Duty Bound
POV: Reginald
With a house full of people, it definitely wasn’t quiet around here anymore. I had stood up late to take care of some paperwork. I was in my study when I heard the doorbell ring. I rose from my seat in the study. As I was walking out, Dana popped out of the dining room and ran towards the door, “I will get it, Your Grace.” I had wondered why she was still awake but I didn’t question her. She opened the door and standing on the landing was the royal Toxzi rider. I had wondered what the King needed of me. He handed her three letters and she reached into her pocket and was going to hand him three silver coins. I called out to her, “Dana, I have it.” I stepped forward and gave him two gold coins. His eyes widened, “Thank you, Your Grace. You really didn’t have to as I have already been tipped by His Majesty.” I shook my head at him, “Don’t worry about it. I think for you to have to come out here at all hours of the night, you deserve it.” We bid him a farewell and a safe journey back to where he was going. Dana handed me the three envelopes. One was addressed to me from Alexandra, another from the King, and the other was addressed to Theodore from Jess. I handed the third envelope to Dana, “Make sure Theodore gets this in the morning.” She curtsied, “As you will it, Your Grace.” She turned to leave but I shouted at her, “Get some rest now, Dana.” She nodded and left the foyer and went back to her room in the back of the house where she would place any correspondence that needed to be distributed.
I turned to walk back to my study with the letters in hand. I figured I would read Lucien’s letter first since he felt the need to send a Toxzi rider in the middle of the night. I sat at my desk and opened the letter. I read that he had found a case of documents and paperwork in Kastilidan manor that are very troubling in nature. As such, he would need someone trustworthy to sort through the paperwork and document the crimes and accomplices within the paperwork. He mentioned that Ashton’s real name had popped up in two documents so far and that is why he figured it would be best if I came to do this. He then mentioned that before I left that I would need to fulfill my daughter’s request for supplies. I opened her letter requesting toys and toy-making materials for the children of the Glades. I wrote her list on a new paper, wrote my signature at the bottom, and placed my seal next to my signature. I folded it and placed it in an envelope. I would send someone into Tarn the next morning to gather the necessary toys and supplies that my daughter had requested. I had finished up my paperwork that I wanted to get done and went to bed.
Early the next morning, I rose before sunrise even though I was dead tired. I strode down the stairs and called out to Dana. She poked her head out of the kitchen, “Yes, Your Grace?” I smiled at her, “I have orders for Rol to go into Tarn and buy a few things. Is he up and about?” She nodded, “Yes, Your Grace. I will go fetch him for you. Are the orders in your office?” I nodded, “Yes, it is in my outbox along with a sack of money to cover the supplies. I will be up with my father most of the day so please come and see me when he has returned with the supplies. Also, I need to have a suitcase packed for me for a trip to the Glades. I have orders from His Majesty to join him out there on a special mission.” She curtsied, “I will take care of that, Your Grace. Would you like breakfast?” I nodded, “Is there anything already made?” She shook her head, “No, you can ask whatever you want. I was just about to start cooking.” I walked into the dining room and sat down at the table, “Coffee for now if you can. I would also like an omelet with toast.” She placed the newspapers in front of me from both Vellum and Terre. I picked up the Vellum newspaper which spoke of the tragedy in the Glades. There was another article with a picture of Alexandra smiling at a small child and the article was talking about how The Batiste was cheering up the children in the medical tent and how they are calling her the Angel of Serenity. They said that she was a calming presence for the children and many there saw how she made them feel at ease. I smiled knowing that my child was out there making a difference in this world.
I picked up the paper for Terre and as usual, there was political infighting, wars, and famine in places. It was always the same with the humans and their reporting of the news. It was always doom and gloom and nothing else. The only thing that was in that paper that interested me was the fact that England was meeting with the USA but the meeting was secretive in nature. It meant that Lord Kellen was meeting with both nations to finish up a way for our two worlds to trade. They needed our clean energy and we needed their technology. Pretty soon we would work together to produce clean technology for both worlds. This is also something we would eventually share with Seely. For me, it was the only good news that I could see in the Terre newspaper. I sighed as I set the paper down on the table. Dana came into the room with the coffee just then and placed it in front of me, “I found Rol and he has your orders and sack of money. He will be leaving shortly to pick everything up. As for your breakfast, Belle has started the preparations on that and it will be out shortly.” I nodded at her, “Thank you for your hard work, Dana.” She smiled, “Of course, House Batiste has always taken care of my family. I have to go take your father’s breakfast up to him if you’ll excuse me.” I chuckled, “Just make sure you don’t let him have coffee or anything too fatty.”
