"The table is quieter than usual," Lord Alexander commented as he sipped his tea. Unaware of what had happened early in the morning. 

While no one wanted to answer and divulge into that comment, Damien was the one to address it, "They caught Penny biting me," Penny kicked Damien under the table to shut him up. Did this man have no filter? Of course, she knew he didn't but she wished he hadn't told it out loud. 

"What were you doing in their room? I thought the room in the right-wing would give you the needed privacy," Lord Alexander said with a straight face which only made it worse. Elliot couldn't stop chuckling and Sylvia could only offer Penny her condolences. She just wanted to die. She wished someone could give her a shovel so that she could dig the ground herself and cover the mud over her right now.

"Ow!" Elliot jumped in his seat making everyone look at him, "I thought I saw a bee," he said when he received looks across the table before narrowing his eyes at Sylvia who didn't bother to turn to look at him as she sipped the soup from her spoon. He then turned to look at Penny, "We apologize for the morning, Ms. Penelope," he bowed his head, "Alexander, do you think you can make time for some shopping."

"Hmm, I think I can spare some time as I am free until evening," Penny noticed how Lord Alexander didn't mind Elliot dropping the t.i.tle and addressing just by his name.

The five of them headed out leaving the mansion in the capable hands of the butler who had been living here for many years. The snow had been cleaned and paved to make way for the carriage which they had traveled to another town that looked similar to the Isle Valley, except that there was no black market in here. 

Another thing Penny noted was that there were no obvious looking slaves as compared to Bonelake. She wondered if it was because the slave establishment and the black market was closed and in Bonelake that made the elite who owned slaves to show them off or if it was because of the pureblooded vampires who spread the authority that they believed in over the lower beings. Valeria was the second land after Bonelake which was densely populated by vampires. 

On a closer look, Penny came to realize that there were slaves in here if one watched the people walking closely. It was just that it wasn't too obvious like in Bonelake.

The carriage had been parked at the front of the town as they strolled down the streets. As Penelope was new to Valeria, her eyes moved everywhere, taking in the view of the people and the little buildings were there were shops. 

Walking beside Sylvia, Penny asked, "Do you know where I can find decent dresses which aren't overpriced?" she had no clothes to wear right now and if they were going to stay for a long period of time here in Valeria, it was only wise to buy dresses of her own size. 

"There's one that comes after the two streets from here. The shop must be open to enter, we can take a look there," Sylvia offered.

"That would be lovely, thank you," Penny was glad that there was a woman to talk to. 

It wasn't that she never had a company back in the mansion of Quinn's but just that there weren't women of her own mindset. Penny came from a background where she wasn't used to the rich lifestyle. She knew that Sylvia came from a similar background with the way she spoke and moved, her movements were careful and nothing outrageous that caught one's eyes, except for Elliot which made her wonder if there was something between them.

Damien and the rest who walked behind them, heard them interact while they conversed about the latest event that had just taken place, "Her arm," Lord Alexander began, looking at the wound that was healing, "Was it the black witch?"

"Yes. They attacked the town two days before the ma.s.sacre was set up."

"I hope that you have removed the venom out," Lord Alexander knew that his cousin had marked the white witch as his own. His mother had been careful enough to not tap into the forbidden magic and not to fool around with it but Penelope had only begun to use the magic and she would have to be careful in handling it. 

"It has been removed. You should send a notice to all the white witches who work in the church and elsewhere. The black witches would want to catch a new one once they target a new place to host the ma.s.sacre," warned Damien.

It would be months before they would try to achieve for another ma.s.sacre and if they did they had to be prepared in deflecting it again. Surely no town would be built without supervision this time by the council. 

"I received the letter by the council this morning. Iterating about what took place," Alexander stated as they continued to walk, following the two women behind, "They want to run an exorcism for precaution's sake."

"Wouldn't it bring forth every hidden witch in all the lands?"

"It will," Lord Alexander agreed, "It will also bring the hunters out who want to hunt the witches. It will also bring me to light. We'll have to figure it-" before he could finish his sentence, an excited woman's voice was heard behind them. 

"Mr. Quinn!" 

This had everyone turn to see who it was. It was a man and a woman, who approached them. The man was young, probably in his early twenties and the woman looked younger, her eyes red in color. They offered their bows as Damien said,

"Lady Helen."

The woman said, "I have been doing well, Mr. Quinn. It is so good to see you. I was worried when I didn't receive your letter after that night," both Elliot and Sylvia's eyes shot to the side to look at Penny who stared at Lady Helen.