The sun rose early, but I didn’t.

Usually, I enjoyed waking up and starting a loaf of bread, or making a pot of tea and putting it on ice so it would be ready for the heat of the day.

Instead, I waited until roughly the time I expected Henrietta and Brownie to get going for breakfast before rolling out of bed and throwing on a sundress.

My green skin never burned, though my white freckles definitely multiplied under the summer sun. My hair, which hung down to my thighs while loose, was done back in braids that were starting to fray. I decided I would wait until the masquerade to mess with them, since it was going to take a few hours to get ready for the ball anyway.

So I pretty much rolled out of bed, used the ladies room, and ten minutes later I was walking down to the guest dining area.

“Gerda!” Lady Amarylis, Saintess of Lithnilheim, was sitting at the table with a cup of mint tea and a buttered huckleberry scone. Lithnilheim was the name of the spirit of the Dark Enchanted Forest ruled by King Keith and Queen Henrietta, and currenly shortenered to Nilheim.

The elves, who had lived in the forest for as long as the forest was alive, barely acknowledged the Dark Lord or most of the other races who had taken up residence in the wood. They lived in their city and rarely ever left.

The fact that Lady Amy was here at all was nothing short of a miracle. The miracle being the black grimalcat sitting on the elf’s lap.

“Good morning,” Slake Drakeford, Adventurer Extraordinaire and legendary grimalcat, blinked at me slowly. He licked a paw daintily. He was all over black, including his bat wings, with the exception of two tiny horns on his head and his eyes, which were green.

There were three others in the dining area that I did not know and who had found seats further away.

“It is good to see you both.” I smiled warmly at the pair. Amy was as green as I was, but her hair was brown and done up in intricate elven braids as befitting her station. Both of our ears were long and pointed, though hers pointed outwards while mine hugged closer to my hair.

“I’m sure it is.” Slake said. He hopped down and wandered towards the door. When he arrived at the entrance, he sat just out of sight for anyone coming through the door, and waited.

I wasn’t one to bother a grimalcat - they had a habit of swift and brutal vengeance to all who annoyed them, so I nodded politely and turned back to Lady Amy. “What are your plans for the day?”

“I have no idea.” She said excitedly. “I thought I was going to be trapped in the castle all week waiting for the Continental Council, but they had an emergency meeting yesterday and slipped me in. So now I'm free for the rest of the festival!”

“This is about the Molten Ash Vane case?” I asked. I’d been there when the poisoner who’d terrified the continent with the perma-death potion that melted the victim from the inside had been caught red-handed.

It was a young girl who’d just taken over the business from her grandmother and had no idea that she was breaking international law. The recipe was in her family’s notebook, so she’d happily made it and distributed it with the other potions.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

The other countries weren’t like the Dark Enchanted Forest. Where I lived, if I needed an invisibility potion then I could just stumble around the woods until I came upon a daisy of invisibility or an old woman handing out quests with an invisibility potion as the reward. Nilheim was like that.

For the rest of the continent, black market dealers received batches of potions and poisons and ingredients and random items - illegal or otherwise - and then sold them. A few powerful people had long standing orders with famous poisoners.

It was like subscribing to a bookbox. There were some common items that could be expected in every shipment, but then there were specialty items that would appear when the poisoner was able to make those items.

“Yes, Slake spoke on Mia’s behalf, and as soon as everyone found out she wasn’t working with the Blackfog spies they pretty much lost interest.” Amy forked off a piece of her scone and ate it, humming happily. “Chloe is dealing with the aftermath, and I’ll be visiting the Black Fortress when this is all done to talk about reparations.”

I shuddered almost imperceptibly, remembering the last time I’d been summoned to the Black Fortress. It must have shown on my face.

“What?” Amy eyed me nervously.

“It’s nothing.” I waved off her concern and walked over to the food, putting a flyingpork bacon and cheese roll on a small serving plate and poured myself a cup of black tea with milk. When I took a seat across from the still anxious elf, I added, “Just remembering the time I got audited… twice.”

Lady Amy nodded knowingly. “Because of your bridges?”

“Because of my bridges.” I took a sip of tea first, relishing in the hot beverage. It was an earthy blend, with slightly over-steeped leaves but not by too long. There was a nice hint of citrus in the brew as well. A standard Pixie Prim blend.

Unlike where I came from, there were a lot more varieties of ‘tea’ here. They weren’t distinguished by ceylon or assam or darjeeling or kee mun, like the flavors I was used to back home. I missed a nice orange pekoe, but this was a close substitute.

I loved the tea found in Valaria.

There were still the same harvesting times; the first flush of the season happened in March and April, the second flush in May to June, the third in July to August, and the last in September to October. A few magical variants bloomed only once, over the winter, in a fifth flush. Winter tea was delicious, though it quickly lost its potency after the frosts melted and any tea lover would have to wait until the snow fell again to drink it.

Suddenly, there were two people approaching loudly from the hallway.

“I think you’re right and we can slip away for the tourney.” It was Rufus speaking, though I couldn’t see them yet. “When is your cousin competing?”

“Meow.”

Before Brownie could reply, Slake stepped forward and rubbed himself on the bard's legs, interrupting. Brownie dipped down and picked up the grimalcat, affectionately rubbing the beast behind his ears.

“Slake,” Rufus ran a paw down his face before drawing a fortifying breath. “Good morning.”

“It is, isn’t it.” The grimalcat replied, swishing his tail.

“To answer your question,” Brownie smiled across at her intended, Slake hopped off her lap and found his chair. “Candace is competing this morning in the second or third match.”

"Hm." Rufus tapped his chin considering. "If you are alright with me trying, I'll join you."

"Really?" Brownie poked him, but she showed a touch of concern on her face, "If you are sure."

"I'm sure. Worst case I'll just step out."

Brownie didn't look convinced but nodded.

Lady Amy used the pause in conversation to ask, “If you guys don’t mind, can I tag along?”

“Count me in too,” I added, before finishing off my roll.

“Slake?” Brownie asked, but the grimalcat rubbed his paw against his cheek and said, "I'm busy."

“Alright.” Brownie practically beamed, “Give us ten minutes to finish breakfast and then we can all head out.”