Silvia looked up at the shower head, studying the runes inscribed in it that drew the water from several stories down in the basement. Then the ones that heated it before it exited the small metal pipe. She overheard some of the older girls from another arcane family the day before say that once they became powerful enough they began to “simply create their own water to bathe in.” As if it were the easiest thing in the world. She remembered the look they gave her when they realized she was listening in.
“I feel common just standing near her. Let's go.” one had said, after which they had turned their noses up and left her there.
Silvia hit the rune that drew water, shutting it off, she stepped out of the giant tiled space in the corner of her bathroom and grabbed a towel.
“Even in my own home they would be so disrespectful.”
She wrapped the towel around her body and sat heavily on a cushion atop a white bench of polished stone.
“I'm sure they would magically dry themselves too.” she let out an exasperated sigh equal parts disgust and frustration, and let her head fall back against the white marbled wall. She hoped the girls had already left the castle not wanting to have to hold her tongue around them, and knowing that once they were gone she could see her few friends amongst the maids and other servants without being scrutinized and judged by those catty girls.
She wrapped another towel around her dark peach colored hair as she walked from the bathroom back into her bedchamber, heading for her closet. She pulled open the tall ornate door that led into the vast room housing her many clothes. Gowns, dresses, sweaters, and more matching all the seasons with every color modern magic could imbue them with. She walked slowly down the aisles looking for something that stuck out to her, there were so many that she had worn some of them only once or even less.
“Feeling something blue today.” She held up a short vibrant sapphire dress with small frills and small white floral patterns stitched around the borders. “Why not.” she said carelessly as she slipped the dress on over a pair of tight shorts. The soft material hung elegantly from her slight form, as good as it looked she felt self conscious in clothes this fine. She felt like it was rubbing her station into the nose of those few friends she had amongst the help, but if she didn't dress in such rich clothing she would surely hear about it from her mother.
All that woman cares about was her status as nobility, and would not want her only daughter dressing as though she were some commoner, Silvia thought with disdain. She was glad she turned out nothing like her mother, only saved by the influence of her extended family.
“Time to face the day.” she said to her own reflection in one of the many full mirrors in her closet. She looked herself over one final time before heading back through her bedroom, through the sitting area and foyer, and out of the door from her room that led to a quiet and rarely used hallway. She stepped onto the wide purple and gold rug that ran through every part of the castle, to protect from the cold of the stone and lend some comfort to the hard rock interior.
“I forgot shoes.” she brought a hand to her forehead. Forget it, she thought, I’ll wear what I want, mother can jump in a lake. She set off down the long and immense hallway for one of the many stairwells leading down, the kitchen being her ultimate goal. This floor always seemed so solitary and quiet, she thought, the servants rarely let themselves be seen on this level. Cleaning and fixing up rooms only when the occupants were not around. The only people Silvia saw on this floor were other nobility, most often snobbish families her uncle was catering to. Those who would turn their noses up at the sight of a mage who could not practice magic. Which was why she tended to rise late to avoid them all in the large hallways. She silently descended flight after flight until she reached the first floor. She could see servants moving from place to place, cleaning and carrying large dishes for some upcoming lunch in honor of the welcome departure of some important figure. The castle was always so busy in the summer, occupied by the normal business as well as vacationing families wishing to be near the sea during the warmer months. Silvia avoided the busier halls and reached the kitchen, only seeing a few servants who bowed their heads in passing. She ducked into the larder and pilfered a large piece of bread and a thick slice of meat.
“A breakfast surely fit for your station, miss.” The familiar sound of her friend's voice surprised Silvia as she was taking a bite.
Silvia turned around with wide eyes. “Cora!” she yelled as she gave the girl a hug, meat still dangling from her mouth.
“Yes, thank you for that.” Cora said, pulling the ham from Silvia's mouth “I was sure I could find you here of all places. You should really let someone prepare something for you, dear.”
Silvia reached out for the meat, which the taller girl held over her head.
“Come oooooooon. I'm starving, Cora.” Silvia whined as she jumped for the food above her.
“That's because you sleep like a hibernating bear, but with no fat to feed on from your twiggy little form.” Cora laughed as she let Silvia take the food from her.
“That's how I keep my perfect figure.” Silvia replied, smelling the ham.
“By gorging yourself every day? I wish I could have such a diet.”
