Hatching a Heroine - Chapter 13 - Varying Views

Melissa

Laying in bed, staring at the ceiling, I turned the events of the day over and over again in my mind. Discovering my identity as a girl felt more like a revelation than a true surprise - a puzzle piece I’d always known was missing had simply clicked into place.

Realizing I was the Heroine… I was still trying to process what that meant, exactly. In a way, it didn’t change anything at all. My goal was still to defeat Sorissa; to do so, I still had to gather the Lunargent Scale, and the mythical weapon known as Quecaw.

Everything had changed, though. If I was the Heroine, then I couldn’t afford to rely on the power of my companions as I had so far. I needed to learn how to fight, how to use magic, and how to stand on my own two legs. Otherwise, I’d never be able to take Sorissa’s head.

Can I really kill someone, though? I asked myself. I’d pledged myself toward Lonna’s cause, knowing full well what Lonna wanted from me. Although I’d tried my hardest not to dwell on it, I’d known from the start that her mission was to kill someone.

The problem was that the Queen was no longer just an abstract figure in  my mind. She was a mother. Lonna’s mother. How could I kill Lonna’s mom? Even if Lonna herself seemed to want it, I was scared that Lonna would change her mind once she saw her parent’s bloody corpse.

I had chosen to fight Sorissa for four reasons. 

The first was to get back my old body - now a moot point.

The second reason was that I wanted to go back home - but while I hadn’t exactly stopped yearning for the safety and comfort of Earth, I wasn’t sure that going back in my current body was really an option. I had no identification, for one thing. No way to explain where I’d been. It was possible my fingerprints remained the same but, even if I managed to convince people that David and I were one and the same, I’d be hard pressed to explain how my body had changed so drastically. If I wasn’t willing to turn back, then going home might be out of the question.

The third reason I’d had for taking this mission was to save this queendom from its ruler. That desire hadn’t changed. I’d seen what the town of Ife had been reduced to under Sorissa’s reign, and while I understood that Liliath’s feelings toward Sorissa were mixed, nothing in the Countess’s story had convinced me Sorissa was a good ruler. She needed to be deposed.

Did she need to be killed, though? If she could be defeated, if she could be made to abdicate, if the throne could be passed to someone else… Wouldn’t that be enough?

The fourth reason I had accepted this mission was because I’d wanted to see Lonna’s smile.

It wasn’t enough to make the queendom safe for people at large. While I did want this to be a world where people could laugh, I really and truly wanted it to be a place where Lonna could hum. Sing, even, if she wanted to.

I knew I was missing a lot of information. I didn’t know what drove Lonna to stand against her own mother. I recognized that Lonna was hated, but I didn’t really know why. Because of her mother? Because she was half dragon? Both?

Regardless, I could tell that Lonna had suffered. Yet still she stood against her mother. Whatever she had or hadn’t done to deserve the people’s hate, she was standing with them against her own mom. I didn’t want to trample on that sacrifice, but... I also didn’t want Lonna to sacrifice her own smile for the sake of everyone else’s.

There’s too much I don’t know… I complained, internally. What drove Sorissa toward evil? What caused the rift between the princess and the queen? Would the people be satisfied with Sorissa’s imprisonment, or was her head on a pike truly the only option? The only one who could give me clarity was Lonna. There was no point in turning things over and over in my head when I could get more concrete answers just by asking Lonna what she thought. I knew that.

Really, she I should have just gone to Lonna’s room and asked the girl directly. That was the only way I’d be able to put the questions to rest. I knew that, too.

I also knew that she wasn’t ready to face the girl again, just yet. Not so soon after that kiss.

I could still feel the sensation of Lonna’s lips against mine. Soft and sweet, yet filled with so much desperate need. It had felt nice, but at the same time it had terrified me beyond belief.

I’d only just figured out I was a girl. I didn’t know Lonna that well, didn’t know myself that well, and let’s not forget that I was apparently on a mission to kill Lonna’s mom. There was a lot I needed to sort out and I really hadn’t been expecting the kiss. It wasn’t as if I hadn’t enjoyed it, and I’d definitely appreciated it, but I wasn’t sure I was ready for a romantic relationship. With anyone. Not yet.

The moment I’d tried to express that, though, Lonna had shut down. The feeling of rejection had been clearly written in her eyes - so much pain and hurt that I ended up stuttering and stammering as I tried to explain. Lonna claimed she understood, by the end of it, but… I knew that wasn’t really the case.

