Chương 184: Did Marquis Guevera Approve of This

Confusion filled Axton's face as he seemed to weigh the comcry in his hand. The corner of his lip twitched, and he shook his head.

"I... I don't think I heard you correctly...." Tori heard her mother take a deep breath and slow her voice.

"Axton, Rebecca Walter, your father's mistress, was found dead this morning on Sun Garden's grounds. It looks like she was strangled to death and there was dark hair and some blood on her hands. Mr. Merced called me when he couldn't reach you. They suspect Cillian of killing her." Axton let out a shallow, trembling breath and Tori reached forward to try to steady him in case he fell.

"Axton-""Take the comcry. Axton, come sit down." Piers was at Axton's side and had grabbed his forearm to keep him from stumbling. Tori pried her comcry from his hand.

"Mama, hold on. We're going to take Axton to sit down."

"I'm fine. I'm just... I didn't expect to hear...." Axton looked at a loss for words. His eyes crinkled up as he shook his head with disbelief.

"She's dead?" Piers frowned and looked towards the knights standing a few steps away. They quickly came forward and stood on either side of Axton. They almost dragged him back to the villa and put him on the nearest seat.

"Mama, has Mr. Merced reported it to the Alvere knights?" Tori asked. Sun Garden was outside of the nearest town and surrounded by fields and forest. There were no local patrols; just the Alvere knights, of which were limited in number. Most were split between guarding the Alvere properties in the duchy and protecting Montan in Horizon.

"He has and they have notified Monica. She is sending imperial knights to assist in the search," Antonia told her.

"I said I would try to contact Axton."

"Where... where did they find her... her body?" Axton stuttered as his hands tightened into fists. Piers headed into the villa as Tori sat beside Axton and grabbed one hand to offer support.

"The Western Rose Garden's gardening house. She was found between the building and the low wall separating the rose garden from the rest of the garden. She was hidden. She wouldn't have been found if they hadn't started collecting some of the roses to move to Nassaun House. Mr. Merced said the knights noticed a trail. She was dragged there." Axton shut his eyes and Tori felt his grip on her hand tighten.

"Has anyone contacted Montan?"

"No, no one has his comcry registered." Antonia hesitated.

"I'm afraid you will have to tell him, Axton."

"But what about my fa... Cillian?" Axton asked. He looked at the comcry still in Tori's hand as she held it up.

"Monica is sending imperial knights to do a sweep of Alvere to try to find him. I've dispatched Guevera knights located on the border to secure that place." Tori heard Axton's voice shake.

"He doesn't know where my mother is buried."

"Axton," Antonia said in a steady voice.

"We don't know what he knows."

"Then, I will keep my comcry with me and await news. Wait, call Tori. I need to call my brother," Axton said. Just as he said it, Piers walked out of the villa with a comcry in each hand. Tori recognized one was his and the other was Axton's.

"Of course. I will let you know if anything is heard on my end. Tori." Her mother called to her, and Tori turned her attention to the comcry.

"Yes, Mama?"

"I will leave Axton to you."

"Of course, Mama." The call ended and Piers handed Axton's comcry to him.

"Call your brother first. I will contact my men in Horizon to strengthen security around Duel. Tori, contact-""Mr. Somerset? I need you to proceed with Operation Orange Charm," Tori was already speaking to her comcry.

"I will inform the staff at once, my lady." The manager of Duel was more than just respectful. He sounded as if he were accepting a mission from the Marquis himself.

"Orange Charm has not yet been notified. Green Knight will notify him momentarily. Please ensure he has a place to listen privately, but do not leave him alone."

"Understood, my lady." Tori slid her finger across her comcry and looked at the two men staring at her. She lifted her chin.

"Do you think you're the only ones who can protect him? Don't forget, he's my employee." Axton's eyes reddened. He pulled her close and pressed his face against the top of her head.

"Thank you, Tori." She let out a hum and squeezed his hand.

"Call your brother." Axton nodded and released her. He took a deep breath and opened his comcry. Tori gave him a moment and stood up. She took a few steps away. Piers was giving an order to someone on his comcry and a moment later, he put down the device and walked towards her.

"What is Operation Orange Charm?"

"Heightened security due to a threat to Montan. The staff is to remain vigilant, and all former knights are to do patrols around Duel every quarter of an hour. Any guests need to show their identification at the door to the main building and the cafe. The guards will remain outside as per usual for two hours past closing and then retreat inside. Mr. Somerset will arrange escorts home for employees that don't board at Duel.

