Tori Transmigrated

While her brother was playing the gallant hero, Tori turned her attention to Ilyana, interested in seeing her reaction. Sonia seemed to have the same curiosity and the two of them looked at their friend between them.

Ilyana’s eyes were wide and her mouth slightly open as she looked up, staring with a dazed expression at Kasen’s back. For a moment, Tori could almost hear the breathy romcom background music as her eyes crinkled up and she wavered between cringing and disgust. Sonia seemed to have been engulfed with secondhand embarrassment.

Tori lifted her hand and waved it in front of Ilyana to try to draw her out of her daze. Ilyana gasped and blinked. Her cheeks flushed and she gave her head a gentle shake. Her brows furrowed and she took a deep breath.

“My lord, there is no need. I can deal with this.” Her voice was steady as she took a step forward and put her hand on Kasen’s bicep.

Tori could’ve sworn she squeezed Kasen’s arm at least once before Kasen gave Ilyana a questioning look, as if asking if, she was sure.

Ilyana gave him another nod and he stepped to the side to make way for her. In front of them, the trio of young teenage girls appeared intimidated by Kasen’s appearance and shrank back.

When Ilyana took his place, there was a moment of hesitancy, as if they weren’t sure how to react. Tori couldn’t help but be a bit insulted. When it was three versus three, they were so arrogant and even dared to publicly besmirch Ilyana, but now they were scared?

She took a deep breath and leaned towards her brother. “Can you cancel the charm?”

His low voice whispered back. “It’ll only last for a minute. Don’t worry.” Tori nodded in understanding. She looked back at Ilyana and waited for her to speak.

“Young lady, I will repeat myself once more: I do not know who this Alex person is, nor do I have any interest in them. If you don’t believe me and continue to wrongly accuse me, I will not hesitate to take matters into my own hands,” Ilyana said, standing up straight.

The girl in the center opened her mouth, but nothing came out. The silence charm hadn’t run out yet.

Flustered, the girl beside her stepped in. “You dare hit us? Don’t you know that we can report you? Nobles who attack commoners without reason can be reported!” She puffed out her chest, but even as she said it, she didn’t seem completely convinced it would work.

Sonia sneered. She lifted her hands and cracked her fists. “Well, it’s a good thing I’m not a noble.”

Tori winced. “Sonia-”

“This doesn’t have anything to do with you!” The other girl next to the silenced one took a step forward and shielded her friend.

Sonia scoffed. “What’s wrong? Afraid to get hurt?”

Tori grabbed Sonia’s arm and pulled her back, putting herself between them. She looked at the trio with disapproval. “We can also report you for malicious behavior and harassment,” Tori told them. She narrowed her eyes. “If you really want the law involved, I’m happy to acquiesce your request.”

“Tori, don’t bother. There’s a better way,” Ilyana said. She took out her comcry, but kept her hardened brown eyes on the girl. “You said that he’s part of the tabletop gaming club at La Garda?”

The three younger girls looked hesitant to answer, but one daringly nodded. The girl who claimed to have been dumped opened her mouth once more and this time was able to speak. “What are you going to do? Call him? I knew you knew-”

“I don’t know who he is. In what world can I call him?” Ilyana retorted. “I’m going to call our friend and have him bring your boyfriend here.” Her eyes widened and looked at them with cold determination. “We will clear this up right now.”

Tori watched the girl in the center pale. “Who...who is your friend?”

“I’ve already called Ewan,” a voice said behind them. Tori looked over her shoulder and up the stairs. Piers was kneeling on the top step, petting Alexander who’d jumped out of his basket. “He will bring the troublemaker soon.”

Ilyana let out a small breath of relief and Tori noticed her shoulders relax. Tori patted her back gently and gave her a comforting look. Ilyana nodded and gathered herself once more. She stood up straight, appearing to try to look as imposing as possible.

“Since your Alex Cos-something is coming, we can ask him what he means by breaking up with you and implicating me,” Ilyana said as she lifted her chin.