Not that it changed anything. Everything I’d said was still true. I really wasn’t ready for a relationship, but I was interested in getting to know Lonna a bit better. Maybe we could even go on a date, if I did end up sticking around in the end… but a kiss? This early? I wasn’t ready for that.

“So much for protecting Lonna’s smile, though...” I sighed, flopping onto my side without lifting my head from my hands.

I stayed in that position until I fell asleep.

***

Lonna

***

Using one hand to rub the sleep from my eyes, I stretched the other towards the ceiling. It was a slow, lazy sort of awakening, reminiscent of days long go. That, and the sheer softness of my bed brought back memories I wished would stay buried.

Memories of Sorissa tucking me in at night. Telling me bedtime stories. Watching over me with a smile, as I drifted off to sleep…

“You slept in,” Talith remarked. He was by the room’s only exit, with one heavy clay hand directly pressed against the wooden door as if to keep it from being opened. Actually, I was pretty sure that was exactly what he had in mind.

“Sorry for making you keep watch,” I said. While Talith didn’t need sleep, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t grow bored keeping an eye on me all night. “You could have woken me up, though.”

“I would have, if anyone actually bothered coming to the door,” Talith admitted, shrugging one of his round, rock-like shoulder joints. “Guess the Countess didn’t mind you sleeping in.”

“Princess perk,” I responded, dryly. “Or maybe the servants are still arguing over who has to deal with the dragon.”

“Someone’s bitter,” Talith remarked, raising one side of his monobrow. “Your night out went badly?”

“I wouldn’t say it went badly, exactly…” I admitted, scratching at the back of my neck. “I got a good reminder of how the world sees me, is all.”

Between Tabitha and the orphans, the last twenty four hours had really driven home what the denizens of this world thought of me, and it wasn’t pretty.

The Runaway Princess. The half-dragon disaster. If I was only Sorissa’s daughter, there might have been some hope of changing public opinion. It might have been possible to convince the masses to judge me as a separate person. But nobody was going to trust a half-dragon. Nobody was going to give a chance to one of those beasts, who had once enslaved all the sapient life of this continent.

Well. What of it? I asked myself. At the end of the day, none of this was news to me. Yeah, it was a bit hard seeing my inner thoughts so brutally confirmed, but it wasn’t anything I hadn’t already known. I could handle it.

“So it went that bad?” Talith asked, removing his hand from the door and walking toward me. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“I told you, it wasn’t… all bad,” I muttered, reaching down to the floor to grab my green cloak. “I talked to a couple kids. Found out how people are talking about me. Apparently I eat naughty children, among other things.”

“Lonna…” Talith lifted a hand toward me, but then hesitated, unsure of what to say.

“It’s fine, Talith. I’m used to it. I’m ‘the Runaway Princess’ after all.” I flashed Talith a smile, reaching into my cloak and drawing out two bits of twine. I used them to tie my red hair into two buns, forming one around each of the two brown antler-nubs that marked my dragon heritage.

“...I’m going to go see Melissa,” I declared, walking past Talith and toward the door. “Assuming I can get someone to show me the way, anyhow.” 

“Really?” Talith again lifted one side of his monobrow. “You aren’t going to try and kiss her again, are you?”

“Of course not! She’s made it pretty damn clear she isn’t into me, after all.” 

That wasn’t exactly what Melissa had said, and I knew it. It was only that she wasn’t quite ready to think about romance, not that she had no romantic interest in me. Still, it was of cold comfort, considering the fact that Melissa intended to leave this world behind.

Talith, for his part, looked as if he wanted to say something. His mouth opened, and closed, but, in the end, the only thing that managed to escape his throat was a sigh. 

“...Don’t look at me like that,” I muttered, pulling the door open. “I’m fine. Honest.”

Talith looked like he wanted to argue more, but he stopped himself when he saw the maid standing in front of our door.

She was a harpy; specifically one with brown hawk wings stretching behind her back. She had black hair, cut at shoulder length, and golden eyes that seemed as cold as the metal they resembled. She was standing in front of the door as if she’d been waiting there for it to open, and she lowered herself into a curtsy the moment it did so. 

“Princess Lonna,” the maid said, dropping her black skirts and straightening stiffly upright. “Countess Liliath would like to formally request your presence for breakfast. Also invited is the heroine, known as Melissa.”

“Sorry, but I make a habit of skipping any meals my brother isn’t invited to.”

