Maude stepped out of the carriage and was looking at the modest Zellers manor once more.

“My lady,” Jakob said, holding out his hand to help her carefully step down off the carriage steps. Though Maude knew that Jakob wouldn’t be terribly offended if she didn’t take his hand, she knew that she would be judged by the Zellars staff that were meeting her at the door in front of her. Though she didn’t need Jakob’s hand to stay steady, she took it anyway.

“Welcome back, Lady Holloway,” the butler said at the door with a small bow. “Please follow me. Today, Lady Zellars and Lady Wright will be meeting with you in the sitting room for tea.”

“Thank you very much,” Maude replied, hoping that her voice exuded gratitude. It was still hard to know. She felt like she sounded fake after the frank conversation she’d had with Helena.

The butler smiled at Maude and began leading her through the manor towards the sitting room. “Is Lady Melissa already here?” Maude asked.

“Yes, both Lady Cristyne and Lady Melissa are both awaiting your arrival in the sitting room,” He answered.

“Ah, I’m late then,” Maude said.

“Worry not, my lady,” the butler said. “You are right on time.”

Maude could hear Cristyne’s tinkling laughter and Melissa’s voice as they neared the sitting room. Maude’s heart started to pound. She felt giddy.

“Lady Maude has arrived,” the butler said, opening the door to the sitting room.

“Lady Maude!” Melissa exclaimed.

“Lady Maude!” Cristyne echoed. “So glad you could make it!”

Maude felt her heart warm from their greetings. Was this how it normally was to be greeted by other young women her age? Sara had been her only female friend for her entire life. Sara was kind, but she was by no means as warm hearted and outwardly kind.

“Thank you for inviting me,” Maude said, doing a little curtsy. She heard the butler close the door behind her.

“Since you were a fan of the hibiscus at the tea party, I’ve prepared a similar flavor for you to try today,” Cristyne said as Maude sat down at the open seat of the table.

“That sounds lovely,” Maude said.

“I’m so excited you accepted Cristyne’s invitation,” Melissa said. “I enjoyed your company at the tea party and I’m looking forward to getting to know you better.”

“I am, as well, Lady Maude,” Cristyne said.

“I am also looking forward to getting to know you both better too,” Maude said, a grin blooming across her face. She was barely able to hold back her childish excitement. “And both of you, please call me Maude.”

“Call us both by our first names then, too, please,” Melissa said. Cristyne nodded enthusiastically in agreement.

“Gladly!” Maude replied. She added some honey to the hibiscus tea that was in front of her, doing her best to delicately stir it in.

“Tell us, Maude, what was it like to live in the empire?” Melissa said. “Most of the people we’ve met from the empire were not nobles. Cristyne and I were just talking about how we’re curious if the nobles have a different experience than the one we’ve heard about.”

“I’d also love to know how it compares to living in the Aulbertian Kingdom,” Cristyne added.

Maude nodded her head awkwardly. “Well, my experience as a noble in the empire is likely quite different than most nobles who live there,” Maude replied. “Being the sword saint in my family meant that I was pretty much training day in and day out.”

“What do you mean?” Melissa asked, her brows knitting together. “You didn’t debut?”

“I didn’t,” Maude replied. “I was pretty much forbidden from being a part of the empire’s society scene. My sword saint ability is heavily dependent upon the sword master. As a result, if I am to be the best sword saint I can be, I have to practice day in and day out. At least, according to my father.”

“That sounds terrible,” Cristyne said. “Did you not have many friends then?”

Maude shook her head. “As I told you at the party, I also never took etiquette classes or anything like that, so I unintentionally drove people away, I think,” she answered. “But I did have one friend.”

“I don’t know how I could possibly survive life without my friends,” Cristyne said, shaking her head. “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s in the past,” Maude answered. “And as a result of how I lived in the empire, the Aulbertian kingdom feels like paradise on Earth! I have so much more leisure time than I know what to do with.”

Melissa clapped her hands together, joyfully. “Oh I’m so glad to hear that you are enjoying it here, Maude!” she exclaimed.

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“Thank you,” Maude said, taking a sip of her tea. The tea had a mixture of fruity and floral scents that evoked a strawberry dessert like flavor. “This tea is incredible!” she exclaimed.

“I’m so glad you like it!” Cristyne replied back, lightheartedly.

“Have you heard any news on the war?” Melissa asked, turning to Cristyne. Maude sipped her tea, struggling not to squirm in her seat. The war wasn’t exactly Maude’s favorite topic of conversation.

“A little bit,” Cristyne replied. “There is some suspicion that many of the slaves in the empire have escaped over the last five years or so, and I’ve also heard some speculation that the empire came after us because they have run out of lumber.”

Oh? Maude thought. Slaves, again...what if this is true? Is it possible, the empire is using slaves? What would the slaves be used for?

But...lumber. Maude thought hard about what the landscape had looked like in the empire when she was young. It would be difficult to know for sure since she’d spent most of her life right around the capitol and the Holloway manor, but maybe, maybe?

Maude couldn’t remember any more trees in the area when she was younger versus when she left the empire.

What if all of what the kingdom’s citizens have been saying is true? A small voice in Maude wondered. What if the empire has been lying to its citizens?

