by Pirateaba
“The [Maids] have the prerequisite skills. Do not worry.”
Ressa hesitated, and then looked at Erin.
“Thank you for offering, however. It is not often that we entertain such visitors.”
“Really? I thought she would have tons of guests.”
“She does, but they rarely stay for more than a few hours at a time.”
Joseph and the others had mentioned the servants weren’t too helpful with directing them or finding mages to cast [Repair]. Erin wondered how much of that was intentional.
“Do you uh, not like them? The people from my world, I mean? They don’t think you do.”
Silence from Ressa. She slowed as she passed by an open doorway. Erin caught a glimpse of a massive library filled with tomes being slowly dusted before she passed the entrance.
“We serve Lady Magnolia. We clean and cook, but we do far more than simply maintain her estate. We are there to help her.”
Not anyone else. Erin swallowed what she’d been about to say next.
“Here we are.”
Ressa stopped by a pair of double doors. She rested one hand on the golden knob and looked at Erin.
“I trust you will extend the same courtesies to Lady Reinhart as you have shown me. She is close to royalty as this land has to offer.”
Erin nodded seriously. She hesitated as Ressa pressed down on the handle.
“Um. Is there anything I should say? No one really told me why she wanted me here. What should I do?”
It was the mystery that not even the people from her world knew the answer to. Ressa paused, and looked at Erin.
“Be honest. Be truthful. Lady Reinhart has only your best interests in mind, and she has devoted quite a lot of money and time to gathering your companions here.”
Erin nodded.
“Thank you for the help.”
“You are welcome.”
Ressa smiled, just for a moment, and then the door opened. Slowly, Erin walked into the vast room and stopped.
It was pink. That was to say, someone had decided the theme for the room was elegant luxury, and the predominant color should be light pink. It wasn’t displeasing to the eye, but Erin felt that there was just too much of that color and not enough of anything else.
It was also a smaller room than Erin had expected; she’s almost believed she was entering an audience hall, but Ressa had led her to an intimate sitting room, the kind of place where you could chat and converse and gossip, but elegantly.
A large couch sat in the center of the room, across from its twin. A small table sat in the center, holding a tea pot, cups, and some light snacks.
And a woman was sitting at the couch. She wasn’t normal. Oh, she was no radiant beauty like Ressa, but neither was she ugly. She was quite attractive, but she wasn’t a young woman either. She was in her forties, a larger woman than Ressa, if shorter, and she was dressed in a shimmering gown of green that looked either magical or magically made. Her lips were lifted in a slight smile as she studied Erin, and Ressa stepped quietly behind her as another maid slowly closed the door behind the girl.
She was not normal. It wasn’t that she looked different, but that she held herself differently. From tip to toe, she was graceful, refined, and serene. When she moved or spoke or even laughed, it was still with a base of what could only be called class.
And she was looking at Erin. Her eyes were the only parts of her that weren’t veiled in politeness. They were like searchlights, sweeping Erin from top to toe, looking through her, at what she was, what she had done, what she would do. They were unsettling and mysterious and that, more than anything, made Erin stop where she stood.
Lady Magnolia was sitting, but Erin’s heartbeat grew faster as she stared down at this woman who owned so much. Erin thought of the Queen of the Antinium, sitting on her throne in the dark caverns. She swallowed once, and took a deep breath.
This was her. Ryoka’s pursuer, the one who’d pieced together the truth of Erin’s nature. A woman with wealth and power, a [Lady], and a living legend in her own right. The head of the Reinhart family, the heroine of the First Antinium Wars, and the woman who loved ice cream and blue fruit juice.
Lady Magnolia.
She smiled at Erin, and raised a cup of tea as she gestured to the couch in front of her.
“Good evening, Miss Solstice. Do take a seat. We have much to talk about.”
2.31
Erin remembered staring down the barrel of a Dragon’s nose. It wasn’t the most glamorous or exciting way of putting it, but that was what had happened.
