The journey to the imperial capital took most of the day.
The convoy was larger than usual for the trip, though not excessively so. Reyna rode Ashen alongside one side of the carriage, as usual. On the opposite side, Nolan kept pace on his Ridgestrider, his attention occasionally moving across the road ahead. Four mounted guards traveled farther in front, keeping a reasonable distance from the carriage, while behind them, Darrow and Garrick rode their Ridgestriders, followed by two more guards on the lizard-mounts.
Rivelius had spent enough time on the road to recognize that Reyna had arranged the formation with more thought than simply adding bodies. The riders on the horses formed the front of the convoy, while the heavier mounts remained behind the carriage where they could respond quickly if anything approached from the rear.
It was a simple arrangement, but for a group that had barely begun training together, it was fairly adequate.
The journey passed quietly for the first few hours. Rivelius eventually turned his attention from the road to Cordelia.
She sat with a book resting open in her lap, though she hadn’t turned a page in several minutes.
[Wife mood: Still uneasy.]
[She’s been staring at that page for six minutes. You really are going to make me spell this one out for you, aren’t you?]
Rivelius glanced briefly toward the corner of his vision.
[Marital Instinct — Lv. 5. EXP: 5,090/8,000 to Lv. 6.]
Then he looked back at Cordelia.
"You’ve been staring at the same page for a while," Rivelius said.
Cordelia looked up at him. For a moment, she said nothing, her fingers tightening slightly around the edge of the book before easing again.
"I’m thinking about the banquet."
Rivelius watched her. "You don’t want to go."
"It’s not that." She lowered her eyes to the page again. "I just... haven’t been back in a while."
He understood the omission immediately. She wasn’t talking about the banquet itself. She was talking about where it was being held, and what returning there meant.
Rivelius gave a small nod, accepting the answer without pressing her further. His gaze drifted back toward the window, his attention already beginning to drift elsewhere.
[Really? You’re just going to leave it there?]
Rivelius’s eyes narrowed slightly. He looked toward the marker again, then back at Cordelia, who was still staring down at the same page without actually reading it.
[You’re her husband. Tell her she’s safe.]
Rivelius was quiet for another moment before finally speaking.
"You don’t have to worry about anything."
Cordelia looked up at him.
He held her eyes, his expression as unreadable as ever. "I’ll handle whatever needs handling."
[Oh, come on. "I’ll handle whatever needs handling." You’re practically Prince Charming right now.]
[Wife mood: Overwhelmed.]
[100 EXP received — Accidental Romance.]
[Marital Instinct — Lv. 5. EXP: 5,190/8,000 to Lv. 6.]
Cordelia’s lips curved into a small smile. She exhaled quietly, some of the tension visibly leaving her shoulders.
The rest of the journey passed without incident.
By the time the convoy reached the imperial capital, the roads had changed considerably. What had been broad trade routes outside the city became busy avenues lined with shops, workshops, inns, and well-maintained buildings. The traffic was heavier as well, with merchants’ wagons, carriages, mounted travelers, and people moving in every direction.
Adervale had been a respectable county town, but the capital made it feel small by comparison.
The convoy drew a few looks as it passed through the streets. Some people glanced toward the Ridgestriders or Ashen, while others watched the carriage and the guards surrounding it. Most of those looks lasted only a moment before the city’s attention returned to whatever had occupied it before.
The capital had seen more impressive displays than a noble’s convoy arriving at its gates.
Rivelius watched the streets through the carriage window, taking in the scale of the city without comment. The buildings were larger, the roads more organized, and the number of people considerably greater than anything he had encountered in Adervale.
They continued deeper into the capital until Reyna rode up beside the carriage and knocked on the window.
Rivelius looked toward her.
"My lord," Reyna said when the window was lowered, "we’re in the capital. Where should we go from here? The royal residence or House Kane?"
"House Kane."
Reyna nodded. "Understood, my lord."
She straightened in the saddle and turned her attention toward the road ahead.
"House Kane!" she called to the guards. "We’re heading to the estate."
The order was quickly passed through the convoy, and the formation adjusted as they continued through the capital.
Cordelia glanced at Rivelius when he gave his answer, but said nothing. She simply returned her attention to the book in her lap.
It took another half hour before they reached the Imperial Military House of Kane.
The estate stood behind a set of tall iron gates, with the House Kane crest worked into the center. Several soldiers stood guard at the entrance, their armor bearing the colors of House Kane.
As the convoy approached, a few guards stepped forward and signaled for it to stop. Reyna guided Ashen toward the front of the carriage and brought him to a halt.
"State your business," one of the soldiers called.
"Lord Rivelius Kane of House Kane," Reyna replied.
A few of the soldiers exchanged glances. One of them snickered under his breath before stepping forward himself.
"Lower the carriage window."
The window opened.
The moment he saw who was sitting inside, the soldier’s expression shifted into an easy smile.
"Young Lord. You’re back for a visit?" His eyes flicked briefly over the convoy behind the carriage. "Ah. The Royal Banquet, isn’t it?"
Rivelius immediately recognized the face.
Tolan.
The memories came with it, pulling up fragments of nights spent drinking and gambling with the same men now standing at the gate. The old Rivelius had known them well enough to waste countless evenings in their company.
Rivelius forced a smile. "Tolan. It’s been a while. Is my father in?"
Tolan shook his head. "Nah. Left for one of those important Lord meeting things." He glanced back toward the estate. "Your sister’s in there somewhere, though."
He looked back at Rivelius with a grin. "Hey, maybe we could get a drink or two later. I’ll call the guys."
Rivelius paused.
Another fragment surfaced. His younger sister.
There wasn’t much, though. Rivelius Kane the Second had never been particularly close to her. What little he remembered painted an unpleasant picture. Cruel. Vindictive. Mean enough that even her own brother had kept his distance.
Still, Rivelius nodded. "Of course we will."
Tolan’s grin widened. "Open the gates!"
The soldiers moved immediately, pulling the heavy gates apart as the convoy began to roll forward.
Tolan gave Rivelius another smile as the carriage passed. Rivelius kept his own in place.
Only when the carriage had moved beyond the gates and the window slid shut did the smile disappear from his face.
His expression settled into a frown.
Across from him, Cordelia had been watching him throughout the entire exchange.
[In case you’re wondering, yes. She thought the smile, followed by the immediate frown, was a little strange.]
Rivelius looked at her.
Cordelia raised an eyebrow, though the corner of her mouth twitched slightly.