Why did it feel like it was always unseasonably warm in this damned house, Lae’zel thought, fanning herself with a too-yellow fan she had borrowed from Penelope. Outside, it had been gorgeous. Lae’zel had woken up before everyone, as she had done even back when she was in her own body, and then she’d done some quick stretching and taken a walk through the gardens as the fun first started to show over the horizon. For the past week, she had told herself that she should get up and do a full set of training before the servants woke up, but today, she didn’t bother. She told herself it was a one-time thing, but if she was being honest with herself, she wasn’t sure if she would continue her training while she was on this plain. If something attacked, surely the human males would throw themselves in the path in an attempt to protect her - hells, they had nearly done so when she simply wanted to walk out to the garden during the ball! Although, she had to admit, she couldn’t help the light ache from her muscles after she had done what she considered to be a light morning workout.
Lae’zel felt a drop of sweat that had been pooling on her brow finally start to roll down her nose. She was sure this structure would be better in the winter, but in the summer, it was dreadful. “We should meet any guests outside the front doors,” she insisted again, knowing that it probably wouldn’t work. Portia was weak in body, but there was nothing that could be done about her mental fortitude. In another life, Lae’zel would have been happy for her to be the commander of her creche. In this life, Portia would be lucky if Lae’zel didn’t skewer her with the fireplace poker. Of course, that’s if she didn’t die of heat exhaustion first.
“As I have told you,” Portia said, dabbing a bead of sweat off her own forehead, “we cannot go outside during calling hours. If a gentleman calls, we need to be waiting for him, pristine and demure, which lord help us,” she whispered the last part into her handkerchief, as though not seeing her lips move would be enough to keep Lae’zel from hearing her.
“Mama,” Penelope said, rising from her chair by the window, where she’d been wistfully staring out the window for nearly the last half hour. Maybe longer, even. That woman stared with the same determination with which Lae’zel trained. Well, or at least with which she used to change. “Mayhaps Lae’zel is correct. It is awfully hot in the drawing room, and if a gentleman caller does come, he is sure to be put out by the temperature.” Lae’zel smiled at her. She still wasn’t sure about the feeling of her face moving in such a way - in this body, it felt natural, almost like breathing, but she still felt that smiles should be reserved only for those who were most deserving. Penelope could be considered amongst those. Portia, not so much.
Portia sighed, but finally stood up from her chair. Prudence followed suit immediately, with Phillipa right behind, looking as though she didn’t really understand why they were standing. Phillipa had about as much sense as Shadowheart, Lae’zel thought. Prudence, though - she’d be happy to fight her. She might just be mean enough to make the competition interesting before she was felled. “Oh, very well,” Portia huffed, gesturing to the servants to open the large doors for them, because apparently these humans were too weak to even do that by themselves. “It’s not as though we’ve had a gentleman caller since Mr. Finch, after all.”
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Phillipa smiled brightly as soon as her betrothed’s name was mentioned. In fairness, Lae’zel thought, though she had only met the man for a few minutes, she thought that he and Phillipa made an excellent match. Hardly a brain cell between the two of them, but at least he had an amount of meat on his bones.
She followed as Portia led them out to the back gardens, instructing the serving staff to bring any gentlemen callers out there instead. Then, she flopped onto one of the benches, closely followed by two of her daughters. Lae’zel looked behind her, back into the house, but Penelope already seemed to have snuck off. She couldn’t blame her - she wanted to escape from this household, too, and while she was certainly a thorn in Portia’s side, Lae’zel had to admit that Penelope was still the black sheep of the family.
“Lemonade,” Portia said, going back to fanning herself. “Even out here, the heat is nearly unbearable without it.” She snapped, and a servant immediately scurried away.
“It is unseasonable hot out today, isn’t it?” a voice said from the door, and Lae’zel whirled around, her hand immediately reaching for a sword that wasn’t there. In the doorway they had recently come from stood a tall man with blonde hair and a lightly amused smile on his face. Lae’zel blinked - the man looked reasonably similar to Halsin. He wasn’t an elf of course, and he didn’t have any of his scars or tattoos, but then again she didn’t look even similar to how she looked on the other side of the portal. She hadn’t seen Halsin following behind them, nor had she noticed him in the clearing when they had first arrived, but who’s to say he didn’t go through a portal of his own.
By gods, if he did, would he even recognize her?
“Why yes!” Portia said, jumping up to greet the man with a terribly forced smile on her face. “I don’t know if I’ve ever felt a summer quite as warm as this. Lemonade?” she asked, gesturing frantically to the servant who had just returned with a pitcher.
“Er, why yes,” the man said, awkwardly taking a drink from her.
“There you are!” she said with a happy sigh. “Lord Debling, it’s always good to have you in our home.” Lord Debling raised his eyebrow in a way that told her that he had never once been to the house before now. “And surely, you must know that my dear Prudence is on the marriage market.”
Prudence sidled up to him, putting on a huge smile that made her face look far too wide. To his credit, Lord Debling lightly smiled at her and gave her a slight nod. “So I have heard,” he said slowly. “But actually, I was looking to call upon your niece.”
Portia’s eyes bulged in her head but Lae’zel hardly noticed as the man fully turned his attention to her. “Lae’zel, I’m so pleased to meet you again. I’m afraid that I didn’t have a chance to give my formal introduction to you last night. My name is Alfred Debling, and it was a pleasure to dance with you. If you may, I’d love to be the first person on your dance card for the next dance.”