TYWS Chapter 25
The carriage ride had been moderately silent, as they usually had been between the pair, owing to Siffia's usual shyness and Eris's typical stern taciturnity. However, the trip from the Viscount’s manor to the palace where the banquet was taking place was quite a bit longer than their usual rides. As over twenty minutes soon passed, and Siffia was desperately trying to stifle the drowsiness that was threatening to wash over her, the unexpected muffled groan from the seat across from her made Siffia sit up in her seat a little and finally speak up.
“Um, Lady Eris, are you… perhaps feeling a bit strangely today?”
Though Eris had tried diligently to hide it, Siffia hadn’t spent so many days in close proximity to Eris with nothing to show for it; She could tell that the other woman wasn’t quite moving with as much energy as she usually did.
At first Eris raised her eyebrows in surprise at Siffia’s observation. But soon she sighed and smiled a slight and wry grin, throwing away her feigned composure and slumping inelegantly against the wall of the carriage .
“Hmm, it seems you’ve caught me. I’m actually quite tired at the moment.”
“Oh… Is there anything wrong?”
Eris waved her hand at her concern, laughing softly at the worry that appeared on Siffia’s face.
“No no, nothing of the sort. There were simply… a great amount of annoyances that decided to keep me up last night.”
Her eyes slightly blurred at the memory of her infuriating meeting with her father, of how she’d gone down to the training ground to work through her tangled emotions, and how her youngest brother had ambushed her as if he’d had been waiting and found ways to aggravate her even further. He’d demanded that she spar with him, even though it was obvious who the winner would be. Even after she’d swiftly defeated him, he’d refused to leave, noisily demanding rematch after rematch, making it impossible for her to train and focus as she’d desired. In the end, as the night stretched on and encompassed all things, she was ultimately forced to give up and return to her room, annoyed and deeply unsatisfied. Even now, she still didn’t know how to feel about yesterday’s events, putting on a facade of continuous aloofness as she desperately put off sifting through the unsorted mess that was her feelings.
Eris’s gaze shifted onto the unsuspecting root of all of her previous night’s problems, her eyes narrowing in a predatory fashion, and her mouth forming a teasing smirk.
“...But it seems that I’m not alone in being tired. The maids may have applied makeup onto you expertly enough to cover it up, but I’ve seen the bags that are trying to form under your eyes. It would seem that it wasn’t only last night that our dear Lady Heston hasn’t gotten enough sleep.”
Siffia blushed and squirmed at the accusation, raising her hands as if to hide Eris’s view of where her eyebags would be. It was already much too late, however; Eris knew exactly what was happening. Though her eyes remained narrowed, a large triumphant smile had carved itself across Eris’s face.
“It would seem that you’ve been quite busy with the ‘get well present’ that I sent you, to sacrifice so much sleep in devotion to training with it.”
“Ah-!”
Siffia couldn’t help but jump slightly at being so accurately called out. She was deeply embarrassed, as if she were some child who’d been caught staying up late to play with a new toy.
“W-well, I… I’d never seen such a fascinating training gem before… Healing magic isn’t very widespread, as you know, and it’s so incredibly useful and amazing… A-and besides, it was a gift, so… So…”
Eris chuckled quietly at Siffia’s muttered excuses, watching her flounder for a while longer before leaning back and spreading her arms along the back of the seat she was sitting in, looking for all the world like some kind of villain. The smirk on her face only served to make her look all the more sinister.
“I see. How nice to know you enjoyed my little present. However, don’t be too amazed by such a measly little gem. I’m sure the next gift I have planned for you will be even more 'amazing'.”
“Wh… What?”
Siffia repeatedly blinked, a worried expression filling her face as she realized that Eris was planning to spend an even more exorbitant amount of money on something.
“Wait, L-Lady Eris, you-”
“Hmm hmm hmm~... If the next words out of your mouth are about to be ‘no’ then I’m afraid I won’t be listening, Lady Siffia.”
“B-but Lady Eris-!”
“Hmm, but speaking of my get well presents, did you manage to eat the cake? And the elixir? You still seem quite undernourished, so perhaps I’ll have to oversee your diet for a while...”
“W-we’re not talking about that right now! Yes, I did enjoy the cake, and the elixir was a… very nice sentiment, but-”
“Ah yes, I suppose it could be that just one elixir simply isn’t enough. Should I send you even more? Or perhaps you require one of a higher grade to heal your malnourishment?”
“What, no, I don’t need any elixirs!!! They’re not meant for such a thing as malnourishment anyways, and in the first place I’m not malnourished!”
“Well, but perhaps I’ll have to wait for after all the victory banquets have finished. Perhaps the rest of you would be fine, but that ample bosom of yours might just pop out of the dresses if it were to suddenly grow more. It would be quite a sight to behold, but...”