She’d stepped around the corner, into what she’d thought had been her bathroom, and then there had been a Dragon, larger than life, larger than a house.
Breathing fire.
Erin could only vaguely recall the screaming and panicked rush filled with fire and a roar that sounded almost like a voice before she was out of the cave, running for her life. But she could still remember the moment she’d stared into the Dragon’s swirling blue and violet eyes.
Her heart had stopped. The world had gone silent, and Erin had felt the same sensation that always overtook her when she used the [Immortal Moment] skill now. She had been overwhelmed by his presence.
She felt the same thing now. Lady Magnolia Reinhart was just sitting there. And she was just a woman, not particularly tall or big. But she had a presence.
And then the woman spoke, and the moment passed. But Erin still remembered it.
“Do come sit, Miss Solstice. Or—may I call you Erin? Formal titles are so tiresome, and I gather your people speak somewhat more casually than mine, is that right?”
Your people. Erin blinked as she awkwardly took a seat opposite Lady Magnolia on the couch. She practically sank into it, it was so soft. And comfortable. And cool!
The air was filled with the faint scent of lavender, and the room was cool and pleasant, the perfect temperature to be in. Erin had a terrible desire to just lie down on the sofa and relax, but she couldn’t do that. She scrambled to answer Lady Magnolia’s question instead.
“Um, yes. I mean, we do. Sorry! I can try—”
“Think nothing of it. I find it delightfully quaint. But where are my manners? Do forgive me. I am Magnolia Reinhart. Delighted to make your acquaintance.”
“I’m Erin. Erin Solstice.”
Magnolia held out a hand and Erin took it. She had the oddest impulse to kiss it as if she were a knight, but perhaps that was because of how elegantly the other woman moved. She had no wasted movements, no hesitation. She was the picture of grace, and good cheer for that matter. Lady Magnolia had a slight smile on her lips and a face naturally given over to laughter and energy.
“I have been terribly anxious to meet you, I must say.”
To Erin’s surprise, Lady Magnolia had a firm handshake. The older woman withdrew her hand and picked up her tea cup and saucer.
“I have tea, if you will share it. Unless you prefer something stronger? A fruit drink, perhaps? I’m afraid I have no coffee and nor do I know of any substance like it as of yet, but do let me know if you desire anything else.”
“What? No. I’m fine. Tea is fine, I mean. Thank you.”
Erin watched as Ressa deftly lifted the steaming pot and filled both cups with a gold-green liquid. It smelled like citrus and tasted like—
Limes?
Lady Magnolia chuckled at the look on Erin’s face.
“Do excuse me. This is a favorite tea of mine. I find it does wonders for the inattentive mind. But where was I? Ah yes, allow me to welcome you into my household. I apologize for the delay; I was meeting with some rather important people and then of course you had met the young men and women from your world. I would have been remiss to draw you away from that gathering, but now that you are here, would you like to play a game of chess?”
The question came at the crest of a tidal wave of words and hit Erin in the face. She stared at Magnolia for a few seconds.
“Um—yes?”
“Wonderful. Ressa?”
Lady Magnolia clapped her hands in delight. Erin watched as Ressa took something off a shelf—a chess board and pieces, already set up as if it had been prepared ahead of time.
Everything was moving a bit too fast. Erin hesitated as she held the tea cup between her fingers.
“Um.”
“Yes?”
Lady Magnolia twinkled at Erin. Almost literally. In the course of a few seconds she’d gone from being a mysterious, almost scary person in Erin’s head to the down-to-earth genteel noble in front of her.
“Well—I just wanted to say thank you for bringing me here. And sending the coach and uh, helping the other people.”
“From your world.”
“Um. Yes?”
Lady Magnolia chuckled again at the expression on Erin’s face.
“Don’t look so alarmed, my dear. Please, relax. I assure you, I only wanted to speak with you, hence the rather rude and abrupt way I brought you here. Do accept my apologies.”
