What they did not know was that Northern Lan and the Teel family had bad blood that ran deeper than the great divide. The Teel family would be using all their a.r.s.enal to crush Northern Lan, so it was not much of a show to those who knew.

Lady Steinhouse shared the pain of the common people. She had woken up to an empty bed that morning. She found herself rus.h.i.+ng down the stairs covered wrapped in bedsheets. The maids tried to get her back into her room as they stared aghast, at her dishevelled demure.

"My lady, return to your chambers; you are not dressed!" they urged; especially her maid, Lizzy. Yet, Lady Steinhouse would have none of it.

"Where is Lord Steinhouse?" she asked but they all glanced at each other.

"My lady.." one of them started to say.

"Speak! Where?" she asked.

"I had asked the kitchen to serve him breakfast and left. I... I..." a maid said but could not continue under Lady Steinhouse's intense glare.

"My lady?" Guard Holden called from bellow the stairs. She looked down at his straight face and saw sympathy in his eyes. The look cracked her.

"Where? Where.. is he?" she found herself whispering.

"Lord Steinhouse said, to inform you that he will be back. When? He did not specify" Guard Holden said and she slid down to sit on the staircase. Soon, soft sobs entered listening ears, causing looking eyes to soften into sympathy.

***

On the other hand, Lucy had arrived one of her homes nearer to the capital. It was where her father now resided after the attack. This was much farther away from the capital and more secure than a home in the city.

She glanced through the carriage window as the gates opened. She her eyes glanced past the large words, cast into the iron gates; 'spring-crest pond'. Usually when she resided in the capital or had need to be near the capital, they stayed in the city manor. Spring-crest pond was her mother's favourite place near the capital, that was why they rarely came; her father would sink into depression every time they visited. But this was the safest property they owned near the capital.

Though Lucy arrived alone in her carriage, the other two carriages held her belongings along with s.h.i.+lla, and Mrs. Muburg who was pleased she was brought along. Since the school was no more, they had all lost their jobs. Mrs. Muburg was happy when Lucy called her to kneel through the morning for not arriving early to help s.h.i.+lla pack.

"Did I dismiss you, Mrs Muburg?" Lucy had said and she happily knelt. She had been so happy Lucy decided to retain her, she hadn't cared less about the punishment and had knelt with pleasure.

The carriage came to a stop and s.h.i.+lla and Mrs. Muburg rushed down and hurried to Lucy's side, as the driver opened the coach carriage doors and Lucy stepped unto paved stone floors. The two maids were slightly distracted by the grand sight before them. Their eyes found it hard to remain in it's sockets; not for grandness of the property, but for the army of maids and guards that stood in perfect and orderly lines. Men postured their waists bent as their heads lowered a perfect thirty degrees, while the women paused in a curtsy; Their waist lowered and knees bent, as their right leg positioned in front of the left, their shoulders pulled back as their hands remained clasped and positioned aside their left waste, letting their foreheads look to the ground. A sight of utter submission.

Lucy entered the estate and made her way to her father's study. The older man had his head full of ginger hair, down with his nose in a scroll. He looked up at the presence that arrived and his serious eyes turned sad.

"Come here, darling." Lord Torgenn said and Lucy frowned. She had a bad feeling about the look on his face. Seeing him holding it despite her hesitation, she sighed and approached the side of his desk. In one swoop, he carried her and placed onto his lap. She was still twelve years of age and thus still small. He ignored her deepened frown and cuddled her in his embrace and slightly rocked sideways. Silence came to keep them company, the sound of a rocking chair accompanied it in song. It was not long before Lucy entered deep sleep.