Amie's thoughts were still far even after the carriage rolled out the palace gates.
"To the steinhouse manor," she said and Beth informed the couchman, before turning to her in question.
"Should we have sent someone to inform them that we are coming?" she asked, but Amie rested her head back and closed her eyes and the carriage returned to silence.
Arriving at the Steinhouse gates, the carriage was let in with just a few words from the driver. Amie stepped out onto the stone pavement to see two men awaiting her at the door. They made small salutes before one of them stepped forward.
"I am head Guard Holden, miss..," he said but did not know her name.
"Krain. Amie Krain," she said and walked passed him into the warm receiving room.
"Welcome Miss Krain. Lord Steinhouse is not available at the moment," the head guard said.
"And it will be quite some time before he will be," she said, taking in the entire space. She had heard that Lady Steinhouse had a bad taste in clothes, but it seemed that this did not spill unto her home. There was a regal elegance about her home. Unlike hers which had a lot of beautiful stained cushions and the castle that had gold-plated trims, her house was mostly grey. Some exposed wood on the floor and star case and soft plain colors cushions. Something about it seemed elegant in its mild tones.
"Have all accounts and all those in charge of the Steinhousse properties send reports to me by tomorrow. I will return here to handle them," Amie said.
"Pardon?" the person who spoke was not the head guard nor the man by his side dressed as a butler. It was instead an old lady and a woman who seemed to be her daughter, emerging from one of the sitting rooms. Amie glanced at her but did not care to answer. She may have grown up in a small village, but her mother had taught her since childhood how to exert one's will. She needed not to pay too much attention to these two who dressed much too finely to be servants.
"And you are?" the younger lady asked.
"Who are these?" Amie turned to Guard Holden and asked instead, making the young lady turn red in anger.
"They are relatives of the former Lord Steinhouse. Lady Steinhouse and Lady Stellden, Miss Krain," Guard Holden answered.
"My brother and sister-in-law are away for a while. It would be best that you come back when they return," Amie said.
"Then you are... I see. He is not around so you have come to handle matters of the Steinhouse properties? Your family must think this is your...," Lady Stellden started to say.
"Lily!" Old Lady Steinhouse reprimanded, then turned to Amie.
"Young girl, this property..." she started.
"Is the property of Lord Walter Krain of Steinhouse. As he has informed the king that he and his wife would be travelling for a while, the property being that of a Krain, has been left in the hands of the Krain family by His Majesty, the king. Otherwise, in my hands as next eldest," Amie said and Lady Stellden fumed, "You..!"
"Yes, you. I dare to wonder what an unrelated party would want in a home that is not theirs while the owners are away. One would not be far off to assume it not something worthy of the book of flaming water," Amie said.
"You dare accuse us? In the past, this property was left in the hands of a childless wench who handed it to her new husband, but now, my daughter, Lily is now married to the stellden heir and carrying the future of both great lines, stellden, and Steinhouse alike!" Old Lady Steinhouse said.
"I think it wrong to speak of the dead, but the late king must have made a great blunder in you all. The new will not. I for one think that letting you retain your former title regardless of losing the meaning of the title itself with the properties combined, has made you muddle-headed," Amie said.
"You think us wrong?" Old Lady Steinhouse asked with an odd smile.
"I think you overstayed your welcome," Amie said, then turned to guard Holden.
"See my brother's guests out. As he is not around, do not grant entrance to people I am not acquainted with," she ordered him.
"Show me to the study," Amie said to the butler, who bowed and did as asked.
Seeing her leaving back, Lady Stellden fumed. "Mother, look at that! A nobody dares to talk down on a noble lady such as me. I will report this to my husband,"
"Shush, Lily. One need not say much. The king may not think our claims right, but the religion will," Old Lady Steinhouse said, "So let the chicken think itself a phoenix. It will still end up in the pot,"