Kellan ruffled Jei's hair, "We'll have the train ride later. You can sleep some more there if you're tired."

"Have you found any leads?" He asked when Jei mentioned research. Delving into family history was shockingly difficult. Nobles and their need for secrets. Well, it made sense, he supposed. Even if it was annoying for posterity. Family honor and and all that.

Shaking his head, Jei shifted lightly, moving down a step so he could lean against Kellan. "Nothing yet... We might need to delve deeper into the mystery that is the McKarthy mansion... Sadly, it's going to have to wait." He said, just as their uncle, mother, sisters and cousins came outside. Jei stood, and went to give both his sisters a hug goodbye as a servant brought their carriage out for them.

Kellan stood and walked over to his mother and sisters. He nodded to his mother and gave his sisters a quick hug. "Make sure our cousins don't get boring. Or proper." He said to Serra and Mirai with a light-hearted smile.

Turning back to the steps, he picked up his suitcase and Jei's bag to bring them to the carriage.

"Morning." He said to the servant, as he didn't intend on antagonizing a driver.

He looked back at his mother and sisters. "See you in a couple of months."

Jei gave his mum a quick hug as well, and was surprised when she returned it tightly. "Don't worry mama. We won't be gone long..." He said softly, giving her a kiss on the cheek before pulling away and heading for the carriage. Soon as the three men were seated they took off, Jei nearly out the window as he waved farewell to the only home he'd ever known.

When their mother hugged Jei, Kellan smiled. Perhaps he judged her too harshly. Regardless, he held himself towards her as was expected of him. A lord.

Kellan glanced out the window and gave a swift wave as the carriage pulled away. He had been to the uncle's home before, and was rather excited to be back. His own home held few sentiments for him, as it would always be there. A rather adventurous spirit took hold in him with the rolling of the carriage. It was good to be on the road.

He chuckled seeing Jei warmly bidding farewell to the family.

Jei settled into his seat as they left the property. "So, uncle, what did you need our help with?" He asked, curious to know why Marius had been so willing to swap them for his daughters for a few months.

"Like I said at dinner last night, I figured it'd be best for fhe girls to be under the care of someone who would have time for them, unlike myself and Sophia once the baby is born... I also know my sister, and I figured the two of you could use a vacation." He said, with a small smile.

Kellan raised an eyebrow quizzically. He felt as if Uncle Marius were dodging the question of why he was bring Jei and himself to the the mansion. Regardless, he didn't question it. Perhaps Uncle Marius interpreted Jei's question differently.

"What will Jei and I be doing once we get there?" He asked. He wasn't going to let his suspicion slide that easily.

"Kellan, ever the curious one..." Marius said, his smile spreading slightly. "I might need some minor assistance keeping things running smoothly, while also taking care of Sophia... But as I said, you boys are mostly coming for a vacation. I figured you boys might need some time away from your mother."

Kellan chuckled, "Alright, I won't press for details too much. Thanks for the vacation, Uncle Marius."
"What's changed since I was last there?" He asked.

"Not much, besides some of the decor... A few of our servants have changed since you were there last... We've let a few go, gotten a few more..." He said, trying to think back on everything that had changed since Kellan was younger. "We had to build a new stable. There was a bad storm a few years ago in the winter that knocked down the old one- thankfully none of the horses were injured."

"None of the horses?" Kellan smiled. "I'm glad to hear that. If a storm had killed off any horses at home, the stable master would never let me hear the end of it!"

A thought suddenly occurred to Kellan, and his face turned suddenly withdrawn. He asked in a low voice, in semblance of something secret, "What do you think of magic?"

Marius looked surprised st the sudden change of topic. "Magic?" He asked, sounding slightly nervous for some reason. "Aren't you boys a bit old to still believe in that?"

Jei watched his uncle, suspicious. "Not overly, uncle... We read about it in our history books... Obviously, if its in our texts, it must be real... Right?" He asked, trying to coax any bit of information out of him.