“Your.. brother?” The maid glanced at Talith, still inside the room, then nodded. “Then if the Countess were to include another place at the table, you would come?”

“Maybe,” I agreed. “Why don’t you go ask your mistress, while I go see the Heroine? Meet me there in, say, twenty minutes?”

“I am supposed to take you directly to the Countess,” the maid protested. “I’m sure if your brother were to follow, however-”

“Are maids really supposed to be making those kinds of decisions?” I interrupted, cocking an eyebrow. “You might get in trouble with the Countess if you don’t do everything by the book, you know.”

“My mistress cares for results first and foremost,” the maid declared, with confidence in her voice. “If the two of you would kindly follow me?”

I glanced at Talith, who only shrugged his broad shoulders. It didn’t seem like he had any ideas on how to get out of this. Or maybe he simply saw no reason to get out of it? The Countess wasn’t asking for anything unreasonable, and going along with her wishes was probably the easiest way to meet up with Melissa. With that in mind, it was actually pretty obvious what I needed to do.

“Sorry,” I said, without the slightest hint of guilt, “but I’m going to have to turn you down. I want to have a private talk with the Heroine before breakfast. How about you lead me there, and we’ll head to the Countess together after a little chat?”

I had no reason for going against the Countess. I had plenty of reason to follow her, actually. Whether it was to meet up with Melissa, to avoid offense, or just for the sake of securing the Countess’s good mood, there were a lot of merits to doing what the maid asked.

Still, I refused. Honestly, I didn’t have a single good reason for doing so, but I did have a single, overwhelming, bad reason for the decision: I was in a horrible mood, and I felt like being contrary.

Faced with this needless needling, the maid stared at me for several moments before dropping into another curtsy.

“If that is what the Princess wishes,” the maid declared, “then it will be my honor to see to it. Shall I lead you to the Heroine?”

“Quickly, if you don’t mind.” I lazily laced my fingers behind my head as I spoke, a languid smile on my lips. “We wouldn’t wanna keep the Countess waiting too long, after all.”

“Of course, Princess. I will be sure to let my mistress know of your concern for her schedule.” The maid curtsied, again, and turned. Without so much as a glance behind her shoulder, she started to walk swiftly down the hallway.

I hurried after. Hurried being a keyword, here, as the maid’s long legs allowed her to set a fast pace without seeming the slightest bit rushed, herself. I stubbornly refused to ask the maid to slow down. In my mind, I’d entered a sort of battle with the harpy maid and it could only end in either utter victory or crushing defeat.

Eventually, after leading me through a series of hallways, the maid came to a halt. I came to a stop as well - which was something of a relief considering I had been practically forced to start jogging just to keep up with the woman’s walking pace, stopped as well. Somewhat grateful for the break, but trying not to show it, I took a moment to study the area we’d found ourselves in.

We were a distance away from my room. I was pretty sure the maid had made the route needlessly complicated, either to keep me from memorizing the it or to sadistically force me into walking a longer distance. Maybe both? I couldn’t rule anything out. The fact that my room wasn’t next door to Melissa’s in the first place was suspicious, too.

It was possible that the Countess was simply treating us differently due to our different stations. It wouldn’t have technically been inappropriate for the Countess to stuff Melissa in a servant’s quarters, or some such. The lush brown carpet under their feet, the fancy vase against the wall, and the painting of a former count set between two nearby doors, seemed to indicate that this area was at least as fancy as the area where I was housed, though. If not more so…

So why were Melissa and I separated? Perhaps to keep us from slipping away, together, during the night? I knew that the Countess didn’t get along with Sorissa, but I couldn’t help but be suspicious of the woman’s motivations all the same. I still remembered what the Countess had said, when they first arrived, after all. If Liliath became convinced that Melissa and I were more a threat to the populace than Sorissa, herself, we’d be turned over to the queen in a heartbeat. I was sure of it.

If she found out that Melissa had turned down my initial attempt at romance, would that shift the Countess’s thinking? Would she realize that the future she wanted, with me as the queen and Melissa as my consort, was too far fetched to come about? Would she turn on us? If so, we might be in trouble. I still wasn’t at full capacity when it came to my magic - I’d gathered maybe a third of my Breath back, thanks to food and sunlight. Way less than I’d expected - but I’d never used up all my Breath before, so maybe that was to be expected.

