Chapter Forty

Harmony expected Rose to rush out with guards to escort her away or Sir Maxwell, with his oath, taking delayed action to help her, perhaps Lord Tyler or even Ambrosia. That was not the case.

Serena Vale, the head of the commission, walked out, her show face on, a smile beaming as she stepped into the area projected to all. She even waved one of those gentle waves with a soft turn of her wrist.

Serena offered her hand to Harmony to help. The lady maid accepted it, and with the commissioner’s help, they brought the prince to his feet. Vale spoke, not to Harmony, but to the gathered crowd, turning so everyone could glance at her face. “We’ve all witnessed an astounding event. The games will start shortly as we see who makes it to the finals in the capitol, but how about a round of applause for our new lady, Harmony White.” She purposefully escorted the necromancer, prince, and toad trio back toward the guild’s private room.

Harmony watched the woman give her skills something to aspire to. Ms. Vale never implied if what the crowd saw was real or staged, creating an air of mystery that would lead to debate. [Poise and Bearing] and [Style and Grace] ached to achieve that in a way that was never there as a regular maid where that part of her helped to avoid attention. But she was now a lady maid, and that change shifted where her skills felt they could be best used. Could she now take attention and deflect it as the commissioner had done? Maybe Tyler could lend her those awful guides on being a lord and lady books to read again.

They approached a guild room. It was being abandoned. Most of the bidders were gone, and many were gathering their things or having short words with each other. When those still there noticed she arrived back, most picked up the pace, like scurrying vermin when you opened the blinds to shine a light on them. Not all, though.

Lady Coodly stood there first to greet her. “Don’t mind them. They simply don’t wish to be remembered by you as trying to buy you when they next meet the newest member of the peerage. I sadly have to inform you that your employment contract has been nullified by this change. Lords and ladies can’t be bound by such things. I do hope we can maintain a friendly and productive relationship with each other.”

“Of course,” Harmony answered half-automatically, slipping back slightly into her differential role.

“Wonderful.” The matriarch responded. “I’ll have your personal effects sent to you as soon as it can be arranged.” Then she nodded goodbye.

Her old employer turning away hit her in the gut, as she was now unemployed and without a place to live. She’d steeled herself for new employment after today, but not no employment.

“You! How dare you!” A furious Rose marched towards her, and Harmony readied [Small Armor] for defense.

When the hand struck out accurately, propelled by the ranger’s unlocked stats of dexterity and spatial awareness, it snaked out past Harmony, grabbing Prince Adric’s ear with a twist.

“Ow!” He yelped, shaking him out of his stupor. “Don’t, Rose.”

“What do you expect me to do, Addy? After you returned from the dead and didn’t tell me! You think your ear hurts. Imagine thinking your brother died. And, the lady’s pet prince, what profession even is that?”

Harmony scooted out from under Adric’s arm, which she’d been using to help prop him up. During a family inquisition, she didn’t need to be between the fighting brother and sister.

Princess Rosaline’s eyes snapped to Harmony at the movement. “I don’t know what my brother has promised or done to you through all this, but let me assure you I’ll do my best to make amends. First, the duke and now Adric. Now that you’re a lady, that may actually be easier.”

“It’s not like that, Rose. It’s…” The prince’s words were cut off as his ear twisted further. Rose’s hand had never left the lobe, and she pulled him away.

“Grrup?” Hyacinth asked.

“Oh, no, that’s family trouble. I’m letting him sort that out himself. Makes me almost glad I no longer deal with mine.”

Ambrosia’s ecstatic surprise hug grabbed Harmony from the side. Of course, who needs family when you have friends? She grumbled internally. And she hadn’t forgotten that Hyacinth had been in on it.

“I can’t believe it worked. Lady. Harmony. White.”

She let her friend hug her. She actually needed that hug after all the events of the day. “And when were you ever going to tell me this was your plan?”

“When it worked? I mean, I half-figured you’d have figured it out, as I know you’ve read all the books. I don’t know how much blunter we could get, especially after the lyrics to some of those songs. It’s not like someone suddenly becoming a lord or lady can’t happen. That’s what that no-name duke had wanted. I thought you not telling me to stop was subtle approval.”

Oh, so that was the route her friend was going to take. Compliments and making her admit she’d missed all the obvious signs if she was going to complain. The beast tamer knew her too well. And if she had figured it out, she would have asked them to stop because of how embarrassingly unlikely this transformation was. Sure, people tried, and when you evolve your class, there is some chance for heroes, and even the rare merchant prince or celebrity, to progress into the aristocracy. To become a lord or lady outside of that, that’s the myth of the hero on the battlefield suddenly gaining immense power and winning the day, not a maid getting some songs sung about her.

