News travels fast from the city centre of Eustoma to its neighbouring towns and villages even to the far reaches like the imperial capital. The bandits have been defeated, finally purging the eastern territory of its old disease. It was an event worth celebrating and the locals are now hurriedly pulling everything they have from wines to food in order to start a feast. 

Above the balcony of the inn, Carmine and Raven watched the busy people with interest as they assembled several stoves for cooking, tables, chairs, and tents for three days of merry-making.

The colourful banners were strewn over the roofs flapped to and fro as it danced with the cool breeze.

"Brother, I want to look closer." Carmine had his face stuck in between the wooden slats of the balcony so eager to see more from below.

"If you rub your eyes, you'll be able to see clearly." 

Carmine felt being made fun of, "I don't think that works."

"The view from up here is already excellent." 

"But I can't see the fair. I heard there is a small theatre." 

Raven turned his head towards him and squinted his eyes, imitating Ayan's look, "Didn't mother already say we are not allowed to leave without a companion? If you try to trick me, I will let Milk bite your butt."

To prove that he wasn't bluffing, he picked up Milk and waved it in front of his twin like a greatsword. 

Carmine unconsciously covered his bottom protectively. 

The atmosphere was fizzing with happiness far from Clayton's solemn mood after receiving urgent news. They rented a carriage and rode outside the city wall to meet the Thorns in a village by the river. 

"Ahem…" Ayan coughed unnaturally.

The road is long and she felt stuck as the silence between them lengthened. She wasn't supposed to be this fidgety but the thought of being alone with Clayton for the first time flustered her. She couldn't calm down with him sitting leisurely in front of her with all that pensive look on his face. 

What was he thinking about? 

The fact that today is the day where she will meet the Thorns and possibly the heroine did not disturb her as much as his gaze on her does.

"Is something wrong, my lady?"

Ayan pretended to look at her nails, "Shouldn't we drop the title now?"

"I rather liked the sound of my lady than madam. I suppose it will be a hard habit to break…" he said playfully. 

Her eyebrows curled. Did he get attached to it? 

"Anyway, we should be cautious." 

He just replied with a light chuckle. 

"What will happen to the bandit's family who was captured along?" 

Clayton was more than glad to answer, "They will be sent to Dolma Steppe in the southwest for exile."

She wanted to ask what was in that place but she figured the destination for exiled people is far from the one she thought. This is not the modern world after all. Also, the information is not something Clayton would openly disclose. 

"It's not a terrible place," Clayton answered her thoughts with amusement. "In there the soldiers will be in charge of their reform by making them plant the land or mine ores. Others choose to become slaves to escape that place. Rather than wasting manpower by execution, the emperor decided to reuse people that way. In other countries, death or slavery can only be your option."

Ayan momentarily looked shocked. Then scolded herself that she should get used to hearing this. This world is not built with hearts and rainbows. Crimes had to be punished heavily with little hope for redemption.  

The person opposite her appeared silent the whole time but in fact, he had kept his attention to her since they departed the inn. Again she managed to awe him when she tidied up her appearance. She sat there prettily with her simple dress and extremely behaved demeanour. He had known Ayan for quite a time and knew exactly how restless she could be that she could disturb a whole city when she felt like it.

But in her quiet times, she is a sight to behold. There were changes but none of it was worse. 

She had shed off the extravagance making her natural beauty shine more. Gone were the gaudy clothes with cumbersome decorations and heavy makeup masking her face, she hadn't asked since their arrival either. On the other hand, her new dressing had most intrigued him after she introduced the fairy ring. The contents of it are still a mystery to him but he wasn't in a hurry to discover it.

He figured he rather liked the current style with its warm colours and convenient cut. In the future, he would hire a dedicated seamstress for her exclusive use to make more of these dainty clothes. She would look even more fetching on them then. He couldn't wait to settle her in the imperial capital rather than keep her tucked away in this inconspicuous county.

Clayton simply wanted to give her everything. There are many places he wanted to show her and the boys, the Holy Temple for one and all of Ava's glory far ahead from any other kingdoms. She deserved to walk in its wide stone paths and ascend to its grand steps. 

 

Inside a large stone and thatch house, men in dark red garb stood in line anticipating the appearance of their liege whom they have not seen for more than a couple of months. If the original plan was followed they could have arrived here in Asturia in just a month passing the border inconspicuously. The flood back in Lattice delayed everything and the king's persecution pushed the lord into crossing the Crucible Mountain instead.

