Chapter 6

What Alfred had been apparently referring to when he was talking about where Eirwin lived was some type of manor that only could only imagine seeing on TV or being able to observe from a distance because it felt too grand to set foot into.

They stopped at the gate briefly so that Alfred could input the passcode so that the gate would open and they could enter. The few seconds that it took for him to do this wasn't long enough for Heather to get over the awe she felt at what she was seeing.

The building looked as though it was made out of actual stone by the way that the paint job had been done on the outside. She could only see the front of it but had to guess that there must've been over a dozen rooms not including the main living space based upon the sheer size of it. There were two definitive floors that she could see from the front.

The one thing she was rather surprised to see as she pulled up was the lack of windows that were on the building. She could only count six on the front side despite how massive it was.

The stairs leading up to the front of the building were rather large and steep as well. There were plants he didn't recognize growing on either side that gave it a rather majestic feel.

"Does he really live here by himself in this large place?" Heather asked in awe as she continued to take everything.

"He certainly does and since he is still right here in the vehicle with you, you're more than welcome to ask him such questions." Eirwin's annoyed voice floated through her mind. She had actually forgotten that he was still there hiding in the bag both due to the shock she had from seeing the building in front of her and also due to how quiet he was doing.

"I like my solitude and a quiet place to stay when I have a lot going on or I don't want to be bothered." He continued as he poked his head out of the bag. He knew that it was safe to do so now that they had passed through the gate. Few knew the passcode to open it and since the fence went around the entire building was resistant to attempts to fly or jump over it, he knew that there was little risk that anyone would be at the estate that he hadn't invited or didn't know what was going on with him.

"I'm sorry, this is honestly just a lot to take in." Heather apologized as she continued to look around at everything. Someone had evidentially put a look of work into the outside of the manor in order to make it look like something straight out of a fairytale.

"IF you think the outside is impressive, wait until you see the inside." Alfred told her as he pulled to the stop in a carport that was located to the right side of the building. Stopping the car, he got out and opened the back passenger door so that Heather could step out and he could also pick up Eirwin who was beginning to get impatient. He didn't like staying in his current form any longer than was absolutely necessary.

"Right this way miss." Heather wanted to stay outside longer and continue taking everything in but reluctantly followed after Alfred since she knew that there were things that they still needed to discuss.

The moment the door was opened, Heather felt a cold air escape that caused her to shiver. The temperature inside was almost bone chilling cold.

"Go ahead and grab a jacket and make yourself at home miss while I help the master deal with the current problem." Alfred instructed as he ushered her inside despite the chill and indicated to the jackets hanging on the left side of the wall right inside the door.

"They're insulated with magic material that will keep you warm despite the chill here." He told, forging a jacket himself as he walked further inside the manor.

"I would recommend swapping into the slippers there as well." He called back his voice moving further away. Heather hadn't even noticed that there were slippers there until he made this comment. The moment she put them on though she let out a sigh of relief, it certainly did make her feel ten times warmer than she had felt moments before.

The dark blue jacket was so comfortable that she ignored the fact that it made her feel like she was wearing the kind of fluffy penguin jacket that her mother used to get her to wear when she was younger to protect her from the bitter winters. She had always hated those jackets despite how comfy they were because of how much the other children used to tease her about the way they fit her. Now she was extremely thankful for it as she wasn't sure how long she would've lasted in this freezing cold manor without it.

How was it that Alfred didn't seem to be affected by the cold temperature the same way that she was? She mused as she followed after him in the direction that she thought his voice was coming from. She didn't think that it was possible for him to also be an ice dragon, so what was he?

Her thoughts were again derailed when she stepped into the living space of the manor. It was far more impressive than she expected despite how dimly light the inside of it was. The walls were painted a dark red with a black banner, the floor was made from a dark cherry wood. fantastic art covered most of the empty space on the wall. Elegant chandeliers with countless lights covered the ceiling. The furniture which consisted of a few chairs and tables along with one futon were of a similar dark red and black scheme as the rest of the room. Based upon the setup, she came to presume that she must've been standing either in the living room or a greeting room based upon the look.

Her chill was completely forgotten, replaced by a strong curious desire to explore as much of the place as she could whiles he was still alone.