Chapter 279 - To Shadora

Vaughn and Zenia ate their breakfast and started packing after that.

"Do you think we need to visit Count Cordove and take a look at that man?"

"Let him do what he can do first. Azer is in our hands and until now he still does not want to speak. It's a good thing that Jorick's restraining spell is strong. Otherwise, I will make him sleep for a long time."

"Why are they so interested in the Principality of Ismund? Is there something there that you don't know?"

"I heard before that there were mines in that area, but nothing was found."

"Perhaps, you are searching the wrong locations. Give me the list that Count Cordove has given you."

Vaughn retrieved the list from the drawer and gave it to Zenia, who fetched the map that she got from General Dietrich.

"You have that with you?"

"Yeah, it's detailed and big. General Dietrich can have another copy for himself."

"Aren't you abusing your authority by doing that?" Vaughn teased Zenia.

"I'm not abusing my authority. I am actually granting them a favor."

"What kind of favor?"

"I am allowing them to serve me wholeheartedly," she grinned.

Vaughn shook his head while chuckling. No one else could be as shameless as his wife…except for him.

Zenia spread out the map of the Principality of Ismund. She drew a circle to mark the places on the list that Count Cordove gave them. Then she drew a star to mark the places that Vaughn and his men had already checked.

Zenia turned the map around and put it in a different position.

"Hmm."

She turned it around once more. Vaughn was getting anxious.

"What is it? What do you see?"

"I am trying to see some kind of pattern, but I don't see anything."

"Let's give it a rest then. We still need to take care of something more important."

"Okay."

* * * * *

Zander was anxious to get home to his wife as soon as his feet touched the soil of Ishelon. He could not wait to see his wife. They landed in the military camp, and he ordered one of his men to fetch Brownie.

Vaughn gave Zenia that horse, and Zander had been training him to be as fast as Thunderbolt. Zander never used Brownie outside of Ishelon. The training was not yet completed.

It was an emergency, and Brownie was the fastest horse in the stable of the military camp. He did not even greet Ovid first when he arrived. Ovid did not stop him and knew what his son was feeling at the time.

When Zander reached the main gates of the Anisen Manor, he got off the horse and jumped off the wall and took a short cut to their courtyard.

"Is that Zander?" Renaria, who was in the garden with Odessa and Baroness Munchefort, asked the servants.

"Madam, I think it's indeed Commander Zander."

Odessa bowed and shook her head. She muttered to herself, 'That idiot… He told me to always accompany Mother and forgot what he said.'

Odessa stood up, but Renaria held her arm to stop her.

"Let us wait for that foolish son of mine here."

The three women continued what they were doing while enjoying their morning break.

"Odessa!" Zander called out.

There were currently no servants around their courtyard ever since Zander dismissed them. Odessa did not take them back and decided to stay with Renaria for a while. Renaria instructed the servants to clean the seemingly abandoned courtyard every day so Zander and Odessa could move back anytime.

"Odessa!"

Zander went through every room in their courtyard.

"Odessa?"

He was beginning to get frustrated and realized that there was no one in their home. He felt a bit angry but remembered that he asked his wife to accompany his mother.

He felt happy once more and rushed to see his mother. He saw the three women in the garden enjoying their morning snack.

He bowed to his mother and then to Baroness Munchefort.

"Greetings, Mother, Aunt Aggy. May I take my wife away for a while? Thank you."

He did not wait for his elders' reply and dragged Odessa to their courtyard. As soon as they reached their home, Zander closed the door immediately and seized Odessa's lips. His kisses were fierce that their teeth knocked each other a couple of times. Odessa almost bit her lip. He missed her so much that he wanted to engrave her into his bones. He did not want to experience that kind of separation again.

Odessa was panting when he released her lips. He held her head between his palms and pressed his forehead against hers. He was breathing heavily, but the fiery passion deep within him kept burning. It was still not enough.

He seized Odessa's lips once more and gave her a kiss, but it was a lot gentler than the first one. He carried her and walked to the direction of their bedroom. They stayed there for a long, long time.

