Supernatural: Chronicles of the Order 9
Chapter 19: Reiko's Day Off
(DISCLAIMER: No, I don't own Supernatural because it belongs to Eric Kripke and Warner Bros. So, enjoy the show! Rated M for graphic violence, adult content, and adult language.)
It was the first day of September as I noticed the leaves starting to fall off from the trees. Even though I was no longer tethered to Azazel's aura, I had to keep my guard up as I was on my way home after getting a few groceries. By the time I reached the castle, I noticed Reiko sitting at the dining room table as she was exhausted from the constant childcare and other wifely duties in which I didn't want her to experience burnout. Still, she needed to have care for herself as I was also thinking about her well-being just as much as she does with me. When I noticed a brochure and certificate to a spa here on Skald Island in her hands, I had to seize on the moment to get her to have a day off as she needed it more than me.
"Looks like you're on the verge of burnout," I said.
"I would go to the hot springs here, but I can't be under the scrutiny of some of the other women who are mainly housewives and mothers to their children," said Reiko.
"And I thought that I was high maintenance, but there are others who need love and care first."
"I'm afraid of leaving home right now."
"I've got this. You should have a day off at the spa in which you deserve to be pampered more than anything."
Reiko finally gave in as she was ready to go to the spa. When she went to our room, she gathered her purse and bag of spare clothes and other things as she was heading towards the spa for the day. She was ready to leave as she was more than likely to spend the whole day at the spa in which she deserved to be pampered every once in a while. By the time she left the castle, she was on her way towards the a path that led towards the spa as she was more than likely to be getting a bit of time for herself. With the brochure and gift certificate in her purse, she made her way towards the spa as she found it in which it was a good one that was mainly made for the elite than the common folk who often go elsewhere in the public bathhouses to unwind. By the time she got there, she noticed a concierge throwing out a woman as she was dressed in rags and had a stench all over her, for she was denied going there even after trying to show a gift certificate to him.
"Stay out of here, you stinky indigent!" he yelled.
"But I showed you my gift certificate," said the woman as she was in tears. "Your employer said that I was welcome here."
"Not my problem!" The concierge tosses a bar of soap and a scrub brush at the woman as he saw her pick them up. "You're not polluting our spa with your filth, you got that?!" He also throws two small bottles of hair care at her as she also picked them up. "If you really want to take a bath, then go wash yourself in the ocean or in one of the Inland District's waterways! You're not stepping in this spa or any other public bathhouse here on this island, you got that, you stupid hen?!"
Reiko was disgusted by the concierge's behavior towards the woman as she saw her walk away. By the time she caught up to her, she noticed her in the ocean near a beach as she was cleaning herself with what was given to her while trying to hide her nakedness in the water. The cold water chilled the woman as it was also a mean to rinse herself off before returning to where she needed to get to. By the time she walked out of the water, she saw Reiko standing in front of her as she noticed the toil after bathing in the ocean, for she was someone who was forced to "know her place" all over Skald Island.
"You shouldn't be bathing in the ocean too much; you'll end up catching cold," she said as she gave the woman a robe to put on. "I'm sorry that you had to get thrown out of that place."
"I'm meant to be neglected anyway," said the woman as she put on the robe. "I have nowhere to live or to go but to stay near the sewer treatment system where the waterways are at. There's nothing for me here anyway, even if I tried to show that spa gift certificate to the concierge after the owner gave it to me." She starts to shiver as she was holding the scrub brush in her shaking hands. "Life is never fair to the ones who are either born in or forced to go into poverty. All the lower class get turned down all the time while the rest of the island's population live the good life. It's just how it is, but even after you get gift certificates to go higher, you'll always stay at the bottom, no matter what."
"No one is meant to be neglected, regardless of what situation they're in."
"There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you!"
Reiko and the woman saw the elite spa's owner running towards them as she was not too happy with what has happened earlier. The owner herself was an Elf as she was dressed in Sindar clothing in which she was wanting to make sure that the woman who was rejected earlier got the extra care she needed, for she was also someone who needed to be cared for after being rejected earlier.
