“The manor, as I see it, has four main floors,” Frunk said, looking up from the blueprint. “There’s the main entrance, which is on the first floor, obviously. This includes the entryway, main corridor, main ballroom, and dining hall. The second half is sectioned off for the kitchens, servants, and merchants that will be coming in and out of the manor. A place like this requires constant maintenance, and as such, a large portion of the first floor is dedicated to the servants.”
“All that is just on the first floor?” Grak asked, letting out a small whistle.
“That is what I just said,” Frunk said, hiding his annoyance at being interrupted. “Now, as I was saying. There are two main staircases leading up to the second floor. These will be open to guests. On this floor, there is the general lounge and entertainment area, several pools for swimming, an indoor bath, and several stalls set into the walls where guests might ask for refreshments or snacks. The second half of the floor is dedicated to a tearoom, an art room, armor display, and smoke room for those who partake.
“The third floor is all living space for guests or permanent residents of the manor. It contains thirty-six bedrooms and eight suites. The floor also contains three general lounge areas and dining rooms, as well as a main ballroom for the more exclusive guests staying here. And finally, we have the fourth floor.
“This will only be accessible with the correct key, and there are two separate entrances as the floor will be split in half. One half of the floor will contain two Royal Suites, as necessitated by the king. These two rooms are reserved for the king or his family, should they wish to come for a visit.
“No one under the rank of Duke or Duchess will be allowed up there, so the rooms will remain vacant for most of the time. The second half is your living space and is completely sealed off from the public. There is one entrance from the third floor, and another from the outside that goes directly up. Your living space contains twelve bedrooms, including the master and two suites. There is also a lounge area, a water pool, baths, and an area we can clear for personal training, should you wish to do it inside, as well as a fully staffed kitchen.
“There are also half a dozen balconies, two of which are covered and provide ample room for entertaining, should you wish to invite company over.”
“Oh…Is that all?” Arbor said in a weak attempt at a joke as Frunk finished reading out all of the features of his new home.
“Of course not,” Frunk said. “There are over a dozen separate buildings for various merchants, smiths, winemakers, and the keepers of foreign foods such as fruits, vegetables, and plants. Several doctors are always on hand, and there is as a guardhouse within the grounds. There’s also the cellar, which contains several cells, a wine room, and a master vault in which to keep your belongings.”
“I’m sorry I asked,” Arbor muttered as the coach swung around and stopped before the front entrance to his new home.
The doors swung open several seconds later, and Sebastian stood there, bowing slightly at the waist. His clothes were immaculate, his suit was perfectly pressed, and a pair of pristine white gloves reflected the sunlight almost as badly as the white marble of the manor before them.
“Welcome, Viscount Emerald, to Ryevine Estate. My apologies for the mess. I will have things well in order in just a few hours.”
“Um…thanks,” Arbor said, stepping out of the coach and watching two servants, dressed similarly to Sebastian, pushing the massive doors wide.
He had a feeling he’d have stood there idly forever, if not for a sharp kick in the rear from Hord to get him moving.
I guess this is my home now, Arbor thought, eyeing the monstrosity dubiously and feeling an odd wave of sadness washing over him. If only his mother, father, and Florren could see him now.
He let out a long sigh as the others, led by Hord, began trundling in, talking amongst themselves in excitement.
This was his life now, so he may as well get used to it.
3
Karria’s head craned upward as she tried to see the top of the city walls. From this close, it was a bit challenging, and had Kya not been standing behind her, she suspected she’d have lost her balance and toppled backward. As it was, Karria’s sudden fall nearly took the elf girl to the ground as well.
“Careful!” Kya said, stumbling back as she caught her friend.
“Sorry,” Karria said sheepishly as Kya pushed her back to her feet. “I’ve just never really been in a big human city before. I didn’t realize they built the walls so high.”
“They didn’t always,” Akkard said, eyeing Kya’s head covering carefully. “And pull that band down a bit more, Kya.”
The elf’s eyes widened for just an instant when she realized that her long sweeping ears had become partially uncovered. She was quick to rectify that by pulling down on the side of the floral head-covering they’d picked up in a small out-of-the-way village on their way here. Though everyone knew of the elves’ existence, none were ever seen outside of the Goldenleaf forest, and, when they were, they became prime targets for slavers, due to the high price demands of such a rare find.
“How do I look?” Kya asked, turning to Karria and biting her bottom lip nervously.
“You look fine,” Karria said, rolling her eyes.
If she’d thought that something as simple as a floral cloth that covered the top of the elf’s head and concealed her ears would diminish Kya’s beauty, she’d have been dead wrong. Not that she had made that assumption. By this point, Karria suspected that her friend could don rags, smear her face with mud, and still look prettier than just about anyone in all of Laedrin.
“Thank goodness,” Kya said, flashing her a warm smile. “For a moment there, I was afraid someone had seen.”
“Oh, people are definitely seeing,” Karria muttered.
She would have had to be blind to not notice all the looks Kya was attracting. Not because of her elven heritage, but because of the aforementioned looks. It wasn’t just her extremely attractive and curvy figure that grabbed the eye, but her large hazel eyes, full pink lips and the way her honey-colored hair always seemed to perfectly frame her heart-shaped face.
It also didn’t help that they’d had to buy some clothes that were designed for a ‘one size fits most,’ and unfortunately for Kya, she was not in the ‘most’ category when it came to the chest department. Which, in turn, led to a very obvious straining by her bust, which would immediately draw the eye. It wasn’t like the elf girl was dressed immodestly, as much like Kya, her neckline only came down a little past her collarbone, but it was the tightness of the dress that made people stare.
“Stop being so petty,” Kya said, playfully swatting her arm. “You might not have noticed it, but you’re getting plenty of looks as well. If you’d like, I can start pointing them out to you. I’ve even gotten a few bits and pieces from several…”
“No! I’m fine!” Karria said quickly, dropping the subject entirely and purging the emotions from her mind.
Kya had Connection magic. It was a type of magic that allowed her to sense and influence the emotions of others, and, on occasion, read minds. Kya could also control minds if she really concentrated, but that was an entirely different aspect of her magic to what was being talked about at the moment.