Chương 177: An Unforeseen Sense of Crisis

"I'm not judging you."

"Yes, you are. I can see it in your eyes." Tori narrowed her gaze as JP looked around the private Tres Arcos dock that was around a cove and led to beachside fortification.

"I didn't say anything."

"You're thinking that I'm rich." She watched JP raise his arms and seemed to motion all around him.

"Are you not?" he asked.

"Who has a private dock?"

"Other marquis families. It's practical so military and political use does not disrupt merchant and common use," Tori said. She looked to one of the men watching their things being taken from Sur Bronce. The massive ship seemed to fill the area, dwarfing other ships, including several anchored near-by that Tori recognized as O'Tuagh ships. Her cousins must've already arrived.

"Axton, does von Schwert have a private dock at the port closest to their regional capital?"

"Yes, but it's more heavily fortified than here," Axton replied. Tori waved her hand towards him, as if to tell JP she was right.

"Are we going directly to Presidio from here?" Ilyana asked as she stood with the others closer to the shore.

"Since it's already late afternoon, we'll stay in Tres Arcos for the night, but the large things we brought, such as the chests and the horses, will be transported immediately. That's why I told you to keep a bag with overnight necessities with you," Tori said, walking up to join them.

"We'll leave tomorrow with a carriage caravan. Don't worry, all our things will be guarded on the way."

"My lady! Welcome back!" Tori turned towards the shore and saw several Guevera knights standing to attention in their crisp, maroon and black uniforms. As soon as she made eye contact, they bowed their heads at once.

"I take it we will also be guarded on our way to Presidio?" Henrik asked in a quiet voice.

"Of course." Tori beamed.

"Do you think my parents would let me travel through Sur unattended?" Henrik gave her a dull look.

"You have twelve imperial knights with you."

"Uh... Imperial knights aren't as skilled as march knights," Ewan whispered in an embarrassed voice.

"Good afternoon!" Tori stepped forward to greet the knight.

"Thank you for coming to meet us." The knight who seemed to be heading the group gave her a gentle smile. He was a middle-aged man with graying hair and green eyes, and the first captain of the second division.

"Not at all, my lady. We welcome you and your guests to Sur. The carriages are prepared to take you to the resort for the night. We leave after breakfast tomorrow morning."

"Captain Montez, where are we stopping on the way?" Tori asked as she was ushered in the direction of the awaiting carriages. They were simple-looking carriages with little decoration on them so as not to attract attention, but Tori noticed the little changes in suspension, climate control, and general comfort that had been made not only for those inside, but for the driver and footmen. It looked like her family had installed all the things she'd suggested and sent over from the delta.

The air conditioning would be a godsend since Sur was the hottest place in mainland Soleil.

"Tomorrow night we will stop at Fort Campanilla, the next night at Fort Jacinto, and then we will arrive at Presidio by the third day. The cargo will travel continuously and will arrive at the Fortress before us. Rest assured that all the horses will be taken care of at the Fortress stables," Captain Montez told her. He seemed to see Ewan pass and smiled.

"Ewan, my boy. Welcome back." Ewan stood to attention at once and saluted him.

"Captain Montez, sir! It is an honor to return." Captain Montez chuckled.

"Then are you going to join us for morning training?" Ewan took a deep breath and scrunched his face. He hesitated for a bit and Tori chuckled. He was on vacation; she was sure he wasn't expecting to do training.

"It'll be good for you to continue some training when you can," Axton said behind him as he slapped Ewan's shoulder.

"You're at the top of your class right now. You want to remain sharp." Faced with that logic, Ewan's expression grew determined and he nodded.

"You're right, Master. Captain Montez, I will join the morning training." Captain Montez and the other Guevera knights laughed, pleased with his decision.

"Good, good!"

"Yes, that is good," Piers' voice came from behind the group.

