Otherworldly - A Shadowed Awakening

Fall of Autumn, Week 5, Day 7

"Lady Eunora Dawn, of the Ancestral County of Dawn, the Fourth Light of Dawn."

The announcement was delivered drolly, with a dry tone. Madame Griselda hardly seemed interested in the events at all—though I knew the truth. This, much like my cordiality, was a test. A test of matching her attitude. I wanted to sigh, to do as I wanted. To be free. Instead, I looked to the men, standing up quickly from their seats to fall into deep bows. Even Edwin, who knew me, bowed to match his father and brother.

I tilted my head at Madame Griselda and she gestured in a so-so movement. I looked back at the Horuses and said, "Rise, Viscount Horus, there is no need for such deep bows between allied houses."

Viscount Horus, with his bear-like build towered over me when he stood straight—but he was nowhere near as tall as Oberon, and likely not even half as strong. Thus, I was unafraid. Yet, when his expression settled, his face struck an odd cord within me. It was familiar, yet not, similar—just enough—to the look Evenor, my father, had given me all those months ago. Of disinterest.

"We value your grace, Lady Dawn. And our fealty remains with the Dawns through all times, good or bad."

I narrowed my eyes, and recognized the slight as one Madame Griselda had prepared me for. Viscount Horus didn't like me, not because he knew anything about me but because I was the Fourth Light of Dawn. A child so far from inheritance I would have to be the next coming of Queen Esther to grab my own power. Which, while comical, actually was not too far from what had happened. I had a [Class] that was more powerful at age 8 than most would be by the time they hit thirty. All that to say he was proclaiming loyalty to the Dawns, not to me.

Which was fine by me, I didn't want such a petty man by my side—Edwin had to learn it from someone. And though Edwin was cute, with his cherub-like features and bad attitude, such things were much less cute on adults.

"Please, let me introduce myself and my sons." Viscount Horus smiled tightly. "I am Viscount Easton Julian Horus. This is my heir apparent, young Lord Ydo Horus, and my latest Awakened son, young Lord Edwin Horus, who you know."

I let a matching smile form on my face, it was a kind thing though as I glanced between the three of them. "A pleasure, I'm sure, Lords of Horus. May the Light of Dawn shine ever so brightly on your futures. "

Technically, if I wanted to be polite, I would have said less. I would have made them feel seen but not important. Yet, Madame Griselda had not said polite. She said cordial. Pleasant, but not overly friendly. Kind, but not necessarily considerate. Friendly, but not to the level of friends.

"Please, Lady Dawn, take your place," Viscount Horus said, shifting to gesture to the table behind him. It was oval, with two seats on either side of the long edge and a single seat at the head of the table.

That was the one I took.

To my right sat Madame Griselda, and to my left sat the Viscount.

I wish I could say I grew tired, that it grew tedious to speak with double meanings and to decipher the petty jabs underneath.

It didn't, though. It was as in elsewhere. Someone was gunning for me, wishing for my demise, and the best way to show them that it was a pointless endeavor was to outmaneuver them. To talk in such a way that there were no faults to find, no weaknesses to take advantage of.

Every word, every insult veiled as a pledge of fealty, every innocent remark, they were weapons. And with little Eunora's anxiety silent, I was able to respond in kind.

With a sharp tongue and a sharper wit.

[Sophism]

As the world slowed and my body froze, I couldn't help but to bubble a laugh in my head. To use [Sophism] as it was meant was to see more than just the Path of Order or the Path of Chaos. It was, at its heart, a Skill I could use to give me more paths. Specifically, the Path of Nora. My own choices built up brick by brick.

I would use [Sophism] offensively. It was so much more than just what the description said, after all. All of my Skills were—hitting the First Threshold had altered my capabilities to terrifying degrees. Now was the time to use my Divine Skills to the max.

Even [Steal Nerves] if it came down to it.

Ultimately, it did not come down to it.

Viscount Horus, Lord Ydo, and Lord Edwin were, for the most part, fine. They said a few insulting things about commoners I had been expecting and I had to spend the entirety of the time [Sophism] gave me raging in my head, but I remained polite, pleasant, boarding on docile.

It felt annoying and awkward, but not too terrible.

I was sure it would be fine as time went along.

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"We must be going, Lords of Horus, thank you for joining our Lady for lunch." Madame Griselda stood slowly, and the Lords of Horus looked pleased with themselves.

For them to misunderstand. To feel as though they were the winners of this bout, it meant I had done as Madame Griselda had instructed.

It meant I had done well.

Lovely. I sighed internally.

As the Lords of Horus left, I looked to Madame Griselda and sank my chin into my palm. "Want to join and go to the glassworks? I have pieces to commission."

Madame Griselda huffed a light laugh. "No, thank you. I doubt my son would appreciate me enabling you being late for your first set of exams."

"I'm not going to be late, I have hours until I'm supposed to be back."