"What were you thinking when you were forced to clean yourself in the cold ocean like that?" she said. "I told the concierge earlier to take your gift certificate after your constant work as a janitor who lives near one of the waterways."
"I'm so sorry about this," she said as she was shivering with cold. "The concierge told me that I wasn't allowed to go to your spa or any of the public bathhouses, so I cleaned myself in the ocean so I wouldn't cause any more problems."
"You've been through so much after you lost your parents in the war between the Oranges and the Blues, Gerda. I've seen you hard at work as a janitor, but you live in the waterways. You'll be going back to my spa, but you're staying at a sauna to get warm."
"But I can't go back after the humiliation I had earlier."
"You can't let that concierge get to you," said Reiko as she put her foot down. "You have a gift certificate, don't you?" Gerda nods. "Well, it's high time that you get a proper treatment at the spa at the owner's expense."
Reiko led the charge as she led the woman and owner back to the spa. When they returned, they saw the concierge at the desk as he was happy that he got rid of the indigent earlier. All he cared about was the higher class as they paid good money to come here and unwind, but he was ready to bar the shivering woman from entering the spa, for he was ready to humiliate her a little more.
"It's you again," he said as he saw her shivering.
"I have my gift certificate; can you let me in now?" she said as she showed it to him.
"Yeah…, um, no; but I suggest that you get out of here, stupid hen!"
"How dare you?!" cried Reiko as she defended the humiliated woman. "She showed you the gift certificate and you refuse to accept it! Therefore, the owner of this spa has something to say to you!"
"I'm a little disappointed in you!" the owner yelled as she glared at the concierge. "You treat this woman like trash in which she works all day as a janitor to make ends meet. Because of your behavior, she was turned away and forced to clean herself in the cold salty water in which she's been humiliated enough! As of now, I'm warning you not to come here again because I'm firing your sorry ass! Just because we're rich and welcoming to the elite, doesn't mean that we can be inhumane to those around us without hearing their stories. My mother raised me that way and she also knows humility like the rest of us!"
"If you fire me, then I'll tell my father about this!" he yelled. "All indigents are nothing more than animals who haven't had their shots! As for the one who came back, she's not just a stupid hen, but a wet dog! People like her should be locked up in jail so that no one would look at her, for she's nothing more than a worthless waste of space who should've died ages ago!"
"You're done anyway!" yelled a familiar voice as she came towards the spa entrance.
It was Izumi as she wasn't having it the moment she grabbed the concierge by the scruff of his shirt collar and took him outside. When she went towards a dock, she threw him into the cold salty water as she even threw a bar of soap at him, along with a scrub brush and two small bottles of hair care. She was someone that shouldn't be messed with as she was also a member of the Mitani Clan, for she had her reasons to fire the concierge on the spot.
"Perhaps you should take a bath in the ocean!" she yelled. "And for the record, we treat our customers humanely than being kicked out like a stray dog. Perhaps a polar bear plunge will cool your ardor, for your behavior is the worst!"
Izumi returned to the spa as she was inside of the lobby the moment she saw Reiko and the owner sitting on a bench. Everyone was glad that the concierge was fired as his behavior was beyond the pale in which he had it coming anyway. Still, it was calmer as Reiko fished out her own gift certificate in which she showed it to Izumi, for she was also in charge of the spa as well.
"I'm sorry that you had to go through that," she said. "Vernita never wanted to hire him here, but being a 'daddy's boy,' he's trying to make his own money after his family kicked him out of their home when they caught him trying to squander the family fortune."
"That spoiled brat has a name and a social rep that's as sour as a lemon," she said. "His name is Eldrad Foxworth and his family is one of the richest Terran families all over Valinor. They live in the capital, but they also had to distance themselves from the concierge who just got tossed overboard just now."
"By the way, how is Gerda?" asked Reiko.
