The Bewitching Countess of the Villa Ersandmyne

Pg. 46

After the council meeting finished Magnus retired to his room and started thinking what WILL Aurora do when she goes wedding dress shopping and the inevitable happens? Will she act calm for the girl's sake or will she 'freak out'? Will she run to tell Darius, or her sons the girl's mates? those and so many other pertinent questions loomed in his brain.

He didn't want to show it at the dinner table but he was so thrilled to finally have his granddaughters at the same dinner table as when they were children and he was 'younger'. Although before, when they sat at that table, it wasn't to have tea parties but to pretend they were having mock trials in the council temple room.  

Because Magnus would be stepping down and he wanted to leave the seat to one of his granddaughters but he had to see which one was more qualified. He needed to see what kind of elder each would make. In each case, he would make up a different scenario and he would take the place of the person being judged.

When Valentina was the grand elder at the trials, she would treat him with kindness, and have him explain what did he and why he did it, and then she would give a just punishment, or show mercy. She didn't know that he was training her precisely for something.

Now Isabella on the other hand was rude and quick to judge, passing judgment without asking or waiting to hear any explanation. She would just send one off to the dungeon to be placed in the oubliette or forgotten room. And that depended on how she was feeling because on some days she would just send him off to kill without mercy. That showed him that out of the two she could not be chosen; it would be Valentina who he would choose to take his place as an elder had to show care, kindness, and justice and sometimes be merciful and she wasn't.

He enjoyed those days with both of his granddaughters and how he wished they could remember but all they could think of was how he hadn't brought justice on that fucking Bartholomew!! He knew that he had to do something about him, he knew that he would show up at the weddings of the girls and he knew that when he saw what would occur things would get messy and he didn't like messy.

If someone had told him that on the day of his granddaughter's wedding, he would have all he has ever wanted again he would have never believed it but when in his dream the mistress of the night came to him letting him know that because he didn't pass judgment on the girls because it was not their fault and he kept them safe she would give him back all the riches of his heart he didn't understand until he opened the book of life.

Now all he had to do was wait until that day when not only would he be able to obtain the riches from his heart but hand over his seat to Valentina. He already knew that Cassius would accept being the husband who helped her in good and bad times and would not interfere in whatever judgment she may give be it unto a family member.

As he was deep in thought one of the guardians knocked on his door, "Elder Magnus, Justiniano would like a word with you, shall he pass?" "Yes, please let him in." "Magnus, Valentina, and Isabella cannot go wedding dress shopping." "Yes, I know what can happen, but what can I do?" "It's not what can happen but during the inventory of the things that Valencia had there were two wedding dresses which meant that their mother had already picked out their dresses and when I noticed some of the gems on the dress match the other gem."

"Then it's a must that they wear the dresses picked by their mother, they can wear no other dress." "That is why I had to see you; you must prevent them from trying to buy a dress with Aurora." "Thank you, dear friend, I will talk to them tomorrow night, have a good evening."