Quinn

Jonah shrieked, in delight apparently, "The door is magic. It opens by itself."

I said, "It's an automatic door, Jonah. When it senses a person, it opens."

"Oh, wow!" Leo said.

After putting the scissors away into my magic storage, we went into the foyer, which was a spacious area with a marble floor, featured walls, high ceiling, and a grand chandelier. There was a lot of wide-eyed marveling in wonder, of course. Some of the elders even crouched down to touch and stroke the floor with their hands.

"It's so smooth," one said.

"And it's warm," another said, tears in her eyes. I bet just having a warm floor to lie on in winter was something of a luxury for them.

"It's an automatic underfloor heating," I said. A magical one, of course, which incorporated fire and earth elemental magic. The good thing about this system was it would automatically adjust according to the room's temperature, and in summer when it was hot, it'd be turned off.

I led everyone into the dining hall, which was ten times as large as the great hall of the manor and almost as grand as a dining hall on a luxurious cruise ship. It occupied two floors, on the first and the second with the second covering only one third of the first floor. There were two curved staircases on either side of the hall leading up to the second, as well as an elevator.

Here, long tables and chairs were already set up, and after directing everyone to take a seat, with some opting to climb the stairs to the second floor, I stood on the raised platform that was the lord and his family's dining table.

It took everyone a while to settle down since they couldn't stop looking around and admiring and pointing and expressing their excitement at seeing all the new, unfamiliar things.

Since the hall had floor-to-ceiling glass windows on both sides that looked out into the courtyard on the right and the playground on the left, they were staring at it in wonder. The children certainly instinctively knew that the playground was meant to be for them to have fun and they kept begging to go. But, of course, they hadn't a clue how to get out due to the series of manual double doors they didn't know how to open.

Finally, once everyone started paying attention to me, I said, "Welcome to Norsewood Lodge, everyone. This is going to be our home until new houses can be built. Hopefully, that won't take too long."

"But we want to stay here for a long time, my lady," a young man said from upstairs. "This is a castle, and we get to live in it."

I burst out laughing while everyone else nodded their heads or made comments of agreements.

I said, "Of course, you're welcome to stay as long as you like, but I'm sure you all want your own houses, too, don't you? Mind you, your new home won't be anything like the wattle and daub cottage you used to have. Your new home will be built out of better materials like this lodge and will have all the basics essentials you'll see in your unit later."

"Truly, my lady?" a woman asked.

"Yes, truly," I said. "Now, I'm going to hand it over to Vicky who will introduce you to the lodge, so listen carefully as there are many spaces you can and can't enter and there a few rules to follow as well. So, without further ado, here's Vicky." I summoned my magic circle and a gigantic screen that panned the size of the wall materialized.

Vicky, in the form of a fifteen-year-old girl wearing a cute school uniform, started. Hello, everyone, my name is Vicky, and welcome to Norsewood Lodge. Today, I'm going to show you the layout of the lodge and where everything is. A floor plan of the lodge appeared on the screen. We are here in the dining hall. This is a general area for dining and entertaining. Upstairs is also a dining and entertaining area. To go upstairs, you can either use the stairs or the elevator.

Jonah gasped. "The elevator."

Vicky directed, The elevator is to your left.

Everyone looked in that direction and saw the steel double doors there on the left side of the hall. Then Vicky demonstrated how one used it, and I could see the sparkles in most of the boys' eyes. I bet they couldn't wait to give it a try.

Next, we'll explore the residential area. She directed them to the left side again where a five-story high building surrounded the playground and attached to the dining hall building. The residential area is where the residents of Norsewood Lodge live. It is five stories high with ninety units on each floor. There are three blocks, and each contains thirty units. The screen changed to the inside of a unit, and the moment that came up, there were loud noises echoing across the hall.

"That's going to be our home?" one asked.

"It looks like a lord's manor," another said.

Vicky continued. Each unit contains the living area, a kitchenette with a microwave, a fridge, and kitchen taps and a sink with cupboards and the essential kitchenware. The living area also contains a sofa and a television set where you can ask me for information and data about the lodge or you can watch movies.

"What's a movie?" Leo asked.

I winked at him. "You just wait and see," I said.