Back in the military camp, Jorick and Duke Gordon were waiting for Zander's return. The Young Duke left Rodham in Tissuria. It would take an extra amount of power to teleport four people. Rodham understood and no longer insisted. Wolstan was still in the Main Palace, and Rodham volunteered to show Richaem and Roy around the capital and nearby places.

Jorick and Duke Gordon could not leave without the bag that Zenia wanted them to bring along. It was almost lunchtime, and Ovid had no other choice but invite the two gentlemen to the Anisen Manor for lunch.

Renaria was surprised to see Jorick and Duke Gordon again.

"Greetings, Madam Anisen," Duke Gordon greeted politely, and both men bowed their heads.

Jorick scanned the place to look for Zander, but he did not see him. Renaria felt awkward. She knew exactly what happened to her son and the reason behind why he failed to show up when he brought some guests along. Baroness Munchefort just returned to her courtyard. They agreed that she would return to Tissuria in two weeks.

"I'd like to thank you for bringing Commander Zander back. It is truly convenient to travel via teleportation. Master Ovid Anisen told me about it."

Whatever happened to Zander, Jorick had a feeling that it would be best not to ask his whereabouts at the moment.

"Madam Anisen, forgive me for being impolite, did Commander Zander tell you that Zen… the Crown Princess asked us to retrieve a bag at the bottom of her drawer?"

Renaria tried to recall what kind of bag it was but couldn't even remember the color.

"Let me check Zenzen's drawer while you, gentlemen, take your lunch," she smiled and left.

Renaria ordered the kitchen to prepare another set of lunch for Ovid and the two gentlemen. Ovid had been taking his delivered lunch in the camp when he had decided to supervise it for a while. He went home together with Jorick and Duke Gordon before someone could deliver his meal.

Renaria went to Zenia's room, which she still kept clean and orderly in case she and Vaughn suddenly drop by for a visit. She looked at the bottom drawer and saw the bag. She pulled it out and opened it. She smiled when she saw the content of the bag.

She went to her room and retrieved a bottle of rose essential oil. She picked up a pen and paper and wrote something about mixing the essential oil in her bathwater. Renaria wrote some reminders and hoped that it would help her daughter a lot.

She put the bottle of essential oil and her note inside the bag and closed it. She went to the kitchen and packed something for Jorick and Duke Gordon for them to take on their journey. She did not know how fast it was to travel through teleportation and thought that they used some kind of super-fast transport. The three men that she left earlier were already enjoying a scrumptious lunch.

* * * * *

Vaughn and Zenia had finished packing their things. Vaughn had decided to leave for Shadora after lunch when he confirmed that there was a scheduled trip for Shadora in the afternoon. Zenia was beginning to get anxious because there was still no sign of Jorick and the Young Duke.

Vaughn noticed Zenia's uneasiness and thought that she did not want to go to Shadora.

"If you want, we can postpone our trip."

Zenia turned to Vaughn and protested, "No! We already discussed this, and I've been looking forward to this trip."

Vaughn heaved a sigh of relief and took her hand. It was almost time for them to board the carriage that would take them to the port. Vaughn just sent a message to Queen Mina that he would like to take Zenia on a trip and did not mention where.

Zenia gave the direction of the training ground one last look before boarding the carriage. There was still no sign of the two gentlemen.

Vaughn helped his wife to board the carriage and told the coachman to roll.

"Zenzen!" Jorick shouted while running.

Zenia heard it and ordered the coachman, "Stop!"

She went down the carriage and ran toward Jorick, who was waving the bag in his hand.

"Catch!" Jorick tossed the bag to Zenia, who caught it.

"Thank you!" Zenia smiled at Jorick and turned to go back to the carriage.

Vaughn helped her and beckoned the coachman to get going. Duke Gordon finally caught up with Jorick, and they looked at the departing carriage.

"Where do you think they will go?"

"I don't know, but I have a feeling it's going to be a long vacation."