It was midday when Rebel stepped up to the border of The Hallows and dropped the pack she had been carrying with a soft thud. Seeing Ashen dissolve had been really strange and hard and for a while she had stuck close to her parents since she didn't really know where else to go. She probably would have kept doing that if it wasn't for the fact that the rest of their family had all splintered off to do their own thing and she felt like she was lagging behind. She wanted to keep training and being a loner didn't really feel right to her. As much as she loved the freedom of getting to explore wherever she wanted and getting to do whatever she wanted she liked working toward something and having a goal more.

With her father's encouragement and blessing she had settled on where she wanted to head toward and started making her way to Auster. She had only been here once for the pack's big yearling ball, but she had heard all about how good their fighters were and if there was anywhere that was going to help her hone in her skills it was going to be here. Plus... the girls here had been really pretty so that was definitely a bonus. After giving herself a good shake and making sure she wasn't a mess after the long walk here she lifted her head and called for Artorias, knowing it was really up to him whether or not she'd get to stay here or not. She had heard that her cousin Sitri had found a home here shortly after everything fell apart so she hoped that meant good things for her.

"Rebel Klein"

In the aftermath of the fall of Ashen, Artorias had wondered where many of the Klein family had disseminated out to. Many had made their way up north to Elysium he had heard, and Sitri had of course made his way into the Hallows' fold to be with Dusk. Artorias was happy to have the young man as part of his pack; the lad came from good stock, had a good head on his shoulders and a kind heart, and he made his daughter happy. What more could a proud, overprotective father ask for? That's why it didn't come as much of a shock to the Lord of Cinder when he heard a howl summoning him to the borders. Setting down his tools while he quenched a fresh Carpathian steel blade in a barrel of water, Art headed out of the castle in the direction of the voice.

When he arrived at the border, he found a wolf he had met only once before, but remembered in an instant. Venom and Maverick's daughter, Rebel. He greeted the Klein princess with a welcoming smile, taking note of the bags of belongings she had with her. It didn't take Sherlock Holmes to figure out why she was at his borders today. "Good day, Miss Rebel! Forgive the soot and sweat, I've been in the armory all day," he greeted her, waving her in across the border as he finished his approach. "I'm guessing by the bags, you're here looking to see if we have any vacancy for one of our closest family friends?"

"Artorias" | "Carpathian"

She didn't have to wait all that long for the distinctive blue and black form of the Hallows' alpha to appear from the direction of the castle, though as he got closer he was distinctively more dirty and messy than when she had met him as the bouncer at the yearling ball. He quickly explained the smears of gray, saying that it was soot and sweat from working in the armory. That made her ears perk with curiosity since she had never seen anything like that before and it made her imagination go wild, but there were more pressing topics at hand at the moment–which he brought up before she even had the chance. She gave him a grin and a shrug, saying, "You got me. I guess that's why they made you alpha, huh? Smart and observant and all of that." She grabbed her bag and slung it back across her back as she got up to follow his gesture to come across the border, stepping closer to him with a respectful dip of her head. Maybe some of her mother's etiquette lessons did stick after all.

"But, yeah, I was wondering if you had room for one more? I thought about sticking with my parents when Ashen dissolved, but I don't think I'm really going to learn a lot doing that and I know some of the best fighters in all of Ardent live here so what better place to learn from than here?" Yeah, maybe she was trying to lean into the flattery a bit, but she felt like that could only improve her chances. She kept the part about how this pack also seemed to have a lot of really pretty girls in it to herself since she knew a lot of those girls were his daughters so she didn't want to shoot herself in the paw when he could still very easily turn her away.