Tori noticed the girls’ eyes dart to the side and raised her free arm in the air, making a subtle gesture. “Don’t even think about leaving before he arrives, either. We will not have you wrongly accusing my friend like this and then run off.”

Two imperial knights who had escorted them moved and stood a few steps behind the girls. Piers raised his hand, as well, and two more imperial knights appeared to block the three girls from the back. The young ladies moved closer together and looked at the knights with wide, shaken eyes.

“If you dare to run off and spread these lies, I won’t let you get away with it,” Sonia said in a low, foreboding voice. Her eyes seemed to darken. “No one slanders my friends.”

Ilyana grabbed on to Sonia’s arm and gave her a thankful squeeze.

“Why are there imperial knights?” one of the girls asked, her voice trembling just a bit. She whirled forward to look at Ilyana with dismay. “Why are they surrounding us? You can’t arrest us! We haven’t done anything!”

“They’re not arresting you. They’re stopping you from running off before we can clear the matter,” Ilyana said. “I want to know exactly what was said that made you accuse me today!”

As Tori watched the three girls, she noticed the discomfort and fear on their faces. They were pale, shaken, and Tori wasn’t sure if it was because they realized how serious things had gotten or if it was because the boy, they were talking about was coming and everything was about to come out.

Ilyana held Sonia’s arm and kept trying to calm her. They seemed to be trying to calm each other down. Tori knit her brows and crossed her arms, her eyes never leaving the three girls.

“Did you see us coming?” Tori asked her brother, who stood beside her.

“Piers noticed. I was having a meeting with him here and he saw you three being accosted from the rooftop,” Kasen replied. He glanced at his sister and put a hand on her head. “I know it is difficult for you to stand by when your friend is being harassed like this.”

“Ilyana did nothing wrong,” Tori said in a low voice. “But if they tried to fight her, I would’ve stepped in.”

Kasen nodded. “As expected of my little sister.”

She raised a brow. “But you still got involved. Don’t you trust me to handle it?”

“Don’t you trust me to be there when problems arise?” her brother said with a knowing grin. “Lady Ilyana is tied to Lions Gate, which ties to you, as well as to Henrik. If this negatively affects Lions Gate, it will negatively affect all three of you. It’s best to stop it immediately. I was going to tell you to call Ewan to bring the young man who is the cause of all this, but Lady Ilyana knew to do that already.”

Tori lifted her chin, puffing out her chest a bit. “Our Ilyana is first in our class for a reason.”

Kasen chuckled. “Yes, she fully deserves that rank.”

Tori looked towards Piers as he walked down the steps towards them. “Thank you for calling Ewan.”

“It sounded strange. Lady Ilyana is not such a person to become involved with someone already in a relationship,” Piers said. He tilted his head to the side and glanced at Kasen. “And she is inter-”

“Interested in school, yes! That’s where all her focus is going!” Tori bore her eyes into Piers, willing him to shut up. He closed his mouth and looked down.

“It’ll be a few minutes until they arrive,” Sonia said. She looked towards Piers. “Your Highness, was Ewan at La Garda?”

“Yes.” Piers looked towards one of the plaza’s entrances, as if expecting Ewan to arrive soon. “He knows where Alex Cosgrove is and will bring him.”

Tori saw the girls in front of them flinch. She narrowed her eyes and cocked her head. They looked more afraid of the Alex person than they did facing Kasen. Her eyes grew large, and she suppressed her smirk. Those girls likely came to accuse Ilyana without the boy expecting them to, and now their folly would be revealed.

Sonia was still glaring at the girls. “I’ll have JP take care of any such malicious rumors,” she said in a quiet voice. “Don’t worry, Ilyana.”

“Thanks, Sonia.”

“And I have half a mind to pommel that Alex kid.”

“He’s a La Garda student,” Tori said in a dull voice.

“Then have Ewan pommel him.”

“Let’s not get Ewan in trouble for beating up another student,” Tori said with a sigh.

“If the altercation is outside of school and argued as just, such as in defense, at most, Ewan will get a small punishment,” Kasen’s calm voice was suspiciously encouraging. Tori looked over her shoulder and narrowed her eyes.

