Beatrice's cottage was in bloom the ime Yvle her eyes upon it. The roof brimmed with flowers local to the area.

  Yvlena reized some Fox Gloves, Luna Orchids, and Bloom Lilies herbs. bihe area was covered in a sweet herbal st.

  Yvlena inhaled deeply allowing herself to smell something other than the s she had endured fes. Bloom Haven was a literal breath of fresh air.

  "Beatrice the cottage looks amazing!"

  The old ulled open the door for the both of them to make their way into the house.

  "I know, life has returo the Floral distrid I couldn't be happier to see it," Beatrice said. "Would you like some tea?"

  "You know it," Yvlena said pg the basket she was holding on a able Beatrice must have bought from Tom the carpenter retly.

  'I really need him to do some work on the manor,' Yvlena thought. She looked around finding new furniture carved out of wood and new cloth items too.

  The rge table was decorated with a hand-woven linen cloth. Some of the cushions on the chairs had been repced too. The hearth had fresh logs cut a aside.

  Who had done all this? It couldn't be Beatrice, right?

  The elf took a seat on the now plush chair, beside the hearth and waited for Beatrie out with the tea she had already begun boiling.

  "Beatrice, I ask you something?" Yvlena began cautiously, in her mind she had a hunch Beatrice would be able to tell her about the onoble house of Flores.

  "Of course Yvlena, anything,"

  "Do you know anything about the name Flores," Yvlena asked.

  The elf heard something ctter to the ground and ran to the kit to assist Beatrice who had dropped a spoon from the shock of hearing that name.

  "Beatrice, are you alright?" Yvlena asked, diving to pick the spoon up and pce it ba the table. She ed an arm around the old woman who remained silent.

  "Why don't we go and sit down,"

  ----------

  "I'm sorry Yvlena you just gave me quite the shock that's all," the old woman shook her head and raised a hand to run through her greying locks. "It's been so long since I've heard my family's name,"

  "Your family?" Yvlena asked, all of a sudden the elf recalled the locket she had given to Beatrice with the initial T.F.

  T.F. Twy Flores.

  "Oh my God, you're part of the former noble house of Flores," Yvlena said gasping.

  [Beatrice's Daughter 8.7% pletion]

  [Story of the Harvest Guardian 15.7%]

  "Lilian Flores is your-"

  "Great Grandmother, yes. She was a Harvest Guardian much like yourself, I suppose that's how you came to know of her,"

  "Yes, Bavga the boe about her and how the nobles didn't take too kindly to her occupation,"

  "They could not see beyond their prejudices, dark did not mean evil but it's difficult to vinyo in their ways of something,"

  "I'm sorry Beatrice, fing up this old wound, clearly it's something that still bothers' you," Yvlena said.

  The old woman shook her head again, standing to tinue making tea for her guest.

  "Like I said it was just a surprise. No one calls me much by my surname anymore, Troud of it though. Proud to e from the line of a Harvest Guardian,"

  "I imagine she was,"

  'Maybe that's why she went to find Rael,' Yvlena thought.

  Yvlena sipped her tea and ate bread with Beatrice who was always happy to have the girl around. They chatted for a bit about the state of things before Yvlena asked to take a nap.

  "Beatrice, is it alright if I rest here for a bit?" Yvlena asked.

  "Of course my dear, take as much time as you need. I 't imagihere aren't many useable beds within the manor," The old woman said.

  "Thank you,"

  ----------

  Aya logged out of the game with a sigh, her eyelids felt heavy from all the things she had done, but it was finally time for her to get some sleep.

  "I'm pretty sure Kuti is a summon but I'll have to cheorrow when I py," Aya said yawning. She set the Revsita aside and curled into the mattress food night's sleep.

  ----------

  "Aya get up!" Mars' voice said in a whisper, the dark haired girl had been shaking her awake f Aya to open her eyes. The brue blinked herself awake w why her roommate would be waking her up at such a te hour.

  "Mars! What?" Mars spped a hand over the girl's mouth, tellio be quiet. That's when Aya heard it. The sound of something trying to e in through the main door.

  It robably burgrs, the most on criminals in Axen.

  Aya didn't have to worry about them when she had her special locks but now with the moving efforts they only had the basic steel oo rely on.

  Beside Mars was a baseball bat ed with a sock, while Mars herself had a calm but worried expression.

  "Someorying to break in, how long would it typically take the police to arrive if something happened?"

  "This far and this te? It would take forever this is the lowest priority area in Axen," Aya said in a panic, she had lived through a break-in before, one of the nights before she had gotten her locks.

  "Alright, grab the heaviest or sharpest thing you from the kit and stay close," Mars said patting Aya's head. "Don't cry, I'll protect you,"

  "I'm n," Aya whined quietly as she got up from the bed in her pajamas and followed Mars into the kit.

  The lights in the apartment were off and remaihat way so the would-be intruders didn't know anyone was in the home. The girls kept their footsteps slow and light.

  Aya pulled the knife from the kit rad waited beside Mars.

  "You got it?"

  Aya nodded vigorously, holding the handle of the kh a strong grip. The girls waited oher side of the door. Their hearts pounded in their chest as they waited for the mists to force their way in.

  "It's no good, these are steel locks," one of the voices said outside the door. Aya and Mars heard a sharp smack, the sound of a person receiving a sp.

  "You idiot, you told me you could pick steel locks," Another voice whispered.

  "Cheap steel not expeeel, shame too if we got in the broads in here are definitely loaded,"

  Another sp resouhrough the hallway. The voices' muffled pints trailed off as the footsteps slowly receded into the distance.

  Mars and Aya let out synized sighs of relief, pg their ons on the floor. A weight had lifted off their collective shoulders with the knowledge that no one was trying to e in through their door.

  "We almost got robbed," Mars said. "That's never happeo me before,"

  "Axen City bids you a grand wele," Aya said leaning her head on the wall.

  "It take that wele and shove it," Mars said.

  Aya ughed, already she was too used to the harsh realities of life in Axen city. Now she was only eager to leave this crime ied rat hole.

  "I only wonder how they kneere women," Aya said.

  "What?" Mars sat up, alert at Aya's words.

  "They said, if we got in the broads in here are definitely loaded, how did they knoere...women,"

  "Someone must have tipped them off," Mars said. "In which case we should keep an eye on the door just in case anyone else wants to py,"

  Sunghost