"Rebel Klein"

Rebel took his humor with grace and geniality, despite the Lord of Cinder knowing his comments were absolutely drenched in dad humor. She played along and remarked on how smart he was for sussing that out and that must be why he was alpha, earning her a chuckle from Artorias. "Really? I thought it was my dashing good looks and award winning smile," he continued to jest with the Klein girl, flashing Rebel one of those said smiles in the process. Was he ribbing on the younger generation because he knew he could get a reaction out of her? Hell yeah he was! Sometimes Art was such a dad, and this was one of those cases. Rebel dipped her head to him as she crossed the border, and Artorias could see so much of Venom and Maverick in her. She had her mother's courtesy and her father's cavalier attitude. Gods, how he missed his friends...

As the pair of wolves walked across the fields of soft summer grasses toward Hearthstone, Rebel confirmed his guess and asked if they had room to take on another wolf. Artorias had already decided long ago that any of Venom's children would be welcomed in his home following Ashen's fall, but he allowed the tall young fae to plead her case anyway. She wanted to learn how to be an adult and a fighter, and the Hallows' reputation proceeded it. Her flattery did earn her some brownie points with the Lord of Cinder, a proud lopsided smile resting easy on his muzzle. "You came to the right pack then, Rebel. We'd be happy to have you for as long as you'd like to stay." Whether that would be permanently or temporarily would be up to her. "The Hallows is a proud and noble pack. We strive to do good, to help and protect others, and to leave the world better than we found it. We don't have many rules outside the usual—the only hard one is that it is forbidden to spill blood maliciously in these lands. Training accidents happen, and we will do anything we can to defend ourselves, but seeking to harm others here will not be tolerated." Artorias didn't expect to have any issues with Rebel following this. The young Klein princess had only ever been delightful the few times he had been around her.

Leading Rebel through the gates of Hearthstone and through the courtyard gardens practically bursting with flora aplenty and the blooming wisteria trees, Art let their newest member drink in her surroundings. Hearthstone was an impressive structure in its own right, and he knew it could be intimidating to many. This was not her first time here, but it would be her first time seeing all of it as more than a guest. "As a Hallowed wolf, you have access to all of Hearthstone. Our medical facilities, my dojo, the sparring yards, the wine cellar and larders, the library, and of course the armory." Artorias led Rebel up the terrace steps and into the castle itself, gesturing up the massive grand staircase to the higher levels. "Every wolf gets to choose a vacant room to make their own personal space. Feel free to pick an ocean view or a forest view room and decorate it as you see fit." Realizing an opportunity to allow Rebel some time to explore and meet her new pack mates, an idea came to Art's mind then. "How about I have one of my daughters show you around? I'm sure they'd be happy to give you a grand tour and help you get settled in!" With a wide smile, Artorias lifted his muzzle and gave a soft call for Ember to come join them.

"Artorias" | "Carpathian"

Her father’s howl caused Ember’s ears to perk atop her head, the Carpathian princess’ attention pulled from the book in her paws as she lounged out on her balcony enjoying the summer sun and cool coastal breeze. Her head turned back to gaze into the castle, wondering what her sire could possibly want from her. It was no secret that the two headstrong Carpathians were butting heads right now, so for him to summon her was unexpected. With a sigh, Ember folded a corner of the page to mark her place in the book before carrying it back into her room and tossing it onto her desk. The midnight-furred princess then stepped out into the hall and made her way for the stairs, huffing and rolling her eyes in the way a teenage girl does when being inconvenienced by her parents in any way.

Trotting gracefully down the stairs, Ember peered over the side of the railing to spy her father down in the foyer talking with someone. A couple more steps down and the other wolf came into view, her snowy white and navy blue coat familiar to her. Memories of their brief interaction at the Yearlings' Ball came rushing back to her as her mixing blue and turquoise eyes fell upon Rebel Klein, surprise painting her visage when she saw the other young fae. The bag on her back suggested only one thing, and it piqued Ember's curiosity. She had heard of Ashen's fall and wondered what had become of all the wolves there. Guess she had her answer now as it looked like Rebel was about to be part of the Hallows. Finishing her descent with a little flurry of her dainty paws on the stairs, Ember approached her sire and their guest, offering Ember a little smile and Artorias a formal dip of her head.

