I had been chosen. It wasn't surprising; even though Viscount Enaris was rather unemotive and as warm as the winter's chill. He couldn't hide the approval in his voice as we parted ways. 17 of the 37 girls were rejected immediately. There still wasn't a clear code of dress, but Beth reassured me that the maid's uniform was the best bet. Baron Redstone or Baroness Vinlan's colors? It was a guess, regardless, and there was precious little information regarding what the other girls were wearing; it was a competition after all.
So, we were in Lydia's store once again as I tried on a more elegant version of Darion's standard maid uniform. Accompanying me were Yarah and Beth, both examining me closely. The carriage to take me to the inner keep would arrive today.
"Are you sure we should stay with the black?" I asked both women.
"It's your best color, and besides, no one else will wear it. You're going up against women who have been taught etiquette since they could walk. Uniqueness and novelty can see you through. If there was one thing nobility liked, it was showing off something that they have that others lack. And no nobleman, as far as I know, has a northern maiden dressed in Ferosian colors in their service," Beth explained for the third time.
"You underestimate your looks too much, Myr. You're pretty by any standard." Yarah said.
I rolled my eyes, knowing my beauty was only in her beholding. I'll admit I look unique, even striking, considering I had grown even paler, since I was rarely in the sun, and filled out decently. But the dainty womanly beauty that aristocrats preferred simply wasn't in my purview.
My cheekbones were too sharp, my eyes, too challenging. Yarah's husband-to-be, who didn't know I was in her spare room after our drinking, described me as having the face of a predator.
"It will be fine, Myr, just remember elegance, poise, and of course never rise to provocation. Women can be petty and, given the motivation, even more, ruthless than men," Beth warned.
That, she didn't have to tell me, considering how I grew up. After draining the last of my coin to Lydia, we set out.
~
I stood outside Darion's Dish, a trunk packed with all my belongings sat to my left. I had to leave my dagger behind since my trunk would be searched. Darion, Yarah, Hewit, and Beth were seeing me off.
"Can't believe it hasn't even been a year and you're off to the keep," Hewit said, shaking his head.
"Some people are just lucky, Hewit," Yarah said.
"Thank you all for everything. Let's hope I don't get sent packing on my first day. That would be quite the embarrassment." I said to everyone.
"Please, this is the least, and we believe in you. Now come here, let me see you off properly." Beth pulled me into a hug; she was just now starting to show a bump.
Darion followed; he held me by my shoulders, staring into my face. "I wonder if it would have been like this with Inara?" He mumbled to himself.
They seldom spoke of their dead child, and I never asked. Perhaps if I remained, and the bond between us grew, they would share more. But now wasn't the time to think about such things.
A carriage pulled up in front of the eatery. The driver, in the baron's colors, blues and reds, stepped down and approached, "Here for a Lady Myr." He said with an exceptionally aristocratic manner of speaking.
"Aye, that's me." He looked me up and down with a slight amount of confusion. My dark clothing usually caught people off guard.
"Very Good, Lady, if you would accompany me."
The driver opened the door for the carriage. I'd never actually ridden in a proper covered carriage before, so I was mildly curious. Inside, the seats were made of soft cushions, and there was a curtain hanging, blocking the shuttered window. I turned to Beth, Yarah, Hewitt, and Darion.
‘Keep going forward, Myr. Don't stop. Never regret.’
With a final wave, the driver closed the door, and with a crack of the reins, the carriage rolled forward.
There was a wall around the Baron's keep. The tall grey stone structures had guards walking along the walls, occasionally stopping, and looking down past the crenellations. They all wore impressively polished steel armor with red and blue capes. A guard stopped us before we passed through the portcullis. My driver and the guards had a short conversation before we were moving again. With curiosity, I glanced out the carriage windows up at the large iron gate held aloft by chains as thick as my thigh.
‘I suppose this is step four complete.’
