Chosen By The Lover's Constellation-Chapter 116: Arrival

{Lianna}

The road to Garriden stretched out before them, winding through lush countryside and rolling hills.

Lianna leaned against the window of the carriage, her gaze fixed on the quaint rural city that lay ahead. Buildings of wood and stone dotted the landscape, their architecture so incredibly different from the metallic grandeur of Telvan.

"It’s beautiful!" Lianna breathed, her voice filled with wonder. "I don’t think I’ve ever seen this many trees!"

Enverna sat across from her, her expression distant as she stared out at the passing scenery. There was a bittersweetness to her gaze, a mixture of nostalgia and apprehension that Lianna couldn’t quite decipher.

Turning to Enverna, Lianna furrowed her brow in concern.

"What’s wrong?"

Enverna sighed, her eyes returning to Lianna’s face.

"It’s nothing, Lianna. Just... memories."

Lianna reached out, laying a comforting hand on Enverna’s arm.

Enverna hesitated, her gaze flickering away before she finally elaborated on her own.

"I spent all my life here and yet I can’t really recall much about Garriden. I don’t think I ever walked around the city. You know, *really* walked around it, the way I have with Telvan."

Lianna listened quietly as Enverna opened up, her voice tinged with emotion.

"Things were simpler, but... At the same time, just being back here makes me feel so empty."

Lianna squeezed Enverna’s hand gently, offering her silent support.

"Well, you’re not alone here anymore. Hopefully, that’s enough of a difference."

Enverna managed a faint smile, her eyes reflecting gratitude.

"Thank you, Lianna. It means more than you know."

As the carriage rolled into the heart of Garriden, Lianna couldn’t help but feel a sense of reverence for the city and its history. The streets bustled with activity, the sounds of merchants hawking their wares mingling with the laughter of children playing in the squares.

Despite the weight of Enverna’s past, Lianna couldn’t shake her sense of awe at the bustling city. Every corner seemed to hold a story, every building a piece of history waiting to be discovered.

Lianna then recalled:

"OH! Right, Miss Taylor set up reservations at an inn for us. Same place where we’re supposed to meet our bodyguard. Some place called the Golden Griffin."

Enverna’s eyes widened a little.

"The Golden Griffin? I know that place. It’s reputable, but... let’s just say it attracts a certain type of clientele."

Lianna arched an eyebrow, intrigued by Enverna’s cryptic remark, but she decided to trust Miss Taylor’s judgment. With Zura in tow, they made their way through the winding streets until they reached the entrance of the Golden Griffin Inn.

The inn stood tall and imposing, its wooden facade weathered by years of use. As they stepped inside, the dimly lit interior enveloped them in a warm embrace, the scent of ale and hearty meals mingling in the air.

Their eyes scanned the room, searching for their appointed bodyguard.

Their bodyguard found them before they saw her.

A figure dressed in sleek black leather armor, her posture exuding confidence and authority. She had light, brown hair and a wide scar running across her right eye. Despite her formidable appearance, there was a certain charm to her demeanor that Lianna found intriguing.

Lianna scanned her.

Vayn Garbrandt

MP: 250/250

---

STR: B-

END: C+

DEX: A

MYS: B

L: F

Lianna vaguely recalled the name.

[Right. Pretty sure this is her.]

Approaching them with a lively swagger, the woman flashed a roguish grin.

"Ah, finally! I’ve been waiting for you three."

Lianna couldn’t help but feel a twinge of unease at the woman’s exuberance.

There was something about her that felt... off. Nevertheless, she offered a polite smile in return.

"You must be our bodyguard. I’m Lianna, and these are my friends, Enverna and Zura."

The woman nodded, her gaze lingering on each of them in turn. Her lips twitched and Lianna was faintly certain she’d said something that made them somewhat annoyed.

She was also sure that a few ears in that room had perked up upon hearing their names.

"Name’s Vayn. Pleasure to make your acquaintance. I already rented your room out for you, per our mutual friend’s instructions. Come with me."

Just like that, Vayn led them through the crowded inn.

Arriving at their room, Vayn ushered them inside with a flourish, her movements fluid and graceful.

But before Lianna could react, Vayn’s demeanor shifted, her expression hardening with resolve.

In an instant, Vayn had drawn her weapons, a pair of gleaming daggers poised menacingly at Lianna’s throat. The suddenness of the attack left Lianna stunned, her heart racing with adrenaline.

