Book 1: Chapter 26 - Paintings & Cookies

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To be a good man is to live with virtue and integrity on the hardest of roads.

- A Quassian aphorism.

A few more days swiftly passed. Now that Kellan's lessons were not quite as draining as before, Seraphina and Eloise found themselves with ample time in the afternoons to pursue their own interests. For Seraphina, this meant indulging in some light reading followed by putting Eloise’s face onto canvas. Yes, she had time to pursue a hobby—of all things. She had considered a self-portrait but dismissed the idea as far too narcissistic.

But this was no mere pastime. The young Sariens planned to use Eloise’s portrait to match her with a suitable noble of middling rank. If she did say so herself, her work—though amateurish by modern standards—was leaps and bounds ahead of the norm in terms of technical detail. Not only was Seraphina able to capture Eloise’s physical likeness with near-photographic precision, but she also infused the painting with the emotional and psychological nuances of the girl, giving her a smile that echoed the enigmatic allure of the Mona Lisa.

As Seraphina's brush danced across the canvas, a quiet intensity filled the room. Each stroke was deliberate, each shade meticulously chosen—not just to immortalize Eloise’s beauty but to weave a narrative that would serve Seraphina’s purpose. The soft afternoon light cast long shadows, and for a moment, the weight of her ambitions seemed to add to the depths of her strokes.

"Hold still, Eloise," Seraphina whispered, her eyes flickering with a mix of determination and irritation. "This portrait must be perfect."

Eloise glanced at her, a hint of apprehension in her eyes. "You seem... different today, Lady Seraphinba."

"Do I?" Seraphina replied softly, a faint smile curling her lips. "Perhaps it's the light."

As the final touches were applied, she stepped back to admire her work. The likeness was uncanny, but more importantly, the portrait radiated an allure that was impossible to ignore.

"It's done," she announced, her voice barely above a whisper.

Eloise stood and moved to her side, eyes widening as she took in the image. "It's... it's stunning!" she squealed in delight. “Thank you, oh thank you!”

"Yes," Seraphina agreed, her gaze fixed not on the canvas but on future horizons. "Now then, Eloise, there is something that you can help me with."

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Seraphina also made sure to check in on Ibn’s martial progress. The boy, once his little problem had been sorted out, was swift to learn. Kellan, a man usually stingy with praise, had even remarked that the boy had quite the potential. That was certainly a stamp of approval.

Seraphina and Eloise had taken it upon themselves to teach the boy to read. It was a concept that was difficult, as he simply could not seem to grasp it at first. At first being the operative phrase. Once Seraphina introduced some "motivation", namely in the form of light food deprivation and a thin, sharp cane that inflicted pain but did little damage, the boy quickly learned his letters. However, he soon unfortunately developed a slight stammer. A shame, for he had just learned, or relearned, how to speak. Having taught the boy the greater part of the basics, she left him in Eloise’s more gentle care and instruction. She had instructed Eloise to teach him his numbers as well.

“I don’t know why you’re going to all this bother teaching a lad like that his letters and numbers,” mumbled Catherina in the kitchens. “Not to mention why a girl like you has suddenly taken an interest in learning how to make cookies.”

It had come as quite a surprise to the matronly woman when the daughter of the Duke came into her kitchen, demanding that she teach her how to bake cookies, of all things. It was not something that someone of Seraphina’s noble birth and station would normally have an interest in. But the woman had known the girl since she was a babe in swaddling cloths, had changed her when she soiled herself, and thought of her almost as another of her own children. She could deny her nothing. Who could not love such a perfect and beautiful child? Catherina, in her heart of hearts, could have sworn the Duchess had named Seraphina partly after her.

Little, of course, did Catherina know that Seraphina was doing all of this mainly for the sake of a few low-hanging points of experience. Also, she was trying to make a required item that would seal Ibn to her forevermore. If she was able to make this, then the Saint of Silver, Este Lize, would never be able to snatch Ibn away from her.

What was hers, was hers and would remain hers.

These were her thoughts as she attacked the cookie dough, mixing it into a fine consistency. The game's system did not include any skills unrelated to fighting or combat, which meant that she could not gain skills in "Cooking," for instance. However, menial tasks such as this still netted her some experience, and the timing was not right to clear the forest of the local fauna again with another great hunt.

If the price of earning eternal loyalty from one of the realm's future strongest swords was just a few handmade biscuits, she was more than willing to pay it. It was also important that the serving staff saw her making them, as they would spread the word that Lady Seraphina had personally gone out of her way to do so. The servants were always chattering about this and that. Also, it was not a good thing to base something as important as this on a lie.

She wiped a smudge of dough from her brow, only making it worse. Catherina grabbed a towel and forcefully wiped her face. Seraphina endured the treatment, as she needed Catherina's help with the next step: putting the biscuits into the blazing oven. There was no way Seraphina was stepping anywhere near that monstrosity responsible for feeding half the castle.

So she let Catherina place them into the oven alongside some other pastries. The woman turned over an hourglass and promised Seraphina she would take them out once they were done.