The Crown's Entrapment

Riding through the wilderness, Jayra bit through the cold as they went further east. Somehow, the weather seemed a bit colder than when they first started out. Perhaps it was because of the oncoming winter? Nevertheless, she was thankful that she managed to pack a few clothes that helped her insulate herself from the sudden cold snap.

“Are you doing okay?”

“Better than ever,” Jayra chuckled, her teeth gritting through the cold late afternoon. “I’m sure we’re getting close, right?”

“Only a few more paces,” Bartos nodded. “Past the trees, we’ll be seeing the Hindman Manor over yonder.”

“Yonder, huh…”

Letting out a chuckle at the sudden use of different words, Jayra could only hope that they were getting closer to the destination. She didn’t know how long she could keep pretending that she was fine when the lips were starting to freeze over. Looking at her companion, the spark of jealousy that washed over her upon seeing how little Bartos was wearing was giving her more power to spite the chilly winds around her.

Seriously, how in the world was he coping with this weather only wearing those scraps he called clothes?_.

“We’re here.”

Jolted out of her jealousy-induced thoughts, Jayra found herself looking up as her eyes widened at the sight of their temporary lodgings.

Having broken through the treeline, the unobstructed view of the Hindman Estate greeted her freezing eyelids. Hints of snow had already begun falling as they stared up to the hill where the house was located. And it wasn’t even a house anymore. If anything, it was a mansion complete with the usual trappings of nobility surrounding it.

“Snow? This is pretty early in the season,” Bartos coolly stated, raising a hand up to grab a few specks of the white powder. “We’re not even that far up north.”

“Weather works in mysterious ways, you know,” Jayra playfully explained, smoothly talking through her shivering teeth in a way that prevented him from finding out that she was freezing. “For all we know, it might rain ice one of these days.”

“That would be telling that the Almighty has forsaken us,” Bartos replied, obviously taking her words as the joke that she meant them to be. “Anyway, let me lead you inside.”

“Lead the way then.”

Following Bartos through the stone path, Jayra found herself looking up as the visage of the Estate seemed to loom over them. Truly, despite not being the most powerful of the ten pack, the Lock Hearts seem to be doing just fine if their coffers could afford this much luxury.

Focusing back to the path, the gates to the Estate opened for them as Bartos led her inside. And not a moment too soon as the snowfall began to pick up. Picking up the pace themselves, he quickly led her to the stables, the warmth of being inside a building immediately making her sigh in relief as she got off her horse.

“That was close,” Bartos nodded to himself. “I’m sure you must be cold. We’re not exactly expecting snowfall this early into the year.”

“I’m doing fine,” Jayra teasingly smiled. “Although, a hot drink wouldn’t be so bad. Right after we meet your family, of course.”

“Fair enough.”

Jayra couldn’t help but smile as she found herself walking side by side with Bartos. Almost immediately, her mind was filled with ideas on a few naughty things he could do to him while they were in his house. She could probably sneak into his room, or maybe even try to do something risque to get his attention. Of course, all while his family would be watching, noticing how deep she already was into courting their son.

Just the thought of it all was making her blush. It’d be just like in some of the books she read.

“Mother? Father?”

Walking through the front door, Jayra did her best to be on her best behavior as Bartos led her to his parents. Making their way into the Estate, she couldn’t help but gawk at the amount of luxury she was seeing. Paintings, statues, the chandeliers… It was like his family was even more loaded than some dukes that she knew!

“Where were they?” Bartos clicked his tongue. “The house shouldn’t be this quiet…”

“Maybe something suddenly came up?” Jayra asked aloud. “Snow this early in the year can be a problem, after all.”

“Perhaps,” Bartos nodded. “But there should be at least some-“

“Bartos?”

Turning around, Jayra couldn’t help but smile as Bella called out to them. However, that happiness was short-lived when the other woman clearly looked distressed about something.

“Bella? Where’ve you been?” he asked. “Mother and Father haven’t-“

“They’re busy doing damage control,” Bella cut him off, her tone deathly serious as she swept an errant strand of hair off her face. “Hello, Jayra. Sorry if you had to see us like this, Mother and Father. Ah, those two are giving me headaches. The kitchen : ughhh the whole mansion to be precise is practically on fire! And-“

Bella was unable to finish her words when a man’s voice suddenly spoke aloud.

“Are they here?”

Turning around, Jayra quickly put on her sweetest smile as she spotted Chancellor Tallon walking towards them. She gave him a courteous bow as she greeted, “Good Evening, milord.”

“Finally! Welcome to our humble home, Jayra!” the chancellor greeted back with a bright and warm smile on his face. “I still can’t believe that Bartos didn’t introduce me to you in advance. To think that you were just staying in the castle with me all this time. Why did he only tell us everything yesterday!”

“Ah, my apologies that no one greeted you outside,” the older man humbly bowed his head. “I had asked Bartos to telepathically talk to us once you two were near, but apparently, my stubborn son wouldn’t listen.”

He then looked at Bartos and said, “You know how your mother wants everything perfect. She even gathered all the servants together just to make sure that we can give Jayra the proper greetings, but here you are spoiling everything.”

“I’ve already informed Mother telepathically that there’s no need for us to proceed with the grand greetings, seeing as Bartos here already barged into the house with Jayra in tow,” Bella informed. “She should be-Oh, there she is now.”

Jayra gulped as she turned around, immediately noticing a rather sophisticated woman approaching in their direction. Right then and there, she could easily tell that she was Bartos’s mother. The similarities were almost uncanny. She could tell that Bartos took after her mother.

All of a sudden, Jayra suddenly felt intimidated from the older woman’s sheer presence.