight’s face.

The carriage began to shake once Erin had taken her seat. Spider-like legs sprouted from under the carriage and a canopy was formed over the top. At Sir Clause’s beckon, the carriage-golem started to move. Or rather, it crawled through the streets. Judging by the passers-by's disinterest and fleeting glances, Erin knew this wasn’t something uncommon. However, those fleeting glances stuck around for longer when they noticed the passenger, an otherworldly beauty of a Fae.

Unlike a horse carriage, the golem-carriage was able to move through the busy and lively streets of the city without being impeded by the slow-moving crowds and the flooding carriages. There were even ramp paths that were built specifically for the golem carriage’s traversal. These special roads could only be used by the golem carriages as any other kind of transport would simply fall off the ramp. People shouldn’t have a problem taking that path but no one did. Erin guessed it was probably prohibited by the law.

The golem-carriage was a wonder of an invention, to say the least. Despite the flimsy-looking paths and the uneven roads it took, Erin barely felt any discomfort throughout the ride. What would have taken half a day’s walk was significantly reduced to a mere one-hour journey. That was just how efficient the golem carriage was. Erin asked Sir Clause where she could buy one but he explained it was available to nobles and there was a long waiting line of order.

Erin’s minor dismay was overturned when she bore witness to the splendour of an estate before her. The large circular gates into the estate opened up on their own by rolling to the sides when the golem-carriage was near. The gates closed back up once the carriage was inside.

Erin marvelled at the architecture of the estate. It didn’t look overly intricate but one look was clear enough to everyone that the design was carved and made with the finest material by the hands of venerable masters. Erin could even feel Mana oozing off of these formations and compositions. There were many spells woven into the structures and objects, most likely for the purpose of defence against intruders and spies.

When Erin glanced around, Erin saw only four knights along the path the carriage was travelling on. Two stood near the gates while the other pair stood at the crossroads where a magnificent fountain was. Though only four of them, she could tell these four knights were more than enough to take on any intruders as long as they weren’t Demons or Demoids.

These four knights bore dull and unchanging expressions but Erin could hear the quickening of their heartbeats when they took notice of her presence. She was suspicious at first but she became at ease when she saw the Spirits meandering around the knights nonchalantly. They weren’t bad people at least, Erin gathered.

The main manor was still some distance away, that was how big the estate was, but that wasn’t where the carriage was bringing her to.

“We’ll be stopping by the gardens, milady,” Sir Clause upon noticing Erin’s inquisitive gaze. “That is where the tea party will be held.”

Erin raised an eyebrow. “A tea party?”

“Yes, a tea party. Did High Lady Melissa not mention it?”

“She merely told me she’s inviting me for tea. You’re saying there will be a crowd?”

“Be at ease, milady. It’s called a party only in name. It’s only a small gathering of High Lady Melissa’s closest and trusted friends.”

“And how many people will there be?”

“Counting the High Lady, three, milady.”

“Only three?”

“Like I said, only in name.”

The golem carriage stopped in front of the garden entrance was a series of arches tangled with vines and flowers. Trimmed rose bushes doubled as fences circled the entire garden. Erin could easily hop over these bushes but that would simply be boorish.

“This way, milady,” Sir Clause said as he disembarked from the carriage and walked over to the entrance. He didn’t bother to offer his hand this time.

Erin stepped off the carriage but to others, it looked like she floated off. That was just how graceful her movement was. The gentle fluttering of her tails as she moved only added to her indisputable elegance. The nearby servants swooned as she smiled at them as some light greeting.

“Please refrained from doing that, milady,” Sir Clause said as he led the way through the arches and Erin followed.

“Was that rude?”

“No, but… your presence is already overwhelming enough. If you show them your acknowledgement, it will be too much for them. Are you perhaps not aware of your beauty, milady?”

“I’m well aware, Sir, but I did not think it would be this profound. At most, I have only ever received fervent and yearning gazes. Never have I seen anyone swooning over my beauty.”