"Gerda is in one of our saunas after the humiliation she endured in which I hope that she stays warm. As soon as she's done, she's gonna have to go towards a clinic instead of going back to her home in the sewage treatment facility. She works as a janitor, but she's also a war orphan after she lost her parents during the battle between the Oranges and the Blues."
"Please see that she's alright. She's already been through enough."
Reiko entered into the spa's inner complex as she saw several people getting massages. She was also wanting to take a dip into the hot springs here as she went into the women's part and took off her clothes in which she went to the wash basin and cleaned herself off first. By the time she was rinsed, she entered into the hot spring as she saw several more women relaxing in it. She was more than glad that she was goaded into taking a day off as she couldn't wait to tell me about it, for she deserved to be pampered more than anything…
I was busy in the kitchen as I was making dinner that consisted of fish stew with Depression-Era bread. With the start of fall looming, I was also making sure that everyone was getting fed in which I was used to making stew in such cold weather. When I sat down, I was busy waiting for the stew to cook a little longer as it was also tonight's dinner. Still, I was missing Reiko, but I also wanted her to have a day off to herself in which she needed to be pampered once in a while. When I took out the bread from the oven, I set it on the table as I had to wait for it to cool before cutting it into pieces. I ended up surpassing myself as I smelled the fish stew that was cooking in the pot on the stove. By the time I got up to cut the bread, I heard the door to the kitchen opening up as I turned around and saw Gyatso coming in, for he was also exhausted from both schoolwork and training as a medium.
"The stew smells good," he said.
"I'm no stranger into making fish stew, but I've always grew up around stews," I said.
"I wonder how Reiko is doing…"
"She's doing fine in which she needed to go to that elite spa. From what I gathered, it belongs to and is owned by Izumi herself and her daughter, Vernita. She also happens to be another member of the Mitani Clan in which she and Yokose are twins, but married into different Elf clans. Izumi married into the Thibodeau Clan and Yokose married into the Stauber Clan."
"Ippei must've told you a lot about them, didn't he?"
"Ippei, Jun, and Kazuo may have been gone, but their legacy and sacrifice will live on forever. Izumi and Yokose are all that is left of the older Mitani Clan, but their close ties to everyone are a godsend when it comes to helping people. I may not know much about Izumi, but she's also a dead ringer to Ippei due to her status as a hunter back in the day. When he was still alive, he was known as the Sword of Alecrast until he was killed by Darbus Toller."
"And later, you found me on Shiganshina."
It wasn't long until the timer pinged as I got up and checked up on the fish stew that was cooking on the stove. The smell of it filled the room as it was made for cold weather, which was fine. By the time dinner rolled around, I was ready to bring the stew until I noticed Moro rush into the kitchen and took it into the dining hall, for everyone was starting to get hungry When we went and sat down at the table, we noticed everyone and some of the Norsefolk dining on some fish stew that was made earlier in which the latest pot that was made became suitable for us to eat, for it was dinnertime after all.
"Looks like you gave Reiko the day off," said Moro.
"She needs to be pampered every once in a while," I said.
"Aunt Izumi owns that spa, but she has to put up with that douchebag of a concierge."
"That 'douchebag' goes by the name of Eldrad Foxworth and he's also a self-absorbed spoiled brat," said Sigurthur as he took a bite of his fish stew. "I'm hoping to the gods that he gets sacked for mistreating the downtrodden here."
"I've never heard of the Foxworths before," I said.
"The Foxworths are bad news, Sam. They live in the capital, but from what I heard from Alma, Eldrad tried to squander the family fortune until his father kicked him out to get a job, but even being a concierge at an elite spa won't soften him up."
"He's already had a nice swim," said Pamela as she jumped onto one of the chairs. "Izumi fired him on the spot after he humiliated one of the janitors who work near the sewage treatment facility near the waterways. Still, he had it coming when he humiliated that janitor, but he's not the type that can be softened by anyone's plight but his own."
"I hope that he doesn't harass Reiko…"
"She's a tough girl, Sam. She may look meek, but her Nephilim abilities speak volumes. Her quiet sense of bravery is a godsend to you, for she is worth having her with you for the rest of your days."
