22

Jace woke up the next morning in the house with Sarai draped over him. Aziva had climbed in bed with them and nestled herself between the two. He smiled down at the pair and remained in bed for a bit. He enjoyed watching them sleep, was that creepy? Maybe, how was he supposed to know, they were basically his wife and daughter though. So maybe that made it not creepy? Well he was no expert on creepiness, the random string of thoughts evaporated as Sarai stirred and stared up at him with sleepy eyes. She smiled, murmured something he didn't quite here and snuggled into his chest. He stroked her hair gently as he did his best to stay this way as long as he could.

Eventually Aziva woke up and sat up straight, hair in a fuzz and eyes half open. She peeked over at the two of them snuggling and jumped on top. Jace covered his daddy bags just in time to prevent an energetic foot from crushing them. His relief was short lived when she body slammed the both of them, a protective hand just in time to protect Sarai from the brunt of it. He groaned as the girl flopped on top of him, she gazed at him with sparkling eyes. "What's for breakfast!?"

He chuckled and ruffled her hair, "Ask your mother." The curious eyes zoomed towards Sarai who groaned and pretended to be asleep. A few energetic shakes later and she opened her eyes to look at her daughter. "Overly energetic children, that's what I'll be having for breakfast." Aziva squee'd and took off.

Sarai shook herself awake and mock chased after her. Jace grinned and sat up, he had slept with pants on, his shirt was nowhere to be found. He shrugged and put on some fresh clothes. He went downstairs to see Aziva stand on a stool and watching her mother cook, while bombarding her with questions in the meantime. Jace walked up to Sarai and leaned over her shoulder and kissed her cheek. A smile appeared on her face as she rubbed his hair with her hand. Aziva whined that she wanted her own kiss, so he picked her up and held her between the two of them and they kissed her on both cheeks at once. She giggled and took off once he set her down.

After a few minutes of racing around the room she calmed down and they took a seat at the table for breakfast. Eggs and sausages with some bread, one thing he loved about this world was breakfast. It was full of all kind of good foods, he did miss the bread focused breakfast from back home though. Even if they added some bread to a lot of the meals around here. He shrugged and sat up when there was a knock on his door. He opened it and stared at a man in what couldn't be anything other than a suit. He blinked in surprise before he focused on the man himself, a middle aged man that was immaculately kempt. He bowed to Jace who bowed back in turn, causing the man to raise an eyebrow.

The man coughed and straightened his back. "I am here to deliver a message to inform you that Jisarila Vin to Shurka and the head of the family Ruminar Vin to Shurka will be joining you for dinner this evening."

Jace smiled, "oooh, Jisa's gonna be visiting and bringing her gramps along I suppose. Thanks for the warning, will you be joining us for dinner yourself?"

The man blinked and hesitated, "I suppose myself and two others will be present as well."

Jace grinned at him, "Awesome, I'll have to get Mili to lend us one of her recipe's. Sarai's gonna complain if she has to cook for a group without one of her recipe's. Before I forget any specific time?"

The man once more stared at him for a while before straightening. "I was tasked to inquire as to the preferred time of visitation."

Jace scratched his beard, "Hey Sarai, you mind if we have dinner about an hour before sunset tonight? Also we'll be having guests, other than the usual scamps!"

Sarai peeked around the corner, brush in hand as she was coming her hair, she was still wearing her nightgown. Something which the butler was studiously avoiding to look at. "Is fine with me!" She called out to him before grabbing Aziva before she could rush over to the door. She carried the struggling girl back into their bedroom to brush her hair.

Jace turned back to the man, who seemed somewhat off put. He smiled at him, "You can relax my friend, she doesn't mind if you take a peek."

Jace could swear he saw a slight flush appear on the man's cheeks before he got himself back under control. He stroked his suit, "I thank you for advice, I shall inform m'lady of the preferred time. I shall see you again tonight."

Jace nodded and waved the man goodbye as he turned around and left. Sarai walked back into the room as the door closed with Aziva in hand. "What was that about?"

"Jisarila is coming over for dinner tonight, she's bringing her grandfather over as well. At least I assume the head of the family is her grandfather, it might be her father. Who am I to judge, the butler didn't correct me so I assume I guessed right." He kept babbling for a bit before he noticed Sarai had frozen.

She grabbed him by both shoulders and attempted to shake him. The difference in stats made that difficult, she glared at him regardless. "The Vin To Shurka family is coming over? Does this house look appropriate for dinner with The Battlemasters?!" Jace raised an eyebrow and looked at her.

"Battlemasters? Never heard of them, regardless she's coming here as an acquaintance not as a noble. I'm guessing her gramps is tagging along because he wants to meet the one who helped his granddaughter break through."

Sarai stared at him in disbelief, Jace shrugged. "Relax, it's not like they will expect a royal banquet, we are but commoners after all." Sarai threw her hands in the air. "Whatever! Not like its gonna be on my head, your the host!"

Jace grinned, "Let's ask Mili for a recipe and go shopping for some food. I'm gonna ask Weira to come over as well. The rest I'll ask to stay at the inn or something."

Sarai sighed but went along with him regardless, Aziva followed them to the inn and was her usual energetic self. They prepared dinner for the night, Sarai, Weira and Aziva were wearing their best dresses when night arrived. Jace was wearing his usual pants and sleeveless tunic. Much to Sarai's distress, he grinned at her and told her that he wouldn't change who he was when other people came to his house. It was his home after all, he would be himself and at ease here, if nowhere else. She growled but let him wear it.