"Captain Montez, I would like all of my knights to join morning training with yours." Silence permeated through the group as Tori and her friends gave the innocent imperial knights looks of pity. Tori could've sworn a few of them paled upon hearing that they would be faced with additional training, and by march knights, one of what was supposed to be a generic escort assignment.

"Your Highness, welcome to Sur." Captain Montez was less enthusiastic when greeting Piers, who seemed to have faded into the background upon the appearance of Tori, their young lady, and Ewan, their group protege. Still, the Guevera knights properly greeted him. Piers didn't seem at all bothered by it and answered with a small nod.

"Your knights are welcome to train with us. I hope they are prepared." Axton tossed his head back and laughed. His eyes were crescents as he looked at the imperial knights with a gleeful smile.

"Don't look so disappointed. This is a good opportunity to keep your skills at their peak."

"It must be good training," Albert said.

"His Grace is enthusiastic, as well."

"Oh, I'm here as a guest, not a knight." Axton smiled, lopsided.

"You are still my knight." Piers spoke up behind him and Axton froze.

"And the order was for all my knights to join morning training." Axton whirled around with a betrayal on his face.

"But I'm here in my capacity as Duke Alvere!"

"Are you still my knight?" Axton looked pained.

"Yes...." Piers nodded, satisfied.

"Then you will join the Guevera Knights morning training." He walked past Axton to the first carriage and held out his hand to help Tori inside. Tori threw Axton an apologetic look as she carried Alexander into the carriage. He looked defeated as JP passed him and gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder and climbed into the second carriage with his sister, Ilyana, Henrik, and Albert. Henrik sat down and frowned.

"Where's Ewan?"

"Lured away by the knights," Sonia said as she leaned out the window and squinted.

"I think they brought him a horse." Tori chuckled from inside the first carriage. She looked out the window with Alexander and Ewan was indeed presented with a horse to ride.

"It will be good training for him. First tier knights should have excellent riding ability," Piers said across from her.

"He's been riding since he was a child, but isn't at JP and Sonia's level. I suppose riding with the knights will be good. They won't push him too hard," Tori said. She'd watched with her brothers and father when Ewan had visited to train, and the training leaders were always very cautious with Ewan. He was still young, so they didn't make him do everything expected of a standard Guevera knight. It was a slow, gradual process and everyone had been very encouraging of Ewan.

"My brother and Fabian should arrive in Presidio the day after we arrive," Piers said. Since Sur Bronce was a march ship with trained march sailors, Piers didn't come with a heavy entourage of imperial knights. Gideon was the one who had an entire train with him split up into three groups: a vanguard, him and Fabian with at least another two dozen knights, and then another group taking up the rear. Along with them were another dozen of Piers' knights.

The last remaining dozen were leaving with Master Ramos, who needed to wait for an important crystal shipment and would leave two days after them. The carriage moved as Axton climbed in. Piers frowned.

"Why are you coming inside?"

"Because I'm going with you," Axton replied in a dull voice. He seemed severely weakened by the planned training.

"Why are you not riding a horse? Outside." Axton looked exasperated.

"Piers, Blue River is going with the other horses to be taken to Presidio directly. What horse am I going to ride?"

"Ask Captain Montez."

"Piers, let him ride here." Tori gave Piers a firm look.

"Axton, get in. Did you already call your brother to let him know you arrived?"

"He's still working right now. I'll call him when we get to the resort," Axton said as he took a seat next to Tori. He looked across at Piers as the door closed. He narrowed his eyes.

"I'll sit here because someone doesn't seem to want my company."

"It is good for you to train with the Guevera knights."

"You know what I'm talking about." Axton narrowed his eyes.

"You just want to sit here alone with Tori and complain." Piers motioned towards the windowsill.

"Alexander is here. He is a good listener."

"Nyaow!" Alexander hopped from one bench to the other and sat next to Piers, as if to take a side. Piers lifted his hand and touched Alexander's head gently. Axton balked and Tori sighed.

"That reminds me, I need to call Guthry when we're at the resort to check on him and make sure he's following his exercise regimen and diet," Tori said, lifting her hand to touch her comcry in her pocket.

