Chapter 308: Arriving In Castle Noctivane

Across from her sat an empty seat, its immaculate upholstery almost accusatory, like a silent witness to her growing apprehension.

She had considered bringing an attendant into the carriage, if only to have someone with whom she could discuss the matter.

Ultimately, however, she had decided against it.

Certain thoughts were best examined in solitude, especially those involving the possible misfortunes of a Great House. Besides, she had no intention of discussing matters so consequential that, should her husband hear of them, Lord Valdric would undoubtedly fly into a rage.

The purpose she had outlined in her letter was not something he would have approved of. Lady Seraphina had therefore chosen her words and her means of pursuing it with considerable care.

There was, after all, a particular reason she had approached House Noctivane. The family had built its reputation upon secrets, discretion and an extensive network of informants.

For the task she had in mind, they seemed the most suitable instrument and that conviction had even persuaded her against hiring a Shadow Shard operative or another mercenary company.

Had she known that House Noctivane would respond with such extraordinary silence, she might have chosen Shadow Shard after all.

Mercenaries could be expensive, but at least their services came with the expectation that they would either complete an assignment or provide a convincing explanation for their failure. Silence, on the other hand, was a rather poor substitute for either.

Lady Seraphina released another sigh, softer than the last but no less burdened. By now, the original letter had probably lost much of its relevance. A week had passed, and the circumstances that had prompted her to write it have already changed.

Nevertheless, she could hardly remain seated in her estate, waiting indefinitely for an answer that might never arrive. If House Noctivane would not come to her, she would have to go to them and discover what, precisely, had happened.

Her thoughts then drifted to Goldric and Maverick, the father-and-son pair whose return had occupied her attention long before Noctivane’s silence became a concern.

They had arrived only two days earlier, yet their presence had already altered the atmosphere within Castle Valehart. It was almost as though their arrival had unsettled furniture that had stood undisturbed for years, leaving everyone to wonder where it ought to be placed.

Lady Seraphina had not deliberately listened to the discussions that occasionally took place among the castle’s elders.

Nevertheless, the whispers and murmured deliberations of the household were hardly subtle enough to escape her notice. One name had begun appearing with increasing frequency beside Cedric’s: Maverick.

The comparison irritated her more than she cared to admit. Cedric had been groomed since childhood to shoulder the responsibilities of House Valehart’s leadership.

His education, cultivation and upbringing had all been carefully managed with that future in mind. Now, however, the elders were speaking of Maverick as though he stood on nearly equal footing with her son.

The implication was unmistakable, and Lady Seraphina found it profoundly distasteful.

Yet, however much she disliked the comparison, she could not deny that Goldric and his son had cast a long shadow over the household.

The news that Maverick had successfully entered the second stage of the Rank One Etheryean Realm, becoming a Blood Refiner, had only made matters worse.

He had reached the same cultivation stage as Cedric, despite having awakened far later. Lady Seraphina’s expression tightened.

She might have been biased, but she was not blind. Maverick was becoming a genuine competitor, and that made him a potential threat to her son’s position as heir.

Her thoughts churned like turbulent water beneath a placid surface. Even now, she had no idea how Goldric had managed to awaken Maverick.

The boy had once been regarded as little better than an exile within his own family: unremarkable, unawakened and seemingly destined to remain on the margins.

Yet, within a matter of weeks, he had gone from an ordinary youth to an Awakener, and had done so without the assistance of the Ascension Altar.

That was no ordinary achievement. Maverick had already passed the age at which a person could normally awaken without the Altar’s intervention.

His sudden breakthrough was therefore not merely unusual; it was fundamentally anomalous. Lady Seraphina could not shake the suspicion that some hidden method or extraordinary circumstance lay behind it.

Unfortunately, curiosity alone would not uncover the truth, and she had yet to find a reliable way of investigating it.

More than Maverick, however, she was wary of her husband’s younger brother.

Since returning from the Frozen North, Goldric had behaved impeccably. He had made no overtly suspicious move, offered no provocative challenge and treated the household with an almost disarming degree of courtesy.

If anything, he had been remarkably accommodating. Yet that very composure troubled her. Lady Seraphina had spent too many years among nobles to mistake politeness for innocence.

