Warm, rosy dawn light fingered its way through her eyelids. Vania woke, groaning slightly, rubbing her eyes. What place is burning, that red light comes through my window? she wondered hazily. As her booted foot hit the hardwood floor, she froze and looked around. Eddin's house. I'm at his place, she reminded herself. The family mansion, more like. Her eyes took in the large room as the morning sunlight brightened. The walls were light lavender, making the room seem brighter as more sunlight came in through the large windows. The blankets on the bed, covers on the pillows, and even the curtains were various shades of purple, blue, violet, or a mixture thereof. The violet room. Apt.
She stood and walked around the room, eyes roving. Along the wall containing the door to the hallway, a chest of drawers sat; a white porcelain basin and ewer waited for use in washing up, a deep violet towel sitting beside them. A door in the wall on the other side of the room led to a small chamber containing chamber pots. Running her hands along the smooth stones of the fireplace, she eyed the plump, cushioned chairs sitting by it, a thick rug on the ground between them. Under the windows sat a large, dark wood desk. The surface was smooth and free of chips, stains, and scratches. A narrow glass vase holding a simple mix of three flowers—one blue, one purple, and one red—sat upon the surface, clear glass winking in the sunlight.
In the far corner, near the door to the chamber pots, a tall folding screen hid a large brass tub. A simple wooden table sat near the edge of the tub, a basket with an array of soaps and glass vials of perfumes and oils begged to be tried. A thick, dark purple towel hung on the edge of the tub.
She walked around the room again slowly, eyes roving over the furniture, the fixtures, and the artwork on the walls. The view from the window displayed the sunrise over the city, light catching on rooftops and steeples. This one room is larger than my entire house. And it doesn't even have a closet. She sighed and sat on the edge of the bed. Well, now what? I doubt I could find my way out of here on my own. I could probably climb out the window, assuming I could get it open... But where is Eddin? And is he feeling better? Is he still blind and walking around with a hawk on his shoulder?
She opened the door and looked up and down the hallway. It was quiet. And empty. He promised someone within shouting distance, but... what if no one is awake? I don't hear anything. It's so... quiet. She ducked back into the room and closed the door gently.
A quiet rapping on the door made her jump. She turned in time to see a head duck quickly back out of the room, but the door remained ajar.
"G-good morning, Miss," a voice said. "Sorry to just walk in. I didn't know if you'd awakened yet or not. Master D'merdon instructed me to check on you first thing."
"Good morning," Vania replied. She opened the door; a young lady in the blue and yellow of the servants' uniforms stood in the hallway, looking at her feet, hands holding a bundle of cloth. "Where is Ed—D'merdon?" It's not just his last name he changed at work. Is there anything I know about him that's actually the truth?
"Master D'merdon said he could meet you in an hour, if you don't mind waiting, Miss, and he'll escort you to breakfast. If you're too hungry to wait, he said I could show you to the dining room."
Vania smiled at her; "Thank you for the information. I can wait." She looked up at the young a'marlon, fidgeting anxiously in the hallway, hands smoothing the bundle of cloth in her hands. "What's your name? I'm Vania, by the way."
"Um. My name is D'tessa, Miss."
"You don't have to call me 'Miss,' D'tessa. I'm a person, same as you." Vania smiled. The younger girl smiled shyly back, then looked away quickly. "I may be an enforcer, but I don't bite people just for looking at me," Vania teased. "Is anyone else awake? It's so quiet here."
"Yes, Miss. Most the family is awake. The walls here are thick, and spelled to reduce noise. The Mistress and her family are a'marlon, so the quieter atmosphere is better for their ears."
"Ah. Of course." I could've guessed that...
D'tessa looked down again, then seemed to remember the bundle she held. "Oh! This is for you, Miss. Master D'merdon thought you might like something clean to put on. Shall I help you dress, Miss, or shall I lay it out on the bed?"
Vania blinked. Help me dress? Nobles can't even dress themselves? "You can give it to me. Thank you, D'tessa." Vania forced herself to smile and held out her hands.
