I, the slave boy, awaken with the most potent seed!!

Chapter 12 - 12: Not quite the honeymoon

The mansion was in an uproar. Servants rushed back and forth, their faces a mix of excitement and trepidation. Zafron found himself caught in the middle of it all, feeling lost and out of place.

'What am I supposed to do?' he wondered, his eyes darting from one frantic face to another. 'Everyone's acting like a lion's been let loose in the mansion. It was never like this with the mistress.'

He watched as Mara, usually so composed, practically flew past him, joining a group of maids who seemed both thrilled and terrified.

'Even Mara's caught up in this madness. What's so different about Lord Blackthorn?'

The air was thick with tension, a palpable energy that seemed to electrify every corner of the house. Zafron could feel his heart racing, caught up in the collective anxiety despite his confusion.

'I need to find Mistress Matilda,' he thought, suddenly decisive. 'She'll know what to do. She always does.'

With newfound purpose, Zafron began to navigate the chaos, his eyes

'That must be Lord Blackthorn,' Zafron realized. 'But why does it sound like they're quarreling? Surely after a long journey, they should be doing anything but fighting?'

He hesitated, torn between concern for his mistress and the knowledge that this was far beyond his station. 'Who am I to eavesdrop on their private matters? I'm just a servant here. My job is to serve, not to pry into their affairs.'

Suddenly, the memory of Cordelia waiting for him suddenly flashed in his mind. 'I should go fulfill whatever errand she has and return quickly. Mistress Matilda might need me soon.'

With a last, worried glance at the closed door, Zafron hurried back the way he came. His mind raced with questions and concerns, but he pushed them aside. He had a job to do, and he was determined to do it well, regardless of the strange undercurrents he sensed in the household.