"Is he doing any better?" Axton asked.

"You've been visiting him often."

"It's important for him to have someone to support him, especially in the beginning," Tori said.

"These last few weeks, I've seen him more than I've seen you two." Piers froze in his seat and his lips tightened into a small frown.

"Must you continue visiting him every other day?"

"I'll check on his progress and go from there, but I think he'll be fine soon. I know, Piers. I haven't called you every night. I've been tired."

"I understand." He said it, but he lowered his eyes and Tori felt a bit guilty for neglecting him.

"You need to rest more." Piers gave Tori a nod and continued to pet the cat. Along with Tori's overnight belongings were Alexander's things, including his favorite cushion from Piers' flat to try to lessen any discomfort that came with travel. Tori made a mental note to make more time for chats with Piers. On the ship, she'd been with her friends most of the time and when she wasn't, she was taking time to recharge alone.

Her usual evening calls with Piers had been severely lessened and she was sure he had things to say from the last few days. The resort they arrived at was the same one Tori had stayed in with her cousin, brother, and parents in the past and their rooms were around the same one that Tori had previously. Her balcony once more looked out towards the patio area below and the beach.

There weren't too many guests, but while Tori was feeding Alexander on the balcony, she caught sight of Ewan and Albert below running towards the water as if fleeing for their lives, tossing off their extra clothes without a care. Henrik shouted after them that dinner would be soon, but it didn't seem to stop the two from flopping into the water.

"Alexander, I'm going to go downstairs. You stay in the room. If you're not here when I get back, we're going to end up leaving without you." Tori ruffled her cat's back and waited for him to reply in between bites of food before leaving her room. She met Ilyana in the hall.

"They already went downstairs. Henrik tried to stop them."

"It's fine. We can eat on the terrace," Tori said.

"The last time I was here, Sebby, Andy, and Kasey tried to drown each other. Andy is supposed to make it just before the day of the wedding as he's on tour."

"Can he take leave to come?"

"There are exceptions, but they have to be within the vicinity to get off the ship and on to Soleil land," Tori replied as they walked down the stairs.

"His sisters, except for Cousin Bridget, should be here. I saw their ships."

"They came on multiple ships?"

"Of course, they came on multiple ships, they each have a ship." They reached the ground floor and Tori led Ilyana to the terrace. There was a long table close to the beach, under the shade of a wooden structure, and Sonia, JP, Piers, and a tired Henrik were already seated.

"Did Duke Axton also go into the water?" Ilyana asked. They heard yelling from the water, and they turned just in time to see a group of knights also going into the water. Ilyana tilted her head.

"I didn't know they liked the water so much." Tori squinted.

"No... no, I see Captain Montez... I think they're training." A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

"They must swim to a buoy and back five times, then tread water for ten minutes," Piers said in a calm voice. He lifted his hand and a server seemed to come out of nowhere to pour chilled wine for Tori and Ilyana.

"Ten minutes?" Tori cringed.

"After they swim to the buoy and back five times?"

"It is training for a reason."

"My lady, when we do training with the O'Tuagh knights, we are required to hold a sack of sand as big as our heads while treading water," Sir Atienza said. At least two knights were guarding Piers and while it may have seemed lucky to be on guard duty instead of training, Tori knew that they'd have even more difficult exercises later.

"I can't make it as a knight," Sonia said with a shake of her head.

"Look at Ewan, he's going towards the buoy." JP looked out at the water.

"He always did have a lot of energy."

"Well, he'll sleep well tonight." Henrik sounded like a parent who was watching their toddler race around a playground. Tori took a seat beside Piers and stretched.

"He'll be hungry when he gets back. Let's order dinner!" She hurriedly looked over the menu with the others, ordering what Piers would like as he sat beside her, sipping his wine in silence. Albert trudged back after a while, a bit out of breath.

"Did you swim to the buoy, too?" JP asked.