“Perhaps it’s a matter of the environment, milady. Seeing you as a fleeting presence on a street is a very different experience from basking in your presence in one’s workspace.”

“Wow, that’s bothersome,” Erin muttered silently.

The arches eventually came to an end and the stone pavement spread out into patches from here on. Another magnificent fountain could be seen at the crossroads ahead, which Erin wagered to be the centre of the garden.

“Over here, milady,” Sir Clause called out, turning left instead of heading towards the fountain. Treading along a path of flowers of myriad colours by the sides, they came upon a pavilion where four knights stood around it.

Within the pavilion, Erin saw Melissa and two other women of similar age and presumably status, sitting around a table with assortments of pastries on fancy platters. Erin couldn’t use Appraisal, due to it being seen as a rude act. Erin used the Spirits instead. Erin was relieved when she saw the favourable reactions of the Spirits around the two women. One of them even had Spirits clamouring around her more than usual for humans.

“Lady Erin!” exclaimed Melissa once she caught sight of Erin. She swiftly excused herself from her friends and trotted over to Erin. The knights had their hands on the hilt of their swords, gripping tighter and tighter the closer their mistress got to Erin.

“Lady Melissa,” Erin bowed her head. “It’s been a while. You look better now.”

“Thanks to you, Lady Erin,” Melissa said with a smile.

“Me?”

“Come, Lady Erin.” Melissa offered her hand. “We’ll talk under some shade and with some refreshments.”

Erin took her hand without hesitation.

Melissa let out a small squeal that most probably only Erin could hear and hastily dragged her to the pavilion like a girl who just found a new friend.

“My ladies, this very lovely lady here is Lady Erynthea. She and her companions are the ones who saved me and my daughter, Aeria, from the Rune Drake.”

The two noble women nodded at Erin with smiles that didn’t seem forced.

“Lady Erin, these two here are my best friends, Lady Valerie and Lady Jenna.”

Going by Melissa’s hand gesture, the one on the left with pale blond hair was Lady Valerie and the one on the right with bright red hair was Lady Jenna. The two were beautiful in their own right but while Valerie had a modest chest, Erin could barely look away from Jenna’s ample bosom which was nearly as large as Lilian’s.

“Pleasure to meet you both, my ladies. You two are as gorgeous as Lady Melissa is.”

The two women tittered at Erin’s praise behind their hands.

Melissa simpered. “Oh, my, Lady Erin. I didn’t know you regard me so highly.”

“It’s simply the truth, Lady Melissa.”

“So you say, Lady Erin, but I have seen your companions. None of them is any less of a beauty. You are such a wicked woman, Lady Erin. Two of them are even your lovers, no?”

Erin couldn’t deny it even if she wanted to as she was sure everyone heard everything that night.

Valerie and Jenna raised their brows when they heard that. They looked surprised but Erin didn’t know what part they were surprised about.

“You are correct, Lady Melissa.”

“Oh, dear me, Lady Erin,” Valerie muttered. “That’s truly peculiar of you if you don’t mind me saying so, Lady Erin.”

“Not at all, Lady Valerie,” Erin retorted. “But may I ask what you find so peculiar about it, Lady Valerie?”

“I hope you don’t find offence in my words but Fae are monogamous and you have two lovers. Won’t your kin be displeased?”

“I was raised outside of the forest, Lady Valerie. I am different from most Fae.”

“Ah, I see.” Valerie nodded. “But it is peculiar. You have five tails, Lady Erin. That could only mean you are regarded highly by the Spirits, more so than the average Fae despite being raised outside the forest.”

“Enough of those talks, ladies.” Melissa’s expression turned solemn. “We can continue those trivial topics later. For now, there are more important things to discuss.” Saying so, Melissa clapped her hands and a thin ethereal view formed around the pavilion.

Erin could no longer hear the whispers of the winds from outside. Erin wasn’t surprised. She knew the invitation wouldn’t be for leisure purposes. She braced herself for the imminent heavy subject to come.

“Erin,” Melissa said. “Are you an Aeryon?” she asked.