Book 1: Chapter 11 - Choices

Trust is the benefit of the doubt, and not just mere reassurance born from unwavering repetition.

- A Quassian Aphorism.

After closing up the Crossed Crow and posting a notice on its door announcing it would be closed indefinitely, the girls made their way back to Castle de Sariens. Milly really should be more grateful to her, Seraphina thought to herself. After all, did she not just reward her some, albeit small, property?

Recently well-fed, Miriam the Palisa Slug looked unusually hale and exuded a sense of raw vitality that turned a few heads in town. This only mildly annoyed Lady Seraphina, who was feeling pleased with how the day had gone had a certain skip to her step as they made their way home.

At the castle gate, she inquired about the whereabouts of Corporal Frest and the noblewoman Eloise. As expected, neither had yet to return. Seraphina was testing Eloise, curious to see how well she had broken her in. After all, a hawk that returned willingly to its handler was worth more than a hundred wild birds—or so the saying went at least.

Well, Eloise had better return soon! Today was the day Seraphina would be presented with her magical scrolls—a gift she actually planned to accept. Then there was the matter of preparing a contraceptive to prevent a certain future complication.

Returning to her room, she kicked off her shoes and threw herself onto the soft, welcoming embrace of her fluffy bed, savoring it for a brief moment before snapping back to the task at hand. Springing out of bed, she ordered her servants to prepare her bath.

As she waited, Seraphina planned her next moves. The alchemical apparatus would be set up in Eloise's room; that way, if suspicion of foul play ever arose, Eloise would be the first to face it, buying Seraphina precious time to maneuver and make counter moves of her own.

A maid—Sandra, according to the original Seraphina’s memories—informed her, eyes carefully averted, that Eloise and her escort had returned. The girl was polite to a fault. Seraphina instructed Sandra to summon Eloise to her chambers in half a turn of the glass.

Desiring solitude, Seraphina dismissed her servants before disrobing and sinking into the hot, rose-scented bath. The warmth enveloped her, easing the day’s strain and loosening the tension in her muscles. She closed her eyes, feeling the water’s gentle embrace work through the aches of the day, as if each droplet carried a small, quiet almost-magical spell of healing. The floral scent mingled with the steam, softening the harshness of this unfamiliar world and transporting her, if only briefly, to a place of calm and comfort. And in this moment, for a fleeting second, she felt naked and vulnerable. Did she have time to simply enjoy this simple comfort?

After a few long moments of relaxation, her hands roamed over her still unfamiliar body. Everything felt both wrong and right at once—it was all hers, and yet, in some way, it was not. Accepting her place in this strange new world, she felt her former life drifting further and further away. No, enough of this, quite literal, navel-gazing, she thought with a sigh.

She splashed her face with bathwater, then, feeling a childish impulse, stood up and kicked at the water, sending a spray onto the floor. Just then, a loud knock sounded on her bedroom door. Startled, she slipped and tumbled back into the tub, cracking her head on its edge.

"OUCH!" she cried, feeling a spark of pain wash over her.

"Seraphina... Lady Seraphina! Are you alright?" Eloise's muffled voice came from the other side of the door.

"I am quite alright! Come in, I shall be out in a moment," she replied, trying to keep her voice steady. Curses—the fall had cost her fifteen Health points.

Seraphina quickly dried off and wrapped herself in a large red towel before stepping out to meet Lady Eloise. Eloise was seated in a high-backed, soft velvet chair, a thick leather-bound book resting on her lap.

Seeing Seraphina enter, she rose to her feet, placing the tome on an end table. Seraphina could not miss the slight hint of envy in Eloise’s gaze as she regarded her towel-clad form. Thankfully, the waifish noblewoman remembered herself, and with a respectful nod, she offered a small formal curtsy.

This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

Some things in life could not be bought, especially not without technology still centuries away. This thought brought a self-satisfied smile to Seraphina's lips, lifting her mood considerably.

"Come now, Eloise, there's no need to be so stiff and formal in private. We are good friends, are we not? Such decorum is only necessary in public," she said lightly. In her past life, Seraphina had learned that offering small gestures of friendship like this made people feel appreciated and valued. "I hope you found the castle town pleasant. Were you able to get what you were after?" she asked. "If not, I can speak to some of the merchants..."

