Chapter 23: ~Son in law!~ (1/2)

***Norfolk, Fellmar***

“What do you think of calling our dance-duel a draw?” I ask my husband after confirming that Tendril really intends to leave. But i get no answer.

Ascathon keeps staring at the spit on the ground like frozen while Tendril walks away. I poke his cheek with one finger but I get no reaction.

Did this gesture of ultimate despise by his father short out his brain. Why is he so affected by it? I thought his father tortured him.

I want to know what's going on in his head. Somehow his expression seems really conflicted?

Suddenly he raises his arm towards his father and one of the many female servants throughout the ball room trips spectacularly. She was walking close to Tendril and her plate with food and drinks flies forward in an unnatural arc.

*Splatter!*

Tendril just stands there with his back towards us while the servant starts to prostrate herself in front of him. Some people around him start to chuckle while looking at his unfortunate state. Then he turns towards us and shoots a hateful glare while I am able to witness the mash of food and drinks all over his clothes.

Ascathon starts to grin while Tendril leaves the hall.

“You are such a child.” I smile while looking at him.

“I don't think that you are any better.” Ascathon keeps watching until Tendril has left the room.

“Soo.... anyone else whom we could ask about Mislow?” I look around while searching for someone else to talk to.

“I think that Kane and his girlfriend could be around here somewhere. You should be able to find them. I will go for a little walk and ask for an appointment with the Jarl.” He smirks at me. “Try to bear the loneliness while I am gone.”

“If you think that it's necessary to make an appointment? But I guess the Jarl is a busy person. Better to make one sooner than later.” I kiss him on his cheek to startle him which works perfectly fine.

Ascathon walks away while wiping at his cheek like some dog just licked over his face. I walk my own way while searching for some Mislow nobles who could be pried for information.

The whole area for the ball is actually really huge! I didn't realize it earlier but the huge room which we entered first is just something like a starting stage. It has the size of about fifty metres in length and width. But there are even more rooms like this!

After walking a short distance I find out that another exit leads into another room and from there yet again into another one. They should have drawn a map for this event! Well. I will just walk through all of them fast to get an overview.

So I start walking fast and with purposeful steps.

It looks like each hall has a purpose. The first one we entered was mostly reserved for dancing. Then I found one in which food was served in huge quantities. Another one was filled with people who tried their best to entertain the guests in various ways. There were various items on display too to look at. Everything had the purpose of entertainment.

The fourth hall I enter seems to be mostly occupied by people who are talking to each other. So I decide to stay there. It's easier to talk to someone who is obviously looking for interactions than to disturb someone who is occupied with something else.

I walk up to a pair of women who look like nobles from Mislow. “Hi, are you two from Mislow?”

One of the women turns towards me with questioning eyes. “Yes?”

“Could it be that you have some informations about the house of Jasmine? I had some friends there and our contact broke off completely when the borders were closed.” I smile at them while trying to keep a straight face.

“Jasmine? I am not sure but weren't they located close to the Jamaian border? I think many noble families who lived there suffered quite a bit. I heard some bloodlines even completely perished.” The older of the two women starts a useless rant without any actual information.

“I see. Do you happen to know someone who could have some detailed information?” Maybe there is some high big cheese around who has concrete knowledge?

“You could try to talk to Marquise Grez, he is an official ambassador. He should be in that group over there.” The younger lady points towards a group of old men at a table in the corner of the room.

“Then I will try it over there, thank you.” I leave both of them behind and head for the table which was pointed out.

As I approach them in an obvious manner, two of the five men on the table set their attention onto me. “Please, excuse my intrusion. But I am searching for information about the house of Jasmine. I was told that Marquise Grez could help me?”

One of them has a pipe in his hand and is busy with puffing small rings of smoke into the air. He takes the pipe out of his mouth and answers with a deep voice. “I am Grez. Why to you seek information about that house?”

“I am the daughter of Arduin Jasmine and Idala Jasmine. When the raids started I was abducted by a Jamaian raiding party and couldn't go back nor get information because the border was closed.”

The old geezer arches an eyebrow and his jaw drops. “Wait a second!” He places the tips of his left hand's fingers at his temple and concentrates. A communication spell? After a few seconds he removes his hand again. “Just wait here with us. Your parents should turn up in a few minutes.”

They are here? “They are alive? Both?”

“Yes. Both of them are alive. They came here to search for information about you and your sister. Unfortunately your estate got completely destroyed. Actually Mislow is currently trying with all its might to get to know the whereabouts of all abducted individuals.” Grez draws another breath from his pipe. “What about your sister?”

“She is fine. Why are you trying find them that hard?” It can't be that the government got nice and helpful all of a sudden?

“For hundreds of years the bloodline for mind-magic was an exclusive trait of the nobles of Mislow. And now the Jamaian barbarians are trying to attain it by abduction and murder. How can the king watch this happening while doing nothing? Every abducted person with even the slightest possibility to pass on this trait to the next generation has to be accounted for.” Grez shakes his head.

It's still strange. “But isn't it unlikely that the Jamaian Union can create a stable population of mind-magicians with just a few abducted individuals?”

“You underestimate them. We are searching for over a thousand people who disappeared during the initial raids. I am not talking just about members of acknowledged bloodlines. They abducted everyone who had even an ounce of magic ability. Even if they can create just a single generation of mind magicians who are loyal to them it would be a huge win in their war effort.” Grez shakes his head again.

“Celestial!”

I am hugged from behind and I immediately recognize my mother's voice. Then I am forcedly turned around and hugged again. “Hi, mom.” I pat my mother's back while I smile at my dad who also turned up.

“We are so glad that you are safe.” He hugs both of us while smiling. My mother is crying tears of joy.

“I am sorry dad. I guess I got caught.” I can't think of anything else besides apologizing. “But Liandra is fine. Though she stayed at home, so you can't see her immediately.”

“Home?” My mother finally stops ruining my dress with her tears. Aahh... whatever. At least they are safe.

“Ah. Yeah. She is in Sarn-Valley. I have a huge mansion there.” I smile broadly at them. Both are looking at me with dumbfounded expressions.

“Maybe we should try to have this conversation elsewhere. There will be much to talk about and we shouldn't disturb the ambassador any further. He was so nice to take us with him onto this ball to search for information.” My father smiles and nods at Grez who smiles back at us.

“Don't worry. I am more than happy that we didn't just find informations on their whereabouts.” Grez waves with his hand and starts to suck on his pipe again while taking out a fat notebook with names. He ticks two names from the list.

My father leads us a little farther away before hugging me himself. “I am glad that you are fine. But how did you end up in Norfolk after being abducted by Jamaian!”

Oh... well how should I explain all this? This could actually become a little hairy. There isn't really a good way to inform them of everything that happened. “Haah... that's a long story. But to make it short. The Jamaian slave traders sold me and Liandra as slaves. We were bought by Ascathon, a noble from Norfolk. He kind of saved us.”

“You were enslaved!?” Mother's expression immediately turns gruesome. “Where is that bastard! What did he do to Liandra.”

Urgh. That came across completely wrong! “Nono. No slave any more. See? No slave-rings.” I smile at my mother showing my hands to her.

“They put slave-rings on you two?” Fathers expression turns dark too.

“Yes. But now they are off. We are free people again. I was doing fine.” No reason to go on a rampage.