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I had work, but I sent one of the urchins in the village to my boss with a note that I was taking the day off. Scribing was laborious work at the best of times. Taking a day off every week or so to do other things and get your hands back into working order was pretty much expected.

They'd probably worked someone to the point that they couldn't use their hands anymore and then they sued for compensation, or something. Or maybe the owner is just reasonable and realistic.

Rare, for the rich.

"Oh my," Missus Leighter spotted me as I walked past her booth. "Are you ill, honey?"

"Perfectly fine, Adora," I replied. She'd always wanted me to call her by name. I figured then was as good a time as any.

I won't be around much longer.

She fluttered with happiness and gestured at me to wait while she built a basket. It's a thing made of river reeds. Sturdy and reliable. She builds them as the customer watches. I didn't know if it was some ploy to get me to feel guilty and buy a basket because she went to all the trouble and 'here, it's discounted!' or what...

"Here, for you," she handed over the basket once it was finished. "I always thought if you ever called me by name, it'd be such an accomplishment that it's deserving of a free basket!"

Ah. One of those... weird little things people do to try and make friends, or something. I've never really understood that whole process.

Just say you want to be friends and then say you are. What is difficult about that?

"...thank you?" I said and then took the basket. "It's very useful."

Does she need another type of compliment? I can't think of anything that doesn't have to do with work ethic.

"You be a dear and if you ever need another, just be sure and get it from me so's we can gab," she said, smiling brightly. "I'll even give you a discount, how's that?"

That was terrible business practice. I didn't think she'd like to be told that. People often don't.

"Uh... that would be advantageous for me, yes. Is the Baker out of cheese buns yet?" it was the only vaguely social thing I could think to say.

"Ohh if you're after those, you'll have to run!" she said and shooed me away.

I was so relieved, I actually did trot all the way down to the bakery and sighed in disappointment at the lines.

Thankfully, during the night my... my 'wounds' had healed enough to be able to wrap them in soft gauze without it irritating my skin. I covered that gauze with a bandana wrapped around my forehead and long sleeves and bracelets I'd never worn, all layered up over my wrists.

So hopefully people would just think I was doing a weird fashion thing. They seemed to, in the past, accept my 'oddness' here and there without asking questions.

It may have been too much to hope for, that it would happen today.

"What're you wearin' that stupid thing for?" a woman I know only as 'Kesla' asked me as I stepped past the Bakery and toward the grocer's market.

I didn't think she was speaking to me at first, until she shouted 'Hey, freak!' at me.

At which point I swiveled and simply replied, "calling someone names is not going to get them to answer your questions." And promptly started walking again.

This offended her. Which, fair, it was supposed to. Not like it was actually offensive, but more in the sense that she wasn't worth my time and I as much as said so. It was difficult to keep in mind which responses and movements irritated people, but at least it meant I always knew the best way to piss people off if I really wanted to.

"Oi," she came storming after me. "Who in blazes d'ya think you are?"

"A person being disrespected and insulted," I replied without slowing down. She was lagging behind me with her heavy skirts.

I didn't know why women in the village did that- we weren't high society nobles, we did actual work- with our hands. They were just making life harder on themselves and like usual, it made no sense at all to me.

Stolen novel; please report.

"All I asked was what you were wearing," she taunted as she followed me down the street and the people around glanced over and surreptitiously watched.

People in arguments were entertainment in a town without any theater or coliseum. And this was a village on the edge of nowhere, essentially.

"Why is it you're so concerned with what I'm wearing?" I whirled on her with a snap and an expression I'd practiced before to look menacing. It was the only way to really get people to think twice about harassing you in pubs. As talking to them usually only encouraged them.

I'm going to be swept up by the Blade any day now. I wont' be here for long. Kept looping through my head as I advanced upon her.

She actually appeared to be quite taken aback, lifting her skirts to step backward until I had her pinned between me and the wall of the ferrier's shop.

"I-I just wondered-" she was about to recover.

But that would be annoying, so I stepped forward and slammed my fist into the wall near her head and she jolted but went wide eyed and silent.

"Kesla, wasn't it?" I asked.

She nodded very hesitantly. Her expression was interesting. She was turning pink, but her brows were drawn in and up. Her lips pursed as though afraid or irritated. I didn't know what that look meant. It must've been a complex one, I thought.

"I am not interested in a friendship or rivalry with you. Kindly leave me be or you'll be eating manure," I said as I leaned in closer and stared into her eyes until she averted them with trembling lips.

