The house Zara had lived in for the past seventeen years of her life hadn’t been small by any stretch of the imagination. With six rooms, including the kitchen, it was a veritable palace compared to the living arrangements of many others, who hadn’t been fortunate enough to have a well-earning mother who was even able to build said abode herself. Terissa Fera had many faults, like being naive enough to let herself get seduced by a certain colleague of hers, but nobody could argue that she hadn’t provided her family with a beautiful home, and Zara had always cherished it. That was until her head cleared and her awake gaze took in her room inside the king’s actual palace.

This single room she found herself deported to while waiting for further instructions was nearly as spacious as her former home, but with an extravagance that she had never witnessed before. Upon entering, her eyes immediately fell on the ornate tester bed, draped in fine, sky-blue cloth that cascaded down to the floor. The amount of material used for the bed canopy could have easily clothed four adults, yet it was used for nothing more than decoration. The blue motif continued on the intricately painted walls, depicting sprawling grassy fields and clear skies that reminded her of her time in the Wildlands. The design was presumably meant to provide a sense of connection to nature for the palace’s inhabitants, but Zara couldn't help but scoff at the need for such a contrived attempt to avoid feeling trapped in a cage of multiple layers of walls that separated them from nature and the common folk.

As she continued to spin around the room, she noticed the expensive paintings that adorned the walls, interspersed with tapestries, wardrobes, and a magnificent mirror that made her wonder if the cloudy pieces of glass she had seen in her fellow citizens’ homes could even be considered mirrors.

As she approached the mirror and studied her own reflection, she couldn’t help but admire the details of her obsidian lace dress. The silk was soft and pliant, with a gentle give that made it feel like a second skin, and the bodice hugged her curves in all the right places. Its delicate embroidery spoke to the exquisite craftsmanship of the tailor who created it. She could feel the painstaking hours that went into the needlework that adorned the hemline and sleeves. It was a masterpiece fit for a queen. Or rather it had been.

She ran her hand over the dress, no longer quite as pristine as when she first put it on. There were a few places where the delicate lace had snagged on a thorn or a twig, and a few smudges of dirt marred the surface of the fabric. She frowned slightly at the imperfections, but the longer she twisted and turned to study them, the more content she became. There was no doubt in her mind that most Rulers would discard this piece, but Zara smiled despite herself, noting that a little bit of wear and tear just added to the dress’ character. It was still beautiful, and seemed to fit her even better than before. She straightened her shoulders and took one last look in the mirror before turning back around.

“What now?” Zara mumbled, gazing around the room aimlessly.

With the operation to retrieve Riala on hold, Zara had nothing to do but pace about the room, her footsteps muffled by the plush carpet beneath her feet. The thought of sitting still or sleeping seemed ludicrous, as her brain was wired to work from dawn until dusk. Despite having gotten used to the luxury of having more spare time in recent weeks, this situation was entirely new to her.

With each passing moment, more feelings of uselessness settled upon her shoulders as she lingered in this foreign environment. It only now occurred to her that she had no idea what exactly her future life as a wife to a Ruler would entail. She was sure that Lait had mentioned something about it before, but her mind had been too preoccupied with thoughts of her sister. Would she continue to work as a seamstress? She liked her Calling, but she couldn’t picture the haughty Rulers allowing her to maintain her occupation. But how else might her time get allocated?

The only frame of reference available to her was her husband, who was a servant to others of higher status. Perhaps that would be her fate as well. It seemed like a reasonable assumption, and didn’t feel like the end of the world. However, as this possibility took hold in her mind, her face contorted with anger. She could count the decent human beings she had met among the Rulers on one hand, and the thought of serving them filled her with dread.

As the minutes turned into an agonizing eternity, Zara’s displeasure festered and grew until it consumed her every thought. It diverted her attention to such a degree that she was even able to sit down on her bed as she mulled over her situation.

When a knock on the door announced a visitor not long after, her head snapped in the direction of the quickly opening door. She was ready to give anyone who would try to force her into a role she didn’t want for herself a stern talking to.

“Alright!” Lait said, a smile on his lips as he closed the door behind him. “I apologize for letting you wait, I had to discuss the situation with—”

He froze as he turned to Zara, glowering at him from across the room, her unhappiness plain on her face. Her unhappiness was plain on her face, a stark reminder of her initial encounters with the Rulers. Something had upset her within the last hour.

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“A-are you okay?” he asked hesitantly.

“Yes. You were saying?” Her response was curt and her expression unchanging, but at the very least she didn’t immediately start yelling, which was unquestionable progress.

Lait stepped closer, though he kept a safe distance to Zara. “Okay... Well, I was talking to Ms. Berlotte. She’s taking over for King Hertar today and I had to brief her. I intended to only discuss your new role with her, but our conversation took longer than expected.”