“Everyone has heard those rumors,” Melissa replied to Cristyne, dismissing the statement that had just been said with a wave.

Everyone? Maude wondered. Certainly not everyone in the empire.

“I was more curious if you’d heard anything about how close it is coming to an end,” Melissa continued.

“Hmm, only a little bit,” Cristyne answered. “It’s pretty much the same that I’ve heard before. The empire has some very strong troops that are able to easily go head-to-head with us. There’s also other troops that seem much weaker, which we have easily won battles against. It still sounds as though we have an equal chance for winning as we do for losing.”

What? Maude wondered. Jaspar hasn’t said anything about that. I thought the empire was being completely annihilated by the Aulbertians. What happened with my unit then? Did the empire make a mistake?

Not possible, a small voice whispered to her. I should have died on that battlefield. Maybe that’s what the emperor was after.

Maude shook her head slightly at herself. Ridiculous, she thought. Why would the emperor want to kill the only sword saint of the empire?

“Ugh,” Melissa said. “My family started marriage talks with the Vickories and then the war started. My possible husband-to-be went to war. I am anxious that he will not survive.” She fiddled with her teacup in the saucer.

“Does he write to you?” Maude asked, internally sighing with relief at the opportunity of a subject change.

“Yes,” Melissa replied with a small, sweet smile. “And he writes often.”

“I’m envious,” Crystine said. “My parents had just started discussions of marriage with possible candidates. Then the empire’s sneak attack came. Who knows if the pool of candidates I might have had has shrunk or not.”

Sneak attack? Maude wondered. The emperor had not said anything about a sneak attack. In fact, he’d some one vaguely insinuated that the kingdom had a sneak attack on the empire. What the hell is going on?

“At least you didn’t get married before the war and end up a widow,” Melissa pointed out.

“True,” Cristyne agreed. “But at least you’ll have extra time to get to know your potential partner. My marriage will probably be rushed once this is all over.”

“Assuming he makes it out alive,” Melissa muttered.

Both girls turned their faces towards Maude. “Maude,” Melissa said. “Do you have any potential marriage candidates?”

Maude felt her face flush. “Before the war, my family had been in discussions with one man’s family off and on over the years. But likely, as the result of my actions, that won’t be happening whether we both make it home from the war, or not.”

“True, true,” Cristyne said. “Have you met anyone in the kingdom that you’d be interested in?”

Maude felt the flush extend to her neck, and her heart picked up its rhythm. “I honestly haven’t really met all that many men in Aulbert,” she replied.

“That’s a good point,” Melissa said, looking back towards Cristyne. They met eyes. “Likely most of the men are out at war anyway, so you probably wouldn’t know if there’s someone you like or not.”

Cristyne turned back to Maude. “What do you think of my cousin, Jaspar?” she asked.

“Oh, yes, Duke Rosenberg,” Melissa agreed, turning back to Maude. “One of the most eligible and sought after men of the kingdom. What do you think about him?”

Maude had to cover her face. Both girls squealed.

“What happened?” Melissa asked.

“I knew there was something between the two of you!” Cristyne exclaimed in a slightly louder voice than usual for her.

“There’s nothing between the two of us,” Maude denied. “But I definitely enjoy his company.”

“Enjoy his company?” Melissa asked. “What does that mean?” She winked at Maude. Maude felt herself blush some more, but shook her head at Melissa.

“I really look forward to spending time with him, and I get so excited sometimes that my heart skips a couple of beats,” Maude admitted. “He helped teach me some sword moves, and his touch was so gentle that it made me feel a little warm inside.”

The girls sitting in front of her exchanged a glance. They both turned back to Maude at the same time.

“You like him,” Cristyne said.

At the same time, Melissa said, “Sounds like there are some feelings between the two of you to me.”

Maude put her hands up in a surrender position in front of her chest and waved them. “No, no, that’s impossible. He’s literally my enemy. I’m a hostage.”

“Is he though?” Melissa asked. “He’s been sheltering you, allowing you to go out and making sure you’re not executed for being the empire’s sword saint.”

“The empire is more your enemy at this point than Jaspar is,” Cristyne agreed.

“He definitely wouldn’t be interested in someone like me,” Maude replied, shaking her head. “All of this is just temporary until I move out. My life in the empire was so bad that any level of kindness makes my heart flutter.”

Cristyne and Melissa exchanged glances once more.

“Nope,” Cristyne said.

“Absolutely not,” Melissa agreed.

Maude’s heart was in her throat. “It’s impossible,” she said. “There’s no way.”

“Even if they aren’t the feelings you want to have towards Jaspar, you should really consider if you do or not,” Cristyne said. “At least then you can base your actions on what you want to do.”

“Agreed,” Melissa said. “And if you do have feelings for him, Lady Fronica Von Wickten isn’t going to let him go all that easily.”

Maude swallowed hard. She’d forgotten about Fronica. Her heart was pounding in her chest. She was starting to feel pale and shaky.

Maude noticed that Melissa was studying her closely. “Well, that’s enough of that,” she said, waving the subject of conversation away again. “Maybe if my fiance-to-be dies in the war I’ll get to marry a noble from another kingdom.”

The clenching of Maude’s heart started to die down. She breathed a sigh of relief and took another sip of her tea.