Present

Seymour Manor takes the shape of a square with a cutout in the center. Lore explained that the worker’s quarters are on the left side of the mansion, although only three live fulltime on the estate. The worker’s quarters are used mostly during winter storms so employees don’t have to face the cold, or as storage closets. The front of the mansion has a second floor where the bedrooms preside. The right leads to a schoolhouse that has a handful of classrooms, playrooms, and a small medical center.

“Where are the children? I saw them playing outside earlier when I arrived,” I ask.

A wave of worry washes over me after realizing I haven’t heard their laughter nor seen them since my arrival. Could the dhampir have harmed them? Would she have when Lore is so near? A part of me knows I’m overreacting while another reminds me that overreaction is better than none at all when it comes to vampires.

I’m a moment away from gripping my axe to search for the children and protect them when Lore replies, “Considering the time, they are likely in the music room.”

Lore leads us out of the school house to the courtyard at the center of the estate. I’ve known most nobles to show off a courtyard of exquisite flowers, fountains, or ridiculously overpriced toys like breathing mechanical dragons, but Lore’s belongs to the children. There is a fountain that’s likely made from one of the finest craftsmen of the kingdom, but you can’t tell thanks to the rubber duckies and childish drawings across the stone. Admittedly, I prefer this fountain over the others I’ve seen. There’s so much more personality and an entire story told in a single glance. 

Toys litter the yard along with playsets, swings, a sandbox, and an impressive garden filled with vegetables and two very full apple trees. I jump in surprise when a violent squeak originates beneath my foot. It seems I have stepped on an unfortunate squeaking dog that now stares up at me in betrayal. Lore laughs and continues on, expertly dodging the toys while I carefully tiptoe around them. Who would have thought children’s toys would be more difficult to avoid than a vampire’s attack?

At the back of the manor, connected to the main house by an open walkway, is the music hall. The sounds of a piano grace my ears. Glass makes up half the walls of the music hall, allowing us to view the woman I saw earlier instructing a boy on how to play. Lore opens the doors quietly, gesturing for me to follow him inside. He watches the boy play proudly. I can’t decide if it’s an act or not.

Observing the hall, I notice the other three children from earlier coloring quietly in the corner. There are a few doors along the opposite wall likely leading to private training areas. The boy finishes the musical piece with a flourish. The woman claps excitedly while the boy sways side to side. 

“Well done, Nalo,” the woman exclaims. “I told you, give yourself another week and you’d be a master. Now… it’s time to move onto the next song.”

“Arline!” Nalo whines but laughter slips from his lips. “I barely managed to play this one. You think I’m better than I actually am.”

“Nonsense,” Lore speaks up, causing Nalo and the three younger children to spin his way.

“Papa!” They cry and race to Lore, who gets on his knees to embrace them. Their faces light up like they’ve been offered their favorite candy. Even Lore shows a sweet smile that may be the most genuine of any expression I’ve seen from him today, or he’s a frightfully good actor.

Lore pats their heads one by one, then grabs Nalo by the chin to say, “Don’t put yourself down. You’ve performed wonderfully and I'm excited to hear whatever you play next, Nalo.”

“I’ll do my best to play you something really pretty, Papa.” Nalo giggles when Lore kisses his temple.

Lore holds the smallest child in his arm, who eagerly plays with Lore’s braid, which quickly turns it into a knotted mess. Lore doesn’t pay it any mind as he stands and gestures at the dhampir.

“Arline, will you fetch the children for me? I’d like to introduce them to our guest,” he says.

Arline doesn’t hide her disgruntled expression nor her sharp glare pointed at me. Still, she nods and heads to the other rooms to retrieve the remaining four children. I realize why there are so many ramps around the estate as well as the chair lifts when a dhampir in an automatic wheelchair exits one of the rooms. Behind her, a boy with a metal prosthetic leg follows.

Once all eight children surround us, I take in their appearances. The children consist of mortals, vampires, and dhampir alike. Olere spoke of Lore adopting many children over his long life, but I didn’t expect so many to be here or consist of the three races. Seeing as Lore is a dhampir, I expected to find only other dhampir. This should make him look good, but my suspicions rise even more. Is he truly hiding something behind the doting father facade? There isn’t a much better cover than that. We let our guard down around children. He may be expecting that and using it as a shield.

“Children, this is our guest from the Holy Church, Seren. He’s a paladin who will be living with us for a while and helping me with some work. I hope that all of you will treat him kindly.” Lore reaches over to poke the cheek of the tallest girl as if he is speaking to her specifically. She rolls her eyes, clearly pretending to be annoyed by the attention and swats his hand away.