"Father," she greeted Artorias with impassive formality, much to her sire's clear displeasure. She then turned her gaze up to Rebel, who now matched her father in his dire height. "Hello, Rebel. It's nice to see you again!" It had been several seasons since they'd last seen one another. Em was no longer the puppy she had been then. She was all long legs and sleek planes of lithe muscles beneath smooth, silky fur and her flowing tail tied up in her basic everyday braided style. Not quite at her full adult height yet, but clearly taking more after her mother's genes.

"Ember Carpathius" | "Carpathian"

Rebel relaxed a bit and gave Artorias a thankful grin when he told her that they were happy to have her for as long as she'd like to stay. She didn't really think that he'd turn her away since she knew how friendly he had been with her parents and how nice he was, but she also knew the reality of a pack and not wanting to overload your ranks to the point where you couldn't protect everyone and keep them fed. She wasn't unrealistic, after all. She listened with little nods of acknowledgement as he laid out the few ground rules they had. Do good, help others, don't hurt anyone unless they're attacking you. Easy enough to follow as far as she was concerned! "Sir yes sir!" she responded with a mostly joking salute, giving him a cheeky grin.

He led her into the castle courtyard then and she got a look around now that it was in full daylight instead of the evening darkness like she had last seen it on her way into the yearling ball. The castle looking even more gigantic now that she could crane her head back to look up toward the upper towers. The cave systems and such that her mother had always picked for their homes had been impressive in their own right once she was done with them, but this was something else entirely. She blinked with surprise while Art began to list off all of the shared spaces that she'd have access to in the castle as a member, trying to remember them all and internally wondering how she'd ever find them all in a huge structure like this. Obviously they made it work whenever they got used to it so she was sure she would too eventually. She stepped into the foyer as she continued to follow Art's lead, her magenta gaze still sweeping slowly around the space and taking it all in while Art explained that they all got their own room, drawing her attention to the huge staircase ahead of her.

Just as she was about to ask where some of the stuff he had listed off were, Art offered to have one of his daughters show her around and she had to quickly check herself to make sure she didn't look too eager by the prospect. "That'd be great, thanks!" she said as casually as she could manage and continued to look around and peek down the branching corridors while he called for one of his daughters. It made her wonder how many daughters–or how many kids in general–he had, but she could start to figure that out herself the longer she lived here. She waited to see who he had called for and soon enough she got her answer as the sound of paws moving down the steps drew her attention up to who she assumed would be her guide. To her surprise it was none other than the girl she had spoken to and shared raspberry tarts with at the ball–except now she wasn't the cute kid any more, but a more mature young woman that was certainly waaaay more on the pretty side of the spectrum than just cute.

Rebel's eyes widened slightly with surprise before she caught her composure, clearing her throat a bit before turning to face Ember with a friendly grin. The pointed coldness toward her father wasn't lost on her, but she got the feeling that probably wouldn't be good for her to go poking her nose into... especially not if she wanted to have any hope of making a move of any kind on the Carpathian princess. "Yeah, it's really nice to see you again too, Ember. I'm glad that I'm starting out my first day here with a friendly face," she replied with a grin, shifting the bag on her back a bit to make it sit more comfortably.

"Rebel Klein"

Artorias was pleased to see Ember was quick to descend the stairs and come join her when he had called for her. Of course she had been up in her room. That's where she spent most of her time these days if it wasn't out on the sparring fields. The dire brute breathed a labored sigh as he followed his daughter's movements with his eyes, mentally wondering if she'd ever get over this brooding phase or if their relationship was doomed to sink over this difference in their ideals. That unspoken question was swiftly answered when Ember reached the bottom of the stairs and greeted Rebel warmly, then him with an icy indifference. The way Art's face twisted with the way her aloofness hurt him flashed across his expression for a second, but was swiftly replaced with a sternness to hide that pain. He didn't want Ember to see how much this Cold War between them was affecting him.

