Chapter 159 –

Dolce touched her lips and smiled. She looked at the round window of her cabin and gazed at the towering buildings of the demesne. “We are here,” sounded a voice box. Dolce rid herself out of her daze and glance at the landing platform. She felt the ramparts of the skyship. She then saw Joshua’s figure walking out of the skyship. The crew passed over him and before long he disappeared from her sight.

“Milady, would you like tea?” Dolce looked over her shoulder. “Elesia please put it on the table.”

“As you wish,” Elesia gently put the teacup and flask on the table. She then poised herself straight and said. “Is it really okay to let him go, milady? I thought you wanted to bind him into servitude.”

“Elesia,” said Dolce calmly, “doing so would do nothing but make him fear me. I think it would be best if I do this. It would leave an impression that I am a changed woman. Besides, I truly want to visit mama’s grave. It has been a long time. I think she might be proud that her daughter is a successful woman who owns many fiefs. Strange, that despite rebelling against father’s wishes. I ended up being this.”

“Is it wise to go back to Alva?” Elesia said with worry in her mind. “I don’t think that your relatives will be happy that milady would return.”

Dolce sneered. “And do you think that they can hurt me?”

“No,” she shook her head, “I just don’t want the lady to near that man.”

“True, that my father can be domineering. But he can do nothing to me. Even if he does all of it would be for naught. With my status on the continent, I fear nothing but the Empire that is crawling towards this continent. But I am sure that my father is busy leeching on my successes. That bastard’s happy enough to use my status to bluff. Besides, when it comes to visiting my mama’s grave. He would not interfere. Mama would haunt him if he dares to keep her beautiful daughter from visiting her mother.”

“I see,” she nodded lightly. “Still, I receive news that the lord will be making moves against Salevela Island. Do you think that he’ll be able to tame that land?”

‘He can,” she said without expression on her face. “With the sudden development of technology then I can tell that it will be faster. I heard that there’s someone who has developed techniques in making our factories more efficient. And even without those runes, I think my father can create flying ships that would allow them to carry walkers and four-legged tanks. Not to mention the Templars will surely help my father.”

“Is it really wise to do so?” Elesia took a cup and poured herself some tea.

“It is. Salevela Island is a natural fortress. Capturing it now while they don’t have the technology would be the wisest thing to do. My father wouldn’t allow them to fortify the island.”

Elesia nodded her head. She wasn’t so sure but she could understand what the Lord of Alva wanted. He wanted to take the island down before it could fortify itself. If Salevela Island was allowed to do so then it would become an island that they won’t be able to easily take. It was wise to take it while it was still discovering the armaments.

“Would they be able to reach the island with all of those mortars?” Elesia asked.

“The island,” Dolce said slowly, “will be troublesome for them. At best, if my father dies there then my brother would be able to reign supreme in all of Alva. At least my brother Don will be able to rule with a fair iron hand. He’s a good fit to rule the Alva’s.”

“You have a good opinion about your brother,” Elesia said with surprise in her eyes.

“Don’s not retarded like most of my brothers are. In fact, he understands how stupid it is to not keep in mind the people. My father has been so focused on gaining weaponry and power that he fails to notice the angry shackled people. I admit that I failed to notice them too. Hence, even my brother was quite surprised that I was able to change my mind before I got lynched by the slaves.”

“So does that mean,” Elesia felt enlightened.

“Yes,” she shrugged her shoulders. She then took a sip of her cup of tea. “I did not totally release them because of a change of heart. I thought how that would affect the whole of Alva. Indeed, I wanted to release them and hire them instead. I thought about it for a long time before doing so. Hence now they usually don’t look at me with murderous intent anymore.”

“I see,” Elesia nodded. “I thought that the lady acted wrong, but to think that I would be the one to be wrong instead.”

“Elesia,” Dolce said gently. “I don’t act wrongly. I thought of the good and bad. And having slaves under you with daggers in their eyes isn’t really comforting. Now, look at them looking at the changed woman that I am with no hostility or whatsoever. Besides, I think that Joshua taught me how dangerous a slave can be. Make them desperate enough and they can do some wondrous things.

“I don’t think every slave can do what Joshua has done,” Elesia caressed the side of her teacup. It was warm.

“Maybe, but I am in no mood to try it out. Still, most of the slaves that have been wronged would still want to take revenge. Luckily, I wasn’t that excessive like my father who would put them into work without any sleep at all.” She looked at the window as the skyship trembled.

“You father is a cruel man,” Elesia said. “I am lucky that you are my master, milady.”

“And I am lucky that you are here for me, Elesia.”

Dolce said without any lies or smugness. There was a sincere look on her face. Although her family was a big, Elesia, was one of the only people she could love and trust. So when they are alone they would act like simple sisters. Not as a master and servant, but as a family.

The skyship shook as the thrusters sounded out. It slowly lifted up to the sky before turning its nose to the direction of the Freelands. With a burst of wind, the skyship left the demesne.