"Yes, everything was quite satisfactory, and I found the volume I'd been searching for," Eloise replied, looking unexpectedly cheerful. It seemed Seraphina's approach had worked.

The key, however, was to never let people get too close... Yet for some reason, this thought caused a pang in Seraphina's chest. Clenching her fists, she willed the feeling away.

"Jurgens was in good health?" asked the heir to the duchy absentmindedly, brushing aside a rebellious strand of golden hair.

"Well...he had a bit of a cough, but apart from that, he looked hale and hearty," answered the dark-haired girl, somewhat hesitantly.

"Good... The reason I wanted to speak with you now is that I forgot to mention tonight's event," Seraphina began, though, of course, she had not forgotten. Not at all. She just wanted to deny the girl any room to dwell on it.

"Mention what, Lady Seraphina?" Eloise asked, frowning prettily.

"I am to receive the Presentation of a Path, and as my lady-in-waiting, I would like you to do the honor of accepting for me," Seraphina explained, testing the waters. Even as she spoke, she was already considering how to compel the girl to accept what was, in essence, a slow death sentence. Accepting such a scroll was one of the highest sacrifices a noble could make for king and country.

"Why, Lady Seraphina, I would be delighted! To think you already hold me in such high regard and trust me so deeply!" Eloise squealed with unbridled joy, clapping her hands. Seraphina had forgotten that the merchant classes viewed receiving such a scroll as a great blessing or treasure, not the curse it truly was.

Then her eyes fell on the title of the book on the end table. Written in Quassian, it read, The Path of Magic: The Dangers and Use of the Arcane.

It seemed Eloise had longed to become a practitioner of the arcane arts!

Seraphina kept her expression smooth as she crossed her arms, prepared to make a choice between the elements of Fire and Earth. Although she had already decided which element Eloise would receive, she thought it prudent to ask for the girl’s opinion. She had learned that people enjoyed being consulted; it made them feel important. People could be such amusing creatures at times.

She had a suspicion, though, that Eloise would be content with either choice.

“I am to be presented with a choice between Earth and Fire,” she explained, her tone measured. “I would hear your thoughts on the matter…”

Eloise touched her chin, her doll-like face scrunched in contemplation. “Were I in Lady Seraphina’s position, and the scroll was for myself, I would choose Fire. However, if the scroll were for one of my attendants, I would choose Earth,” she replied earnestly.

“Fantastic, Eloise. Those were exactly my thoughts. It seems that great minds think alike,” Seraphina complimented her, watching with satisfaction as Eloise nearly glowed under the praise. “Now, then…”

A polite knock sounded at the door.

“Lady Seraphina, your mother wishes to see you at your convenience before the evening meal,” a male voice intoned from behind the wooden door. Desmond, most likely.

“Tell the Duchess I will join her shortly, once I’ve changed,” Seraphina replied, half-shouting. What could the woman want now?

Seeing their conversation was at an end, Eloise rose gracefully from her chair. “Well then, Lady Seraphina, if you’ll excuse me, I must get ready for the evening meal,” she said sweetly.

Seraphina matched her sweet smile with one of her own. “By all means, you are excused. I will see you at dinner.”

With a deep curtsey, Eloise left the room.

Now alone, Seraphina idly toyed with the golden bracelet on her wrist. She removed it and then put it back on, glancing at her Status to confirm what she suspected. Yes, Arvan’s Luck did increase her Luck attribute by a solid five points. Quite literally, a lucky find!

The Luck attribute was intriguing, affecting a myriad of aspects of the game. In gameplay, it unlocked certain routes, quests, and storylines. According to the lore, it affected one’s ability to control their own fate, allowing them some freedom from external influences, namely the gods and prophecy.

Seraphina sensed she’d need all the Luck she could muster in the days to come, though this bracelet was a welcome start. At the end of the day, she could always make her own fortune.

Feeling the warmth of her earlier bath leaving her, she rang the bell, summoning her attendants for a fresh set of clothes. Once dressed, she would see what her mother wanted to discuss.