"Lady Siri I hope you have a good day."
The pair of glowing eyes lingered on Iris who kept her lips in a thin line after she spoke. Kia didn't like it when her favourite did this but Iris told her that she would only do it when others were present and she kept that promise. Others would have used this opportunity to creep up with this annoyance hoping she wouldn't notice but not Iris.
"I will ensure that Lady Siri will return safely." The ancient's other experiment said giving Iris a slight bow causing the necromancer to nod in agreement.
Good, good, Iris is older than you.
With farewells finishing and the ancient letting go of the soothingly warm hand which had guided her until now, the ancient's eyes focused on the weak human next to her.
"Is there something on my face my Lady?"
"No, I'm wondering where will you lead me today." She replied.
"I had a plan for us to have a nice tea party before letting you decide what to do next." The human with pale-suffered coloured hair responded. Given the human's prolonged eye contact after finishing her sentence, she wanted to know her opinion.
"Bothersome."
"I'm sorry, I didn't hear that." Sofia asked leaning closer to the grumbling necromancer.
"Can we go to the library now, please?" The ancient found little success with this magic word as Iris called it with the humans but it was worth a try. Maybe it's a chance-base spell.
"We can't eat in there though." Sofia replied causing the ancient to puff her cheeks in annoyance.
The human tightened the knot around her neck as the two stepped outside. Kia turned off her ability to feel the outside temperature the moment she left Iris so she continued to walk normally even with her extremely short sleeves causing a lot of humans to turn their heads at the odd sight. The big fireball had just crested above the defensive walls around the Academy causing glistening streaks of colour to hang between the ground and the clouds.
"So much colour." The undead looked toward the overcast sky making the reflection in her eyes to be filled with diamond-shaped rainbows on grey canvas.
"My brother always said that on days like this the Aspects spare little of their power to make the day a little better for us," Sofia noted while making a hand gesture to thank the Aspects. "Back home people would hurry to marry before the sun went down but in here I feel something is missing. Do you feel that too? The people here are too scared or proud to appreciate such a gift of beauty. Yet even in ignorance the unfaithful still see this."
"I don't understand." Kia replied seeing the saddened expression on Sofia's face as she looked at the students passing by.
"You are from the North and you don't understand?" Sofia's brows rose as she looked at the necromancer. For a moment the ancient regretted opening her mouth and began to consider the way she would have to tell Iris her cover was blown. "Would you like to come with me for a temple service the day after tomorrow? It's technically not allowed to hold sermons in Oriripol but there is a small shrine the Oriri mages tolerate."
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
For an unknown reason which confused the venerable undead, Sofia's eyes softened with pity or at least that is what Kia thought. The closest comparison she had was that one time she caught herself in a mirror while helping a construct walk but constructs need guidance since they don't have any experience before being created. Oddly enough the girl began to feel that she should be offended by the way the human experiment looked at her but before she could act on her instinct something terrible happened.
*Quack*
The ancient's body jerked in fright as she heard a terrifying sound and she glued herself to her human subject. Glancing behind her she saw a human dressed similarly to how Iris sometimes dressed with a large apron and a simple dress, carrying the terrible being which stared at her.
*Hisss*
"Lady Siri that's a duck, there is no need to hiss at it for no reason." Sofia said not knowing that that duck was seeing through the high-level spells Kia had in place to hide her true nature.
Wrongfully judged the poor undead was led through the courtyard like a prisoner with Sofia's hand resting on her shoulder. After they crossed the threshold of a large door Kia perked up as the evil creature disappeared from her senses even though it remained well in her sensory range so far.
"Take a seat, Lady Siri." Sofia pointed to the cushioned couch at the head of a short table one had to bend their body to reach.
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POV Change
I watched as the high noble took her seat, the corners of her lips had sunk down into the emotionless mask so characteristic of the northerner noble. My heart ached slightly that I couldn't watch the girl's smile for a bit longer but I guess she needed time to switch between her public and private self. Annette offered a cup of tea to Lady Siri which the girl began to drink instantly instead of waiting for more guests to arrive.
Speaking of guests, they were waiting just behind the other door for her to welcome them in. She wouldn't guess so many people in her own private room so she had filed with the Academy to be able to use this room for a day. Given the profile of a large portion of the student body, it wasn't a surprise that the mages had provided an ample amount of rooms for the nobility and their traditions like the tea party.
Nobles weren't strangers to waiting. From all the strata of society, they might be the most well accustomed to it. From awaiting the next threat to their domain to waiting patiently for their liege lord there were truly an endless amount of tasks a noble needed to do which required lots of waiting and not a lot of work. Obviously, the six nobles wouldn't make a sudden exception and make a fuss about having to wait to see the person they wanted to meet.
"Annette." Sofia whispered to her maid before turning toward the door. Her maid opened the door allowing the nobles and their entourage to enter.
"Welcome everyone, I hope that Citranus guides us through the darkness of the world and may his wife Corin give us strength to live in it." Taking a hem of her dark blue dress Sofia took a bow as the six nobles waited right in front of the room but not entering it as the tradition commanded.
"And may the Divine Court serve them faithfully as we the Faithfull inspire to serve." A man answered before everyone took a bow and held still for a moment.
What is Vilkas doing here?!
"Y-you can enter." She said allowing her guest to enter and walk past her. "What are you doing here?" She took the navigation officer aside as every other guest began to take their seat.
"I came here to ask Lady Siri about the water-breathing enchantment." The man replied stroking his unshaven cheek.
"I understand but how did you get here? I didn't give an invitation." Sofia whispered loudly.
"I come with Lord Flussherz as his attendant."
"But you are noble," Sofia hissed through her teeth as she heard to what length the noble in front of her went. "You and him have the same title."
"Yes, but I am a noble spare and he is an heir. Also, why are you so disturbed by this? Am I hearing concern?" The slightly older man with dirt-blond hair winked at the heroic noble making her want to slap the jesting soldier.
"Lady Siri, I'm very glad I'm able to meet you for the first time. Alicia Fischerg." A brown-haired woman with freckles said to Lady Siri who had watched everything from her seat.
"Elfreda Eldrede, first Daughter of Domitious Ignatius Eldrede from Flinter." A tall woman with slightly pointed ears and a provocative red dress which seemed to be designed to look like fire greeted the pale mage.
"Lassie dar Wolfee." Sheepishly a girl who was no more than sixteen greeted the high noble with a stiff greeting, a product of hundreds of bells spent with a tutor but zero bells spent practicing it in the real world. The girl's name indicated that she was from a mighty family which she was but her branch of the dar Wolf House was a distant cadet house.
The three remaining nobles looked at each other, the etiquette said that they were meant to be introduced rather than introducing themselves no less the introduction was meant to be said toward the host which was Sofia and not the quite pale beauty.
"I'm Adolf Flussherz the heir to the Ichor Field along the Súlizon River." The boy on the verge of manhood said before taking a seat at the far end of the table.
"My name is Aoife Milliantel and I'm not of a noble birth albeit my Lord Father had gifted me his wonderous name." A woman wearing a grey uniform gave Siri a deep bow.
"I bow to no one but I shall introduce myself, Isha Rajma has graced this Western drinking party." A woman dressed in light fabric which gleamed colourfully even in the bright light flowing through the tall windows behind Siri stood there for a moment like a model in front of a gathering of artists ready to chisel her pose into marble before she too took a seat like the rest of the nobles.
Oriripoli people can't be normal? Sofia lamented in her mind.