"My Lords, My Ladies," a guard rushed into the inner mansion's dining hall during breakfast, "The Rotunda Merchant Company has arrived, although…"
"Do not hold back, speak freely," Lucien nodded to the sweating man.
"Calling it a Company would be an understatement, a Caravan would be more appropriate," the guard said, not sure where to look.
"A Caravan?" Lea giggled, "Do not tell me we have tens of carriages in front of our door."
"..."
"Is it or is it not?" Lea sighed.
"I'm af-afraid it is, my Lady," the guard stuttered, already at his mental limit.
Lucien grinned, trying to hold back his laughter as he got to his feet, "Thank you, dismissed."
"My Lord," the guard bowed, rejoicing in the relief of living that room, turning around and leaving just as quickly as he came.
"Let's go and see them," Lucien chuckled, before turning to one of the maids in the corner of the room, "Bring all the food in the main dining hall."
It had been a month since Blanc left to bring Sera back, which coincidentally was also the day the Rotunda arrived for the talks that Blanc had initiated.
Although the talks should have happened by now, word of a delay and a request for a reschedule for today arrived days prior. A delay for which Celine and Miyanna were grateful, as the last few days have mostly kept them in bed.
Morning sickness, dizziness, and fatigue.
Usual things during pregnancy, but annoying all the while.
Luckily for them, and Blanc's heart, all the women of Blood Maroux and Denegis were happy to help with anything they could.
They brought them food in bed, kept them company, told stories of youth, or, in the case of Mera and Auren, stories of Blanc's youth and all his evil, childish deeds.
What surprised Celine most was how even Sophie offered her help without hesitation, acting as if the past had never happened.
Celine chose not to question it. After all, she hadn't told Miyanna what had truly happened either, afraid that if she did, Miyanna might lose control… and attempt to do something reckless to Sophie.
But after plenty of conversations these last few days, Celine could say calmly that Sophie had finally given up on whatever she planned to do.
She knew her sister best, after all.
And the final reason everyone welcomed the delay was one truly worth celebrating: Celine's pregnancy, now over three months along, had finally begun to show.
A small, visible bump had formed on her abdomen, one that everyone took turns touching, congratulating her with smiles, tears, and joyful cheers. The celebrations in her honor lasted two full days.
But none were as overjoyed as Celine and Miyanna themselves, who spent hours each day marveling at it, touching it gently, and playing around it all the while giggling like children with a new secret toy.
Miyanna's own baby bump, as the midwives called it, hadn't appeared yet, but it would soon, as she was at most two or three weeks behind Celine's.
And now, that the celebrations were over, and all the sickness that had plagued the two ladies had gone for a while, they were able to join in on receiving their guests with a proud look on their faces.
As they left through the doors of the mansion, only then did they understand why the guard did not know how to address what was in front of their eyes. Easily a hundred carriages stood waiting, all drawn by strong, combed, and well-fed-looking horses.
Even the carriages themselves were impressive.
All made of coated hardwood, with minute details, each painting a different picture, a different beast. Boars, bears, tigers, lions, and much more.
The windows were made of colored, tempered glass, casting warm, tinted light over the interiors Celine could glimpse as the carriages stood unmoving.
But the first three at the front were something else entirely. Somehow, even far more impressive than the rest.
The corners of the carriage were made of solid gold, with the decorative beast itself painted with gold leaves, giving it an even more luxurious feel.
Besides the sides of the carriages, men and women dressed in armor stood proudly, their backs straight, unflinching, as the Noble Bloods stared into their souls.
Caravan guards, Celine thought as she looked at the decorations on their shoulders, marking their origins clearly.
All the Caravan guards hailed from the same place, the Domain of Noble Blood Maiores.
The most elite group of guards one could ask for, a feat that all of Blood Maroux noticed almost instantly, and took notice of it.
The first test had already begun, after all.
The Advisors of the Sedes Sanguinis were already judging their guests even before they took a step out of the carriage, for that was their role. The best thing they were good at.
And the door in one of the well-decorated carriages opened wide, revealing the insides of the carriage.
Were it not for the presence of the guests within, Blood Maroux might have already appraised the fine quality of the leather seats inside. But as the guests left the carriage, they watched them instead.
The first to leave the carriage was a young woman.
The dress she chose to wear was of beautiful silver in color, tailored to near-perfection.
Her hair was brown, and her eyes the green of emeralds as she looked at the Noble Bloods in front of her.
The second to leave was an older woman.
From the similarities the two of them shared, she was clearly the mother of the younger woman. Her dress was the same, but with more decorations tailored in, a sign of a higher standing in the family.
And lastly, a man followed the two shortly after.
He had black hair… or used to, at some point, as now it was getting gray from old age.
His costume was black, decorated with the sigil of their company, and the shirt he had below the costume was the same silver his wife and daughter wore.
"My Lords, My Ladies," the older man said as he bowed while his wife and daughter curtseyed, "I thank you for receiving us; it is our greatest achievement to have the opportunity to work with you."
"The Rotunda Merchant Company, I welcome you to our home," Lucien nodded, "And you are just in time to enjoy breakfast with us. Please, come this way."