Departing to the Capital

"Yes, master?"

Will, Elder Thaddeus, and Archimedes were eating breakfast in the cottage's kitchenette. Putting down his toast with preserves and teacup, Elder Thaddeus looked like he had something important to say.

"Would you mind if I joined on a carriage ride to the capital? How could I miss my disciple's peerage ceremony, it's also been far too long since I checked in on my estate" Elder Thaddeus asked. Will agreed, knowing there was another reason for wanting to travel together.

"Of course master, hopefully, this carriage is more comfortable than our last," Will said.

In truth Will was happy. Originally, he planned to travel alone and he would enjoy the company. He also wanted his master and him to have a better memory of traveling than their last voyage together. Their last carriage ride felt like an eternity, traveling from Tribal Lands to Guidon. Will had also yelled at his master for the first and only time. That trip led Will to question, their relationship.

"If you're available, you are welcome to join my family and in for dinner in my estate?" Will felt, that if his master was going to make the journey to the capital together, the least could do was invite him to dinner at his estate.

James vont Ballard, wrote his son last week to say he, his mother, and Rebecca were traveling to the capital for his peerage bestowal ceremony. His parents had left a week ago and planned to travel ahead of him. His mother, Helen vont Ballard, wanted to check on his manor to make sure it was satisfactory for a baronet. His mother also reminded him, since Will was a bachelor, this would normally be something a wife would do. Will felt bad for Mei and hoped his mom wasn't too hard on her.

Will was also, very excited to see his manor in Yorkshire. Half a year ago, he sent Mei to the capital with instructions to use buy him a small manor and donate the rest of the money to the Yorkshires' Church of Gaia. He had also sent his maid, April, from his parents' estate to his new manor. Thinking of his moments with last together with April raised Will's excitement about the trip.

Just as Will finished breakfast, there was a punctual knock on the door. Vanessa at the front door, with two footmen. The two footmen loaded Will's luggage into the carriage. As Will stepped outside the Mage Academy he was greeted with a small crowd.

Students from the Knight and Mage Academy, Will's staff from the general store, cafe, theatre, and casino were all there to wish him well on his voyage to the capital. The students made a semicircle around Will's carriage.

Will looked at his long polished black carriage, with his silver phoenix emblem for the first time. A coachman wearing a long tails coat sat in the driver's seat. Two matching footmen, wearing the same long tail coats stood at the back of the carriage.

Harnessed to the carriage were two large, strong, brown, Yorkshire Coach Horses. Yorkshire Coach Horse was the common horse in the capital. The horses were a mix between a Thourobred and a workhorse. Yorkshire Coach Horses, were fast, strong, tall horses.

Ignoring the cheers Elder Thaddeus and Archimedes walked into the carriage, ahead of Will. As Will waved to the students, Vanessa leaned over a whispered in his ear.

"Boss Will, the items were successfully delivered to Yorkshire's theatre without any problems. As requested, I also filled the safe in the bottom of the carriage."

Will nodded he understood and then climbed into the carriage.

To his surprise, Rebecca and Elizabeth both set on the rear carriage bench. Will joined Elder Thaddeus on the front bench, with their backs to the carriage driver.

"Rebecca, I thought the plan was for you to go with mother and father to the capital?" Will asked.

The driver was a professional, he wouldn't give the command to the horse until Will gave him the order. Sitting next to Elder Thaddeus, Will was wondering why his sister didn't go with his parents like planned.

"This was always my plan, I wanted to surprise you. I know how much you enjoy spending time together," said Rebecca misreading Will's behavior.

"What I want to know is why Elizabeth is here?" Rebecca questioned.

"Will and I have a date planned in the capital. My mother thought it would be a go idea to drive down with Will to get more acquainted," Rebecca said.

'Once again the nosy obtrusive mother strikes again. Besides dating and courtship, mothers could be considered wonderful. But, when it came to follies of engagement customs, mothers could be considered devils,' Will thought.

"Your mother encouraged you to be alone in the car, by yourself with an unmarried man?" Rebecca called into question the ridiculousness of the story.

In medieval Fermion, an unchaste woman had no prospects for marriage. Thus, chaste, young, women's chastity was the utmost priority.

"My father said, you'd and Grandmaster Thaddeus would be traveling with Will. Once we leave the city, my coach will caravan behind. My maids in waiting in are in my coach, and they'll chaperone me outside this carriage. As long, as Grandmaster Thaddeus swears that nothing happened, my chastity is secure.

Will patted the top of the carriage above his head, and the carriage lurched forward. Will was used to entering and exiting Guidon through the southern gate, but the coachman directed the horses to the northern gate.

The carriage road on the promenade through Guidon. Will passed the Administration building, with the land office, the Merchant Guild, and the churches. The carriage rode past the wealthy, noble houses, where Will had dinner with Marlicia vont Hernandes.

After 30 minutes, Will finally saw the North Gate and carriage with Duke vont Whitby's insignia. As Will's carriage drove past, he could hear the horses' steady trotting of horses' hooves. It reminded him of the caravan he took Death Valley.

"This reminds me of the ride to Death Valley," Elizabeth said out loud as if reading Will's mind.

"I was thinking the same thing." Will agreed.