A corner of Kellan's lips lifted up slightly, unconsciously. Based on the way his uncle was sounding, it definitely did seem real.

"I do." He said. It was partly a lie, but he pressed on. "I think you do too."

Marius frowned, and looked around the carriage, even though they were alone, before dropping his voice. "You boys would do well to keep your little obsession with magic to yourselves, especially when you get back home. I've got some books in my private study that you can look at, but you can't tell anyone. It'd likely get us all killed." He said, admitting his belief without truly admitting anything.

Kellan clapped his hands suddenly. "Great one, Uncle Marius! I didn't think you were so well-versed in Latin." He looked pointedly at the driver. Servants told tales.

"We'd love to see your books some time."

Books on magic and Uncle Marius. Who knew? Well, Uncle Marius was an eccentric one in any case. Kellan grinned light-heartedly.

Jei was a little surprised that his uncle would be the key to discovering if their family had magic, either past or present. Maybe he'd have information on their father's family, too? After all, it was the McKarthy line that they were having trouble finding anything about.

"Not a problem boys. I'll show you the library tomorrow, so you can work on your studies there. You shouldn't be disturbed by any of the servants, except for dinner time." Marius replied, grinningg slightly.

((Earlier I mentioned a train because I thought they might go on a train station, that doesn't seem like it's happening :P. Should trains even exist during this time :o?))

They chatted about inconsequential things as the carriage pulled along. It was late into the evening by the time the horses stopped trotting.

"I suppose we've arrived?" Kellan asked Uncle Marius. The curtains had been drawn due to the bothersome sunlight which had begun to annoy all their eyes. The last time he had gone to Uncle Marius' mansion was by train. Perhaps that year their horses were not ready to make the trip. In any case, he had no clue if they had arrived at the mansion or not.

((During this time period, they could, but it'd be the oldschool ones, back when they first came out if we're going to have them.))

Marius pulled the currains back a touch, peering out into the twilight gloom. "Appears so... I apologize for the long ride, boys... I know you were probably looking forward to taking the train, however your mum decided it safer to go by carriage... And you know how she can be, yes? Once she's got an idea into her head, nothing can change it."

Jei nodded, knowing it to be true, what their uncle said about their mother. "Perhaps we can go by train when we're going home in a few months..." He said, figuring his mother was unlikely to have planned that far in advance.

((That makes sense ^^. Those trains are super dangerous though :o ))

Kellan laughed, "That sounds like her. Though I'll admit the carriage is a lot safer, if slower. Our poor carriage driver might not make it through the night! Would you let him stay here until morning, Uncle Marius?"

Kellan got up from his seat and opened a door of the carriage. He stepped off onto the still-green grass of his uncle's property, his manner of propriety nearly forgotten as he stretched like the spring chicken that regular youths his age were meant to be. He smiled happily at Jei, then his Uncle, still waiting for the response that he realized he had rudely cut off.

Marius chuckled softly, nodding his head. "But of course... If not for his sake, then for that of the horses... You will stay, won't you?" Marius asked as he exited the carriage himself, behind Jei, the boy having jumped from the doorway to the freshly cut grass.

"I'd accept your invitation, Lord." The driver replied, bowing slightly even as he began unloading their luggage.

Kellan picked up his suitcase before the servant got to it, preferring to carry things by himself. "Isn't that great? Mr. Driver? You get to stay here as free as a stable master for a day? What is your name anyway?"

He turned toward Jei and rubbed his younger brother's head while smiling cheerfully, having heard his brother jump off the carriage. He had contemplated jumping off himself, but thought himself too old for that sort of thing. "This is our home for the next few months, I suppose."

The carriagedriver looked at Kellan, surprised. "Samuel, young master." He replied. Very few people ever asked their servants names.

Jei whined, giving his brother a light swat when he messed up his hair. Fixing it quickly, he nodded. "Seems wierd, being away from Mother, and the girls..." He said, looking around them. It had been far too long since he'd been to visit their uncle. Kellan and Serra had been here about five years ago, when the fire occurred. Jei had been ill, and Theroen was starting training to take over their fathers role as Lord, so they hadn't been able to go. They hadn't been able to visit since then.

