The sun is setting as we arrive home. A warm feeling rapidly builds in my chest, threatening to erupt as I step off the carriage in front of the estate. I’ve heard songs that claim that the best part of a journey is returning home. I understand those words now. Even taking into account how horrible the north is, coming home takes a weight off my shoulders I didn’t even know I was carrying.

The door is thrown open and a shape comes sprinting out of the house. I grin and hold out of my arms as Anna launches herself at me with enough force to knock a normal person off their feet.

“Lady Lou!” My youngest servant wraps her little legs around me for purchase before leaning back, looking up at me with sparkling eyes. Someone has tamed the wild blonde mess of her hair with a pair of scissors and her uniforms is spotless, the golden buttons actually gleaming despite the fading light. She smiles at me, big and innocent. A rare thing from the beastly bandit-in-training I picked up. “You came back.”

“Of course I did. I’m pretty strong, you know?”

“Anna, you’re being rude.” Earl is the next to leave the house and he does so at a much more sedate pace. He looks well but that’s not surprising. He always looks well, never a hair out a place or a wrinkle in his jacket. Earl gently but firmly grabs his sister, setting her on the ground before bowing toward me. “Welcome home, my lady. I’m overjoyed to see you in good health.”

“Good to see you’re doing well too, Earl. The house looks well.” I half-expected to come back to a battlefield but the garden isn’t torched, the front door isn’t hanging off its hinges, and the windows haven’t been broken. Not so much as a corner of paint is chipped. “Did you have any problems?”

“Mistress Talia entertained many visitors but none caused a disturbance.”

“What kind of visitors? No. That can wait. First, the presents.” Right on time, Geneva appears at my side with two bags, one twice the size of the other. She drops them in front of Anna before returning to the carriage. “You asked for bones. The smaller bag has a bunch of different bones, mostly from birds, but the big one is special. Bones from a goliath. Monster big as our house. Maybe bigger. Can only be found very far north, past the biggest mountains in the kingdom.

Anna mutters excitedly as she reaches for her bags but at the last moment she stops. She quickly glances at her brother’s quietly expectant gaze before bowing her head. “Thank you, Lady Lou.”

Aw. “Don’t worry about it. And now you.” Geneva once again returns with perfect timing, dropping a long chest before my steward. “You asked for decorations. Let me tell you, Victory is the wrong place to go shopping. They don’t believe in color. Or style. Or happiness.” I clear my throat. “Not important. What they do well is furs. So.”

I motion for him to open the chest. Inside is a folded black fur rug and a several more furs in suitably drab colors. I was thinking they could be added to a nice coat. Not sure if the boy feels the cold anymore, he certainly doesn’t give any indication of being troubled by the cool evening, but he deserves one. “The rug is for your room if you want, the others to be used as you will.”

Earl’s lips turn up the slightest amount as he closes the chest, picking it up with one hand and his sister’s bags with the other. “Thank you for the gifts, my lady. We are humbled by your care.”

“Don’t worry about it. And spend some of your gold. I don’t mind bringing back souvenirs but only you know what you like. Besides, what do I pay you for if you don’t spend the money?”

“As you say. If you will allow me a moment to put these away, I will return with haste.”

“Go on.”

With a bow his sister is quick to copy, my young steward heads for the house. Has he gotten taller again? I swear he has. What is this emotion? It’s pride but it’s bittersweet. Was it really only a year ago that I picked up the little troublemakers? How far they are from the dirty, scared children I detained on the King’s Road, the brother desperately holding onto his sister. I wonder if I’m doing right by them.

“There is no need to worry, my summoner. Their loyalty has been encouraged but their adoration of you is quite natural.” Her tail swings as Bell scampers about the carriage, unloading the luggage. “Family is important to them. You are their family now. One day, their family left and never came back. They feared the same would happen to you. Coming back is more than enough for them.”

The bittersweet feeling in my chest becomes more bitter than sweet. Those two have really had a rough time of it, haven’t they? But they’re better now. At least I’ve made things better for someone. Never mind that Earl has a succubus meddling with his mind and Anna’s wild tendencies are being nurtured rather than cured. I’d wager my steward is more capable, mentally and physically, than any other young man his age and his sister’s tendency to growl gives the girl character.

“So this is your home.”

Yulia’s words are full of appreciation as she steps off the carriage and comes to stand beside me. Allen is nodding off in her arms and not even the grand sight of our home can stir his interest. “What do you even do with so much space?”

“You find things to do. Starting with everyone having their own room. For you and Allen, if you prefer.”

“Oh, no. We’re fine with one room but I don’t suppose you have place for him to play? I wouldn’t want him to mess up anything important.”

“We can set something up. Oh! Perhaps Mr. Self-Made can make himself useful for once.” Isn’t he a carpenter’s apprentice? In his family’s business. Quite a successful one if they were granted a last name. I’m sure he can put together a wooden pen to keep the boy out of trouble. Of course, Kierra could fuse a few branches together in a fraction of the time but she’s not one for normal aesthetics.

“Mister who?”

“No one important. So, a place to play for Allen. Maybe some toys. Do you need anything?”

“You don’t need to go out of your way. Hopefully, we won’t be intruding for too long.”

“She’s right.” Alana is the next to step down from the carriage, quickly followed by Kierra. “Wouldn’t want her to get too comfortable. She might not want to leave.”

I turn my head to hide a wince. Alana is as harsh with her sister as ever. However, her concerns might not be unfounded. It’s obvious to anyone with eyes that the snow bunny is enjoying her time outside the tall walls of her home. If she weren’t a James, I’d be concerned, but a James always chooses Victory. She’ll go home if only because she thinks she doesn’t have a choice. And unlike her sister, I don’t plan to marry her so I’m in no rush to convince her otherwise.

Yulia pouts but before she can respond, Earl exits the house, along with someone else. I smile as Miss Talia strides over to us with the grace to rival any noblewoman. I’m happy to see she’s done away with the plain robes she used to prefer, her new ability to appreciate color opening her up to the joys of good fashion.

Today she’s wearing a lovely white and yellow robe that seems to be beckoning spring to come quicker. Her inverted eyes, black where the whites should be paired with milky irises, are open, glowing brightly with her actively channeled mana. Yulia sucks in a sharp breath seeing them for the first time and her arms tighten around her son. Really? A woman from the north is scared by a pair of eyes?

Talia’s lips turn up the slightest amount, unrecognizable to those that aren’t familiar with her. To my surprise and joy, she smoothly wraps her arms around me. “Welcome back, Lou,” she says in that wonderful voice of hers. “I’m so glad you’re safe.”

Wow. She’s really been practicing her role as a flower. That almost sounded genuine. Not that I doubt she’s happy to see me, but her tone rarely contains any emotive quality.

Still needs some work though. I can practically hear her counting the seconds, making sure she’s held me for a proper length of time before letting go. She turns to Alana and, after a brief moment to gage her response, hugs her as well. Lastly, she goes for Kierra, who forgoes the embrace to lock lips, pulling Talia against her.

“Um.” Yulia glances around with clear questions in her eyes.

“That’s Talia,” Alana answers for the woman with her mouth currently too occupied to introduce herself. “The mistress.”

“Kierra’s?”

“Everyone’s.”

“Oh…okay.”

“Come on. We should talk inside. I’m starving and I know someone’s been looking forward to a long bath.”