The next day, Yuriko woke up just before dawn. For a moment, she stared up at the unfamiliar canopy in wonder. The wide, four-poster bed could have fit four of her side by side. The curtains were closed, though the fabric was so sheer that it would have provided a mere modicum of privacy, at most.

The foot of the bed faced wide windows which, in turn, faced the sunrise. The morning light would have shone right on her face come true dawn. Not that she ever slept in anymore. With a yawn, she threw off the thin blanket, pausing slightly at the sight of her nightgown, which fell to her knees, was made of fabric as sheer as the curtains. It concealed nothing.

It wasn’t her choice, honestly, and she would have to buy more practical pyjamas. None were to be had here. Ah, she barely remembered yesterday’s events, though a few particular notes stood out. Mum’s announcement, for one.

Sadeen had been sparing in the details but Yuriko had been told that a ball would be held near the end of the Season of Earth, which was to serve as her introduction to Imperial high society.

She felt a shiver run up her back. She’d honestly rather not.

Once she got out of bed, two women, one with short tawny hair, while the other had shoulder-length, red hair, approached her, and curtsied. They were both clad in the attendant’s uniform, though from their features, Yuriko was certain they probably had Mishala blood. Both were slightly shorter than her but were clearly older by a few years. The short-haired one was called Saki, while the red-haired woman introduced herself as Ryoko. Oh, they were her bedroom attendants.

When she entered her room the night before, she’d almost knocked both of them out when they started to undress her. Only her finely honed reflexes and the absence of ill intent from either of them had stayed her hand. Ryoko, perhaps noticing her tensed muscles, gave her a short bow and an apology.

“Pardon, young mistress, we merely wish to help you ready yourself for sleep.”

Neither of them stopped moving their hands, and in short order, Yuriko was unclothed. Ryoko ushered her to the ensuite bathroom while Saki gathered the clothes and brought them outside. They accomplished it with such speed and grace that Yuriko barely mustered up a protest. Her personal effects, such as her safe pouch, hip satchel, and coin purse, as well as her belt knife and Plasma Lancet, were deposited on the desk.

At the end of the festivities, she had been brought over to another dwelling, built on the branches of a Great Tree that was nearly a longstride from Amaryllis Manor. They walked through the pathways set amidst the canopy and reached their destination without even touching the ground. There, Mum kissed her cheeks and left her to an attendant while she went back outside. The attendant, a middle-aged man with a trim beard and defined muscles, bowed and, in turn, led Yuriko to the second level and to a bedroom, where he bowed again and left.

Yuriko didn’t know what to expect when she entered the bathroom, certainly not the bathing pool that was large enough to swim in. And of course, Ryoko and Saki stripped themselves and proceeded to give her a rather thorough and embarrassing scrubbing.

When they presented her with her nightgown, she almost threw a fit, but their puppy dog eyes and pouting lips convinced her not to make a scene. And now, in the morning, they once again stripped her of her clothes, applied scented oils and lotions to her skin, while she tried not to giggle and squeal when their fingers lingered over her sides and other sensitive spots.

It was only when they finished dressing her in her Sharom uniform did she realise that she forgot to tell them that she wanted to train first.

“Uhm, tomorrow, I want to train physically before I prepare myself for the day,” Yuriko said.

Ryoko and Saki bowed in assent.

Well, it would be a shame to do that now. So instead, she settled to meditate, but before she could sit cross legged on the floor, Saki cleared her throat and nodded at the window, where the light of the rising sun shone through.

“My lady, breakfast will be served soon.”

“Oh. Alright.”

With a long-suffering sigh, she gestured for them to lead her to the dining hall. Ryoko bowed in assent, and walked in front of her while Saki trailed behind. Her room was near the grand stairwell, just a dozen paces from the landing. The floor, the walls, and the ceiling were made of wood. Or perhaps, they were living wood from the Great Tree.

Ah, it was alive. She activated Chaos Sight for a moment and saw ambient Chaos flowing freely through the wood. Or Animus, as it was called when it was within something living. Despite that though, there were no other indicators that the house was built from the living trunk and branches. The floors looked varnished and polished, the stair’s balustrade was smooth and well worn. Tapestries, portraits, and paintings hung on the walls, and small glass globes illuminated the path, supplementing the light coming in from the tall windows.

A stiff breeze blew past Yuriko’s hair, but it didn’t blow strongly enough to lift her short skirt. Still, her hand automatically pressed the fabric against her thigh.

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At the bottom of the stairs, several attendants stood at attention, three men and four women. They bowed low upon her arrival.

The dining hall was far more modest than the grand hall of last night. It was only a dozen paces to the side instead of nearly a hundred, and the ceiling wasn’t quite so high. It did have a chandelier though, with bulbs that gave off a different hue, but all combined it resulted in a warm white light.

She expected to see Mum at the table but was disappointed to see that there was only a single setting there. The male attendant–a butler, she thought was the correct term–seated her and presented the breakfast menu, which was a choice of eggs done to her preference, slices of ham, or roasted beef, steaming hot rolls, and a variety of cheeses. Breakfast tea was served, slightly bitter, but nothing a dollop of honey wouldn’t fix, and a clear pitcher of…

“Lavan berries!” she gasped.