“Don’t encourage her.”

“I just wanted to warn you!” The girl in the center of the trio spoke out in a bold voice. “It isn’t unnecessary for you to detain us like this!”

“Isn’t it, though?” Ilyana replied. “You came here accusing me of something that you have no proof of, and I want to find out why. The only person who can answer this is that La Garda student. I am certain this is a misunderstanding and I want to make that clear before you try to ruin my reputation.”

“Did he tell you our Ilyana was his girlfriend or only that he was interested in her?” Tori asked with crossed arms and a furrowed brow. “Because the latter is one-sided and aside from existing, Ilyana did nothing wrong.”

Ilyana nodded her head. The girls opened their mouths, but Sonia cut them off.

“Save your excuses for when the other party arrives,” she said before they could speak out.

Tori caught her brother giving an approving nod. He reached into his pocket and took out a watch. Tori tilted her head to the side as she moved closer to him. “Do you have to leave?”

“I only came to meet with Piers regarding work,” he said, as if his work was a regular desk job and he only needed clarification on a document. “I’ll be busy for several days. Call the kids for me.”

Tori felt her chest tighten. Her brother’s words and tone were very casual, but she knew enough to understand that he would be unreachable and likely on a dangerous mission, so she should call his children to comfort and distract them from his absence.

She clenched her jaw and nodded. “Of course. How else am I going to keep up with Fifi’s chicken growth reports or Robi’s charms advancements. It hasn’t been a year and he’s almost as good as I am.”

Her brother’s face softened. “My children are brilliant and passionate about what they love.” His hand tightened around his watch, and he let it slide back into his pocket. He looked at her with a thoughtful expression. “I know you will take care of them.”

She didn’t like the underlying meaning of that sentence, but she kept a smile on her face “Yes, but I won’t need to.”

He chuckled. “Nothing is certain.”

There was defiance in her voice as she met his gaze. “I am certain enough.”

Kasen let out a low, amused laugh. “Then, care to give me a safety charm?”

Tori wrinkled her nose. Since she was primarily a crystal user, she didn’t carry around suitable paper to write charms with. Even if she did, she didn’t carry around bulky ink and pens for writing charms. She didn’t even carry around pencils unless she was at school or working.

She glanced at her wrist. Her velare crystal was always with her, but that still needed paper. “Maybe I should start carrying around some supplies....”

“Then, write a charm on my hand.” Kasen held out his two hands, palms up, in front of her. “Fifi wanted to give me a charm, like her brother, but she doesn’t know how, so she scribbled on my hands with her wax sticks.”

The corners of Tori’s lips curled up. She could see Fiona being eager to give her beloved father a parting gift like Robert could. Fiona was just learning to write, so Tori wasn’t sure what she’d tried to ‘write’ on Kasen.

“She wrote on your hand?”

“She wanted to write on my forehead, like the archbishop did at her trifecta ceremony blessing, but I was worried her hand would slip and she’d poke my eye,” Kasen said. Once more, it was another highly likely thing for Fiona to do when she was excited. The last thing they needed was for the four-year-old to get so excited, that she’d stab her father in the eye with a wax coloring stick. “So, I had her write on my hand.”

Tori closed her eyes and shook her head. “I’m not a child, you know.”

“You are my baby sister,” Kasen’s warm voice replied. “Always.”

She drew her lips in and nodded. She went through her bracelet, reaching for the velare, but paused before her fingers could remove it. Instead, her hand rose to her neck.

“Let’s use my birthday crystal,” she said as she carefully unlatched it from the chain. She still wasn’t sure how she wanted it set, if she wanted it carved and set at all, so while the chain was higher quality, the water moon crystal itself was still wrapped with wire. She took her brother’s right hand first and properly grounded.

She wanted to take the ‘charm’ seriously. Even if it did nothing, she was sincere in wishing for her brother’s safety. Kasen watched her as she used the crystal’s point as a small pencil, writing out invisible Old Sulfae for enhanced senses, quick reflexes, clarity of mind, speed, and increased energy gathering, which she figured would put more energy into any charms he made.