Then I backed up and walked away. No longer bedeviled.

Knowing there'd be no lasting consequences for venting my spleen is marvelous, actually?

Certainly, for the next few days, they could make my life a living hell if they pleased... but I highly doubted it'd be worse than putting up with it all, knowing I didn't have to.

All they could really do was upcharge for goods, which wouldn't matter much, as I was going to buy everything I needed today. By the time the incident got around and they decided what to do about it, I'd likely be gone.

The basket was very useful, actually, as I didn't have to put everything in the sack I brought with me. I was able to get jars of jelly and even swung by the baker's after the morning rush and got one cheese biscuit to eat for breakfast, and two loaves of sourdough bread for the road.

As I left, I even smiled at the baker and I don't know why, but he nearly dropped the bread knife he was holding at the time. It wasn't as though I were missing that many of my teeth and that was about normal for most...

I thought perhaps it was because it was awkward. I didn't smile anymore, really- so it was possible I just forgot how.

Used to practice so mother wouldn't shout about how I was making her look bad to all the other mothers who thought I was sullen and disobedient, simply because I did not smile.

After leaving, I may have made it a point not to smile.

Well, I couldn't do that anymore. I was going to be the equivalent of a Duchess or a Queen... I wasn't entirely clear on where the Vireld sat... politically speaking. I just knew they had a huge territory they took care of, paid some taxes to the crown and mostly just steered clear of human lands.

I'll have to attend balls and the like. Ugh. It's going to be so much worse than work functions.

"Oh, Celia!" Brint again.

I didn't want to make a face, but after he'd tried to impede my egress yesterday, well... I wasn't feeling terribly charitable.

"Yes, is there something work-related we need to speak about?" I asked him. "I took the day off to rest my arms and hands, but I can still use my voice, after all."

He smiled and laughed. But I wasn't trying to be funny, so it fell flat and awkward. "Uh, yeah. Um. I was just wondering if there was any way I could persuade you to come to the Jamboree? We wouldn't even have to go in! Just... uh... walk the grounds as it were."

I understood that he tried to think of an alternative. But it was such a piss-poor attempt that it actually irritated me.

"I don't like the grounds of the main keep," I replied in an even tone. "They're dark, covered in brambles and tend to invite criminal elements for the unsuspecting. I'm sure you weren't aware, but please stay away from places like that."

"Ah-of course!" he grinned brightly, gods knew why. "So uhm... well, we could just come over to mine? I can make dinner and we can invite some people who also aren't going, or it could just be us? I enjoy spending time with you, but I feel like we never get any time to get to know one another-"

"Brint," I sighed as I cut him off. "Maybe being married to you, wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. But it also wouldn't be what I wanted out of my life. I wanted to work quietly for the rest of my life and pass away, leaving my things to my younger cousins. That was my life plan. That's now been derailed by a rather grievous happenstance, but I'm even less disposed toward marrying you now, than I was then."

"G-grievous happen- marriage? I only-" His eyes were wide and he appeared to be panicking, if I were to judge by the stammering and the way he was twisting that hat in his hand.

"If you hadn't intended upon marriage, then you're worth even LESS of my time," I replied with a cross look. "Friendship overtures and Romantic overtures might be similar, but I DO know the difference, after some rigorous study. And I'm not a fun time you can drop anytime you like."

He began to stammer and splutter so badly that he couldn't even get a full sentence out coherently.

"If you'd like to be friends, we can revisit that conversation later," I said. "For now, I have to pack- as that situation that I told you was grievous? Is a bit life or death and I have to leave by tomorrow."

Not warning my boss days ahead of time was going to make him a bit angry perhaps... but considering what I was dealing with, he might've just said a prayer for me, instead.

I then smartly turned and left. Because there was really no more left to say.

"Tch, stuck up bitch," I heard a voice mutter.

I halted, dropped my basket and turned to see Mish, who looked shocked at my reaction.

'Bitch' is perhaps a word I hate more than any other.

Defend yourself from Ridicule? Bitch.

Tell someone off when they harass someone? Bitch.

Have any feelings whatsoever and try to express them? Bitch.

The tiredness in my bones transformed into something else. It was warm but had a razor-sharp edge. And I stared at Mish until she bowed her head with her entire face flushed and muttered an apology.

What did it matter? Nothing at all.

How did it make me feel? Not much different from usual.

But was it satisfying?

Absolutely.