“Enough small talk, Cora, when did you get back to the castle? I thought you would be gone for another week or more.” Silvia's eyes were still wide. Cora was one of the few things that swayed her to leave her bed in the mornings
“Your aunt sent me back ahead of her to ready her room and everything else for her arrival back home. That's what she told the others at least, I begged her to let me go. She knew you would be lonely without yours truly to keep you company, so she released me a little ahead of schedule.” Cora said with a wink.
“Well she was right, it's been absolutely dreadful around here.” Silvia rolled her eyes “I'm glad you've returned.”
“As am I, miss. You know who wouldn't be glad at this moment? Your mother if she caught you skulking through the larder and the rest of the castle without shoes.” Cora said, pointing at her young master's bare feet.
Silvia wiggled her toes on the soft carpet “I don't care, she can be angry. After a time all her ranting runs together anyways.” She took another bite from the meat and walked towards the door. “Let's take our breakfast outside, while you tell me of your trip.”
“It's lunch, miss, but it does sound nice.” Cora said following the younger girl.
The two sat at a white table in the courtyard, shaded by a large umbrella. The warm summer breeze blew through Silvia's hair, she felt slightly better about her lot in life with food and a friend under the sun.
“So tell me what has happened since I left, little Silvia.” Cora sipped tea across from her.
“Well, we have had quite a few visitors to follow the season and the sea. As usual everyone either shuns me or is awkward, and my cousins have been gone for near a week now, while uncle Archard has been busy as always with work and his responsibilities and correspondence with King William. Oh, and I've managed to avoid seeing my mother for three whole days now.” Silvia smirked.
“Oh, she's your mother, you should see her now and again.” Cora said anxiously “She surely worries about you.”
“Oh the only thing she worries about me is how I affect people's view of her. She resents me as usual, since I can't use magic. People still occasionally speak of how 'It must have been her mother lying with another man. That child could use magic if she were her father's daughter.' They do not trust her and for that she blames me, as if it's my fault I never quickened.” Silvia pulled her knees up to her chest and furrowed her brow.
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“Oh dear, you know that doesn't mean she doesn't care for you. She just doesn't know how to show it to you.”
“I’m sure.” Silvia looked away from her friend, looking for a subject to change to. “Since Avarith has been gone so has Leon, which means I can't continue my weapon training.”
“I still don't understand why you take part in that. What do you need knowledge of swords and combat for?”
“Just because I cannot use magic does not mean I will be useless, Cora. I have to be able to do something. Besides, what else shall I do with my time if not that.”
“Alright, alright. Well if that's how you feel then this next piece of information will please you. Your cousin returned this very day, I met him and his guardian on the road to town.” Cora said with a smile.
“Avarith returned!” Silvia's face lit up. “Why didn't you tell me before, I should go say hello. And make Leon take up my training again.” she added as an afterthought.
“Well then off with you, I have some work to do anyways, and it's late in the day.” Cora said “I'll see you again soon.”
“Yes, we'll talk more later, Cora. Welcome back.” Silvia smiled at her before running off to find her cousin.
She knew he would be in the arboretum, relaxing after whatever task his father had sent him on. As she turned the corner to the hallway that led there she ran headlong into her cousin's guardian, bouncing off him and landing on the ground.
“Oh, excuse me, Silvia.” he apologized as he helped her to her feet.
“No, my apologies, Sir Libert.” she said bowing after she stood.
“Don't give me that prim and proper attitude.” he laughed at her. “I'm the son of the king, not the king himself.”
“Yes, of course, sire.” she said with a wry smile before she leapt up to give him a hug.
“I assume you're running off to see Avarith?” he asked as he set her back on the ground.
“Of course, and to tell you that tomorrow we begin training again.”
“I just return from work and already you order me to purpose? Training someone takes hard work, training you takes all I have.” he laughed again.
“Well then try harder to keep up with my raw talent.” she said as she walked past him.
“That's not how I meant it.”
“Of course it was, be ready tomorrow morning.”
“By morning do you mean noon?” he asked with false sincerity.
She gave him a harsh gaze, before turning and walking away from the conversation.
“Walking away just means I win, you know.” he called from behind her.
She turned and stuck her tongue out at him before opening the door to the arboretum. She stepped through the doorway into the large forest of flowers and trees that could easily be mistaken for the outside world instead of merely some room in a castle. She wandered between the bushes and hanging vines, entranced by the room itself and forgetting the purpose for her visit. She was always mesmerized by the three large ornate chandeliers that hung from the ceiling. Not only did they give off magnificent light to match the time of day for the plants, but open waterfalls fell from their center, cascading off the sides. A few feet below the chandeliers a magic barrier dispersed the water into mist that kept all the plants watered.
