The horse was gone. Morvran had to accept that. After you had left, he had spent an out or two looking for this beast. He had walked all the way up to the forest, to get a better view of the fields. From this spot, he was able to see right to his mansion.

It was still beautiful as ever but the roof looked a little shabby. The walls seemed fine and even the garden wasn't that much of a mess. The servants and farmers he had hired must have done their job at least descent while he had been gone.

With a deep sigh, he let himself fall onto a stone.

"Dammit.", he cursed.

That stallion had been his favourite. It had carried him over more than one battlefield and he had put a lot of effort in it. He had even insisted to let a broken leg heal instead of killing it for food. And now it was gone and about.

So he had to walk to the mansion, if he liked it or not. At least his legs were not able to run from him.

On his way, he noticed trails of hooves in the sand of the path. Maybe the horse wasn't too far away and he would be able to still catch it. The stallion was a greedy one. It loved to eat more than necessary and tried to feed only on the best things. Maybe it had ran a few miles and had stopped to raid some of the fields.

Morvran decided that he would send a servant or two to check this theory.

The mansion looked worse than he had expected. For afar, only the roof had seemed to be damaged. But close up there was a lot more work to do than the general wanted to admit.

The garden fence, that once had been a little wall out of black stone and artsy iron bars on top, was damaged. It was uneven, a few spots were deeper or higher than the others and stones began to crumble. There was a spot with a huge hole in it, huge enough for a man to fit through.

As he looked through the iron bars, the general spottet the garden, that was meant for the servants. Weeds and other wild flowers covered the stone paths and made the garden look like a jungle. It was right behind the servants chambers, wich looked just as bad as the garden itself. Paint was breaking from the walls, the roof had a hole. The once had been a sunroof made of wood in front of the entrance.

It was gone now.

"Holy shit.", the general mumbled, as he continued walking along the fence towards the main entrance gate.

At least it looked a little decent still. But the iron was covered in rust. A loud squeak sounded, as he pushed the wings open. It was so unpleasant, he though his ears would start to bleed.

The forecourt was as empty as a graveyard. No horses carried carts filled with hay or fresh vegetables. There were no maids cleaning the sandy floor or pulled weeds out of the flowerbeds. There wasn't even a single servant caring for clean windows. The mansion looked like a ghost town.

Confused, Morvran walked up to the main house and knocked at the door.

Silence answered him.

Again, he knocked, harsher this time.

Now, something behind the door began to come to life. Dull voices began to mumble, steps hurried through the house. Somewhere a woman screamed orders.

Then, everything fell silent again.

"What in the name of the emperor?", Morvran frowned.

It sounded like thieves that had not expected his arrival. Or anyones arrival.

Were the servants gone?

Had his mansion been abandoned while he had not been present?

With growing impatience and a little anger in his chest, the general hurried to the other side of the building to check on the servants entrance. The door was wide open. The smell of fresh bread filled the air. Somebody was cooking.

With one hand on his sword, the general stepped through the door into the kitchen. It was empty. Only pots and pans were sitting above the fire, while meat and vegetables were clocking without anyone watching over them. Butter and fat was filling the pans, making the meat look juicy and fresh.

With curiosity, he stepped closer and took a deep breath in. The food smelled amazing. The scent of grilled meat, mixed with the perfect amount of herbs made his mouth go watery. His stomach growled, as he glanced into a pot, only to reveal buttery mushrooms.

With a quick glance around, he reached into the pot and pulled out a mushroom, to eat it in one bite. It was delicious, not too buttery but also not too crisp. The herbs were supporting the natural aroma, making the mushroom just the perfect amount salty.

"Excuse me, sir. What are you doing there?", you asked in an angry voice.

Surprised by your sudden arrival, Morvran jumped around. He was still chewing. Like a surprised deer, he looked at you only to realise that you two had met before.

"You.", he said, swallowing the food.

"Yeah, me. What are you doing here? This kitchen is not yours, get lost!", you said in a harsh voice.

"Excuse me, this is my kitchen."

Amused, you laughed.

"Sure and I'm the ruler of Nilfgaard. Listen, we had our two meetings already. I doubt that a man talking to horses and falling onto people can be master of this mansion. Now get out before I call for the other servants. Do you want to be hanged for theft?"

Halfway angry but also ready to argue, he stepped closer to show you the golden emblem of the sun that was handing around his neck.

"See this? That's the emblem of his majesty emperor Emhyr var Emreis. I am a man of his majesty the emperor.", he insisted.

For a moment, you looked at the emblem, then up to the general and to the emblem again.

"You're talking to horses, sir. How credible do you think you are?", you asked with a questioning look on your face.

"Could you please put that aside? You caught me in a bad moment."

He sighed.

"Two."

"Excuse me?"

"I caught you in two bad moments. You also fell onto me, remember?"

Embarrassed, he turned red. Clearing his throat, he offered you a hand.

"Accept my apologies for that.", he mumbled.

"Sure.", you shook his hand. "But I still don't believe you're the man that you say you are. Come on. Herman will know better."