"How's my daughter?"

"She is well your grace, still resting"

"good. Make everything here alive, just as I have said from the other day."

maids were around her grace, as they help securing the garments of the dress, making anything tight for her grace to move and present to the worshippers. The sun has already set, another minute or so the guests will soon arrive.

With more questions from the grace, the head maid, and butler were able to satisfy her with answers she have hoped for, some of the questions remaining are for her knights to answer.

"we're done your grace" the maids stood up walking a meter away to form a line.

An approving hum was heard from her grace, as she looked herself in the mirror tilting herself for any misses. Puffing her chest, the duchess hover her open palm for her hand fan.

Leaving a sigh underneath her graces' breath, she convinced herself that she got her anger under control.

The doors were open to see a man in armor came to greet the duchess.

"They have entered the gates your grace" A deep stern voice was heard only a feet away beside her.

"How many?" Her grace asks her knight

"just two carriages, and eight guards my grace"

"anything suspicious?" Her grace made a hand gestures to her maids, soon the maids made their way to her graces' presence to fix her appearance and dress.

"it seems they will offer gifts to you, your grace. The priest told us its medicinal herbs from the east and should be given to your graces' doctor."

Everyone in the room were astounded by the duchess' expression, it was a smile so beautiful yet will sent shivers down to the spine as if a hungry beast finally found her prey.

A sound of a hand fan flapped open, as her grace hid her mouth. with a cheerful yet still tone came to bring them back to their senses.

"Shall we open our doors to the guests?"

Standing outside of the main door of the mansion, the duchess, along side her-- her maids, butler, and knights were there to be with her.

Soon sounds of gallops hitting the ground can be heard approaching, it was just like as her knight have told her, two carriages have arrived to their state.

Stepping down a few steps from the porch, her grace stood still as the horses of the carriage halted, making the door of the carriage and her facing together.

Kneeling down on one knee, her grace faced the ground and wait for a response from them.

Doors opening, what only the duchess can be seen was a shoe.

Two people with a headdresses colored blue and the other was no headdress yet only wore black came out and handed their arms to the final person in the carriage.

Dressed in all white from head to toe, it was no doubt the importance of his status. He is the one whom the people of the empire's love weight more than the emperor.

"Welcome highest father, I assume the travel was not too ardous of a journey?"

"How polite of you, your grace. It was safe and not to worrisome, now get up your grace, I wanna know what happened to your daughter."

The duchess rose from the ground as she made eye contact with the highest father.

The highest father eyes were just like back then, back where she was still a lady-- eyes that are deep like leaves in fall. But his physical appearance is now frail, and wrinkly. He used to have a straight posture back then but now like a limp tree walking.

"Oh how pity my child, I know the pain of having such fear of losing a love. Worry not my child, well be here to put ease on your shoulders." The highest father said, closing the gap between him and the duchess holding her like an abandoned child from the slums.

"now my child I wanna see the dearest you worry the most." with those words, their bodies parted as the duchess straightened herself to guide the highest father, brotherhood, and the sisterhood.

It was a sight from all of them, they never once saw the pitiful expression of her grace but only now. She was mostly described of her cold stares, and blank face.

Perhaps the duchess trust the highest father aside from his grace the duke.

The usual walk to where lady Francheska rest seemed long, walking side by side with the worshippers the mere silence they give is dreader than the usual silence.

'Thank the heavens for how they seriously don't talk while walking, I would never want to spend any words to these hypocrites' the duchess thought to herself.

one knight in the hallway saw them approach went to his usual stance and showed his pleasantries. Soon a knight helped open the door full for them to get inside.

The man in white veil made his way to the lying girl, ignoring the greeting of the doctor. He knelt down, and caressed the head of the young girl gently.

"Ah how my heart breaks for you my child, oh dearest worry not, the mercy of the gods is here to help you recover." he got up from his knees and eyed her grace.

"may I?" his highest father asks.

with a strange look from the doctor to her grace, she hesitated for a bit but later gave her nod of approval.

his highest father made a hand gesture to the air and it seemed the two men and women in blue step forward to the bed. Raising both their hans then hover above lady Francheska's body, glowing a brightest green they ever seen.

While the other three went to their backs and rest their hands on top of their shoulders.

As the highest father remaining, he stood close to his worshippers and held his hands close to his chest as he talked of some foreign language.

