Chapter 705: Carriage Ride
The remaining hours flew by. Despite my protest, R’lissea refused to allow me to wear the plain white dress I’d chosen at the beginning of the day, taking nearly an hour ensuring I wore my white satin dress and my hair was in order. Rosarie knocked on the door, informing us the carriage was ready. When it opened, she scampered back, watching me warily. She didn’t flinch when Fable walked out, just held her hands behind her back, pressing against the wall as I passed.
"I’m not going to hurt you," I said. "What happened before was...it was an accident."
"Y-yes, Oracle," she squeaked, curtsying low. She didn’t relax in the slightest.
I sighed and followed R’lissea into the outer courtyard. Elise and Fyren waited for us there. Fyren wore his adventurer gear with his broadsword strapped across his back, while Elise hadn’t changed. She never wore anything that wouldn’t be out of place in a royal court, but her dress seemed more reserved than anything she’d worn to negotiations or banquets.
The carriage was drawn by two pure white horses. Their manes and coats were brushed until they shone. The house seal above the gilded driver’s seat resembled that on the journals in Elise’s study. The previous family’s, perhaps?
"Aren’t you coming?" R’lissea asked Elise.
She shook her head. "I’ve got about a thousand items to get through before we leave. Stuff like contracts for caring for the estate and managing investments. I’ll catch up in a bit."
"I don’t envy you a bit. I suppose you don’t mind if we steal your ride?" R’lissea asked.
Elise chuckled. "They’ll just be dropping you off. Until we get more personnel under the estate, Jonathan’s filling in for the coachman, escort, and estate guard. I’ll need him to look after things here."
Jonathan, the guard of the Lastlight Estate, gave us a welcoming smile. "Pleasure to be of service."
He offered R’lissea his hand and helped her into the carriage. He offered his hand to me, but froze stiff as Fyren eyed him. With a hasty bow, he retreated a step.