Harmony leaned into the hug. “Fine, but no more secrets.”

“This is also going to make the best ballad ever!”

This was her friend’s moment of fame, and the necromancer clamped down any protest. The band was shooting their singer looks, signaling to get over to them, so Harmony wiggled out of the embrace. “You go do that.”

Ambrosia skipped off to the band. Max and Len were holding Rose back from a flinching Adric. The last few clusters of people who’d shown up for the auction were departing. The band worked on getting their instruments in their carrying cases. At the same time, Ambrosia tested out a line of lyrics or two. From the center of attention to, well, the lady maid was unsure what to do with herself. The crowd roared. Another battle was commencing.

“Grrupt.” A warning from her familiar seeped through their bond, quiet and subtle.

Harmony tensed, all the same, too many surprises. The danger was here, but not the physical threat of looming death. Tyler, free of his gran, made his way nervously toward her. The instinct from years of difference clashed with the reality of her new jobless state. [High Kick] suggested a nice boot to the head.

The young lord moving in for a hug didn’t help, and Harmony fended him off with her palms facing him, a chill radiating around her. Not that Tyler seemed to notice. “Harmony, we can be together now. Gran can’t even object now that you’re a lady. Our love doesn’t need to be a secret any longer. I’m going to the capital to complete my training and want you to come with me.”

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“Our love? We?” Harmony couldn’t keep the ice out of her tone. She could even see her breath fog up. [Cold Touch] pulsed with a numb indifference. It would be too easy to let that skill strangle all her emotions. Yet more annoying than Lord Tyler was the frost she could taste on her lips and the knowledge she’d gained while at her training pond. Authority was simply connections and beliefs lending power to you. She could feel their emotion buzzing like background noise, affection, love, and desire, so it would be easy to shut off. Instead, she used her unlocked stat of connection to take those warm emotions, even the misplaced ones she knew Tyler had for her. With that authority, she smothered the skill and the inclinations that supported it. I’ll deal with that later, she told herself as she tried to let her feelings open up.

“I di-didn’t mean t-too...” Tyler started to stutter, and Harmony knew she had to act or the boy would break.

“Tyler, that’s sweet.” She blinked back some surprise at the new warmth in her voice, even if the tone was closer to one that you’d use with a child or pet. “But, I was your employee. You don’t really know me. The extra favors we did for each other were more than a little transactional. I have admired your thirst for knowledge and the unique items with it. But there is no love, or we. Perhaps we can start with a new friendship that involves fewer lingering glances while I’m dusting your shelves. One where we can both try to live up to our potential. I’m not sure I can leave Hazeldown right now, dungeon and all, but I wish you all the luck in the capital.”

“But…” He tried.

Harmony could feel him being conflicted through the authority he granted to her. Less belief, less power, she wasn’t sure. More things to deal with.

“It’s okay. I believe in you.” The simple, cliche answer in an attempt to end the conversation sent a surge through her about his beliefs. Just ignore it, she told herself. You know very little about authority and how to manage it. He’s leaving anyway, and well, time to change the topic. “I’m afraid I’m at a loss for what to do now that I’m out of a job and become a lady.”

“Oh, the kingdom makes allowances for that. Since it usually happens when citizens evolve, there is a process when registering evolution changes.”

“Oh, thank you.” It was a struggle not to curtsy or, on the flip side, kick his shin a few times for his awkward declaration of love. Instead, she tried to be positive and lady-like, the way she’d watched Lady Coodly and others behave thousands of times.

Silence stretched between them. Tyler clearly hadn’t planned what to do if his “our love” gambit failed. He gave an awkward bow, signaling he’d finally given up.

“I promise to write to you.” He said as he walked away.

After Lord Tyler had left the room, Harmony finally let herself deflate a little, all the emotions on the idiocy of it all running through her.

“Grrupt?” Hyacinth asked.

“Oh, I don’t think I did too bad. That was probably my least stressful conflict of the day.”

Prince Adric, looking harried, walked over and grabbed Harmony’s hand. “Let’s get out of here.”

A look over showed both Len and Maxwell talking to a sobbing Rose. “What did you do now?” She asked him.

“Nothing. I’ve done nothing. That may be the problem, but if we wait any longer, journalists and fans will be at every exit by the time we leave. I suppose you don’t have a change of clothes to make you less recognizable?”

Harmony knew the outfit she arrived in was done for, so she only returned a glare. Her pet wasn’t wrong about what they could walk into and the stand-out nature of her armor.

“Hyacinth, go hunt til your heart’s content and find us later.” He was just as noticeable.

