Preperations (open if you know where Claremount is)

[Casandra Lightheart]

Cas was riding through portals, it had been a long time since she used them. Kjay ran along after her wagging his tail and barking, he knew they were going home.

She rode up to Claremount and right to the stables.



"Casandra it is good to see you home; and well."

Ryan smiled at her.

"I see that Rider has new tack."

Cas nodded as she dismounted and took rider to his stall.

"It was a Christmas gift, from Venis and her employees; even though the saddle was suposed to come from Santa."

She engaged him in small talk as she took care of Rider.

"It is time for me to go inside, we have a ball to prepare for."

Ryan saw her smile and shook his head,it was good to see the Lady in such good spirits. It had been years since she had been happy, it seemed this trip had been good for her.

[Casandra Lightheart]

She had left the children at school they would be here the following day for the weekend and then they would all go back to the Inn.

She walked into the main hall and smiled as she looked around.



It was good to be home.

An older woman walked into the hall and smiled as she saw Cas.

"Lady Casandra, it is good to see you smile."

Cas walked over to the woman and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Sara, it is good to be home, I have offered to host a ball for Valentine’s Day, I need for you to assemble the staff. We need to open and air the bedrooms; stock the bathrooms, set up the ballrooms, and plan a dinner."

Sara smiled as she heard her talking.

"Yes Lady Casandra."

There was a spring in her step as she left the main hall, the Lady Casandra had been sad for so long. She had never thought that there was going to be a time when Claremount would see guests again.

[Casandra Lightheart]

Cas walked into the kitchen and sat down at the breakfast bar, she waited for the staff to come in.


Greetings were exchanged as the staff came in. Casandra handed out instructions.

"I need the rooms on the first and second floors of the west wing opened up, they need to be prepared for fifty guests, best make it seventy-five. I would rather have to many rooms prepared then not enough. I want the bathrooms stocked as well."

She looked around the kitchen and smiled at the women.

"Venis is sending a few women to help us; they will be here tomorrow, with my children."

The smiled that broke out across the faces of the staff were genuine. It was Sara that spoke.

"It will be good to have them running around under foot again."

Cas looked at them and smiled.

"Take the rest of the day off, we have a long two weeks ahead of us."

With that she stood and went to her room.

[Guest]

Venis got dressed in some jeans and a t-shirt and a pair of heels that matched the shirt. She left Kahn a note saying she was headed to Claremount for the day and he could join if he wanted to. Then she headed down to the stables.

She prepared Empyrean and headed out. It would have been a long ride were it not for two things. One, she knew where the portals were. And two, she was riding a unicorn. All in all the ride only took about an hour.

She rode up to the stables and dismounted Empyrean. Ryan was there to greet her. He must have heard her riding up. "Hi Ryan, he was moving rather fast, wash him down for me?" She smiled and patted him on the shoulder before heading inside.

She didn't knock upon the door, she just walked in. Casie had the same rights at her castle. Though when she came to the house she usually knocked. Venis never knew why. There was a maid arranging flowers in a vase in the main hall. Venis smiled at her. "Could you inform Casandra that I have arrived dear?" She smiled and headed up to her room to get cleaned up.

Washed up and changed into a long black strapless dress that was form fitting with flames around the bottom and the top and a pair of black heels she headed down to the kitchen. She went and sat down at the breakfast bar to wait for Casie.

[Casandra Lightheart]

Cas had been up late the night before writing up the invitations to the ball. They had been left with a member of her staff with a list of the rooms and names. He was also given instructions that he was to wear Claremount's colors while delivering them.

She had just finished getting ready when there was a knock at her door.

"Come in."

Sara came in and smiled.

"Lady Casandra, Lady Venis is here she is waiting for you downstairs in the kitchen."

She nodded.

"Thank you Sara I'll be down in a moment."

She finished brushing her hair and checked the simple cotton dress she was wearing. She smiled as he hand went to the pendent around her neck.

She left her room and went to kitchen.

[Guest]

Venis had been sitting at he breakfast bar. One of the kitchen staff had dug around and found an old, unopened, bottle of blood wine and had gotten her a glass. She was reading over a paper that had been brought in. It was an interesting sight. Her lower body was turned sideways in the chair so she could cross her legs while she leaned over to read. Breakfast time at it's best.

When she heard Casie enter the room she looked up from the paper, wine glass in hand. She smiled at her friend. "Alright, what's on the list for today dear? I'm yours all day, left a note for Kahn. He knows where we are if he wants to come by." She closed up the paper and sat up from being leaned over the bar reading. She watched as one of the ladies in the kitchen prepared something for Casie to eat. They even politely offered Venis something. She smiled and shook her head, so they just topped off her blood wine.

[Casandra Lightheart]

She thanked the young woman for her food and ate while she talked to Venis.

"Four women from your keep are going to be arriving shortly with the twins. When they get here we need to open all the rooms in the west wing on the first and second floor. I also need to prepare permanent rooms for JonLouis and Vannessa."

[Casandra Lightheart]

While they were talking the women from the keep arived Cas' kids in tow.

"Lady Venis, Lady Casandra."

They smiled at both in turn.

Cas smiled back at them as she hugged the twins tightly.

"Thank you for coming, for the next few days we will be getting the rooms ready for the guests that I hope will arive."