"Of course, Miss." The girl seemed relieved to be rid of her burden. "Is there anything I can do for you, Miss?"
"No. Thank you, D'tessa."
"I'm just down the hall, Miss—I've been assigned to you, to see to your needs. If you need anything, just pull the cord by the bed, and I'll come."
Assigned to me? Vania frowned, but nodded. "Okay. Thank you, D'tessa. I... don't imagine I'll need anything." I'm apparently more independent than you're used to.
"Very well, Miss." D'tessa bowed and walked away.
Vania closed the door and walked to the bed, muttering, "Nobles can't even dress themselves..." She tossed the clothes on the bed, eyes catching on a lavender cord with silver accents, hanging from the ceiling; it ended in a big knot with a tassel that hung near the edge of the bed. The rope that summons D'tessa. If I've suddenly forgotten how to dress. She frowned and looked at the garments she'd been given, now in a messy pile of brown, blue, and tan, on the bed. And, apparently, Eddin—I mean, D'merdon—is too embarrassed to be seen with me unless I'm wearing clean, rich-people clothes, instead of my simple, 'common' outfit. She looked down at her tunic and sighed, trying to smooth out the wrinkles from two nights' sleep and a busy day at the bakery. Well, I could use something clean to wear, I guess... And, since he'll be an hour in coming, no sense in putting a dirty girl in clean clothes.
She crossed the room and eyed the tub. The brass handles of the water spigot were slightly tarnished. I almost need a step to get into that thing. I suppose, they probably mostly entertain other a'marlon... She reached over and turned both handles; the water burst forth from the spigot and gurgled down into the bottom of the tub. Oh... I suppose there's some sort of plugging mechanism... It's not practical to have a tub you can fill directly, but then make a servant empty it by the bucketful! She leaned over the edge and peered down. Sure enough, the water was swirling and disappearing down a hole in the tub beneath the gushing spigot. She looked around, then spied the brass and cork plug sitting on the table beside the basket.
Glancing sheepishly around the screen, she shivered as she undressed, then climbed into the tub, jammed the plug into place, and knelt, letting herself sit on her feet, while the water level rose around her. Once the water swirled around her shoulders, she reached out and turned off the spigot.
She turned away from the spigot and rose up on her knees, resting her arms on the back lip of the tub, then lay her head on her arms. As she felt the muscles in her back actually unknotting, she allowed her wings to partially unfurl.
Aaah. This is nice. She sighed. I'd love to have one of these in my house; it accomplished in mere minutes what it normally takes a full hour of stretching to do. She sighed again, frowning. Of course, I don't have any place practical to put one of these, even if I could afford it, plus the cost of spelling the pipes... Maybe I'll just try to get Eddin to invite me over once a month or so. I could even offer to pay him what they charge at the city baths... She inhaled deeply, then exhaled slowly. Nobles may have weird ideas for most things, but they do know a thing or two about bathing. And it's private! She closed her eyes. I'm never going to the public baths again.
She heard the door open and she froze, eyes widening. Who would that be, entering without knocking? I don't think it's been an hour already... has it? Maybe the servant girl?
"D'tessa?" she asked.
A low chuckle preceded the derisive snort; "No. I'm no serving wench. I came to see what sort of riffraff my dear brother dragged home last night. It's bad enough he brought that woman and the girl around yesterday. But now you?"
Woman and girl? Vania straightened, turning around to face the screen while grabbing the edge of the tub, eyes moving between the towel on the table and her clothes on the floor. Footsteps approached the screen. Vania quickly lowered herself back down fully into the water. "Sir, give me a moment, and I'll be happy to meet you." She strained her arm for the towel, resting just beyond her fingertips on the table by the spigot end of the tub. Damn it. The way the servants act, I thought the family had common decency!
"I'm sure you would." A head poked around the screen. As the green and tawny gold eyes locked on her, Vania blushed deeply and sunk lower into the water until her chin rested on its surface. "Ah, of course. Tydring. Just what you'd expect from a mongrel. He's lucky our mother still abides by the agreement she made with his father. And I assume you're Marked, as well."