Each unit contains bedrooms, Vicky stated as the screen changed to a bedroom.

"There are beds, Mama," a girl said, tugging at her mother's sleeves.

"We don't have to sleep on the floor?" a woman asked.

"The floor looks soft," another said, and I wondered if she was tempted to spend the night on the floor of her bedroom.

The bathroom, Vicky stated, changing the screen again to a bathroom.

"We get our own washroom?" one of the women asked, stunned.

I said, "To share with your family, unfortunately."

Eden leaned in close and said, "Don't you mean fortunately? Everyone is over the moon to have their own washroom."

Ah, I had forgotten that this was another world and there was either a shared one if it was in a manor or none if you were very poor.

"We'll have our own washroom," another woman said, smiling with glee at the very idea.

The bathroom contains the shower, Vicky said and proceeded to instruct on how to turn one on. The washer and dryer machine. She demonstrated how to use that, too, which interested the women very much.

One said, "We don't have to wash our clothes by hand?"

I said, "No, you don't. The machine will do that for you. You simply have to load the clothing in and put in the washing liquid and push the button."

To say she looked dazed was an understatement, and her husband rubbed her arms, a smile on his lips.

The toilet, Vicky said, and once again, she proceeded to demonstrate on how to use this, too. And the vanity to wash your hands and face. Remember to be hygienic, everyone, so we can stop tiny monster viruses and bacteria from spreading.

"We have to remember to wash our hands after using the toilet and before eating, everyone," Jonah shouted into the room.

A series of laughter broke out, and I suddenly realized that Jonah was nothing like his father. This boy was loud and easy going, just like Uncle Colt. I wondered if Aldric's father, the late Earl Norsewood, was like Uncle Colt, too since I had heard they had been a pair, very boisterous. If that was so, then I suspected Aldric inherited his quiet, reserved personality from his mother.

Once Vicky had finished showing everyone the floor plan of the building and the important rules and even the procedure during an emergency, I showed them how to open the double doors so the children could go play on the playground. Indeed, they scrambled out the moment it was unlocked and started running around and going on slides and swings and seesaws before I could even explain how to use them. Children were always so intuitive, weren't they?

Meanwhile, inside the dining hall, the allocation of the units began. Since most of the people were illiterate, the newly formed Norsewood Lodge Committee, which was led by Mark and Mr. Morton, along with the men and women working under them, had to write the number for them so they could compare it to the number on their door, which consisted of a block letter, a floor number, and a unit number. Mr. Lark for example had his and his family's unit as A4-15.

Once a family had their unit number and key, they eagerly took off to explore their new home, and even this distance away, I could hear shrieks of delight and some cries of happiness. Oh dear, and to think that such basics amenities were taken for granted back on Earth in the first world countries.

Outside, Max shouted from the third-floor terrace where his family unit was located, "Jonah! Leo! Come look at the television. There are little, strange people in there."

Jonah and Leo looked at each other and then came rushing back inside the dining hall. They sprinted to the elevator and went upstairs since all the terraces on every block were connected. Goodness, but they learned fast. Meanwhile, I saw that most of the men who had left earlier were returning, and in their arms were what little belongings they had, along with the tents and sleeping bags. I wondered if they were going to store the sleeping bags in the closet or were they going to continue to sleep in it even though their beds had pillows, sheets, and duvets.

It was three hours later when a unit number and key were given to a last family, and finally, we could head up to our own unit, or rather penthouse for Aldric, his children, and me.

Jonah couldn't seem to contain himself, and the moment we were in the elevator of the manor wing of the lodge, which was the only section of the building that had a sixth floor, he pushed on the number six, and we were smoothly taken up. Once the door dinged open, he rushed out and started running around and exploring. We followed him into the grand foyer where there was a high ceiling with a chandelier and marble floors. A few steps down below was the living area, which was enormous, with a luxurious couch, a coffee table, and plush carpets and rugs. There was another chandelier here, too. I just couldn't get enough of them, after all, since they were so grand.

This chandelier as well as all the light fixtures in the lodge were made from the magic crystal that Uncle Colt had shown me. With that one as a sample, Vicky had analyzed and replicated it, changing the details slightly in the process. Now, the light crystals could be turned on and off with a switch like a normal light bulb back on Earth.