During their travel, a dispute broke out between the incoming guards and the Thorns assigned here in the empire because of a misunderstanding. The problem was fairly simple at first, Rodney, the steward from the Lattice Kingdom brought along the woman from the old house named Lucia. 

He was given instructions to escort her out of the kingdom and help her settle in Asturia as compensation for her service. However, the person who was supposed to relay the original message was nowhere to be found, leaving only Lucia to present herself to them.

Rodney is not an unreasonable man, after hearing her explanation he brought her along with them thinking that she must have a good relationship with the masters to be included in the move. Things went downhill when they finally met up with Kanon to continue the journey towards the imperial capital. Kanon, by the way, is the captain of the Thorns who was stationed at Blackwood.

As Clayton's right-hand man he knew the tangled relationships between the masters and this woman. Bringing her to Ava can only make matters worse, thus following the original instructions Lucia had to resign from her job and as additional compensation they arranged all her papers as a freeman in the empire.

When she was let go, Rodney had no time to protest because he was immediately sent to another location. Kanon and the rest moved back to Ava after meeting up with him. He was only called a few days ago to meet because the lord finally arrived.

Kanon can feel Rodney's resentment whenever his eyes land on him. 

"The lord had given us an order to keep Miss Lucia," he said stiffly indignant, "I met her in the capital a week ago and asked if the lord is coming back soon."

He knew the reason why he was suddenly sent to a faraway place. Kanon had no plans of making Miss Lucia stay with them and if he were there, he would surely put a stop to it. Damn Kanon making decisions on his own! There was no one in the team who understood what the lord meant, they put such a helpless girl in that situation. 

"I don't see where I made an error in my judgment. I don't know what other things she mentioned made you forget your responsibilities, but I assure you meddling in the affairs of the lord and the lady by including your personal feelings is not one of them."

Rodney froze, "You have your own responsibilities, and I have mine. I will tell the lord what you have done."

"Be my guest," Kanon replied dryly. 

The rest of the Thorns watch the silly argument with relish. Johann, the youngest in particular, snickered when he saw Rodney raise his hackles like a fighting cock ready to peck his opponent.    

The sound of horse hooves from the outside alerted the men. A simple carriage drove along the dirt path under the hanging branches of willow and oak trees, it stopped when it neared the wattle fence and the passengers stepped out.

The first to notice the lord was Kanon. 

Kanon came forward offering a bow as soon as the carriage door opened. From the inside, a pair of polished leather boots attached to strong limbs covered in dark grey trousers came to greet him. He was about to raise his head when Johann from the cottage came jumping. 

"Milord is back!"

"Settle down, kid." Kanon caught him in the collar just in time as another pair of feet came from the carriage.

Johann immediately contained himself, moved to the side for a formal greeting until the second person disembarked properly. At last, the couple stood in front of them unhindered. The first to notice the changes was Kanon when he saw the absence of the lord's cane. 

Then his eyes were caught by a sea of fire. The long tresses of luxurious red hair swayed along with the breeze and gleamed like flame itself. Kanon was slightly out of breath when facing it.

"Milord, milady it has been a while." He remarked solemnly while patting down the thudding in his chest. "We, the Thorns, have come to serve. We await your order."

"Kanon did an excellent job." Clayton replied with satisfaction then turned to Ayan, "My lady, this is Kanon the captain of Thorns. He was in charge of our transfer procedures here in Asturia. He will be reporting to you in the future when making the most important decisions. You can also turn to him if there is anything urgent that I may not be able to attend." 

"Kanon at your service milady." He spoke and genuflected showing utmost sincerity.

"A pleasure to meet you."

Ayan tried to familiarize herself with the name. Kanon was a man in his mid-twenties with neatly brushed up hair and an eye-catching silver earring clinging to his left ear. 

He was unlike any private guards other families raised. When most are orphans, Kanon's roots were never severed from his proud Talia ancestry. The Talia are a tribe of mighty warriors living in Faust Desert in the Euros Continent. They are famed for their ruthless character and intimidating build. 

What Kanon lacked was a burly body tempered by the desert heat, his appearance can be considered to be very refined compared to them. Unfortunately, the mildness and softness of his face did not reflect his temper.

The little influence the polite society had on him would immediately disappear when performing his job. Facing him, Ayan could not help but observe the man more with amazement. This isn't someone seven-foot-tall giant with corded muscles and has a neck as thick as a tree trunk. This one looked like a famous androgynous supermodel instead.