Siffia immediately went quiet from the unexpected topic, watching open mouthed in shock as Eris trailed off with her eyes stuck rudely in place just a short distance down from where Siffia’s necklace hung. Her face lit up like a fire, and she couldn’t help the short mortified squeak that escaped her as she crossed her arms to cover herself from Eris’s eyes drilling into her.
“L-lady Eris, you must stop this!!!”
“...Ah, hmm, yes. ...My apologies.”
Eris blinked rapidly, coming back to herself and crossing her arms while looking away.
“...It would appear that I became lost in thought.”
“...”
Siffia didn’t buy it for one second, and yet wasn’t courageous enough to refute Eris’s words. In the end, the pair simply opted to stay quiet, both of them stewing in uncomfortable embarrassment until the carriage finally arrived at its destination.
~~~
For the first time since her younger years, Siffia didn’t arrive alone at an event, being valiantly helped out of the carriage by Eris, who offered her hand to her like the most gallant of escorts. Siffia had expected it to simply be a kind gesture meant only for the moment, but Eris had unexpectedly kept her palm up on offer like a proper noble escort would, even after helping her down. With a light blush slowly coloring her glittering cheeks, Siffia couldn’t help but bat her eyelashes and delicately place the tips of her fingers where she remembered they were meant to go, bashfully biting her lip. She felt like some kind of princess, protected by the most beautiful of knights. Even as they began to slowly make their way into the venue and attracted stare after stare by those already in attendance, Siffia for once didn’t feel like they were scorning her, or thought she didn’t fit in.
She looked pretty, and had arrived with the most beautiful person she’d ever seen. She felt as if she truly belonged this time.
As custom dictated, until the Royal family announced the official start of the banquet, it was inappropriate to approach someone that you weren’t close with. It had been a rule that Siffia had never quite cared about, not having anyone to meet with even after the signal had been granted. However, now that she’d come with someone, she couldn’t help but appreciate getting time alone with her at such a fantastical event. Eris, the picture of ladylike poise, diligently escorted her, not sparing any of the nobles who were boring eager holes into them with their eyes even a single glance as she led Siffia to various sights and spots around the venue, stopping to politely explain anything that Siffia might ask.
Though they were only touching lightly by their hands, Siffia felt as if they were particularly connected, as if the point of contact they shared somehow separated them from everyone else. She felt like the most special woman in the world. It was a dreamlike experience that she didn’t ever want to end.
But of course, it was only inevitable for it to be interrupted.
After listening to the queen consort’s speech, the signal was given to officially start the banquet. Though members of royalty were present, none were there to participate, and were simply watching from a raised balcony next to where the queen was seated. Although it was possible that they might come down to join in the festivities later, for now not a one had made such a choice.
As was to be expected, with a lack of royalty to pander towards, the nobles quickly eyed up those with the next highest rank. A Duke was quickly surrounded, and a Marquise followed after.
And of course Eris, who many had been peering at for the past half hour, also made for quite the popular target.
It was to be expected, really. Eris was at the age for marriage, and made for a perfect candidate. Siffia was more than aware how beautiful and capable Eris was, let alone being the only child currently present of the powerful Margrave. Siffia believed that even without her father’s rank coming into play, many people would still swarm after her just for her looks and commanding aura alone.
Not one to disappoint, Siffia could see that Eris didn’t seem pleased with the flood of people coming towards them and did her best to continue flawlessly escorting her. However, when far too many people crowded around and there was nowhere left to go, Eris was forced to sigh and deal with at least a few of them quickly, shooting Siffia the occasional apologetic glances all the while.
At first, Siffia just stood there quietly so as not to get in the way, unsurprised by the situation. She knew how diligent Eris was, and was more than willing to wait everything out by Eris’s side, confident in the belief that Eris would end things as quickly and efficiently as possible and return to elegantly escorting her any moment now. However, as over half an hour of standing there listening to the boring chatter being thrown from multiple desperate people grated more and more on her, Siffia was beginning to feel like a deflating balloon. She couldn’t help but look at Eris in wonder, marveling at how someone who earlier had been just as obviously tired as she was, was able to so expertly handle a crowd like this for so long without showing any hint of her fatigue. Siffia was sure that were it her in such a position, she would have wanted to pass out by now.
Though she tried her hardest to stay by Eris’s side in silent support, Siffia couldn’t handle the alienation and boredom any longer. Perhaps she would have felt a bit different if anyone ever chose to speak a single word to her, but the fact that only Eris’s eyes ever actually looked at her made such a thing completely unlikely. It was as if she were perfectly invisible to everyone else in the crowd. The thought that they might have only seen her as an obstacle, or worse, didn’t register her at all because she was simply too plain, made Siffia no longer want to be there.
And as the fortieth minute passed and her fatigue began to overwhelm her, Siffia took advantage of Eris’s distraction to quietly slip away.