I was glad that Reiko was safe and sound as I also wanted her to enjoy her day off without any worry at all. Still, she needed a break as I also didn't want her to do too much, for she had needs just as much as I did…
Reiko was in one of the lounges as she was dressed in her robe after relaxing in the hot springs earlier. After getting a massage along with a facial, she was happy to be at the spa as she was mainly enjoying it for the day until she returns home to the castle. What she didn't expect was that Gerda was in the same room with her as she was warm while wearing the robe that was given to her earlier. The woman was care-worn as she had red hair and the bluest eyes that made her more beautiful despite the fact that she wore rags while working as a janitor in the sewer treatment system near the waterways, but her situation with Eldrad made her feel afraid. Why was she afraid? She mainly spent her life working as a janitor as she also had to make ends meet, for she was also the "bottom of the barrel" when it came to just making ends meet.
"I hate that concierge!" she yelled as she had tears in her eyes.
"Are you talking about Eldrad?" asked Reiko.
"His family's rich, but there's another reason why Eldrad barred Gerda," said Izumi as she entered into the room. "The true reason why he humiliated her like that was because she rejected him and I was glad that she did. He wanted to make her his, but she turned him down because of the fact that she believed in hard work than spending the rest of her life in a golden cage."
"But why was he working here?"
"His father, Leopold Foxworth, forced him to 'be a good boy' and earn his own money after he tried to take the family fortune for himself. There were times when Vernita wanted to kick his ass, but when he saw Gerda coming here, he acted like the spoiled brat that he was. It was more than enough for us to fire him on the spot after he forced her to clean herself in the ocean in which it gets really cold around here."
"I had my reasons to reject that little prick," said Gerda. "He saw me because I was there in which he wanted me to be with him, but I saw how spoiled he was. I may be a war orphan, but I didn't want to get married or have children in which my place is being a janitor instead of being trapped in a golden cage. It's been said that girls and young men often get sold to the rich in which those living in poverty become tempted by greed just to have money in order to 'save one's family.' I was one of the lucky ones because I lost my parents a long time ago, but that didn't mean that I wasn't on the marriage market. One day, Eldrad saw me cleaning the streets where I once lived in which he wanted to make me his. I… turned him down because I wasn't worthy to be part of his rich family. That not only made Eldrad angry, but his father in which he wanted me to be part of their circle, but on Valinor, war orphans are forbidden to own property or inherit from their fallen family members. What's even worse is that war orphans are often either forced to find work or marry into one of the richer families. I left for Skald Island, but I never expected to see Eldrad as a concierge until he humiliated me as retaliation for rejecting him. I don't want to get married, but I would rather die from overwork than be trapped in a golden cage, only to be unloved."
"A woman should make her own decision and not be forced into a loveless marriage against her wishes," said Reiko. "If you agree to marry, you should find someone with a kind soul, not mounds of gold. Our 'wayward concierge' may not be a match for you, but he would soon know the error of his ways if he doesn't change his behavior."
"I was never a match for Eldrad or any other suitor anyway, so it's best that I continue to do my work as a janitor for the rest of my days..."
Gerda got up as she looked at herself in the mirror. Her curvy frame was more of a hindrance to her than a blessing as she didn't want to be married. Despite the fact that she was committed to working as a janitor, she hated her own body as she also saw it to be a deflective tool to keep everyone away. All she saw in the mirror was nothing more than her "love handles," "cottage cheese thighs," oversized rump, and "saddlebags" and not her true beauty in which she wasn't worthy of being loved because of her weight, for all she wanted was to get rid of her curves and be normal like everyone here on Valinor.
"I hate my body," she said as she had tears in her eyes.
"Don't say that," said Izumi. "Your body is nothing to be ashamed and not be taken for granted."
