My Master was taking me somewhere again. It has been a while since he took me to the vision of what his homeland used to look like. That was an Illusion though. from what I could tell, today he was actually taking me somewhere. I had no idea where he was taking me, however.
Dracal was there to see us off, smiling as he waved to us goodbye. What was weird though is we were not at the drawbridge or the stables. We were near the back of the palace at the poot of a giant pond.
There was an escort of soldiers with us as well. Maybe about six in total. All standing behind us with their backs straight and their spears up.
Dracal started walking back into the palace, with two guards of his own at his flanks and the Master turned to me. I blinked up at him with wide and confused eyes.
They flicked down to his gauntlets as they extended out towards me. The purple metal gleamed brightly in the morning sun, and the black leather underneath creaked as he moves his fingers slightly.
I looked back up to his eyes, but as usual, it was hard to read his expression. Since we had started sharing almost all of our time together, it has gotten a little easier to read his stoic expressions.
I could just barely make out an expression that was trying to tell me to trust him. I blinked at him one more time, my eyes glancing back at the armored men behind us, and placed my hands atop his.
He pulled me close so that I was pressed up against his chest. My face squished lightly against his cold armor as he wrapped his arms around me, keeping me flushed tightly against him.
He turned slightly so that his back was to the pool, and slowly started to fall backward. Like a tree being felled in the forest, the giant man started to timber. I let out a little yelp before we were submerged, but once my head was underwater, I did not feel anything.
I had the sensation flowing all around me of being underwater, I could even feel my dress being lifted up and swaying around me. However, it felt like I was still in the air, underneath the sun we had just left.
I could still breathe, and I could open my eyes and see clearly. Blue was what I mostly saw, with a shimmering and out-of-focus sun somewhere above us as we sank.
No, we were rising? The watery world around me was turning and turning I had no way to tell where up and down was. All I know is that we were sinking down to a surface?
We broke through the water tension below us, standing, not swimming or falling through. Master Ambrose held me close as he simply walked out of whatever portal he had just taken me through.
I could hear the guards coming through behind us as well. master Ambrose set me down onto some grass as some wind blew over us. I lifted my hand to shield my face as I turned to look where we were, only to drop it again in pure shock as I looked over the very familiar piece of land.
This was my home village. Down below us were the town square and the market. People milled about and chatted among themselves as they had always done.
Something was different though. Everything was cleaner than before, it must have been rebuilt after the siege. I almost started weeping with joy right there.
I started to take a step forward, but my arm was caught again and I turned to look at my Master. He looked at me sternly, pointing with a metal claw up at the sun and raising two fingers.
Two hours, I had two hours to mill about and see the people I had not seen in so long. I gave him the biggest smile I think I had ever had, practically jumping onto him and wrapping my arms around his neck.
I placed my lips on his cheek, right above his beard, and gave him a thankful kiss. He was not smiling when I pulled away, but he did watch me as I practically ran down the hill, running for the place I had spent most of my life in.
Before I entered the village I could not help but look back up at him. He was a tall and imposing figure up on the hills. He did not move or anything, he just stood there, watching and observing. I gave him one last smile before making my way into the town and into the village square.
It was like re-entering a world I had forgotten. I was so used to being in the presence of only two people and being avoided by the rest. Now in here people milled and pushed about. I don't even think I was being recognized in any way. No one was even paying attention to the color of the dress I was wearing.
My village was so far from the castle, by horse it would have been a two-day ride. So perhaps the color purple was not as feared here as it was in the royal city.
I smiled at people as they passed by. farmers on their carts, mothers with their children, or people heading to or from the houses and taverns.
I definitely noticed the changes when I entered the marketplace. The stalls were more secure and there was more than before. there were more stables for animals and there seemed to be a lot more people than before. Had more people moved in around here since the invasion?
I continued to walk through the stalls. Lifting my face to smell the fresh spiced meats cooking. It seems Mr. Jorgis still had his famous spiced wine swine bites on the menu.
After a while of milling through the market, I happened to look behind me and notice that I was being followed. Two of Master Ambrose's guards were watching me from the alleyways. Standing there like statues, still as ever.
That made sense, whenever he was not with me he always had two guards at my side. It had been like that since the people kidnapped me and killed my friends.
I shook that memory out of my head. Now was the time for merriment and joy. I was back home! Not for long, but here I was! I was afraid I would never again see it.
