Chapter 99 - Another reunion

Chapter 99: Chapter 99 - Another reunion PoV: Aurea Annes The last days have been hectic in the palace. Ever since the Duke’s execution, I’ve had little free time, between etiquette classes and all the studying. Lovelace went to that new dungeon, but the vampire wasn’t there anymore. His nest looked abandoned, so he probably moved somewhere else. Which means that Lovelace and I have to keep taking turns to prevent the king from being attacked again until we can locate him. She was also appointed as the new court wizard, and Gundmund was allowed to have his retirement. She wasn’t very keen on the idea at first, but hearing that it would let her have access to the restricted sections of the royal libraries, she quickly acquiesced. It’s been a week since we arrived at the royal capital, and life is starting to take shape. The breakfast today is only me, Lovelace, and Lillian. Prince Jyllian is attending to a social event in another town, and grandpa and grandma often let us have our own time alone. "Excuse me, Your Highness. Lady Levinna just arrived at the palace and wants to see you." "Please, let her in." Mom almost jumped from her chair. She was a bit sleepy before, but now she is brimming with happiness. Understandably so. A few moments later, ’The Boss,’ Levinna, enters the room. "Lily!" "Levy!!" They throw themselves into each other’s arms with badly contained emotion. At least we aren’t in public right now. After a few moments, I also stand up. "Hello, Levinna. It’s nice to see you again, in a better situation." "Oh, hi, Aurea. And you must be Lovelace. Lily told me everything about you two. I’m so happy to meet you." "Mom told me a bit about you, but not much. We were also so focused on getting rid of a pesky bug that we didn’t have much time to talk about her past." "I’m pleased to meet you, Lady Levinna." "You can drop the ’Lady.’ Call me just Levinna, please, Lovelace." "Okay, Levinna." "And you, dear Aurea. I’m glad to be able to meet you again in a more auspicious environment. I guess we are family now." "Hehe... yes. You are my mother now. Right, mother Lily?" "If Levy wants to rejoin with me so we can resume our life together... then I guess she would be your mother too." "What are you saying, Lily? Do you think I would ever abandon our life together?" "I didn’t want to assume anything, my love. I only know that I want to be with you. And you also have the life you built for yourself over the last decade..." "I know, I’m just teasing. I was also afraid that you wouldn’t want it. I know how much you’ve suffered over there." "So, you’re saying that you came to stay, mother Levy?" "Yes and no. I still have business in Amapytu that I can’t simply abandon overnight. Too many people depend on me there." "I understand, my love, and I will lend you any help that I can. But tell me, what’s that about having an inn and being ’The Boss’ in a place like that?" "Well, it all began when you disappeared. I spent the first years using my connections as an adventurer to try to find any traces of you. What I found instead..." Levinna’s voice became a bit more somber and serious. "What I found was a ring of slavery and human trafficking. I remember your father’s and your campaign against slavery, and who the main opponents to that law were." "Duke Addlington..." "Exactly. He and his faction were the ones who spearheaded the noblesse’s movement to block that law. And I found that human trafficking business that had his fingerprints everywhere." "So you suspected him..." "Yes. It took me years, though. Over time, I bought that rundown inn and started to use it as a base of operations. The goal, from the beginning, was to smuggle people to safety." "And that’s why the inn has those rules..." "Yes, Aurea. To be less obvious, I had to run the inn as an inn. And to survive, I had to have a good relationship with the local gangs." "And with your martial prowess and how cool you look, you quickly became ’The Boss.’ I see now, Levy." Levinna got a bit red and embarrassed with that compliment... so cute!!! "Over time, the flux of people to help became so big that I barely had any spare time to keep up with the investigations. But I still managed to get some reports of a slave that looked like you. I was about to send someone to infiltrate that facility to investigate when you managed to break out." "So you were there because you were looking for me? And you were so close..." "Yes. It pains me that we spent years so close to each other without knowing. If I just managed to be quicker..." "It’s okay, Levy. We survived. And we are together again." "Yes, Lily. But you understand why I can’t simply leave the inn?" "I do. But with what happened with me and with the Duke dead, I think that we can put up the abolition law again." "Oh, which reminds me. Mothers, with Duke Addlington gone and his titles revoked, who will govern that land?" "King Halinard was talking about giving the lands to you after you graduate from the Academy." "Whaaaaaaat?" "Oh, Lily, on the way here I heard that the King appointed Lovelace as the new court wizard. Is that true?" "Yes, it is, and she is more than capable of holding that title." "Congratulations, Lovelace. Lily told me how amazing you are." "Thank you, Levinna." "I just need to warn you, Lily... the Church is very displeased. The Duke’s execution, and then appointing a woman as court wizard. If the King also tries to appoint a woman as the head of a noble title, there might be unrest." "I am expecting as much. Both the Church and the nobility are too conservative." "Mom, Lily... why is the royal family so progressive in comparison to the rest of the country? It’s a bit weird." "Oh, remember what I told you about how we often house people who reincarnated from Earth? They always give us different ways of looking at the world, which shifted the family’s opinions over the centuries." "Oh... so, as they come from a more advanced and progressive world, their progressive views about this world shaped the royal family’s views?" "Exactly, Aurea." Heheh. Thank you, my dear compatriots.