I still had more than enough to blow the manor to smithereens, but doing so while also protecting Talith and Melissa from the flames would be a bit of a stretch. If I had a better grasp of spellcraft, I’d have more options - custom, written spells were by far the most efficient way to use one’s Breath, after all… But wishing for what couldn’t be was pointless. I only had raw power at my disposal, not intricate spell weavings.

With that in mind, my power was probably best kept as a deterrent, at least until I got more of my Breath back. Actually, if things got bad enough that they needed to escape in a rush, wouldn’t it be best for me to just destroy walls in a straight line until we found our way out? In which case I didn’t really need to worry about memorizing the layout of this place. 

Though. Come to think of it…

“Why’d we stop?” I asked my guide. I’d assumed we were at the destination, or practically so, but the maid had yet to indicate a room. In fact, she had been standing stock still for the last minute or so, arms at her side, palms flat against her thighs, a patient expression on her face.

“I thought that you would wish to regain your composure, after the long walk here, before greeting the Heroine,” the maid explained. “It wouldn’t do if a potential suitor saw you flustered and out of breath, Princess.”

“You…” my teeth ground against each other, a physical representation of my amazing self restraint. If my lips were closed, I couldn’t breathe fire or utter a spell. I could still gather light, of course, but I tried very hard not to think about blasting super-concentrated light at the woman who’d put me in this position before expressing concern. Was my love life just a joke to the people in this manor?

“You seem to have murder in your eyes, Princess.” The maid tilted her head to one side as she spoke, and she tapped a finger against the upper corner of her mouth. “Are you the sort to take it out on me? Perhaps you’ll ask to have me tormented on the dinner table? I have been wondering how many of your mother’s proclivities you share…”

“Do not call that woman my mother!” I snapped. For a moment, the room grew noticeably dimmer, as bright light gathered in my hands. Then, slowly, the light began to return to normal again. “I am not Sorissa.”

“...So you’re fine with being accused of vile behaviors, but being compared to the Queen is a line too far? You certainly are troublesome, aren’t you, Princess?”

“Yeah, I get it. I’m the tiny terror who’s going to gnaw off your limbs and burn your bones, right? Think whatever you want of me. But whatever crimes you think I’ve committed, or will commit, they belong to me and me alone. They’re completely separate from Sorissa being my… Creator.” I looked away as I spoke the last word, not quite able to meet the maid’s eyes. I knew as well as anyone that I couldn’t separate myself entirely from Sorissa. All the same, I didn’t want to recognize the woman as my mother. 

Not anymore.

“I see, I see,” the maid murmured, before dropping into another curtsy. “It was rude of me to test you like that. My father often told me that I mustn't judge people on their parentage, but considering the nature of your parents I had to wonder just what sort of daughter they had managed to raise. I’m sure they’d be disappointed to know they didn’t raise a monster.”

“I can’t tell if you’re complimenting me, or trying to get me to rip your throat out,” I complained, gnashing my teeth together. “Who the hell do you even think you are?”

“Ah. Perhaps I should have led with that? My father is Lord Schmell, a baron. I am his first daughter, Marindell, but since I was born of a commitment ceremony I am sadly bereft of titles. Hence my placement in this manor as a maid, as it would happen.”

“Lord Schmell?” I tried to remember if I’d ever been to the man’s estate. My life had been a flurry of visits to various places, back then, but baron’s were low enough in the pecking order that they likely hadn’t warranted a direct visit. Even if they had, nobody would have bothered to introduce me to this girl, who’d been born outside a proper noble marriage contract. 

“We’ve never met, Princess,” Marindell said, as if reading my mind. “My father has done his best to keep out of your - out of Sorissa’s sight.”

“Seems a shame to undo all that work by putting yourself on my bad side,” I pointed out.

“But you are not the Queen, Princess,” Marindell countered. “And I can’t help but think it’ll be a blessing, being known by you. If not now, then one day.”

“Known for being a thorn in my side, you mean,” I groused. “Fine. You’ve made sure I’ll remember Lord Schmell’s name. And you’ve given me time to catch my breath. Now tell me how to get to Melissa?”

“It’s just around this corner,” Marindell promised, leading the way.

I stared after her a moment, memorizing every detail of the girl from behind, before following. I would remember Lord Schmell - but only through his connection to Marindell.

It wasn’t every day I met a girl with so little fear.

***

Melissa

***

I stirred, woken by a gentle beam of light shining through my unshuttered window. I moved quickly, from there, swinging my feet down off the bed and reaching for my shoes.