"I made it once and now I'm tired," Albert said as he took a towel that had been placed in a pile by the entrance.

"I'm hungry. Did you already order?"

"Yes, have a seat," Tori told him.

"Eat up, because we'll be staying at fortresses the next two nights and will be eating what meals are available there."

"Fortresses... does that mean the knight training will become more difficult?" Henrik asked. Tori nodded her head once.

"Don't worry. Ewan is just a knight in training. They won't overwork him." The same could not be said of Axton. After the first fort, For Campanilla, Axton complained about the training all through the ride to Fort Jacinto. Tori was so tired of hearing him complain and demand Piers let him rest, that she rode with her friends in the other carriage the next day.

While a bit more cramped, it was much more of a relaxed ride and her friends looked out the window to admire the scenery, as well as ask Tori questions about Sur. Tori had read up about Sur as much as she could and wasn't hesitant to ask Kasen questions about it when she woke up, under the guise of having amnesia. In her original world, she was very interested in the histories, landscapes, and cultures of various regions, so she enjoyed learning about her 'home territory'.

She found that she still referred to it as 'home' despite being the Countess of Cosora. Well, you can take the Guevera out of the march, but you can't take the march out of the Guevera....

"Does Sur have a lot of fortresses?" Albert asked as he looked out the window. They'd stayed in two fortresses and both Fort Campanilla and Fort Jacinto were in a similar style that made it easy to find their way around. They were also still working military bases, so they were restricted to a particular guest area and residential area for the Guevera family.

"There used to be more, but not all of them were needed after the conquest. Now, only the largest forts remain, and they're all connected by a web of roads. Usually, there is one large fortress with a surrounding town every day's travel. There are villages in between. It is customary for my family to stay in fortresses when we travel through Sur," Tori replied.

"These two forts are on elevated areas, but the Fortress, my family's ancestral estate, is on top of a hill and was expanded over the years to become a home, so it's a bit more elaborate than these ones. Still, it's easy to find your way around." Henrik looked out the window closest to him.

"The countryside here isn't as green."

"The climate inland is drier than in the Central Corridor, but our coasts are green. Our northern border is a mountain range, so from the early fall to the early winter, there can be snow in the mountains and still be subtropical in places like Tres Arcos. There are volcanos, forests, and some desert. It makes it a good place to train knights."

"I have to say, I'm impressed that Ewan agreed to join the knights for training when he's on a trip," Sonia said.

"If it were me, I'd decline."

"You're lazier than Ewan." Sonia kicked JP's leg as he spoke up. He grinned and the small caravan continued down the stone brick road going through some rolling hills. As they reached the peak of the pass, Tori looked out the window.

"Presidio is just below us." From this entrance, the rolling hills opened into plains. In the distance, there was a thin, crooked blue line that was the river. Presidio spread from the rolling hills and past the river, fading off into farmland. Tori turned her attention to the other window.

"If you look at the hills across from us, you'll see the Fortress at the top." Her friends craned their necks and she heard someone take a sharp breath.

"When you called it the Fortress, you weren't kidding." The thick, stout fortification and its surrounding complex seemed to put a shadow over the tiers of plazas and buildings below it. A large, white building was nestled near the foot of the hill.

"The basilica is the big building at the bottom. The Plaza Mayor is about halfway up the hill between the basilica and the Fortress, but it's not the city's central plaza. That's about halfway between the basilica and the river; called Plaza Central. It's massive, but Plaza Mayor is much more extravagant. The main road connects the two and at Sebby's wedding, we will take that road from the basilica to Plaza Mayor, where the afternoon festivities will be. That's where I'll perform the blessing dance.

When the sun sets, the family and close guests will move back to the Fortress to continue the celebration. We'll watch the fireworks from the top of the southern battlements. I've already given instructions." Her friends let out whispers of awe as they glued themselves to the window to watch the city as they entered from the southwest and through a set of huge stone gates. On one side of the new city wall was the seal of Presidio and on the other, the insignia of the Sur March.