Call it intuition, or perhaps the accumulated caution of someone accustomed to reading between carefully chosen words, but she was convinced Goldric had an ulterior motive for travelling all the way from the Frozen North to Valoria.

Others might assume he had returned to contest the succession on behalf of his son but Lady Seraphina suspected there was something deeper behind his arrival, something he had taken pains to conceal.

She had been careful not to reveal these suspicions, even to those closest to her. Nevertheless, the strain was beginning to weigh upon her.

Goldric and Maverick were already complicating matters, while Lord Valdric continued to regard them as family, seemingly oblivious to their possible designs.

If House Noctivane had completed the task she had entrusted to them, perhaps this entire predicament would have been resolved before it became another burden on her shoulders.

But they had done nothing. Worse, they had gone silent. Whether their silence stemmed from an impending disaster or deliberate obstruction, only Aetherium knew.

Her gaze shifted to the small table fixed beside the carriage window. A sealed document rested upon it, bearing the crest of House Valehart.

It was a copy of the correspondence she had sent to Noctivane, preserved for reference. She had brought it almost out of habit, although she had no intention of presenting it again. The original letter had already served its purpose—or, at least, it should have.

Thinking of it brought another faint sigh to her lips. Perhaps she ought to have dispatched another messenger, contacted one of the family’s known associates or sought an explanation through a more discreet channel.

There were several ways to obtain information without making a personal visit. Unfortunately, such methods required time, and time was precisely what she was no longer willing to waste.

She had initially intended to wait another day. When morning arrived without any indication that a response was forthcoming, however, her patience finally reached its limit.

She summoned her attendants, ordered the stable master to prepare her carriage and informed the household that she would be visiting Castle Noctivane.

The announcement caused a brief stir among servants and elders alike. A matriarch of House Valehart did not ordinarily make an unannounced visit to another noble residence without compelling reason.

Lady Seraphina offered no explanation. Her instructions were clear, and nobody was foolish enough to question them.

Outside, the carriage continued along the broad avenue, its wheels maintaining a steady rhythm over the cobblestones. The buildings gradually changed character as the procession left the commercial district behind.

Grand residences stood beyond ornamental fences, their gardens meticulously maintained and their gates watched by servants dressed in their households’ colours. Two young noblemen riding in the opposite direction slowed upon recognizing the Valehart crest. They exchanged brief greetings with the accompanying knights before continuing on their way.

Lady Seraphina watched them disappear. Valoria remained prosperous and orderly; merchants pursued their profits, citizens attended to their affairs, and noble Houses maintained their accustomed routines.

Yet beneath that familiar appearance, she sensed that something had shifted. It was precisely this subtle disturbance in the household’s balance that made her suspect Goldric was preparing to make a move.

The carriage began slowing as the avenue opened into a spacious approach lined with tall trees. Their branches swayed in the morning breeze, scattering shifting patches of sunlight across the road.

Beyond them rose a high stone wall, punctuated by ornamental pillars and watchtowers. The Valehart knights adjusted their formation almost imperceptibly, growing more attentive as they approached the guarded entrance.

Lady Seraphina straightened. She recognized the grounds immediately.

Castle Noctivane stood beyond the gates, its imposing towers rising above the surrounding trees. Its dark stone walls, slender spires and tall windows gave the ancestral residence an austere appearance. The outer courtyard was enclosed by formidable ramparts, while the main entrance was guarded by a pair of iron gates bearing the crest of House Noctivane.

The carriage slowed further. Two guards stationed before the entrance stepped forward, their attention drawn to the approaching procession.

One raised a hand, signalling for the carriage to halt, while the other examined the accompanying knights. Recognition soon appeared on their faces as their gazes settled upon the golden-and-silver crest of House Valehart.

The gates had not yet opened.

Lady Seraphina looked towards the castle, her expression composed once more. Whatever awaited her within those walls, she intended to face it with the dignity befitting her position. She had not travelled all this way merely to exchange pleasantries, nor would she allow formalities to distract her if circumstances demanded otherwise.

The coachman drew the reins, bringing the carriage to a gradual stop before the entrance. For a moment, Lady Seraphina remained seated, studying the imposing residence beyond the gates.

The unanswered correspondence, the absence of any explanation and the troubling possibilities surrounding Goldric and his son returned to her thoughts.

She placed one hand upon the door’s silver handle.

At last, she had arrived at Castle Noctivane...