“Thank you, Evelyn,” Ravina smiled as she sat at her usual reading table. A young attendant with short chocolate brown hair and rich mahogany brown eyes smiled at the young girl's words as she finished placing a small tea set beside the girl's rather heavy tome.
“Of course my lady.” Her words were sweet. Evelyn was all smiles as she walked away. Leaving Ravina to the wonderful quiet of the library and to finish up her studies alone. Ravina knew all the staff at the library by now. She was almost on a first name basis with them. There were only three that she knew worked here, but never said more than a few words to.
Taking a small break Ravina enjoyed the tea the young attendant gave her. Evelyn was a recent hire by the library, and an exceptionally good tea maker. Today's blend was… earthy? It was quite delicious, yet Ravina still didn't have a tongue for tea. Still with how the staff made it it was something she could get quite used to. It tasted like a gentle embrace of the forest after a rain—if that could make any sense.
Whatever it was, it was good and Ravina leaned back in the plush chair and closed her eyes as she felt the warmth of the tea spread throughout her entire body. The young girl had to admit, being rich was great. Enjoying a few more minutes of peace she soon returned to her work. There was no such thing as a free meal. She was lucky to fall into this position and she needed to ensure she wasn’t going to lose it. So she returned to the book before her.
Fantasy novels? Romance novels? No, Ravina read history. History of both the Nevarus Kingdom and its surroundings. History on the land and its growth. History that told two tales. She was especially interested in the history of the empire as well. That was the biggest threat after all.
She had the feather and the spear left. Defense and trade. Her hope was that her rather… expanded view would allow her to get a step ahead. However, she didn't understand anything that could possibly help. Penicillin was a merciale drug and it was made out of peanut butter. But that was just a guess. Besides, healing magic made such a need moote.
The truth was that Rav- no, she didn't have anything of substance to offer this world. Trains were a great start in combining the world, however with magic, this world had something called Warp Gates. Faster than planes, trains, and automobiles. The world was almost all discovered, the only holdouts being controlled by monsters and demons. Whatever part of this world didn't have a human claim on it, killed them rather quickly.
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“I don't know anything about defenses either.” she cursed as she looked out the window. Walls were a good thing in old times but useless with modern conventions. However again this world proved modern standards were useless. These walls did more than just protect them from an arrow or two. They were enchanted and could even protect the city from a meteor. It was even mentioned in the history book. Some old city called Crylima stood strong after the falling of a god. It was a fancy way of saying a big rock fell from the sky but thanks to some old wizard the city survived and his way of making walls became standard.
Her research showed that there wasn't much the kingdom was lacking. Unlike most stories where the pro tag was able to bring in the magic of the modern world, this one seemed to be thriving without it. “What to do…” she watched the people mill around outside the library, lost in empty thought. It wasn't until an attendant started her that she realized she wasted over an hour.
“Sorry my lady.” the attendant said after causing Ravina to jump. Evelyn had reached for the empty cup beside her to refill for her, unaware of how detached the young girl's mind had been.
“No,” Ravina insisted, “it was my fault for being so lost in…” thought? Her mind was currently empty now. Not a working neuron in sight.
“I see.” Evelyn smiled in thought then nodded, “If you need anything?” she offered.
Ravina looked at her, “Anything?” she repeated, not really concentrating on the conversation.
“Yes, well…” the girl took a deep breath, “you see, house Ravenshield has been a great help to me, and my family. So if you need anything, anything at all.”
Ravcina blinked in surprise at this. “House Ravenshield helped you? Wait, how do you know I’m a Ravenshield?”
“Oh,” Evelyn blushed as she took a step back. “Forgive me, my lady, but it's just…” her eyes darted between the floor and Ravaina. “You are the talk of the town. I- I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you.” She quickly followed.
Ravina lifted a hand, causing the other girl to flinch. “No, it's okay. I am not offended at all.” Evelyn breathed a sigh of relief. “I was just wondering how you knew about… well me.” Ravina blinked at the last few words, surprised she was talking about herself this way. Was she famous?
Evelyn straightened up, her smile returning. “Well, yes. The count’s daughter has finally returned. Your story is quite famous—more than a little heartbreaking.”
“My story?”
“Yes… did you not know? You see…”