Chapter 616: Inviting Important Guests
Change had swept across the fortress city in the Vale of Mists, and countless streets and buildings were in the early stages of construction. On any other day, the sounds of stonemasons’ chisels, carts groaning under the weight of materials, and workmen shouting instructions to each other would fill the air, but today, the city outside the fortress walls felt all but deserted.
Instead, it was the ancient fortress itself that bustled with energy as the courtyards and baileys of the fortress quickly filled with revelers from nearly every farm and village within the Vale, along with thousands more from lands across the mountains. Bright colorful tents lined the fields between the inner and outer walls of the fortress, and the air was filled with the sounds of children’s laughter and bright, celebratory music.
"Don’t get distracted, Emmie," Kurtz told his daughter as her feet slowed to a near stop while her eyes followed the colorful balls and streamers flying through the air between two talented jugglers. It wasn’t the first time the former gladiator found himself prodding his daughter along but he had a hard time blaming her for getting caught up in the excitement of the festivities.
"You can come back and watch all you want when you’ve finished your task," he said, prodding her toward the gates leading into the fortress town that was in the process of reinventing itself. "You don’t want to disappoint Lady Heila, now do you?"
"What? No, no, never," the young squire said, instantly turning a brilliant shade of crimson as she checked the pouch at her waist for at least the seventh time to ensure that the formally printed and sealed invitation was still there. "Let’s go, Father," she said, grabbing his hand and tugging him along as if she hadn’t been the one dawdling just moments earlier.
Ever since their arrival at the ancient fortress, Lady Heila had been completely occupied with the activities of Ashlynn’s coven and had given her young squire only a handful of tasks to take care of while the Willow Witch watched over Sir Ollie’s trial and tended to Lady Ashlynn’s needs. Since that was the case, Emmie had spent countless hours exploring both the ancient fortress and the city around it.
To the young squire who had only known the High Fen for most of her life, everything in the Vale of Mists was strange, new and exciting, especially when the constant fog that clung to the fortress town made it feel like an adventure just to explore the next block over. Now, she skipped happily over the cobblestones of familiar streets in search of a sprawling two-story cottage that was home to her lady’s family.
"This is it," a breathless Emmie announced when her cloven hooves finally came to a stop outside the ramshackle building in one of the oldest parts of town. Over the past hundred years, what had once been a simple cottage had been expanded several times, growing along with the family that dwelled there.
Neat rows of a vegetable garden to one side of the house stood in sharp contrast to the more haphazard structure of the home, but combined with the well-maintained fence around the yard and the freshly swept walkway to the front door, the home looked more comfortably lived in and cared for than slovenly or disorganized.