"Ember, Rebel is our newest member," he explained, gesturing to Rebel with a paw and a smile. "Would you mind giving her a tour of Hearthstone and the castle grounds? Help her get familiar with her new home. Then if you wouldn't mind, help her pick out any of our vacant rooms to get settled in." With his request given, Artorias looked to Rebel once more and dipped his head in welcome to her. "I'll leave you two to it then. Rebel, if you need anything at all, don't hesitate to ask anyone for assistance. When you're settled in, come find me and we can discuss what role you'd like to take in the Hallows." With nothing more to say, Artorias stood and headed back for the armory, eventually letting his smile slip from his face when the girls were out of sight.

- exit Artorias -

"Artorias" | "Carpathian"

As she had already guessed, Rebel was here to stay, as her father decreed. It really wasn't that big of a surprise to Ember, given that Ashen no longer existed, and in a way it was kind of honoring that the Klein princess had chosen to come live with them in the aftermath. It made Ember smile all the more brightly at Rebel, especially when the other lady seemed so happy to see her again. Wow, she must've really made a good impression on her back at the ball! Austere eyes turned back to her sire when he explained why he had called her down. Give Rebel a tour of the castle, help her pick a room and get settled in. Easy enough! Were it any other request from her father, Ember might have just outright refused it right now, but she didn't want to mar Rebel's first day in the Hallows because of her own spiteful battle with her dad. "Yes sir," she replied curtly, ignoring the way Artorias grimaced at her before he dismissed himself back to his toys in the armory, leaving the two faes to themselves.

Once her father was out of sight, Ember's mood visibly shifted and she was once more the perky yearling she usually was. She smiled up at Rebel, blue eyes bright with excitement as she waved a paw in the direction Artorias had gone down. "Shall we begin with what you're already familiar with?" she suggested, leading Rebel down the corridor to the Great Hall. She knew Rebel had been here already for the yearling ball, but there were still things to see down this way too. "This is the Great Hall, and this is what it looks like most days when there isn't some big event going on." Ember led Rebel down the rows of long wooden tables, all neatly cleared away as opposed to when she had seen them with a feast laid out on them. "This is where we eat most of the time. We also have our big events, our balls and parties, and our pack meetings here. The piano is new; my dad just got that for us."

Ember led Rebel over to the massive hearth at the center of the interior wall, the fire inside blazing despite the heat of summer. "This is the Great Hearth. It stays lit all day and night. We never allow it to go out. It's a symbol of the Hallows and of my family, of the eternal light in the dark that the Hallows is." Ember smiled as she looked into the crackling flames. The hearth was probably the most important thing in all of Hearthstone. It stood as a beacon of hope, of shelter, of life. She was very proud of her family and her pack, and the fire symbolized both things. Leading Rebel away from the hearth, Ember pointed a paw down the southern corridor. "Down there is the armory. We keep all our extra weapons and armor in there. It's free to use for anyone old enough who knows how, so feel free to poke about." But right now, Artorias was in there, so Ember would not be. The other doorway on the south end of the hall was their next stop though.

"This is the kitchen! We've got ovens, ranges, and grills, plus a natural water spring for all your cooking needs." Ember sauntered across the spacious kitchen, gesturing to each thing she named so Rebel could take it all in. She spent a lot of time in the kitchen with her mother, learning how to cook and bake and prepare food of all kinds. "Over here is the pantry for all our dry goods, and down these steps is our wine cellar and food larders and general storage space." Ember led Rebel down the stairs so she could show her the rows of large wine casks and racks upon racks of bottled wine her mother and the rest of the pack's crafters made. "My mom is in charge of making all the recipes for the wines. It's probably our most popular traded item with other packs. I haven't gotten to try any of it yet because my parents say I'm not old enough, but my mom and dad seem to really love this stuff!" One day, Ember would find out why the adults all seemed to like the wine so much...