“What? Oh, no, it wasn’t rude—”
Erin tried to wave one hand and hold the tea cup and saucer while Ressa put the chess board on the table between the two. Lady Magnolia smiled again.
“I’m told you play chess quite well, and I must confess, I had hoped you would indulge me in a game.”
“How did you know—?”
“Oh, a [Lady] has ways. Do pay it no mind. I would simply love to play a game with you while we chatted. I believe you’ve met a very striking Runner named Ryoka Griffin? I would so love for you to talk to me about her as we play.”
And so they did. Erin blinked at first, but when Magnolia asked her whether she wanted to be white or black and they began playing the game, her chess instincts kicked in and she began to play, chatting as she did.
“So you knew Ryoka a long time before I did?”
“Oh, I had seen her delivering a number of curios to my house.”
Lady Magnolia replied casually as she moved her pieces out. She had learned to play somewhere, because her opening was a good match against Erin’s.
Ressa stood to one side of the table, silently listening to the conversation, hands folded in front of her. She was like a statue, and Erin thought it was sort of odd to have the head maid here on serving duty, but maybe that was just how it worked?
She was feeling a lot more relaxed that she had been, even more than when she had been with the other people from her world. Lady Magnolia’s open face and natural charm just…invited Erin to talk.
And so she did, about Ryoka, about her job as an innkeeper, and the people she had met and the monsters she’d had to kill. Lady Magnolia was an excellent audience, and they were halfway through the game when the conversation changed.
“The undead and Goblin tribes? My, you are adventurous. I had the impression you were quite self-sufficient, but I had no idea you were quite so extraordinary.”
Erin blushed at the compliment. Lady Magnolia smiled, and she picked up something on the table. A monocle, but a very strange one. This one had a rim made of black rock—obsidian? And it looked like tiny runes had been carved into the sides that made the glass move with odd colors.
“What’s that?”
“Oh, this?”
Lady Magnolia blinked at Erin through the monocle for a few seconds, and then put it down lightly with a shrug.
“A simple keepsake. It helps with bad eyesight. I confess, my vision is not what it used to be. Age, you know? Pray, ignore it.”
“Oh. Okay.”
The game continued. Erin frowned. Lady Magnolia was quite good. Erin had taken several of her pieces, but the other woman was doing just as well.
“You’re a great player. I’ve only met a few people as good as you.”
“You are too kind.”
Lady Magnolia beamed as she delicately moved a pawn to block one of Erin’s bishops. She looked at Ressa.
“Young Erin really does have a way with words, doesn’t she Ressa? I fear I am going to blush.”
Ressa bowed her head slightly. Magnolia turned back to Erin, smiling again.
“In truth, I fear I don’t play nearly as much as I should. But I did learn the game when I was sixteen, and I’ve played regularly with at least one good opponent since then. Still, I am glad that I can keep up with someone of your caliber.”
Erin nodded distractedly. Whatever Lady Magnolia said, she was some kind of expert. She was pressing Erin hard, and the game required her concentration, which made her happy.
But she did notice something happen. Perhaps it was because she’d gotten to know Ressa earlier, but when Lady Magnolia spoke about playing chess, the other woman had…shifted slightly. It was just a slightly movement of her feet, and in anyone else Erin would have dismissed it as being tired or sore. But Ressa had been like a statue throughout the game and the conversation, and somehow it struck Erin as odd.
It was because she was playing chess that Erin noticed it. It was the odd sense she sometimes got, of being aware of the board and the room as a whole at the same time. In two seconds Erin had nearly forgotten what she’d noticed.
Lady Magnolia cleared her throat.
“Ah, but this is hardly the time to talk about my past, is it? I am glad you are here, Erin. I was afraid you might turn down my invitation if you were anything like Ryoka.”
“Yeah, she is like that, isn’t she?”
Erin smiled, and Lady Magnolia laughed again.
“Well, we were all like that, weren’t we?”
“I don’t think I was.”
“Ah, but you are so open it’s quite refreshing. I trust the carriage ride was pleasant? I only ask because I was afraid you might have lacked for company. A single [Butler] for a driver is rather sparse company, isn’t it?”