"What does the engraving at the top of the gate say? Is it Old Sulfae?" Albert asked as he tried to tilt his head to get a better look.

"Yes, it's something akin to 'we guard from the sea to the land to the sky'. At the Fortress, you're going to see a lot of Old Sulfae with the family motto." Tori grinned.

"That's 'We Do Not Yield', right?" Albert asked. Tori nodded.

"Von Schwert is 'Know No Fear and March On', O'Tuagh is 'Observe. Advance. Conquer', and Nordursin is 'Endurance and Preparation Turns the Tide'."

"You look excited," Ilyana said with a cheeky smile.

"Of course. I haven't been home in a while," Tori replied. Although she'd spent more time in Horizon, and even Viclya, than she had in Presidio since she woke up on Soleil, Presidio was where her Soleil family was. She had an inexplicable connection to the sprawling southern city and its massive fortress on a hill overlooking it. When she was on breaks and stepped into Victoria's childhood room, there was a sense of belonging and comfort. The old halls were now familiar and most importantly, her family was there.

Tori was also excited to show her friends around after the wedding and she had some free time.

"What's the plan when we arrive?" Henrik asked.

"Once we get settled, there should be a welcome dinner. You've already met most of my family, but Mama's side will also be there. And Gramps and Grammie. I saw their ships in Tres Arcos, so you'll also meet Cousin Siobhan and Duncan." Tori counted her relatives off her fingers.

"Which side are they on?" Sonia asked.

"Wait a moment... we'll meet another marquis here won't we?" Albert said as he sat up straight. Several eyes gave him looks of disbelief.

"Don't tell me you're only realizing that now," JP said with a tired sigh.

"Albert, this is Lord Sebastian's wedding. He's the heir to the Guevera March. It's an important event."

"Of course, there are going to be high ranked nobility here," Sonia added.

"Why do you look so nervous?" Henrik raised a brow.

"You always get like this when you're faced with new nobles, but you're Horizon aristocracy and play dungeon crawl with Duke Alvere and the heir to the Fekete Duchy."

"Not to mention Tori is here." Ilyana motioned to Tori beside her.

"She is a countess...." Albert waved his hand in front of him and shook his head.

"As I said, that's different. I see them all the time. I'm used to them. Some nobles and aristocracy from Horizon can go their whole lives without meeting one marquis." Tori squinted.

"But you've met my father already."

"The other marquises!" Albert exclaimed.

"Marquis O'Tuagh is our cousin. Her grandfather or great-grandfather, I forget which, and my grandmother were siblings. Marquis Nordursin is Idunn's aunt, the older sister of her father. The Marquis General isn't coming. Piers and his brother are representing both the imperial family and the von Schwerts," Tori reminded them.

"Somehow, Prince Gideon representing the Marquis General is much less impressive than it is...." Ilyana muttered.

"All that aside, what happens after dinner?" Henrik asked as he sat forward.

"Tomorrow is a day of rest, then the day after is Robi and Fifi's trifecta reblessing. Then another day of rest, then the wedding party and some guests go off for the three-day war games," Tori said.

"They do allow spectators, but I was told that unless you're actually in the game, it's rather boring. Ewan is going, but I recommend that everyone else stay and take tours around Presidio."

"And you'll be practicing the whole time?" JP asked. Tori nodded and sighed, already tired of thinking about it.

"It can't be helped. I don't want to make a mistake at my brother's wedding. Designated knights will take you and the children around Presidio. They're not allowed to go with the party attending the war games, so they have to stay here." Tori thought for a moment.

"There are a few gardens, temples, and the basilica where Sebby is getting married is gorgeous. I suggest going to see it. There are amazing craftsmen in the artisan quarter. Ah, if you all want to ride horses or take Ciel Noir and Nuage out, tell the knight with you. There are excellent trails around the Fortress, and they will help you prepare."