"What are they doing?" A soft whispering voice was heard, it was one of the maids.

"They are healing our lady, now shush your mouth." A low but stern voice replied.

There was nothing else to do but stood there for many hours, hoping that no trouble would happen.

The duchess is still angry, it is still pumping in her veins just waiting to be free at any moment her eyes laid to the enemies before her.

She never doubt the genius of their doctor, he has been there for the Hartpinjer for generations now, even his father and before his. But as long as these hypocrites are still in power she can't do anything violent to them.

How dare they, she thought to herself.

setting her eyes close, she once again begs to the gods to give her courage to stop her fury of killing a person who are a worshipper of the temple whom she prays.

"were done my child"

The glow on their hands fade away, they stepped aside for them to see the young girl. Bringing back the color of the room, it was not just the room but also brought back the healthy complexion of her grace's daughter.

The duchess swiftly went her daughter's side as she hugged her small body. She felt the usual warmth of her daughter's skin on hers as tears fell to her cheeks.

"Ah I almost forgot my child, we bought medicinal herbs from the east. A worshipper who came back from the expedition got it. Suggesting that once the lady has woken up it is to be consumed, don't worry we prepared a paper of instructions."

Reaching inside the sleeves of his long white robes, a folded paper was seen with a seal was handed to the doctor.

Wiping her tears, the duchess knelt on her knees once again in front of the highest father. Grabbing his right hand as she went and kissed the back of the highest father's hand, a gesture of her grace's gratitude.

"Thank you, highest father. I will not forget your kindest to us."

"Think nothing of it, our God is always merciful and would never want one of his beloved child suffering from pain."

Removing his hand off of her grace's hold, the highest father said in the room, "We will pray for the final session for today, we have to go back before the sun has set."

rising from her knees, her grace ask the highest father, "you won't stay for the night, your highest father?"

"that's correct my child, I'm afraid tomorrow is an important day for us of the temple. Time won't let us rest, our mission to the land is not done."

with a bow, her grace went to where she stood and let their business continue.

"Thank god for letting the light be with us on our journey today." the highest father kissed his clasped hands as he smiled towards the sun in the distance.

Turning to his back, the man in white took her grace's hands.

"my child, do not forget about the medicine that I gave you, it will help bring back the enthusiasm of the young lady. We will see each other again soon, and it will not be like this but rather where you bring the young lady smiling plastered on her face."

"I hope so too, highest father. I hope it is as you said," Her grace bent her head down to kiss the back of his highest father's hand. "I pray for your safe travel back to the temple, highest father."

The carriage door was opened by the blue clothed man as they waited for the man in white to get in.

Only a smile what the highest father gave her grace's words, and then went to his way up to the carriage and soon the other three followed inside. And so, they started to depart the estate of the Hartpinjers.

"Did they get hold of the wind?" Her grace asked her knight.

"Yes, your grace." the knight responded.

"The maids that drank the medicine how is she?" turning to question her butler.

"your grace, it has been an hour and the doctor said it had made their complexion healthy." as he bowed his head.

Her grace asked no more as she just stared to the distant sky who's color are slowly colliding, probably pondering to her next scheme.

"knight, make sure you report to me once they come back." Her grace turned her heel as she went inside the mansion. the knight bowed to her grace as he went to command his fellow knights.

"it seems that they were not lying about the medicine that they gave, follow the list in this paper when my daughter is back on her consciousness." Her grace handed the folded paper from her pocket to her maid as they kept walking.

"I will be in my chambers as usual, just a light meal and I do not want to be disturbed for another two hours so state your complains to my butler."

"your grace a letter has arrived."

"just left it to the others, I will read those later." as her grace gestured a wave as if it's nothing.

"its from the duke, your grace."

soon her gesture calmed as she opened her palm to accept the letter, it is from his grace as she saw the seal of the wax. Still walking to her chamber, it was clear that her grace want to read it as soon as possible even with a blank face, because as soon the pace of her walk began to differ.

her servants ran before her grace to open the door before her.

Doors shut behind her, she closed the curtains as she broke the seal of the letter and read what her dear husband has to say.

Her eyes went wide as she finished. It was not because it was frightening or something to be happy about, rather her stomach churned to the state her husband has to do.

In a day or two the duke will be back.