"Let's go look inside your room," one of the nursemaids, Martha, said to Abi and Alex.

There were two nursemaids, Martha and Jenny, between the three children, and I certainly didn't take them for granted. Indeed, I had added in their own bedrooms in the penthouse, which were large, with a shared bathroom between the two.

Aldric and I followed them into the twins' room, which was, once again, spacious with soft carpeting and a cute children's bed plus lots of soft toys. For Abi, there was even a dollhouse she could play with, while Alex had small soldiers and horses.

"Toys!" Abi said, running toward her bed, climbing on it, and grabbing a rabbit plushy.

As for Alex, he rushed off to play with the toy soldiers and horses before I even introduced him to those. After informing the nursemaids that their rooms were located at the back across the hallway, they seemed so surprised, and indeed, delighted, then Aldric and I headed into the master suite, which was upstairs.

Yes, the penthouse had a floor and a half, and the half floor was where the master suite was located. The moment I stepped inside, I smiled in delight and realized that it was even grander and more luxurious than I had anticipated it'd be.

The sitting room was furnished with plush carpet, a cozy sofa and armchairs, and a coffee table. As we trailed into the bedroom itself, it was even more elegant here, with a luxurious bed. I had to make it even larger than the normal king-sized ones back on Earth simply because Aldric was just big and tall, and I didn't want him to feel uncomfortable sleeping in a bed that didn't fit his body. Of course, the same could be said of most of the Norsewood warriors, so every adult bed in the lodge was massive.

The bathroom, too, was very impressive, with marble flooring, a his and hers vanity, a fancy shower, and of course, a large bathtub. Or rather, hot tub, which I had always wanted in my own home. It'd be great to simply relax in there after a long, hard day of work.

After exploring the bathroom, I returned to the bedroom to see Aldric staring at the bed. He looked a little lost in thought.

Coming to stand beside him, I asked, "What's wrong? Is the bed not big enough?"

He turned his gaze to me then and said, "No. It's... perfect."

I grinned in delight. "I'm glad it's perfect." Then grabbing his hands, I said, "Let's check out the terrace."

Outside, the terrace was spacious, so much so, in fact, that we could have a barbeque up here and it'd fit at least a hundred or two people in. Once again, the floor was marble, and the railing was carved beautifully, giving the place a sense of elegance.

I raised my gaze to the glass dome roof that covered the terrace and courtyard, the same that also covered the residential wings terrace and the playground on the other side, which protected the area from the harsh elements that were Norsewood, thus allowing outdoor activities even when there was either rain or a snowstorm outside.

I looked down below, and already, there were adults enjoying the courtyard, with some sitting on the bench seats and others exploring around the administration wing. Across on the second-floor terrace of the dining hall building, there were already some people exploring the area, and on the fifth-floor terrace of the residential building, I noted Mr. Lamont and Mr. Henley staring up at the glass dome roof while they chatted. I suspected they were examining and discussing the roof.

"Don't you think this is great?" I asked Aldric who was admiring his surroundings with interest.

He nodded. "Mm-hmm."

I guessed that was all I was going to get from him, huh? Although that smile before we had entered the building was something else, and I'd keep it deep in my heart.

I turned and saw Jonah coming out through the sliding door of the living room below. He ran around and then went to lean against the rail. Though the rail was built according to safety standards, I was concerned and said, "Jonah, be careful."

"I'll be fine," he said and then turned around to wave. "Leo! Leo!"

Down below on the terrace of the fifth floor, the floor I designed for Aldric's relatives and their families, Leo waved and called out, "Jonah! Jonah! Come look at my bedroom."

"You come and look at my room first," Jonah said.

"Okay!" Leo shouted, and moments later, he showed up, along with Max and the other kids.

I chuckled as they went from room to room, exploring happily. Behind me, I felt Aldric wrap his arms around me, hugging me tightly. His face nestling against my hair, he said, "Thank you."

I smiled and responded, "You're welcome." Then I offered my face for him as Aldric leaned down toward me. Our lips locked, we kissed, and I closed my eyes, savoring the sweet moment.