OLIVIA

A loud, determined, and repeated banging on the locked door to her private room snapped Olivia from a deep slumber. As she sat up, her tired mind struggled to pull itself from the heady haze of dreams, one of which she vaguely remembered involving trying to eat a pie that was far too big for her. Was the manor under attack? Were they being invaded?

“O-li!” Emily’s eager voice singsonged through her door. “We need to talk! Open the door, please!”

Olivia’s alarm faded as she realized it was simply Emily banging on her door... and of course it would be Emily. No one else would bother her like this. Her heart continued to pound as her body adjusted to the idea of being awake after only a few hours of sleep. Didn’t Emily remember she’d stood guard over Lord Gloomwood’s chamber last night?

Olivia was tempted to snuggle back into her bed and ignore the banging on her door, but Emily wouldn’t give up and just go away. Olivia needed to dismiss her, which involved getting out of bed, walking to the door, and telling Emily to go do something useful. By the time that was accomplished, it would take her hours to get back to sleep... but what choice did she have? She certainly wasn’t going to get any sleep if she just let Emily bang away.

Olivia slipped out of bed and wriggled to smooth out the hitched parts of her soft nightie. As Emily pounded a few more times, Olivia padded to her door on bare feet, threw back the bolt, and opened it. She hoped her scowl was sufficiently accusatory.

Emily frowned in obvious confusion. “Why are you dressed for bed?”

It took Olivia a moment to process that Emily wasn’t wearing her silverweave maid uniform, but instead a dark tunic and brown slacks paired with some sensible work boots. That wasn’t normal. Even so, Olivia suppressed a very real urge to set Emily on fire.

“I was asleep,” Olivia said.

“But it’s sun up!”

“And I stood watch over Lord Gloomwood’s chambers last night. Remember?”

Emily smacked her forehead with one palm. “Oooh, that’s right! I forgot all about that.”

Olivia measured her patience, which was frayed badly by how much she wanted to sleep. At least Emily actually had forgotten. That made her forgetful, not inconsiderate, and that made Olivia feel guilty about being angry with her. Still... she remained annoyed.

“Sorry I woke you,” Emily said, though she didn’t really look sorry. “I wouldn’t have if it wasn’t urgent, but I really need your help. Can I come inside? So we can talk?”

A bit of Olivia’s annoyance faded. “I... guess so?”

As Emily hurried into her room, Olivia closed her door and reconsidered her ire. Emily rarely asked for help. Moreover, if she did, she asked for help from Valentia or Lydia, or sometimes Nicole. Olivia knew she was still the youngest and least experienced battle maid in Gloomwood Manor, so the idea that Emily would come to her for help felt... good?

Emily spun around and grinned. “I need to buy a wedding present for Lids and Lord Gloomwood, but I don’t know what to buy. I was hoping you could help me pick one out.”

Olivia blinked in confusion. “You... what?”

Emily clasped her hands together as she bounced up and down. “Celia told me the Hawk Merchant is going to pass through Shadowfort today! I’m not going to have another chance to buy something pretty for their wedding, and I want my present to be the best present!”

“When... they’re getting married?”

Emily eyed her in obvious amusement. “Have you not been paying attention?”

Olivia felt increasingly miffed by the implication that she didn’t know what was going on in the manor. “I know that Lord Gloomwood announced that Lydia was going to stand beside him as Lady Gloomwood. But that was yesterday. Or at least... that’s when they announced it.”

“Right! Which means they’re going to get married soon!”

“Are they?” Olivia was increasingly certain Emily had no idea what she was talking about. “I think Lord Gloomwood has to remain unmarried to preserve the idea of an alliance with another manor, and I don’t think he and Lydia have even slept in the same room yet.” And Olivia would know, since she stood guard outside his bedchamber door every night.

Now Emily looked more visibly pleased with herself than Olivia felt she should be. “And that’s why they’re going to get married, Oli. So they can sleep in the same room and have sex!”

Olivia frowned. “I don’t think you need to get married to do that.”

