Shadows Over Arcadia Chapter 33: 33. Sylfina Pt 4

Read chapter 33 of Shadows Over Arcadia by Zacheas on NovelPedia.

33. Sylfina Pt 4 I am Sylfina Elowen, 324 years old, and I am a lot more than just a loyal servant and Governess to the Noble Griswald Household. https://shadowsoverarcadia.com/api/storage/objects/uploads/8c358212-6119-4210-aba2-44806292c67c Griswald doesn’t wait for confirmation. The moment the words leave Loxly’s mouth, he barrels out the door like a charging beast, his massive frame moving with startling speed. Loxly barely sidesteps in time, his reflexes the only thing keeping him from being flattened as the half-dressed Adonis blurs past. I spring to my feet as well, heart pounding at the news of Diana’s return. I smooth my dress with a shaky breath, trying to collect myself, just as Loxly pokes his head back through the doorway, wearing a mildly amused expression. "Sir Loxly, please escort our guest out," I say coolly, gesturing to the dazed and still-trembling Lord Foster. Loxly's lips curl into a smug grin as he steps inside. "With pleasure, ma’am." He turns toward Foster, his smirk widening. "So, Lord Foster… how was your meeting with the boss?" I don’t wait to hear the response. "Daphne," I call, just as she steps out of the study, now fully dressed but still blushing furiously. "Go tell the others that Diana is back," I instruct, already moving toward the door. Daphne nods quickly, then hesitates. "Should I—?" I glance back, already anticipating the question. "Yes, tell Mira to serve everything she can. The master will want a feast." "Yes, ma’am!" she calls after me as I hurry out the door. By the time I catch up to Griswald, he is already pulling Diana off the back of a very familiar horse. My eyes immediately dart to the second horse beside it, and I recognize both animals instantly. Huckleberry and Buttercup. They had belonged to Griswald for years before he gifted them to Master Shadow as a token of gratitude for his countless acts of heroism. Seeing them now, carrying Diana and three unfamiliar women, newly purchased slaves still wearing standard iron collars; my mind races with questions. Where is Shadow? Where have they been? Where are Adams and Nickels? The moment Diana is off the horse, she flings herself into Griswald’s arms. He catches her effortlessly, lifting her off the ground in a loving embrace. She clings to him just as tightly, arms and legs wrapped around him as she buries her face in his neck, her small frame trembling. Griswald’s deep voice rumbles, thick with emotion. "You’re back… Oh, bless the gods, you’re back!" He squeezes her tight, as if afraid she might vanish. Tears glisten in Diana’s large eyes as she sniffles against him. "Did they hurt you?" Griswald demands, pulling back just enough to examine her. His expression darkens, voice dropping into something deadly. "If they did anything to you…" “They killed Adams and Nickles!” Diana sobs, tears spilling freely down her face. A different kind of chill grips me, spreading through my limbs like a numbness I can’t shake. Judging by the way Griswald stiffens, his expression frozen between shock and sorrow, he feels it too. "No… how?" Loxly’s voice is barely above a whisper behind me. My mind reels. Adams and Nickles had served under Griswald in the military, following him into retirement to become his retainers. They were more than just loyal men—they were part of our family. They had lived in the manor as long as I had, their presence as steady and reliable as the walls around us. Of course, in the back of my mind, I knew it was possible. If Diana had been taken, there was always a chance they had been killed protecting her. But I had clung to hope, just as I’m sure Griswald had—that her safe return meant they were alive too. "What happened to them?" Griswald growls, his grief sharpening into fury. But despite the rage in his voice, he holds Diana close, his arms steadying her as the floodgates burst. Now that she is safe, the emotions she had been suppressing pour out unchecked. “They… sniff… they fought the bandits, but… sniff… there were