It was an amazingly informative afternoon.

Gail and Tabitha were only too happy to share family stories.

Like the time Julian had gone missing when he was four, only to turn up eight hours later asleep in the kitchen pantry having eaten an entire basket of bumbleberries. Or the time he was showing Julia their parent’s wardrobe and cut off the bottom of Grand Duchess Calisto’s brand new ball gown to fit Julia for playing dress-up. Or the time Julian tried to use a shield that was too big for him, dropped it and broke his toe.

Or the time that Tabitha’s mother was poisoned at a ball, and Julian tried ‘helping’ by casting a shield around her… a shield that prevented anyone from approaching to help the poor woman. It was fine, Tabitha assured me, her mother had survived.

Gail and Tabitha were too young to remember much themselves, but they’d overheard enough from their older relatives to fill the afternoon.

And so far, I'd only had to turn away six people trying to interrupt. Very rude, to think they were more important than listening to the cute childhood shenanigans of my favorite character. The luncheon was wrapping up when someone approached me that I feared would need more than a simple shooing away.

“Greetings,” the villainess, Lady Cassandra Cress, stood before our seated group just as Gail was regaling me with a fun story of Julia when she’d accidentally split the diningroom table in half before their Aunt Calisto realized she needed to reinforce everything. The Paladin of Light wasn’t as strong as Henrietta… but few were. That didn’t mean she couldn’t crumple a wooden table in a temper tantrum.

Lady Cassandra Cress had red-hair and high eyebrows that made her look perpetually unimpressed. The woman kept her ears covered by her hairstyle and wide pearl set headband. She did so deliberately because her father was angry that she was born human instead of an elf… which was a simple way of saying she had a lifetime of household trauma. Two friends nervously stood behind her.

“Lady Cassandra.” I said, succinct. Some part of me had wanted to snub her for all of the struggles she’d put Henrietta through while I was trying to win over Duke Julian - but I held myself back. “Are you here to tell me funny stories about the bride?”

This was a post-wedding luncheon. It was perfectly acceptable for me to be requesting childhood stories of the von Slyke family… even if I was interested in one family member more than the others.

Lady Cassandra fanned herself imperiously, “I am here to find out who I will marry.”

I couldn’t resist a poke. “Is it one of us?”

Gail stared up at Lady Cassandra in polite terror, while Tabitha covered her mouth with her own fan to hide a laugh.

“Hm.” The woman hmphed. “I have come to you, Madame Potts, for a fortune. Tell me, who here is worthy of my hand?”

I almost said something unkind, but I caught the slight tremor in Lady Cassandra’s fan. The woman was an impressive menace to society, but she was also out here trying her best... or so I told myself. Besides, this was an opportunity to give another character I liked a chance at a happy ending.

Even if that character had foolishly fallen for Lady Cassandra.

The woman was desperate to marry Duke Julian to appease her incredibly onerous father, and was ignoring the one person who already loved her. As I was thinking, a silence fell between us. Gail and Tabitha shared a look, and Lady Cassandra held her breath.

I wasn’t sure I wanted to answer at all. It would set a terrible precedent.

“You know,” I cocked my head to the side, “I usually only foretell disasters… Are you sure you want me to look into your love life?”

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The lady stiffened.

There were so many implications in my statement, whether looking at her future would make it a disaster, or only work if it was a disaster… I was telling her that whatever I saw she wasn’t going to like.

It was more than I’d afforded anyone else who’d come up to me tonight. The two standing behind Cassandra were whispering excitedly.

Lady Cassandra was blushing a bit in her cheeks when she drew herself up and stated, “I am sure.”

“Okay,” I turned to Gail and used her formal address, “if you apologize to Lady Mercer for the interruption, and Gail is alright with it.”

“I am!” Gail nodded vigorously. I stifled a laugh and said, “You are supposed to agree after the apology. It’s only polite.”

Lady Cassandra chewed her lip in frustration, but nodded at the Gail. She ground out, “I’m sorry for interrupting, Lady Mercer.”

That was enough to scratch the itch of revenge on the villainess who came between me and Julian - I meant Henrietta and Julian. I was a kind and generous bridge troll. I wasn’t usually one to hold a grudge even, but Lady Cassandra was the worst kind of villainess. Still, her story line did have one nice thing about it.

She created situations where the main character had to live through excruciatingly embarrassing moments of awkwardness. It made my skin crawl playing through each scenario.

But that was then, and this was now. I stood.

“Foretell Fate.” I said, making up some ability name that I didn’t have. I closed my eyes and counted to ten and then opened them. I opened up my character sheet and notification tabs, and read over my stats like I was reading some window that popped up showing me Lady Cassandra’s foretold fate.

Oh look, my Experience Points had gone up to 9662/15750. I wasn’t worried about leveling up, but it was nice to see all of my hard work since arriving was paying off.

When I gauged that enough time had past, I closed my character sheet and focused again on Lady Cassandra.

She was still red in the face and unsteady, but she looked like she was ready for whatever terrible future I had foretold awaited her.

“If you get engaged this year…” I said calmly, leaning towards the woman. She hurriedly bent forward to hear whatever it was I had to say. Knowing full well that many people could hear us - and some were already listening in, I whispered softly, “Then it will fail and your house will fall to ruin. Your friends will abandon you. And in the end, your true love will sacrifice himself to save you - but it will be too late.”

She recoiled from me, her face twisted in horror. I held firm. Something similar would have already happened at the Spring Ball if Henrietta had made different choices... and if Lady Cassandra persisted to be an annoyance in this life as well, I could see it happening again.

“This is–” The lady tried to find words to lash out at me for my fortune, but I cut her off.

I spoke loud enough for everyone to hear, "But, If you get engaged when the first flower blooms in spring, you have hope for your own Happily Ever After… as for your partner? The only one who is worthy of your hand is the person who already loves you.”

Lady Cassandra closed her mouth and stared at me, her face going through a variety of emotions. Rage, frustration, hopelessness... fear. Then she turned on her heels and stormed out of the luncheon. The entire place erupted with discussion on my prophecy. People even started inching closer, intent blazing in their eyes.

It was past time I made a well-timed and hasty retreat.

“Lady Gail, Lady Tabitha, it was a pleasure.” I smiled at the girls. They’d remained at the edge of their chairs during my performance. Now, they lept to their feet to curtsy farewell properly. I gave them a reassuring smile. “I look forward to seeing you at the tea party tomorrow and maybe hearing the end Gail's story.”

Between the Tea Party and the Masquerade Ball. It felt like this festival was never going to end.

I slipped from the dining hall and headed towards my room.

I fiddled with a braid as I walked, deciding I might have enough time to properly do my hair if I started now…

“Miss Gerda!” Sir Tully waved enthusiastically at me as the paladin jogged towards me at breakneck speed. He stopped just shy of an arms length away, smiling, “Miss Gerda, the duke would like me to escort you to the dungeon.”

I raised an eyebrow at the human, wondering if he knew how easily misunderstood something like that could sound.

“Alright, lead on.”