“Ah, little Silvia, you've come to enjoy the castle's slice of nature?” her cousin said from behind her.
“I have been snuck up on far too many times today.” Silvia said as she turned around to see her cousin.
“Well that's what never leaving a place like the castle does, it makes you soft.” he said walking towards her.
“Well better than becoming some pompous man who thinks he is invincible for dealing with a few bandits here and there, like you.” she stated imperiously “I rather like my lifestyle, Avarith.” The lie tasted bad in her mouth but she was used to keeping those feelings locked away.
He laughed, “I'm sure you do. So waiting this long to come see me, is that because you just woke up?”
“Shut up, I've been up for almost two hours.” she turned away.
“As if that's something to be proud of. Come, we'll go see my father and you can listen to the tales of my success.” he put one hand on her back and shoved her towards the door.
“Be gentle, fool. I'm a delicate young lady after all.”
“Young? Absolutely. Delicate and lady, I'm not so sure.”
“Now I remember why I rejoice when you leave home.” she said walking to the door.
Avarith knocked on the door to his father’s office quietly, they heard his guardian's gruff voice tell them to come in.
“Father, I've come to regale you with a new tale of success!” Avarith said jovially as he threw the door open.
“Ah, my son returns as a celebrated hero for dealing with the scourge of imps bothering the fisherman of Sternbark.” Archard said looking up from his work on his desk. He had bags under his eyes and his usually well-coiffed hair was somewhat disheveled, but he held a welcoming smile for his son and niece.
“Imps in a tiny fishing village?” Silvia raised an eyebrow “Hardly an adventure, cousin.”
“Oh don't make fun of the boy.” The gruff voice came again from Archard's guardian, a bear of a man named Erol Demir. “Fishing village or not, he helped those in need. He stands a hero in my book.” the large man gave a nod.
“Of course I'm a hero.” Avarith said “At least that's what all the girls in the town said.” He gave Erol a wink.
Archard let out a loud laugh “Maybe the ladies should fear you more than the imps should.”
Silvia rarely got to see her uncle or Erol. Today is becoming better and better, she thought.
“I am absolutely starving.” her uncle spoke again “Let us continue this conversation over lunch. We'll have some maids bring up food, I need a break from this work anyways.”
When the food arrived they ate around tales of Avarith's success and of Archard and Erol's adventures, back before Archard was tasked with being gerent of the Chevalier province and head of the family. A time when his own father would send them out to help the citizens of Gardelia for the king. They talked for hours and ended up taking dinner the same way. The family so rarely had time together that when they did it could last for hours. Before Silvia realized it, it had become late evening and the conversation had just started to stagnate.
“Alright everyone, I've spent far too much time ignoring my duties, off with all of you!” Archard called out joyfully. “Remember Avarith, you and Leon have an early morning.”
Avarith let out a sigh “Don't remind me, meet and greet with the different nobles roaming my halls I'm sure.”
“And what of my training then!” Silvia protested.
“They will be done by late morning, just in time to catch you waking I'm sure.” Archard said, smiling at his complacent niece.
Silvia let out a huff and stood. “Then I suppose I'll allow it.” She hugged her uncle and Erol and her cousin one more time. “See you in the morning.”
“I think I'll be heading to bed as well, to prepare for that early morning.” Avarith feigned exhaustion and dramatically dragged himself to the door.
Silvia took the long way back to her room, knowing there wouldn't be many people she wished to avoid at this hour. She enjoyed the brief respite from her own thoughts, but they were creeping back in. As much as she loved her family, being around them always made her feel better only until she left them. Then she would begin thinking of all that they got to do, all that they were and how she was so much less. She walked into her room and leaned back against the door shutting it.
“A book and my night clothes, that's what I need.” She locked the door and walked across the room to her closet again. She changed into loose shorts and a sweater, picked up one of the martial manuals she kept on her beside table and flopped down on the massive mattress. She read about the use of spears both in dueling and historical context in various battles. She read until her eyes began to droop and her face fell into the book. She set it aside and tapped the symbol by her bed that turned the glowing runes on her ceiling off, bathing the room in darkness. She loved sleep, the one place she could be what she wanted. Though knowing her family was busy with work she should be doing made her feel empty, at least her training could resume for a short time before they had to leave again, when she would go back to being a ghost in her own home. She drifted off to the thoughts of clashing steel and smoky tendrils of magic.