After she finished with his left hand, she looked down at his pale palms that had some faint, pinkish-red marks on them from where she had dragged the point of the crystal.

“Don’t press too hard next time,” Kasen said as he lifted his hands and looked at them. “My palms itch a bit.”

“Next time, I’ll give you an actual paper charm,” Tori said as she hooked her crystal back onto the chain.

Kasen stepped forward and embraced her tightly. “I will visit when I return.”

Her arms squeezed him as she shut her eyes. “Safe mission, Kasey.” He stepped back and gave Piers a small nod.

Kasen looked towards Ilyana and Sonia. “Lady Ilyana, Miss Vissage, don’t make my sister worry too much. Proceed with your safety in mind,” he said with an amused smile.

“Thank you for your help, my lord,” Ilyana said as she gave him a bow of her head.

“Thank you, Lord Kasen. We will be careful.” Sonia bowed her head as well.

Kasen walked off to the side and a valet had his horse ready. He thanked the valet and took the reins, easily mounting the saddle. He gave them one more nod before riding off.

Tori looked back at her friends and found Ilyana staring in the direction Kasen had gone with glassy eyes.

Sonia rolled her eyes. “You’re almost as bad as Tori when it comes to a pretty face.”

“Hey!” Tori snapped her head towards her.

Ilyana flushed and shook her head. “Lord Kasen is simply a kind man. Without any hesitation, he stepped into his arms - I mean, help us!” Ilyana clenched her hands at her side. “Lord Kasen stepped in to help us!”

Sonia and Tori looked at her, unbelieving. Ilyana looked to the side. Tori looked at Sonia with a frown.

“My criterion for pretty faces is very high,” she said, unashamed as Sonia grinned. “Look at the people I’m surrounded by.” She pointed to Ilyana first, then Piers, who was standing by the steps, watching Alexander be served food from the most expensive restaurant in the city. Tori squinted. “How did Alexander get food so quickly?”

“I knew you were coming with Alexander, so I had the chefs prepare,” Piers replied. “It is steamed chicken breast topped with dried and shredded fish, over a crab broth reduction.”

Ilyana furrowed her brows. “Was that on the menu?”

Tori ran a hand down her face. “No, it’s something that Alexander eats when he’s at the palace.”

“Tori, your cat eats better than me,” Sonia told her in a dull voice.

“Alexander eats better than all of us....” Tori muttered.

“My lady, Sir Ewan has arrived.” One of the knights notified them behind them. They looked towards the plaza and saw a regular rental carriage with a placard hanging that said it wasn’t vacant, reached them.

“Good,” Sonia said, sending the three girls glares. The trio looked as if their souls had left them. “We’ll get this cleared up.”

The door to the carriage opened and Ewan jumped out. He looked towards them and waved an arm before bowing his head to Piers.

“Your Highness, I brought Alex Cosgrove,” Ewan said before standing up straight.

Piers gave him a nod and raised an arm towards Tori. Ewan looked at them and let his confusion show.

“Jillian!?” A horrified voice came from the side of the carriage. A young man had shoulder length, straight dark hair, and gray eyes. He was about average height for his age and was still wearing a training uniform for La Garda.

Ewan was dressed in a training uniform, as well. They were required to be in uniform whenever they were on campus.

Sonia and Tori both drew their heads back as they looked over the knight Ewan brought with him.

Sonia pursed her lips. “Maybe I’ve also been around too many good-looking people recently that my perspective has skewed.”

“No....” Tori said as she squinted. “It’s not you....”

“Why did Prince Piers order me to bring Alex?” Ewan asked as he approached Tori and the others.

Sonia crossed her arms over her chest as she answered, but kept her eyes on the girls who shrank back upon the sight of the knight-in-training.

“These three young ladies came here to accuse Ilyana of stealing the girl named Jillian’s boyfriend from her, causing him to break up with her. The boyfriend in question is this Alex Cosgrove.”

