Cass had forgotten in all of his preparation that it took a considerable amount of time to get home from the Capital. That was the one thing he hadn’t prepared for that the others seemed to do in his stead.
Cass only had the few books that Sam had brought him and he sadly finished them right away. He also tucked the shoot into his bag for safe keeping. It would be held in stasis until they got to the manor and he could decide the perfect place to place it.
Honestly? Cass should have been reviewing papers and documents. Taking the time to get some work done. Instead, Cass slept.
He slept a lot, and he had two great pillows to help him do so.
Edgar’s shoulder and lap were soft, welcoming. Cass sank into them when he was leaning against him or across him. Gideon was firmer, like a foam pillow, but both were enjoyable. He would often fall asleep against one and wake up resting against the other. It was...a kind of bliss that he would have never imagined that he would be able to have.
As Cass or Cassian.
Sam and Byron stayed with them in the carriage, Byron getting out every so often to check on the area around them and make sure that they weren’t in any danger. With Byron around and him making it known that he was a big bad beast in charge of protecting all of the carriages below his winged shadow, no bandits even considered harassing them.
The giant Blackburn crest on the outside of the carriages should have done the same as well, but Cass took no risks in that regard. If people were desperate, they would go after anything. Except a motherfucking dragon. That was the one thing Cass had faith in.
Cass sleeping as much as he did, and finding that Edgar was also sleeping with him, meant that time passed quickly, even if it felt like it dragged on for forever. The wide roads changed and shifted, turning into the well paved road that Cassian had paid for for his own comfort as they got closer and closer to the town.
Cass was going to have to pay more money to take it all the way to the capital. He tsked and made a sleepy comment to Sam to remind him about it. Sam just smiled and made a note to remind him later.
Eventually, they were moving through Sir Sander’s hometown. Cass moved so that he was close to the window and peeked through the curtain. It felt like they had been away for ages but the town hadn’t changed much. If anything it had grown more lively and Cass swore that he could see a larger population of fairies and other folks that were persecuted in the capital. Cass trusted his eyesight and didn’t think for a second his Aunt Alysora being in the capital and this change were unrelated.
She might be helping him with their joint revenge but that didn’t mean she didn’t also have her own plans. Cass didn’t mind that she hadn’t discussed this with him. Why would she? He wasn’t the lord in charge of this area, he was just a rich noble who had used his land rights to build a large home on the outskirts of the town.
He could tell that the folks that were from the area and had seen Cass’ carriage often weren’t fazed by his appearance. If anything, they seemed excited, and a little confused but the amount of carriages, while the new folks? They seemed cautious, but optimistic. That was what convinced Cass this was his Aunt’s doing. Cass couldn’t think of anything that he had done personally that would have brought so many people into town.
Cass was also delighted to see that the area coming out of town and towards the manor was better taken care of and better patrolled. They passed a few guards on horses going by as they were coming up the road. He also noticed how more houses were going up and as they passed the orphanage Cass was extra happy that it looked in better condition. There even appeared to be people visiting and he opened the window a bit to hear the sounds of children laughing and playing.
It didn’t seem that they were worried at all, and that they were in good spirits. Cass kept his relief to himself, hoping that he hid his reaction well.
It was only really Lucian and Ava who knew that Cass had visited the orphanage, and it probably didn’t have any good memories for Edgar anyways. Cass was pretty sure that he’d gotten into a fight with Lucian after that, but Cass didn’t really care. Back then, he deserved it.
As the road home got closer and closer and Cass could see the looming building in the distance, Cass felt himself get a little anxious. It had been such a long time since he had been somewhere he had considered home. For him, and for Cassian.
He could feel how excited Cassian’s emotions were and how their emotions blended together in a strange mix that had the sound of his own blood pumping in his ears. He was shaking slightly, and Edgar, who was sitting between him and Gideon to protect him from the sun, placed his hand on his thigh. He gave it a squeeze.
"It’s okay, Cass. No need to panic." He said with a smile, taking Cass’ excitement for anxiety. It wasn’t like he wasn’t anxious, but that was the smaller facet of Cass’ emotions. He hadn’t seen Sir Forsythe in what felt like months, and so much had changed in that time. He had to tell him the truth. He was going to have to reveal a lot about himself and worry about whether or not the other man would be able to handle it, let alone understand what he was going to say.
It was going to be painful, and hard, but Sir Forsythe was owed at least that much for a man who had stayed loyal to him even while facing actual death at his grandfather’s hands. He had no need to remain with Cass, even after Cass had also tested his loyalty over and over.
Well, it had been Cass and Cassian, but Cass had also tested the man. He felt guilty about it after he had abandoned him here, on his own, with Ava’s family of all things. It was a miracle the man hadn’t gone insane as far as Cass was concerned. Ah, he missed the man’s older, human face. He knew that the man wouldn’t hug him, but this did feel like a hugging situation. He wouldn’t do it though. He was a knight.
