Alison and Kira left the kitchens a short while later. They stayed and spoke with Bells and Kat for what seemed like an hour before Kira decided they should be allowed to finish what they were doing. They ended up walking down the hallways for a while, with Kira pointing out certain rooms. They didn't really have a goal in mind, so the castle wasn't twisting and turning for them.
At some point they ended up infront of what Alison could only assume to be Rose's room. Considering the huge rose pattern engraved on the door itself. The thorny brambles grew from the base of the door all the way to the top with roses growing out almost randomly. It looked like great care went into carving the pattern, and Alison couldn't help but be impressed.
"You're going to want to see this." Kira noted, before opening the door with a grin. Alison's jaw probably hit the ground when she looked into the room. It was dimly lit, but they could both see clearly in the dark. The room was very large, being a perfectly round room rather than a cube like all the others. Alison honestly couldn't tell how big the room was because of all the plant life blocking the walls themselves from view.
Kira pushed her in, and Alison found herself following a stone path deeper into the room. After taking a few steps, some of the small bushes and trees came to life, with dark green glows eminating from the bodies of the Spriggans that were now watching them enter. The path became a low bridge as they neared the center of the room, which appeared to be a huge oak tree sitting on a small island in the center of a pond. There was a stone path circling the tree, and another path that broke off to the right of it. Alison glanced over finding a huge rose colored bed, held up by rose vines and tree roots. The canopy over the bed was made completely of flower vines, with flowers of all colors of the rainbow hanging over the bed in the most beautiful tapastry Alison had ever seen.
"This is your mother's bedroom?" Alison asked, turning in circles a few times to take it all in. She nearly fell in the pond a few times, but Kira was there to save her with a laugh.
"That's correct. My mother takes great pride in her room."
"I thought the garden was amazing, but this is just... wow."
"This room is more natural, hence the glowing plants not being here." Kira explained.
"You never explained where those plants came from." Alison answered, touching her fingers to the tree as she walked around it, watching as the Spriggans came to the edge of the pond watching them. Some even stepped into the water to try and get a little closer.
"My sister and I found some of them in a Ruin we were exploring. We brought some of them back and the Fairies and Spriggans just started cultivating them and making more. From what I understand they're the only ones of their kind other than what was or still is inside that ruin." Kira explained.
"Why are there Spriggans here? Do they take care of this garden for Rose?"
"Indeed. Though, they're mostly here for Venus."
"Venus is here?" Alison asked. "Can I meet her?"
"You already did."
"Did I?"
"The tree." Kira pointed to the oak that Alison was standing beside. Alison looked at the tree doubtfully, until the bark twisted and moved, causing the young wolf to jump back in shock. The bark moved into the shape of a face with glowing green eyes and a mouth.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you Alison." The tree spoke, when it's mouth opened it was the same glowing green as it's eyes. "I've waited a long time for this moment."
"Oh my god. Rose has Venus in her bedroom?" Alison asked in awe. "That's so cool! Oh! Right! Nice to meet you too... Sorry."
The tree chuckled, it's canopy shaking a bit with a few leaves falling to the ground. "That's quite alright. I'm sure most people would react in the same way, seeing two indoor gardens filled with fantastical creatures."
"It's the most amazing thing I've ever seen." Alison assured them.
Kira laughed herself, smiling at Alison's childlike wonder. "There are many other things we can do today. We should go see how Veronica is doing with Aviri, then perhaps I could show you the yard."
"There's more?" Alison asked. "It's almost too much."
"I've wanted to bring you here for so long." Kira answered, taking Alison's hand tightly as she smiled at her wolf. "Let me have this day."
Venus chuckled once more. "Sounds like Lady Kira has the whole day planned out for you little wolf."
"You're Lady Kira and I'm little wolf." Alison rolled her eyes.
"Be thankful. Being called Lady Kira all the time gets old quickly." Kira admitted.
"I also want to sit down and talk to Rose at some point to. I haven't had the chance to meet her yet." Alison asked.
"Of course. That's on our to-do list too of course."
"This day is going to blow my mind. I can already tell."
"It's a possibility."
"Well, enjoy the rest of your day then Alison. I'm sure Kira will make sure it's the first of many amazing days."
"She already has." Alison smiled brightly. Kira dragged Alison back over the pond and out of the room with the two of them laughing happily. Kira was clearly the happiest she's ever been having her wolf with her in her home. She's certainly wanted to bring her here for a very long time, and she intended to make the most out of this moment.
The vampire pulled the wolf into a study, or perhaps it would be more accurate to call it a workshop, considering all the tables were filled with alchemy ingredients, opened books, notebooks, and alchemy equipment. Veronica was leaned over one of those tables mixing ingredients into a mortar as she read through a heavy book. Aviri was sitting on a stool beside her facing the doorway. She smiled and waved but put a finger to her lip motioning towards her newest pupil.
Alison and Kira came in silently, watching as Veronica seemed satisfied with the ingredients she'd chosen before crushing them together with the pestle. "I think that should do it."
