Eleanor:

Some days later:

Eleanor was the King's daughter. She didn't live in the castle; instead, she lived in a small house on the other side of the town.

When she heard the news about the unfortunate death of her father, the King, she felt no sorrow, no sadness - only relief.

At last. Falling off the roof while drunk. A suitable ending.

I wish it hadn't taken so long - twelve long years.

She was currently sitting in front of her mirror. She noticed that her hands were clenched, and her face looked tensed.

I'm losing my control.

Breath in. Breath out. Concentrate, that's right, I can do it.

Control. My breathing is controlled. My body is controlled.

That's right, just like that.

By now, her hands were open and relaxed on her lap. Her face was calm and relaxed.

No signs of stress. No tension.

OK, I can go out.

Very few people in Felixerra had maxed out [Emotional Control]. Generally, they did not need it. They didn't go around getting their arms bitten off or their eyesight destroyed by some passing monster. The Misfits were an exception.

And so, too, was Eleanor.

As she went through her morning routine, she thought about her plans for the day.

Today is the day the Treasurer has 'requested' that I meet with that Lena person and her two orphans, then introduce them to the Misfits and the others.

Since the Treasurer is kind enough to keep paying me a pension - the old King certainly wouldn't have bothered - I'll carry out his request.

Not that I mind. Those Misfits are undoubtedly interesting, and it's something to do.

Although that weird 100% vow by Lena - what on the Ringworld is that about?

And I can also say hello to Aragon.

I wonder why he committed himself so strongly to looking after those two. A full 100% vow!

Say, perhaps they remind him of Tanya? Interesting.

She gathered a few things and moved out, closing her house door behind her. Then she froze on the spot.

Wait a minute - Ah, maybe it's just a coincidence. Or maybe not.

She made a mental note to think about this in the future. Then she continued on her way, walking to the only tavern/hotel in Manifestoria, where she was to meet Lena.

Lena:

The carriage rolled to a stop in the parking area next to the hotel, and Lena and the two orphans cambered out of the enclosed cabin. Lena was stiff and sore from travelling all week, while the children were quieter than usual. The two accompanying guards riding on the roof jumped off and landed with a spring in their steps. They, as befitted guards, had relatively high physical abilities.

The carriage, still holding their small amount of luggage, rolled away to the stables.

Lena stood there, wondering what to do. The two children huddled to her sides, holding her hands.

At least I have accomplished this much. They now hold my hands.

Say, aren't their fingernails rather long? I can feel them digging into my palms.

Sigh. Something else I will have to arrange.

It had been a tough week for her relationship with the children, but at least they were opening up to her a little bit.

But what is going to happen in the future?

A woman about the same age as Lena approached them.

The breeze lifted some dust into the air and flapped their clothes around. Apart from that, nothing else moved in their vicinity. Even the guards, always present, had faded out, no doubt eager to drink in the tavern.

The woman calmly regarded them, face composed, not showing any emotion.

"Hello, you must be Lena? And your two charges, Becky and Mason? I'm Eleanor."

Oh my, aren't you one calm and composed lady?

"Yes."

"Your accommodations are down this street; how about we walk there? Exercising after being cooped inside the carriage for so long will be good."

The two children tried to hide behind Lena, and only with some gentle coaxing was Lena able to get them to walk along.

I wonder who she is. Wait, didn't the Voice of the World say she was the King's daughter?

So why is such an important person dealing with us? Especially after the King's death.

Eleanor, not appearing to mind that Lena was mostly silent, chatted a bit more.

"Have you already had breakfast?"

"Ah, yes." said Lena.

After a week, I'm sick of travel rations. I bet she dined in luxury, but.

They continued walking, with Lena and the two children being perfectly silent. Eleanor filled this silence by giving a running commentary about the town as they passed various sites of interest.

Eleanor:

She's not very talkative, is she?

She’s kind of colourless.

And those two ex-slaves are trying to avoid me by hiding behind Lena. Is she treating them well?

An hour later, they were all in the dining room at the dormitory. Eleanor, Lena and the two children were on one side, while the Misfits, Aragon, Esther and Evereena were on the other. They were looking at each other in silence.

This isn't going very well at all.

Fortunately, Aragon came to the rescue.

"Hi, Eleanor. I haven't seen you for some time."

Eleanor smiled and greeted him back.

"No, because you have kept away. But I hear you have now decided to stay with us."

Aragon ran his hand through his hair.

"Ah, yes, for now, I'm staying here."

He seems a bit reserved, but then again, we never knew each other all that much. Still, we do have something in common...

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Cassy:

Cassy had been watching all this.

