Inside the carriage, the space was ample—an average-height person could easily stand upright. The seats were upholstered in a pale green fabric that could be warm on cold days, thanks to the craftsmen and their ingenious materials.
There was also a small bar stocked with fine wines and stronger spirits, customary among the aristocracy. Water and non-alcoholic beverages were not lacking.
Aiden leaned against Vivienne's shoulder; they passed the time with trivial conversation.
Suddenly the doors opened and Lucian entered, dressed in a linen shirt, light trousers, and matching boots. The fourteen-year-old boy, with his short blond hair inherited from his mother and light blue eyes that drew girls' glances, was considered handsome. He was Aiden's eldest brother and Vivienne's only son.
He greeted his mother respectfully, then tousled his brother's hair.
Behind him came Tomas, Cedric's fourth brother. He bore more resemblance to Evander than to Cedric, yet still looked of the same lineage. He wore a light, formal blue suit bearing a crest of two ravens on the breast—no shield or background—paired with matching trousers, a white shirt, and black leather boots of a reptilian hide, a clear mark of high status.
He greeted Vivienne and gave Aiden's hair a playful ruffle, which the boy clearly disliked.
A moment later the carriage set off, swaying so gently that a newborn placed inside would not be awakened.
Tomas and Vivienne discussed weighty matters—political or otherwise—while Lucian interjected with questions, eager to understand every detail, for he was the heir of the house.
Aiden watched the changing scenery for a while before drifting to sleep; the adult topics bored him unrelentingly.
After an indeterminate time, he awoke to find they had reached the city. Two things struck him at once. First, the buildings: some two, three, even four stories tall, others single-story. Some were wooden, others brick, finished with plaster or varied materials. Compared to the vast estate he was used to, they seemed small and ordinary.
In the larger squares, stalls displayed all manner of wares—everyday items, decorative crafts, food, ceramics, jewelry, and souvenirs. Aiden's attention was particularly captured by a stall overflowing with sweets he longed to try.
The second thing was the people—or rather, not just people. A minority, yet blending seamlessly, these figures had animal ears or tails—rabbits, cats—while the rest of their bodies were human. Some were entirely covered in fur, resembling beasts; others were humanoid lizard-folk, slightly taller than humans due to elongated necks.
Aiden had already seen elves, dwarves, and other beast-folk at his family's estate during political visits. A few servants, too, were beast-folk, though Aiden had little direct contact with them.
Once he asked why they looked that way. He was directed to his father or Vivienne. When he approached her, she paused thoughtfully—this was partly a sad, terrible tale.
Her answer was that these were races from distant lands, and he would learn all in school, which somewhat discouraged him.
He gazed at the city through the carriage window when something strange caught his eye: a man in only his undergarments, his body blistered and covered in black spots and patches, to which feathers of various birds were affixed.
"Vivienne, who is that man with red skin and…" Aiden paused, searching for words.
No one interrupted.
"…black patches and feathers. He's walking about, and people stare and avoid him."
Vivienne beckoned him to sit closer and spoke gently, with a note of caution:
"You know people sometimes do evil things."
After a brief pause to let him think, she continued:
"Those who commit truly terrible deeds cannot go unpunished. If someone does something truly evil, they must face consequence."
Aiden nodded in understanding and asked curiously:
"What did that man do?"
Vivienne shook her head and, with a sigh, tousled his hair—Aiden was thoroughly exasperated:
"I don't know, but it must have been something dreadful. So keep your distance from such people."
Aiden, determined to avoid ill-doers, nodded and said:
"I'll steer clear of them."