Sonia’s look was withering, and Tori also frowned. Ilyana maintained a firm, disapproving expression as Ewan knit his brows and crinkled his eyes.

“Ilyana doesn’t have a boyfriend. She’s in love with Lord Ka-”

“That part doesn’t matter!” Ilyana nearly yelled as her face turned red. “Let’s focus on the fact that I don’t have a boyfriend and thus did not steal one from someone else!”

“Sir Cosgrove,” Tori said as she looked at the young man who was standing beside the young ladies with a red-faced scowl. “Did you tell this young lady that you were in love with Lady Ilyana Agafonova?”

The young man’s face somehow turned even redder. “I...I didn’t mean....” His panicked eyes looked at Ilyana and Jillian and then back at Ilyana. He immediately bowed his head. “My apologies, Lady Agafonova. My fellow villagers have bothered you today!”

“You’re not answering the question.” Tori frowned.

“Your girlfriend has openly accused our friend of seducing you and causing you to break up with her,” Sonia said. “Our friend has been wrongly accused. Did you tell your girlfriend that the reason you were breaking up with her was to be with Ilyana?”

With several pairs of predatory eyes on him, Alex opened his mouth, but no words came out. His jaw flapped around as he looked at the expectant faces.

Ewan stepped forward and let out a tired sigh. “Alex, just answer the question. Did you break up with your girlfriend for Ilyana?”

The other young knight hesitated, but then dropped his head. “I admire Lady Agafonova greatly, but I know she doesn’t know who I am.”

“I told you!” Ilyana said, almost pointing at the other girls. Tori held her back to try to calm her.

“Then explain this properly to your girlfriend, as she believes Ilyana tried to steal you from her.” Tori stopped herself from adding the ‘or else’.

The young knight looked at a loss. “I didn’t tell her that I was seeing Lady Agafonova.”

“You told me that you wanted to break up because of her!” Jillian gasped as she stepped forward, her friends still holding on to her arms on either side of her. “Isn’t it because she seduced you?”

“No!” Alex nearly choked out as he turned to look at her. “I’ve never spoken to Lady Agafonova! I only said I admire her! And I didn’t break up with you because of her. I broke up with you because you are constantly doing things like this!”

“Like what?”

“You are always jealous whenever there is another girl near me. The server at the restaurant, my distant cousin who came to visit in the winter. You even cornered Sir Seger last year when you found out she was assigned to work with me for the tactical retreat!” Alex almost cried out. “She is a knight! And likes women!”

“She likes men, too,” Ewan said. Alex gave him a helpless look. “Well, she does.”

“Not central to the conversation,” Tori cut in. “Miss Jillian, Sir Cosgrove had made things clear. The reason he broke up with you has nothing to do with Ilyana. Please apologize to her and refrain from such accusations again.”

The girl had a resentful look, and it was obvious that she didn’t want to.

“Jillian,” Alex said in a trembling voice. “Please apologize.” The girl kept her mouth shut and turned her head away. “Jillian! Do you know who they are? She is Countess Guevera and the man who called us here is His Highness Prince Piers!”

It wasn’t as if they were going to eat them. He didn't need to sound so terrified. Tori sighed and lifted her hand to rub her forehead.

“I don’t need an apology,” Ilyana said with an icy glare. “However, such accusations should never happen again and if I hear of such a rumor, I will attribute it to you.” Her eyes were fixed on the girl with a look of warning.

Jillian couldn’t meet her eyes, and neither could her friends. All three of them looked shaken. Unable to get an apology from them, Alex stepped forward and bowed his head. “Please accept our sincerest apologies, my lady.”

“I suggest you deal with this properly, Sir Cosgrove.” Ilyana glared and turned around. “Ewan, I’m sorry we had to bother you today.”

He shook his head. “It’s fine. I was watering the medicinal plant garden.”

“Bring the meal I’ve requested for him,” Piers told one of the valets. He looked at Ewan and gave him a small nod. “You acted quickly. Take the meal back.”

Ewan’s face lit up. “Thank you, Your Highness!”

