Three days later.
Afternoon.
Statham estate.
Critic Arley, Critic-Ishire.
******************
Lydia, unadorned and as dishevelled as she could manage was in the horse shed this afternoon having a conversation with the horses, that could, without doubt, be called therapy because they didn't reply or understand her, but as she was determined to strictly follow her to-do list before picking up any book to read she worked faster, cleaning the shed.
She didn't wash the horses but she made it her responsibility to check them whenever she was having an onslaught with the stable, the stable was a medium-sized wooden stable spanning a few feet and occupying the horses.
It smelled like horses and wool here, a place she liked after she had cleaned it.
They were no more than five horses in the shed and she had named them all.
She took pleasure in that as the Statham' didn't have any pets and these steeds weren't given names.
Moments later, she'd ultimately succumbed to the curiosity of trying to be on familiar terms with what happened in the subsequent scene of the book she had started reading for almost a week now.
She needed an explanation of some of her reactions to Lord Theodore the last time hence the research.
She was lying on a heap of dried grass when she heard the sound of a carriage rolling into the estate, without delay she scrambled up.
She dropped the book she had been reading on the place she just stood up from, right after adding a stick to mark where she had gotten in her reading.
She rushed to go see who it was.
Everyone was at home so it might be a guest she would have to serve, she mused.
She ignored that it was her interest to know what was happening that wouldn't let her stay outside.
She wiped her palms on her dungarees pants as she used the back door to get inside where she found all of the family members rushing downstairs.
Who was the guest?
"The royal knights are inside the estate, Marquis Statham" an employed who talks like his tongue was being pressed down by an unseen force delivered.
"We shall be right out" Julius replied as he glanced at his wife who was sitting opposite him in the drawing room.
He stood up and without a word, she knew he wanted her to follow him outside hence she did.
"Liza comes fast it's the emperor's carriage" Mira whisper-yelled, her immense breast bouncing alongside her excited steps as she got down the stairs, hurriedly unethical.
The emperor? Lydia thought her eyes narrowing.
"It could be bad news" Shi'enz said, she looked as pale as white cotton.
She was always looking guilty, easy to be thrown under the carriage but she was never thrown, at least not yet.
"Still, I'm violently excited" Mira squeaked.
It was too loud for Liza's liking, she happened to be right behind her on the stairs.
"Stop shouting" Liza whispered, keeping her fine lady act together even as she skillfully adjusted her breasts in her dress.
'They were all in the tea room upstairs probably talking about how much they hate life whilst I was cleaning' Lydia thought while ignoring the fraction of her mind that was reminding her she had been reading before the carriages' arrival.
Georgina looked a bit shaken, some people had really bad beliefs about the emperor, those who called him the crazed king before the emperor and she was one of them so she didn't like the idea of his people coming over to their estate.
Julius looked passive and neutral he gave nothing out as he headed for the compound the knight was not allowed to the doorstep, the marquis's guards stood right next to them.
They were two knights, one looked too delicate and short for a knight and he stood behind the other one like he was a wallflower, while the other looked sturdy and his massiveness attracted attention.
"Good day Marquis Julius Statham" the sturdy knight acknowledged with a small forceful bow.
"Good day to you too, what has brought you here" Julius replied slowly, Georgina right behind him outside the estate.
"There's a message from the emperor" the knight said holding the hilt of his sword, the action unnerving.
"What does it say?" Jullius asked after a pause of breath.
"The emperor has invited the Statham estate to the citadel" the sturdy knight said, he didn't bother reading it.
He simply held out his hand, a small paper in between his index and his middle finger.
Georgina paled, Liza fought back a smile, Mira held her chest, Shi'enz looked lost while Lydia held on to the pillar tighter as she felt dread creeping up her body.
Is the king's wrath going to fall on them now? She thought, the king, as she had read was crazed.
Julius gave a calculated smile as he nodded.