After breakfast, which quickly became noisy because of the number of people that came piling in, I climbed up the stairs to my father’s room. I knocked on the door and Teddy opened it. He smiled at me, “Hello, Your Grace. I was just doing a quick check-up of my patients.” He waved me into the room where my father and young Tyleesh were laying. They both looked over at me smiling. Tyleesh was the first to speak, “Good morning, Your Grace.” I smiled at him, “Are you feeling any better then?” He nodded, “Theodore is saying a few more days and I should be back on my feet.” I reached over to him and patted him on the head, “That’s good to hear, you’re looking far rosier too.” I sat down next to my father’s bed, “How are you doing father?” He tapped his chest, “Oh you know, feeling rather weak here. Any word from the Glades? How is our girl?” I smiled at him, “She wrote to me just last night actually.” I handed him the paper and pointed at the article, “More importantly, you should see the good things she is doing out there for the people.” He sighed contentedly, “We did well with that one.” I nodded, “Yeah, we did. I also got orders from His Majesty last night. They found some incriminating documents in the manor out there. He needed someone trustworthy who knew about Ashton to sort it out.” He sat up slightly, “Ashton was in the documents?” I nodded, “I don’t know the extent of what it said but I have a feeling it will be about when he was taken. I really didn’t suspect the Kastilidans had anything to do with it. It wouldn’t be hard to know that that was definitely part of the documents. He did mention his name was on two documents so far so I don’t know the nature of the other document.” My father shook his head, “I think it wouldn’t be hard to put that together either.” He looked over at Tyleesh and then gave me a knowing look. I gasped a little, “You think they put out a hit on him?” He sighed, clenched his fists, and nodded, “It wouldn’t be out of the realm of possibilities. I wouldn’t be too surprised if the General didn’t send another protector to him.” Tyleesh made a grunting noise, “Are you saying my brother sacrificed his safety to rescue me?” I looked over at Tyleesh who was trying to climb out of bed and I sprung to my feet. I hurried over to him and pushed him back down on the bed, “He knew the risk of being seen. Ashton is perfectly safe here since no one knows about his presence here.”
A knock sounded at the door and Dana poked her head in, “Your Grace, Rol is back with the supplies that you requested he buy. He has it ready in a wagon and a carriage is being prepared for your departure. I have not finished packing your bags just yet. Her Grace insisted that she finish it while I came and informed you.” I nodded at her, “Thanks, Dana. I will be there shortly.” She curtsied and closed the door. My father tapped his nightstand to get my attention, “Be careful out there, my son. I have a feeling that you will find out more corruption than any one person in Vellum was meant to see.” I sighed and nodded, “I wish I could say I disagree with you but the way the King made his letter sound was that it was a dire discovery. In any case, try to stay in good shape while I’m gone.” I looked over at Tyleesh, “That goes for the both of you.” I walked to the door and turned to look at them both, “See you both later when I bring our sweet girl home.” They both smiled and waved at me. I walked the short distance to my bedroom where my wife was packing my bag. She sighed down at it once she had gotten it closed, “Reggie, you have everything you need now.” She turned to me and hugged me, “Just promise you will travel safe and stay safe out there. It isn’t every day that you get sent on an assignment that could be that dangerous. I still don’t understand why my cousin cannot sort through the documents.” I took in the flowery scent of her fiery hair, “He has his own duties and what I understand is that there are hundreds of documents. Lucien called it a case but I suspect it is more of a trunk full of documents.” She nodded, “You’re right. I guess that makes sense. Just be careful. Okay? Give our daughter a hug and kiss from me.” I kissed her neck, “I will. Until then, keep our son protected. I believe his life is in danger.” I pulled the suitcase off of the bed and turned to the door then walked down the stairs. Princess Nystasia was standing in front of the door with a suitcase in hand as well. I looked at her confused, “What are you doing?” She beamed at me, “Oh, I think you’ll need me out there, Your Grace. Moreover, I think SHE needs me out there. I just got a vision and there is something critical for all of Vellum that she needs to realize while she is out there and I think I was meant to be the one to help her understand that.” I cleared my throat, “What is that? Do you know?” She giggled, “Oh I know but you must not tell her, or she won’t realize her potential. She is currently knowledgeable about how fire magic can be used in healing and she knows that God magic is a thing now. She just needs a little push to discover that healing magic can be made from Sol, light magic. Now then, shall we get going?”