She couldn’t help but feel a bit self-conscious about the circumstances of her own birth as she spoke those words. No one ever commented on it, but her father and mother had never married. Worse yet, so far as Olivia knew, they weren’t even on speaking terms.

“Well, no,” Emily amended. “Not for normal people. But you know Lids has never been with anyone, and I bet Lord Gloomwood hasn’t either! So they’d want to have sex as soon as possible, so they can make babies and start planning for who leads the manor next.”

“What makes you think that?” Olivia demanded.

“Because of how complicated sex is where he comes from! On the ride back from the capital, before she died, I asked Lady Marissa about who Lord Gloomwood’s father is.”

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Olivia winced. How could Emily be so casual about Lady Gloomwood’s death? Even now the manor mourned... yet even so, Olivia couldn’t help but be a bit curious. This was gossip.

“So... who’s Lord Gloomwood’s father?”

“She wouldn’t tell me! So then I asked if Lord Gloomwood had a lover in his other world, and Lady Marissa said he didn’t... so far as she knew. And then I asked more questions, and that’s when I learned how dangerous sex is in the other world.”

Olivia was now even more intrigued. “Dangerous how?”

“Well, first, in his world, you’re not supposed to have sex without protection, which means that the only real place Lord Gloomwood and Lydia could have sex is where we could protect them. In his private bedchamber.”

Olivia gasped. “Having sex is really that dangerous in his world?”

Emily nodded confidently. “Lady Marissa also said that even if they do have protection, sometimes the protection isn’t strong enough, and then their noble court can make the father pay for the baby. Which sounds like it could get expensive real quick.”

“Parents in Lord Gloomwood’s world have to buy their babies?”

“That’s right! Lady Marissa said that if a couple gets married first you don’t always need protection, and it’s also less likely their noble court will get involved if you buy a baby. I don’t know if their Eidolons care, but she also said it’s safer if people in her world get married before they make a baby. So I bet their Eidolons put curses on those who don’t.”

Olivia eyed Emily warily. “Are you sure that’s what she meant? I thought Lord Gloomwood said they don’t have Eidolons in his world.”

Emily scoffed. “What type of world doesn’t have Eidolons? That’s like saying they don’t have a sky! How can you have a world if no one makes it?”

“But—”

“Anyway, they’re going to want to have sex and babies soon. Which means they need to get married first, which means they’ll have a wedding that requires presents. The Hawk Merchant only comes through Shadowfort a couple of times a year. So this is our last chance to see her and buy something unique and amazing for them.”

If Lord Gloomwood and Lydia were actually getting married. Which Olivia continued to doubt. “I still don’t—”

“So if we don’t go and see the merchant today, I won’t be able to buy a good wedding present, and if I don’t get a good wedding present, Lids is going to think I’m not happy she’s getting married. And you’re the best at picking out presents, Oli. The best.”

Despite her doubts, Olivia couldn’t help but feel a bit pleased at Emily’s endorsement of her present-picking skills. She had, after all, picked Lydia’s favorite set of florid teacups. And Valentia absolutely loved the soft mittens Olivia had knitted for her after she acquired some fine blue yarn from a seamstress visiting Shadowfort.

“So, I need you to come with me to see the Hawk Merchant in Shadowfort,” Emily concluded. “I’ll pay for everything, but I want your present-picking prowess to ensure I get something both Lids and Lord Gloomwood will enjoy. I’m horrible at picking out presents.”

Olivia supposed that was true. So far as she knew, Nicole had never even worn the snake bone anklets Emily purchased for her the last time the Hawk Merchant was in town. And she wasn’t even sure what Valentia had done with the fuzzy hatsock Emily made for her.

“Fine,” Olivia said. “I’ll go with you and help you pick something out, but you have to take my shift on Lord Gloomwood’s door tonight.”

Emily threw her arms around Olivia and hugged her hard enough she squeaked. “I knew you wouldn’t let me down, Oli. You’re just the best!”