"We shall be there" Julius agreed liberally making the sturdy knight narrow his eyes.
"Every Statham should be there" the knight that had been silent all this while said.
His eyes connected with Lydia's.
The whole family followed his line of sight and they saw Lydia peeking, she quickly stood straight brushing off invisible dust from her dungaree with her head lowered.
"Of course" Julius agreed meticulously, drawing his gaze away from her.
"You would have to leave so the family gets ready for the trip," Julius said his tone edgy and face with a scowl that Noah basked in.
Noah is the wallflower.
"The emperor instructed us to come back only with the Stathams or never come back" Noah declared sounding slightly cocky.
His first sentence.
"Oh, the guards shall show you to a place to rest we shall leave soon," Georgina said.
She sensed her husband's increasing emotions, she didn't want the wrath of the emperor any kind further than it looked like they had already attracted.
"And a lot of wine please" Noah requested.
His toothy grin made themselves known.
Lydia rushed to get inside, so she could prepare the wine with the maids and also avoid questioning.
"The guards will guide you to where you shall wait," Julius said.
His voice is tight while the knights merely turn after the guards.
Julius clenched his teeth hard.
This was not the attention he needed.
***************
Inside, Statham Estate.
Critic Arley, Critic-Ishire.
***************
"We are going to the citadel in Critic Citadel" Shi'enz's eyes were wide as saucers as she announced this, but her sisters ignored her.
"I thought they were finally here to take Lydia to the royal dungeon" Mira whispered the minute the three sisters were camped in Liza's room for tea, which wasn't an actual liquid tea but a virtual one.
There was no tea in sight.
Lydia had scurried away to do Lydia's stuff which they couldn't care less what it was, they were going to the citadel and that is all that should matter with all the different opinions they had about going.
"At least it'll still be royalty treatment" Mira continued telling that to herself more than she meant to tell the others, frowning to herself her lips twisted in distaste. She still didn't think Lydia deserved the royal dungeon to be punished, she should rot somewhere worse.
"But don't you think it is still suspicious that the king has invited all of us to the castle" Shi'enz reasoned out, with a small frown.
"Watch how you talk about my emperor, he will never do anything unreasonably" Liza scolded
"If he is angry we can pacify him" She smirked
Liza's love and devotion for the emperor had stemmed since she was a teenager and she had heard that the emperor was the most powerful, most respected man in Critic-Ishire.
He was also called crazed but she believed it was all rumours from the invidious people of the empire.
She would attend every ball and banquet and fair with hopes of meeting him somehow but it was always futile.
The times she'd see him he'd seem so out of reach that she'd just pretend she didn't care but this was finally her time to get closer and show him how much worthy of him she was.
She would be the empress of Critic Arley.
"Your emperor" Mira scoffed as she adjusts her sitting position to appear cocky.
"What does that mean?" Liza questioned coldly.
She was a Lady who demanded respect and if not given flipped on anyone including her sister.
She had marked a territory with the emperor since he was just a king and she'd spent all her days getting prim and proper for the day she could finally meet him.
"He is not yours yet Liza stop being greedy" Mira retorted with a wave of her hand.
"Get ready ladies we are leaving at dusk" Julius interrupted their brewing argument.
This wasn't a scene he had expected to meet his daughters. He had thought they would be too frightened, but they seemed to be eager to meet the devil.
"Is Lydia coming along?" Mira asked tentatively
"Yes, she is" Julius answered sharply.
She frowned. "But father she is not even a-"
"Mira" Julius cut her off with a silent warning.
He didn't need her reminding him of how Lydia was a thorn in his flesh, even if he wanted he couldn't leave her back here because it seemed the emperor had an insider in Lord Theodore's mansion and he knew better than to pull any silly trick.
He needed to talk to Lydia before leaving for the citadel, he turned around after giving all his girls a once-over.
Nothing would stop him from doing anything and everything to protect them.
Especially if it only meant sacrificing Lydia.