Aella and Aurelia arrived at their home and the guards at the gate opened the door for the noble ladies to step in.
The Castle of the Baron was an enormous building stretching over a few hundred hectares.
The outward appearance was a pleasant sight with the grey walls polished to their best as the numerous windows lit up the place with the huge marble double doors at its centre.
There was a beautiful garden by the side and a fountain where two white swan lovers statues met by the driveway.
The servants' quarters were at the end of the fence and hidden from the eyes on the premises.
Servants ran down the hall to greet the ladies stepping into the Castle.
Aella strode down with hurried steps while Aurelia struggled to keep up with her pace.
"Welcome, my ladies, shall we prepare lunch for you?" a servant asked with her head bowed as she followed the twins.
"No," Aella waved her off.
"Should I just bring some tea then?" the maid dressed in a grey and white uniform seemed to be eager to please who she served.
"Where is Mother?" Aella asked as they climbed up the stairs.
"The Baroness had gone out for a social event with her friends," the servant replied.
"Good," Aella sighed under her breath.
She was glad her mother wasn't here to listen to the dire conversation she was about to have with her foolish sister who had brought a debt on her head.
Aella pushed the doors to her room open and pulled Aurelia with her before she closed the doors behind them after instructing the maids to not disturb them.
Aella wasn't exactly a very ladylike lady and her aloof personality was displayed in her room as well.
It had plain cream walls, a large bed at the centre, a desk, three trunks of dresses that she hardly wore because she preferred the pants with which she could spar with ease, and a few other items to adorn her room a little.
She paced in the room with her hand on her head as Aurelia stood next to her like a child waiting to be scolded by her parents.
Aella was the elder twin but even if that wasn't known, it was obvious from Aurelia's childish actions and Aella's more calculating and mature behaviour.
She was furious! No, fury would be too small to use at the moment.
She felt like taking a wagon and throwing it to her sister who couldn't seem to use her brain when needed.
Who would believe that a Baron's daughter would steal from someone?! Not to mention, the most wicked witch in town!
She knew her sister was deficient in thinking but this was the most incredulous thing she have ever heard in her twenty-two years of living!
She turned her sharp blue eyes to Aurelia who shrank her shoulders in fear.
"I will ask you this and you better answer me sincerely," Aella managed to let out calmly despite the uproar going on in her chest.
"What exactly did you steal from the witch?" she asked, wanting to know the severity of the situation before she intervened.
She didn't want to get their parents involved in this because they already had a lot on their hands trying to find a suitor for the eldest daughter of the household.
In Northern Grenol and most parts of the traditional kingdoms, it was an insult for a girl to still be living under her parents' roof after the age of twenty, some even termed it a curse.
And as for Baron Glatimor, he had two unmarried maidens and it proved to be one of his greatest worries.
Of course, Aella wasn't one to believe in such ancient customs but her parents weren't as unrestricted as her so they have been stressing over it after their family have been labelled a mockery in the kingdom.
Her mother even blamed her for not behaving like a proper lady which was why suitors were too scared to approach her for a marriage proposal but Aella retorted by giving an example of the ever elegant Aurelia who wasn't yet married as well.
Although more bachelors have taken interest in Aurelia due to her several appearances in the society, she had rejected them all because she claimed she was waiting for her 'Prince Charming' and by that, she meant the actual Prince of Grenol kingdom.
"I did not steal-!!" Aurelia snapped but lowered her voice when Aella glared at her.
"Anything…I was just walking down the streets while shopping when I saw this terrifyingly beautiful gem on the floor, and innocent me just picked it up to see what it was before it vanished right from my palm. I promise I stole naught!!" Aurelia explained.
"It vanished? Do you think we are in some mystical fairytale that objects can disappear just like that?! Where is the gem, Aurelia?!" Aella hissed and stepped forward.
"I-I do not know! I swear by the gods I did not take it! Why would I take something that does not belong to me?! I have tons of gems in my cupboard, and Father will always get me more the minute I ask," Aurelia defended herself.
Aella relaxed her body a little as she could feel a set of headaches making its way into her head already.
She had to admit that Aurelia was right, no matter how stupid her twin sister was, she would never steal what wasn't hers.
They had proper training from a young age, and noble ladies never snatched what didn't belong to them.
But then, where would the jewel go? Aella eyed her sister up with suspicion.
"W-What? Why are you looking at me like that?! I said I didn't take anything! Have you so little trust in me?" Aurelia seemed hurt that her sister would suspect her in a case like this.
"Aurelia, this isn't about trust or not. What you took belongs to a witch, might I remind you, a very powerful one at that. If she doesn't get her item back, you would be doomed" Aella watched as her sister's blue orbs popped open as if she just realized how grave this incident was.
The next thing she knew, Aurelia was pulling her legs with desperation.