Come on! Those two little kids are just about terrified. Going by what Esther and Evereena have been through, they probably need just as much, if not more, looking after. I mean, at least Evereena has her mother with her.

"Hi there, I'm Cassy. Glad to meet you!"

Eleanor nodded her head and said hello back. Lena looked slightly alarmed but managed also to say hello.

The two orphans? They were competing with each other to see who could hide themselves the most behind Lena.

Cassy was bold enough to walk up to them, kneel and say hello. The children shrank back even further, their tails pointing straight down with their ends wrapped around one leg.

Oh shit. I'm kneeling in front of Lena's legs, trying to catch the eyes of two kids who are avoiding me.

This isn't very pleasant.

Ding! The new ability [Friend of Children] has been added and is fully maxed out!

If there's any ability you Misfits deserve, it is undoubtedly this one.

The 100 points were created on the spot and not taken from your unallocated points.

Cassy giggled. Then smiled and tried saying hello to the kids again.

What a change.

Both kids smiled back and stepped forward directly in front of Cassy.

"Hi! I'm Cassy, what's your names?"

They said their names back, all the while wagging their tails. There was a big exchange of names as the other Misfits introduced themselves.

"I know what!" said Bronsen, "Why don't we take you children and Esther and Evereena and go shopping in the markets? That allows Lena time to settle in and organise herself."

The other Misfits thought this was a great idea. After all, they wanted to explore the place but hadn't yet seen the markets.

The two orphans seemed to think so, too. They looked up at Lena's face while still holding her hands. They seemed hopeful.

After a slight hesitation, Lena nodded her head. They happily let go of her hands, and Cassy took Becky's hand while Alice took Mason's.

Evereena also looked enthusiastic, for once.

Ten minutes later, they were off. Followed by the rostered guard, of course.

Lena:

She had watched as Cassy, without any effort at all, managed to gain the trust of the two orphans. She felt empty and hollow.

It took me an entire week of intensive interaction to get to hold their hands, and those four teenagers managed to get to the same point immediately.

Why am I even here?

Eleanor:

She had been watching Lena's face and thus noticed her look of dismay.

Now, what does that mean? Ah, I get it; Lena is jealous that Cassy and the others managed to get the friendship of the orphans so quickly.

So, she has been trying very hard, after all?

Eleanor remembered, somewhat belatedly, that slave children could be mistreated.

So, there is a reason why those kids are so fearful.

And, that's right, they looked up at Lena for permission.

"Ah, Lena, you're sad because they took to the Misfits so readily?"

"W-what?"

"I wouldn't worry too much. Because before they went with Cassy, both looked up to you for permission. While still holding your hands. They regard you as their, err, mother figure."

"I - I - yes, I suppose that is right."

Maybe there's more to Lena than that bland, insipid look suggests.

Lena:

They regard me as the mother figure?

Yes, they did look at me first.

So I'm not useless, after all!

Those Misfits, no matter how nice, certainly will not be looking after my two orphans full-time, are they?

She felt relieved.

Say, it was nice of Eleanor to point that out. That was astute of Eleanor to notice.

Hmm

After that, Eleanor volunteered to help retrieve the luggage and help Aragon and Lena set up one of the rooms for their stay.

Aragon:

I hope Eleanor doesn't realise I'm ever-so-slightly uneasy at talking with her.

Also, I'm not sure, but was there significant interaction between them just then?

"Ladies, sorry to go right now, but now that I'm officially in the guards, Captain Jane has 'suggested' I do a couple of hours of regular training each day. Despite not having any official duties to perform. Anyway, I must make my apologies now."

With a cheerful wave, he bowed to the ladies and went to attend his practice session.

Eleanor:

"I'm sure one of the spare guards will bring the luggage around sometime, just as soon as they've had a drink or two."

"So, shall we have a cup of tea to discuss what needs doing from here on?"

They made tea and sat down, sipping their drinks slowly.

Lena:

This is a nice cup of tea.

I wonder what sort of person she is.

"Say, Eleanor, are you married?"

"I was, but unfortunately, my husband died," said Eleanor.

Her face is still totally calm and unemotional.

"Oh, that's bad. Did you have any children?"

There was the smallest of hesitations, and then Eleanor answered.

"Yes, a boy. But unfortunately, he also died."

"Ah... Sorry, sorry," said Lena.

They both died? And she still looks calm and composed. Is she a cold-hearted bitch?

"That's all right. It's now twelve years ago, so I'm over it. And, were you married?" said Eleanor.

Married and then deserted for another, sexier woman.

"Yes, but sadly, it didn't last very long. And, no, we didn't have any children."

"Still, it was nice of you to volunteer to look after those two. And to make such a high-powered vow," said Eleanor.

