A Meal with the Grand Duke of the North (1)

Once the trip to the North had been decided, I'd resigned myself to spending several days suffering in a carriage.

I packed a thick coat, travel cooking utensils, a few basic spices, and a notebook. Marie packed extra gloves and a warming shawl, while Uncle Bernard even gave us a short note on northern noble etiquette.

But the mage from the Grand Duke's household looked at us and said very calmly,

“The teleportation preparations are complete.”

I paused for a moment.

“Teleportation?”

“Yes. His Grace said there was no need to waste time on the road.”

Marie said quietly beside me,

“Isn't this expensive?”

I didn't know much about magic, but there was no way a teleportation spell that sent two people and their luggage all the way to the North at once could be cheap...