As they walked through the manor, Leon realized that not much had changed. The white walls remained the same, with the banner of the kingdom hanging on some.
The maids, cooks and every single servant of the Castiel family stood in a neatly arranged row to welcome their young master.
Although trained to show little to no emotions, some of the newer servant's faces held awe while others showed pity as they looked at the returned hero.
But even with all that emotion being shown, the family of five calmly walked past them without the least bit emotion.
This was the Castiel way.
Apart from Harvin,there was no other servant allowed to see their happiness, grief or any form of pain.
Even little Liora had been trained to keep her emotions in check in front of the servants—this way, they'd be the ones upholding the family's dignity even if the world tried to tear it down.
Cassian was serious as ever. Although he wanted to catch up more with his older brother, he had to restrain himself....for now.
Lady Mireille's eyes, though still red from earlier tears, were dry now. She carried herself with her usual grace, offering a nod to each servant they passed. A queen in all but title.
They soon walked past all the servants and arrived at the grand foyer which welcomed them with its towering glass windows, each depicting a legend of the Castiel bloodline, they were of knights clad in silver, blades drawn, facing dragons, demons, and even one ominous figure completely bathed in fire that Leon now realized was Malphas himself.
Funny how those stories had always felt larger than life… until he became one of them.
The family moved quietly through the corridor, past portraits of long-gone ancestors, until they reached the drawing room.
Harvin had clearly prepared it in haste—fresh logs burned low in the hearth, and a silver tray of tea and pastries sat untouched at the center table.
Leon settled onto the long, cushioned settee with Liora still curled in his lap like a cat that refused to let go.
Cassian flopped into an armchair opposite him, finally letting go of his cold expression.
Their mother took her seat nearest the fire, posture poised, hands trembling only slightly as she poured a cup of tea with the ease of routine.
Alden chose to remain standing.
His eyes were locked on Leon as if he really wanted to asked if he was alright but couldn't find the right words to.
"You've changed," he finally spoke up.
Leon glanced at the tea Mireille offered and took it. "War does that."
Alden nodded once. "Good. You should've."
That was Alden's way of saying he was proud, a meaning Leon understood very well.
Cassian scoffed softly. "Gods forbid he just say outright that he's proud."
"Cassian," Mireille chided gently.
"What? He's back from hell and all he gets is 'good, you should've?' If I come back missing a leg, someone better throw me a damn feast."
Leon chuckled under his breath. "You'll be lucky if they give you soup from him."
"Not funny."
"A little funny."
Liora giggled quietly into his chest.
The memories she had of her big brother was mostly forgotten at this point but she had grown up hearing of his bravery as her bedtime story.
To her, Leon more of a myth than man. Her silver knight that would chase away all the bad people and she was currently hugging that knight, so there was no way they'd convince her to let go.
Alden, on the other hand, just exhaled through his nose, almost seeming amused. "You've retained your tongue, at least."
Leon just chuckled in response before turning to the burning wood, staring intently at the dancing flames.
Mireille looked at her son, brows furrowing. "Did it hurt?" she asked softly, glancing at his shoulder.
"The arm?" Leon shrugged. "Not as much as I thought it would."
Mireille looked down at her hands, fingers clenching around her teacup. "Do you still feel it?" she asked again.
Leon shook his head. "Sometimes I think I do. Other times, it's like it was never there."
Cassian leaned back in his chair, frowning. "That's... weird."
That was a feeling you couldn't really understand until you actually experienced it.
Leon let out a dry laugh. "Yeah. It is."
There was a moment of quiet. The only sound was the crackle of firewood and the soft clink as Mireille set her cup down.
She turned to her husband, who hadn't said another word since, and shifted slightly—just enough to make room for him to sit beside her.
Without the slightest bit of change in his expression, Alden approached and sat by his wife before she held his hand.
An interaction that didn't go unnoticed by Leon causing him to let out a smile, seeing that his parents were just as close as he remembered.
"How did you do it?" Cassian asked suddenly. "How did you beat Malphas?"
But before he could get an answer, Harvin poked his head in through the door. "Forgive the interruption, my lords. The bath is ready."
Leon gave a grateful nod. "Thanks, Harvin. I could really use it."
He gently lifted Liora from his lap and stood, stretching out his shoulder with a slight wince.
"Don't take too long," Cassian said. "You still have to tell us how you beat the demon king."
"I'll try," Leon said with a small grin.
He then turned to his father and mother before saying with a smile, "it's good to be back home."
Mireille smiled in response and nodded, her happiness clear in her eyes. It was a contrast to her husband, who simply gave a silent nod—neither smiling nor frowning, his expression as unreadable as ever.
With that, Leon left the drawing room and made his way through the quiet halls, guided by Harvin as he made his way to the bath.
One thought filled his mind as they silently walked through the hall, he was finally back from that long nightmare.