Chapter 254: A jaunty tune
Cass wasn’t sure what to expect as he stood at the gates of the estate, Mr. Collins fumbling with the magical lock, several workers nearby casting Cass and his crew several reverent looks as Cass felt like he could breathe in this hellscape.
Ser Hune looked the same way, and Lucian, always fucking aware of what Cass was feeling due to the bond, leaned in.
"Do you think they wanted to tear it all down because of...you know?" Lucian asked softly, and Cass felt his lips curl. Lucian was probably absolutely correct, because this was what had kept him alive. He had no doubt about it.
From the look at Ser Hune’s face, she hadn’t even been aware of this estate. Had probably gone to the Blackburn Estate from the other side, since that was the way they had stopped by it the other day. Cass couldn’t even blame her, since she had probably been blinded by rage.
Sir Forsythe, however, looked rather pleased, even a little smug. Cass wondered if he had a hand in this, but then doubted it immediately. He was probably just smug that he could feel the gaze of several members of the estate next door on their open, brazen display. Cass had also made himself the center of attention.
No backing down. No being discrete.
This was full on fucking war at this point. After all Cass had learned, and how he now had the Vespertine family by the balls? Oh, he knew that they would back whatever move he made. Out of fear and obligation, and he was fine with that.
It would make him threatening an old man all the easier.
Mr. Collins finally got the lock undone, a look of relief on his face as he glanced back at Cass and wiped his forehead. Then, he swung the gates open, some of the servants he’d hired helping him do so as the rest of the hero party looked on. Finally, they were able to actually see the grounds proper instead of through the slits in the gates.
It was spectacular.
It wasn’t like the gardens he had back home, near the forest. They were too new, too fresh. These trees were much older, and felt like they’d seen more. The flowers were less tamed, but still managed, and many birdsong filled the air along with flying insects. Several bumbling bees floated by, the soft hum of their wings filling Cass was amusement.
They went to Ser Hune, a greeting of some kind, and her expression softened completely.
"My Lord, should we send the carriage ahead?" Mr. Collins asked, nervous, and Cass glanced at the path ahead of them.
It was dirt, not stone, and several roots dotted it. He could tell that a carriage hadn’t driven across this driveway in a long time, and glancing at Ser Hune, he had a feeling he knew who to ask so that he didn’t have to hurt the trees that had probably saved his life.
"Ser Hune, are you able to ask the tress to remove their roots?" He asked her, and the fairy grinned.
"That I can easily do. Give me a moment." She said, the bumble bee resting in her hand for a moment as she walked through the gate. Sir Sanders followed after her, a shadow that she didn’t need, but she still shot him a warm smile as he accompanied her. It was a sweet exchange that made Cass’ teeth ache, it was so sweet.
Ser Hune placed the bee on a plant, then began to whistle. Cass could feel the energy in the garden shift, and felt Lucian shift next to him. He glanced at Edgar and noticed that the other man also seemed to perk up, watching her. So was everyone else.
It wasn’t every day that they got to see a fairy work.
Ser Hune didn’t raise a hand, didn’t make any grand gestures, it was more about the tones she was speaking in. Cass could tell, and wondered if anyone else was able to pick up on the subtle way her tune changed, shifting. It was polite, but questioning, and soon the ground began to rumble, the earth began to shake, and then the roots pulled back, the dirt road becoming flatter, more even, and the tree shifted slightly, allowing for more space above the road as well.
The carriage wouldn’t damage anything as it came through. Cass wanted to smile, but kept his face neutral. There were too many eyes on him, he had to be on his best behaviour. When Ser Hune came back, Cass gave her a nod.
"Perfect job, Ser Hune." He told her and she beamed, giving him a salute before Cass gestured for everyone to get back onto the carriage. Everyone did so, and before Cass got into the carriage, he looked back at the group who had gathered to work for him.
"Mr. Collins, you will be joining us on the carriage." He told him, and the man seemed quite shocked. "As for the rest of you, the carriage will drop us off, and then come back for you. Wait here." He ordered, clearly surprising them. They had obviously not expected them to ride in his carriage, and Cass could tell by the looks that he was getting from Lady Ava and Edgar that that wasn’t normal behaviour either.
