Lisa had arranged for her family including her mother, father, younger brother, twin sisters, and toddler to pack the most essential item to leave from the capital. From the most important heirlooms that have been with their family for generation to the precious worn-out teddy bears that her siblings slept with every night. As she was prepping to leave the home that had all her memory from childhood to now which would probably be decimated through shrapnel of rubble from the future skirmish within the capital. Tension was at all time high ever since the news of Monciaux's neutrality being questioned by the royal family.
Some who had some wealth to be comfortable for a while they began moving from the capital to the countryside where it was deemed to be safer than the clustered capital. But the majority decided to remain at the capital since they build their lives in the capital and were unwilling to move away to rebuild. They were more than willing to die fighting for their legacy that they had built for many years. However, Lisa knew it wasn't wise to remain in the city since living was a much better proposition than risking death. Then at least they would be able to live to fight for another day.
The people who decided to leave the capital either trek their way to countryside or wait for a carriage or wagon to travel further. However, waiting for a carriage or at least a wagon seems to be an arduous task as there were many who were also waiting for an available transport wagon to take them part of their journey to a safe village to live in, "Lisa! How much longer do we have to wait in line?" The oldest of her siblings complained as they set up the bag that was carrying all their belonging to be a chair so that they could rest their legs from waiting in a line that hadn't been moving. The mother was carrying the youngest in her arms as she sat on a edge of public momentum while the father let the second youngest sit on their shoulder to be at a higher height.
Lisa sighed as she knelt to her knees so that she could match her sibling height, "Honestly, it might be a while until we can get on a wagon." Relaying her honest thoughts as she knew that her brother somewhat knew the situation needed them to leave but he didn't know the reason to why, "You just need to know that it is much too dangerous for our family." Lisa caressed her brother's cheek before she pulled out a small jar out of her bag. It was a souvenir; a jar filled with blissfully delicious malt candies that she bought while she was a temporary caretaker for her ladyship's mother. The bright light that glistened in her brother's eye seeing something that looked sweet warmed her heart.
She handed the candy for him to suck on to endure the wait for a while longer. Though seeing the malt candies which came from her ladyship's hometown stung her heart as she had been forced to abandon her ladyship in the Monciaux estate with the frightful Duke. The type of so-called punishment that her ladyship endured from the Duke wasn't any physical since they were no mark indicating the abuse but she knew it was something more psychological. This was the second time that she had witnessed her ladyship's eye had waned from all life as she continued to smile and send herself in the line of fire.
The first was the most traumatising as it left her ladyship emotionally stunned for many years and it took years for her to return to the more normal version of her ladyship which she had served for the majority of servitude to her. It took the combined efforts of the head butler and herself to heal the ladyship but this time it was inevitable for the Lady to spiral as she would have no one to support her. This time her ladyship desperate needed help but she had sent Lisa away in an effort to protect her only loyal maid who would have been willing to lay down her life for her ladyship. But Lisa was determined to come back with reinforcements to rescue her Ladyship even it meant that she would have to deploy the Ferdinand's family once again.
Lisa and her family waited through the afternoon waiting to only have the last carriages and wagon end their shift for the day leaving them in the wintry weather to wait for a carriage. The tall citadel which had once protect its people would now be the wall which hold a wall. The wooden gates were now being closed for the day, "Hello! Gentlemen, don't close yet!" A familiar voice shouted as the guards clicked their tongues as they reopened the gate to allow for the fella to enter the capital, "We just need to pick up someone." A small wagon entered through the gate of the city revealing Helios at the reins while the head butler waved Lisa down. Lisa was overjoyed to see familiar face once again after being the last person left at the Monciaux estate.
Lisa picked up her luggage as well as take her younger brother's hand dragging him to the small wagon, "I can't believe! How are you two?" She began load her siblings into the carriage as Helios hopped off the wagon to load up all the luggage along with Lisa's father who was appreciated his aid, "Wait, how did you know that we needed to get out of the capital?" Lisa questioned as she aided by Helios into the carriage where he adjusted the hat on his head before returning to his seat as the wagon driver. They soon began leaving the capital gate where the gates of the citadel shut out everything coming in or out.
The head butler gave a sad smile as he began explaining, "By the orders of the Young Miss." This immediately caused Lisa to gasp in shock knowing that her lady already had plans to move away from the capital already, "She is ordered ensuring take your family and yourself to the village for safety measures." The head butler bowed his head in shame having to follow the orders of their ladyship who was all by herself at the Monciaux estate. Lisa began feeling a pang of pain struck through her heart as they continued their destination to the village which would take a few days.
As the darkness of nightfall discontinued their journey, they began setting up camp in a generally safe are where they would be able rest until sunlight came. Both Lisa, her mother and Helios began preparing dinner as the butler and the father were settling the children. After the simple meal of some stew, it was time for everyone to rest, however, Lisa was not able to rest knowing the fact that her ladyship was still under the control of the Duke. Someone yawn as they opened the flap of the tent rustling the fabric which alerted Lisa, "Worried about your master?" Helios keeled over as he tripped over the root of the tent which they set the tent up against. Lisa hurryingly went to aid Helios who had scraped his knees and hands from trying to prevent his fall.
Lisa chuckled seeing the cool tempered Helios blowing as his wounds like her younger siblings would do to make the pain go away, "We'll just need to wash out your hands and knees." Lisa helped Helios up to his feet so that he could go to the nearest stream where they could clean out the wound from any dirt that may have gotten in, "It doesn't seem too bad of a scrape." Helios took out container from a pouch applying an ointment on the scrape before applying some plaster onto it so that it would be protected whilst healing.