"Do you?" Aviri questioned.
"Yes. Even if you say it like that, I still think that I did it right."
"I guess we'll find out. Maybe you should drink it then?"
"You asked me to make a poison Aviri. I'm not drinking it." Veronica scoffed.
"True. Maybe you shouldn't drink it then."
"I'm not going to." Veronica continued to turn her mixture into a paste before pouring it into a small vial and handing it to Aviri, only now realizing that Kira and Alison were here. "Oh? Here to check up on me?"
"I wanted to see if Aviri got bored of you yet." Alison answered.
Aviri chuckled as she examined the liquid in the vial. "She's not as bad as you guys make her out to be. If anything she's probably one of my more interesting students."
"If that's the case then she's the only one you've ever liked." Kira answered. "You usually would have ate them by now."
"I know, it's a shame since she's the most nice smelling one I've had."
"Ha ha. I told you I'd donate blood and you still haven't bit me yet." Veronica glared.
"It looks good." Aviri lowered the vial and looked back at Veronica with a smile. "Well done."
"You aren't going to drink it yourself are you?"
"I was contemplating it just to scare you."
"Nightshade's not toxic to vampires. It just makes us drowsy." Kira smiled. "She basically made you make her a sleep aid."
"Great." Veronica rolled her eyes. "You're worse than my dad."
"I'm probably better looking though."
"Well, I'm not flirting with my dad so I'm not paying attention to if my teacher looks hotter than my dad Aviri." Veronica snapped.
"I don't think I've ever seen someone fluster you so effectively." Alison noted.
"Aviri." Peredite called as she hopped off the table she was sitting on and came over, taking Aviri's arm and pulling her from the stool. Her tail swayed behind her as she seemed to be glaring at the vampire. "Since you actually like this student, maybe it'd be wiser to not scare her away."
"I'm not-"
"Or irritate her enough to return home?"
"Fair."
Alison smiled. "I see you have someone looking out for you at least."
"Aviri's usually pretty good about this stuff, but sometimes I think she just can't help herself. Maybe she does actually want to eat me?" Veronica answered with a shiver.
"Just a little bite honestly."
"Aviri." Peredite warned.
"Fi-i-ine." Aviri grumbled. "I'll be good."
"Good."
"Do you want to keep going, or take a break?" Aviri asked, looking to Veronica.
"One more sounds good." Veronica answered. "Make it a hard one."
"Hard one... hmmm.. Make me a Moon Lotus potion."
"W-what? But you don't need it!"
"It's not for me. You said give you a hard one."
"Do you even have a moon lotus here?"
"I'm insulted you would even ask that. My study is filled with every ingredient you would ever need. I wouldn't ask you to make something if I didn't have the ingredients for it."
"Maybe we should go?" Alison whispered to Kira.
"Yeah." Her girlfriend agreed.
"Well then fine! Where is it?"
"Somewhere in here." Aviri shrugged.
"Aviri!"
"I'll help you look."
Alison and Kira made it out with stifled laughter. As soon as the door closed behind them they both burst into a fit of giggles.
"I didn't think anyone could unwravel Veronica like that. If I didn't know any better I'd think that your sister was making her fall in love."
"I wouldn't be surprised. It would explain why Peredite was clingy."
"Veronica would know better than to fall for Aviri knowing she had Peredite, but she definately has a girl crush. It's actually really cute."
"Perhaps we should check on your boys then next?"
"I thought you were going to show me the yard next?" Alison asked.
"We can do that." Kira smiled and the two headed down the halls before coming to a large door which Kira pushed opened into the dusk. The sun was just begining its descent, casting a golden glow on the world around them. They walked past a large corral getting Alison to nearly trip as she was admiring it.
"Watch your step." Kira called.
"I didn't know you had horses."
"I have a few." The vampire answered. "I don't ride them very often, but my mother enjoys it more."
"Rose likes riding horses?"
"She does."
"Cool."
They continued along, heading towards the river where they found Drake skipping stones into it with a fairy. They ended up staying back as the wolf was clearly having a lot of fun with the young woman. Alison couldn't help but smile at the sight of it.
"That didn't take long." Kira whispered.
"Do you know her?"
"I don't know her name, no. She's one of the newer Fairies who came in a few weeks ago. Lillian tells me that their old home was attacked by bandits and most of the forest was burned to the ground. Some chose to stay back and rebuild, but the bandits were still close, so most of them moved on. I've never met her personally." Kira answered. "But I'm glad that Drake can help them feel better."
"You sound like you didn't think they'd intend on staying."
"They all seemed very conflicted." Kira answered. "The wound is still fresh in their minds, and they likely feel like they've abandoned their home and the people they used to be with. But this is a safe haven for them, and if the bandits are still there, ready to burn down the forest again then it only makes sense to stay here."
"Where they'll be safe and taken care of."
"Exactly."
"Let's go get some dinner and leave these two alone then." Alison smiled, gently pulling her vampire back towards the house.
Kira smiled softly and followed her. "That sounds like a good idea."