Minister Florence remained silent, watg the se with the eyes of a hawk who hungered for blood. Though she had spotted many tiny cuts, she had yet to strike. She watched, perched from nearby, tinuing to silently watbsp;

  ‘Ridiculous…’ Baron Barthold stared at the young knight who stood with shaking legs, sheathing his magical bde away. A pair of guards had already stepped nearer while the duel repared, though had stepped even closer after William’s defeat.

  The sound of a cp broke the awkward silehe Baroness smiled, tinuing her gently slow cp. “It was such a wonderful duel, Sir William, Executive Adam. Sihe victor has been called, the right of marriage has passed through to your hands, Executive.”

  “That…” Barthold began, before noting how red Adam’s face had bee, as well as the vicious look in his eyes. He had never seen anyone gre at him so furiously before, the hairs standing on the back of his neck. “You should lower your impudent gaze.”

  Adam tilted his head, his forehead pulsing. He raised his brows expetly, and though he wao throw back a retort, his throat tightened, f him to remain silent. Adam crossed his hands behind his bad made to step forward, ready to challehe Baron’s authority, however, he found a hand on each shoulder.

  “You fought well, Executive Adam,” Vonda said.

  “Are you going to allow a o rile you up that much?” Dunes asked. “You’ve already embarrassed him enough.”

  Adam’s ightened, before he let out a soft sigh, feeling his frustrations leave him. A small smile approached on his face. “Of course. How gd I am that we have such capable Managers at our side, isn’t that right, Executive Jurot?”

  “Yes,” Jurot replied.

  Minister Floreed the other young Iyrman’s gaze fall upon her, and she supposed it was time for her to step forward. “I have withe end of the duel. The matter of the duel is over.”

  “ratitude to the great Minister Florence for your assistan this matter,” the Baron said.

  Minister Florence smiled, though made no motion to leave. How could she, when she had e here for a particur matter which ed someone of great rank to deal with a great issue?

  “Now that the matter is over, I will tih my-,” Vonda began, only to be cut off by her father.

  “You should think this through, Vonda,” Barthold began, his eyes holding a deep gre. “We will accept this half elf, and your children will tihe name of Eastke.”

  “Pfft.”

  Eyes fell onto Adam, watg him as he shook slightly, keeping his ughter inside. He held a fist over his mouth to keep himself from ughing too hard.

  “If you have something to say, speak freely, leaf ear.”

  “If you think my children will grow up as iors of a barony, you must be dreaming. They already hold a greater title-,”

  “Adam,” the pair of Iyrmen interrupted.

  “What?” Adam huffed. “It’s true! Even the old man firmed it! It’s the only reason why I let him spoil them!”

  “You allow him to spoil them because he is their greatfather,” Jurot replied.

  “That’s beside the point.”

  “Adam,” Kitool said. “Those titles are not relevant within this nd.”

  “Still, my kids are-,”

  “Adam,” Jurot interrupted once more, this time half turning to face the young half elf.

  Adam could see the way Jurot stood, ready to grab him t him away. “I’ve pleted my duty, and have freed Manager Vonda from su… uncivilised method for marriage.” Adam cracked his neck, feeling the anger build up within him again. “She is free to marry whoever she wishes, and if anyone has a problem with that, let them send a message to the business and we will send someoo beat them appropriately.”

  “What a savage young man,” Barthold stated, almost growling the words towards the half elf.

  However, before he could tinue, Vonda spoke up. “I have made my iion to give up my name clear to the Eastke family.” Yet, instead of staring at the Baron, her eyes were glued to the nearby Minister.

  “We have not yet finished discussing the matter,” the Baron stated.

  “It appears the relevant party has fihe discussion,” the Minister said, reag into her cloak, slipping out a small scroll from seemingly nothingness. She unfurled the scroll, holding it out to Vonda, though before the young woman could step forward, the paper floated over to the young woman.