"Well Samuel, I think you'll have a good time here." Kellan said in an obviously good mood. "Shame you won't be able to stay longer."

Kellan grinned as Jei swatted his hand away as he always did. "It is a little strange," he conceded, "Though I rather like strange."

He turned to Uncle Marius, "Are we getting a house tour?" He asked, almost cheekily. "Samuel certainly doesn't know his way to, well, wherever he's staying, and we don't know either."

Marius chuckled, and motioned for the three to follow him. "I suppose I can show you around." He said, leading the way inside. He showed them all around the inside of the house, sleeping quarters being last. They'd just left Samuel at his room, and Marius led Jei and Kellan towards the family wing. "Now... Would you boys prefer your own, separate rooms, or your old suite?"

Jei spoke up immediately. "Our old suite is fine, Uncle." He said. It would be easier, if he had one of his nightmares. That way, it was just a short walk through their shared sitting room to Kellan's room, instead of running around an unfamiliar house in search of his brother, or spending the night alone.

Kellan waved good-bye to Samuel when they left him his own room. He wasn't really given to treating servants as servants when he could help it. Or rather, he did treat servants as servants, only his way of treating them was partly to help him remember servants were potentially dangerous people.

When Jei spoke up quickly, Kellan grinned. "I like the old suite too. It's a lot more charming than a room besides." He preferred being close to Jei, though as for why, he refused to think about it, and attempted to convince himself it was solely for Jei's nightmares.

"I figured as much... I went ahead and had the suite prepared before the girls and I headed out to visit your home." Marius replied, stopping when they reached the double doors leading to their rooms. "Did you want me to just send a servant with some food for the two of you, or would you like to be escorted to the dining room when dinner is ready?"

Kellan's brow furrowed slightly. On one hand, dinners were a pain. On the other hand, he and Jei should probably go to dinner to greet Aunt Augusta. Furthermore, dinners with Uncle Marius hopefully weren't so bad, unless there were guests. Dinner won out.

"Going to the dining room sounds like a good idea. It'd be sort of rude if we came without saying hello to Aunt Augusta."

Marius nodded. "Alright then. We'll give you boys an hour to clean up and get settled in before dinner. I'll send somebody for you when it's ready." He said, leaving the boys to themselves as he headed for the kitchens to ask the cook to start dinner now that they'd arrived.

Jei opened the door to their rooms, smiling a bit. The sitting room hadn't changed much, from what he'd remembered of the last time they'd been there. The same warm reddish brown tones graced the furniture, the walls rough-hewn stone... The woven rug between sofas and fireplace... "Uncle was right. It really hasn't changed much."

Kellan nodded in agreement before he moved to the stone walls and tapped on the hollow stone walls. When he'd first come here, he played with the walls a lot, and it'd become a frivolous ritual for him to tap on them.

"The walls are as mysterious as ever." Said Kellan with a grin. There were many such hollow spots in the mansion, but Kellan had never found a passageway, so he knocked on the hollow spots for amusement, hoping occasionally someone might be inside.

He put down his suitcase and sat on one of those brown sofas, "Clean up is it?" Kellan sighed half-serious with a small amount of melodrama, "I don't suppose he means to change into dinner clothes does he?"

Jei smiled, watching his brother go about his ritual of tapping on the walls. He shrugged slightly. "It wouldn't hurt us to wash up a little and get changed..." Jei replied, opening the door to his room, going to put his stuff away.

Kellan sighed as he pushed himself up from the comfort of the sofa. Dinner clothes. He wondered if cooks changed their clothes for making dinner. Probably not. He walked over to his room and opened the door.

Being at one corner of their uncle's home, the rooms were set up strangely, with Jei's door being on the same wall as the door they'd come through, butting up against the end of the hall on the one side, the room which had been used for his twin sister on the other, and the fourth wall being to the exterior.

