It was sunset as Lady Madison looked out at the horizon. Nothing but open fields as far as the eye could see. That was to be expected in times of peace. She turned to a nearby subordinate. "I shall retire for the night. If an enemy approaches the gates, do not hesitate to find me."
The subordinate nodded. "Yes, Lady Madison."
And with that, Lady Madison's vacation began. She walked through the gate and into the city. She wouldn't be active for the Emporan military again for another week. Being Empora's mightiest warrior wasn't easy. This was a chance for her to shed her armor, kick up her heels, and enjoy life. She couldn't wait. "Ah, the joys of peacetime."
The first thing she wanted to do was go to the library and see if they had any interesting books. She'd been so busy with border and sentry patrol, she hadn't been able to do much. Sometimes it sucked being so vigilant.
She walked down the street, greeting any who greeted her. She'd have to spend time with some of them during her downtime.
Finally, she made it to the library. The building a pillared, three-story structure that occupied its own block. It featured one of the empire's finest collections. In her travels, she'd been to many libraries in Empora and beyond, yet this particular one always felt like the best one.
She entered and was almost immediately greeted by Hensley, the head librarian. He was an experienced wizard who'd been in a few battles alongside. It didn't take many for him to realize he preferred education over killing, hence he settled down and became a librarian. "Welcome, Lady Madison. You are looking particularly radiant today."
"That's what being on vacation will do to you," she said.
"Oh, so you have free time, then?" he asked.
She knew where this was going. He'd been trying to court her for quite some time. "We're not going on a date. It's relaxation for me...hopefully."
"Oh, come on, Maddy Baby," he said. It'll be fun.
"Don't call me Maddy Baby," she scolded.
After talking with him a little more, she walked around browsing the shelves. Then, a book caught her eye on the third floor. It was about an armor-clad beauty who multiple men were trying to court. She could relate to such a struggle. Yes, she'd check this one out.
After getting everything squared away at the library, she began her trek home. She exchanged greetings with a few more people and stopped to pet a cat before finishing her trip. Then, she walked down a path in the southeast corner of the city for while and there it was. Her birthright, the Ellis House.
The Ellis family was a family of proud Emporan knights and wizard knights with a long lineage. The Ellis House was built by the emperor and given to Lady Madison's grandfather as a reward for her family's loyalty to the empire. With her grandfather dead, relatives in other cities, no children, and her parents having been killed in battle when she was very young, the house was now all hers.
The Ellis House was huge and the Ellis family property was almost a self-contained village unto itself. There was a small farm as well as residences for those farmers to stay. There was a stable where she housed a Pegasus and a horse she'd ride on the occasion she had to travel great distances, as well as a home for their groomer to live. There was also a flower garden, mill, a guest house, a training ground, and a small meeting room where she conferred with important people, such as the village mayor and her highest subordinates.
"I'm home," she sighed in relief.
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