Tori followed Ilyana into the Three Queens. Manager Sassure met them in the foyer and gave them a gentle smile, asking if Ilyana was all right.

Ilyana’s strong demeanor fell, and she frowned. “I’m fine, sir,” she said, sounding like her regular self. She gave Manager Sassure a forced smile. “This isn’t the first time this has happened to me.”

Tori bit her lips and put her arm around Ilyana’s shoulder, bringing her closer to hug her as Sonia patted her shoulder.

“It’s not your fault,” Sonia told her.

“And you handled it very well,” Tori added. “And even if you didn’t, we would stand by you.”

The workers finally seemed able to dismantle the previously built school houses and knock down the dirt pillars Tori had created. The area outside the abbey was now an area enclosed by a stone wall with piles of lumber towards one end.

“What do they plan to do with the wood?” Tori asked.

“According to the carpenters, they are still sorting the lumber. They are removing the damaged and rotted pieces, but will keep anything still usable to save on cost,” Alessa replied. She looked somewhat disappointed as her shoulders slumped. “However, they told me it won’t be much.”

“Even a few salvageable pieces are better than none,” Tori said as she looked back out at the walled area. “You don’t need many buildings, anyway.”

After the review of Alessa’s project, changes were made to Alessa’s original elaborate plans. The multiple buildings for students to slit by age was reduced to one schoolhouse and further stress was put on getting instructors and supplies.

Upon arrival, Tori took a tour of the area and then asked to sit with the nuns in charge of organizing the current learning curriculum. She wanted to know what was being done now and what would change with Alessa’s project.

She’d heard a little bit from Robert, but Robert’s education at the orphanage was limited as he was only eight when he was adopted and then given private tutors by his father. In addition, after the collapse, many nobles and wealthy individuals donated money to assist with the children, but much of it went to repairs for their living quarters and learning supplies.

There wasn’t much left for instructors.

Alessa had gone to speak to various teaching schools in Horizon at Tori’s earlier suggestion, but there were few interested in teaching for such minimal pay. The ones who agreed were given a place to stay and meals along with their pay, but for many teachers, they had better prospects elsewhere or had already planned to teach in their home regions.

There was a minimum number of instructors required and Alessa needed one more to teach older children. Once they turned sixteen, orphans needed to leave the orphanage. Ideally, the abbey would try to connect them with an apprenticeship or a shop to work in, but sometimes, it was difficult for orphans to find such positions and they would end up migrating around Soleil doing odd jobs.

It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t easy and tended to make it difficult to settle down.

Alessa didn’t have the connections to help in getting orphans apprenticeships. At best, she could hire them to work for the Golden Cow, but she already had plenty of employees and couldn’t take on an indefinite number of new ones.

Alessa couldn’t send them to Chetterswickshire, either. It wasn’t as if there were jobs there.

Tori took a deep breath and rubbed her forehead. “The new instructors have already started. Are they facing any difficulties teaching? Such as lack of supplies? Limited space?”

“The children are split by age and right now, they are being taught in different areas, but it is difficult, as there are multiple classes at once in the dining hall, which causes disruptions,” Alessa said. “The school house would be mainly for younger children, as they tend to be the rowdiest. The nuns say that they often distract the older children, making it difficult for them to learn.”

Tori nodded and squinted her eyes. “Did they say how long it would take to build a new one-room schoolhouse for the younger children?”

“Once the lumber has been sorted and all the materials arrive, they can begin. It shouldn’t take more than three months for a modest one-room schoolhouse,” Alessa replied. “Thank you once again for mediating with the carpentry and masonry guilds.”

Tori lifted her hand and gave her a small, dismissive wave. “This is an important matter, but also not as labor intensive. The duration of the project is not long, and they are already following the building guidelines of other village schoolhouses.”

Rather than design an entirely new structure, Guildmaster Blomgard suggested following existing plans of primary schools in neighboring villages. It was cheaper, faster, and they knew what was needed.

“Speaking of masonry, what happened to all the bricks?” Tori asked. There was plenty of lumber piled up, but she didn’t see the vast number of bricks that had been used previously.