"There's another reason why I'll never be worthy of being part of any good family and it's because of what I have. Everyone sees me as voluptuous, but all I see is fat all over me. As soon as I become skinny, then I'll be worthy, but for now, I have to spend the rest of my days as a lowly janitor without any property. No one wants to date a chubber like me. All I am is a nobody without a place to call home and the only way to get by is to work until I get skinny and kiss all my curves goodbye. I might even save up for plastic surgery to make my love handles disappear. I might even get a reduction on my thunder thighs and badonkadonk so I won't be ridiculed all the time. Even my breasts would be reduced so I won't look like a hippo all the time."
"You shouldn't be debasing yourself like that," said Reiko. "You may have the gall to make yourself slimmer, but some men would prefer women with a little meat on their bones instead of the insane beauty standards that don't match. You may think that you will forever be unloved, but your body is your greatest asset and no one will ever take it away from you."
"My body is never an asset! I don't see anything good on me. All I am is a big fat blimp! I could be the bride of Eric Cartman for all I care. I'm never beautiful anyway, but as soon as I get slim, then all the insults will end."
"You're wrong!" Reiko was putting her foot down as she refused to let Gerda talk bad about herself and what she has. "You may have the gall to go on fad diets that don't work, plastic surgery to get rid of your imperfections, or even depriving yourself of food or love, but they will never make you happy. All that they will do is throw you down an endless rabbit hole of shame and misery in which they will force you into an early grave. You're beautiful and nothing will ever change that because size isn't everything. You may call yourself such depraving names like hippo, blimp, or the bride of Eric Cartman, but those things would hurt you a lot more than you think. Your imperfections are what make you unique and if you get rid of them, then you'll be miserable for the rest of your life."
It wasn't long until loud footsteps were heard as Izumi rushed out of the lounge and went towards the lobby. She had a gut feeling that Eldrad would come back with a vengeance as she spotted him soaked to the bone after being tossed into the cold salty water earlier. What she didn't expect was that Leopold was there as she knew him well in which he was dressed in his usual nobility ensemble. She may have tolerated the older Foxworth, but her contempt towards Eldrad was made in front the moment she was defending her ground, for she really got fed up with him for treating Gerda inhumanely.
"YOU!" he yelled as he pointed his finger at Izumi.
"Back for more or do I have to toss your ass to the sharks?" she said.
"Look, I have my old man hounding me and putting me on his shit list right now in which he's here on business."
"What kind of business? Seeing your ass handed to you all over again?"
"That's quite enough, both of you," said Leopold as he put his foot down. "For the record, I'm not only here to reprimand my son for his attempt to squander our fortune, but to collect his future bride so she wouldn't be trapped in poverty."
"Are you talking about Gerda? She's not even a match for your son in which she wasn't worthy of being part of your family."
"I owe a debt after her parents lost their lives to save mine in the battle between the Oranges and the Blues. She may not see that war orphans don't inherit property, but I won't see her working as a janitor for the rest of her life, not on my watch!"
"And what is she to you other than to be a punching bag for your spoiled son?" said Vernita as she came into the room. "What will her life be if you shove her into a golden cage? I know of you Foxworths real well 'cause all you care about is money and not give a damn to those who live in poverty. For the record, Gerda's not gonna be shacking up with your son after what he did to her! And to top it off, she would rather die from karoshi than be trapped in a golden cage because she has her own life to live being a janitor than a toy that's not worth playing with!"
"Gerda will be my daughter-in-law is that understood?!" Leopold fishes out a certificate as he shows it to Izumi and Vernita. "This is a marriage license by proxy in which Gerda will have no other choice but to marry Eldrad or else her father's homestead will fall to ruin."
"And if she refuses?"
"She will be arrested and sent to the tradarium mines on Lannister or perhaps the Sprawl where most outcasts live. I'm demanding her to marry Eldrad and set him straight because I owe a debt to her late parents. We were soldiers on the battlefield once in which the war between the Oranges and the Blues caused so much poverty that resulted in so many children becoming orphans. Gerda, on the other hand, is more than worthy of being part of our family because of the fact that she will bear children due to her genetic makeup. She will even put Eldrad in his place just to keep him from trying to squander our fortune for such frivolous nonsense."
"I'm not going anywhere with you, Leopold!"
