All Roads Lead Back To Where It All Began.

"So things are going well then?" I said looking at Olfina.

"Better then well. The farm land is actually making a profit now. Not a lot but enough to offset the cost." Olfina nodded. "We should have enough grain to hold through winter even if it is a rough one."

"Animals?"

"Cows are in good health and I am told we have several baby calf's soon. The chicken population has gotten a little out of hand." She smiled.

"Easily fixed." I grinned.

"Fishing is going great. We need to order more salt for meat. The usual amount?"

"Double it."

"As you like."

"As for income. The farms like I said or starting to turn a small profit but not enough to afford them to move from share cropping into tenant farming. You sold three properties along hunters road at five gold total with only two properties left on hunters road. Seventeen silver from business renters. Two gold from emerald which puts her almost even. Lars first ship should be back soon so you should see your first return in your investment into the shipping company. The brewery is looking for investor so they can bring on more people and buy more equipment. They are asking for five gold. They are selling it faster then the two of them alone can make it so its a good investment."

"Sounds good. Come winter they might be the only supplier if the passes north get heavy snow." I smiled. Hell I was surprised they could keep up with just the local businesses.

"Thinking ahead." She nodded.

"You got three wedding invitations this month."

"Right. Leave me the dates and details." I smiled. One thing we were not lacking for was soldiers at the fort and young women and widows at the farms. Wedding days meant a celebration which were usually held at the fort so all of the soldiers could join in the festivities except for a few on guard duty who would rotate out. Least there the fort was still fully manned if an emergency came up.

"That looks like it." Olfina smiled.

"Right. See you next week." I nodded.

"As you wish my lord." She said and made her exit out of the tent and I followed shortly behind her. I smiled as I saw Sura training the men in orc tactics though the word tactics might be a bit of a stretch but the men got a good dose of what it would mean to face one. After the castle she had sworn herself to my service despite my many objections. She had camped outside of the barrier for a week before I finally gave in. The battle at the castle was just the foothold for an invasion by orc forces. Luckily our quick retaking of the fort allowed enough ships under Prince Lionharts command to attack the armada of ships that were ferrying the orcs. Sadly that was only half of the orc army. The one ship that mattered the most though wasn't in the battle. The one carrying the gold. The ship that according to reports was no longer harbored in dark water bay.

"How is it going up there?" I looked up on widows hill were they had cleared out some trees and leveled out the area.

"The catapults are almost complete." The Captain nodded. Only half the orc army had been on the ship. Another thousand under the command of the dark elf archer I had faced named Nox could still pose a threat. I didn't expect them to come at us but I wasn't going to assume they wouldn't.

"Riders approaching." A man on the wall shouted. I headed to the courtyard to greet them as Willow and a couple of her riders road up.

"Willow." I smiled as she got off. "How are you?"

"Good." She kissed my cheek.

"What brings you out this way?"

"The princess asked me to meet her at Rose's tavern this afternoon." She shrugged.

"Why there?" I gave a puzzled look wondering why.

"Don't ask me." She shook her head.

"Very well, may as well head over then. Don't want to keep the princess waiting." I smiled and she followed me walking her horse. "Any news from the border?"

"A few dark elf scouts but no action to report on."

"Diana says the same." I replied. The dark elves were feeling us out. After the lost of the fleet I had a feeling they might have thought twice about open warfare. I was sure if the orcs would have gained a foothold to the south and taken the Isthmus, cutting off the north from the south, the dark elves might have taken action.

"Sura." I nodded toward the horses and she nodded back and came over.

"Orc." Willow gave Sura a look.

"Elf." Sura responded. That was about the extent of most of their conversations. We rode for the tavern and dismounted out in front tying up the horses. We went in the see Princess Seren sitting at the bar with Rose behind the counter which brought back memories.

"Your Highness." I said softly as I got close. She looked like a commoner in the outfit she wore.

"Ah, good you made it." The Princess smiled.

"Okay what are you two up to?" I looked between them

"What do you mean?" Rose gave me a look.

"Nice try but I can see it all over Seren's face." I smiled. Rose was pretty good at keeping secrets.

"Fine." Rose shook her head. "We have a couple of guest we wanted you to meet, well actually you already have. They can come on out Felicia." Rose said though not very loudly though she didn't need to. A second later the doors to the stock roomed opened and out stepped Felicia with two others. My parents.

"Hey son." Mom smiled.

"Mom, dad." I ran over and hugged mom.

"Oh dear, what happened to your face." Mom said as she touched the scar.

"Just a scratch." I shook my head.

"He got it saving the new king from an assassin." Seren said.

"What are you doing here?" I asked hugging dad.

"I asked them to come." Seren smiled.

"And when the princess sends a carriage and ask you come. You come." Dad patted me on the back "You should have seen the neighbors faces. We had to come see if some of the stories we have heard are true. Look at you now. My boy. A Baron." He said patting my arm on my pauldron which bore my coat of arms. A falcon. Partly in memory of Araseli.

"I wouldn't read to much into that since almost all of my subjects walk on four legs." I shook my head. "Have y'all been getting the money I have been sending?"

"Yes dear. Getting your father to spend it though is another story." Mom looked at dad who rolled his eyes. Others showed up some time later. Aurora and Roses mom. Ivy stayed behind to tend the tree for the night. She still wasn't ready for the city. Tomen and his whole family including the older kids. Delilah and Selena and a few others from the farms. Each had their own tales to tell my mother and father. Sometimes to the horror of my mom and the pride of my father. Some of it might have gotten blown out of proportion since **** was involved.

I had to show a few magic tricks to mom and dad to prove I could do magic. Mom loved that since she could tease dad who never saw the sense in teaching me to read. It felt so weird to see my old life and new life come together if just for one night. I finally got Rose alone for a second as I noticed her sit at a table by herself and nod for me to come over.

"Not drinking with us?" I said noticing Roses mug was filled with water.

"Not tonight. Just water for me." She shook her head. "One of us has to be able to drive the horses without us ending up at Highgate or something."

"I hear its nice this time of year." I shrugged and took a drink. "So how long were you planning this?"

"A few weeks now. I figured if your dad was anything like you it would take a royal decree to get you here so Seren helped." She shrugged. Seren was having fun herself being an ordinary person for the day. Though with a few body guards nearby.

"I love you." I smiled giving her a kiss.

"I know." She grinned. "I have one more surprise for you."

"I don't think I can take another." I shook my head.

"Okay. I just won't tell you then." She shrugged.

"But you know you want to. I can see it in your eyes. Your dying to tell me. You will break eventually." I teased her. She shook her head no at me and smiled. I shrugged and took another drink.

"I just thought it would be a good idea for you to tell our parents that I will be having their grandchild." Rose grinned making me almost **** on my drink.

"What?" I said wiping my mouth.

"I'm pregnant." She smiled at me holding back from busting into laughter.

"Are you sure?" I looked down. She wasn't showing. Yet anyways.

"Yes." She nodded. I grabbed her and kissed her.

"Alright you two. We got rooms upstairs for that." Helga teased as she brought more drinks out.