Elise was at a loss for words. She couldn't move as the man in front of her rushed forward to hug her tightly. She hadn't given it much thought while she was away—too many things had happened to even think about anything else—but now that he was right next to her... she realized how much she had missed her father.
"I am so glad that you are okay," he said.
Her father's gentle voice brought her back to her senses. She hugged him back, burying her face in his chest. She couldn't say anything. She was not ready for this. Of course, the whole point of coming back was to explain herself and leave on better terms. But not this way. Not while under arrest for some fabricated reason.
He pulled back after a while, giving Elise a chance to look at his face. Her father, Regory Vandenberg, had aged. He still had his square chin and warm brown eyes, but the lines on his face had deepened. His black hair had started turning gray at the temples. It had only been about a year and a half since she left home. The difference shouldn't have been this drastic, right?
His physique was still the same, though. His build and posture were still fitting for a veteran warrior. His high-quality, dark blue and gray jacket showed his status, along with the crest of the Vandenberg Family: a gray mountain under a blue sky. Some might say he looked intimidating, but not to Elise. To her, he meant home.
"You have grown well, my daughter." He broke the silence, making Elise realize she was still standing there without saying a word.
"I am so happy to see you, Father. I just wasn't expecting you this early." She decided not to mention him looking older.
"I came here as soon as I heard the news about your arrest. I arrived in the Capital three days ago."
If her father was here, there was a chance her mother would be too... "What about mother?"
"I came ahead with a few men. I think they will be here in three days."
"They?"
"Ah, yes. You don't know, of course." He seemed a bit disturbed, pausing for a moment before continuing. "You have a little brother now."
Well, that was a pleasant surprise. She was an only child and had always begged for a sibling when she was little. But her parents were not exactly on good terms, so it had never happened. She wondered what had changed; had they finally made amends?
"It was your mother's idea. She thought that you..." He didn't finish the sentence, but it was obvious considering her mother's pragmatism.
"She thought I would not come back, and the Family needed an heir."
Her father didn't say anything, but his expression confirmed it. Well, she hated to admit it, but her mother was not entirely wrong.
"She was right, Father. I don't intend to come back home, at least for now."
He tensed up a bit; he was never good at hiding his emotions. That was her mother's specialty.
"If it is about the engagement, don't worry. Even though the Royal Family still wants it, I can call it off if that is what it takes for you to stay."
Calling off an engagement with the Royal Family was not something one could easily do. They were royalty, after all. It would cost too much political influence from the other family. But the Vandenberg Family could get away with it; they were a vital pillar of the kingdom.
"Thanks, Father. But that is not the issue." She tried to find the right words, but she was never good with them. Her pause led her father to another conclusion.
"Is it about the man they put in the dungeon?"
"You could say that." Yes, she could use the Traveler to convince her father. If they met, he would understand.
"Elise... I heard the rumors, but I wanted to hear the truth from you." His discomfort with the topic clearly showed. "Are you and this man in a relationship? Is that why you ran away?"
"Ahh, this again! Of course not, Father. He and I are just... I am his apprentice. He is teaching me how to... travel." She hadn't expected her father to bring up that topic. If she could just get her hands on the guy who spread those rumors...
"I am relieved to hear that. But teaching you how to travel... what do you mean by that?"
"It is a bit hard to explain. But if you talk to him, you will understand." She headed toward the door. "Come, let me introduce you." But her father held her shoulder, stopping her.
"You should rest, my daughter. You have come a long way. I will look into those rumors. I already have a rough idea of what is going on, but I need to confirm it."
That was how her father was. He always thought things through, acting only according to the information he took his time to collect. A slow but sure process. Maybe she could be helpful in this situation, too.
"I think there is a connection between these rumors and the bandit attack on our way here."
"You were attacked by bandits!? Are you okay!? Why didn't anyone tell me!?" He could sometimes be a bit overprotective.
"I am fine, Father. Don't worry, we took care of them quickly." She wanted to assure him.
"You? They let you fight?" Well, this was not going well.
"Father, I am okay. Please, let me finish." She tried to refocus the conversation. "They attacked us on the main road, and some of them came directly at me. I think their goal was to capture me. We have their leader, who is also in the palace dungeons right now."
She could see from her father's face that he was having a hard time processing the things she said. But he quickly gathered himself.
"Okay, I will look into that as well. Maybe we can interrogate the leader while we are in the dungeons. Right after you introduce me to your... What was his name again?"
"Traveler. He calls himself Traveler."
