Whey estate was silent, but in motion.
The fire now labeled a terror attack by Ashton, on top of an attempt on his life, put every warrior and servant to their feet.
Grief weighed heavily on them all. Yet the mages scrubbed the black coat of ash from the colosseum. The maids and butlers swept the fallout from its radius, the knights cleared rubble from inside the arena, even the more menial servants joined in on the cleanup.
None of them were given the order to clean, but it felt right to them all.
They wanted to cover the scar on their lord's land.
"Olaf, how long will they be?" Count Shaun stepped from the manor and into the driveway, now dressed in a full suit in place of his sweatpants.
"The report said they were on the imperial road, but didn't specify how deep. However, I know John, he won't care from the duchies comfort and hurry back."
"Good. With any luck we won't be waiting out here too long.."
The three stood in the driveway for a few minutes, no words were spoken since the counts initial arrival.
Shaun's attitude was still cold, the situation might not have been caused by Duke Raine, but he was going to flip it to his advantage as much as possible.
Five minutes into ten, then after fifteen the gates to the manor swung open.
For Ashton's trial he had arrived loud and proud like a conqueror, but now he came back like a defeated foe.
Surrounding his carriage riding his own horses, were the knights and mages of Whey. His own men were beat, no longer shinning in their armors and robes, but hunched in them. Exhausted from their sprinting.
When his carriage finally climbed the driveway and was Infront of the count, "Count Shaun!" Trying to open the door in confrontation, but Titus closed the door with his foot.
"Wait until it's your turn!" He shouted.
Turning and planting his sword in the ground as he knelt, "My Lord, under Captain John's directive we have completed our mission. The duke and his family were escorted without injury to them or our men!"
Titus' theatrics cause John to grip his sword. They had already completed their objective and now was the time for the nobles to politic, their job now was to create perimeter and look tough.
There would time for their report and reward later, but Titus passion and inexperience had created an embarrassing situation for their lord.
"Calm down cap." Grabbing the shoulder of John. "You don't want to embarrass our lord further now right?" The water mage asks.
[Who is this goof?]
"Titus Magnus
Age: 14
Stamina: 17
Mana: 1
Intelligence: 51
Strength: 20"
[A third rate knight? Why was this peon given assignment?]
The air grew stale. Count Shaun hadn't spoken. He was giving the boy time—time to realize his mistake.
But Titus misread the silence. In his mind, this was his chance to give a proper report.
"Uh… I almost died, My Lord." He muttered, glancing around at his seniors.
His eyes were asking if he was doing well.
Their expressions answered. A mix of amusement, disappointment, and restrained fury.
"AHEM!" Olaf took command of the interaction, but Ashton filled the vacuum.
"What do you mean, you almost died?"
Titus, who had a confident smile on his face since he kneeled, only grew more embolden by Ashtons question.
"It was horrible Lord Ashton. I announced myself, yet the duke's men almost took my head while I wasn't looking."
It was an account told solely from the Whey's point of view, half of the truth.
But it was the only truth that mattered to Ashton.
"I see. Go stand over there now."
Ashton didn't point where to go, so Titus only looked around, on both sides his seniors were waving him over. He was stunned, like somebody casted paralysis on him until he looked back to Ashton.
Eyes so fierce it looked more like magical beasts than that of a human.
Eyes that jerked him into motion and stumble towards John.
"Kid, you better be ready for training when this is settled!" Heat in his voice, John was trying to sound threatening with his discipline, but Titus was too shaken to respond.
"Duke Raine, come out." Without losing his edge from the monkeys, Count Shaun was still in his mode.
"Is your family drama over now Shaun?" Stepping from the carriage back first, using the arms of his children as support.
"I don't think it was drama at all. My men were only reporting that yours almost killed them, despite the sigil of my house on their chest. Lord Raine."
It wasn't the rebuke of Count Shaun but the inquisition of Ashton.
He had found a reason despite its minuteness.
"Get back into your carriage, Duke Raine."
"Woah son, let me handle this." Count Shaun interjects, stepping forward trying to take back command of the interaction.
"Shaun what is this?" Duke Raine demanded, "You drag me back here by force, now your son tells me to leave? "
Before Count Shaun could respond, Ashton spoke first.
Pointing at Titus, "You. Knight. Did the duke return in compliance or did you leverage your strength?"
Titus was scratching his head, he knew what the words meant but had never heard or thought of them in this arrangement. "I am not sure what you mean My Lord, but they came with us willingly. The lady decided so." He finally got out.
[Isebell did?] "It seems your daughter has more sense than you do. Mighty Titan of the East." Stepping forward to match levels with his father.
"My father sent for you out of worry. We experienced an attack of terror, dark mages after my life. We knew of your arrogance, believing you are untouchable."
Taking pause in his exposition again, to step forward even more, now face to face with the duke.
"You are an easy target. Lord Raine."
Everyone present noticed it, Ashton's voice was without any care or warmness.
His words were a threat, one very lightly veiled, giving him the bare minimum of deniability.
From inside of the carriage a chuckle could be heard.
It was soft. But it sang through the driveway.
It was Isebell, poking her head from the carriage door "Thank you for your concern, My Lord."
Stepping out from the carriage, and closing the door on her brother, "We hadn't brought an appropriate amount of personnel, and that was my oversight."
Slightly bowing to Ashton before returning to her immaculate posture, "Was it Count Whey's concern for us, or your concern for me, that put these men into action?"
[How can she say that... with such a neutral expression. No, that smile is mysterious, unreadable. Seductions.]
Ashton maneuvered around the question, "No matter whose concern brought us here, it no loner matters. For you Ms. Raine, along with the rest of your party will be leaving now."
"I understand My Lord." Isebell stepped back into the carriage but looked back "It is a shame that we couldn't properly talk, but maybe next time Lord Ashton."
[I just can't get a read on her] Becoming fascinated again with Isebell, even despite the loss of his emotion, his thoughts of Isebell were cultivating again.
"Is this truly what you want Shaun," Glancing over at Ashton, the duke wasn't mad, he was planning. "You seemed to have something to say."
Sighing from Ashton's action, proud but feeling old. "No George, I will give you escorts in your travels until you leave my lands."
Huffing from the response, "Escorts? You mean wardens... lets go." Signaling his stagecoach and stepping inside of his carriage, Duke Raine was no longer just planning.
He is convicted.