The woman shot me a look and I pursed my lips.

"Fine, if we're late I'll take the blame."

"That is not how this works, my Lady." Madame Griselda peered out into the hall outside the private dining area and verified that the Lords of Horus were gone. "Not bad, my Lady. Overall good job. A few notes. But nothing that cannot wait until our next lesson."

I nodded, popping up and pushing the door fully open. "All right, then I've got places to be and exams to be late for. See you on Second Day, Madame Griselda."

"See you then, Lady Nora."

Laughing at the pinched way she addressed me, I rejoined Sylvie and Juniper in the hall and left the woman behind.

"To the glassworks, then?" I asked lightly.

"Your will be done, my Lady," Sylvie said, her monotone voice grating my ears.

Ignoring the older girl, I flexed my hands—stretching the tendons in my fingers one by one—before we met the knights and squires out front.

Loading up in the carriage, I watched Sylvie chatting with Dame Arella. The knight didn't look thrilled at what the maid was saying but when Dame Arella glanced my way her eyes softened.

"Do you think Sylvie said something rude to Dame Arella?" I looked at Juniper curiously.

The girl pressed her lips together, staying silent.

"You do!" I gasped.

Juniper worked her jaw. "I think Sylvie is an exceptionally hard worker, my Lady."

"I don't think that's what I asked."

"I think Sylvie is an exceptional Lady's Maid."

I tilted my head, narrowing my eyes. "Yeah, I agree."

"I do not think Sylvie is an exceptionally nice person."

I blinked.

"I agree," I laughed, "wholeheartedly. So, you do think she said something rude?"

Juniper glanced at Sylvie, who was turning to approach, and leaned close to whisper, "Of course she did. She's Sylvie."

I felt a grin spread and leaned my head up against the window just as Juniper settled back into her seat and Sylvie came within earshot. We settled our smiles and silenced ourselves.

She shot us a suspicious look but didn't say anything.

"Juniper," Sylvie said, her voice uncharacteristically light, "Have you received the general [Wash] Skill yet?"

Sighing, the girl in question slumped her shoulders. "No."

"Good, then that's what we'll work on this week."

I cringed as she closed her eyes and gave a dejected, "Of course, Sylvie."

It was a quiet ride, for the most part, and most of it was around the edge of town. The wall towered above the carriage, and it made for a boring scene. I wound up flexing my shadows into different shapes while Noir, Shade, and Haze lounged beside me in a pile.

Sylvie refused to look at the shadows shifting, but Juniper kept her eyes glued to them.

When we arrived to a small house right by one of the side gates, I was able to peer out of the town and see the forest. The branches twitched in the wind and a chill went down my spine. I turned my back on the trees.

All they reminded me of was the horrifying visage of blights terrorizing the Duchy on Eve's commands. I had no desire to be a party to that. I just wanted to live long enough to leave this place in one piece. And, perhaps, one day leave Evelyn and her hate behind.

Instead, I focused on the sight in front of me. The walls of the house were a pale grey and the windows dashed with streaks of brilliant color. It looked as if the glass itself was a watercolor painting. I opened the door and a light jingle rang through the front room.

It was both a living space and a showroom. With panes of glass layered up against walls and small figurines on shelves and displayed on pedestals at the edges of the sofas.

"Mr. Twern?" I called, taking in the empty front room. It was smaller than in Perry, but no less beautiful.

In the back of a shop, I heard a man shouting and calling out, though I couldn't make it out through the closed doors between us. Then I heard several responding shouts and a man jolted up from behind the counter. He looked on the lower end of twenty, with pale green hair and mismatching eyes—one a brilliant blue and the other a smoldering orange.

"Yes, dad! I got it!" His voice was tinged with the hoarseness of sleep and he rubbed his eyes. When his gaze settled on Juniper and I, he gave a sheepish smile. "Welcome to Twern's Glass Forge. How can I help you?"

"Is Micah Twern in?" I asked.

"Unfortunately, dad is in the middle of a very temperamental project today." He looked over his shoulder briefly. "But I can take your order down and give it to him tonight. He'll likely be able to review it then, if you come back tomorrow."

I frowned. Tomorrow was when I had been planning on spending the entire day in Twilight. If I came into town, it was over an hour here and back, then an hour for chatting—and of course I'd want to get a Mistlight Latte. That's over two and a half hours.

"All right, I won't be able to get back until the afternoon. But I'll leave the references with you."

"All right, Miss—uh, Miss?" The young Twern asked, a pen appearing in his palm and a paper spreading across the counter.

"Nora," I said gently.

"Right, Miss Nora"—he jotted down my name at the top of the paper—"what are you looking for today?"

I pulled out the small knit panda and lizard that I had crocheted so long ago. Months. The original Haze and Shade.

"I would like glass replicas of these."

The man peered down at the two knit animals before nodding and asking, "Same colors?"

"Yes, please."