“Some nobles treated their children pretty much as pawns in the political games of power they played. Others showered theirs with love and care, and often balked at the idea of using their children as such pawns even when it was beneficial to them. I was fortunate that my parents were of the latter sort, honestly” - Solenia Utghwes, Knight-Captain of the Duchy of Dvergarder, circa 242 VA.

Roughly a week after the assault, the convoy reached Dvergarder safely. They had carried the bodies of the knights and maids who lost their lives on one of the carriages, as Aideen had offered her help to maintain the bodies and prevent their decay along the way.

They were greeted by an important-looking young man who met them together with an honor guard of twenty knights. Aideen easily noticed the family resemblance with Solenia on the features of the man, and was not surprised when the girl called the man her oldest brother.

To his credit, the man had looked positively affronted when the Knight-Captain relayed the news of the assault they faced on the way, an affronted look that gave way to genuine relief when he saw Solenia safe and sound. Aideen judged the man either to be a really good actor, or one who wore his feelings on his sleeves, leaning to the latter possibility.

Escorted by the Duke’s eldest son and the knights, they quickly made their way to the Ducal mansion in the center of the city. The city itself was built almost like a fort, since it was the south-eastern border town of Posuin, with two layers of high walls that enveloped the city and divided it into an inner and outer city.

Aideen gave some credit to the Duke in her mind as she looked out of the carriage while they passed through the city. The outer city was prosperous, even if that was where the less well-off people of the city lived. The streets were kept clean and tidy, and there were even large parks every few blocks where children played, with flower beds planted along the center of the roads, dividing them neatly into two lanes. They also helped make the city look far more lively, and smell far better than many cities Aideen had been to.

The inner city was more of the same, just even better. Solenia explained to Aideen that apparently her father had made the minor landowners, knights, and rich merchants who lived in the inner city responsible for the flower beds next to where they lived, and over the years, they had made it into a competition out of pride, resulting in lush, fragrant displays that uplifted both the body and mind.

It was definitely one of the better cities she had seen, one that cried prosperity and peace. That said, she knew better than to let one city color her judgment for the rest of the kingdom. Posuin was once a collection of small city-states, who banded together into the current kingdom. Even today, the major nobles who possessed a city under their rule retained a high amount of independence and authority for themselves.

They found themselves welcomed by the Hebor Uthgwes, the Duke in person, and the rest of the family when they alighted from their carriages in front of the mansion. Solenia had taken off running and embraced her father, who hugged the girl back lovingly. Aideen had also noticed how the Knight-Captain saluted and reported to a finely dressed middle-aged woman besides the Duke, likely the Duchess.

Hebor Uthgwes was a tall, brawny middle-age man, who clearly took pains to keep his fit body in shape, his built musculature clearly hinted even through the fine clothes he wore. His skin was several shades darker than Solenia - or any of his children for that matter - as was common for the people to the south-west of Alcidea, and he kept his beard and mustache finely trimmed.

The main reason why his children were lighter of skin was likely his wife, Aideen thought. The Duchess - still a beautiful woman even in her fifties - had a lighter tan shade of skin, not unlike the people who lived in the North of Ur-Teros. She hailed from another Ducal house to the far north of Posuin, by the northern shore of Alcidea, and had married into the family when young.

Three other children - other than the eldest who she already met - of the Duke had greeted their little sister on her return, two other sons and one daughter who looked maybe five or six years older than Solenia. Aideen noticed a few raised eyebrows looking at her, but the Duke had clearly prioritized having the story of what had happened told to everyone first.

They all adjourned to a luxurious living room, with only Aideen, Solenia, and the Knight-Captain from the convoy present, along with the Duke, the Duchess, and their other four children. Maids of the house brought refreshment and snacks, and Solenia began to tell the story of what had happened in the past few weeks, starting from her mishap in the Knallgant arena.

Aideen noticed the obvious display of feelings on the features of the gathered Ducal family - it seemed like the whole family wore their hearts on their sleeves indeed - when Solenia related her tale, while the Knight-Captain added her viewpoint whenever the girl paused.

She saw how the Duke looked ready to erupt in anger when Solenia related the assault they fell under to him. How the man simmered for a while and only calmed down when the Knight-Captain added her side of the tale. Neither of them hid Aideen’s involvement, as she had not asked for it to be kept secret either, and the Duke had glanced her way before he gave her a thankful nod.

All eyes turned to Aideen after the tale wound down to its end, the Duke and the Duchess eyeing her carefully, with some gratitude in their eyes, yet they were also guarded, and slightly tense. Their children looked at her more in doubt and disbelief, as they probably found the tale less plausible, but Aideen could not care less anyway about what they thought.