A knock on the door and Jace opened it to find a small procession. At the head was an elderly man, with eyebrows that grew well past his cheeks and a goatee that was well styled and hung below his chin. The man's clothing reminded Jace of eastern culture, he wore an elegant robe. Jace quickly swept his eyes over the rest of the arrivals, Jisarila was wearing a beautiful light blue dress, with some simple but elegant sapphire and silver jewelry. To the sides stood two men in full plate armour with tower shields and a sheathed short sword at their waist. The butler was back as promised, standing a step behind the elderly man, whom Jace focused his attention back on.

He smiled and opened the door and waved the man in, "You must be the Vin to Shurka patriarch, welcome to my humble abode. A table has been prepared in the dining room, feel free to take a seat where it would best suit you."

Jace saw the butler's eyebrows shoot up and did his best to keep a shit-eating grin from appearing on his face. The elder nodded to him and stepped inside, the rest of the procession smiled. Jace winked at Jisarile who rolled her eyes at him, but he spotted the small smile she sported.

The elder had taken a seat at the bottom end of the table so Jace took it upon himself to sit at the head. Sarai set to his left, with Aziva next to her and Weira as the last person on that side of the table. Jisarila sat on her grandfather's left and the rest of his entourage sat next to her, first the butler than the pair of knights. Sarai stood up and came out with some small dishes of apertives. She set them down in front of all the people sitting, Aziva was doing her utmost to hold still and stop from stuffing the food in her mouth. Even she could tell that the atmosphere was different from usual.

The elderly gentleman spoke up as he sat across the table. "I wanted to introduce myself to you, I am Ruminar Vin to Shurka, current head of the Vin To Shurka family. My granddaughter and next heir of Family head, has told me that you are to thank for her breakthrough."

Jace grinned, dropping his formal attitude. "It worked both ways so I was more than happy to help her out."

The knights stiffened and he could tell the butler had the urge to facepalm. Funny how that was a universal reaction to stupidity.

The man smiled slightly, "It seems you are not one to stand on etiquette."

Jace smiled, "I am but a commoner after all, I have not had schooling into etiquette."

The man leaned forward slightly and exuded a bit of pressure. "That may be true but you seem awfully relaxed in our presence. Some nobles might take offense at that."

Jace shrugged, "Anyone who takes offense at a man acting at ease in his own home is an idiot. I see no reason to act differently, we are all beings of flesh and blood in the end."

The patriarch nodded and folded his hands, the pressure increasing slightly. "Still perhaps you should realize that some people have the strength to eradicate both you and your lineage without repercussions. It might not be wise to offend such people."

Jace grinned and a slimmer of bloodthirst oozed out from him. The knights stiffened and their hands twitched towards their blades. The butler frowned but otherwise barely reacted. "That is when you assume that your power and your family is more powerful than mine, perhaps you should have done some more research before threatening me and mine."

The man stared at him through silver lashes for a moment before the both of them burst out in laughter. "Sorry about that young man, a simple bit of fun. It wouldn't do for the next heir to befriend people with a weak will after all."

Jace sat back in his chair and grinned, "Not at all, it was fun. Haven't had a conversation like that in a while."

The man nodded as everyone stared at the two incredulously, Jisarila simply looked exasperated. The patriarch spoke again, "All though I am curious as to why you think your family could match mine. We are well known for our prowess in battle, our clan has several faithfull knight orders that follow our orders. I am also the current Marshal of the kingdom and the leader of its armies. Tell me how you think to match that?"

Jace smiled softly and leaned forward, "Although I currently carry no last name one has been offered to me. By both my sister." He pointed his thumb at Weira, "And her grandmother. The Hillmorr family has no rivals, or so I am told."

Everyone at the table froze and even the patriarch paled slightly, Jisarila stared at him with wide eyes. Even Sarai was staring at the two of them with a slack jaw. The man scratched at his goatee and chuckled. "I see, yes I suppose that would more than match my families strength."

Jace grinned, then shrugged. "I'm my own man however, if I took a last name it would not be for the power it grants. It would be me saying that I accept them as family and would do anything to protect them. The Hillmorr family has no need of protection, while they are my family I have no need of the name. I would have taken Sarai's." He said as he looked over at her with a loving smile. "But she like me has no last name of her own."

The patriarch shook his head, "Fate is a strange thing, my daughter has fought and helped a scion of the Hillmorr clan grow."

Jace smiled, "A good thing she managed to befriend him along the way then."

The patriarch laughed, "Yes I have to say I raised her rather well, she has good judgement. Regardless, I'd approved even before you mentioned your connection to Hillmorr. Perhaps you should make a last name of your own, and build a new legacy?" He folded his hands and leaned forward with interest.

Jace shrugged, "Perhaps someday, I'm in no rush. I'm young after all."

"True."

The rest of the meal proceeded calmly, they ate for a while with little conversation. That was until Aziva could no longer hold it in. She stared at the patriarch and asked, "Don't your eyebrows ever get in your nose and tickle?!"

Jace coughed as he barely kept himself from spraying food over the table. The butler almost choked and the knights stared at her in horror. Jisarila was doing her best not to burst out laughing. Weira was curiously eyeing the eyebrows while Sarai was staring at her daughter in despair.

The man in question raised his eyebrow. "Why yes, it does happen the tickling sensation is an annoyance."

This time everyone stared at the man in utter shock. Even Jisarila had dropped her for and stared at the man.

Aziva nodded sagely, "Perhaps you'll need me to cut them. I'm very good with scissors, I can do it for you!"

The man smiled, "If the tickling ever becomes too much for me you shall be the first I ask for help."

Aziva grinned, "Promise!?"

The man nodded with a small smile, "It is a promise."