Chapter 251 – The guests

“Then do it yourself!” Sounded angry male’s voice, muffled by the walls and constant humming of the propellers from outside

“Fine!” Shouted a female voice in return

“FINE!” Answered the male once again and a sound of slamming door was heard.

“Asshole!” The female’s voice was heard now sounding more muffled.

“Ho, ho. Youth.” Said Lord Belmont  with a smile sipping from his tea cup.

“I swear they were all lovey-dovey the whole week, but the moment they got on boared, it is as if the devil possessed them.” Said the young man sitting near him with an awkward smile as he put down his tea cup.

“It is fine. I just hope they will smooth out all the corners eventually. Because there are too many to have a happy marriage as I see.” Said Archduke with an emotionless face. His blank face seemed permanent lately, as he hid all his emotions.

Even though Lord Belmont couldn't read the man's mood he sensed that there seemed to be too many emotions brewign inside him, for him to relax for even a moment and show his true face, because all the emotions would instanlty spill outside. So even though he seemed cold and emotionless, Lord Belmont felt the man was as an overtightened string, ready to snap any moment.

He only hoped that he could hold himself in check maintaining this blank face mask for the duration of the negotiation and not blow up in the middle of it and ruin a good chance.

Lord Belmont knew the man felt very displeased with this method, but the King gave an order and Archduke had to follow it to not sour relationship with royal family

Still, Lord Belmont could understand the man's displeasure. He himself did not like this plan.

If he could, he would have liked to go to the Duchess Threadweaver alone, apologize, give many concessions and come to some understanding instead of playing with the reputatiin of inocent youths. Involving young people into any negotioations was a disliked situatiin for him. The heat and stupidity of youth always involved too much unpredictable factors. But it was not his place to argue. Decision was made by the high council so he could only follow their plan.

Still in his opinion relying on young people could either succeed or fail miserably, not only ruining the relationship with the Duchess even further but also smear the reputation of several houses, including the Archduke's family. And Lord Belmont hated unpredictability.

The door to the room swung open and a young man entered, instantly stalling as he saw the three people inside watching him.

“I…Um…Sorry about that. It’s just…” Started to say the young man.

“Sit. Drink some tea.” Interrupted him Archduke with a cold voice not wanting to hear the young man's excuses.

“Yes.” Answered the young man gently closing the door behind himself and sitting down at the Archdukes side.

Lord Belmont took a teapot and poured him some tea. The young man nodded, thanking him quetly and took a gulp.

Too impatient to enjoy a good tea, noticed Lord Belmont.

“I will apologize to her later. I know I overreact, but... she just sometimes gets on my nerves so strongly. And... even more so… lately.” Said the young man looking apologetically.

“We are not here to teach you how to build your relationship, boy. But some tranquility on this trip would be appreciated.” Said the Archduke emotionlessly.

“I am sorry, Grandpa. I’ll…we’ll try to be quieter.” Answered the young man. “We aren’t usually like this. It’s just lately, she seems to feel…much pressure and spills it on me as if I am the only one at fault.” Said young man staring at the floor.

“And you are not?” Said Archduke, turning his eyes at his grandson and for the first time Lord Belmont noticed something that he could call an emotion in the man's eyes. It was a gaze of occusation… or maybe even disappointment?

That one gaze made his grandson turn his eyes meekly downward as if embarased to face his grandfather.

A few minutes passed in silence before a girl walked into the room and just like the young man before her stalled in the doors, seeing all the people sitting there watching her with their teacups held in hands. Her cheeks immediately flushed and she bowed showing respect.

“Good morning, your Highness, your Excellency's.” The girl muttered her greetings.

“No need for that formality, honey. I already told you, just Sir is more than enough. Come, sit here.” Said Archduke patting a seat at his left while his grandson sat at his right. Even though his face still looked almost blank and emotionless, a slight trace of smile painted it as the girl walked over.

“Just treat me the usual, V.” Said the young man sitting near Lord Belmont. “This isn’t a formal gathering.” He added and took a small bell at the center of the table, ringing it slightly.

“His Highness is right, do not mind us old men, we aren’t much of an etiquette example ourselves here, so please don’t act stiff in our presence.” Said Lord Belmont with a smile as the girl walked to the table, still staring meekly at the floor.

“I apologize for the scene you may have been a witness to.” Said the girl meekly.

