The stairwell opened up to a grand reception area with plush chaises and ornate gold-framed paintings. The walls themselves were sepia-toned with dark waves of amber patterning resembling water encroaching on a shoreline. Tying the room together were the large rugs of vibrant red with aureate tassels generously covering the marble flooring.

The sheer expression of luxury was overwhelming, but I did my best to step evenly and look forward instead of lingering on all of the wonders and embarrassing myself again. I didn't know much about court-rank, but I easily drew the conclusion that here, a duke held the wealth equal to that of any powerful royal.

Before I had moved even two paces from the stair Avery swept beside me, proffering me his arm again. So diligent, but I couldn't deny the comfort he offered in this unfamiliar environment. As much as I wanted to think I maintained the maturity of the prior thirty-one year old me, I really did feel like a child here. No one knew me, nor did I have any real knowledge of the world around me. It was all just summarized tidbits that fit in here and there between the storytelling of the main plot.

He led me out of the reception area to the right of the stair and into a wide hallway. The walls here were lined with portraits of regal figures whom I assumed were all relatives of the duke. We stopped in front of a set of dark wooden double doors. Although I was certainly much smaller than what I was accustomed, these doors towered over even Avery. Easily spanning thirteen feet in height, they were the last wall that separated me from my new father.

To be completely honest, I knew very little of the duke. The novel took great pains to give the impression he was a good man, but rather than establishing the relationship of parent and child, the story kept their interactions distant, connecting them only through loyalty and obligation. To choose a female child of no relation as his heir, surely he must have at least wanted a true family with Karina's adoption, but he essentially got a small and studious robot instead. I felt bad for him. Even still, I never had a father in my life prior, as he had chosen to live freely of my mother and I lest we tie him down. I didn't really know what to expect, or how to establish a good relationship with the duke. As an adult I would feel the occasional pang tugging at my heart when seeing a happy father and daughter together, but with no real frame of reference I wasn't sure how to be a proper daughter, much less to a duke. Despite these doubts, I had confidence I could manage better than Karina at the very least. Perhaps I would find in him a part of what I lacked. After all, I was wanted here, needed even.

I nodded to Avery, and he pulled open the doors. They moved, groaning with age and weight. They were carved beautifully, yet were heavy and purposeful. I liked things like this. They were true symbols of transition, not merely pomp. It could very well be, I only felt this way because they marked my first meeting with Duke Kruscia, but there was meaning in that nonetheless.

The dining room was quite large and an enormous table stretched two-dozen feet or more across the center of the room, comically laid out for two with a setting on either side. It took a lot of willpower not to giggle at the thought of a shouting match over dinner with someone so esteemed as the duke. Perhaps what they had in mind with this was even more awkward and I was expected to communicate through a servant throughout our meal and have them convey my words to him back and forth. It could even be a test to see if I would put up with this sort of ridiculous setup.

If it were Karina, I knew she would surely have accepted the situation quietly and sat at her assigned seat. I was Karina now though, and I didn't want my relationship with my now only family to be simply a debt I couldn't repay. Such a cold way of living was just too sad.

I scanned the room and noted the few servants standing attentively to the sides of the room. A young girl in the same uniform as Fallon stood nearest to me. I stepped away from Avery and gestured her forward. She walked quickly over and curtsied quite low.

“How may I be of service, My Lady Karina sol Kruscia?” she said quietly. Her voice was soft, but steady. Good. Nervous people just made me nervous in turn.

“Excuse me” I said, gesturing to my dining arrangement. “I would like to dine beside my father if you would please.”

She blushed, looking slightly abashed and nodded, moving without question to attend the table. Better to take the initiative I thought, and strode forward to meet the duke with Avery close behind.

Kinian Kruscia was a large man, even seated, easily half a head taller than Avery. On top of this, he was built thickly, more like the musculature of a bear than a nobleman. He looked serious, but not stern, with a neatly trimmed beard and short, golden-brown hair. Deep blue eyes appraised me kindly and I couldn't help smiling as I approached him. Even though no words were yet spoken I could feel his warm presence.

“Greetings Father.” I said, curtsying. “May you continue to illuminate Ronan's path ahead.”

“Greetings Little One” he said, his voice a warm timbre that filled the room. “May the bright future of Ronan illuminate your path.”

I was quite glad I remembered the traditional greeting for titled nobles. Proper etiquette was important for first impressions. Still, any outlying behaviour would be forgiven of me until I turned 14, the age which noble children made their social debut. In other words, I had until that long to actually develop a relationship with my father as his child, rather than just his heir. I wasn't going to let myself be alone in this large estate. Living alone was hard before. I didn't wish to experience that sort of emptying loneliness again.

I decided not to dwell on it, and simply did what I wanted to do. Leaning forward, I hugged his neck which was honestly more difficult a task that I thought it would be. He really was tall. I just barely reached without having to stand on tip-toes. I was embarrassed, but I didn't regret it. Someone in this world had to be okay for me to hug or I would go crazy.

I felt him pat my back reassuringly and it felt nice, despite the embarrassment. Not really sure how to disengage, I let my arms fall and looked down at my feet.

He tugged a lock of my hair lightly, and I was met with a friendly smile as I looked up.

“Never be afraid to ask of me anything, Karina. You're my only child. There is nothing I would not give you.” His voice was resolute. Unquestionable. I wanted to ask 'why me?' but the words rang hollow in my head against his.

I nodded, seating myself at the chair adjacent to him. Avery pushed my chair up to the table and moved back against the wall, joining the other servants. Perhaps I could eat meals with him in the future, when not dining with the duke. With Father. That was going to take some time to get used to.