***
Lady Steinhouse glared at Protector Klienn causing the old man to sigh. She looked completely unwilling to be sitting in that carriage at the moment, going toward the Ancients' ancestral land. Sunlight streamed in through the window, causing her eyes to glimmer in different shades of green.
"Even though you do not wish to be here, you are still the only heir to the clan. It is imperative that you watch the proceeding with the clan chief,"
"You basically dragged me here. I should be home waiting for my husband and taking care of my in-laws. You dragged me here without so much of a warning, that I had only left them a letter informing them of my departure. You wish me be tagged unfilial?" Lady Steinhouse fumed. Even though Walter was not around, she spent most of her time with his sister and his mother. They had bonded quite well and Walter's mother had become the mother she did not have. Her mother-in-law was totally doting, teaching her how to run a household like a woman.
She had been running the Steinhouse property like a man, caring not about other things than the business and the money. She was their precious daughter-in-law and Walter's mother was beyond thrilled to take her daughter-in-law everywhere, talking about fabric, art and all the sorts. Lady Steinhouse had been enjoying herself immensely and did not wish to leave.
"I did not drag you. You came of your own free will," Protector Klienn said.
"You said you would throw a knife at me if I did not!"
"We both know you would not have gotten hurt,"
"But those invisible monks would have killed you! You extorted me so that I will meet that old man!" Lady Steinhouse could feel her temperature rising with her anger.
"That old man is still your grandfather; you would still have to meet him someday," Protector Klienn chuckled lightly.
"I have no grandfather," Lady Steinhouse said as the carriage rolled to a stop. She knew they had been moving at a fast speed the past two days, but she did not expect that they would reach this soon.
"We are here already?" she asked, completely confused.
"No. We have arrived to use a portal. The ancestral land is not a place that can be entered by taking a carriage. Come," he said, exiting the carriage. Lady Steinhouse huffed and came down. She looked around at the carriages behind her and her frown only deepened. The younger generation of the clan had followed behind her and Protector Klienn. Looking at them exiting their carriages, her mood sunk even deeper. She did not want to be associated with this bunch. She looked away to an amused Protector Klienn holding out his hand for her.
She took it and followed him into a large building. Inside was a spacious hall. Right in the middle stood a lone door and doorway untethered to anything. Protector Klienn walked forward and made hand signs with his free hand, before taking the handle and forcefully opening the door.
Lady Steinhouse looked through the doorway, but there was nothing there save the other side of the hall. Protector Klienn walked through the doorway without explanation, taking Lady Steinhouse with him.
Lady Steinhouse felt the hair on her hand rise and heard a sound tear through her skull, as though a thousand screaming birds flew past, as darkness enveloped her. It lasted only a second before her hearing returned with the sound of people talking. She looked up at a stone arena so grand, Princess Lilith probably turned in her grave.
Lady Steinhouse felt a lot of gazes fall on her and smirked inside. Years ago, not one of them would have spared her a glance, now they turn their heads. She knew it was because of the kind of protection her husband had given her before leaving. she today is not some lost heir of the Ligrel clan but someone with her own backing.
Her eyes roamed the arena for a second before she followed Protector Klienn up to take a designated seat. She noticed she was seated beside a muscular old man and assumed he may be her grandfather. His striking resemblance to her father was enough confirmation, but she only glanced at him for a second before looking away. Taking her seat, she felt the gazes of some of the others Ligrel elders, who sat just behind her and her grandfather. She cared not for any of them, she only came because of Protector Klienn and no one else.
Protector Klienn took a seat beside her with a sigh. His little niece would not acknowledge anyone sitting here, while the elders were expecting she would hold them in some regard, but saw her dismissing attitude, making them angry.
"You do not acknowledge your elders, daughter of Jin ke? Have you been outside too long that you forget the rules of the clan?" one of the elders said. Helen glanced at him before looking away and remaining silent.
"It matters not Elder Ivory, she is here and that is the most important thing. We must concentrate on the task at hand. We must secure enough slots in this gathering to enter the alignment battleground. I was hoping she would have come with lord Steinhouse; it would have been good for him to know his in-laws," a graceful woman said. Though she looked only in her forties, Lady Steinhouse knew that all those sitting there were at least a hundred years old. She must be an elder, to have the martial arts capability to stay this young.
Helen turned to Protector Klienn, who frowned.
"Protector Klienn, please tell these old people that I am not a member of their family nor do I care to be. As such, I do not need to pay respects to anyone here nor does my husband need to know his in-laws. My husband is too busy to bother with the likes of Ancients. If they continue to talk without care, I will take my leave," Lady Steinhouse had not warned loudly, but the other ancients were advanced in martial arts enough to pick up her words.
Most of them sighed at the turn of events in the Ligrel clan. The heir they had discarded, had gotten a backing that could probably contest with them. Now that they need her back, she wants nothing to do with them and has the ability to talk squarely with them, without fear of consequences.
"And how do you intend to leave? You may have a powerful husband now, but you are still very naïve. You came to this place unaccompanied, do you think it is easy to leave? When all the portals open, ours will open back to the clan. Will you stay here instead of returning with us? You may think you now have wings, but you are still my grandchild! You will do as I say!" the clan chief scolded.
This caused Helen to laugh. She had blind and almost irrational faith in Walter. She did not believe that anything could happen to her while he was still alive. Just as she was about to answer, a horn sounded, signalling the arrival of the moderators.
"Helen, let this go. The moderators are here. They are from Lir Valley. The next valley head is a Thraine," Protector Klienn said and Helen laughed even louder. Confusion was clear in their eyes as she smirked.
"You underestimate my lord husband," Helen said.