IV—Nicholas Ardovani of Lucia

“And these will be your chambers during your stay, my lord.”

Nicholas turned to the pretty red-haired servant and gave her a coin. “Thank you.”

“Thank you, my lord.”

“Um,” he asked. “What is your name—I mean if I should call on you again?” She smiled, and at her approximate age, the maid outfit was a little odd, he thought.

“My name is Emily. Please call on me whenever you wish.”

He nodded. “I will. Thank you.”

She stepped out and Nicholas turned to regard his chambers. This was the first time he had been to the House of Gates, a fabled structure from thousands of years ago. They said there were portals deep in the recesses of the mansion to other locations never before seen by anyone from either empire.

“How are your rooms?” Liandra asked.

Nicholas turned to regard his sister. “Different than I expected.”

“And you expected what, everything gilded in gold?” she giggled.

“No,” he said. “I am happy with everything.”

“Then unpack. We don’t want to keep mother and father waiting once they’re ready to join the other noble houses.”

She glanced about curiously, then walked away.

Nicholas ventured into his room. The quality of everything was extremely high, and though it was lavish, not so in the most modern of fashions.

It didn’t bother Nicholas.

He opened his trunk. He had enough in this box to live out of indefinitely. He went to the wash room that was separated by a heavy lacquered door with gilt etching and a silver knob.

The room had been prepared in advance and he poured the carafe of cool water into the wash bowl and splashed his face.

Once he toweled the water off, he changed into a fresh set of clothes. The journey had been long—too long. But now they were here.

Despite sitting in the coach for two days, he wanted to lie down and sleep. But his curiosity filled him with excitement as well.

Glancing past the heavy red curtains outside, he realized the gardens were far more magnificent than he had previously thought. And everything, even the interior designs were taken care of by the Fonicci.

He hadn’t seen one yet, but… there were supposed to be manikins that had been infused with magic when the House of Gates was first built long ago.

So eerie.

Had they ever attacked the guests?

Swallowing hard, he touched the curtains. They were made of silk. That surprised him, and yet nothing surprised him in this opulent, yet old fashioned mansion.

The Lucia were here, on the other side.

The structure had long ago been split in two—one side for the Florencians and the other for the Lucians. Small wars had even happened in these halls and chambers. The bloodshed must have been awful.

Nicholas was happy he had not been alive at that time to experience such a conflict between the empires.

“Nicholas!”

He jumped, turning to regard his sister. She walked up to him and pinches his cheeks.

“Owe!”

“You need to look your best at all times, little brother. We are Arduanis. We do not look haggard. Ever.”

“That Miss Capri has been setting bad examples for you.”

“Nonsense,” Liandra said. Her hair was curled into a long braid that wrapped about her head like a circlet, the rest of her thick brown tresses hanging across her shoulders and back. She smoothed her pale-blue silk dress. “Now come along.”

He followed her out of the room, his heart beating even faster than when they had first arrived. The apprehension, mixed with his own excitement almost made his stomach hurt.