“The damaged ones have already been taken away. Many had been damaged during the collapse and dismantling of the buildings. What appeared to be usable were kept. They’re piled behind the abbey,” Alessa said. “It should be enough to build the schoolhouse.”

Tori wrinkled her nose and narrowed her eyes. All those bricks that the Cow Bastard had tried to take from under her nose and all that were left were a handful of usable bricks just enough to build one structure. It was frustrating.

“Only one?”

Alessa gave her a weak smile and nodded. “A little more than one, but not enough for two.”

“Tragic.” Tori frowned. “What happened to the unusable pieces?”

“Oh! I’ve sent them to Fendersmith Fields. Do you remember the caravan stop?” Alessa’s face lit up with more excitement than when she spoke of the orphanage. Tori nodded.

“Yes, are they using the broken pieces for some sort of additional construction filler?” Tori asked.

Alessa nodded. “Yes, for the roads leading to the site. They’re already on their way to an old settlement near the construction site: Burnrest Point. It’s been abandoned, but there are still usable structures, so workers have been staying there to save on building lodgings.”

Tori nodded. “Are there many abandoned villages in the area?”

Alessa gave her a sad smile and nodded “Unfortunately, yes. The great drought caused so many people to leave. Fendersmith Fields is dotted with abandoned homes and farmsteads.”

“Was there nothing else that the people of the area could do aside from farming?” Tori asked.

Alessa furrowed her brows and looked down, appearing to think for a moment. “There really wasn’t much else the people knew how to do. At least, that’s what Daddy told me. Many forests were cleared for farmland.”

“Did the forest grow back?” Tori asked. Was there enough time for them to grow back? Was there enough water for them to?

Alessa shook her head. “I don’t think so. I haven’t gone to see the site myself. I spent most of the summer here after your brother’s wedding.”

“I see,” Tori said. “It would be good to know if the land was suitable for any industry now. You said it was ancestral property from your grandparents?”

“Yes, my mother’s side!”

“You should go and visit it,” Tori said. “I find that being there in person and looking over the area can give you a better idea of what can be done.” This was not the time when she could simply hop online and find out more information on a location. It was best to do an in-person visit. Tori knew doing so helped her with the delta.

“I plan to go during winter break, though not much will be happening if it gets too cold to do construction work,” Alessa said. She perked up and looked at Tori. “Would you like to come with me? It is only a few days from here. It will take about a week for a round trip.”

“In the winter? I’m afraid I have plans already,” Tori said. “Though, when you go, try to contact locals to find out more about the area. If you want to discuss when you return, we can discuss.”

Alessa threw her a wide smile. “Thank you, Countess!”

“I haven’t done anything yet. Thanks are unnecessary.”

“I will take as many notes as possible. If we have some structures built before the school year ends, I will invite you to take a look,” Alessa said. “You have a lot of knowledge on such things, and I really want to make the caravan stop a success. Not just for myself, but for my villagers. If it is able to grow, some families are willing to resettle in the area to work at the stop.”

“I know that it has been a goal of yours and your father’s to provide jobs for your villagers. As Fendersmith Fields is a sparsely populated area, it may lure back the people who left. I’m sure there are many who’d like to return to their ancestral lands.”

Alessa’s face softened. “Daddy said that it was something my mother’s father had wanted to do in his lifetime, but it was not possible. My mother also wanted to see where she was born before she died, as well. I feel that I will be doing something she was not able to. If I can honor her wishes, I will do so.”

Tori nodded. “That’s a good way of thinking of it.”

“Yes. I’m lucky to have met like-minded people,” Alessa said with a thoughtful smile. “Adrien’s family was also from the drought-stricken area.”

Tori didn’t let the surprise appear on her face. “Was he?” She recalled investigations didn’t provide enough information and no one really knew where he was. It was as if Adrien sprung up out of nowhere as a teenager.

Alessa nodded, enthusiastic. “Yes! His family was from the same village as my grandfather’s before the drought. That’s why he’s so determined to build a caravan stop there and bring people back.”