Montan will also be put under watch and not allowed to leave the building at all, until further notice that his safety is confirmed by either myself, Henrik, or Ilyana," Tori said.

"It was planned under the concern that his father may try to force his way in or use some sort of violent means to kidnap or assault him. We didn't know where his parents went, so I wanted to be cautious." Piers' eyes softened and he reached out to touch her head, only to hear the yell come from Axton's comcry.

"Then where is he?" Montan cried out.

"I don't know. The Empress has sent imperial knights to search for him in Horizon and through the duchy. Marquess Guevera has also sent knights to aid in the search," Axton said as his head hung low.

"Montan, stay in Duel. Don't go out. If he finds you...."

"I won't! I'll stay here, Axton. Don't worry! I'm boarding here and my meals are provided. I don't need to leave!" Montan sounded more earnest to calm his brother than sad about his mother or frightened about his missing father. Then again, considering what Tori had seen that day in Viclya, she couldn't blame him. The delusional couple must've abused him for years.

"Tori has called Mr. Somerset and they're going to take care of you," Axton told him in as reassuring a voice as he could.

"I'm going to head back to Presidio and see if I can join the search-""No!" Montan cried out once more.

"No, he's crazy! What if he attacks you?" Axton's lips trembled, but he let out a wry laugh.

"That lunatic can try." Axton stared at the comcry and narrowed his eyes.

"Montan, I know this is a shock to you. I'll... I will take care of your mother's burial." Tori sat beside him and leaned against his shoulder. She lifted her arm and rubbed his back. She was sure that if Rebecca weren't Montan's mother, Axton would have no issue with dumping her corpse in a mass grave with nothing but the clothes she had on. Tori heard the faint, shallow breathing on the other side of the comcry.

"Do what you want," Montan said with a tight voice.

"I don't care." Axton looked worried. He looked up at Piers, as if asking what to do as the older brother.

"Assure him you'll take care of it and will see him soon," Piers said in a quiet voice. Axton nodded his head once.

"All right. I'll take care of it. I'll see you soon. Remember to stay in Duel. If you need anything, tell Mr. Somerset."

"Okay."

"Then, I'll call you later if there are any updates-""Axton," Montan's voice trembled. He didn't say anything else, and Axton shut his eyes tight once more.

"I'm right here, Montan. I won't end the call yet." Tori heard Montan sniffle.

"Thank you." Piers took a seat on Axton's other side and motioned towards the lake. Ewan and Kasen had come up from the shore with concerned looks. Tori took a deep breath and stood up to tell them. Two Guevera knights and six imperial knights escorted Axton and Piers back to Presidio. While the children didn't know what was going on at first, Axton and Piers' absences were noticed at dinner and Tori was forced to tell them that Axton was having a family emergency, so he had to leave.

"Is he going to be all right?" Robert asked as he lowered his fork. Fiona looked around the table just outside the villa doors where they were eating, confused as to why the grown-ups were quiet and serious. Kasen smiled softly and rubbed Robert's head.

"He will be. Your Uncle Piers went with him to help." It was Piers who arranged for Axton to go back and the most natural thing for him to do was to go with Axton. He told Tori that he'd entrust her with his belongings to bring back; they would ride to Presidio.

"My brother is a good friend," Gideon told Robert.

"He will make sure that Axton has support."

"Is something wrong at his home?" Ava asked.

"He's a duke now, so he has territory to manage, right?"

"There is something wrong in the Alvere Duchy, yes," Tori said, smiling weakly. Ava nodded with sympathy.

"I understand. He has a lot to do." Tori drew her lips inward and bit them.

"Yeah, baby, he has a lot to do." They wouldn't leave until the next morning, but Tori was determined to let the children have a fun time. She set up a bonfire and roasted some small sausages to make miniature hotdogs with. Marco and Mateo had brought the three pitch tents Tori and the others used for their first-year excursion in hopes of using them while in Sur. The excursion equipment was stored at the Biancci's, as Uncle Maurizo used some of the items to make his research trips into the forest more comfortable.

With plenty of knights guarding them, Marco and Mateo were able to share a tent with Robert while Maeve, Ava, and Fiona shared a tent. Kasen and Andy stayed outside with them in the third tent as the adult supervision.

"Cousin Eili, I'll give you a tent when we get to Viclya," Tori said as she sat beneath the portico with her cousin glaring at Andy and Kasen with envy.

"If you want, you can go to my island and do a mock set up there."