Cass didn’t care. It was a long ass walk through a forest that fairies could speak to. There was bound to be something that would play tricks on them here. Cass could just feel it. He’d feel safer having someone pick them up, and currently this was the best carriage because he’d modified it internally.
He ushered Mr. Collins inside, the man so nervous he was sweating buckets. It was clear he was going to protest until he saw the interior of the carriage and his eyes went wide. Cass held a finger to his mouth, his grin a little too far on the sinister side of things to soothe Mr. Collins’ worries, but the man got onto the carriage without further complaints.
Cass watched the window outside as they moved down the dirt pathway, listening to the others as they chatted amongst each other, but Cass was more focused on everyone outside of the window. He could still see the shapes of the others, watching as shadows followed them down the wall dividing the property. They were being tailed by the Blackburn Estate people, and Cass almost smirked.
Those damn fools. They had no idea the kind of reckoning that Cass was planning for them. Or maybe they did, and that was why they were following him so closely.
It was only a few minutes, a small blip, before Cass found the carriage coming to a halt and everyone began to pour out of the carriage. Cass made Mr. Collins went first, the servants who were working and living on the property already waiting for them by the doors.
They looked suspicious, weary as everyone climbed down from the carriage, growing even more suspicious at the amount of people pouring out of such a ’tiny’ carriage. Cass sent the driver back down the road to gather the others as Mr. Collins spoke to the crew that had been maintaining everything up until this point.
They had clearly let the forest do as it wished, and Cass wasn’t a fool. He could feel the pulse, the connection that he felt with Ser Hune as soon as he met their gaze. They clearly seemed a little surprised to find out the shared ancestry, but that only made them more concerned as Cass smiled.
"This is the first time we’ve met face to face, isn’t it?" Cass mused, his gaze scanning the ground. There were five of them in total, and two looked to be the gardeners with the other three seemed to be maids of some kind. Three people to manage an estate this big? Cass was sure it took them all day, every week to keep on top of it.
He wondered if they actually did, or let certain parts go neglected. That didn’t matter too much to him, but it would be a good sign to see if they actually cared about this place.
"I’m sure you are aware of who I am, but I shall introduce myself just in case. I am Cassian Blackburn, and I have owned this estate ever since the old owner sold it. That should alleviate some of your worries since I have owned this home for years and have made sure that it remained true to its nature. I have no desire to harm the forest, nor the home, nor do I plan to let the Blackburn family own this property. It’s mine, under my own name. I plan to make this my home in the capital when I have to come up for hero party related tasks." Cass told the crew.
He was sure none of the other members of the hero party would speak to their people like this. It was a carry over from Cass who had worked customer service, and had liked to be in the know. It was good to know that the home you had protected for so long was going to remain the way you remembered it. Mostly.
"Of course, I have no desire to change things on the estate, beyond probably updating the roof and other maintenance related issues. You’ve been here the longest, and have taken care of your home this whole time. While I have hired more people to help you take care of this place, if you notice anything suspicious, feel free to reach out to me, or Mr. Collins. I will take all threats seriously. I like this place too much to let rodents wander in." Cass told them, and he watched as the five glanced at each other, sharing looks, before one of the maids stepped forward. She and the others had been wearing things to cover their ears, their heads, and she slowly unwrapped her head and showed off her pointed ears. Far more pointed than Cass’ were, more similar to Ser Hune’s.
"You have no desire to hurt the trees?" She asked softly, carefully, and Cass felt his lips curl up.
"Not at all. Why would I want to hurt something that kept me alive?" Cass told her, and watched as the five shared a look again, before nodded. The other four took off the covers on their ears, a determination entering their eyes.
"We understand. Should we call you my Lord?" She asked, clearly speaking for the group and Cass nodded.
"Most do. I’ll also introduce you to Ser Hune." Ser Hune stepped forward, a wide grin on her face as she waved.
"I haven’t seen city fairies in a long time. You’ve found an oasis, and it’s such a pretty place." Ser Hune gushed. She gestured to Sir Sanders. "That man is my mate. It’s nice to meet you. Will you show me your homes after?" She asked and watched as the fairies softened more.
Cass relaxed.
At the very least, his shared blood with them had helped ease their worries. Now he could focus on the state of the estate properly.