Chapter 14

~Talfen, capital of Coldshore~

~The Wilton Manor~

The Wilton Manor was basically ego laid out in brick; it was overly large and ostentatious to the point of intimidation, just like the other manors the carriage in which Andras was in had passed. The manor was not nearly as old as visitors assumed and every stone was set even and square as if those who built it were set on perfection, as if they really loved what they made.

Its nascent stone walls were a pale grey and were barren of the moss and ivy that clung to the walls of some of the older manors. The windows were oversized and more than a casual glance could count. It had large oak double doors and there was a wide circle in front of the dwelling with an ornate fountain in the center.

The manor was extremely fancy and everything about it said expensively built, inside and out.

Malcer Wilton had thought himself worthy of being gentry even if he didn't own a title. Most of the older male nobles that had generational wealth looked down on him as classless 'new money' who was trying desperately to fit in. So Malcer had felt the need to show them his importance by building his own manor.

They still turned their noses at him in secret but the female nobles and the younger male nobles had been quite taken with him, partly because of the businesses he ran.

He owned shops in the Adler Helton and other buildings across the capital that sold jewelry, silk clothes, antiques, figurines, and paintings. He also owned shops that sold weapons in a building that was a couple of buildings away from the Adler Helton. The man had sources of income from almost everything.

Andras was impressed because Rolfe had told him that having money makes one be regarded as a person in the capital. Malcer obviously had a lot of money so he was definitely a person, maybe even more than a person.

After Malcer had taken Andras to the back room of the dress shop, he had asked him more questions. He finally believed that he knew Rolfe when Andras got all the questions right and the both of them went back into the dress shop where the shopkeepers and ladies gushed over the young man.

Malcer asked the sellers to get clothes for Andras because the box he had brought with him to the Adler Helton was the only property he had and there were no clothes in it. The sellers happily complied and Malcer stood next to them as they took Andras' measurements rather enthusiastically.

Both the shopkeepers and the ladies in the shop asked Andras questions such as: Where are you from? Are you married? Do you plan on getting married soon? Do you have someone you want to marry?

Malcer constantly told them to stop but that only spurred them on and the merchant eventually gave up, letting them ask Andras anything they wanted to.

Andras answered all of their questions bluntly and curtly but even then, the atmosphere in the shop was quite jovial, with more ladies coming in but none leaving, till one of the ladies tried on a necklace which Andras made the mistake of commenting on.

"That looks well made," He stated offhandedly as a seller wore a necklace around Lady Luna's neck and all conversations between the ladies in the shop abruptly stopped.

Lady Luna's head snapped towards Andras so fast that she could have broken her neck."M- Me? I'm pretty?"

"Don't answer that. It's a trap," Malcer had muttered in a low voice and Andras heard him but he didn't want to ignore the lady's question. Malcer laughed and clapped his hands together when none of the ladies spoke because they were waiting for Andras' answer. "Now, how about -"

"Yes," Andras replied to her, still unsure of what that had to do with his earlier comment, and Malcer briefly shut his eyes as he prepared himself for what would happen next, while a man that he had sent for earlier walked into the shop.

"What about me, Andras?" The lady sitting next to Lady Luna asked as she got up from an opulent couch. "Am I pretty?"

"Yes," He said shortly, another lady asking the same question. And another. And another. And another.

"Stop!" Malcer announced when they all began to ask the same question at once and they became quiet. "All the ladies here are pre-"

"Andras, you think the necklace is pretty?" A lady asked, cutting Mival off, and Andras nodded, although he had never once stated so but agreeing with the bevy of ladies seemed to be the easiest thing so he went with it... "So, will it make me look even prettier?"

"I smell ulterior motives," Lady Luna muttered as she narrowed her eyes and clutched the necklace she was wearing.

"Yes, it will," Andras said without much thought, his eyes widening and his mouth falling open when all the ladies lunged at Lady Luna.

There was screaming, breaking of objects, and ripping of dresses as the ladies fought to get to the necklace, maidservants and guards trying to quell the ensuing chaos, while Malcer shoved Andras and the man that had walked shown up, out of the shop before the madness could escalate.

"Take him to the Manor," Malcer told the man and pushed Andras' box out of the room just as a couch was knocked over before shutting the door to the shop.

Andras slightly frowned at the scene they had just exited, wondering if everything was alright in the shop. He hadn't been expecting that outcome, he should have remained quiet after all.

He was led to a lavishly decorated carriage by the man that Malcer had sent him off with and in a short time, the carriage came to a stop. He looked out the open window at the large manor, there were two men who were wearing clothes made of linen and shoes made of leather standing outside the carriage.

One of the men went behind the carriage to open the door to the locker where he removed Andras' tightly sealed box from it while the other man opened the door to the carriage when the young man was about to open it. The man that had grabbed the box began to head towards the building with it and Andras stepped out of the carriage to quickly follow.

"Welcome to the Wilton Manor," The man who had opened the door said with a polite nod.