She scowled at him. "Sir. I know I'm a guest in your home, but will you give me some privacy?" She clenched her jaw as she forcibly unclenched her fists.
"Which tavern did he pick you up in? And how many ales did he have first?"
"None," a voice replied coldly from the doorway. "K'landrin. What are you doing?" Eddin's familiarly heavy tread crossed the wooden floor.
How much worse can this get? Vania wondered. She eyed the water, wishing she could disappear. How long can I hold my breath?
"Just checking in on your guest." The a'marlon man smirked at Eddin, then looked back to the tub. "She looks like she's just about ready for you." Fingers grabbed the man's shoulders and he disappeared behind the screen.
"Get. Out." Eddin shoved his brother hard. "Enforcer Nahalora deserves more respect than that."
"Nahalora, you say?"
Vania could picture the look of shock on the man's face. Oh, great. Is the entire family battle history buffs? She cringed as she heard a hawk screech loudly, then the man cried out. A flurry of footsteps echoed in the large room.
"Don't disturb her again." The door slammed. Eddin sighed. His footsteps slowly approached the screen, but stopped short. "Vania. Are you all right?"
"Yeah," she replied quietly, staring down into the water. "He... didn't do anything. Just... stared." She shut her eyes, hands going over her face "Thank you for sending him away."
His smirk was evident in his voice when he replied, "Thank you for not laying him out flat like he deserved." He swallowed, feet shuffling on the floor. "I... I'll be just outside. Take your time." His footsteps retreated from the screen. The door opened and closed gently.
Vania swallowed. Damn it. She sighed and stood up, water cascading from her hair and wings. Gripping the smooth edge of the brass tub with her wet hands, she gave a little hop, trying to leverage herself up over the tub's side.
Her hands slid as their wetness made her grip fail. Her breath whooshed out of her as her chest slammed into the edge of the tub and she sank back down into the water with a muted splash.
"Ow," Vania whispered, grimacing, as she rubbed the growing bruise on her chest. She stood and gripped the tub's edge again. "Okay. Jump a little higher this time. Maybe I should just vault it." She scowled down at her slippery hands as she repositioned them, trying to find a less smooth spot along the edge. She took a deep breath and let it out loudly, then tightened her grip as she jumped.
"Ah!" Her stomach slammed into the tub's edge, then her chin struck the brass heavily as she slid down into the water. "Owww." Vania rubbed her chin with one hand, her abdomen with the other. "Damn it. Too tall. Too slippery. Who built this thing, anyway?" Now what? She looked toward the door beyond the screen. He must've heard all that; his hearing is sharp. Should I be relieved or insulted he didn't poke his head in to check on me? She frowned, looking down into the water. Relieved. Definitely relieved. This morning is humiliating enough. She reached out and grabbed the edge of the tub with one hand.
Her fingers tingled as she gripped the brass with all her strength, arms shaking slightly as she pulled herself up from her knees. Her grip slipped and she slid, dropping onto one knee. Damn it. It's getting worse. Am I trapped in this damned tub until the water is gone? She blinked. The plug. Drain the water, then it should be less slippery. She leaned forward, scrabbling at the cork and brass plug until her fingers caught on a small loop and pulled up. The water gurgled and began to slowly drop in level, a slight funnel forming just above the hole.
As the last of the water disappeared, she sighed, then raised herself from her knees, rocking backward to get her feet under her and then forward to maintain her balance. Okay. Now, let's try this again. Different tactic this time. She placed both hands, still wet from the bathwater, on the edge of the tub, her fingertips tingling. Ugh. Okay. Now. She grimaced as she stretched, raising one foot up, trying to place her foot on the tub's edge. Carefully... Careful. Careful. The edge of her foot balanced on the tub's lip. Taking a deep breath, she lifted herself onto her toes, pushing her foot over the edge of the tub.
She didn't even have time to cry out as her supporting foot slipped and she fell backward into the tub, head crashing into the opposite edge of the tub as she fell, landing on her back.