  “The matter is not yet finished,” the Baron said. “The Duchess will be-,”

  “If you have any issues of the ws being appropriately followed, you may fill out the appropriate forms, and they shall be processed by the appropriate figures,” the Minisiter stated. “I shall inform the Duchess of your unwillio abide by reat nation’s ws, though you may offer such ses yourself, if you so wish.”

  “It is not appropriate for the Duchess’ family to involve themselves within the Eastke family’s business.”

  “I am merely pleting the task within my station, Baron,” the Minister replied. “Sister Vonda, if she so wishes, may retire her family’s h the support of any appropriate group. We have already received support from the Order of Life’s Rose, thus if you have any pints, you may send supints to the order.”

  “We were not informed of the order’s involvement.”

  “Though it may have broken oiquette, it did not break any ws of the nd,” the Miated, pushing up her gsses using her ring finger, her head tilted backwards slightly as she looked down upon the nobles.

  The Baron grit his teeth together, his neck pulsing. It was rather rude of the Order of Life’s Rose to shirk them this way, ign the oiquette of inf the noble family of their support to free their daughter of her family name. Of course, it was only beneficial for the order. The Baron could write a letter to send someoo find if they had forced the situation, but that was extremely difficult, especially sidering Vonda had grown up with the order, and the order currently held so mufluence from their involvement with ending the civil war.

  “Minister Florence,” Vonda called, before bowing her head. “I uand.”

  The Minister reached into her robe and pulled out a bottle of near clear cider, motioning with her hand to pour it into a clear cup, while a small pin floated towards the young woman. Vonda pricked her finger, before dripping a single drop of her blood into the pear cider, and pressed her finger into the piece of paper, before it rolled up, magic ing a ribbon around the scroll.

  “This is the st of your noble blood,” Minister Florence said. “Once you drink you will no longer be sidered a noble of the Eastke family, but simply Vonda.”

  Vonda immediately threw back the cider, keeping a ral expression as the alcohol, with the single drop of her noble blood, disappeared.

  Minister Florence held out a hand. “Sir William, I will o borrow your bde, si is the most suitable for someone of Sister Vonda’s stature.”

  William, not wanting to offend a Minister of all people, undid his sword belt, it to the Mihe bde shifted slightly from an invisible force, before the Minister, an older womahe rge magical bde with a single hand, and with a fluid motion, pressed the side of the bde against the slightly bowed Vonda’s shoulder, starting from the left, and finally the right. Although it was expected the woman should ko as a priest to kneel was rather awkward, even for the Minister.

  “This is all your fault, leaf ear,” the Baron almost sowards Adam. If the business was somehow Vonda’s guarantor, the Baron could have done something, but his hands were, seemingly, tied.

  Adam, seeing how furious the Baron had bee, smiled. Making nobles angry had a certain pleasure to it, and Adam’s heart beat quickly, the addi of such a pleasure beginning to set in. He could feel Dunes’ presence beside him, the young Aswadian watg the process with i.

  ‘Is that all?’ Dunes wondered. Su affair was vastly different within Aswadasad, though it was almost unheard of. Within Aswadasad, one was not simply an individual of a family, but a part of the family, that was to say, if you were Vonda of Eastke, you were ake before you were Vonda. Though, Dunes supposed that Vonda may have been of Life’s Rose before she was Vonda.

  The sword floated back towards William, who awkwardly grabbed the bde from mid air, wore the bde once again. His bde had felt almost weightless when he had grabbed it, but now that it was on his body, it was even heavier than before, especially with the gre of the Baron upon his babsp;

  “Now that the matter is resolved, we should leave,” the Minister said. “I expect you will esy return.”

  “Okay,” Jurot replied.

  “Ah, before we go,” Adam began, standing a little taller, crossing his hands over his navel, as Mara would do. “As aive of the United Kingdom, I wish to inform you of our formal refuse for your offer, Baron Barthold Eastke.” He bowed his head ever so slightly, which did little to hide the widest smug grin upon the half elf’s face.

  Such delicious trouble was caused.