"How are things in Ava?" Clayton asked. His tone held a bit of chill suddenly. 

Kanon's fine hairs stood out for some reason. The lord sounded angry. 

"Milord," from the inside Rodney marched out and gave a bow. Before speaking, he shot Kanon a challenging gaze. 

"Rodney." Clayton acknowledged the man with a tip of his head. "Glad to see you safe."

"Thank you, milord. The journey was inevitably trying but we indeed arrived safely and successfully met with Kanon's entourage in Blackwood. However, there were some things that have not been taken care of properly."

"You speak." 

Rodney shot Kanon a glance but the other had no response making him a little unsure. The silence lengthened. 

"Very well." Clayton assumed he wasn't ready yet. "What about the preparations in Ava?" 

Rodney looked slightly blank. 

It was Kanon who answered, "Everything was done impeccably. The message has already been relayed and received. Preparations are underway." 

This confirmation put Clayton's uncertainties to rest. He trusted the right man after all. 

House Blackwood was informed about the possible weakening of the barrier in the Dark Continent. Kanon is yet to tell him that Sir Dylan has made contact not only to the Grand Duchess of Havenstorm but the emperor himself. But these things had to be discussed when there was no longer an outsider present.

Although Rodney is part of the staff, he doesn't know Kanon's position or the existence of the Thorns. 

As they talked they moved inside the cottage. 

Ayan walked closely beside Clayton and ignored the curious and ardent gazes directed towards her.

One of the culprits was Johann who was too shocked to hide his reaction. The poor lad dropped his jaw as he openly looked at the couple. His mind churned until the imaginary rusty cogs in his head began to rattle.

The… the lord is walking on his own without the assistance of his cane! 

Can someone slap him, please? 

Does this mean that aside from getting out of the forest unscathed, the lord also cured his leg?

They knew more than anyone how much the lord suffered since that injury. For five years he carried himself by sheer willpower when people stepped on his dignity. For a man, especially a man with high prestige to come across this calamity in his life was more than heartbreaking. Yet the lord refused to show weakness. He once said that he would either limp or crawl but he will never let those people see him bow in defeat. 

Finally… 

Johann felt the corners of his eyes grow hot. They thought this day would never come since the doctor sentenced his injury to be incurable. 

He was immersed in joy when Ayan passed by him. The whiff of a calming scent drilled into his nose down up to his brain. 

Wait! He was told that the lord's wife was once a beautiful woman unmatched in her generation. Alas, her beauty was short-lived like the most exquisite flower. It wilted and waned as her youth passed. In short, she was ugly. 

Then who is this person in front of them? 

Carefully held by the lord in his hand is a woman with her creamy complexion, carefully carved face paired with a seductive pair of eyes and upturned petal-like lips. A vision so--- otherworldly. More than the nymphs in the paintings from Isle Philia which are renowned for their enchanting image.

"M-Milady?"

Liquid grey eyes framed by thick long lashes turned and focused on him, "Yes?"

Johann shivered inexplicably. What a comfortable voice~ 

"What's wrong with him?" Ayan asked worriedly when he failed to reply. 

"Training must have been lax while I was away," Clayton answered with a humourless smile aimed at the starry-eyed young man. "There is a woodland nearby, Johann hasn't battled with a Thunder Bear yet."

Johann was horrified, "No, milord I have been practising enough. Ask Kanon!"

T-Thunder Bear… oh lord. 

Kanon mercilessly dashed all his hopes, "The lad does need some exercise. He was a little too slow lately." 

"It's too cold," Ayan spoke on his behalf. "Let's just sit inside the cottage where it is warm, shall we?"

Milady… Johann wiped the gushing tears in his heart. Thank you for saving me from the clutches of evil, I swear I will work harder than a donkey to serve you in the future.  

Ayan: ??? 

Why does this kid look funny? 

"Still not moving?" Clayton spoke again, completely shattering his hopes. "Thunder Bears won't come jumping into your arms while you stay here."

Johann's heart turned into a pile of sand. What about brotherhood? 

 

The group sat in a semicircle with Clayton and Ayan occupying the high table in the hall. None of the Thorns finds this gesture unusual but some of the staff Rodney bought were at a loss.

Didn't they say that the lord and lady are in an irreconcilable conflict and are close to announcing a divorce?

Some faces were hard to describe as of this moment.

Smoke rose from the hearth disappearing towards the small dormer windows on the roof. The heat it dispersed was just enough to warm the people.

