Chapter 29

  The train slithered by the trail of tracks like a hissing snake with a rattling metallic spine.

  Despite the industry behind its creation, the train traversing across the untamed plains made for an idyllic sight. Its soundtrack, the chug of its propulsion, the rhythmic clunk when the wheels passed over adjoining tracks, the clinking of the carriages like a great big chain, and the hiss of the engine all came together like a choir with the native thrum of the wilderness.

  The chimney spewing white clouds like a flare to herald its journey was the last finishing touch of artistic flair to the scene.

  The engine chugged away, pulling along two dozen carriages. The red engine had only been christened less than a year ago and was the latest design in steam propulsion.

  Steam engines on a grand scale were first designed to use a coal furnace to generate steam which in turn moved the leavers and pistons. Mechanical energy was the way of the future, but from the very start, fuel efficiency and coal smoke remained the biggest detractors.

  The astronomical potential of the steam engine justified a full commitment to its development and a blank check towards investment. Every nation, every academy, research and scientific society had their geniuses working towards improving on the original design of Thomas Savvy.

  The most logical solution came to be in enchanting. More precisely, it was Glengard, the nation of foremost authority in runes, who came to the fore and collaborated with Ithica towards the endeavor.

  In a joint effort, Ithica worked on the scientific aspect of the project, while Glengard worked on the enchantments to propel the project to new heights.

  The combined intellectual might of two nations gave rise to new avenues of discovery.

  Amongst which, Glengard adopted an alternate fuel that was sourced from a plant called Ethseed for their furnaces. The synthetic plant was highly flammable and heat retentive, and designed to minimize waste on burning. The plant was a perfect coal substitute, but the problem was that it could only be grown in a very specific soil composition that was native to Glengard and was practically absent across the seas on the Pandyssian continent where Ithica resided.

  Ithica, thus, was left with the most cost-efficient method. They treated their coal with alchemical oils to improve the output and enchanted the furnaces to be stronger and more efficient. Just as importantly, Glengard shared with them the rune designs for the exhaust systems to lower pollutant emissions by a staggering ninety percent!

  Three carriages stood out in the trail of the engine. Rather than the usual passenger carts that followed after them, the three carriages immediately after coal cart were heavily armored and reinforced in metal unlike the wooden carriages that trailed behind. There were also uniformed guards stationed between the carriages. All of them possessing some kind of telescope or binoculars to aid their vigilant scouting.

  The first of the armored carriages was a decked out office, complete with book shelving and carpeting, a miniature study and the compulsory main desk and filing cabinets.

  Samuel Croft sat in his mobile office, attending to his correspondence, going over files and reports, very much inundated with his business dealings. Especially since he would be otherwise occupied in the upcoming weeks with his daughter’s engagement. With his recent expansion in holdings and new agreements with the Crown, his company’s ventures had increased significantly in the past few weeks. Even considering Croft’s massive enterprise, that was no easy growth to consolidate. There seemed no end to the paperwork.

  Samuel’s gaze drifted towards the bar, but he managed to refrain from indulging just yet. He had much to do and needed to keep his wits sharp.

  The rhythmic sounds of the train proved a balm to his overworked mind. It was one of the reasons he had limited the sound proofing in his office. He liked the ambience and when you owned the very railways, you got to keep what you wanted and leave out what you didn’t from your trains. He had also splurged for the upgraded suspension so that his writing wouldn’t be affected and he wouldn’t get motion sickness.

  The first armored carriage was Samuel Croft’s mobile office, the second was a set of two lavish bedrooms with a fully functional bathroom.

  The third carriage of the Croft procession was a cross between a living and dining room. With an open kitchen at one side of the dining section and a relaxing, posh recreational area for lounging at the other. Lit lamps bracketed the walls with slim windows giving view to the scenic landscape passing by.

  The carriage that could easily host twenty, only had three occupants.

  Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  Gwen took a sofa paired with an ottoman beside an end table, reading a book on wizardry.

  The body guard, Thelma Espaar, lounged in a chair with her feet raised against the window as she observed the countryside rush by.

  Lastly, Eleanor Croft enjoyed a novel with her feet up on a leather love seat.

  Finishing a chapter, she placed a bookmark and snapped the raunchy romance shut. Eleanor Croft was bored after being confined in transit for more than six hours. And with more than a day’s travel still remaining, she couldn’t help crave a distraction.

  She desired to take Samuel for a ride, but relented that her husband was doing important work and it would be best not to disturb him. Just yet.

  So, she turned her gaze upon her daughter.

  “Gwen, come sit by me,” she asked of her daughter.

  Gwen looked up from her book and Eleanor could tell that her daughter was in the same boat as her. Gwen stored her book and obeyed her mother to come sit by her side.

  Eleanor scooted closer and held her daughter’s hands in affection. “This all so exciting!” she gushed with an enthusiasm that would have been overly exuberant for a woman half her age.