Enverna brought out Storm just as quickly, though Zura just froze.

"What... what are you doing?" Lianna stammered, her voice barely above a whisper.

Vayn’s eyes bore into hers with an intensity that sent a chill down Lianna’s spine.

"You won’t last long here, announcing your names so loudly and so casually." 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Vayn’s words hung heavy in the air, each syllable laced with a sense of urgency that sent a ripple of apprehension through Lianna’s mind.

Lianna exchanged a nervous glance with Enverna and Zura, the gravity of Vayn’s warning sinking in.

After a couple of seconds, she retracted her knife from Lianna’s throat and took a step back. Seeing this, Enverna stopped aiming her spear at the woman, but she did not put it back in her Inventory, just in case.

"What do you mean?" Lianna asked, her voice tinged with uncertainty.

Vayn’s expression softened slightly, a hint of sympathy flickering in her eyes.

"Let me put it this way. Your little escapades in Telvan haven’t gone unnoticed. You’ve made quite the impression on the locals, and not everyone views you kindly. You have more than a few enemies in Garriden, girls."

[Damn.]

"Some people would like nothing more than to see you kicked out of Garriden as soon as possible. And, of course, back at Telvan, once word gets out that you two lovebirds left the city shortly after the assassination of the damn president, what do you think both countries will deduce from that?"

Her question lingered in the air for a moment.

"Just you being here is enough to make tensions grow," Vayn continued, her words echoing with a sense of foreboding.

"We aren’t here for a vacation," Enverna stated firmly. "We’re here because we need to be here."

"I’m aware. My point is, you need to lay low, keep a low profile, and, if possible, not go around declaring who you are to every random person you meet."

Lianna nodded solemnly, her mind racing with the implications of Vayn’s warning.

The thought of being hunted by unknown adversaries, enemies from Garriden or perhaps enemies from Telvan who followed them here, sent a shiver down her spine, but she knew that they had no choice but to heed Vayn’s advice if they hoped to survive.

"Understood," Lianna replied, her voice steady despite the fear that gnawed at her insides.

"Good." With a curt nod, Vayn turned to leave, her movements fluid and purposeful. "Miss Taylor is paying for every night you spend here, so as long as you don’t do something stupid to get kicked out of this inn, you should always have a place to come back to during your stay here. As for me, I have some business to attend to but rest assured, I’ll be keeping a close eye on you. From the shadows, of course."

Lianna couldn’t help but feel a sense of gratitude toward their enigmatic protector, despite the rough introductions. She was, in a weird way, being very helpful.

"But, we haven’t even told you where we’re going. How will you know where we are?" Lianna called out, her voice tinged with curiosity.

Vayn paused, a sly grin spreading across her lips.

"My lady, if I have trouble figuring that out, that would make me *less* worried about you. Good luck."

And with that cryptic reassurance, Vayn simply vanished, leaving Lianna and her companions with their jaws on the floor.

"Uh... That was something," Lianna sighed. "Now, let’s-"

At that moment, she received a call.

Lianna’s fingers hesitated over her phone as the screen illuminated with an incoming call from an unknown number. With a furrowed brow, she glanced at Enverna and Zura, briefly.

With a hesitant breath, Lianna swiped her finger across the screen and brought the phone to her ear, her pulse quickening with each passing second.

"Hello?" Lianna ventured, her voice tentative.

The voice on the other end was unmistakable.

"Lianna?" Mel’s voice crackled through the line. "Greetings."

Lianna’s heart skipped a beat at the sound of her former classmate’s voice, her mind racing with a flurry of questions and emotions.

"Mel? What... how did you..." Lianna stammered, but she was quickly cut off.

Mel wasted no time with pleasantries, her voice urgent and to the point.

"Listen, I heard you arrived in Garriden."

[Already!?] Suddenly, it felt like Lianna understood what Vayn was talking about. They’d barely been here for even half an hour, and yet they’d already turned heads.

"There’s a warehouse on the eastern side of town. Enverna will know it. We can meet up there in a couple of hours."

Before Lianna could respond, the line went dead, leaving her with nothing but the echo of Mel’s words ringing in her ears.

She lowered the phone slowly, her mind spinning.

"What was that about?" Enverna asked, her voice tinged with concern.

"That was Mel..." Lianna said in a daze. "I guess we’re not gonna get much time to relax before we get to work."