"Ember Carpathius" | "Carpathian"

The tension between the two Carpathians was palpable and oh so obvious, but she wasn't about to touch that with a ten foot pole. No, she was going to keep her nose well away from whatever was going on there, that was for sure. At the very least Ember looked much more excited once her father was gone and they were left alone for her to be given a tour. It at least assured Rebel that this tour wasn't a chore for her pretty, new pack mate. "Sure," she replied agreeably when Ember suggested that they start with something familiar. She was led down the corridor that she remembered well enough from when she was last here during the ball and they walked into the large, open space lined with empty tables. She was kind of surprised to see the fire roaring in the hearth despite the fact that it was quite warm outside, but Ember soon explained the purpose and the symbolism behind it. "That's very poetic," she commented thoughtfully with a little nod.

She peered down the corridor that Ember pointed out, ears perking with interest at the mention of the armory. She'd definitely have to get that a look later on. She had a couple of loyal companions that certainly made the difference at times during her fights, but she had seen a bunch of wolves with various kinds of weapons and armor and she knew that was probably the next step in sharpening her fighting skills even more. Ember was already moving on to the next thing, however, and a moment later she was led into the kitchens and she gave little nods to show she was listening as she watched Ember move around the space and name all of the various appliances and cooking surfaces. This place was so much different than what she was used to! The only way she had ever seen food cooked was by an open fire, but things seemed a lot more sophisticated here. "I guess this is where those raspberry tarts were made, huh?" she asked with a grin as she walked over to the oven curiously.

Ember pointed out another feature, leading her over to a set of stairs that led down to the wine cellar and food larder. Curious, Rebel followed her tour guide down into the shadowed basement with a few lit torches mounted to the wall that cast enough light to see by. There was more bottles of wine down here than she could count! She looked back to Ember as she explained that her parents hadn't let her actually try any of the wine yet cause she wasn't old enough, but that her parents seemed to love the stuff. She hummed softly as she walked over to the shelves of bottles, examining them for a moment before glancing past Ember to the stairs behind her to make sure no one was up there that could catch them. Then she looked at Ember with a mischievous grin. "No one else is here... We could try a little sip if you want," she offered, already starting to reach for one of the bottles. "If someone catches us we'll just say I wanted to try some and you didn't have any."

"Rebel Klein"

Ember hoped she wasn't being too boring with the way she was presenting the Hallows tour to Rebel. There was a lot to take in and some of it was more interesting than the rest, but she was trying to hit all the important bits without being too verbose. As they passed through the kitchens, Rebel surprised her by mentioning the raspberry tarts Ember had suggested to her back almost a year ago at the Yearling Ball. Ember's eyes lit up with recognition and she flashed a smile back to Rebel over her shoulder. "Yes, it was! I'm surprised you remember them!" It was such a small insignificant detail from that night, but apparently it had stuck with Rebel for some reason.

Down into the basement they went where Rebel seemed astounded by the sheer volume of wine the Hallows had. Most of it was manufactured fresh by the pack, but some of the particularly aged vintages had been here long before the wolves had settled the castle. Ember didn't really know the fine details of the wines like her parents did, particularly her mother, but there were apparently some bottles that were older than even her grandparents were! Rebel walked up to the nearest rack of wines and pulled out one of the bottles, seeming to consider it for a moment. Ember watched her new pack mate with a curious look. What on earth was she doing with that bottle...? Her question was answered when Rebel proved her name to be apropos to her personality and suggested they try a little sip of the wine together. Ember's mouth dropped open and her eyes went wide with shock. Was Rebel really suggesting they sneak some of the Hallows wine she was explicitly forbidden from trying?! She didn't know how old Rebel was, but since she had left her family and come to live here, she assumed she must've been old enough to drink at least. But to offer some to herself?!