He’d probably be awkward as hell if his employer, his lord, and the man who he had seen grow from a child into a married man, hugged him out of the blue.
Cass twitched as he let the curtain fall back into place and didn’t correct Edgar’s assumption. He felt the change as they got onto the grounds. His lungs felt less tight, his shoulders relaxed. It was so funny to him that Cassian had intentionally done the design like this where the beginning of the estate began at the edge of the forest, but Cass realised something.
That might just be what happens on all protected, fairy estates. He might have to look into it and see if it is something that just naturally occurs, like something organic over time, or if it is something that you can create? Cass had a feeling in this case it was a bit of a blend.
The slight rocking of the carriage came to a halt and Cass could just imagine how they had stopped at the front doors of the mansion. Cass didn’t have to wait for Byron or Sam to get the door to the carriage. Instead, the door was opened from the outside and there he was.
Sir Forsythe.
Cass felt his breath still as he looked at the older man. He hadn’t seemed to age at all in the time since Cass had seen him. He might have a few more wrinkles on his forehead or the bags under his eyes had gotten a little deeper, but he looked much the same.
Cass couldn’t stop his body from moving.
One moment, he was sitting still staring at the man as he scanned everyone else, the next Cass found himself moving and launching himself at the other knight. He could hear shouting but the voices blended together as he wrapped his arms around Sir Forsythe. He knew it was out of character. He knew that there was a chance that Sir Forsythe would push him away and think he was weird. He didn’t care.
He wanted to hug him right now. Both Cassian and Cass had said no to so many of their own desires that there was very little Cass could do to say no to himself anymore.
"I’m home." Cass whispered as he squeezed the shocked man. Cass was fairly certain that the older man would have frozen stock still at Cass’ immature display. That he might have even dodged, or tried to resist Cass’ hold. There was barely even a spot inside of Cass that thought the man might return his feelings.
He was wrong, though. As Sir Forsythe wrapped his arms around Cass like a vice and turned, taking him out of the carriage and into the soft, afternoon light that covered the estate. He held Cass close. It wasn’t in the same way that Edgar, Gideon or Lucian would. It felt similar to how the nursery tree would hug him, and Cass felt a prick at the back of his eyes.
He ignored it.
Sir Forsythe let out a low breath, relief making his shoulders relax as he held Cass.
"Welcome home, my Lord." Sir Forsythe said and Cass twitched. He tightened his grip on him, squeezing him tightly.
"A lot has changed." Cass burst out, still speaking quietly. Even if he was emotional, he wasn’t an idiot. He hadn’t done a proper cleanse of this place yet, and Sir Forsythe wasn’t an idiot either.
"I can tell." He said, humour in his tone. Cass squeezed him.
"I’m worried you’re not going to handle it well." Cass admitted and the man laughed. He held Cass closer.
"My Lord, you just threw yourself out of the carriage at me. I feel I can roll with a lot of things. It is also rude to assume that I don’t have my own spies tucked around you when I’m not at your side." Cass pulled back, a look of shock on his face.
"You too, Sir Forsythe?!" Cass asked and watched as the stress left his face as he laughed. He stared at Cass’ shocked expression, like he had never considered it because Cass hadn’t.
"Did you think Ailia and Dustin wouldn’t tell me things? You barely wrote to me, my Lord." He accused and Cass felt his whole face go red. He was embarrassed that he had doubted Sir Forsythe for even a second, or had even felt betrayed. They were friends, and they worked for him. Ailia was his family now. Of course she would have kept the man who had helped raise Cassian into the man that he was now in the loop.
Cass coughed, embarrassed, and gently patted his shoulder.
"Y-You can put me down now, Sir Forsythe." He muttered and the knight did just that. No awkwardness, no hesitation, just the loyal man who had done whatever he could to remain at Cass’ side.
"Welcome home, everyone." Sir Forsythe turned his greetings to the others as they stepped out of the carriage. "I had your rooms prepared for your arrival, though from the rumours Ailia told me, I doubt that is the case." He teased. "Also, my Lord, your new bed arrived. I wasn’t sure if you wanted me to put it in your rooms and have it prepared right away, so I had them deliver it to one of the vacant rooms in your suite." Sir Forsythe told him.
Edgar coughed, Gideon shifted, and Sam sighed.
"Thank you, Sir Forsythe." Sam said. Cass watched as delight crossed the older man’s face.
"And also, congratulations, Sam, Byron. I hear the official fairy ceremony will be held here. Let me know if there is anything else I can do for you outside of security." He added and watched the two men blush. Cass felt like most of the pieces were back into place.
It felt good to be home.