Lois bounced her feet in excitent as she got ready for the day. With keen concentration and a warm smile, she rummaged through, searching for the best dress for the day.
She picked the first one and nodded. It was elegant, stylish, and fitting for her skin color, but that wasn’t what the young woman was looking for.
Lois threw the dress behind her, letting it fly in the air, only to end up in a heap of other close-enough-but-not-it dresses.
The young woman was searching for sothing else, sothing that would stand out in a way she would be recognized in the dark. Not sothing different per se.
Rather, sothing the sa. A dress that had a twin, so she would pick it out for herself and Jenna. Ever since Lois realized the reason Rhane had held on to her, she wasn’t going to let the opportunity slip.
One more encounter... just one more. Maybe in a hidden place and all alone with Rhane, with her dress looking the sa as Jenna’s. And everything she had planned the previous night would be put into place.
Lois paused halfway through digging through the old box of orris-reeked dresses. She raised her face, pushing the streaks of hair that almost fell into her mouth back. The young woman knitted her brows worriedly.
Rhane had left in a really bad shape the previous night; it passed being drunk. The man was bleeding. What if he didn’t make it for the next tournant?
Lois felt her heart jump, then slip. What if Rhane died? She swallowed softly. She hadn’t thought about it that way.
"No...he’s stronger, I know."
"What?" A maiden searching for a dress asked, touching her chest.
Lois shook her head with a small smile. "Please don’t mind . Go on...go ahead with your task."
When the woman turned, Lois closed her eyes and sighed. She turned around, biting her lower lip, her mind drifting back to her earlier worries.
She didn’t consider that she had risked Rhane’s life by leaving his wounds untended for too long. But also... if he eventually survived, he might not be fit enough to make it to the event.
"That would be the lord’s work," Lois whispered this ti, her voice very faint. Yet a doubt still lingered. She had seen Rhane’s eyes during the drinking contest that man had the resolve of an oak. He wouldn’t give up as long as he could move his hands.
Lois returned to searching for a dress. If Rhane didn’t make it— great. But if he did, then she had to be ready. Everything should and would work to her favor.
Picking up a white dress with pearls of teal color adorning the tail and waist down, Lois grinned.
"This is it..." she murmured coolly, raising the second one that looked exactly the sa but with a different color of pearls decorating the bodice.
All she had to do was send the dress to Jenna to wear, and they’d all be ready. Folding the dress Jenna would wear neatly, Lois changed into her own dress before stepping out of the room.
Almost at Jenna’s room, Lois caught sight of the young man who had ruined everything for her and Rhane last night. Wasting no ti, she hid behind one of the pillars and watched him from there. It seed like he was having an argunt with one of their servants.
Lois pressed her lips together. Why had the young man co to et Jenna alone? Was Rhane quitting? Did he die?
"This won’t do," Lois mused. She needed to get a little closer in order to hear what the young man had co to say but without being seen. She didn’t have the energy to explain and argue with the young man.
And just when so group of young won passed by, Lois followed them but stopped at a pillar that was closer to the n. She leaned in and listened.
"Tell my mistress Percy is here," Percy replied tiredly, as if tired of explaining.
The servant in front of the door chuckled. "Try another lie. I am the only Percy around here," he said with a scoff.
Percy swore under his breath, pulling his hair in frustration. He had arrived at this hall earlier but hadn’t been able to et Jenna. All he wanted to do was let Jenna know of Rhane’s situation before leaving to et Kali, yet an imposter had stopped him, claiming to be Percy.
"You know..." Percy began with a soft, annoyed chuckle, "You can be beheaded for claiming a na that isn’t yours."
The other servant nodded. "I’m glad you know of it. Now leave before you’re caught." He eyed Percy suspiciously. "Who sent you to pose as ?"
"Impo— as— oh sweet heavens help Percy." Percy cried, his cheeks flaming red with annoyance. "You will move because I say it... Rhane sent here to deliver a—"
The servant blinked. "Master Rhane? He sent you?"
