She was there. The woman with delicate skin, tinted faintly with a green hue, her red eyes clouded with sorrow. Yet, there was none of the warmth Ravina had grown accustomed to. Slowly, Ravina lifted her hand, gently touching the woman’s face. The woman managed a smile, but it was strained, forced in a way that tugged at Ravina’s heart.
“What’s wrong?” Ravina asked, her very soul aching for an answer.
The woman opened her mouth, closed it, then tried again. This time, she found the words. “It’s almost time,” she said softly, her voice tinged with sadness. “And unfortunately, you will have to make a choice.”
“A choice?” Ravina tilted her head, confusion washing over her.
“It should be fine,” the woman continued, though her tone was far from reassuring. “But I’m worried… that it will leave you lonely.” She raised her hand, gently caressing Ravina’s head, her thumb brushing tenderly across her cheek.
Ravina smiled softly, closing her eyes as the woman’s touch soothed her. “I won’t be lonely,” she whispered.
The woman’s hand faltered, then lowered. Her gaze fell. “Right… I suppose you won’t.”
“Mhmm,” Ravina murmured, enjoying the stillness of the night, letting the peace settle over her.
“Perhaps it’s just my worries, then,” the woman said, her voice growing distant as though she was drifting away. “Then again, I was never…”
Ravina wanted to ask what she said but she was losing the idea of who she was talking to. Even what was said was gone from her mind when her eyes fluttered open. Groaning Ravina rose from the comforts of her bed and looked around the room already filled with sunlight. Despite this obvious late start to her day she was still tired.
Rubbing her eyes, Ravina mumbled to herself, “What did I just…” There was a nagging feeling that something important had slipped her mind, something she couldn’t quite place—until it hit her. “Ah!” Realization dawned on her, and she sprang from her bed, her cheeks flushing as the words left her lips. “I’ve got a date!”
“Varis was just a crush, wasn’t he? He saved me, and I admired him for it.” After all, the knight in shining armor was a common trope, and she had a front-row seat to that story. “But this…” She trailed off, pressing her fingers to her lips as her mind replayed the face of the young lord. Every time she thought of him, her heart skipped a beat, quickening with every memory of his turquoise-green eyes and that rich, velvety voice.
"Can it be... l..." She couldn’t bring herself to say the word, not yet. It felt too soon, too fragile. But the warmth that bloomed in her chest whenever she thought of him was undeniable.
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She found a bin of water waiting for her and plunged her face inside. The icy chill bit at her skin, freezing any trace of warmth that clouded her mind. It was just what she needed to cool down her racing thoughts. “Pahhh,” she gasped as she pulled her head up, inhaling a deep breath of fresh air. “Okay,” she muttered to herself, grabbing a towel to dab at her damp face. “Let’s be real. I met him a day ago for only a few, wonderful hours!” Despite herself, she couldn’t stop the smile that crept across her lips.
Splash. Without hesitation, she dunked her face into the water again. A muffled scream escaped her, quickly turning into a burst of bubbles that danced to the surface. She stayed there for a moment longer before resurfacing, wiping water from her eyes. “Alright, enough of this,” she chastised her reflection in the vanity mirror across the room. “You’re not some lovestruck girl. Focus on what you should be doing, not on him.”
But no matter how hard she tried, nothing came to mind. “Classes are over for two months, so no schoolwork. I'm done with Adventuring—not like I was getting much out of it anyway. And I studied law enough to pass an exam... not that I feel like taking it.” She sighed, realizing that, for the first time in a long while, she had time on her hands.
Her gaze flickered back to the mirror, and an idea formed. “I suppose I could shop for a new dress. It is the first date of my life, after all.” A small laugh escaped her, as thoughts of her upcoming date made her heart flutter once more.
It seemed she had already forgotten about Earl completely.
With that goal in mind, Ravina rang the rope bell, summoning a servant. Soon enough, Mona, a maid who worked for some time at the manor, arrived with a warm smile. "Good morning, my lady. Did you sleep well?"
"I did, thank you," Ravina replied.
"That's good to hear. The madam instructed us to leave you undisturbed today since yesterday’s festivities went quite late," Mona said, her voice gentle, professional.
"Y-yes, the festivities... they did run late. Uh..." Ravina fumbled for words. She stayed a full two hours after the ball had finished. Time really did fly.
"I hope you had a wonderful time. Shall I help you get ready for the day? I..um, see you've already washed your face," Mona added, glancing at the water slashed around the table holding the basin. Ravina’s night dress was soaked and a damp towel was tossed nearby.
"Oh, right." Ravina bit her lip, then hesitated. "Well, I was thinking about what to do today and realized I have... a meeting later. Uh, do you happen to know any good trends for... uh, meetings?"
Mona raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. "What kind of meeting?" But as soon as she saw the pink blush creeping across Ravina's face, her eyes sparkled in realization.
"Ohhh," Mona gasped, clapping her hands together. "So, you have a special meeting!" The excitement in her voice was palpable. "Don't worry, my lady, I know exactly what you’ll need!"
Before Ravina could even process what was happening, Mona had rushed out of the room. She barely had a moment to gather herself when the door swung open again—and in an instant, the entire female staff of the house poured into her now suddenly too-small room, each with a flurry of ideas and suggestions, chattering excitedly about her upcoming date, leaving the poor girl’s face to burn red from embarrassment.