"We should do some things after the wedding, when you're available to come with us," Ilyana said with a small pout.

"We'll do a food crawl after the wedding," Tori said with an excited sparkle in her eye.

"I had Sir Pinzon gather recommendations from the knights and then we narrowed down the list by food type, from meat to vegetables, baked goods, desserts, and drinks. We can go out every day until we leave just doing food crawls." Albert sniffled with joy on his face.

"I can't wait." She could barely contain herself. She looked around at the adults eating lunch at a long table in a dining hall with vaulted ceilings.

"Auntie Eili, when is Cousin Tori supposed to arrive?" Ava looked towards the door, silently wishing for her Cousin Tori to materialize and walk in with an arm full of treats. Whenever her cousin was there, she had fun. Cousin Tori always had something interesting to do and could make yummy food. Ava had been looking forward to this wedding for so long just to be indulged.

"She is scheduled to arrive this afternoon. Eat your lunch," her Aunt Eili said in a smooth voice as she put another small piece of bread on Ava's dish.

"It's already afternoon." Ava knit her brows together and looked out one of the windows.

"It's lunchtime. Tori may arrive just before sunset." Ava sucked in a sharp breath.

"That long?" This was not what was promised. It was a shame that she only got her own personal comcry that spring, otherwise she would've registered Cousin Tori's comcry and could call her directly. She sighed and poked at her food. She'd been so excited to see her cousin and only grew more excited when she found out that her cousin's friends from the delta were coming. It was a shame that Riri couldn't come with his sister. He made for a good exploration buddy.

Always happy to explore and didn't ask too many questions. Still, they made an appointment for the end of the summer. The last time she had her mother call his mother, he told her that he would also be getting a comcry and they could register each other's when they met up in Viclya.

"Daddy, I'm going to show Auntie Tori my chickens when she gets here." A small voice pierced her ears and Ava looked across the table at her cousin's new children. Her mother and aunts mentioned that Cousin Kasen had adopted two orphans from Horizon and the youngest was close to her in age. Ava was excited and planned to show her how to play dungeon crawl and other games, but when they got there and she met 'Fifi', she wasn't anything but a little kid! Ava was six years old now.

How could she play with a little kid who could barely keep up when she ran? Fifi didn't know how to play dungeon crawl. She could barely read. Ava had asked if she was interested in weapons. After all, the children of marches all knew how to use weapons. Fifi did not and said she had no interest. The conversation had lapsed into silence and then the little kid had asked her if she liked chickens. What kind of question was that? Ava liked chicken, but not as much as she liked lamb.

Fifi did not like to explore; she preferred to go watch her brother. Her new cousin Robi was a little interesting, at least. He had one good leg and was hobbling around on crutches. Ava was told that he had just received a fake leg because his original leg had to be cut off after it was crushed by a building. Ava had heard of people who lost their legs in fights and to animals, but not to a building. Robi was also very nice. Much nicer than Aiden.

Robi tried his best to show her around and even showed her his dungeon crawl limited edition story guides. At least he knew how to play. Unfortunately, her other cousins from Horizon, Marco and Mateo, had arrived the day before and they took up all of Robi's time. Maeve was the same age as Marco and Mateo, and two years older than Robi, so she got to go play with them. Aiden was getting some reviews from Cousin Kasen, since Aiden would apply to Lycée du Soleil next year.

This left Ava's playmate to be a three-year-old kid. Fifi had claimed that she was very close to turning four, but she was still a kid who liked to color and tend to her pet chickens. What kind of pets were chickens? Why couldn't she get a dog or a cat or a falcon or a horse like normal march children? Before she left King's Harbor, her mother had told her to be nice to Fifi and Robi and Ava had every intention to. It was just that Robi tended to play with their big cousins and Fifi was boring.

"I bet your Uncle Ewan would also like to see your chickens," Cousin Sebastian replied to the other little girl. Ava narrowed her eyes a bit. Was that kid close to her cousin's friends? She bit into her bread and chewed. She looked back at her plate. Soon, Cousin Tori would come, and she could play. The main meal finished, and the loud, crowded dining hall didn't quiet down in the least.

