I hope Lady Siri isn't angry at me.
The Athedale woman thought to herself as she woke up, remembering the odd trance the girl fell into. Rising from her bed before the first sunrays crested the dark horizon, Sofia left her room. Her simple nightgown whispered as its long skirt danced in the chill breeze coming from the windows.
Habitually the frontier woman took in a deep breath expecting a foresty scent to fill her lungs. Her diaphragm stopped mid-breath as she tasted the stuffy air with a hint of mould coming from the stone walls of the ancient building.
Due to the Door of Divination activating the Oriri mages they locked themselves in the upper levels of the grand university causing the entire city to appear soulless. The Sophists kept the city-state running but the Diarchy couldn't function properly without its other half. Before the first day could end, household soldiers of the different factions flooded into Oriripol. Her maid theorised that the city might be drowned in political violence in the near future, advising her to leave.
Unlike her maid, Sofia grew up in a uniform since the day her soul was crafted by the divine and the way the soldiers positioned themselves around the city suggested that rather than fearing each other, the various factions feared the plebs and what would they do.
"Good morning Lady Sofia, would you like me to draw up a warm bath?" Annette welcomed her Liege while sitting beside the tea table with a ready tray of tea and toasted nuts.
"If you could please," The newly risen noble hoped for her maid to comment on how early she had woken up but the tanned woman remained stoic while she rose to her feet. "What are these?" She pointed at the letters stacked beside her light breakfast.
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"Those are letters from your fellow nobles. I took the liberty of opening them for you."
The blonde noble nodded as she sat on her chair, Annette disappearing behind her shoulders. She leaned over and took a toasted nut which was still warm as if Annette had just finished preparing her breakfast.
"She is way too good at this," Sofia reclined back while enjoying the earthy taste in her mouth. "She must have a Talent allowing her to do this." She said feeling stupid for ever thinking about not having the Catalinan with her.
Sofia ate two more of the brain-resembling nuts before scooping the topmost letter from the small pile of them alongside a few more walnuts. She had heard that eating them was supposed to improve your memory and concentration which she doubted as she couldn't stop reaching for more of them. Supposedly women shouldn't eat them on warm days or when pregnant to avoid getting sick but seeing that it was neither Sofia could indulge herself a little.
Shuffling six letters between her hands, Sofia read the brief contents. What she was looking at were signed pieces of paper signalling their acceptance of her invitation. The people attending the tea party varied wildly in their stature from a low nobility to a second child of Flinter Magnar.
"My Lady, the bath is ready." A pleasant voice called out for Sofia as she thought of the incoming event.
The Junker is not used to long baths and quickly came out of the wooden tub with her maid in tow. Like an ant serving her queen, Annette silently buzzed around the boyish Lady occasionally ordering her to raise her hands and such.
"Could you prepare tea already so it has time to cool down for Lady Siri when we return?" Sofia asked remembering the girl's unhealthy habit of drinking scalding hot tea.
"Should I also prepare a separate jug for her? It wouldn't bode well for your image if you serve everyone lukewarm tea."
"True but wouldn't that look weird? Her having an entire jug for herself?"
"I can pour her a new cup whenever she runs out."
"Good idea Annette." Sofia responded while watching her figure in a mirror. She was wearing a sea-green dress with a complementary capelet helping her keep warm.
"If I may, should I keep the confections for the end?"
"No, I wrote to Solan about borrowing money for today."
"You did?" Her maid couldn't stifle the curiosity in her voice as she tied a bowtie under her Lady's neck. "I hadn't seen any letters coming from Mister Solan."
"I know," Sofia said reading herself to leave. "He hadn't answered yet. Try to not put me in too much debt though. She said waving her maid goodbye before heading toward the Dar Blackworm's residence with a light trot.