The Odd Return

CHAPTER 23

Emily woke me up early in the morning as promised. I tried my best to drive away the sleepiness but with no success, I grabbed a shawl to take over my night gown as I didn't feel like changing and walked down stairs to meet up with my father. I wasn't surprised to see the first unit of knights helping up the huge boxes of goods into caravans. I joined my brothers and leaned my head over Orion as we watched, father speak to Kaven and explain to him all the last minute details related to the duchy and anything important.

"What kind of person is our grandfather?" I asked Orion. Orion stared at him from the corner of his eye and sighed into a smile.

"He is very old fashioned." He laughed. "But you were his favourite."

"This is the first time I heard something like that in six months." I grumbled.

"Not my fault that you enjoyed ruining your image everywhere you went." Orion said. "Fortunately for you, that face of yours also did damage control."

"Jealous because your face doesn't do the same?" I smirked as he glared and pulled on my check.

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" I yelped. "Orion let go, you beautiful orge!"

"An ogre!?" He complained.

"I said a beautiful orge! There is a difference!" I said as I rubbed my check.

"Whatever." He hissed. "Believe me or not, that old man loved your company."

"Did we visit him a lot?" I asked.

"Not really, once a year, every summer." He replied.

"Did I go last year?" I asked.

"No, you were sick but you sent a letter to grandfather." he replied to which I gave him an educated nod.

"Amnesia is a bitch isn't it?" he asked as I just stared at him.

"Wanna try it?" I asked.

"No thanks." He replied and turned away, very sure, hoping that I wouldn't throw him from the sky.

"Ahem!" Father said as both me and Orion turned to him.

"Father." I smiled at him.

"I expect both of you to be in your best behaviour." Father said as I sighed. Something about this tells me, he tells us this every time he goes away for work.

"You should tell that to Orion." I said as Orion glared at him.

"I don't think I will be away for long, but with your grandfather nothing can be sure." Father sighed. "I expect Kaven to handle everything smoothly without having someone hanging from the dukedom gates."

"I can't make promises father." Kaven replied to Orion scrowled.

"I am living with psychopaths." He said to which I laughed.

"Veri." I called as my maid stepped forward with a small box in her hands. I opened the box and took out a compass and a brooch.

"The compass has a tracking spell." I said as I placed the compass on fathers hands. "I can use the spell on any map to see where you are if needed and know where you are."

"The brooch has a protection spell. It will stay activated for 30 minutes after the attack, so you need to flee within that time span." I said as I placed the brooch next to my father. "I don't care if you can still stay a dragon, you are fleeing if you are under attack."

The duke gave me a defeated look but I could care less about it. Safely comes first then beating up people.

"And lastly," I said as I pulled out a parchment from the box. It only had a spell circle drawn on it. I rolled the parchment and tied it with a ribbon. "This is a teleportation scroll, just tear the parchment whenever you need and it will teleport you to the dukedom."