~
The castle was impressive; it was a large grey stone structure with massive interconnected towers. The central courtyard was stunning. White stone paths crossed, leading to different sections of the keep. What was most surprising was the greenery. Beautiful flowers and thick, well-manicured grass were everywhere. In the center was a beautiful fountain. It was a little more than a large circular pool, roughly 20 feet across. What was interesting was the thirty pillars of water, spouting at least 20 feet into the air. With the morning sun reflecting off the spray of water, it was mesmerizing to watch. It had to be magic, but with everything magic-related, I couldn't begin to understand how it worked.
The carriage was parked off to one side near the entrance, and the driver opened the door for me. "Follow me, my Lady,"
I followed the driver through the pathways, passing the impressively dressed nobility. The castle was like a maze, but the man navigated it as if it were his own home. The halls were clean, the floors polished to a shine. Paintings, weapons, arms, and armor adorned the walls of the halls. Magnificent portraits of the previous Barons and their families stared at me as we walked past. After passing through a few halls and doors, the finery decreased until we exited near the rear of the keep. This area seemed to be the servants' quarters. There were several stone buildings, and milling around were decently dressed men and women running to complete whatever tasks they were assigned.
We reached a small building, near the northeastern edge of the keep. He opened the doors and gestured for me to enter. It seemed to be a simple sitting area with tables, chairs, and lit lanterns. Inside the room were 19 girls, roughly my age. They were all dressed as impressively or more, depending on their status. Some wore impressive dresses while others were in fine-tailored maid servant uniforms. Half of them were in the baron's colours, while others wore greens, golds, purples; there was no consistency.
19 pairs of eyes looked at me as I entered and set my bag to one side.
"Remain here for the time being. The head maid will be here promptly," The man said and turned to leave before I could answer.
Curiously enough, quite a few of the girls I recognized. Darion's Dish was rather popular after all. By the looks, they recognized me as well.
I couldn't remember any of their names. The power structure was easy to determine. In the center of ten women was a true work of art. Bright sun blonde hair, delicate face, and blue eyes. Every bit the classical beauty the stories spoke of. Every girl in the room was lovely to a degree; at the very least, I wasn't at the bottom. One girl was quite hefty, twice the size of anyone else, and another seemed to be cursed to have significant amounts of pustules from her maturing. Thankfully, I only had a few, and they went away quickly.
The loveliest, I noticed first, was dressed in a beautifully made purple satin maid uniform with gold embroidery and amethyst earrings. They were split into two groups, and I wasn't exactly sure what the dividing line was. Though for all the arrogance and beauty on offer, they were all commoners. No noble, regardless of station, would have a daughter work as a handmaiden. A lady in waiting or companion, certainly, but not a servant.
I wasn't interested in conversation, so I found a seat away from the two groups and busied myself doing nothing.
Though it wasn't long before the smaller group came over. I sighed, rolled my eyes, and prepared myself for some stupidity.
The leader of the second group was a familiar brown-haired girl with green eyes. She wore dark green maid uniforms and smiled sweetly.
"Don't I know you from somewhere?" she asked.
"Your mother literally tried to marry me to your brother. Exactly how could you not know me?" I said nonplussed. Yes, she was the only daughter of Lady Nanette. Subtly insulting each other, I observed, was how many of the well-to-do girls and women fought. I had no patience for such things.
She blinked and frowned, clearly not expecting my terse response. She sniffed, trying to play it off. "Ah, right, sorry, one maid servant looks the same as any other. Myr, correct. Do forgive me."
Some of the girls snickered at the insult.
I copied Viscout Enaris's exact, hand-raise and expression, "Forgiven, not everyone has as good a memory as I do."
The sniggering stopped.
Gemma, I believed her name was, looked down at me disdainfully and kissed her teeth, "Should have known a barbarian wouldn't have proper decorum."
I was already exhausted by the conversation. It was such a waste of energy. I had been mocked and ridiculed in every fashion since I could understand language; her little insults meant nothing. Besides, after today, half of us will be sent home. If she were still around then, perhaps her existence would mean something.