Erin blinked. She looked up from her game at Lady Magnolia.
“The butler? You mean Reynold? No, he was great. I really liked him.”
And again, there it was. This time it wasn’t Ressa who shifted, but Lady Magnolia’s hand paused for just one fraction of a moment as she lifted the tea cup to her lips.
“Ah yes, Reynold. It is good that you know his name. You know, your friends never bothered to ask any of the names of the servants that attend them. Or is friends too strong a word?”
Lady Magnolia’s eyes flicked up to Erin’s face searchingly. Erin wasn’t sure how to respond. She wasn’t friends with Joseph and Rose—they weren’t people she disliked, but friends? No.
But what was the polite way to say that? Erin didn’t know, and fortunately Magnolia didn’t seem to require an answer. The woman laughed as she delicately advanced a pawn two spaces to threaten one of Erin’s knights.
“Do excuse me; I am rude today, aren’t I? Of course not everyone from one world would know each other, let alone be friends. On the other hand, I would be delighted to say that I am now your friend.”
Friend? That sounded right. Erin’s stomach stirred slightly, but not in hunger. She frowned. Something was nagging at her. Oh yeah. That was important.
“Um. Lady Magnolia—”
“Magnolia, please, Erin. We’re all friends here, aren’t we?”
“Oh, right, sorry—um, well, you know that I’m from another world, don’t you?”
“I do indeed.”
Erin stared at Lady Magnolia as her hand hovered over a chess piece. She felt that was far too calm a response. Lady Magnolia noticed Erin’s expression and waved a hand.
“Please. I know how extraordinary this is, but I have had quite a while to process this fact. And what kind of [Lady] would I be if I were not collected and calm at all times? I know you are from another world. I know the other charming young men and women downstairs are from another world. That is why I have gathered you all here.”
She moved a piece forwards and took one of Erin’s knights. Erin frowned. She’d played a great counter to Lady Magnolia’s move, but suddenly she’d just lost two pieces in a cunning fork that had completely blindsid
ed her. That was normal—but Erin couldn’t believe Lady Magnolia had seen through her so quickly.
Amazing. She tried to focus on the conversation as she continued playing, focusing harder on her pieces.
“Uh—well—then why are we all here?”
Lady Magnolia studied Erin for a second, and then deftly moved a bishop out of harm’s way. Not immediate harm’s way, but out of a trap that would have come two moves later.
“Well, I hope you will stay here. Now that you have seen my small estate, I hoped I would be able to convince you and perhaps even Ryoka to accept my hospitality for as long as you stay in this world. You will say yes, won’t you?”
Something was seriously wrong. Not about the conversation, but on the chess board. Erin could sense it. Lady Magnolia was no great player. She was good, but nowhere near as good as someone who’d memorized opening and strategies like Erin. Her opening game had shown that, and even now she made small mistakes no seasoned player would make simply by virtue of experience.
And yet, she kept hitting Erin in exactly the worst places, or started pulling her pieces out of the way when Erin tried to attack or set traps. It was almost as if she could read Erin’s mind.
Maybe she could. Erin glanced up. Lady Magnolia was smiling at her.
“Um, sorry. What did you say?”
The other woman blinked. So did Ressa. Erin grinned sheepishly.
“I’m so sorry. It’s just that when I get into chess, I sort of—sorry!”
“Not at all, not at all. Do excuse me. I should be focusing on the game as well.”
Lady Magnolia moved a piece forwards, blocking Erin’s advance that would have threatened her Rook. Erin frowned. Maybe—
She moved a pawn forwards. It was a ranging attempt, meant to pressure Magnolia’s pieces back so Erin could get a shot at her King.
Lady Magnolia castled. Erin saw the move, and felt the pieces fall into place. She looked up, and saw Lady Magnolia’s smiling again. She had such a nice smile.
“I was just wondering if you would stay here. If you would, I would greatly appreciate—”