Like hell, I was forcibly volunteered. And the vow was a desperate last-ditch effort.

"Ah, thank you."

This is so annoying; I still don't know what sort of person she is.

Narrator:

Let's rerun that conversation from Eleanor's point of view.

Eleanor:

"Say, Eleanor, are you married?"

"I was, but unfortunately, my husband died."

And I'm never getting married again; it just didn't work out.

"Oh, that's bad. Did you have any children?"

Control, control. Show nothing to the outside world.

"Yes, a boy. But unfortunately, he also died."

Ignore the pain.

"Ah... Sorry, sorry," said Lena.

Not a fraction as sorry as I was, Ms shallow-personality!

"That's all right. It's now twelve years ago, so I'm over it. And, were you married?" said Eleanor.

Let's get away from my disaster, shall we?

"Yes, but sadly, it didn't last very long. And, no, we didn't have any children."

Yeah, I can see that; you don't look like you could excite any man in anything, let alone sexually.

"Still, it was nice of you to volunteer to look after those two. And to make such a high-powered vow," said Eleanor.

I bet you she was pressed ganged into the arrangement.

"Áh, thank you."

I didn't get much information at all, did I?

Lena:

She irritates me. In fact, this whole situation irritates me.

I know, let's get personal and to hell with the consequences.

She smiled sweetly and said, "I've heard that newly wedded couples slowly accumulate quite a good level in their [Sexual Technique] abilities. What level did you get to?"

Eleanor:

The question caught her off guard. It all came back in a sudden montage of images:

Flashback time for Eleanor:

Very early in her marriage, before her baby was born:

Her husband gently caressed her shoulder just before they went to bed.

"Ah, maybe not tonight? I think I might be getting some more morning sickness..."

"Oh, fine, fine."

It's just the morning sickness. As soon as things settle down, I'll respond more to my husband's advances, won't I?

I mean, he is a lovely person - my best friend.

All those other young mothers always talk about taking time out from looking after families to get some 'quality' time with their men.

The trouble is, I don't feel like it right now. And probably not tomorrow night, either.

A few months after the baby was born:

Her husband gently rocked their baby to sleep, then carefully put him into his little bed.

"Say, now that he is going to be quiet for at least half an hour, how about we..."

"Ah, I'm still tired from last night's crying..."

"Oh, OK."

There's nothing wrong with me! Nothing wrong. Even those other young mothers take some time off to catch up with sleep.

Looking after a baby takes a lot of time, after all.

And, finally, on one night:

Her husband was dead at her feet, blood spilling all over her nice, clean carpet.

Her toddler was snatched away. To die also.

Eleanor:

She screamed and threw her cup across the room. It smashed into the wall, spraying chunks of ceramic and drops of tea all over it.

She froze in horror, staring at nothing.

I lost control. I completely lost control.

I haven't done that for years.

What the hell happened to me?

Control! Control myself!

Breathing like she had just run up to the Rimwall top, she struggled to bring herself together.

Why did I lose it so thoroughly? A simple question like that shouldn't do it.

It took a minute or two to get her composure back.

Lena:

What-what was all of that for? Was that my fault?

Oh shit.

Being caught completely off guard, she blurted out the first topic that occurred to her: the state of her own marriage.

"Oh, well, I asked because, because, well, in my marriage I never got any points at all."

"Ha-ha. My husband ended up calling me totally hopeless in bed. A perfect zero in [Sexual Technique]. A total dud as far as sex was concerned."

"He said that sex with the barmaid was absolutely amazing..."

Stop that! I'm babbling on about things that no one else cares about.

So she went silent also.

Eleanor and Lena:

After a while, Eleanor put her polite, composed face back on.

"Oh dear. I've made a bit of a mess, haven't I?'

"That's all right; how about I get the broom, and we clean it up?" said Lena.

They did so. Then, for lack of anything else to do, Lena got another cup and poured Eleanor another drink.

They sat there, drinking their tea and not saying anything.

Finally-

"Well, I guess I should go and lay out our room a bit better," said Lena.

"And I need to go and see some old folks, make sure they're OK," said Eleanor.

With cheerful, polite farewells, they bid each other goodbye for the time being, and off they went.

Neither had the slightest idea what to make of that incident.

Narrator:

When it was said that System-san couldn't take any direction action - well, that wasn't totally correct.

After all, if no one knows that direct action was taken, and no one finds out, well, then it didn't occur.

Right?

System-san was feeling pleased (as much as it could feel this emotion) at the results of its definitely did-not-occur direct action.

Unfortunately, that was about the most in the way of direct action that it could manage to do.