"Cousin, that sounds interesting," Aiden said. He had wanted to stay in the tent, too, but there wasn't enough room. The tents from the excursion could only comfortably fit two full grown adults, so Aiden decided to stay in the villa.

"Do you have time to do that? I heard all of you planned the Viclya trip," Deidre said with an amused grin.

"We can make time. Instead of staying in the resort tents, we can camp on an island. We can fish and cook what we catch," Aiden said.

"That is if you catch anything. Last time we went fishing, you got a palm sized flounder," Eili told him with a knowing look. Aiden scoffed.

"I still caught something. And Cousin Tori isn't going to let us starve."

"I'm not," Tori confirmed.

"I'll have it arranged. We'll also need to make room for Riri. He's coming with his mother again this summer."

"Is Evzen going to be there?" Aiden asked. He shook his head.

"Never mind, I have his comcry. I'll call him." He wandered back inside the villa to call the heir to the Fekete Duchy. They had met last summer and were the same age and had the same interest in tabletop gaming, so they hit it off well. Siobhan had said she had once heard Aiden on a call with Evzen, commiserating on the pressure of being an heir.

"He's only thirteen and he's already making important contacts," Eili said with a nostalgic sigh.

"How time flies."

"You sound old," Tori said. Eili snorted.

"I'm experienced."

"I'm also going to make some calls," Tori said. She pushed herself up from her seat and wandered to the kitchen. The front of the villa had a game going on and Sonia had gone to bed early after spending the entire day riding all around the lake area. Tori barely lasted two hours before she had to rest her sore bum. She slid her finger across her comcry.

"Call Piers du Soleil." If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it. He answered almost immediately.

"Tori."

"How's Axton?"

"Your mother had to convince him not to join the search and head out to the northern border of Sur. He's convinced that his father will try to find his mother's burial site," Piers told her.

"Does Axton know where the burial site is?"

"He would need Guevera knights to take him there. He only knows the general vicinity, but he would not remember the exact location. Your mother also said that the location isn't obvious," Piers replied. Tori figured it wouldn't be a clearly marked tomb or grave in some meadow in the forest.

"What is he doing now?"

"He is speaking to Mr. Merced about the arrangements of Madam Walter's body," Piers said.

"Axton is still Duke Alvere. No matter his personal feelings, he cannot manage the situation poorly." Tori frowned, but agreed. There would be too much negative talk if it were found out that Axton got rid of the body without any sort of ritual. Whether burial or cremation, Axton had to give his father's mistress a proper burial. They could only call him foolish, but generous.

"Is there any news on his father?"

"He has not yet been found and there are no traces of him."

"What about Montan?"

"Axton spoke to him earlier to make sure he has eaten and remains in Duel," Piers said. Tori leaned back against the counter and nodded.

"We'll be back tomorrow afternoon. If there is anything I can do, let me know."

"Axton said to tell you to continue the trip as planned, but we will return by carriage in the morning. He does not want to leave Montan alone for so long." They couldn't be contacted while at sea, so the most convenient way to return was on land, in a carriage. The only reason they would go by carriage and not on horseback was because of Piers. Someone had to pace Axton; in such a situation, Axton could easily push himself harder than he realized. That wouldn't be beneficial to anyone.

"In that case, we will meet you in Viclya." Piers let out a small hum.

"I will see you at home." In a strategic move praised by Uncle Rom, Tori had purposely scheduled the restaurant bookings for Alessa not only in different restaurants during the same time Tori and her friends were out in Presidio doing their food crawl, but in restaurants on the opposite sides of the city. As long as Alessa stuck to the plan she and Tori worked out the day after the wedding, there was no chance of them accidentally meeting when they were all in Presidio.

In the chance that Alessa did not stick to the plan, such as being dragged elsewhere by her godmother, Tori also asked that Alessa and her godmother be monitored and reported if they were too close to where her group was going to be. Tori was under no delusion: this was messed up and she knew it. She was avoiding Alessa, but she also knew that no one, not even Fabian, wanted to cross paths with her in Presidio. They just wanted to enjoy their time eating.

Tori also had them leave the Fortress through a back entrance usually reserved for knights and their supplies. She didn't want to risk exiting through the main courtyard and down the main road only to be spotted by her aunt. Sebastian had been amused, but he still arranged for them to go into town with plainclothes knights and non-descript carriages. Those carriages didn't have crystal climate control, so Tori installed temporary ones before they left.