He pushed up his glasses onto the bridge of his nose before resting on top of a nearby rock, "In terms of your master's safety it will be ensured since the Duke wouldn't dare hurt her." He took out a jar which Lisa was surprised to see, "Even if you are a maid you need to take care of hands better." As she went to open the jar which was filled with some sort of ointment which was more like a balm consistency Lisa was smiled as she had also been conscious about her hands which had begun becoming more rough since she had taken up the role as a maid to help the family.
The balm has a nice consistency which wasn't too greasy and was easily absorbed into the skin, "It smells really nice." The sweet floral aroma emitting from the balm was a pleasant bonus as she smelled her hands. The balm had softened her hands significantly, "Wow my hands are much softer." Lisa rubbed her hands smelling the beautiful flora and marvelling at the softness of her hands.
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The trip didn't necessarily take too long since the company in the wagon was all enjoyable with some subtle lovey dovely moments. But as they entered through the domain of the now barren jacaranda trees which was quite ominous, but they had stopped a far distance from the village which then the butler jumped off the wagon causing everyone to question what he was doing especially Helios who leaned against his hand waiting. The butler then began swiping his hand against the ground before he signalled to Helios to move forward into the wagon.
As the wagon pasted the butler he climbed into the back of the wagon, "I just needed to check whether we could enter the village safely." This immediately raised some questions for the family since there was nothing that they could see that would need to be checked for safety, "Though it may seem that there is nothing is there; this village is protected by a magical barrier." The mention of magic immediate caused a riot amongst the youngest children but the parents knew that they would be safe within the barrier. Lisa knew that even though they were protected by a magical barrier there would be a point where it would break since the age of magic was soon waning out of existence.
The butler escorted the family to a temporary home for Lisa's family as he took Lisa belongings, "The Ferdinand's want an update about their daughter." Helios went to escort Lisa to the Ferdinand's mansion which wasn't too far from where Lisa's family was placed. The both of them reached the mansion where Helios had to unlock the door with a spare key but before he would insert the key to open the door. The door was swung wide opened with both the Ladyship's parents anxiously waiting for Lisa arrival so that they could get some news on their daughter.
The mother immediately pulled Lisa into the mansion with Helios quickly followed as he closed the door, "How is she?" she seated Lisa on the couch as she continued to hold onto her hands praying that their daughter was in a safe position, "Is Epoine okay?" The Ladyship's mother blurted out a name that Lisa was unfamiliar which was quite evident on her face.
Her Ladyship's father grudgingly sat on the opposing couch as he motioned for Helios to sat next to him, "Your ladyship... our daughter's real name is Epione not Eos." He explained which instantly made Lisa blank out as she tried to process that her lady's name wasn't even hers. But it did make sense as the lady who would have come from the Ferdinand family and she would have had an identity change; a made-up backstory to enter noble society as a new person entirely. This was also a way for her ladyship to legally enter the Monciaux family tree and become a member.
The father began explaining the entire story of their complicated family history staring with the fact that the stories of Snow White being their ancestor was true, the mixing of bloods with magic folk and that Epoine's mother was ordinarily a fairy, but she had renounced her home realm to be with her husband. This made Epione mostly of magic folk blood which explained the family's otherworldly beauty that couldn't be matched by mortals. Because of their magical bloodlines it wasn't uncommon for their lives to be extended to what was expected of normal humans. As soon as they were pregnant with Epoine they had decided it was in their child's best interest to go into hiding, as if they had never existed.
As their child grew up, she had grown into her magical talents. But alas it was impossible to hide the child's existence from the Duke. As all the Ferdinand's children who exhibited the Monciaux traits would be taken in especially Epoine who was naturally gifted with a high concentration of magic within her. As she continued to grow up into the Monciaux Dukedom with her only visiting them only until she was thirteen years old. It wasn't surprising that she was introduced into high society as the Fairy of the Monciaux Dukedom.
Lisa wanted to tell the ladyship's parent about all the time before she was able to visit them, but she released a breath before telling them the honest truth without leaving a single incident where Epione had been abused and injured. The silence was deafening to Lisa who was could barely swallow her own salvia seeing how her ladyship's parents were completely stunned by the information that had been withdrawn by the Duke, "They did what?" The father finally spoke as he gripped his thigh as the temperature of the room dropped even further than outside, "All this time they did all that to our baby girl?" The mother began hyperventilating as she couldn't imagine all the trauma that their baby girl had to endured for her entire childhood without their protection.
The father stood up from the couch as he went off to a direction, disappearing for a while began revealing a full suited man bearing the aura of a demon ready to reap what had been sowed all these years, "Dear, let me come." The wife clung onto his arm before the man's eyes had softened as she returned back into her fairy form, "Our daughter will need to heal after all this." The both of them continued their way to Moniaux Dukedom even if it meant that they would have to travel the entire length of the journey that would normally take a week at a leisurely pace to three days of constant travel.
The couple had left the village without reinforcements meaning that they would barrage through the Monciaux estate all by themselves, "What is going on?" The butler was confused to see both the masters of the Ferdinand were leaving the village by themselves in full battle gear. Lisa explained that she had told them the truth, "It looks like the Age of Monciaux will come falling down." The butler shaked his head as he when to provide reinforcements for the couple knowing full well that the couple wouldn't require calvary as they had the ability to crush the Monciaux Dukedom all on their own.