A Vagabond's Tale [COMPLETED]

Chapter 32 - "We knew you would not waste it."

The carriage rolled through Taraben, but Gigi couldn't bring herself to peer out the window. Couldn't bring herself to care about anything. There was an emptiness inside her that she feared would never fade.

The afternoon sun was warm overhead and caught on the swirls of dust that slipped into the carriage's interior. The scent of the sea was gone and Gigi never thought she would miss something so simple. When she opened her mouth she could no longer taste the salty tang on her tongue.

She wanted to rest her head against the cushioned wall and close her eyes. Try to imagine the rumbling beneath her was the same she had felt when she drove to the palace. But it wasn't. The air was thick with smells that were more potent than Loria. The voices that she heard had a rough bur to them.

Lady Brixton took Gigi's distracted state as melancholy rather than a weary forlornness.

"Do not worry, dear," she said, consoling. "I know it seems like a year is a long time but there is still so much waiting for you here. We always have visitors, men and women you will have already met. I am certain Lord Davin will be drawn here more frequently." There was a twinkle in her eye at these words. "And your grandfather travels at times to different Holdings to discuss business, you can accompany him."

Gigi looked to her grandfather, wondering how he would feel about the intrusion. He gave a decisive nod, his face calm as ever.

"Naturally," he said, "you will need to learn how to deal with the workers and men you will one day be in charge of."

A knot formed in Gigi's stomach, her confession heavy in her throat. Her expression was misread.

"But of course," her grandmother said, swooping in," the first visits will not be of such a serious nature, all that will come in time."

Unable to think of a response, Gigi nodded. She was relieved of finding more to add by the carriage halting before the Estate's gates. The standing guard welcomed them back with a bow and waved a hand. Gigi felt a twinge in her chest as she heard the clang of metal, as the gates closed them in.

At the manor steps waited Elkly, his countenance serious as always. When Lord and Lady Brixton emerged, he bowed before them.

"Welcome back my Lord and Lady," he said.

"How is the Estate?" Lord Brixton asked, bypassing a return greeting.

"Well in hand and as you have ordered it be kept."

Gigi alighted from the carriage and gazed up at the stone structure before her. With the thoughts of the palace and its grounds fresh in her mind, the building before her didn't hold the breathtaking wonder she had first felt over it. The stone walls held captivity more than beauty.

The walls riddled with trundles of ivy encasing them was like a barrier to her home, more than a sign of power. Despite how she had come to know every inch of the grounds, she couldn't remember why she had liked them. The world felt dull to her, a contrast to the reality of its rich color and the startlingly blue sky.

"Genevieve."

Gigi dragged herself from her thoughts to look at her grandmother.

"It has been a long journey, go bathe and rest. We will see you at dinner."

Seeing this as the escape she needed, Gigi bowed her head and entered the manor. Inside was just as they had left it. The banisters and floors were polished to a shine. The portraits held the same severe looking noblemen. Even the air felt the same. Nothing had changed. Nothing would ever change. It was as if this place was stuck out of time. It felt claustrophobic.