Pies were brought in for dessert and as Ava debated on which fruit pie she wanted, she saw one of the Guevera knights enter and walk directly to Marquis Guevera. He bowed his head and hit his chest, similar to O'Tuagh knights, and bent down to report to the seated marquis. Marquis Guevera tilted his head up and listened. His calm expression brightened at once.

"Tori's entered the city gates!" The pie was forgotten. Ava hopped off her seat and prepared to run to the courtyard, only to be stopped by her aunt.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Cousin Tori's coming!" Ava said, pulling against Aunt Eili's arm.

"Ava, it will take Tori's carriage almost an hour to get here from the southeast gate." Her cousin Sebastian's pretty future wife, Idunn, gave her a warm, amused smile.

"You have time to eat pie." Ava couldn't help but look torn. She took a deep breath and returned to her seat. It was fine. She had all the time in the world. She could sit and enjoy her pie. When she finished, she could see her cousin and ask if she could stay in her room for the night with Alexander. She missed that cat.

"Peach pie, please," Ava told the maid who was pushing a cart of pie slices. The pie was placed in front of her along with a small bowl of sweetened, whipped cream. Her eyes widened; she only saw this in Viclya.

"Where did you get the cream?"

"It has been prepared for my lady Countess Guevera," the maid said with a bright smile.

"She likes to have it with her dessert and has instructed that we have it prepared for you and your cousins." Ava lifted her hand to her chest. Her cousin was always thinking of them. No one spoiled her like Cousin Tori. Happily, she dug into her pie, shoveling the syrupy peach slices into her mouth and squishing the flaky crust into the syrup to get maximum sweetness. She relished the taste and took her time. She was still done well before her cousin's carriage arrived.

Ava paced the foyer, her eyes fixed on the open double doors to the courtyard where the carriages would arrive.

"What is taking her so long?" she said with a pout.

"Maybe they stopped to get something to eat," Aiden suggested. Ava scowled.

"But they're so close!"

"Her friends like to eat, too, and they've been traveling for some time," Maeve told her.

"Maybe they couldn't wait."

"No, they're almost here." Cousin Kasen was standing by the doorway holding Fifi. He narrowed his eyes and seemed to listen.

"The lower gate has opened. They're coming." Ava shot out of the door and leapt off the steps. She ignored her cousin telling her to be careful as she bounced in place. She began to hear the familiar sounds of horses and the creaking of a wagon. Her heart began to speed up. The gates to the courtyard were open and suddenly, a parade of uniformed knights on horses came through the gate. First, the now familiar maroon and black Guevera knights. Then, rows of knights in silver surrounded two carriages.

The first one had its window open, and a smiling face peered out, waving.

"Cousin Tori!" Ava shrieked, almost jumping into the courtyard if Aiden didn't grab the back of her shirt to keep her back. The knights continued further up the courtyard to dismount and have their horses brought to the stables, but the carriages rolled to a stop just in front of the entrance where they stood. A waiting Guevera knight stepped forward and opened the door to the first carriage. Cousin Tori stepped out in the same clothes she usually wore in Viclya: some loose pants and a tunic.

She smiled and held out her arms. Ava prepared to run into them, only for another voice to break her thoughts.

"Auntie Tori!" A small child flung themselves into Cousin Tori's arms before Ava could take so much as a step. Her heart sank as she watched her beloved cousin laugh as she picked up the other little girl and swung her around. Shouldn't Cousin Tori come to her and give her a hug and kisses on the cheeks? Why didn't Cousin Tori call out her name and tell her that she brought her something tasty? Her small hands trembled at her side as she stumbled to a stop.

An unforeseen sense of crisis arose in Ava as her wide, reddening eyes looked at the aunt and niece with heartbreak. Have I... have I been replaced!?