The berries had been pressed for their juices, of course, mixed with some water. She reached to pour herself a glass but Saki did it for her before she could do so. She awkwardly pulled back, and couldn’t help but stare when the attendants simply stood around her, catering to her every whim. Stranger still was the expression of pure bliss on their faces. The more they did for her, the happier they looked. At least they didn’t try to spoon-feed her as if she were a baby. It still made her quite uncomfortable though, so she ate quickly.

When she was done, one of the attendants, the butler who was dressed a bit fancier than the others, presented her with a letter. She opened it and quickly read the contents. It was a note from Mum.

“Yuri,

Today you should register back at Sharom. Your cousin Miya volunteered to accompany you, as did your Davar cousins, and the exiled prince. Miya’s an incoming fifth year student and she knows her way around campus.

I’ve arranged for you to undergo a series of tests today, and possibly tomorrow, to see which classes you’ll need to take to catch up and which ones you don’t have to bother with. You should have free time in the afternoon and while the Imperial Palace is as large as a city, there are lots of places you can enjoy that’s within walking distance to the campus. Have fun and I’ll see you tonight at dinner! (Or not if you’ve found company, hehe. Do let me know if that’s the case.)

Love,

Mummy”

Yuriko tapped the arm of her chair and spoke softly, “I don’t think I want to lead a procession.” She shook her head and addressed the butler, “Where do I meet with Miya?”

“Lady Miya takes her breakfast in the Amaryllis Manor’s small dining hall. She should have just started her meal at this hour.”

Yuriko nodded. “Alright, I’ll head there then.”

“Yes, young lady.” The butler bowed. “Would you require an aide or a guide?”

“I’m fine, thank you.”

The attendants bowed or curtsied as she left the dining hall and left the house. She vaguely remembered the way back but honestly, it wasn’t that difficult. The arboreal pathways had signs and guard rails, so it was practically impossible to get lost.

She took her time wandering down the path. This wasn’t back home in Rumiga, but it was the Empire. There was something refreshing about being in her home country, from the signs in Verdanian language, and the familiar fashions, and the way buildings were made. The ones on the ground had flat roofs, and could serve as a last redoubt in case of an enemy attack. The scent of the flowers, the familiar cuisine, and the background noise soothed her to such an extent that she started humming and smiling.

While it was early morning, the paths were by no means deserted. The other passersby gave her room and bowed to her as she passed by. She returned a nod to them and from the smiles blooming on their faces, it must have been the right thing to do.

She arrived back at Amaryllis after half an hour and was let inside the manor without protest from the guards on the upper level entrance.

“Please bring me to Miya,” she asked from one of the attendants walking in the hallway. The young man gaped at her for a moment, then flushed and bowed. He hurried ahead at an acceptably brisk pace and led her into a room where Miya was surrounded by a bevy of attendants.

One of the women wiped Miya’s lips while the others took the plates away. Her cousin caught sight of her as soon as Yuriko entered and she gave a cheery wave.

“Good morning, Yuriko!” she chirped. “Did you want to come to the campus with me?”

“Yes, if you don’t mind,” Yuriko answered.

“Oh. excellent!” Miya grinned. Like Yuriko, she was already in her uniform, but it wasn’t Sharom’s as she expected but the brown and grey of Aneurin. She also had a few golden pins on her lapels too, while Yuriko’s was bare. “Well, let’s head out!”

One of the attendants ran outside as soon as Miya spoke

She grabbed Yuriko’s hand and led her to the antechamber. The soothing warmth from yesterday was absent from Miya’s touch but then again, Yuriko didn’t need it today.

By the time they exited to the ground level, a landcrafter was waiting for them, with a young woman with a slightly different outfit from the other attendants, waiting with her hand on the door. She pulled it open, and bowed, waiting for them to board. As soon as they were inside, the woman entered the driver’s cabin and in short order, they were trundling down the road.

“Isn’t it easier to live on campus?” Yuriko asked. “How long is the commute from here?”

“Just an hour,” Miya admitted, “if we take the Sky Trams. Well, this early we’ll avoid the rush hour. Ah, yes, it’s easier if we could live on campus, but the dormitories are strictly for those without a residence in the city or the palace. We do have a city estate and we’ll be living there throughout the week.”

“Oh,” Yuriko murmured, then spent the rest of the trip staring out the window, taking in the scenery.

Aerule Garden felt like a sparsely populated county. Most of the open spaces were orchards, flower fields, and Great Trees. She didn’t see any farmers, though it was near the sowing already.

A quarter of an hour later they pulled up next to a tower that rose nearly fifty paces high. The driver opened the door for them and they both hurried up the stairs and into the tower. There, they got on a platform that rose vertically in midair, prompting a squeal of surprise from Yuriko. Miya chuckled and pointed at the railings that had only appeared once the platform moved.

“We’re quite safe,” Miya said.

Once they reached the upper level, she led Yuriko to another platform, where a landcrafter akin to a Commuter Tram rested. Well, it didn’t have wheels. It had struts where the wheels should have been, and broad swept wings at the side. There was a short line of people waiting to board the door set in the middle of the Sky Tram, but Miya headed straight to the door near the front. They were let in by an attendant, who evidently recognized her cousin. He gave both of them a bow and gestured for them to enter.

The seats they were led to were quite luxurious. Yuriko settled back to wait. From here, she had a view of the front viewing windows.

“We should reach the Imperial Palace in half an hour. Wake me when we get there.” Miya yawned, then promptly fell asleep, leaving Yuriko to her thoughts.