"Isn't this a bit much, Guevara?" Gideon gave her a questioning look as they stepped out of the carriages in a narrow alley behind a restaurant.

"Do you want to run into my aunt?" Tori asked in an almost threatening voice. He shrunk back.

"According to our intelligence, Auntie left Grandpa Sophos' house this morning with Alessa and went to the eastern quadrant. There is a particularly good restaurant there that serves cured boar leg for breakfast, so I assume that's where they went. We should have more than enough time to enjoy our breakfast here," Tori said as she looked up at the three-story tall building that was both a fancy inn and an acclaimed restaurant. Gideon shook his head.

"Isn't it excessive to use your family's resources to follow your aunt and Alessa so you can avoid them? Does Marquis Guevera approve of this?"

"Yes, it's for safety." Ewan gave her a confused look.

"This is your family's territory. Who's safety?" Tori didn't bat an eye.

"Theirs. Let's have breakfast." She marched forward and Gideon held out his arm to hold Henrik, who was behind him, back.

"Skuldsen, was Guevera always like this?" he asked in a low voice. Henrik gave the second prince a confused look.

"Well-prepared?"

"I was going to say paranoid...." Henrik let out a heavy sigh and stepped around Gideon.

"In business as is in life, a little preparation can go a long way," he said.

"And a lot of preparation can take you quite far." Their reserved seating was on the second-floor terrace overlooking the street. They were shaded by a cloth overhang and Tori knights had submitted the food they wanted to order from the menu ahead of time. All they had to do was order their drinks.

"Looking at the Fortress, it doesn't seem as big from the city floor," Ewan said.

"Is it because it goes further up the mountain?"

"There are a lot of trees, too," Tori said.

"And the most recent outer walls are often covered by the tree line, so you don't notice how far it spreads unless you're very familiar or look at it up close."

"If you look closely, you can kind of see the wall," Ilyana said as she squinted.

"Fifi, Robi, have you two explored the entirety of the Fortress?" Aiden asked. The two children shook their heads.

"I'm still a bit limited in my mobility," Robert replied.

"Dad doesn't want me to go too far in case I get tired. There are some parts that aren't suitable for walking, as the stones are worn and the floor uneven. He said a lot of the subterranean levels are old and tight, so it's not easy to move around."

"Subterranean levels?" Gideon looked interested.

"What's down there?"

"What else could be down there?" Marco piped.

"A maze of foundations of the original fortress, in the newer parts, probably some storage."

"Like a wine cellar," Maeve said with agreement.

"It's the same in Moss Hill."

"Right," Marco nodded.

"The dungeons, too." The children all nodded. Aside from Aiden, who was the oldest of them, most of the children were prohibited from going into the old dungeons.

"If you go down the steps behind the sanctuary of the chapel, it will lead you into the lower levels of the Fortress and the first Gueveras of Sur's family crypt. It's already full, so no one else can be entombed there," Auntie Lucia told them.

"It should be the same at Moss Hill. Bridget took us there once." Maeve and Ave froze.

"There is a crypt beneath the chapel?" they chorused. Maeve furrowed her brows.

"Do you mean in the church on the grounds? The family crypt is there. It's where my grandma is buried." Eili shook her head.

"No, in the old chapel in the east wing. The tunnel goes east, further than the walls. That's where the first O'Tuaghs who settled the western tip were buried. Well... at least their hearts."

"Their hearts?" Several children and an enthralled Ilyana, Albert, and Ewan asked.

"We're a sailing family, so there are many deaths at sea. In such a case, the body can be buried at sea, but an O'Tuagh, if at all possible, must have their heart retrieved and brought back to be buried with the family," Eili said in a lowered, spooky voice.

"At least that's what they say. There's a legend that if you walk out at night, east of Moss Hill, and past the old eastern outer wall, you will feel a beat in your body. Like a drumbeat going through you, but no sound can be heard. That's the beating of the hundred or so hearts of the O'Tuagh buried beneath your feet."

"Eili." Deidre gave her wife a stern look as Ava's face paled and her small hand grabbed her arm.

"Is breakfast really the time for such a story?"

"Aiden," Mateo said from across the second table, where the children, Auntie Lucia, her husband, Eili, and Diedre were seated.

"Next time we visit, can we go out at night-""No!" Auntie Lucia and Uncle Maurizo nearly shouted at their two stubborn sons. Tori let out a small snort. The twin boys continued to argue to go, as those buried there were 'our ancestors, too'. Robert looked worried and turned to Fiona. The youngest of the group didn't seem at all scared or bothered by the tale.

