Chapter 3: The Family’s Suspicions

Lord Corvin Blackwood was still wearing the clothes of a Thorne retainer, a tunic he had clearly scavenged from some servant. It was ill-fitting and stained from his long, fruitless search. The scion of a powerful house, he looked a mess. Yet he showed not the slightest hint of discomfort. The moment he entered the room, he fell to his knees before the Grand Matron.

"This is all my fault," he said, his voice ringing with a conviction that caught everyone by surprise. "It was our lack of diligence. I am ready to atone before Lady Elara."

His swift and utter acceptance of blame was disarming. When he had first received the news of Lady Elara’s disappearance, Lord Corvin had been bewildered, claiming he had no idea what had happened. But now, kneeling before the family matriarch, his attitude was impeccable. The Grand Matron's frown lessened, and the rebuke on her tongue faded.

"Lord Corvin," she said, her voice now softened. "This entire affair has been a frightful ordeal. Elara's father has only recently passed. Should anything have happened to her, none of us as her elders would have the face to live."

Lord Corvin thumped his head on the floor, answering with a simple, "Yes, Grand Matron." Then, he continued, "I have no face left to show. I will make my apology to you, then speak with Lady Elara. After that, I will return to my great-uncle and sixth uncle and accept my punishment."

"There is no need to rush, Lord Corvin," Lord Cassian interjected. "Wait until we have ascertained the full truth before you leave. It is only fair that your elders understand what they are punishing you for."

Lady Seraphina added, "Elara has suffered a terrible injury and is still shaken. She cannot see anyone yet."

This was a formal excuse to keep him here. Lord Corvin bowed his head again, his shame mixed with a hint of relief. "I am truly sorry. It is a crime deserving of death."

Though the family was still confused about what exactly had happened, Elara had returned safely. They had asked all the questions they could, and their guest had made a sincere apology. Now, they could all rest. The exhausted travelers who had been searching night and day could finally take a breath.

Later, after Lord Cassian had bathed and changed into fresh clothes, Lady Seraphina brought him a cup of tea.

"Lord Corvin is quite sensible," she said. "It shows how much House Blackwood values this marriage alliance."

Lord Cassian took a sip, the tension easing from his face. "House Blackwood is a shell of what it once was. To ally with us is a great advantage for them."

Seraphina nodded, then her brows furrowed. "But… what if Elara doesn't want to marry into House Blackwood after all?"

Lord Cassian flatly denied it. "This was a suggestion her father made before he died, and she accepted. She was willing."

"After all, it is so far away," Seraphina said. "She is still so young. It would be understandable if she had second thoughts." She then smiled. "If that is the case, it is easily managed. Though she is young, she is a sensible girl. I will speak to her myself."

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Lord Cassian's expression softened. If Elara were the cause, it would be a simple matter. "But we cannot rule out someone else's meddling," he said, turning the teacup in his hand. "Why would she suddenly change her mind? Who has been talking to her?" House Blackwood desired this alliance, but Lord Kaelan was not the only suitable bachelor. Elara also had her maternal family, House Lynwood, who certainly did not want this marriage to happen.

"House Lynwood?" Seraphina scoffed. "Ever since Lady Elara’s mother passed and they tried to arrange a marriage between their second daughter and Lord Anson, their relationship with us has been strained. The two families haven’t had contact in years. Why would they interfere now?"

Lord Cassian's gaze hardened. "Lord Anson is no longer with us." With the head of the house gone, other elders might see their chance to meddle.

Seraphina shook her head. "Yes, Lord Anson is gone, but House Thorne is still here." She took his cup and urged him to rest. "Don't think about it anymore. She is back and safe. We will speak with her and learn the truth. If someone has played a part, we will find them."

As Lord Cassian's sister-in-law, she knew that in the end, it was a simple matter of facing the problem as it came. He nodded and stood, a last warning on his lips before he left for his chambers. "Though things seem calm after Lord Anson's passing, the currents run deep both within the family and outside it. You must be cautious."

The unexpected events on the road to Tarim had not been an accident. Seraphina simply acknowledged his words and urged him to rest.

The Thorne manor fell silent, the servants moving with careful steps so as not to disturb the anxious and weary family members. But in the separate garden pavilions on the west side of the manor, the carefree voices of the young noblewomen filled the air. By the stream, maids laughed and splashed in the cool water. In a small pavilion nearby, three young ladies were fishing, though their minds were not on the fish.

"Uncle Alaric said the young lady came back because of two birds," Lady Serena Thorne said, her eyes wide with excitement. As Lord Cassian's youngest daughter, she was prone to excited gesticulations that she believed would make her points stronger.

"That’s not what he meant," Lady Gwynn Thorne, Lord Galen's daughter, corrected her quietly. "That was the Grand Matron's way of mocking him. It was a jab at how Lord Alaric would believe the young lady would return for something so trivial."

"But it's not impossible for her to return for a pair of birds," Lady Clarice Thorne, Lord Alaric's eldest daughter, interjected. She was older and spoke with more maturity. "She once had an entire building dismantled and shipped to her. Nothing she does should be a surprise to us."

This was one of the many tales of Elara Thorne.

When Elara was three years old, her mother had died while giving birth to Lord Kael. In his grief, their father, Lord Anson, decided to raise them himself. After his mourning period, he took them with him to his post as Governor-General. It wasn't until two years ago that he sent the two of them back to Riverbend Hold. They came back not just with a few belongings, but with thirty large wagons of crates. When they were unpacked, the crates contained a meticulously disassembled house. The entire manor was shocked, and it became an unprecedented legend in Riverbend Hold.

Dismantling a house was one thing, but the cost of shipping it was astronomical. The reason for such a bizarre act was simple: Elara was a difficult sleeper. She couldn’t abide sleeping in a strange bed. So to move her, her father had moved her entire home. If she would go to such lengths for a good night's rest, returning for a pair of parrots was indeed normal.

"I still think the young lady came back for the birds," Lady Serena nodded, her face earnest.

Lady Clarice didn't mind. "If it's for the birds, then it's a small matter. But I worry she came back because she doesn't want to marry into House Blackwood."

"She doesn't want to? Why?" Lady Gwynn asked, her eyes wide. "House Blackwood is a good match."

Besides the long distance, which was a minor thing for a woman to move from her home, what was there to dislike?

Lady Clarice turned to her and smiled gently. "Is it? For us, or any other young lady, it's a good match. But the young lady is not like us."

Was that still true? Lady Gwynn thought. With Lord Anson gone, the old order was changing. Lady Elara was no longer the girl she used to be.