After a long journey back, the crew arrived at the northern fortress of Nord in the afternoon.
Ten men grabbed the rope to open the iron door, which opened with a slow, heavy sound. Servants appeared at the door and learned of the arrival of the lord and his wife.
They all hurriedly lined up in two rows on either side of the entrance and greeted them in unison.
— Welcome, Your Highness! — Hannes Raightli, the commander of the fortress, stepped forward and greeted the arriving lords.
With Asil's help, Remesis stepped out of the carriage and headed for the gate. She replied to the greeting with ease:
— Hannes.
— Are you all right? I heard that the weather has been very bad in the border area lately. I believe there was even an ice storm.
— Everything was as usual.
Stepping onto the steep bridge, the girl continued her conversation with the knight, while the princess walked beside her with a distant expression on her face. At that moment, one of the knights approached her, and they spoke seriously about something. But Remesis, paying no attention to this, continued her conversation.
— We tried to finish our business quickly and return, but we were still on the road for some time. Was everything all right during that time?
— Don't worry, princess. Heitz and I kept an eye on everything in your absence, following your instructions. Nothing special happened during that time.
— I'm glad to hear that.
Remesis sighed.
— But... — At that moment, the knight suddenly faltered.
— What do you mean?
Before he could utter a word, Remesis immediately guessed from his expression that he had more news to share.
Hannes Reitli sighed, and this time he had to address not only Remesis, but also the owner of the castle herself.
— My lord.
— What is it? — Asil frowned.
— The thing is, I have something to tell you...
— Then speak.
— The thing is, two days ago, a human arrived at our castle to meet with you. Given his high status and the circumstances, we couldn't just send him away, so we were forced to take him in...
Remesis was somewhat surprised to hear this news. After all, who would dare to show up at the lair of the northern devil? Although the north had become one of the most powerful feudal territories in the empire, that didn't mean the place was overrun with visitors. In fact, it was quite the opposite. The girl could count on the fingers of one hand the number of times guests had visited them in recent years.
— And you mean you just let a stranger into the castle? — Asil smiled coldly.
— I... — The knight faltered.
— Do you think this is a public place where anyone can come and go as they please?
When the princess spoke in a harsh voice, the knight became more and more agitated. Finally, he was forced to answer:
— The thing is... this human was not just a visitor. I was afraid that we might inadvertently damage your reputation if we made such a decision in your absence.
— So what? You know that even the emperor cannot enter this place without an invitation. Are you saying that our visitor is the emperor?
— I...
When the already cold air outside grew even colder, Remesis was forced to intervene. After all, Hannes clearly couldn't handle this situation on his own. Remesis stood up for her knight:
— Your Highness, don't go too far. Hannes acted solely out of concern for the welfare of the north.
— Welfare, you say? — Asil muttered discontentedly.
— Yes. So, let's start by finding out what happened.
Asil seemed to want to say something else, but Remesis' determination was stronger. In the end, the princess was simply forced to give in, as she usually preferred not to argue with her wife. Asil sighed humbly when Remesis repeated her question:
— And where is this human?
— He is...
Just as the fortress commander was about to answer, the girl already had the answer to her question. By that time, they had already entered the courtyard, where servants were bustling about, preparing for the arrival of their masters.
Then, among all these people, someone unexpectedly approached them.
— Hello, Your Highness.
Liana Dexsin? The girl's blue eyes widened.
After all, this was clearly the last person Remesis expected to see in their castle. Perhaps even a visit from the emperor himself would not have surprised her so much. However... It was definitely her.
Just like on the day of the funeral, the young heiress of the order looked very different from her usual self. In her memory, Liana Dexsin had always been a distinguished aristocrat, her hair neatly styled, her emerald eyes lending her face a calm and even good-natured expression. But now... the woman's face had a slightly stern, tense expression.
The young heiress of the order arrived accompanied by her assistant and only a few guards, which hardly made the visit resemble a military invasion. And yet...
— To what do we owe the honour of your presence here, Lady Dexsin? — Asil spoke first.
— I apologise for my sudden intrusion. I hope my presence here is not too much of a burden for you.