"Owww," Vania groaned. She blinked several times, then lay there silently as the dizziness passed. I guess... I just get to stay here until the entire tub dries. Fantastic. I take it back; I don't want one of these. She scowled at the ceiling, head, chest, and wings throbbing in time to the pounding pulse she felt in her hip. Groaning again, she rolled onto her side, curling herself into the bottom of the tub.
I could use some help now, D'tessa, Vania thought bitterly. Nobles may not know how to dress, but this tydring commoner doesn't know how to get out of an a'marlon-sized tub. With another groan, she sat back up and looked around. Why isn't one of those ropes here? I could ask her to bring me a step. All I need is a step. No way to call for her. She cast a glance to the screen again, picturing the door beyond, and Eddin, standing in the hallway. Dammit. And I thought this morning couldn't get worse.
Closing her eyes as she sighed, she rubbed her forehead, then swallowed loudly before she called, "Eddin? Are you still out there?"
The door opened and he replied, "Yes, Vania. I'm here. Did you... need something?"
Vania sighed loudly; "I think you can guess the answer to that. Or haven't you noticed all the banging coming from over here?"
"No, I haven't heard anything; that's what the spells on the door are for. Shall I get D'tessa for you? She can help you with washing your back and things, if that's what you need."
Vania grimaced; "No. I don't need help washing. I'm stuck in this stupid giant tub."
"How could you—oh. I forgot to have them place the bathing stools, didn't I? I'm sorry. I can go get D'tessa for you."
"No." She swallowed, grimacing again. "Eddin, I just need a hand. And I—" She bit her lip, blushing furiously. "I don't know anyone here but you, and I'd rather not have anyone else... find out. About."
"Oh. Right." Eddin sighed, stepping in to the room and closing the door behind him.
Vania heard him murmur a few words, then a bird's wings flapped and ruffled. His footsteps approached the screen slowly. He stopped just short of coming around the edge.
"Are you sure? I mean. I won't look or anything. I'm not K'landrin. But—"
"Just get over here please," Vania whispered. Let's just get this over with; it's humiliating enough. She grimaced again as her headache deepened.
He stepped around the screen, eyes closed; he held his gloved hands out; "All my useful eyes are covered. Taric is on the bedframe, staring at the door. I can't see anything." He took a few uncertain steps forward, then stopped.
"You're still blind?" After he nodded she sighed. "Okay. Well. Umm. Take one more step forward, then turn to your right and take two steps—or, no, just one big step for you. Then turn back to your left and take another half-step toward my voice."
After he stopped, standing near the edge of the tub and facing her direction, eyes still closed, he put out both of his hands, palms up.
She sighed again and pushed herself up to standing, wincing as her feet slid and her hip throbbed. Grasping his hands, she leaned forward, pulling on his arms to try to climb out of the tub. Her feet slipped and slid, making it impossible for her to scramble out.
"Ahh," Vania lost her grip on his hands and once more fell to the bottom of the tub. "Dammit."
"Vania? Are you all right? What happened?" From farther back in the room, the hawk screeched.
"I—I can't get out of here, Eddin. It's super slippery; it's like the bottom is coated in soap or something... I... Every time I try, I fall." Grimacing and swallowing her groan from her growing number of bruises, she sat up, then slid onto her knees.
Frowning, he lowered his hands, letting his fingers rest on the lip of the tub. "I could... tip it. Then you could get out."
"With the piping connecting it to the floor? No, Eddin."
"Well, then I can send for D'tessa, and have her see if she can find a step."
"No. I—I just want to get out of here." She carefully stood, grabbing his forearms for support. "Eddin, I'm going to put your hands under my arms, and you're going to lift me out, just like you've lifted me onto your damned tall horse." She gritted her teeth and added, "And if your hands stray from where I put them, I will knock your teeth out."
"I have no more intention of groping you, any more than I have intentions to ogle you."
Vania placed both her hands on one of his and guided it to her armpit, then did the same with his other hand. He lifted her without a word, pivoted, and set her carefully onto the floor. Vania sighed with relief and felt her legs crumple; she landed hard on the floor.