In the sitting room, the fireplace was along the same exterior wall as Jei's, and one side of what was once Theroen's room, which now lay empty. That room was on the corner, with the bathroom beside it, and Kellan's room on the far side. Facing the fireplace was a couch upholstered with a rich red-brown fabric, with a couple wingback chairs in between, turned slightly more towards the couch, a low, round table in the middle atop the hand-woven rug which had, suppoosedly, been made by one of his many-times-great grandmothers.

Jei's room had a more earthy feel to it, the wood of the furniture only lightly stained, and all fabric and upholstery in green and brown tones. He'd always found it calming.

Smiling softly, he stripped out of his travelling clothes, pulling on some well-worn though still acceptable black trousers, and a long-sleeved dark blue shirt, little silver buttons running up the front. Looking himself over in the mirror set in the corner next to the wardrobe, Jei fixed his hair, cursing softly at the unruly strands that were nearly too long to be acceptable, but not long enough to be tied back. His mother was always telling him it needed trimmed- she hated long hair on men. But Jei had refused over and over, wanting to grow it out.

Getting it, finally, to stay out of his face, Jei left his room, heading for the washroom he'd be sharing with Kellan during their stay.

Bronze and dark brown sheets and fabrics colored Kellan's room. The wood of the floor was dark too, being made of walnut wood. The tree, Kellan recalled, had been a popular one since the first carpenters.

He changed into a light gray shirt and dark gray pants. He found the color gray refreshing, for he rarely saw it worn on others. He tugged the navy blue string from his hair, replacing it with a mottled gray one. His mother hated long hair, but insisted he grew his hair long, for he would not take care of his appearance otherwise. He grinned in remembrance of the fact. Before he'd been told to take on lord duties, he had a shock of messy hair every day for lack of inclination to take care of it.

He pulled the paper, pen, and ink from his suitcase and set it on a nearby desk. He emptied the box of its clothes and opened the closet, setting himself to hanging clothes before they wrinkled.

In the washroom, Jei ran some water, ever thankful that they had indoor plumbing. He washdd his face and hands, making sure his appearance would be acceptable. He was ready for dinner, though he knew it would be a while yet. He went to Kellan's room, knocking on the door lightly before opening it, slowly, in case the older boy was still changing.

The last shirt had been placed into the closet when Kellan heard the knock. He quickly snapped the empty suitcase shut and tossed it into the wardrobe before closing the doors. Having done this, he opened the door to find Jei, noticing his brother had a few damp clumps of hair in front from having washed his face.

"Excited for dinner?" He asked, grinning as he motioned for Jei to come in.

Jei nodded slightly. "It'll be nice to see Aunt Augusta again." He said, smiling a bit, brushing a damp chunk of hair out of his face. "Wonder what the cook's making us..." He asked. He didn't remember much from the last time they'd been there, but he did remember that the cook's food had been amazing.

Kellan fished out a brush from a drawer and walked over to Jei to run the comb through his hair.

"Who knows, but it'll be good for sure. Good ol' Chef--what was his name again?--always had a flair for cooking."

Jei whined when Kellan started brushing his hair, but didn't put up much of a fight. "You got some weird obsession with my hair or something? I swear, you touch it more in one day than I do." He said, shrugging when Kellan didn't know what the chefs name, not knowing either.

Kellan grinned, "A weird obsession? Who wouldn't? You're the only one I know with hair that looks like fluffy snow." He laughed, "It's soft too."

He combed Jei's hair back slightly using the dampness to his advantage, before setting the comb aside.

"I wonder why Uncle let go of a few servants. He doesn't seem like the type of man to do that, and he certainly should not be running low on money, I'd think."

Jei shrugged lightly. "No idea... Maybe the one who shows us to dinner will know?" He said, just as curious as Kellan. He glanced at his appearance in the mirror, wrinkling his nose slightly.he gave his head a shake, a few strands falling free kf where Kellan had brushed them to. "There."