Gerda rushed into the lobby as she saw him and Eldrad standing there. She wasn't too happy with the latter for humiliating her earlier as she also didn't want anything to do with him. She ended up getting roped into a marriage contract by proxy against her wishes as she glared at both Leopold and Eldrad in which she was also ashamed of her own body, for she was also roped into getting a golden ticket without her knowledge.
"When will you ever be a good daughter-in-law and give my own son a taste of his own medicine?" he said to her. "I thought that working here to earn his own money and not squander it would soften him, but seeing you here and not letting you near this spa was the last straw."
"Say what you want, but Eldrad should find someone skinnier than me because I don't fit your family's beauty standards." she said. "All I am to you is an ugly pig who is simply too busy stuffing her face and breaking chairs. If I were skinnier, then I would tolerate being beautiful, but I will never fit the mold of what is placed in front of me. I'm happy to be a janitor instead of being trapped in a golden cage in which I'll never be worthy of being a part of your family. Being part of the Foxworths will never work for me anyway because of how fat and ugly I am."
"Enough of airing of your insecurities! There is nothing wrong with you or your body. All I want from you is to marry Eldrad and keep him on the straight and narrow just as your parents did the same for me."
"No! I will never fit your standards, you got that?!"
"You don't have a choice, Gerda," said Eldrad. "My old man has a marriage contract by proxy in which you are my wife after all."
"Then have it be annulled!"
Gerda rushed towards Leopold and grabbed the marriage contract and ripped it to shreds. When she left the spa, she went towards the beach as she went into a cave so that no one will ever bring her out. She didn't want to marry the man who humiliated her as she also didn't feel like showing off her body to anyone in which her own curves were a curse. The northern wind began to chill her to the bone as she would rather die than go to her future in-laws. Even though she was a war orphan, she had no value as she accepted her fate and place being a janitor. What she didn't expect was that there was a tide coming as the water from the ocean rushed into the cave she was in. She was soaked as she was also prepared to die until she felt a hand grab her arm and pulled her out of the cave. When she turned around, she noticed Eldrad standing in front of her as he was ashamed of his actions earlier in which he also wanted her as his bride, for he didn't want her to fade away right now.
"Are you wanting to ridicule me again?" she said to him.
"No…," he said. "There's a reason why I won't take no for an answer because my old man owed your parents his life when he went to war in the battle between the Oranges and the Blues. You can't reject me forever because we're now bound together."
"We were never a match nor are we bound together because your family doesn't want a chubber in their ranks. I've heard your mother telling you that an ideal bride for you is a slender and skinny one because chubbers are unhealthy."
"I did some stupid shit that caused my family to force me to find work here after trying to squander the family fortune, which was selfish on my part. I even humiliated you because you rejected me, but I won't let you die out here!"
"You're still the same spoiled brat from two years ago! I'm never your type anyway because of how fat and ugly I am!"
"You are not fat and ugly!" cried Reiko as she rushed to where Gerda and Eldrad were. "You can't hide your imperfections forever because they're what make you unique instead of being stale. As for you, Eldrad, you had a plunge to cool your ardor, but you're also trying to make up for your mistakes after Aunt Izumi tossed you into the water." The northern wind continued to blow as the ocean waves were getting more choppy than normal. "All of us should go back to Aunt Izumi's spa and try to get along, please."
It wasn't long until Leopold finally caught up to everyone as he was concerned for the safety of both Gerda and Eldrad. Both of them were soaking wet as they also had to go back to the spa in which he was escorting them back with Reiko taking the lead. By the time they went back inside, they saw Vernita looking at the shredded marriage license as she was fitting the pieces together in which she wasn't too thrilled to see Gerda being forced to marry a man whose family didn't fit her standards. With some scotch tape repairing the contract, Vernita fixed it as best as she could until she spotted a letter on the floor. Picking it up, she noticed an old seal that wasn't the Foxworth crest as it was different than what was seen in so many social circles. It was an old letter in which it was unopened until Vernita gave it back to Leopold, for he had it in his possession the whole time.