“None of these apologizing, dear.” Said Archduke, his voice sounding a lot warmer than when he talked to his grandson. “Isn’t something I had not been part of in my youth. I just ask you to forgive my grandson for his constant stupidity that angers you all the time. It is not his fault for being this stupid, it's just a trait flowing in our family's blood. I myself had been no smarter in his age and infuriated my future wife to no end. Still wonder how she bore through it.” He added as he stood up and offered the girl a hand when she sat down and moving her chair for her.

The girl smiled and threw a gaze at Archduke's grandson who turned away with an annoyed expression on his face.

The young man and Lord Belmont laughed lightly at the Archdukes' joke. And as they saw the trace of a smile show on the girl's lips, they noticed Archduke’s expression also relax quite a bit.

He may have been angry with his troublemaker grandson, but there was no doubt he greatly aproved of the woman his grandson has chosen.

“Thank you, sir.” The girl said quietly as she sat dawn and a moment later the door opened with several servants coming into the room holding traces in their hands, serving the table with quick elegant motions.

The breakfast went by in almost constant silence, with only Archduke and Lord Belmont saying one or two things occasionally. And the two lovebirds seemed to avoid each others gazes the entire time mostly staring at the table.

Just as they finished eating, they felt the slight jerk of the ship and vibration spreading through the floor under their feet.

The slight sense of inertia pulling them to one side, told them that the ship was slowing down.

“Sir, we are arriving at our destination…” Said the crewmate as he entered the room and bowed.

“What’s the matter?” Asked Archduke, sensing some trouble in his voice.

“It’s just that we can’t seem to find a place…to land, your excellency." Said the man.

The Archduke wiped his mouth with the towel, then threw it on the table and stood up, followed by the Lord Belmont. The young people quickly followed suit.

The company followed the crewmate to the bridge of the ship and looked through the front window at the scene below them.

Thick fog covered the forest below then showing only the tops of the trees, that pointed out of it like sharp reefs out of the white sea.

The three young people looked at each other raising their eyebrows questioningly before gazing at the Archduke and Lord Belmont who seemed to have both surprised and wary expressions.

“It seems to be the correct destination you have given us, Your Excellency. But there’s nothing here.” Said the Captain coming over to them and looking out the wide front window that spread from part of the ceiling to the part of the floor and walls, opening a panaramick view of the ground.

“Do not worry. Just continue slowly forward. We will see it once we reach the spot.” Said Archduke then turned to look at Lord Belmont.

“She seems to have rebuilt her barrier. Last time it was a mere wisp of what it is now ” Said Lord Belmont.

“No. It was always like this. It’s just that she had no wealth to uphold the recognition inhibition function at full capacity anymore, leaving only the basic function of protection. But this… this is how I remember it from my youth, when I visited her with my father for the first time.” Said Archduke.

“Is that so?” Muttered Lord Belmont gazing into the endless white sea below them and the mountains in the distance.

Somewhere at the top of that mountain he knew would be the Vespertine Castle.

“There.” Said Archduke pointing to something to the side. “That’s the spot. Stop the ship there.” He ordered the Captain and the man turned the ship to the side, slowing it down even more. Just as they reached the spot Archduke pointed at, they saw a small clearing in the fog below them and centered the ship above it.

Just as the ship stopped, the fog around them started to quickly dissipate in a circle and they suddenly saw a clear field of green grass underneath them, with a small stone clanding zone at the center. A narrow paved road was leading from the platform toward the cloud of fog that still surrounded it from all sides in a circle as if a white wall and at the end of the road they saw a carriage standing in wait. A group of people stood at the front of it.

“It seems like they are awaiting us already.” Said Archduke.

“So this is the Guardian barrier.” Whispered the young man.

“Have you seen them before, Carl? The Guardians.” Asked the girl quietly watching through the window as their ship slowly descended, landing gently on the stone platform in the middle of the field.

“Once.” Answered Archduke’s grandson. “What about you Kevin?” He asked the other young man.

“A few. Pompous arses each and everyone of them. Even though they are just…” He stopped mid sentence looking around himself and cought the Lord Belmont's eyes, who looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

“Not all your thoughts need to be said aloud, your highness.” He whispered. “A smart man listens more than talks.”

“I am sorry…” Said Kevin.

“Please do not apologize to me your, Highness. I am not here to reprimand you, only to advise.” Said Lord Belmont bowing. “Shall we?” He added turning to walk after the Archduke who already made his way out of the cabin.

