Ivera was shocked one moment she was standing in the throne room JJ in her hands and the next she's suddenly outside the castle walls alone. However as she tried and tried and tried some more to get back in they refused to allow her entrance. They didn't know what happened, but the fact that she had been teleported out of the castle told them that obviously she'd done something to piss off either the King or Master Atemu. So they refused to allow her back in. She'd even gone so far as to hide and wait till they changed shifts but by that time word had finally come down as to who she was and that only she was no longer allowed inside the castle without a special appointment or an emergency and she was to be guarded by at least four guards the entire time she was there.

Finally she gave up and went back to Mr. Johnston to tell him what Asana had said. She went to the bank and over to his desk, "Mr. Johnston?"

"Ah, Ivera what can I do for you today?"

"Um, I can't complete our deal."

Mr. Johnston frowned and said, "Perhaps we should speak in my office."

Ivera followed him into his office and sat down.

"Now, why can't you complete our new deal? Do you have a problem with it? You didn't indicate it when you were here before."

"No, Asana ran away from home. I found her and she was trying to get a job at the castle. I told her to come home and then of your deal and she refused. Then when the King offered her a maid position at the castle she agreed!"

"I see. Well I heard the rumor and apparently it spread, as after you left Royden Hermàn stopped by."

"Mr. Hermàn did, why?"

"He said he too heard the rumor and talked with me and decided that he would buy your place."

"What? You sold our place just like that?"

"Ivera, I never said I sold it to him. But technically speaking you haven't paid a dime on the rent in years. We made a deal on the rent but I never promised to take care of the taxes.

Until you stopped allowing him to take care of Noah, Royden was paying your taxes. Now you owe about 3 years worth of taxes. But Royden's wife BB just left him for another man. She left signed divorce papers on his table. He's told me that he's willing to sell his place to pay your taxes if you agree to let him move in. He also told me that the current VP of the Draglor Society is stepping down. It seems she and her husband have decided to move to Leyna to be closer to their grandchildren. Of course you'll have to be away from home more often. Royden also has a small place left to him by his father that he manages. He's agreed to use that money to pay your rent for as long as he lives with you."

"But why?"

"I think you already know the answer to that."

Ivera remembered the day Mr. Hermàn first approached her.

-~Flashback~-

"Ivera, I'm so sorry about your husband."

"Thank you."

"People are so stupid nowadays. Blaming you for the king's death."

"I just wish I knew why Charles was that close to the King."

"Don't let it get you down. I have a way to help you if you agree."

"Help and agree to what?"

He dropped a low level Draglor Society necklace in her face.

"AH! I have been wanting to join that club for years! Charles always criticized me for it."

"Well now all you have to do is agree to let me baby-sit little Noah and I will get you in. My late wife started that club when she was just in high school and now it's grown so much since then. So what do you say?"

"But I don't understand, why are you doing this for me?"

"Let's just say we'll both get what we want."

-~End Flashback~-

"But I'm still confused." Ivera said.

Mr. Johnston rolled his eyes. 'She must be totally stupid! Royden told me all about what he did and that the brat even told her what he did and she didn't believe him! She is either royally stupid or not wanting to see the truth!'

"Well think it over. I'll give you till the first of the year to think of a way to pay us. The old way isn't going to work anymore. Well unless…"

"Unless? Unless what?"

"Well I told Royden that you might not agree to let him move in. So I thought that perhaps you'd allow Noah to work here. I have some things he could do for me around here."

"I-I don't know that I want Noah to work."

"It'd only be for a couple of hours a day. Till school starts then I'll just ask him to come on the weekends."

"I'll think about it."

'You do that and I'll call Royden and tell him that he'll have to share, Noah. I'd have preferred Asana but I guess Noah will have to do. I've never really thought of doing a boy before but there's a first time for everything.'

x-x-x-x-x-x-xx-x-x-x-x-x

Ivera returned home depressed only to find that Noah was equally depressed. The depression didn't lift and it only got worse as with snow came Noah's fever. Which only made her question more on whether or not to allow him to work for Mr. Johnston. But Noah didn't let his fever hold him down long. On Christmas morning he was up and about like he'd always done. He was majorly excited.

"Noah, honey what are you doing out of bed?"

"I wanted to see what you got me for Christmas!" Then as he looked he saw several things for him and Marine but then he remembered what Asana had said about one of the reasons she left home. "Mom, why didn't you get anything for Asana? It's not like you to forget."

"Well between all the things I got you and the money I gave Marine for her and her family…"

"You decided to punish Asana and blame her for JJ."

"Noah…"

"You might as well blame me too! I had him several times and those bastards continually took him away from me!"

"Noah, I could never blame you!"

"Then why turn on her? She called Shimon's house and I went over there and we talked to her the other day."

"That explains why you have a fever now. You shouldn't have gone so far in this cold. Also why are you talking to her?"

"That wasn't the only place I went. She wanted to talk and why shouldn't I talk to my own sister?"

"Noah, she's not your sister, I told you that!"

"Just like I'm not your son?"

"What? What are you talking about?"

"After I talked to Asana, I asked around and was told that if anyone knew anything about my past it would be Granny Adalade. Not only is she one of the oldest midwives still around from the time I was born, but also knows just about everything happening."

Ivera paled, "What did she have to say?"

"She wouldn't answer any of my questions, she kept mumbling about how Katalena would be so happy to see how much I've grown."

"Well that doesn't prove anything. You shouldn't listen to that senile old quack."

"She also said I look more like Robert than I do John."

"Don't be silly Noah, we don't even know anyone by those names. You look just like your grandfather!"

"Then why won't you discuss my birth?"

Ivera sighed, "Noah I…I went to Cascadia, to the hospital there. I had complications and they gave me medicine to sleep and when I woke up there you were."

Noah glared at her. The story was too simple. If this was the truth, then why now? Why after all the years of asking and questioning her did she refuse to give him an answer. She always changed the subject. For now he decided to let it drop but as soon as he could he'd go back to town and start asking around more. This time he at least had three names to ask about.