"This letter belonged to Neil and Tzipprana Aldercapt," he said as he gave Reiko the letter.
"My grandfather told me about their family," she said as she opened up the letter. "There's a deed to a mansion on Cordell Island in it."
"It was the Aldercapt homestead until it was abandoned by its caretakers, only to go to war against Bertram Blackthorne and his religious zealots at the time."
"'To our beloved daughter, Gerda… By the time you get this letter, your mother and I will no longer be alive while defending the Skalvarg Archipelago against the Blues. I advised our closest friend, Leopold, to take you into his family and even be wed to his youngest child, Eldrad. May your future be plenty in which you hold the key to your home here, for we have faith in the man we saved in battle… signed, Neil and Tzipprana Aldercapt.'"
Eldrad and Gerda were shocked to hear about what they could inherit despite the past rejections and humiliations towards each other. Still, they were now bound in which they saw Reiko use her Nephilim abilities to fix the marriage contract by proxy the moment she now realized that they were meant to be together in the first place, for they also had to find their future home soon enough…
I was in the sitting room as I was busy knitting just to pass the time. Even though it was late, I didn't want to worry too much as I was getting ready to get up and go to bed. Just as I was about to do so, I noticed Jack sitting in the chair where the Batman leg lamp was as he was looking at the book he found in which he knew of it to be an old treasure, but it was mainly a romance instead of the plethora of the popular Supernatural and The Winchesters books. Still, books were books as they also had plenty of value, for their stories were immortal after all.
"It's a little late to be reading," I said.
"It was a book that Moro tossed out, but I caught it before it ended up being washed away," said Jack as he was looking at what he had in his hands. "The book is known as Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maude Montgomery in which the main character ends up falling in love with the boy who teased her after she broke her writing slate over his head after he called her carrots."
"You must've been fond of that book."
"Some romance books have meaning and sentiment in which they tell volumes. Moro, on the other hand, never liked romances because they're deemed stale, but she's with the man who once tormented her when they were children."
"And most of the titles that end up being progressive often get caught in the burn pile. And yet, those who are steeped in ignorance often get burned for it."
"It's been said that you can't judge a book by its cover, but you can't judge a bride by her size."
"What are you talking about?"
"Have you heard of a Cetra by the name of Gerda Aldercapt? She is chosen to be wed to Eldrad Foxworth in which they are meant to take over the Aldercapt homestead on Cordell Island. Don't worry too much, for Lady Reiko is mediating this difficult situation at this moment."
I was concerned about what was going on as I left the sitting room and went straight towards one of the library rooms in the castle. In a way, curiosity got the better of me as I saw a ledger that was bound with green leather in which I opened it up. It was one of the ledgers that catalogued the war between the Oranges and the Blues here on Valinor as I saw a picture of a human man and Draaza woman in front of an elegant house in the Grand Hill District on Cordell Island. What I also saw in the picture was Leopold as he was basically a lion of a man with his blond hair and blue eyes back in the day. It was a picture of happier times until the war between the Oranges and the Blues broke out in which most of the planet's population was displaced at the time. I even looked at the later entries as I noticed the troops scaling back the Blues while being assisted by Emperor Esteban before his passing. It was also the last entry before the forces of Bertram Blackthorne surrendered and ended the war as it ended up taking a toll on everyone, including the war orphans that were displaced in the dismal conflict. Still, I had a mission to conduct once Reiko comes home as I also had to mediate a wedding between two stubborn people, for their flames would do more than just to go back to the Aldercapt homestead on Cordell Island so far…
Reiko was in the lounge with Izumi and Vernita as they were also glad that the conflict was resolved without going overboard. Still, they never expected a wastrel change his ways quick as Eldrad was also changed due to the presence of Reiko altogether, for she was the one who had a hand in resolving the conflict in question.
"It's been said that Eldrad finally changed his tune," said Izumi.
"He only did it because of the fact that he has a destiny to claim," said Reiko.
"I hope that Gerda doesn't reject him again or else more shit will hit the fan," said Vernita.