"Fifi, are you scared?" he asked his sister softly. Fiona shook her head.

"They're dead. What can they do to me?" Fiona is truly my brother's daughter. Tori nodded with satisfaction at her niece's answer. She took a sip of juice and looked around the table. Gideon was pale and JP and Sonia were looking at Fiona, as if wondering what was going through that child's head.

"Did some Gueveras remain in Horizon during the conquest?" Henrik asked.

"I recall that Daybreak Garden is built on Guevera land."

"It is," Auntie Lucia confirmed.

"The Gueveras were a warrior class of lords loyal to the Soleil clan, our chiefs. During the start of the Period of Conquest, family members ineligible to fight, such as the young, weak, and elderly, remained in Horizon on our ancestral land. Our family still owns the land, that's why Daybreak Garden is technically owned by our family." Gideon nearly dropped the churro he was holding.

"Daybreak Garden belongs to the Gueveras?"

"You're just finding this out?" Ilyana asked with narrowed eyes.

"Fabian, did you know?" Gideon asked as he turned to his friend. Fabian nodded his head slowly.

"Many knights prefer to get their weapons made and serviced at Daybreak Garden, as the quality is peerless. One must be part of a guild associated with Daybreak Garden to be allowed in, and if not, have a relation to the Guevera March."

"I thought you had some sort of contract with them!" Gideon said accusingly as he looked across the table at Tori. She raised a brow.

"I do. I also just happen to be a Guevera. That's why when Piers and Axton go, they have to bring me with them or have a letter of intent from me to give them access."

"Tori was able to get us letters of intent so we can do business," Henrik said, motioning around the table where the teens were seated.

"JP and I have also started buying our riding gear there. The leather workers at Daybreak Garden do an amazing job," Sonia said.

"And Ewan gets his equipment there." Ewan beamed.

"They know me by name now."

"You get a discount as well, right?" Auntie Lucia asked. The group nodded. Gideon shouldn't have looked as disappointed as he was to not have an 'in' into Daybreak Garden. After all, he didn't have much to purchase there and if he did, he had the means to get it done with just as high a quality workmanship elsewhere.

"Guevera," Fabian said as his hands clenched the edge of the table.

"When we return to Horizon in the fall, may I trouble you to take me?"

"You're looking for a sword, von Dorn?" Tori asked.

"I have little experience with a single-handed sword, which is used by the navy," he said.

"Hey! You're interested in joining the navy?" Eili's entire being seemed to perk up as her eyes filled with a predatory glint.

"When do you want to join? Have you participated in our summer naval camps?" Fabian cringed a bit.

"Training Commander O'Tuagh, you were our training commander for the naval camps last summer." Eili seemed to stare at him for a while. She pursed her lips.

"Yeah, I don't remember you." Diedre let out a heavy breath and rubbed her forehead.

"Eili, he is the second prince's former personal knight." Eili's eyes widened, and she gasped.

"The second prince was there?"

"Cousin, he has silver hair," Tori said with an exasperated motion of her hands towards Gideon.

"How many naval cadets had silver hair last summer?" Eili paused. Her cheeks reddened a bit.

"I didn't pay attention... I thought he was an old man. I didn't want to judge." Tori looked at Gideon who sat as if his soul had left him. His silver hair was supposed to be iconic and Eili mistook him for an old man. Ewan leaned towards Fabian and nudged him with the edge of his comcry.

"Register my comcry. Just call me if you want to go if Tori's busy. I can take you as my guest." Fabian's eyes widened.

"Thank you, Conner... you don't mind?" Ewan grinned.

"I take classmates from La Garda all the time. They say the instructors would ask me if it wasn't appropriate to use a student as a contact," he said with a laugh. He held out his comcry again and Fabian dug through his pocket to take his out.

"Are you registering comcry?" Fiona asked, slurring the word 'registering'. She looked excited and took out one from the little satchel she wore across her body. It was too big for her to properly hold in her hand, as comcry generally came in only one size. The compact was simple and round, plain metal with embossing of birds with red gemstone eyes. It was probably the closest they could get to chickens. The crystal inside was chick yellow.

"Register mine!"

"When did you get a comcry?" Tori asked with furrowed brows. Fiona was three. Ava barely got hers that summer.

"After Count Benicia's grandson picked on Fiona, Dad got one for each of us. He said to call if we are in trouble," Robert said as he also lifted his up. His was similar in shape and color, but the embossing had an enameled lion. His crystal was light blue.