  Try as she might, Eleanor could not miss the condescending look that Gwen had for her mother. Knowing that Gwen was verry much her father’s daughter didn’t help ease the ache that her only child thought less of her as compared to Samuel.

  But Eleanor had known for long enough to develop a thick skin for it. And she couldn’t bring herself to begrudge either of her loves their quirks.

  “Come now, Gwen! Cheer up!”

  Gwen slumped and leaned into her mother. “Sorry, momma, that I can’t be as eager as you to get myself married off,” she said with a barbed tongue.

  Elanor cackled annoyingly to get back at her daughter’s rudeness. She scoffed. “We are rubbing shoulders with the elites of the nation and holding our own! What’s more, they are fawning over us! They can’t stop falling over themselves to give us everything we want, for a steal no less! How is that not something to get excited about?” she scolded.

  “And that’s not the end of it. We are on our way to meet one of the most powerful people in all of Ithica who has promised us her hospitality and protection.

  “And your engagement. How could I not be thrilled that my little girl is getting engaged to an honorable family with her future secured?

  “Is that not enough to be happy?”

  Gwen rolled her eyes. “You’re not the one getting married,” she argued back, set in her bad mood.

  Eleanor repressed a sigh. Gwen was too much like Samuel. Both her husband and daughter were highly intelligent and driven persons. But they lacked a self-awareness, a common sense that came with wisdom and experience of people who were not so heavily endowed with talents as they were.

  “We talked about this, Gwen,” Eleanor gently chided her daughter.

  Gwen exhaled in frustration. “I will act my part,” she compromised. “But I will not believe the lie and fool myself.”

  “And pray tell, what lie is this?”

  “That I am getting engaged and Duchess Sabina is going to be my mother in law,” muttered Gwen. “Nothing about this is real.”

  Gwen waited for another scolding, but was surprised when Eleanor merely continued stroking her hair.

  Just as Gwen was about to say something, Eleanor interjected, “I told you that I had two still births before you were born.”

  Caught off guard by the change in the topic of conversation, Gwen could only nod.

  “We had given up hope,” Eleanor reminisced. “And then you came. A miracle. Our miracle,” Eleanor cooed. “We were beyond ourselves. I have never known such happiness than when I heard your first cries and held you in my arms.”

  Eleanor paused and even Thelma was captivated by her.

  “I remember you were six years old when the first proposal was made for your betrothal. And I experienced for the first time what every parent worried about their daughters.”

  Eleanor looked to her daughter with the gaze of a wizened woman.

  “The world is changing, but it hasn’t changed enough for women to be allowed to prosper on their own. At first, I hoped that our wealth and influence would pave the way for your independence. That you would have the freedom to choose who to love and share your life with. Free to make your own choices.

  “I was hopelessly wrong.” Eleanor shook her head. “People coveted you all the more because of our wealth. Your father thought me silly, but I couldn’t help myself but fret about your future since you were a tot.

  “I thought my prayers were answered when you were aether blessed. Once again, I believed that my daughter would hold the cards to her own fate. You were a wizard, beautiful and rich. The world was to be in the palm of your hand.”

  Eleanor chuckled humorlessly.

  “We always end up making the same mistakes. All the things I thought would help you be your own master, they made you all the more desirable to others. And this time, the ones who came asking for your hand were truly dangerous and powerful people.”

  Eleanor held Gwen’s chin and caressed her cheek.

  “You seem to be under the impression that this is happening because you are a woman,” stated Eleanor. “With all your talents, it wouldn’t have mattered if you were our son. We would still have been forced into giving you away. Such is your worth, Gwen.”

  Gwen eyes went wide as she contemplated her mother’s insight.

  Seeing that she had gotten through to her hardheaded daughter, Eleanor smiled and patted her cheek.

  “I have tried to tell you, but you never to listen to me. This, Gwen, this is about as perfect as it could get for us. For you. I will get to see my daughter’s engagement and wedding, while the very Crown will safeguard your inheritance and freedom. And that is besides the business with your father and Lady Webb.

  “Then there is Duchess Sabina. That woman is a force of nature! If half the things about her are true, you couldn’t have a better shield against your detractors.

  “And all you have to do is pretend. Why not enjoy it then? If you have to walk down the aisle regardless, why not strut your stuff and make it good?”

  What Eleanor refrained from saying out loud was that she fervently hoped her daughter would go on from pretending to believing. Gwen could do far worse for a husband than the impressionable bastard of Duchess Sabina.

  There was no such thing as a perfect match, but Eleanor knew that any relationship needed effort and commitment to work. Unfortunately, she knew her daughter well enough to know that Gwen would never settle down, in both senses of the word.

  Eleanor knew it was a foolish hope that the plan went smoothly. All she could do was make sure her daughter didn’t unwittingly make a rod for her own back.

  What parents do for their children.