He seemed like he was about to say something, but changed his mind. "I will not question it. Let's meet at dinner, and then we'll head to the dungeons. Until then, you just rest. How does that sound?"
"As you wish, Father." It was probably the best course of action for now.
He reached out to Elise for a hug once again. They held each other tightly. The months she had been missing were rough for both of them.
"We will talk at dinner then, my daughter." He turned and knocked on the door, waiting for the officers outside to open it, and left after giving her one last smile.
***
Elise stood there, looking at the closed door. She hadn't realized she missed her father this much. Now that he was gone, the room felt empty despite all the luxurious furniture. Into that emptiness, a deliberate sound crept in. The chambermaid stood next to the door connecting to the second room of the suite.
"Your bath is ready, my lady," she said softly.
Her 'prison' had two rooms. The one she was currently in had a couple of couches and chairs, a coffee table, and some bookshelves to pass the time. The other had a plush bed, a bath, and a dressing cabin separated by a screen. The room was filled with a light incense scent.
The maid had been in the other room while her father visited, and Elise wondered how much she had heard. If she were like the maids she used to know, it was only a matter of time before their conversation spread throughout the palace. Not that it was a secret; everyone was about to know the truth soon enough anyway.
She headed to the dressing cabin first. She still wore her gambeson, unable to remember the last time she took it off or bathed. Was it in Rihona... before it was destroyed? It had been almost a year! That was also the time she waded into that river of glowing liquid. Her body must be crying out for a proper bath, but circumstances simply had not allowed it. She wrestled with her clothes for a while inside the cabin. How the hell was this thing supposed to come off? Were the straps stuck? It shouldn't have been this hard.
"Do you need help, my lady?" the maid asked.
Great! Even the maid had realized how incompetent she was. The young lady of House Vandenberg couldn't even change her own clothes.
"No, it is okay. I am almost done."
If she just pulled that buckle, it should have loosened and let the rest come off. But why was it not giving way? That stupid thing... a sharp sound filled the room. The strap had snapped, leaving a crushed lump of metal in her hand. Well, at least the gambeson had loosened a little.
"Are you okay, my lady?" The maid's worried face peeked around the screen.
"I am fine. It is just..." She dropped the crushed buckle onto the ottoman next to her and accepted her defeat. "Yeah, I could use some help, I guess." It was hard to admit, but there was no need to waste any more time on petty pride.
"As you wish, my lady." The maid stepped into the cabin and immediately went to work on the buckles. Her small but dexterous hands quickly loosened all the straps and removed the gambeson while Elise looked at herself in the full-length mirror. She could smell the maid's floral perfume, but once the thick gambeson was off, both the maid's and the room's pleasant scents were overwhelmed by her own sweat.
She looked at the maid in the mirror, expecting to see a disgusted face, but the maid wore a completely different expression.
"Oh, the rumors were true. You are indeed a warrior, my lady." She was looking at Elise's physique in awe. Elise also noticed it after getting a good look at herself.
It had been a while since she last examined herself. Was her body always this muscular? She had been training with swords ever since she was a child, but she had never noticed a transformation on this scale before. Her arms were thicker, and her shoulders broader. Her abdomen had definition she never knew existed. But none of the changes were disproportionate. It was as if her body was sculpted to be that way. Nothing more, nothing less. She had always been a bit taller than most women her age. Now, with her height complemented by hard-earned muscle, she looked undeniably intimidating.
While she was examining herself, the maid had already taken off her leather pants. Her legs were no different from her upper body, if not even more muscular. She had walked, run, fought, and walked again for months on end. Well, that brutal regimen had certainly proved useful. Deep in those thoughts, she realized at the last second that the maid was reaching for her undergarments.
She stopped the maid's hands. "I will handle the rest. Thank you for the help." Her voice was perhaps a bit harsher than intended. But thankfully, the maid understood Elise was uncomfortable being naked around her and respectfully backed off.
"Then I will ready your dress, my lady. Ring the bell next to the bathtub if you need anything." She left the cabin and went into the other room.
Finally, Elise was alone. She undressed completely and took a final look at her body. She had never obsessed over her looks before, unlike her mother, but now, for the first time, she looked at herself as a grown woman. Grown into exactly what she wanted to be: a strong, dependable warrior.
She stepped into the bathtub. The water was still piping hot. It felt like a soothing ointment seeping into her sore muscles. She slowly sank into the water, letting herself truly relax after a long, exhausting journey. Even though this was not the life she wished to live, she had to admit, it still had its benefits.