“Seren, this is Arline Micklyre, our House Mother--” she’s a very intense House Mother. “And these are my children.” Lore proceeds to rest his hand on the head of the children he introduces individually. “Oliver, Ashby, Angel, Nalo, Hyun Woo, Reegan, Isabella, and Darika.”

“Nice to meet you,” I say, trying to look each of them each in the eye. The eldest, Darika, ends up being the only one who meets my gaze and she doesn’t look that eager to see me. Not that I blame her.

“I’m not sure what instruments you play, but I learned to play the saxophone when I was a bit older than you,” I say to Nalo, who I’m presuming is around seven or eight. “If it’s alright with you, I’d love to join your practices.”

Nalo stands a little taller and perhaps considers my offer until Darika bites, “You’re not going to try and convert us, are you?”

“Darika,” Lore says softly.

“What? The Faithful love preaching acceptance until they meet one who doesn’t follow The Three Mother's doctrine without question. If he starts dragging us to sermons, I’ll…” Darika smirks. A villainous spark rises to her eyes. “Do absolutely nothing at all.”

Which means she’s going to do a lot of very, very bad things. I’ve only learned how to deal with adults who act up. What in the Mother’s names am I meant to do with a child? Give them a good lecturing? Take away their… toys? Do teenagers still play with toys? I was training at her age so I haven’t a clue what kids are into, especially not now. I feel much more under prepared than expected.

“She’s harmless,” Lore says, then gives Darika a look like he’s chiding her with his eyes. She shrugs.

“I would never do anything like that without Lore’s permission,” I say, then feel a sudden, overwhelming pressure from the mixture of shell shocked and utter hatred ruminating among the children, Arline, and Draven, who abruptly reveals himself by standing next to Darika.

I don’t know what I’ve done to deserve their piercing glares and snarls until Hyun Woo points at me and declares, “That’s Lord Lore to you, Mister!”

I jump in surprise, looking from one person to the next. When my eyes land on Lore, who hides his wicked grin behind Oliver’s blonde curls, I realize that I’ve been played. He has already set the entire household against me simply by making me speak his name. Damn it all. I should have expected a trick.

“My Lord,” Draven says, ensuring to put emphasis on the word Lord. “Dinner is ready.”

“Excellent!” Lore grasps Hyun Woo’s hand while continuing to hold Oliver. “Let’s go eat. I’m absolutely famished.”

One by one, the kids follow Lore and each of them glare at me. One of the twins, Angel I believe, even sticks her tongue out. Arline snarls, revealing her fangs, and Draven scoffs like I just spat on his most expensive pair of shoes.

I see that this has already gotten off to a bad start. Feeling just a little dejected, I follow Draven out of the music hall.

That could have gone better, although it also could have been much worse. I’m not really meant for this kind of field work. My jobs have always been more of the stab-stab type rather than whatever this is.

My mood is suddenly lifted when I notice one last building hidden behind the grandeur of the estate; an old cathedral. Finally, a piece of home! Even if it is a tad rustic with rusting iron clasps on the door and missing shingles.

“Draven, is the cathedral used?” I ask while taking a few steps forward to admire the high steeple and shimmering stained glass at the center of the tower. The archways remind me of home, of Trinia Cathedral's pearlescent gates and shimmering granite walls inlaid with gold. Grasping my necklace of three spheres--the sun, the moon, and the earth--I raise it to my forehead and begin a prayer.

“Yes, it is,” Draven replies, puzzling me even if I asked.

“There are those who attend chu--”

I'm cut off by a sudden explosion from within the church that shatters the windows. The ground shakes. I reach for my axe. With a few verses, divinity flows within me, converging as golden light in my core to cover my skin in slightly translucent golden armor. Smoke rises from the shattered windows. Then the front door bursts open and a man runs out screaming, “Nobody panic! I’ve got this under control!”

His jacket being on fire says otherwise. The man throws the jacket to the ground and stomps vigorously on it, repeating, “Nobody panic! Nobody panic!”

“As you can see,” Draven says and outstretches his hand towards the stranger like nothing out of the ordinary transpired. “The church is used by our resident idiot.”

“Hey, I heard that! I’d like to see you calculate the necessary mana to transport living matter from one continent to the next without spontaneous combustion!” The so-called resident idiot bellows while stomping towards us until his emerald gaze lands on me.

He stands frozen under the open walkway, gaping like he has seen a ghost or possibly intrigued by the idea of eating a few flies. I almost do the same because this man is mortal, which means he's Cyan; the one Lore convinced to leave the church!