[Guest]

Venis was listening to Casie and saw as her four women walked in. She smiled. "Rosey, Alice, I would like for you two to help in the kitchen please. Donna, Jean, the bedrooms and other things please." She looked over at Casie. "You need to remind me later to light the chandeliers and I can hang the streamers, no need to send someone up on the ladder when I can do it."

Rosey smiled at Venis. "Yes ma'am." And Alice nodded. "To whom do we report Miss Casandra?" Both ladies were ready to get to work.

Donna and Jean were also smiling and nodding. Donna spoke up first. "Who should we refer to for the rooms ma'am?" And then Jean chose to add. "Where is the closet for the linens?" They wanted to get to work as well. It seemed like Venis' employees were bored at home.

[Casandra Lightheart]

She looked at Rosey and Alice.

"You will report to Marsha, she is in charge of the kitchen."

Marsha stepped forward and smiled at them

"I welcome the help from you both, thank you, we have not had this many guests in a very long time."

Cas then looked at Donna and Jean.

"You two will report to Sara."

Sara stepped forward.

"I also welcome the help, in answer to your questioin the linen closets are at the ends of both halls."

[Guest]

The women nodded and got to work.

Venis smiled. "Ok, now where were we?" She took another sip of her wine as she glanced over at Casie.

[DJ]

DJ went over to Venis and hugged her.

"Hello Auntie V, I missed you."

He lowered his voice to a whisper.

"I don't like school, they keep telling me I am a liar because I know you to be a God. I am smarter than the other children my age, do you know that others my age are not being thought another language."

[Natalie]

Natalie also went to hug Venis.

"I love you Auntie V"

She heard her brother.

"I agree with DJ, they are mean to us there, we are human but we are not like the other children, the only one nice to us is the one the other goddess adopted, Ilúvënis."

She frowned.

[Guest]

Venis hugged them both in turn. "Oh, my babies. I love you and missed you both. The school you guys go to teaches that there is only one God and he is everywhere all the time. So how about you just pretend to go along with it? And I will continue your language lessons if you want. Anything else missing from the curriculum? Oh and just so you know, their God." She leaned in and whispered. "He does exist." She chuckled then and waited to hear more about their classes.

[DJ]

DJ looked at her and sighed.

"I guess I can pretend, but that dosen't mean I have to like it."

He thought a moment.

"It is all to easy, they are asking us to do things we learned three years ago. Miss Vannessa she tought us all year long, we learned faster then they teach here."

[Natalie]

Nat smiled.

"I can pretend, I like to play games, can you really keep teaching us languages?"

She was excited, then she paused as she thought.

"I like art, but everything else is boring."

[Casandra Lightheart]

Cas listened to her children and smiled. Were they really so afraid of disappointing her that they didn't tell her they were unhappy.

She knelt down between them.

"I'm sorry you dislike the school, maybe we could make other arrangements for next year."

[Guest]

Venis nodded. "Maybe Mommy and I can see about getting you bumped up a grade or two. How's that?" She smiled.

[Casandra Lightheart]

"I think that can be aranged."

She smiled at them.

"Now why don't you both go up to your rooms they are ready for you."

[DJ]

"Ok mom."

He looked at Natalie.

"I'll race you"

And off he went.

[Natalie]

She looked at DJ and shook her head.

"Boys."

She hugged Casie.

"I'll see you latter mommy."

[Casandra Lightheart]

She smiled as she hugged Nat back and watched her run off.

She then looked at V.

"I invited the Marques to come early, I do hope he does."

She smiled as her hand went to the necklace around her neck, she seemed to do that a lot when she thought of him. She had not removed it since he placed it there Christmas night.

"Let’s get to work, west wing first floor. I know it is a bit chilly out but I want the windows opened in all the rooms and left that way for the day."

She moved to the west wing and went straight to the linen closet and began handing out the linens.

The rooms on this floor are all sage green, beige, or sky blue. The linens will match the color of the walls. When you are done in a room leave the door open so that we know it has been finished."

There was a stack of linens enough for three rooms each handed out to Venis, Sara, Donna, Jane, Martha, Nadine, and Cynthia. Along with the linens she passed out items for dusting the room.

She took the same amount of items for herself as well.

"As many people as we have here when we are done we will each need to come back and retrieve linens enough for two more rooms."

With that said she headed off to a room and began work.



Also on this floor of the west wing are ten bathrooms, one for every four rooms.

[Guest]

Venis took the items handed her and then looked at Casie for a moment. "Ok, I don't mind helping kiddo, that's why I'm here. But uh, this gown doesn't exactly scream house work, and to be honest, neither does your dress. I knew this would come in handy. I had something sent to my room earlier in the week." Venis chuckled and took Casie's hand in hers pulling her towards her room. But she still had the linens Cas had handed her.

[Casandra Lightheart]

"What's wrong with my dress, it is cotton, simple, and comfortable."

She has set her linens down in the room she was about to start working on; but she let Venis pull her along.

"What is in your room?"

[Guest]

Venis dragged her along, up the stairs to her room. Once they were inside she closed the door and went over to the chest of drawers. She pulled out a middle drawer and pulled out a pair of jeans. "Here, put these on. I raided Seleen's closet, she's closes to your size. I think they'll fit, if not I have more." She pulled out a T-shirt for her as well.

While Casie was changing, Venis herself changed into jeans and a T-shirt as well. Now she was ready for housework. But she was still in heels. No getting her out of those.

[Sponsored content]