Chapter 288: The Beds Arrive

Darion walked through the castle gate, his steps normal, his face calm. The guards at the gate greeted him as he entered, their voices familiar and routine. He nodded to them, offering a brief smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

"M’lord," one of them said, "welcome back."

"Thank you," Darion replied, his voice steady.

He walked into the courtyard, his mind still churning with everything he had learned. The name Vrethka kept repeating in his mind like a drumbeat, a constant reminder of the threat that was looming over Percvale.

He had to tell Garren and Seren. He had to prepare his people. But before he could do any of that, he noticed the wagons.

Several large wagons had arrived at the castle, their beds piled high with wooden frames, mattresses, blankets, and other basic sleeping supplies. Workers were moving around them, unloading the cargo with efficiency. Garren and Seren were among them, their clothes dusty from the road, their faces tired but satisfied.

Garren looked exhausted from the trip but satisfied with what they had managed to purchase. He was directing the workers, his voice carrying across the courtyard. Seren was also visibly tired, stretching her arms after hours of traveling and dealing with merchants. She spotted Darion and gave him a small wave.

Garren noticed him as well and walked over, a tired smile on his face. "You’re back," he said.

Darion gave him a simple response. "Yes."

Garren looked toward the wagons. "Good timing. We just got everything back."

Darion looked at the piles of beds and mattresses. Under normal circumstances, he’d probably be pleased. Percvale desperately needed these basic improvements.

People had been living with poor sleeping conditions for too long. The old beds were lumpy, their frames creaky, their mattresses worn thin. New ones would make a real difference in people’s lives.

But after what he had just discovered, even something as mundane as buying beds felt strangely distant.

’Beds. We’re worrying about beds while someone is planning to attack us.’

He pushed the thought aside, forcing himself to focus on the present. There was no reason to dump the information on Garren and Seren while everyone was busy unloading.

More importantly, he didn’t want the workers hearing about a possible attack before they had confirmed anything. Panic would spread quickly through Percvale, and panic was the last thing they needed.

So Darion simply joined them. He walked over to one of the wagons and grabbed a wooden bed frame, lifting it with a grunt. The frame was heavy, solid, and well-made. He carried it toward the castle, his steps steady.

Garren noticed and tried to stop him. "You don’t need to do that, my lord."

Darion shrugged, adjusting his grip on the frame. "I’m not made of glass."

Garren gave a tired laugh and shook his head. "If you insist."

Seren watched Darion for a moment, her eyes narrowing slightly. She noticed something was slightly off about him. He was helping normally, but his mind clearly seemed somewhere else. His movements were automatic, his gaze distant. He wasn’t fully present.

She didn’t immediately ask. She assumed he was simply tired. He had probably been hunting all day, after all. It was natural to be exhausted.

The unloading continued. They carried the mattresses into the storage room, stacking them neatly against the wall. Bed frames were arranged carefully, some assigned to rooms immediately, others kept for later.

Darion saw how many beds they had managed to purchase and realized this was actually a significant improvement for the people of Percvale. New beds for everyone. Comfort for the first time in years.

He briefly thought about the rebuilding process. First food. Then farmland. Livestock. Housing. Basic furniture. Little by little, Percvale was becoming an actual functioning territory. It was a slow process, but it was working. The barony was healing.

And now someone wanted to attack it.

Whatever he was doing, he couldn’t seem to get his mind off the attack. The thought lingered in the back of his mind like a shadow, a constant reminder of the threat that was coming.

He tried to focus on the task at hand, but his thoughts kept drifting back to the scouts, to Vrethka, to the war that was being planned against him.

Once the final wagon was unloaded, the workers began leaving. They filed out of the courtyard, their voices low, their footsteps fading into the distance. Garren checked the remaining supplies, confirming that everything had arrived safely. Seren wiped some sweat from her forehead and let out a long sigh.

"I’m never riding in a wagon that long again," she said, her voice carrying a note of exhaustion.

Darion almost smiled. "You say that every time."

"Because every time I’m reminded why," she replied, stretching her arms above her head.

It was a brief, normal moment, the kind of mundane exchange that had become familiar over the months. It made the coming conversation more serious, a stark contrast to the lightness of the moment.

Darion waited until the workers had dispersed, their voices fading into the distance. Then he looked toward Garren and Seren, his expression shifting.

"Garren," he said.

Garren looked over. "Yes?"

"Seren. Come with me."

His tone was different. There was a weight to his words that hadn’t been there before, a seriousness that cut through the exhaustion.

Seren immediately noticed. "What’s wrong?"

Darion didn’t answer yet. "Great hall. Now."

Darion led them into the great hall, his steps quick and purposeful. The hall was relatively quiet, the fire crackling in the hearth, the shadows dancing across the walls.

He made sure they were alone, checking the corners and the doorways. Then he closed the doors behind them, the heavy wood groaning as it swung shut.

This immediately made Garren and Seren more alert. Garren could tell this wasn’t some ordinary discussion. His expression hardened, his posture straightening.

"What happened?" he asked, his voice low.

Darion sat down, his body heavy with the weight of the news. He didn’t waste much time.

"I found scouts," he said. "Two of them. They were hiding in the forest and watching the castle."