“Alright then. Let's go save your ass from whipping.” Said Kevin quietly to Carl.

“Fuck you, Your Highness.” Whispered Carl back to him with a small smile.

“Yeah. That’s exactly what got you into trouble. Talk about it in your grandpa's presence one time and he’ll whip you for sure. He seriously looks like he’s about to.” Kevin said with a smirk.

The girl at their side turned away and quickly walked off storming out of the cabin.

“Oops. Sorry mate.” Kevin said as he saw Carl looke at him with displeasure when the girl ran out. “I still forget some jokes are now banned.”

“Yeah, thanks a lot. She just calmed down. You really like seeing her chewing my ass don’t you?” Said Carl with annoyance.

“Is that how you like it in bed?” Said Kevin as the both of them walked.

“Oh, just shut up would you. This whole situation just seems funny to you isn’t it? Can’t you be a bit more serious for my sake here?” Said Carl.

“Sorry, sorry. I just joke when I am nervous." Answered Kevin his face going serious. "They say she is a thousand years old, you know? She killed more in her past than some heroes killed demons. So yeah, let's go pressure that ancient monster.”

“Two, Your Highness.” Said Lord Belmont who walked in front of them. Kevin thought they were far enough to not be overheard by the man, but apparently he underestimated the Royal Investigators sense of hearing.

“You have to remember that there are two of them. Both equally as terrifying as you just described. And then again, there are now the daughters in the equation as well.” Added Lord Belmont. "And that is not counting the dryads. We are still not clear of their disposition."

"Dryads. Holy hell man. That count dude living the man's dream." Said Carl.

"Yeah and you say I am the reason V chewing yours ass all the time." Said Kevin. "Maybe you need to reign in that allmighty gun of yours for just a couple of minutes instead of reprimandin me for not being serious, eh mate?"

"Dryads. Man." Whispered Carl with a smile.

Kevin shook his head.  "You are incorrigble." He whispered to his friend.

*****

Theressa, Priscilla, Brianna, and two maids stood at the precipice of fog cloud gazing at the descending flying ship. Just as it landed a side of it opened and a ramp lowered to the ground. Almost immediatly a group of knights with banners in their hands walked down the ramp and surrounded the ship. Another group walked toward the narrow road and stepped asid as if creating a path.

A group of richly dressed people then left the ship a turned their gaze to the group of women.

“Mother, is that…?” Asked Priscilla surprised.

“Yeah. This looks troublesome.” Said Theressa. “So that’s how they want to play. The old bastards can truly be overbearing.”

“You mean that royal banner one of the knights holding?” Said Brianna looking between her sister and mother. “That can’t be a King with this small procession right?”

“Obviously not.” Said Priscilla “But it's still no less troublesome.”

“This is an unofficial visit so we can be more lax with etiquette, no?” Brianna said, confused.

“It is not about meeting royal members, we are troubled, dear.” Said Tessa. “It’s about our negotiation with them. I showed them a middle finger, diplomatically speaking, when I announced giving up my title to Cil. Obviously they would send someone to negotiate it, keen on forcing me to rethink my decision. But it is one thing to refuse a messenger. It is another thing entirely to refuse a member of a royal family into their face. I just did not think the king would stoop to outright pressuring me with his status. Such a move is very despised in noble circles. It is perceived as outright blackmail or a threat. Abuse of their power.”

“You still would refuse them though?” Asked Priscilla.

“Ofcourse. The title is yours, honey. I do not intend to go back on it. I initially took it to get a title of a Dutchess while being a Guardian. I hate to be under anyone's command. The title of Marquise or Countess just doesn't sit well with me. Too many of those who would think they are better or on top of me and can boss me around for my liking. Besides, it was obvious that Cassandra would become a Duchess if she took the Guardian position, so I did not want to be below her.” Said Theressa with a wink.

“But now that I raised you two I can stay with all the privileges even without the title. It would be a lot more useful to you than me. It’s not a problem to refuse them.  The only problem with the royal member is that we may need to make a bit more concessions, to make them give up.” Said Theressa with determination.

“Concessions?” Asked Brianna.

“Mother don’t tell me…” Said Priscilla her eyes widening.

“We’ll see how it goes and decide at the moment.” Said Theessa. “Now stop chit-chat. They will be able to hear us so telepatic conversations only. And put your best smile girls.” Said Theressa as she saw the procession led by the Archduke walk toward them.