Chapter 31 - Blue Gowns and Blunt Words
All eyes turned as someone stepped into the room. A woman with shoulder-length chestnut hair stood at the entrance, dressed in a flowing blue gown partially layered with dark silver armor. Her outfit alone spoke volumes: elegant, finely tailored, and clearly of exceptional quality. Her sharp eyes scanned the room, though her expression softened almost immediately, shifting into something more relaxed and warm.
The others stood to welcome her, an air of quiet respect filling the space.
"Oh, hi everyone," she said with an easy smile, stepping further into the room. "Whoa... everyone's already here," she added with a small laugh. "Sorry about that. Orion is probably still out there being lazy."
She appeared to be around the same age as Tave, which aligned perfectly with what he knew. She was eighteen.
In the original version of the story, Orion had been the one destined to inherit the title of the city's next Lord. But things didn't unfold as expected. His pride, unchecked and growing, would ultimately lead to his downfall. The position he once seemed fated to claim slipped through his fingers, and in the aftermath, it was Oriana who would rise to take his place.
With a calm and graceful air, Oriana stepped closer to Lily and offered her a gentle smile.
"Hi, Lily," she greeted.
"Hi, Lady Oriana. It's good to see you, and I'm really glad I get to be in the same squad as you," Lily replied.
"You're incredibly polite and just so cute," Oriana said with a grin. "You're the youngest on this team, right? So if anyone gives you trouble, just come to me. I'll make sure they regret it."
She paused, then shifted her gaze to the right of Lily. Her eyes landed on Tave, who responded with a respectful bow.
"Oh... you're the eldest child of Commander Logan, aren't you?"