— Lady Dexsin, you are too polite, — Asil smiled coldly. — We are almost family, are we not?
'....'
The heavy atmosphere that descended at that moment seemed to weigh on everyone present like a stone. Remesis, in particular, definitely felt this atmosphere. She knew that if the dialogue with the princess continued, things could end badly.
The northern princess hesitated for a moment before saying:
— Lady Dexsin, we did not expect to see you here. Can you tell us what is going on?
Liana Dexsin nodded seriously.
— As I said, I apologise for coming without warning. But there was no time to delay, so I was unable to pay you a separate official visit and came here immediately after the funeral.
'Oh.' Remesis was taken aback.
Although they had also set off on their return journey immediately after the funeral, they had still arrived two days later. This meant that the successor to the order was indeed in a great hurry and that the matter was important. Nevertheless, what important business could she have in the north? Remesis couldn't help but feel curious.
Before the girl had a chance to ask the question, Liana explained the purpose of her visit herself:
— If you don't mind, I hope you'll allow me to stay at your castle for a while? I came here solely to investigate my sister's death.
— Investigate? — Remesis asked.
— Exactly. I would like to take another look at the scene and perhaps try to find some clues.
— Evidence? — Asil interrupted her and intervened, — And what exactly are you planning to find? The remains of those demonic beasts that attacked Lady Dehsin's younger sister have already been destroyed by our knights.
'....'
When there was no response, Asil asked again in a cold voice:
— Lady Dexsin, you may be my wife's sister-in-law, but don't cross the line. The northern lands are not a place where you can invade without permission.
Liana Dehsin frowned. Despite the fact that she was talking to the northern devil himself at that moment, the woman looked much calmer than one might expect. An outside observer might think that it was the grief over her sister's death that had robbed her of all fear.
— It is precisely because Princess Rania and I are relatives that I have come here peacefully, without provoking conflict. And I will not leave until I learn the truth, whatever the cost.
— Really? So I should take that as a threat?
— Your Highness may take it as you wish.
At that moment, it seemed that the atmosphere had deteriorated even further. Those around them were confused and looked distraught by the situation, which clearly did not look good.
The princess of the northern castle and the young head of the order stood facing each other as if they were the only people there. Of course, Remesis was most concerned about Asil.
The princess looked as if she was looking for an excuse to take the life of the woman in front of her in the most brutal way possible. If that happened, chaos would ensue. Remesis had to stop this at all costs.
— Your Highness!
Remesis called out to her. But Asil did not even flinch. She stared at Liana Dexsin as if she were about to kill her.
Nevertheless, her intervention did attract attention.
Liana fell silent for a moment. She looked coldly at the princess and soon turned her gaze to Remesis.
— Princess Rania, I hope you can understand me, — she said.
'.....'
For a moment, Remesis bit her lip when their eyes met.
Although she had no reason to keep Liana Dexsin in her castle, for some reason she couldn't just refuse her. It was all because of those ridiculous childhood memories and the vague feelings Remesis had felt for her ever since. For her now, it shouldn't have mattered. And yet...
«I just want to avoid unnecessary conflicts that won't do Sever any good,» she thought, trying to rationalise her decision.
— Lady Dexsin, how long will you need to investigate this matter? — the girl asked.
She replied:
— I promise I won't stay with you for more than two weeks. If I haven't found anything by then, I'll accept my fate and won't bother you anymore.
— well. You may stay here for two weeks.
When Remesis said this, many surprised glances from those present in the courtyard were drawn to her. Including her own wife.
— But wife...! — Asil seemed to be categorically opposed to this.
Remesis replied:
— Your Highness, this incident occurred on our territory. We are partly to blame for what happened, as we did not guard our border territories properly, which is why this unfortunate accident occurred. Therefore, we are simply going to repay our debt.
'....'
When Remesis' decision was final, Asil stopped arguing. The princess's face looked tense, but she just stared silently at what was happening.
— Thank you for your understanding, Princess Rania, — the young leader said quietly.
Liana thanked her, and Remesis nodded in response. But even so, for some reason, she had a bad feeling about the time they were all going to spend together under the same roof for the next two weeks.