Understanding, the shadow toad slipped into the shadows looming behind a throne.

The prince led her down the Colosseum’s hallways like he’d memorized them. A few turns, and they went from the elaborate path to plain utility halls. From there, a storage room had extra uniforms stacked neatly next to bins holding stained and soiled outfits splattered with blood, monster shit, and rips. When the man started changing into one of the male uniforms, Harmony stowed her armor and peeled off the shreds of her one-time gift. The uniforms here were almost as modest but were not as high quality. Their fabric itched and chaffed a little, enough to cause a spasm of worry that she’s become one of the picky ladies.

She couldn’t use her skills to change his appearance but could rub dirt on his face. As for herself, she adjusted her skin tone and the cut of her cheekbones and gave herself blond ringlets again. Together they snuck out through the building crowd of gawkers, journalists, and excited citizens eager to glimpse the source of the wild rumors that were just starting to spread like wildfire.

For five days, they hid in inns. The inns were the quality ones with private libraries that lent copies to patrons. Harmony took that time to relax. A vacation from the drama, with books to escape into.

Prince Adric managed himself, so she didn’t need to take him for walks. Always mysterious errands that needed to be run. Countess Maye, Adric’s Auntie, showing up in town didn’t change anything. Guild master Hemlock still hadn’t returned. And every time she managed to get within earshot of a common room, she could hear her name being sung, paired up with an ever-growing list of ridiculous feats by local bards. It made her miss Ambrosia, and her profession itched from lack of use. Five days cooped up, and she needed a vacation from the vacation.

That is why she leaped at Prince Adric’s offer of a private carriage ride. “Why can’t you tell me where we are going?” The trip took them out of the city but wasn’t going down anywhere but an overgrown dirt road

“It’s a surprise.”

“I hope your aunt didn’t arrange it. I don’t understand why she doesn’t want to meet me.”

“She explained that the political ramifications are too much for her to be seen to be involved. “

Harmony suspected that it was more as though she didn’t want to put a face to the person that might need to be executed. At this point, she figured her popularity and whatever strange agreement Hemlock was working on was the only thing keeping her alive.

Hyacinth nuzzled her side from the seat next to hers, assuring that everything would be all right.

The carriage wheeled to a stop ending the bumpy ride over rough ground. Stepping into the midday sun. An abandoned manor greeted her. Peeling paint, broken windows, the place some might call full of potential, or a haunted house. But, no necromancer worth their salt would ever be afraid of that.

“Our new home. Sure, it needs some work, but it beats hiding at inns or visiting the community estates for new lords and ladies.”

Harmony looked at her pet and tried to pull information from their bond to check if he was joking. He wasn’t joking.

“I know what you’re thinking, but I got help. I managed to get a pair of employment contracts at a discount. As much as this place needs some love and care, please trust me that this will work.” Then The Lady’s Pet Prince gave Harmony his puppy dog eyes. He’d yet to divulge the details of his new profession’s skills to her, but she wondered if manipulation of her was one of them. It was so hard to say no to that look from that beautiful, too-perfect face.

“Fine.”

He gave an excited leap and, after settling down, clapped twice.

Old doors creaked open. Harmony added oiling the hinges to the list of things growing in her mind to make this place livable. The inside was dark, so clearly, all the glow stones needed to be recharged or possibly even replaced. A rising thud, almost like heavy boots, rose out of the darkness, and Harmony pictured the floorboards needing work too. She hoped Adric managed to get this place cheap.

A familiar face stepped out, revealing the thud as a cane. “Bates!”

“Lady White.” He said with a bow.

Harmony couldn’t take her eyes off the head butler. The idea of Lady Coodly going without him or letting him go was impossible for her. Yet, Adric had somehow managed it. What were that old matriarch’s plans?

Bird song from the woods distracted her musings. Yank, a small beak, pulled at her hair. The Lady maid’s eyes were forced to search out. Ambrosia was quietly standing on the other side of the door with a smug smile.

“You!” was all Harmony managed to get out.

“I implored to be released, as my music career has been taking off in Hazeldown. She met me in the middle and passed my contract along as a favor, so I could stay here rather than go to the capitol with the rest of the staff. It’ll be an honor to serve you, Lady White.”

Screw propriety. Harmony tackled her friend with a long hug. A little bit of the loneliness gnawing on her eased away. Unburdened, her profession awakened, eager to take on the task of getting this old manor in working order.

Prince Adric joined the hug like any excited pet, squeezing Harmony between the two taller people. A warmth inside her sparked, and she recognized it as hope that everything would end up alright.

-The End of Arc One.