A goal without a plan is just a wish.

- Antoine de Expéry

It was all rather overwhelming, but the first fragments of a plan were already forming in her mind. She would have to think of herself as Seraphina now, as she couldn’t recall her previous life’s name—perhaps for the best. Adapting as quickly as possible was essential.

The whole situation was mysterious, not to mention oddly convenient. The language here was very different from her native tongue. It was a language she had no memory of ever learning, but it came as naturally to her as swimming to a duck. She understood it completely, in every sense. When she tried writing, she found she could produce the language’s script in a perfect, flowing hand befitting her station. Also, on some level she found the whole experience rather meditative the strokes of the feather pen upon parchment giving some constructive reality to her situation.

Seraphina had also visited the library—a modestly large room filled with dusty books that had clearly seen little use, typical of wealthy households that kept collections for appearance’s sake. She was able to read through them quickly, and many of the titles were familiar. She realized she had read this collection before, more than once, as she could recall many of the facts and stories within them.

Through subtle inquiries with the servants, she had also determined her age: Seraphina was fifteen. Very young by the standards of her old world, but more than mature enough for this quasi-medieval European land she had found herself in.

She had until she turned eighteen before reaching her majority—the latest she could delay her marriage. If the protagonist, the thieving minx, did not steal him away first.

So far, the situation she found herself in was a perfect reflection of the game. If she continued down the path set before her as the story’s villainess, she was doomed to die young and alone. A sad fate indeed by any measure.

A major contributor to that fate was Seraphina’s perception of her Strength. She had always considered it unnatural and, more importantly, unladylike. The original Seraphina had always held herself back for the greater portion of her life, it was part of the package that had made her a compelling and sympathetic villainess. She, however, knew it for what it truly was: a Gift from the Old Ones, a primeval force that sought to destroy the world Zed Valize.

She shuddered, thinking of Seraphina’s connection to them.

Her father had insisted she be trained in the arts martial, and she had gone along with it more out of resignation than any real enthusiasm. Duke Anatoli believed his daughter should at least be able to defend herself.

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This was reflected in her character sheet’s modest collection of low-level combat skills. Unlike the old Seraphina, though, she had no qualms about using her Strength to her advantage and had no aversion to violence in general—though she did prefer to have others dole it on her behalf.

With that in mind, she promised herself to speak with her father’s master-of-arms and familiarize herself with the weapons and fighting styles of this world. In her old world, she had been trained in the main weapons of the modern era: the gun, the knife, and the fist and foot. It would be interesting to see how much of that knowledge and skill could be applied here.

From reading the books in the library, she realized that she had the potential to revolutionize this somewhat backward society. If she wished, she could uplift them all. But where was the fun in that? Still, it was an ace up her sleeve.

Or so she had thought. When she tried to recall specific parts of her modern knowledge, she found her memories frustratingly opaque and unclear. Only the most basic scientific principles remained accessible; anything more complex seemed blocked. It appeared that the game—or this world—had limited her abilities when it came to modern knowledge and know-how.

On the positive side, this limitation would prevent her from playing on easy mode. She had always enjoyed a challenge and would have to work with what she had. They could take away her specific knowledge of modern sciences, but they could not take away from her the understanding of certain universal truths.

Such as the mechanics and workings of power, namely how to acquire it and how to wield it.

In this world, she found herself both at a disadvantage and an advantage. First, the disadvantage: power was inherited through a primogeniture system that favored the male line, except for one peculiar family at the fringes of Aranthian nobility. This was somewhat mitigated by her position as the only daughter of the de Sariens, though her parents were still young. Curse this world and its teenage marriages—barbaric.

She would have to prevent the birth of her brother, Seraphina’s brother, one way or another.

Ironically, her advantage lay in her status as a woman. Aranthian society practiced a form of chivalry reminiscent of medieval codes, but with a distinct twist. The central figure of worship was Avaria, the Goddess of Justice, whose values replaced those of Christianity in shaping their ideals of chivalry. Women were respected and placed on a pedestal. As an objectively beautiful woman, she could benefit greatly from the status quo.

However, she knew that while she would be respected and adored, it wouldn’t be her true self that drew their veneration. It would be the idealized image of her that captivated the knightly classes. They would be adoring the idea of her.

Then there was the matter of magic… and her current lack of it. Now that she could be formally promised to another, her family would present her with two scrolls of power as a coming-of-age gift. Each scroll represented many years of a Mage’s labor. If events proceeded as they had in the game, Seraphina knew she would be offered a Scroll of Fire and a Scroll of Earth.

In Aranthian nobility, such an offer was meant to be a ceremonial gesture, for to accept it was to commit oneself to a life of service to king and country. However, Mages who pursued the path of the elements rarely lived long; they eventually succumbed to madness, driven by a desire to "become one with their element." This transformation often involved a rather gruesome death.

No, Seraphina had other plans. Though she might have to get her hands a little dirty, her first step would be to enlist the aid of a certain someone.