Before I could utter another remark, in walked a woman in fine maid's clothing, sporting the Baron's colors. She was silver-haired and had steel blue eyes. Her face was carved from stone.
"Outside, all of you, the Baroness will be here momentarily." Without another word, she turned on her heels and left the room.
Awkward glances were exchanged before we followed her out the door.
She stood a few feet away, hand behind her back, and started speaking, "Line up hand width apart, keep your heads down, and do not speak unless spoken to."
Some girls sniffed at being spoken to so disrespectfully. But all followed her commands. 20 girls stood in line outside the doors, shoulder to shoulder, looking down at the cobbled ground. No one spoke. After a minute. I heard the woman shout, "I SAID HEADS DOWN,"
That was enough to frighten the rest of the girls into compliance. After being shouted at by my mother for most of my life, this was nothing. Five, ten, fifteen; after twenty minutes, I wondered if the woman was simply cruel, but none of us was willing to walk away. Still, the woman stood there facing us, watching keenly for anyone who wasn't doing as she said.
Finally, I could hear the clicking of boots and the rattle of metal armor. "Heads down, I won't say it again." She reprimanded another girl.
The clicking of heels became louder until it stopped next to the head maid. All I saw was a gold and purple, voluminous dress with complex embroidery. But I dared not lift my head.
"My Lady, thank you for gracing us with your presence," the head maid said.
"Think nothing of it, Denice. So, this is the lot? " Surian said. No doubt examining us.
"Yes, all were approved by Viscount Enaris. By your will, My lady, we can proceed with the selection." The head maid, whose name was Denice, said.
Denice and Surian walked to the leftmost girl. "Eyes forward," Surian said, examining the girl for a handful of moments, then moving on. She made neither sign nor sound of disapproval, or at least from what I could see. The process repeated until she reached me.
I counted the seconds. After thirty, she said, "Eyes forward."
I almost didn't hold back my gasp. I was met face to face with Baroness Surian Redstone, or was it Vinlan? in all her glory. She was stunning, her hair was silver blonde and perfectly arranged with complex braids tied into a jeweled diadem around her head. Her eyes were a deep green like leaves or grass. Her purple dress was decorated with complex gold embroidery. Her earrings were inset with emeralds. Around her neck, fingers, and wrists were more gold and emeralds.
‘Gold and purple. Were those the best color choices? ‘
She was the very picture of a wealthy and privileged noblewoman. Though she was only a year older, she carried herself with an incredible amount of poise. Likely drilled into her from the moment she could walk.
Her head tilted to the side, considering me. After around thirty more seconds, she moved on to the next girl.
After the last girl was examined, she walked off with Denice and had a short conversation. The baroness left without another glance at any of us.
In a repeat of earlier, Denice went to the leftmost girl and said, "Step forward."
She repeated the process following the line to the right-most girl. She didn't tell me to step forward, which was worrying.
"Charles, escort the Ladies back to their homes; the rest of you remain."
There were some almost silent curses and groans of disappointment, but none were stupid enough to cause a scene.
Twelve of us remained. I was disappointed to see the stunning girl in gold and Gemma remaining.
"Don't congratulate yourself yet. You have much training to do before you can properly serve a noblewoman. You will not complain, you will do as you are told, nothing less will do. If you cannot perform your task to the level required, then you will be sent home. Now, grab your things and follow me to your lodgings."
~
I walked at the rear of the group of girls. Sizing up my competition.
‘Closer and closer to my goal, somewhere in this keep is a magus. Surely there was some way I could learn. I just have to wait for an opportunity.’
We walked along the outer building, and eventually, we passed what could only be described as a massive energy furnace. It was at least 20 times the size of the one near Darion's Dish. The flue was at least 15 feet wide and 150 feet tall, with massive steel doors. Around the base were six intake tubes so wide I could probably stand inside. Next to it were tons of chopped wood stacked high.
‘How in the world was this constructed? In pieces? I can hear a constant rush of air flowing into it and the roar of a raging fire inside. What in the world could the thing be powering?’