Rodney was anxious to deliver his message but the lord's attitude also puzzled him. First, he listened to Kanon's report about the development in these past few months, some words were cryptic he couldn't quite grasp. The lord would nod his head occasionally then inquire about the current news from Ava.

None was hinted about Miss Lucia.

He also hadn't seen their master for more than two months and he too was startled by the huge turnover. He was healed, which was news to celebrate. Rodney thought of Miss Lucia's worried eyes, she would be ecstatic to know that the lord has recovered. He once again held firm to his decision to remind the lord of her letting him know that there is still someone waiting for him.

When the meeting concluded, he braved Kanon's stinging glare and approached. 

Ayan was beginning to worry about the children left in the inn. She asked Clayton if it really was necessary to take her with him and he said she must go to meet the Thorns. She had no idea of his arrangements but he told her to put her mind at ease and not to worry too much.

"Milord, may I have the permission to speak?" Rodney spoke from the side. 

Clayton looked at the steward who was in pins and needles, nodded his head curtly and gestured for him to follow outside. Rodney was the son of his former stablemaster who died because of lung disease. He felt sorry for the kid left by his old staff that is why he took him in. Fortunately for him, he can recognize words and is clever hence he was hired to manage the shop selling high-quality leathers back in the kingdom. 

The two of them did not go far, just a few steps away from the main door

Rodney was excited to report everything from their move from Lattice to their encounters throughout the journey. He was delighted that the lord listened to him, calculating the timing before the end of his summary he opened the topic. 

"Milord, about the arrangement for Miss Lucia…"

Clayton did not react. 

"All her papers were prepared accordingly to prepare her stay here in the empire..."

The reply he wanted to hear did not come, instead, the lord asked: 

"Do I know this person?"

Rodney was choked by the question. "That… she, she worked in the manor…" 

Clayton was still at a loss, seeing that he couldn't get a decent answer from this boy he turned to Kanon. 

Kanon bowed his head, "I believe the person he was referring to was the one we met back in the Lattice Kingdom during the raid at Percy's."

A woman?

Some vague memories came back to him. A little about two years ago when the notorious brothel run by a man named Percy was rectified by the court, he led a few soldiers to capture the man in the act and to seal off the place. A woman came up to him and thanked him for saving her, but as a knight, his responsibility lies in people in general not just to one person.

"She was hired in the manor," Kanon added.

Clayton's eyes narrowed dangerously. He was about to question how and when the security of his home had become so loose that just about anyone could step inside like a relative when he met a pair of grey eyes.

His heart stilled. Then trembled.

Rodney jumped in, "I followed as instructed by you milord. I escorted Miss Lucia throughout the journey and helped her settle her papers. She is now living in Ava..."

Clayton did not hear him, his attention was riveted to the silhouette inside the cottage.

"Apparently, before we could give her a--"

Clayton held up a hand. "Tell me again who gave this instruction."

"M-Milord…" At this moment, Rodney could feel there was something terribly wrong with the facts he knew of. "Miss Lucia… She gave me a letter of recommendation from the head butler at the manor. It was emphasized that we follow as milord instructed because she is your..." he dare not say more because he knew the lady of the house was here. And that was him already restraining himself. He was upset for the girl who was pitifully hoping for the lord to remember her. That is why his tone was quite ironic. 

Kanon had a mocking smile. The head butler? He was let go before they even started the plan to move because he betrayed the lord! Simply put, that so-called nursemaid was sent by someone. Working for the Rozenbergs was just an excuse for that woman to jump into their entourage, create disturbance before climbing the lord's bed.

"I don't recognize her," Clayton emphasized in a frigid tone. 

Naturally, because she was just a hired help. Why would the marquess even remember her?

Rodney shook his head in denial. Most of the servants working outside have heard that the lord saved a woman before and intended to keep her as a mistress. Although Rodney could not believe it at first, the young marquess is a man after all. Beauty is a temptation few could resist. But he wasn't going to make the matter worse by insisting.  

Kanon looked at the lord's face in a dark frown, it was becoming apparent that he was displeased. He thought Rodney would at least have a little capacity to see people's schemes provided that he is part of the staff. Unfortunately, this fool… 

Clayton ended the pointless conversation and returned inside. When he was gone, Kanon stepped forward giving Rodney an ultimatum. 

"My apologies for stepping out of line," he said with a clenched jaw.

Kanon turned his back briskly and left a sentence, "This is your last chance. Don't disappoint me."