"Are you all right?"
"Yes. Thank you, Eddin. Now, if you'll please go back into the hallway, I still need to get dressed."
"Shall I send D'tessa in to assist you?" Eddin asked as he walked back around the screen.
"No. I may not be able to escape from a giant brass tub, but I do know how to dress myself."
Eddin walked away, the hawk's wings flapping as both a'marlon and bird exited the room.
Sighing, Vania slowly stood back up, wincing as her bruises throbbed. Grabbing the towel as she went, she hurried into the small room with the chamber pots.
Do I know how to dress myself in this? Vania asked herself as she looked at the dress on the bed. It looks far more complicated than it needs to be. Why are there so many straps and ties? No wonder nobles need help! She looked back toward the screen, where her dirty clothing sat in a heap on the floor, then back to the clothing on the bed. She tossed the corset aside, muttering, "Not a chance. I'll stick with my own underclothing," then picked up the dress, looking it over critically. Ah, I see. Those ties are for the back... That back is awfully...open. She turned the dress around. Those ties lace up the front... And the long one acts like a belt. Kinda. I think. She looked at the sleek, dark brown fabric and smirked slightly. D'tessa said Eddin gave it to her, so he must've picked it out. He did say I look good in brown... She flushed and shook her head. What am I thinking? We're work partners. Former work partners. She shook her head, then pulled the fabric up over her head and down, long fingers automatically smoothing out the material, then grabbing the tan-colored ties at her back and lacing them up, lifting her wings up and out until she finished tying. She stretched briefly, letting her wingtips reach for the door, then furled them close to her back once more.
After she finished all the ties, she quickly ran her fingers through her hair, deftly pulling out all the pins from the day before. Shaking her head again to free her hair from the spines on her head, she ran her fingers through the mass of dark blue tendrils a few more times before she began coiling and curling it back atop her head, strategically placing the pins to hold her hair in place to hide the spines.
Thank you, Eddin, for remembering a cloak, as well, Vania thought, grabbing up the midnight blue fabric and pulling the clasp closed at her throat. She rolled her shoulders several times, letting the material settle heavily down her back, masking the hump. Taking a long, deep breath, wincing at the pain in her chest as she did so, she pulled open the door and joined Eddin in the hallway.
Eddin turned to face her, the hawk on his shoulder cocking its head as it looked at her; Eddin smiled and held out a hand; "Please allow me the honor of escorting you to breakfast, Lady Vania."
"Now you're just being silly," Vania replied as she took his hand.
"Not at all; I'm being a gentleman." Eddin carefully matched his steps to stay in line with hers.
"Same thing."
They proceeded down the hallway together; not another person was to be seen. She bit her lip, focusing on each step carefully, trying not to noticeably favor her leg as her left hip ached.
Eddin paused, causing her to stop as well as he looked down at her; "Are you all right?"
She gritted her teeth, then replied, "Yeah. Fine."
He cocked his head at her, hawk on his shoulder mirroring the motion; "Carefully measured breaths. Uneven gait. Aggravated, bluster responses. No, you're not 'fine.' Do you need to see the doctor before or after breakfast?"
"I don't need a doctor; they're just bruises and a couple pulled muscles. I am fine." She scowled, moving her eyes from his face to the hawk's and back. "You're the one who needs a doctor."
"No, I need a wizard," he corrected softly. "Doctor says she can't do anything."
"You've already been to see a doctor this morning?"
"Yes. First thing, when I woke up still blind. Mother keeps a family doctor on staff—she and her family live in the house with us." He glanced around the hallway briefly before finishing, "I've been advised to seek out the help of a wizard—there's nothing physically wrong with my eyes, so there's nothing a doctor can do to fix them."
She copied his glance around the deserted hallway. "Does anyone else know you can't see?"
"Not yet, though I'm sure they're figuring it out." The hawk ruffled its feathers and shifted its footing on his shoulder. He smiled slightly as her stomach grumbled. "I think we ought to be getting to breakfast."