Chapter 221

Soon enough the train had pulled into the station, and Natalie and her team stepped off into Tarenhelm.

Tarenhelm was a small city, tiny compared to Aradon, though it was still many, many times the size of Natalie’s hometown, which might not even show up on all maps. Natalie mused at how much her standards had adjusted after living in a place like the capital of Valhaur. The bustle of the receiving station was nearly placid in comparison to Aradon.

A guide greeted them as they stepped off the train, a short, distinguished-appearing man with brown hair. His eyes flicked across Natalie’s group before landing, and sticking, on Liz. Immediately, the man began to ingratiate himself with her. He spared a few perfunctory attempts to introduce himself to Natalie and the others, but it was clear his attention was primarily, if not wholly, focused on Liz.

For a few moments, Natalie was perplexed by the man’s behavior. How quickly he had started trying to endear himself to Liz. Why he was treating her like ... well, royalty.

Of course, that thought cleared things up.

Because Liz was royalty.

Despite just a few hours ago having played into that in a very lewd way, Natalie had almost forgotten. Most people at Tenet treated Liz fairly normally. Not just because they were around her every day, but also because Tenet in general was crawling with nobility. But out here? In an unimportant town several hours from Aradon? The name ‘Beaumon’ came as much more of a shock.

It was weird to be contextually reminded of Liz’s status. Of her placement in the most important family in Valhaur. Someone only slightly removed from the King himself.

Natalie had become friends with a girl from the actual royal family.

Weird.

And she’d also had her cock shoved down her throat like three hours ago.

Really ... what had her life become?

Liz was clearly embarrassed by the way the guide—Tristan, a servant of Tarenhelm’s Baron—focused his attention on her. Not so much because she seemed unaccustomed to it, but rather, by the way she shot flustered glances at Natalie, Jordan, Sofia, and Ana, because it was the first time the difference in their statuses had come so obviously into play. While Tristan was perfectly cordial with the rest of them, he clearly assumed Liz was the leader of the group, and his questions went entirely directed toward her.

For the most part, Natalie was simply amused by the show. Besides, someone in the group did have to take the lead, and while in a combat scenario that might be Natalie because of the nature of her role, a quest was a different matter. Or any social situation. Liz certainly had the qualifications and experience to be their leader in that regard. Natalie, Sofia, and Jordan were all semi-disqualified thanks to their humble, and thus ignorant, beginnings, and Ana wouldn’t be a great fit because—well, because nobody would call her the best people person.

A carriage ride took them to the Baron’s manor at the center of Tarenhelm, Tristan chattering along with pleasant small talk the entire way through. The five of them would apparently be receiving their mission briefing from the Baron himself. Natalie wondered if all Tenet teams would have received equally respectful treatment, or if it was because they had a member with the surname Beaumon.

Natalie knew Tenet in general commanded respect, but really? The Baron himself? Why was the leader of the city briefing them? While any send-for-help that Tenet assigned to their students would be of some importance, it was only a level-two quest. Not something that threatened the city, or was even more than ‘slightly troublesome’—at least on the city-management scale.

Yet, nonetheless the Baron himself would be discussing the details with them. Liz’s presence had to be responsible for that. Being allied with a member of the royal family might come with more baggage than Natalie had assumed. Not that something so minor as Liz receiving preferential treatment was really ‘baggage,’ but again, she had almost forgotten about Liz’s place in the world. Natalie just thought of her as ... her friend. Not ‘the Beaumon.’