"Auntie Tori, can you register mine, too?"

"Of course, Robi." Robert got up and went around with his sister to register their comcrys with the entire table of teenagers, even Gideon and Fabian, who didn't seem to realize what they were doing. Fiona giggled.

"Now, I can call all my aunties and uncles."

"Dad said don't call unless it's important," Robert reminded her.

"I won't!" Tori knew she was going to receive a call later with a giggling little girl on the other end.

"Cousin Tori..." Ava held up her comcry.

"You forgot me!" After breakfast, they walked out of the restaurant to go souvenir shopping and Ilyana looked at her comcry.

"I didn't think I'd see the day where I'd have the second prince and von Dorn's comcry."

"You think that's strange?" Tori held hers up.

"I have Guthry's and Alvere's, too."

"Do you have Hart's?"

"... I should get Hart's." Tori froze in her mid-step and whirled around, her eyes scanning the surrounding area expecting to catch sight of the blonde-haired classmate.

"Tori?"

"I just mentioned her name and expected she'd appear; that's usually my luck," Tori said as she relaxed her stance when she didn't see Alessa.

"Anyway, the next time I see her, I'll register her comcry. She may need help with her project or something."

"You're really going to help her?" Ilyana asked as her brows shot up.

"Sometimes, when you want something done right, you must do it yourself. Or at least have some sort of influence in it." Tori shrugged.

"I'd rather she calls me than somehow find me and corner me to talk."

"Do you have time to help her? Aren't you helping Guthry already?" Ilyana frowned.

"What did we talk about doing too much for annoying people?"

"Ilyana, with where am I right now, I can do their projects with my eyes closed. After Cosora, do you think educational access for an orphanage and a craftsman school will be anywhere near as challenging?" Tori asked her knowingly.

"I suppose you're right...."

"Besides, most plans are already in effect for both the delta and Lions Gate. It's just a matter of making sure the plans stay on track. We have quite a few outside investments for Viclya, Axton is dealing with most of the Lunar Pavilion, Lions Gate is becoming increasingly popular, and as fourth-year students, we will have less exams," Tori said.

"Until the fall, I can put most of my effort on the escape room and hiring people."

"Is Prince Piers going to help you?"

"No, Senior Southard already did." Tori grinned from ear to ear.

"I suspected that I and Lions Gate would attract the attention of graduating students who were looking for jobs after last year's break off, but I didn't expect that it was not only from Lycée, but Université and some other professional schools in Horizon. The applications were sent to Mr. Somerset at Duel." Tori let out a devious giggle as she lifted her hands like little claws.

"The amount of talent that has come to my hands...." She didn't bother to hide her somewhat diabolical look from Ilyana, but Ilyana furrowed her brows.

"Can we afford them?"

"Not all of them, no," Tori said with a deflated grimace.

"But we should be able to hire several people for administrative and staff positions in Lions Gate for both the company overall and Duel, and a few for the delta. Senior Southard is getting a small, fixed income for three years and land to do research on. She gets a substantial amount from her meat pies."

"Our revenue from the party game rentals and hosting is much more than Henrik and I expected," Ilyana said with wide eyes.

"I can only imagine when the escape rooms open. The city is starved for new entertainment. Do you have an idea on how you're going to set up the rooms?"

"I'm still working on it." The first day of food crawling and souvenir shopping went well and Tori was still energetic enough to sit down at her desk and work on the escape room stories, clues, and outlines. Just as she finished drawing an outline of three connected rooms, a knock came from her door. Tori looked up and waited for the knights guarding her door to inform her of who had come, but no one spoke up.

She tilted her head to the side and rose to her feet, walking across the room in her slippers to open the door herself. Tori jerked her head back as she saw her mother standing there with a pale face and shadowed eyes. Antonia was still dressed in that day's clothes and looked at a loss. At her side, she was holding her comcry. Tori raised her hands and took hold of Antonia's free arm.

"Mama? What's wrong?" Antonia shut her eyes and swallowed hard.

"The knights on the border... they called." Tori's shoulders sank. The knights on the border she was referring to were the knights on the Sur-Alvere border; a mountainous, forested area left unsettled and as a natural boundary between the march and the duchy. It was also where her mother had hidden the burial place of the late duchess. Tori felt her chest clench.

"He found Auntie Genevieve?" Antonia's voice trembled as she dropped her comcry and grasped Tori's hand.

"He found her... and now he's dead."