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As soon as they entered the compound, Lily could see why her friend was proud. Lanterns like those in the city illuminated both sides of the road, and in the darkness behind them, Lily could see the outlines of great trees neatly arranged into rows. She wanted to see more, so she opened the window, letting the evening breeze in. She peeked out, and saw that the road was leading to a huge mansion, several stories high. As they made their way towards it, trees gave way to neatly arranged gardens filled with hedges and intricately arranged flowerbeds. These were surrounded by small fountains and statues whose details Lily couldn't quite make out in the artificial light. This continued until they reached another gate in front of the mansion, at the hilltop.

"This is where we get off," Mia announced as she stepped outside. Lily followed her, and the pair passed through the open gate. As soon as they did, a guard approached them.He bowed slightly in front of Mia, before speaking: "We were not informed you had been rescued, Lady Dawnheart. I am sure your father would have been here to greet you himself if we had."

"The Watch had no time to inform anyone, since I insisted on coming here as soon as possible," Mia calmly replied. "Is my father on the estate?"

"He is, my Lady," the guard answered. "He was busy organizing the search effort for you throughout the day, and he returned from town recently."

"I will find him in his study then," Mia said and started walking towards the manor.

The guard shuffled on his feet uncomfortably, before speaking up:

"I understand that the circumstances are unusual, but I must know who you are bringing inside, my Lady," he said, pointing at Lily. "Oh, this is Lily. All you need to know is that she rescued me, and that she will be staying here with us for the foreseeable future," Mia replied, and grabbed Lily's hand. Before the guard could say anything else, Mia marched off with Lily in tow. Lily could barely keep up with the smaller girl, and she had no time to take in the sights before they reached the manor doors. They were open, with no guards outside, so Mia waltzed in like she owned the place (which she did, Lily realized upon further reflection).

Inside, a grand entrance hall stretched out, marble statues lining the painting-filled walls. A grand chandelier hung from the high ceiling, midway between the entrance door and the grand staircase on the opposite side. It was a scene right from a novel, and Lily was sure she would have gotten lost in the many hallways if she had been on her own. Mia knew where she was going, though, and she made a beeline for one of the hallways on the left side. It was a smaller space than the grand hall, but the exquisite woodwork and the row of hanging lanterns gave it an air of opulence which matched the rest of the estate.

"My father always ends his day by writing letters in his study, so we will find him there," Mia explained as they walked down the corridor.

"Anything I should know before we speak to him?" Lily asked.

"Not really, I will explain everything to him," came the answer. "Just tell him the truth if he asks you anything."

"I can do that," Lily said, relieved. She didn't like that they had hid things from the police equivalent of this world, and doing the same to Mia's father didn't feel right.

Or maybe you think that because you like his daughter, and you don't want to ruin your chances by making a bad first impression. Her musings were interrupted by Mia opening the door at the end of the corridor, and Lily followed her into a spacious living room. There was a fireplace across the room, burning brightly with no wood inside. A distinguished looking man, dressed in a butler outfit, stood beside it, in front of a door. He turned to face them, and his eyes widened slightly when he saw Mia, but he said nothing. "Is my father inside the study, Damian?" Mia asked after approaching.

"Indeed he is, my Lady," the butler answered with a slight now. "In fact, both the master and the mistress of the house are inside. They gave orders not to be disturbed, but your arrival superseeds them."

"Excellent, me and my friend will see them now," Mia said cheerfully, but before she opened the door, she remembered something and turned to face the butler again. "I almost forgot. This is Lily, and she will be staying with us in the manor. Make ready the guest room next to mine on my floor," she ordered. "And Damian, spare no expense." The butler gave a knowing look to Lily, before nodding and replying:

"I will personally make sure the arrangements are made so that the room is ready within the hour, my Lady."

He gave a small bow, this time to both of them, and left. As soon as he did, Mia opened the door and stepped in."

"What is it now, Damian? I said no interruptions, I am trying to find my daughter," a man behind a desk spoke out angrily, not raising his head from the letter he was writing. "You don't have to do that, dad," Mia replied. "I am here now."

Upon hearing her voice, both the man and the woman sitting across from him, turned towards Mia. Her father stood up instantly, and Lily could see tears in his eyes.

"Oh, Mia, my dear Mia, thank the gods you are safe," he said as he made his way over to her. "We were so worried when you disappeared." He grabbed his daughter in a great hug, almost picking her up from the ground. Mia returned his embrace, and planted a kiss on his cheek. As soon as they separated, the tall woman, who Lily assumed was Mia's stepmother, hugged her too. "I was deathly worried too," she said in a husky voice, clearly holding back tears. "You must tell us what happened."

Mia broke the hug before saying: "I will, but first I must introduce you to someone." She turned around and Lily felt all their gazes on her. "This is Lily Spears," Mia proclaimed. "She is the Chosen of Dahlia and the reason I am safely here." Her father was about to say something in response, but Mia continued: "She is also my Linked Soul."

Hearing that, the man gave Lily a look of suspicion, but before he could say anything Mia spoke up again: "Father, you should know she came to my rescue before knowing who I was, and I willingly Linked with her when she risked her life fighting one of the kidnappers. She never blackmailed or coerced me, and I would still be a prisoner, or worse, if it wasn't for her intervention."

Hearing that, Eric's face visibly relaxed and he wiped away his tears, before speaking to Lily: "If what my daughter says is true, and she has never been able to lie to me, you have the eternal gratitude of my house, Chosen. Ask for anything, and if it is within my considerable power, you shall have it." He spoke in a solemn voice, and bowed at the end. Lily's face turned red from embarrassment for another time that night, but luckily, Mia came to her rescue.

"You are embarrassing her, father. She's only been on Teras for a few days, let her settle in before you promise the world to her," Mia said with a smile. "I owe you two a story, so let me tell it before you pester Lilly more."

"That's fair dear, and I think this reunion deserves a celebratory drink." Mia's mother, Ranea said. She took a few glasses from a cupboard, along with a bottle, and poured a drink into each, before placing them on the small table. Mia and Lily sat on one of the sofas, and Lily took a small sip of the reddish liquor. The taste was strong and fruity, and it lingered long in her mouth.

Mia took a sip as well, before starting the tale. She told the story of her ambush and rescue for the second time that night, not leaving out any details this time. She mentioned the business with the Watch briefly, ending with the carriage ride to the estate. For her part, Lily answered questions about how she died and became a champion of Dahlia and how she happened upon the carriage carrying Mia. The parents wanted the details, and Lily didn't know how much time passed in the talk, but by the end their glasses were empty. When the girls finished their tale, Eric stood up and after thanking Lily again, suggested that the two of them get some rest, while he wrote some more letters in the light of the changed situation. Mia wanted to protest, but her stepmother also insisted, so she admitted defeat, gave them a kiss, and left with Lily in tow.