“Need to breathe,” Olivia wheezed.

Emily released her and stepped back. “Right! You get dressed, but not in silverweave. Normal clothes. I don’t want anyone to know we went into Shadowfort today to get Lids a wedding present, so we need to be sneaky. That means we go into town like other people, and we don’t tell anyone we’re Gloomwood battle maids.”

“I think most everyone in Shadowfort will recognize us regardless.”

While it was a half day’s walk from the manor, Shadowfort wasn’t a large village. It had perhaps four-hundred people, give or take, but its people wouldn’t live long if they accidentally crossed one of Lord Gloomwood’s battle maids or other thralls... though, Olivia supposed, that had only been the case with past Lord Gloomwoods. Their current lord was much nicer, and murder happened far less often.

Still, Olivia doubted the people of Shadowfort would fail to recognize either of them even if they wore everyday clothing. She also knew there was absolutely no way she could convince Emily of that fact. So reluctantly, she decided not to argue.

She did have a nice summer dress she hadn’t gotten to wear but a few times since she purchased it. And it was warm out. Yet just when she was resigned to a day of travel, Olivia remembered another danger.

She grabbed Emily’s hand as Emily tried to hurry out. “Wait! Don’t you have duties today?”

“I have duties every day!” Emily said proudly. “But Lord Gloomwood also said I can go to Shadowfort and get drunk any time I want. So I’m going to go drink today, and when I’m not drinking, we’ll find the Hawk Merchant and see what she’s selling.”

That sounded implausible. “When did Lord Gloomwood say you could go drinking?”

“The first night I met him, when he said I no longer had to follow his orders or the blood pact! So there’s no problem with me going now, and since you’re supposed to be asleep now, no one will expect you to be on duty. It’s the perfect time to sneak away!”

Was it? “Val is going to notice we’re missing.”

“No she won’t. This morning, Lids told me Val and Zuri would be teaching River all about steward stuff. They’re going to be going over manor records until tonight, which gives us plenty of time to get to Shadowfort, buy my present, and get back.”

“But how do you know they’ll be busy all day?”

“I know because Nicky complained about having to do patrol duty all day. She was really annoyed. But she already left with some zarovians, and she won’t be back until supper.”

Olivia struggled to come up with reasons not to go to Shadowfort. She couldn’t help but be impressed that Emily had actually planned ahead for once. That was unusual.

“You’ve thought about this.”

Emily grinned proudly. “You can get them a present too, you know. If you like. Just pick out my present first. Since this was my idea, I want to have the best present.”

Olivia sighed in resignation. “Can I dress in private?”

“Sure!” Emily hurried out. “I’ll wait for you in the foyer, and then we can summon some vero and get moving. Just don’t forget to bring money!”

Olivia certainly had no shortage of coin. She rarely spent her salary on anything since she rarely left the manor. She didn’t drink alcohol or buy special clothes or spend her salary on... entertainment... like many others who lived in Gloomwood Manor, so despite only starting at the manor two years ago, she had already amassed a decent nest egg.

So perhaps she could find Lord Gloomwood and Lydia a nice present. Even if they weren’t getting married tomorrow (which Olivia still found rather unlikely) she would at least be prepared if they did. Or if Lord Gloomwood had a birthday.

With another small gasp of alarm, Olivia realized she didn’t even know when Lord Gloomwood’s birthday was. Now that Lady Marissa had passed, Lord Gloomwood had no family to celebrate his birthday with him. Wouldn’t that make him sad?

Olivia knew what it was like to celebrate a birthday alone, without family, and she didn’t want Lord Gloomwood to feel that way. All alone. So she would find him a good birthday present as well. She dressed quickly in “normal” clothes.

So long as they didn’t dawdle in Shadowfort, they could make it there, purchase some presents, and make it back before nightfall. That would ensure no one got in trouble, assuming Emily was right about Valentia and Zuri and River being busy all day.

Still, Olivia couldn’t help but worry something was going to go awfully wrong.