"Yes!" Percy said, for crying out loud.
The servant grinned ear to ear, shaking Percy’s shoulder in a friendly manner. "You should have begun with that... I didn’t know Master sent another one. And what is his love for this na Percy?"
"I don’t know! Percy is my na!" Percy was losing his mind.
The servant twitched his lips. " too. I like the na. Percy... has a nice sound to it."
Percy closed his eyes. He didn’t have this luxury at all to dawdle. "Move, I have to see my mistress."
"The answer would be no," the second Percy refused, not moving from his position. "If Master Rhane sent you, that ans you work for him too... but how co I’ve never seen you? You’re not one of us, are you?"
Percy sat on his heels and scread internally, his head buried between his knees.
"Who sent you? What do you intend to do with the master’s woman?"
Percy got on his knees, not out of plea but exhaustion. "Lady Jenna is my mistress and I... heaven help ." He stood up, then pointed at the servant.
"I was sent by Rhane. I need the mistress to know that Rhane is unwell and not fit to go ahead with the tournant, but he forced himself to go. Now I need to get to the estate and be with Kali."
The servant widened his eyes. "Wait, my master is unwell... and you— you know Master Kali too?"
"Yes!!"
The servant frowned. "But how?" he asked innocently.
"Because I work for— oh bloody—" Percy grabbed his neck and closed his eyes.
The servant gave Percy a knowing look, then nodded. "I’ll inform the lady of what you have said. She needs to watch out for my master... but I don’t trust you enough to go in by yourself. Master will kill if anything happens to her."
Percy rubbed his eyes tiredly. At least his mistress was safe under this nosy, annoying, scrawny looki—
"What are you looking at?" the servant asked with a glare.
Percy waved his hand dismissively. "Nothing at all," he replied. "You promise to let my mistress know so she can care for—"
"Yes... of course," the servant interrupted. "Trust . I owe my master my life. He gave a life and a na. I will make sure to report this to his woman."
That was enough, Percy thought to himself. As long as Jenna knew. He turned to leave, but before then he said, "Ask your master to pick another na... Percy is taken."
"Goodbye, my fellow Percy," the servant grinned, waving at Percy.
Percy cursed under his breath. He glanced at Jenna’s room once more. Never a day in his life did he think he’d be stopped by a re servant from seeing the mistress he served.
The mont Percy left the hallway, Lois, who had been eavesdropping, stepped out from behind the pillar. The short conversation confused her, two n claiming one na but out of everything, she got one thing...
Rhane was still active in the tournant! Lois bit her inner cheeks. As much as she hated it for him, she got to hear that he was still unwell.
Another opportunity. This had to be fate.
Turning around to make sure the other young man had left the hallway, Lois made her way to Jenna’s room.
"If he’s really one of us... why call Master his na—"
Lois t the servant speaking to himself, and she cleared her throat.
"Good morning, my lady," the other Percy greeted with a bow.
Lois acknowledged with a nod. "And Jenna?"
"Oh... she’s resting. I am only here in case she needs sothing," the unsuspecting servant inford.
Lois humd. She took a closer look at the servant. "Don’t you serve in the kitchen?"
"Yes... I do, but Lady Rachel asked for soone to stand here and watch out for Lady Jenna," the servant replied.
Lois tucked her hair behind her ear. It didn’t matter to her why Jenna needed to be watched. She pushed her hand forward and handed a dress to the servant.
"Give this to Jenna when she wakes up. She’ll need a dress to attend the Trial of the Veil."
The Percy took the dress and bowed deeply. "Thank you so much for caring about our mis- I an, Lady Jenna." The servant slapped his mouth.
"Mm." Lois gave a quick nod, then turned and left. Now all that was left was for her to prepare everything needed to care for Rhane. She was a step ahead of Jenna. Lois hoped it’d remain the sa until Rhane beca hers finally.
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