"It won't because Leopold is determined to protect Gerda just like his friends protected him in that war."
"Neil and Tzipprana were the closest friends that he had," said Izumi. "How did he befriend them, perhaps? It was when the he was being tracked down by wraiths in which Neil and Tzipprana Aldercapt were highly skilled hunters and they knew how to kill them by using silver. One day, the wraiths that chased Leopold wanted to make a meal out of his brain until Neil and Tzipprana took them out. He was glad that his life was saved in which he owed them his life at the time. When the war between the Oranges and the Blues broke out, every able-bodied man and woman had to enlist to fight in which their children had to be taken to the Skalvarg Archipelago in different places. One day, the enemy forces reached both Skald and Cordell Islands in which they were driven back, but at a fatal price. Neil and Tzipprana lost their lives protecting everyone on Cordell Island in which their deaths devastated Leopold in which he vowed to protect their daughter and keep her safe just like they did with him when they saved him from those wraiths."
"Poor Leopold…," said Reiko as she felt sorry for the man who was still reeling over the loss of his friends. "I just hope to the gods that he finds solace after all that has happened here on Valinor."
"The deaths of Neil and Tzipprana nearly broke him," said Vernita. "Therefore, he still wants Gerda to marry his son in which their bloodlines will end up being essential to the Foxworths. It won't be easy, but getting to the Aldercapt house on Cordell Island won't be a breeze because it's been abandoned after the war ended. As for the families occupying Aldercapt land, they refuse to let anyone in even after Neil and Tzipprana's remains were salted and burned for burial. They even say that the place is haunted after it took a beating from the Blues."
"And the only ones who can bring the Aldercapt house back from the brink are the ones who are trying hard to make their union work."
Reiko left the lounge as she went into one of the sauna rooms to see how Gerda and Eldrad were doing. She saw them to be warm from the cold chill of the salty water as they were also there to warm themselves up. Both of them were starting to get a little chill as they got out of the sauna room and sat down on a bench across from Reiko, for they were at her mercy after all.
"I hope that you two learn your lesson," she said to them.
"We know, but it's awkward that Eldrad's interested in a chubber like me when he could've dated someone slender," said Gerda.
"Hey, if I'm gonna be married to someone, I want my bride to have meat on her bones instead of being like one of those anorexic supermodels that end up unhealthy," he said.
"I shouldn't be dragged into marriage against my wishes because I'll never be worthy of your family's approval. If I did find someone, I shouldn't be forced into a loveless marriage in which I should find true love with a kind soul instead of mounds of gold. I know that you would never have me because of how ugly I look in front of your family."
"Enough! You can't be trapped by your own insecurities forever because I would rather be with you than some anorexic supermodel. As for our new home, it won't be a golden cage because it needs hope. Your parents would've wanted you to be happy instead of being a janitor for the rest of your life."
Without warning, Reiko heard footsteps approaching as she went out into the lobby in which she saw me standing there with the ledger in my hand. I was mainly there to see what was going on as I also had to settle a problem coming from the spa, for we were in a much bigger pickle than anticipated.
"We need to talk," I said.
"Where did you get that?" asked Reiko as she saw the ledger in my hand.
"It's a log that details the war between the Oranges and the Blues. It also details the friendship between Leopold Foxworth and the Aldercapts before and after the war."
"Wait! There's a deed to the Aldercapt house given to Gerda and Eldrad, but it's located on—"
"—Cordell Island? It's a start, but our two new lovebirds will have to settle their problems and take their rightful place in the Aldercapt homestead."
"I know…" We see Gerda and Eldrad rush out into the lobby as they spotted me here. "As for you two, there's no hiding the fact that you are now bound together in which there's a much bigger destiny for you just as I have a bigger one with my husband."
Both Gerda and Eldrad stared at us as they had no other choice but to step up to the task of accepting one another. Still, we had to go on a mission see what was going on next as the Aldercapt homestead was on the docket, for it needed to be restored as soon as possible…
To be continued...