Zara’s ears perked up. “My new role, hm? And what is it going to be?” she asked, her voice threatening.

Lait’s expression darkened slightly, sensing her animosity. “I knew this would be a difficult topic for you,” he said, “but that’s precisely why I spoke to Ms. Berlotte. Remember?”

Zara’s face softened with confusion. “Not really,” she admitted.

A deep sigh escaped Lait. “Please, Zara. Do me a favor and occasionally listen when I’m giving you information about your own future.”

Zara’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment as she avoided Lait’s gaze. “Well, you’ve been talking non-stop since we met,” she retorted. “Am I supposed to remember every little detail? So, what’s the result of your discussions?”

“Starting tomorrow you’ll be assisting Ms. Berlotte in her job as the king’s aide. She was never keen on having an assistant, but she is fond of the idea of having a seamstress by her side. I suspect you’ll be able to spend much of your time carrying on with your work as a Handiworker.”

Zara was taken aback, her eyes widening in disbelief. “Really? That’s... exactly what I wanted!” She couldn’t believe her luck. Not only was she getting assigned to one of the Rulers friendly towards her, she would also be able to continue pursuing her passion. “You told me about this before?”

“Yes, I did,” Lait said, rolling his eyes. “You said you would miss your job, and I promised I’d see what we can do about that.”

The memory came flooding back to her. “Oh, right... Back at their camp. You kept your promise then.”

“Of course,” Lait said encouragingly, approaching her. Their eyes met, and he came to a stop right in front of her, gazing down at his wife’s face. “I understand it’s difficult for you to trust people, but I hope you’ll come to trust me. I will do what I can for you—and for your sister as well of course. For all of us.”

Zara had grown accustomed to expecting the worst from people. Her past experiences had left her with a heavy heart, burdened by doubt and suspicion. Yet, this unassuming young man seemed to have a way of slowly chipping away at her defenses with each interaction, particularly with this knack for anticipating her desires without her even having to voice them. It was something she had never experienced before, not even with her former boyfriend Konnor, who had been sweet but never quite this attentive.

A faint smile tugged at the corners of Zara’s lips over Lait’s plea. “I can’t promise anything,” she said, “but I will try.”

Lait beamed at her response, and for a moment, they locked eyes, basking in the happiness of their unexpected connection. Both were content with where they stood, and there was a sense of anticipation for what could blossom between them in the future. They knew it wouldn’t happen overnight, but they were willing to see where this new path would take them.

“Well,” Lait continued, clearing his throat as he took a step back. “I’ll be working with Ms. Berlotte today, and she will be quite busy with the day-to-day business. But you may formally begin your new job tomorrow. I know it might not be your thing, but try to relax for a bit. Just for a little while.” Lait briefly looked Zara up and down. “Hm, I was about to suggest that you take some time to find a new outfit, but the damage your dress took is strangely well placed, isn’t it? The imperfections almost accentuate the design. It suits you quite nicely like this.”

Zara’s heart skipped a beat at his analysis. “Uh... Thank you... I think so as well,” she said shyly.

“But I’m sure you can find something to do,” Lait continued. “Keo is standing guard right outside the door, so if you’d like to go somewhere, just ask her and she’ll lead you.”

“You don’t want me to get lost again, hm?” Zara asked playfully.

Lait’s reply was measured. “I never said anything of the sort,” he said, feigning innocence.

Zara averted her gaze knowingly. “Yeah, yeah.”

Having conveyed the information he came here with, Lait began to retreat towards the door. “I’ll leave you to it then. I need to get back to Ms. Berlotte and deal with the Guild not letting us travel towards Cerus somehow.”

Disbelief flashed in Zara’s eyes. “They’re doing what now?” she asked, her tone incredulous.

“Yeah...” Lait smiled wryly. “Miles and his beast stopped the caravan earlier. There are supposedly more beasts on the road to Cerus, and they’re trying to protect our people.”

Zara stood up from the bed, her expression now inquisitive. “And people listened to him?”

Lait shrugged. “I suppose they didn’t think they had much of a choice. Either it was actually too dangerous to travel, or they would’ve needed to go through him. Either way, the guards obviously couldn’t have risked the merchants’ lives, so they returned for the time being.”

Zara’s frustration was palpable. “But that— He won’t— Why— Ugh!” she exclaimed, unable to form a coherent sentence. “Tell Ms. Berlotte to... No. You know what? If I’m supposed to assist her, I might as well tell her myself.”

With purposeful steps, Zara marched towards the door, leaving Lait behind. For a moment, he stood there in confusion, watching her disappear from view. “Huh...? Wait, what are you doing?” he called out after her.

But Zara was already gone. Shaking out of his daze, Lait quickly followed her. He didn't know where this was going, but he had a feeling that he would soon miss the times when he only had to deal with his wife’s mercurial moods.