A hand placed itself on my shoulder and I nearly jumped out of my skin. I whirled around and saw that a cart had pulled up right behind me. Two slightly familiar faces grinning down at me.
" Y/N? Is that you lass?" Rataki said from his seat. His wife Sherana was next to him. her almost midnight skin gleaming like ebony in the sun. My father had befriended Rataki right before the invasion, I did not know a lot about them but it was still good to see their faces.
I smiled brightly up at them. Greeting them like old friends that had not seen each other in a long time. He motioned for me to climb onto his cart.
" Come on girl! I'll give ya a ride back to your house, Your family will be more than thrilled to see ya again." He said. I jumped in without hesitation. I did not think Rataki would have anything Ill planned instead of actually taking me home, but if he did, Master Ambrose was not far away.
Hw whipped the cow and it huffed as it started walking forward. The sturdy cart made its way out of the market and out of the town in total. making its way to the farmhouses beyond.
" How have ya been dearling? It's a wonder to see ya again! We almost did not recognize you." Sherana said in her thick accent, looking back at me. I chuckled a little nervously.
" Well... I've been working at the castle since that day, but the Master treats us mostly well and he let me have a few hours to come home again," I explained, deciding to keep my story short for now. Rataki clicked his tongue.
" It was rough for the first few months after the conquering. We were all put to work and we were afraid that the land was going to be sucked dry of all its resources. The one day it all just... got better. Soldiers came in with cartloads of food and building supplies. Many houses were rebuilt, people live comfortably now and no one goes to bed hungry anymore." He said.
I smiled thinking about how the Master kept us fed and comfortable back at the castle as well. As long as we obeyed his rule anyway. Maybe this all had been a blessing in disguise, or somewhat of that. A lot of people did die yes, but everyone that was still alive was better off than before. King Charot did not give two shits about his people. Master Ambrose was more controlling, yes, but at least he made sure we were all fed and warm.
My thoughts were interrupted as the cart stopped at my old home and I practically leaped from the back. Racing over the long dirt path and almost busting through the door... into an empty house.
Everything was still there, and there were more furnishings than before. But none of my family was there. No matter how loudly I called for them, no one answered. I searched the whole house, all of the walls had been patched and they had actual beds and blankets now, but they themselves were nowhere to be seen.
My heart shattered as I slowly walked back out. Rataki and Sherana saw my expression and sighed apologetically.
" They must be at the mines. Your father and brother took up some jobs there a while ago. Sometimes your mother takes the babe and spends a day or two over there. That must be where they all are. I'm so sorry my dear." Rataki explained. He offered to take me to the mines.
I would have said yes, but that was when the Guards marched up to the house. They came forward and I knew that my time was up. Two hours had already passed in the blink of an eye. I gave them one last teary smile. Hoping that I would see them again soon.
The guards led me back to Master Ambrose, and he took me to the portal and back to the castle.
- -
I could not believe what was happening here. I never thought what was happening would ever happen. Especially like this. More or less I cant believe who was doing it.
Today, like any other day started out as normal. My master and I wake up, we have our breakfast and morning tea, which he started drinking relentlessly after my introduction of it, and then we got to work in the Laboratory. It had been a few days since he had let me see my village again.
Like most days I was cleaning and taking stock of our inventory. Master Ambrose was writing in his book again. Usually what ingredients were needed to make certain spells and potions.
I had just put away all of the Horncrael that we had when suddenly Dracal came in with a wooden box in his hands. The box itself was a dark burgundy and was only about a foot and a half long.
" Master, what you requested has arrived." He said with an almost sly smile on his face. My attention was brought from the shelves and over to the Master as he practically dropped his feather ink pen and almost snatched the box from Dracal.
He did not open it though. Instead, he turned around and started lumbering right towards me. I watched with wide and concerned eyes as he stopped in front of me. Taking off his clawed gauntlets and holding the polished box with his own hands.
He was looking at me intently in the eyes, and it made me a little nervous. I could not help but take a step or two back as he practically cornered me against the shelf. I don't think he was meaning to literally corner me, he was just trying to stand in front of me and I was getting scared.
He unlocked it and opened it so that I may see what was inside. It was a necklace. A shining golden necklace with three Amythists sets into the metal and one more hanging like a teardrop at the bottom center.
My eyes widened and my breath got caught in my throat. I knew immediately what this meant. In Midora, the four gemmed necklaces had a very specific meaning.
He was asking me to be his wife.