Chapter 36 – The Dearest.

[Luna]: Why did you tell her that we would be going back my house?

[Me]: I was just checking out your determination of ambitions of yours. The best way to rule is to know what is happening in your lands, what people think of their rulers. If you do not want to cut bonds with your people and dukedom, you have to visit at least twice a year. You will know what is happening around and they will not forget you.

She had a sad smile on her face. I do not know what was going through her mind.

[Me]: Luna, nobody is born as a natural leader. You have to cultivate those skills that could make you a good Duchess and maybe a queen in the future. To change everything, you have to begin from yourself first.

Three weeks passed. Luna was attending classes and Gorn was always around her. I did go to library a lot. For past three weeks I learned a lot from books and Luna. This world consists of one big continent which has been enclosed with large amount of water.

Cursed Lands is the name of western parts of the continent. No human lived there, it is a natural habitat for creatures which are not of human origins. The most dangerous to humans out of all the creatures that lived there were Cyclops. Luna had never seen one just heard about them. In the books it was written that they are giants that could be as tall as 20 meters with a body similar to humans but had only one eye on their forehead. Intelligence wise they were not on par with humans either. The most interesting thing which I read was that creatures of Cursed Lands almost never left their habitat but when they did great wars occurred. The part of the continent was called Cursed Lands but in reality from all the sources which I read those parts of the continent were like heaven on this world. It’s only once in a few decades that lands would get dry and inhabitants of the Cursed Lands will march to other parts of the continent to survive.

There were 5 kingdoms. We were in Kingdom of Marlings. It was a big kingdom. Luna’s great-grandfather Wallington had accomplished great heroic deeds during the war with creatures of Cursed Lands and was awarded the title of Duke and lands to rule over by king. Luna’s father was the descendant of Duke Wallington. He had married Mikele Buhsdorf out of love who was the elder sister of Sheila Buhsdorf. A year ago, both of them had been assassinated and 15 year old Luna von Raden was sent to Rinelts to study magic while her uncle Armand Von Raden was ruling in her place.

[Me]: You do not have any friends, do you?

[Luna]: I have few.

[Me]: Really?

[Luna]: Okay. It is just I was too depressed this year. I was focused on reading and practicing a lot to summon a great familiar.

[Me]: Hahaa… I knew a person who was not fit to be a warrior or mage but was controlling a kingdom in a way that you could not grasp. Power has different forms and it does not always has to be in the form of brute strength.

[Luna]: What you mean?

[Me]: Let’s assume for a moment that you found out the people who ordered and assassinated your parents. You get your revenge. So what then?

[Luna]: I’ll rule over my people and territory.

[Me]: Believe me doing that is much harder than finding the assassins and their employers. Anyway, tomorrow we are leaving to Wallington house, don’t we?

[Luna]: Yes, tomorrow in the morning.

She was on horse, while wyrm and me were walking. By the end of the first day she told us that if everything goes as smooth as this it would take less than 10 days to reach her home. We stayed at a local inn in a village for night and in the morning continued our trip to her future domain.

In fifth day of our travel we stayed in another inn where Luna had wine for the first time. She drank more than she could handle.

[Luna]: I amm no-ooo-oot a kid anymoooore.

[Me]: What are you going to do now as a grown up?

[Luna]: I wiii-llll declare myself as duchhhess of Waaallington when weee reaaachh mine dooomain.

[Me]: What then?

[Luna]: I do nooot…

She was right on spot about the travel time. We passed by a village and road was leading to a hill. Luna said that her house was just over the hill. On top of the hill we saw what she referred to as house being a chateau amid magnificently landscaped formal gardens. Flowerbeds, tree-lined paths, fountains and ponds were laid out around the chateau. I was astonished at the decorations of every moulding, cornice, ceiling and door of the interior with the most lavish and flamboyant of appointments: frescos, marble, gilt and woodcarvings. A female servant attended us and showed us to her room.

Her room is thrice the size of my old house and if sold with its furniture, paintings and golden statues could close the budget deficit of a small country.

[Luna]: We should meet my uncle.

[Me]: Whatever you wish princess.

She blushed. We walked through many corridors and entered a hall room which had colored frescos all over the walls and ceiling.

[Me]: Who is the man that is depicted in almost all of the frescos?

[Luna]: My great-grandfather. It’s his heroic deeds that are depicted on frescos.

A man on his 40s entered the hall room.

[Luna]: Uncle Armand! Nice to see you.

[Armand]: Likewise Luna! I didn’t expect you to come back so early. I was expecting to see you in 4 years.

[Luna]: I came to attend the matters of duchy by your side and to get experience in matters of governing the dukedom.

[Armand]: You have grown up, my lovely niece.

What Armand did not know was that I could sense the difference in his breathing and heartbeat after Luna asserted her own feelings to the person who she thought as the dearest.

Next: Chapter 37 - thank you!