"I remembered your face when I should up with the other first and second year mages. You looked so surprised, it's funny to think about," Elizabeth said.

"You certainly caught me off guard. The Headmaster never told me to expect you, only that other quests were coming. I thought he meant more instructors," Will replied.

"Let's not talk about Death Valley, you almost died Will. Whether it was bravery or stupidity, you risked your life. I can deal with Jason, or Marcus being injured, but the thought of poor William being hurt makes me too sad," Will said.

"Yes, I remember thinking the something, Elizabeth said.

Why are this sister and this woman bonding over a nonexistent event? Will was so confused at this action. He looked at Elder Thaddeus, who stared as if to say, 'keep me out of this.' Will got that impression, when he looked a Will directly in the eyes, and then fell asleep next to the window.'

'Turncoat,' Will thought in his head. Worse yet, the emotional girls, asked Will to sit in between them. Will immediately turned them down, only to have his sister pull him over to sit next to her and Elizabeth.

'This stupid sister, why would she pull him from his seat,' Will wanted to yell at her.

But seeing Will sitting between them, both women's countenance improved. These sinister women, played a rouse on Will to lower his guard.

'Could he kick them out of his carriage? What would be the optics of such an event? Would he lose face in the capital, or be hailed a hero to little brothers everywhere?' Will wondered.

The trip from Guidon to the Capital was three days. That meant Will would have endured three days of being in a confined space with his sister, and Elizabeth. Not his idea of a peaceful trip.

Besides the banter from Rebecca and Elizabeth, the carriable ride was quiet. The road from Guidon to Yorkshire was the busiest highway in the country. Will stared at the window as the carriage rolled past other carriages, farmers with handcarts, and soldiers heading south to Guidon. Will noticed that the farmers and soldiers would stop and bow towards the carriage. Even on the dusty highway commoners still bowed to ambivalent lords.

When day turned to dusk, the carriage rolled to a stop in front of an inn. Stepping out of the carriage, I examined the old ivy-covered two-story inn. The footmen helped Rebecca and Elizabeth step down from the carriage. Only Archimedes choose to stay in the carriage.

Walking through the doors, Will saw a young brown-haired, brown-eyed young girl at the counter.

Walking to her, Will asked, "How much for room and board. I'll also need my horse groomed and fed."

"It's 30 copper for a room, 20 coppers for a meal, and another 20 to barn your horses. Names Rose and me and my Paw run this place, milord" Rose said poorly curtsying.

Will paid 10 silvers, "There's seven us, we'll need a hot bath tonight and breakfast in the morning."

Rose handed Will sevens keys, which he promptly handed out to everyone. Elder Thaddeus and Archimedes were the first to go upstairs to their room. Though, when he came to Rebecca she refused.

"Will, let's sleep in the same bed like when we're kids. Don't you think that would be fun for old time's sake," she pleaded playfully.

"That is not something two adult siblings should do, especially not a noble lady have you no decency," Elizabeth chided.

"Stay out of our business. Will used to sleep in my bed all the time, especially during storms. Is that right, Will?" Rebecca said confidently.

"It was actually, who slept in my bed during thunderstorms," Will said rolling his eyes.

"Pish posh, something," Rebecca said.

"I will not allow it!" Elizabeth said.

"No one is asking for your permission!" Rebecca said.

Will left to go upstairs to bathe and before heading back down to dinner.

Thankfully, the footmen and already brought up Will's luggage, and Rose was filling a giant wood tub with hot steamy water. When Will, walked through his doorway he felt a familiar feeling. There was a formation in his room! Will could not detect the type of formation, but he knew he walked into a barrier formation.

Immediately, Will ran out of the room. Rose looked at his behavior and frowned.

"Whew, I thought I was trapped for a moment," Will said out loud.

"Now, you know my reason for coming disciple," a cheerful Elder Thaddeus said.

"Thank you, master, for protecting me. What kind of barrier is this?" Will asked.

"It's a protection barrier. Only, people, I grant access to may enter. It's the same formation as the cottage?" Elder Thaddeus said matter of factly.

"Master, how come I've never detected the cottage's formation?" Will inquired.

"Oh, he-he, the cottage has several formations protecting it. I use an invisibility formation, to hide the effects of the other formations. To many, it's just a small cottage, in the wooded alcove, but my cottage has the same formation used as the king's castle. I promised the duke, that the formation cast on Elizabeth's room would block you from entry," Elder Thaddeus explained.

"Can you block my sister from coming into my room?" Will asked

"Now, where's the fun in that? I couldn't forgive myself if I hurt Rebecca's feelings," Elder Thaddeus said dramatically.

"Not you too!" Will said and marched into his room for his bath.

An hour later, Will, Rebecca, Elizabeth sat down to dinner. Behind Elizabeth were two maids standing at the ready. Will ate, as Elizabeth and Rebecca continued to bicker about various topics. Unfortunately, all the topics had to do with Will.

In the morning, after a hot breakfast, everyone loaded back into the carriages and they continued their journey to Yorkshire. Will was impressed with the roadside inn, the bath, rooms, food was adequate, even the horse was cleaned and groomed.

The carriage rambled on until dusk of the second night. Will, was jolted awake by the sudden stop of the carriage.

"Bandits! We're surrounded" yelled the coachman.

"I've been shot," screamed a footman.