374. Meets Mill

The servants pushed open the dining hall doors to let Louis in. His clothes changed to something more casual. He walked in without hesitation.

"Lord Louis!" Haney's voice echoed in the hall as he rushed to his feet. "What are you doing here?"

"Haney," Louis called back excitedly. "You're here."

"Yes, I came to supervise the rebuilding of the castle fence, amongst other things."

"I should have known you had something to do with it," Louis said, stepping forward and stretching out his hand.

Haney repeated his actions, grabbing each other by the forearms, shaking slightly.

"I haven't seen you in forever and didn't hear anything. To be honest, I feared the worst."

"I don't blame you," Louis said, pulling his hand away. "To many people, I might as well be as good as dead."

"Why didn't you return sooner?" Haney asked.