Ember stammered for a moment, looking back at the stairs in apprehension as well. She couldn't deny that she'd always been curious of the wines, but was she willing to take the risk? After a moment of thought and deciding that she really only cared if she upset her mother right now, Em turned back to Rebel with a naughty grin and hurried over to the other girl. "Okay, just a sip." Ember took the bottle gently from Rebel's paws and extended the feline claws from her paw to spear the cork with one, prying it gently out with a pop. The rich scent of alcohol and summer berries began to seep from the open bottle. Em took a sniff of the bottle and wrinkled her nose, trying to decide if it was something she liked or not. Maybe wine was an acquired taste...? "You're the new girl, so you get the first sip," said Ember, handing the bottle back over to Rebel to try first. It was definitely because she was polite and not because she was nervous about her first taste of alcohol. No way, definitely not that!

"Ember Carpathius" | "Carpathian"

The look of utter shock and horror on Ember's face at the suggestion that they take a sip of wine despite the explicit instructions Ember had been given not to was absolutely priceless and worth suggesting such a thing just for that. It made her grin and chuckle to herself as she watched Ember have a moment of battling with her own conscience. "I mean you don't have to of course. If the princess is too afraid of getting in trouble..." she teased with a smirk, tipping the bottle in her paws back and forth and feeling the wine inside of it swish from side to side while she waited for Ember to decide if she was going to take the risk or not. She fully expected Ember to play the part of the good girl princess and refuse, but to her delight Ember finally looked at her with a grin and hurried over to where she was standing with an agreement to just a sip. "Atta girl, princess!" she replied with a wide grin, allowing Ember to take the bottle from her to pull out the cork with her claws.

Ember took a sniff and didn't seem all that thrilled with the smell so when she handed it back to her to take the first sip she had to take a whiff as well purely out of curiosity. She could see why Ember wrinkled her nose at that slightly acidic smell of alcohol and it almost made her do the same thing, but she fought the urge. Even though this was just as new and unknown to her she wanted to pretend like she was cool and had wine all the time even though she was just barely old enough to be allowed herself. She lifted the bottle to her lips and tipped it back till the kind of sweet, kind of bitter, berry forward drink filled her mouth as she took a long sip from the bottle. Considering the fact that she really had no idea what kind of flavor to expect it did kind of catch her off guard, but after a couple moments adjusting to the taste of it she actually quite liked it! "It tastes better than it smells," she promised with a grin as she passed the bottle back to Ember.

"Rebel Klein"

Rebel's taunting of her being afraid of getting into trouble sealed the deal. Ember was already going to partake of the wine, but now that her courage was being impugned and put to question, she absolutely had to do it! The Carpathian princess' eyes narrowed and chest puffed up indignantly as she leered at Rebel. Oh, she'd show her up! "Don't call me 'princess'," she snapped back, trying to keep up the tough front and not be seen as a meek girl afraid of trouble. Em watched while Rebel took the first sip of wine, eyes wide and following the bottle as she brought it to her lips. There was a brief moment of a surprised reaction from Rebel, but the older girl quickly recovered and drank the wine with no issue. When all was said and done, Rebel assured her that it tasted better than it smelled and handed the bottle over. Now it was Ember's turn.

Still putting on that indifferent front, Ember grasped the neck of the bottle and brought it straight to her mouth, trying not to inhale through her nose so she didn't psyche herself out going into this. She threw the bottle back until she tasted the bittersweet liquid splash against her tongue, the bitterness of the alcohol mild all things considered, but to a first time drinker, it was enough to make Ember cringe. She sputtered a bit, almost spitting up some of the wine, but she forced herself to recover and swallowed down a single mouthful. It definitely wasn't as bad as she feared it might be, but it was definitely stronger than she was expecting. Em swallowed and gave a little shudder in response to the alcohol, smacking her lips a couple of times. After the initial alcohol shock, the lingering flavor of fermented grapes and summer berries stayed on her palate. Hey, it actually was pretty nice! Still, she didn't think she'd be downing this stuff by the bottle like her parents did any time soon.

