Indebted

54

After a honeymoon of nearly one full month. High Lord Fowler, and the just as freshly minted High Lady Lillybelle returned to their castle home. Expecting peace and tranquility. After-all, each letter they had received from their families reported only bland news updates from court. Both halves of the marriage assuming the scant communications were a sign of smooth sailing at home. That their families had everything perfectly under control while the new lovers were given time to truly enjoy themselves.

However, the two returned home in Fowl's new car, unannounced. Cutting their honeymoon period short by a full fortnight no less. There were new guard houses erected along the only road that connected the lands of Sovran to the human highway system. Ensuring that no one would be able to sneak into the lands now.

At first Fowl was just left with a feeling of unease by the new orange armbands present on every single soldier's left arm. Lord Roddington's sigil embroidered in heavy black threads. Fowl's combined unease at the new security enhancements, and uniform additions grew to actual worry as he and Lillybelle crossed a new magical border. Once they had passed a second magic border that should not be here, Fowl told Lillybelle to get his cell phone out and to start calling his apartment line, and the one in his mother's new apartment. Where she was supposed to have moved into by now as the dowager lady Fowler.

The dowager lady needed to downsize to a smaller apartment with Fowl's younger siblings, and vacate the rooms for the Official household of Lord and Lady Fowler. Only there was no answer at either apartment. Not even from servants. Or Charity who liked to try and sneak in prank calls any moment she could and practically near lived by the phone and would never, ever let a phone call go unanswered if she could hear the ring.

Something was very, very wrong. Fowl looked around, the nearest guard houses were about as far apart as he had seen. Stopped the car where it would be mostly hidden in a copse of thick birch trees. Lillybelle was pale, "I called the line you added to my home, and there wasn't an answer there either." She admitted to her lawful husband and mate. The endless happy honeymoon nights quickly fading from her mind as worry and anxious thoughts took over.

Fowl beat both open palms against the steering wheel once to express what he couldn't with words. "We're gonna need to walk, do you need to change shoes?" Fowl asked his beloved bride. Lillybelle looked at the dainty little flats she was currently wearing. She would feel spilled sugar under her feet in these shoes.

Looking back at her cherished, Lord Nautilus Fowler, Lillybelle was already certain current footwear would prove inadequate, "Hiking or running Nauti?" She asked. Nodding when he said hiking would probably be better. Both exited the car, and quickly worked together, side by side to pack up anything that could prove useful on an extended cross country trip into the bags that would be easiest to carry.

Bags packed, shoes changed, Fowl and Lillybelle kissed, took each other by the hands, and walked cross country, staying as far as they could from the guard houses. Lillybelle had a small amount of magic, but one of her secrets had been learning to hide herself. As long as her and Fowl were holding hands they would be invisible to all by the most talented magic seekers.

Magnus would never deploy such valuable, and rare talent to the outskirts of his domain. Magnus would hold such talent close, protecting him and his most valuable. Fowl and Lillybelle had learned an awful lot while on their honeymoon. The world wasn't exactly as Magnus had been telling his followers. At least not anymore, so much had changed.

Lillybelle and Fowl were returning early, because they had been so excited by the new developments on Earth. The lines between Fae and Earth had softened. The dark influence starting to choke humans had been turned back. There were new dragon lines moving to earth! Fae was rebuilding practically entirely. There were so many opportunities for the stable, profitable, Sovran territory to be part of a massive change for the good for so many people.