The investigators walked past the horses. They wanted to go home.
Valen did not move. He sat on his horse like a statue. He watched them go.
His lieutenant rode up next to him. He looked nervous. "Captain? What do we do? If the Duke's men are returning empty-handed, then doesn't that mean there is nothing wrong? Should we go bac..."
"They are pretending," Valen whispered. "Or someone fooled them."
Valen knew Marquess Alaric Denares very well. Alaric was a proud man. He was loud. He liked to show his power. But this time it was different. They didn't had any proud look on their face when they ordered them to return home. There must be something wrong.
"But what if we are just mistak..." the lieutenant started.
"Move out," Valen ordered. He turned his horse toward the mansion. "We are going to take that house apart, if it takes for us to find out what is wrong. Brick by brick."
The sound of the army was loud.
Clank, clank, clank. The armored boots hit the ground in a steady rhythm. It sounded like a monster approaching.
Countess Teressa stood at the big front door of the mansion. She watched the army coming closer. Her heart was beating very fast.
Thump-thump. Thump-thump.
She felt like she couldn't breathe. She clasped her hands together in front of her dress. She squeezed them so hard that her knuckles turned white.
She had to be brave. She had to lie. Eon was counting on her. Her son, Julius, was counting on her.
The investigators had stopped down the road to watch. They were curious now. So they stayed in a place from where nobody can see them.
Valen rode his horse right up to the front steps. He looked huge and scary. He jumped down from his horse. His boots hit the stone loud and hard. He walked up the steps until he was standing right in front of Teressa. He was so close she could smell the sweat and metal on him.
"Where are they?" Valen asked. He did not say hello, nor did he bow.
Teressa lifted her chin. She tried to look like a noble lady who was not afraid.
" Who are talking about?"
"Who else, my lords, Denares brothers." Valen snorted as if it was obvious.
"They left, Captain," she said. She tried to keep her voice steady, but it shook a little bit. "They left hours ago. Lord Alaric said his business here was finished."
She took a breath and continued her lie. "He said... he said he did not want to stay in the house of a 'mere Count' one minute longer than he had to."
She used words that Alaric would use. She hoped it sounded real.
Valen stared at her. His eyes were dark and dangerous. He did not blink.
"They left?" Valen repeated. "Without their army? Without their escort?"
"I am not their keeper, Captain," Teressa snapped back. "Perhaps they expected you to follow them. I only know they are gone. Now, please leave. My husband is ill."
Valen looked back at the road. The investigators were walking away again. They believed her.
But Valen did not believe her.
He knew Alaric. Alaric was a snake. He was smart and careful. Alaric never went anywhere without protection. And there was one more thing.
'Alaric loves his sister, Elora,' Valen thought. 'He would never leave this place without her. And he would never leave while his whole army was sitting right next door.'
Something was wrong. The house smelled wrong. It felt like a trap.
"You are lying," Valen whispered. It was a soft sound, but it was scary. He began to step forward.
Teressa stepped in front of the open door. She spread her arms to block his way.
"You cannot come in!" she cried out. "Entering a noble's private home without a warrant is a crime! It is against the law of the Crown! The investigators just cleared us! You have no right!"
Valen did not care about the law right now. He only cared about his missing lords.
"The Crown is not here, Countess," Valen growled. "But my army is."
He reached out and pushed her. He did not hit her, but he was very strong. He shoved her to the side. Teressa stumbled and hit her shoulder against the doorframe. She gasped in pain.
Valen stepped inside the house.
"Search the house!" Valen shouted to his soldiers. His voice echoed in the big hall. "Check everything! Top to bottom! If a door is locked, kick it down! If a floorboard squeaks, rip it up! Find them!"
The peace of the house was broken instantly.
Soldiers flooded into the hallway like a river of black steel. The servants screamed. They had just relaxed after the investigators left. Now, another nightmare was back.
Maids ran into corners, crying. The soldiers were rough. They did not care about the expensive things in the house.
Crack!
A soldier knocked over a vase.
Bang!
A door was kicked open.
Valen walked through the chaos. He walked fast. He looked angry.
"Captain," a soldier called out. He was holding a bottle of wine he took from a table. "This place... it is clean. It is too clean. There is no dust. There is no mess."
"Exactly," Valen muttered. "It is a stage. A fake show."
Valen did not waste time looking in the kitchen or the guest rooms. He knew how Alaric thought. If Alaric was hiding, or if someone was holding him prisoner, he would be in the safest place.
He would be in the best room.
Valen marched toward the West Wing. This was where the Countess's private chamber was. It was the heart of the house.
He walked down the long hallway. His hand was on his sword. He was ready to fight. He expected to find a trap. Maybe he would find Alaric in chains. Maybe he would find a hundred armed elves waiting to kill him. Hundred of things were his mind.
He reached the big double doors at the end of the hall.
Teressa came running behind him. She was out of breath. Her hair was messy.
"Stop!" she screamed. "You cannot go in there! That is my private room! Stop!"
Valen ignored her. He did not even look back.
He lifted his heavy boot and kicked the door right below the lock.
CRASH!
The wood splintered and Crecked with sound. The door flew open and banged against the wall inside.
Valen rushed into the room. He pulled his sword halfway out. He was ready for blood. He was ready for war.
But then, he froze.
He stopped moving completely. He blinked his eyes.
The room was not a battlefield. It was calm. It was peaceful. The afternoon sun shone through the window curtains, filling the room with soft, golden light. It smelled like lavender flowers, not blood.
Valen looked at the huge bed in the middle of the room.
Two girls were sleeping there. They were curled up under a thick, warm quilt. They looked very comfortable.
One girl was Elora Denares, the missing sister. She was safe. She was sleeping soundly.
The other girl was Elsa. Her silver hair was messy on the pillow. Valen looked closely at her. Her ears were small and round. They looked like human ears.
"What..." Valen whispered.
Then he looked to the side of the bed.
There was a simple wooden stool there. And sitting on the stool was a young man.
It was Eon.
Eon did not look like a slave. He did not look scared. He sat with his legs crossed. His hands rested lightly on his knees. He looked totally relaxed. He looked like he was just sitting there, guarding the sleeping girls.
Valen stared at him. He expected the elf to jump up. He expected him to beg for mercy or try to run.
But Eon did not move.
He slowly looked up. His amber eyes caught the light from the window. They looked bright and deep.
A small, thin smile appeared on Eon's lips. It was a cold smile. It was the smile of someone who knows they are the strongest person in the room.
"Hello, Captain," Eon said. His voice was smooth and calm. It did not shake at all. "You are a bit louder than the last guests, don't you think?"
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