"Oh yeah, totally not as bad as I thought," said Ember with a soft laugh, sticking the cork back in the end of the wine bottle to seal it. She handed the bottle back to Rebel to put back where she had found it, waiting for the newest Hallows member to be ready to continue on their tour.

"Ember Carpathius" | "Carpathian"

Rebel watched Ember with some amusement she went to take her first sip of wine. It obviously hit her a bit harder than it had her, the bite of the alcohol making her recoil and shudder slightly, but she managed a mouthful and eventually seemed to have the same sort of assessment that Rebel had of the flavor. "See? I told you," she replied with a chuckle when Ember said that it wasn't as bad as she thought. She watched as Ember put the cork back into the top of the bottle and then held out her paw for Ember to hand it back to her. She lifted it half way toward the shelf before she stopped, an idea coming to her mind. She had already pushed Ember out of her comfort zone today, but the rebellious side of her couldn't help but want to push the envelope even further. Pushing Ember's buttons was really fun and her attempts to be casual and nonchalant despite her unfamiliarity with breaking the rules was adorable.

"You know..." she began, keeping a hold on the wine as she turned back toward Ember instead. "If there's somewhere in the castle that we could hide out where your parents wouldn't find us we could enjoy some more of this," she suggested with a wicked grin. "After all, how can you really know what drinking wine is like from just one sip?" She tried to gage Ember's reaction to her suggestion, smirking as she turned back toward the shelf as she added, "Ah, who am I kidding, a princess like you wouldn't want to break the rules that hard. I mean, what would your dad say if he found out?" The fact that Ember hated when she called her princess only made her want to call her that more.

"Rebel Klein"

Ember was all set to continue their tour around Hearthstone when Rebel stopped her and brought up finding somewhere her parents wouldn't find them so they could drink more of the wine. The Carpathian girl's heart missed a beat in panic, whipping around to face Rebel with an incredulous look of shock on her face. Steal a whole bottle and hide while drinking it?! She might as well have gone up to her dad and smacked him in the face! The whole notion left Em speechless and stunned. Could she really bring herself to break the rules and disrespect her parents so blatantly like that? She was mad at her dad, yeah, but that would upset her mom too, and Briar had been nothing but good to her. No, no she couldn't do that... not now, at least. "Uhh, rain check? I don't think it'd be a great idea to steal a bottle of wine and run off when I'm supposed to be showing you around first." Maybe another time she'd feel daring enough to take up Rebel on her offer of teenage rebellion, but not today.

Waiting until Rebel had put the bottle back, Ember led her back up to the main level of the castle and down the corridor across the foyer to the east wing. "Over here is the east wing of the castle. Here, we have our infirmary, lounge, and guest rooms." Ember briefly showed Rebel the lounge filled with comfy furniture and plush pillows, then led her to the open doors of the infirmary, where Gwynevere was inside stocking shelves with various medicined and poultices. "If you ever get hurt or feel sick, this is where you come. My Aunt Gwyn is the best healer in the world, and Syanna is crazy smart about weird diseases and things. And I guess my brother's learning to be pretty good too. Hi Aunt Gwyn!"

With a little wave to her busy aunt as they passed, Em led Rebel past the guest bedrooms and to the baths next. Stepping inside across the smooth stone floor, Ember made a sweeping gesture across the large unfilled tubs. "These are our baths! There's two large tubs that fill with the faucets on the sides. Dad says they pump directly up from a natural hot spring under the castle and drain out to the sea, so there's always hot water available. They feel great, especially on cold or wet days, and it means we're able to stay clean no matter the weather or season!" The baths were one of Ember's favorite rooms. She'd spent so much time in here learning her grooming and beauty techniques with her mother.

"Ember Carpathius" | "Carpathian"