The dirty white sneakers were the only clothes left to me from before the transformation, and I took a moment to appreciate the fact that my shoe size hadn’t changed too much in the transformation. I wasn’t exactly opposed to getting a good pair of boots, but I was fairly sure that medieval footwear wouldn’t have the same level of arch support as my own sneakers. 

Well, my feet were the one thing Clatarra hadn’t measured, so I was fairly sure it wouldn’t be a problem. Though, thinking of Clatarra, hadn’t the girl given me something? Something for Lonna…?

“That’s right…” I murmured. “The spell. To stop Lonna’s mom from… spying… on her…” A slow flush crept across my cheeks. How had I forgotten something so important? I hadn’t had pockets, so if memory served…

Blushing, faintly, I reached into my cleavage, and pulled out a folded piece of parchment. The spell was written on it, multiple circles of intersecting ink and numerous symbols. I wasn’t really sure how to read it, but Clatarra had claimed it would shield Lonna from spying for a day, each time she cast it. Considering Lonna didn’t even think it was possible for her to be spied on, didn’t that make this a really precious piece of parchment?

“And I just stuck it in my cleavage like it was nothing…” I rubbed the back of my head, trying to hide my embarrassment. There was really nothing to be done for it, though. Between realizing I was a girl, and getting kissed, it had totally slipped my mind.

“W-well, guess I better tell Lonna about it…” Attempting to laugh off my mistake, I reached for the doorknob, and pulled the door open.

Standing on the other side was Lonna, her fist raised as if to knock. She an d I blinked in surprise at each other, both of us taking a hurried step back upon making eye contact, and then glancing away from one another. I wondered if Lonna was blushing as much as I was…

After a few moments of awkward fidgeting, during which I wound hair around her finger while Lonna squeezed lightly at her own arm, it was ultimately me who broke the silence.

“Lonna… About the kiss, I-”

“It’s fine,” Lonna interrupted. “I just got caught up in the moment.”

“Are you sure?” I tried to search Lonna’s eyes, but Lonna stubbornly refused to meet my gaze. “Lonna. I wasn’t trying to reject you. You know that, right? I just need some time to sort out what I’m feeling.”

“I said I get it, alright?” she did meet my gaze with those words. There was anger in her eyes, and hurt.

I knew that I’d caused that hurt. I wasn’t sure what she could do to get rid of it, though. I simply, truly, wasn’t ready to start dating as a girl yet.

“I get it,” Lonna muttered, again, looking at the ground. “I understand. So I need you to understand that getting turned down is gonna hurt for a while, alright? And having you walk on eggshells around me is just gonna hurt more. So… Just… pretend like nothing’s the matter, for a while, would you?”

“Just… Pretend?” I parroted back.

“That’s right,” Lonna confirmed. “Just until we can put things behind us for real. It’s not like we can stop spending time together, or wait it out. The only thing we can do is pretend it doesn’t bother us until it really doesn’t. And by then, who knows? Maybe you’ll be back on your world!”

“I’m… Not sure I want to go back to my old world, actually…” I looked away from Lonna as I admitted this, choosing to study the brown carpet beneath my feet rather than her expression. “I don’t want to change my body anymore, which means it would be kind of complicated to go back… I do still want to defeat Sorissa, for everyone’s sake - and I want to use her library to look into how to send a letter home. But. I don’t think I want to go back myself…”

“Is that so?” It was difficult to read the emotions in Lonna’s voice. Her face, when I gathered up enough courage to look at it, was a carefully composed mask of neutrality as well.

“I… After everything is done. I was hoping we could go on a date,” I admitted, tugging at my hair. “If that’s something you still want, I mean?”

“...You should be careful about giving people false hopes, you know,” Lonna warned. There was a lonely wistfulness in her voice, an ache that caused me to unconsciously reach toward her, before dropping my hand. There was nothing I could do. Nothing I could say, beyond what I’d already said. It was the only offer I had to make, and if Lonna didn’t believe it was possible, then…

To my surprise, however, Lonna looked up at me with a bright smile on her lips. It didn’t seem fake, at least to me. 

“Alright,” Lonna declared. “I’ll work you to the bone to make that future a reality! Me and you, kissing beneath the moonlight. Keep that goal in mind and keep working hard!”

“A-alright,” I promised. “I’ll work hard for a future where you can smile like that, all the time.”

“Uh-huh. As long as you’re working to beat Sorissa, I guess I don’t have any complaints. Your promise isn’t what I came here to collect, though - the Countess wants to see us both.”

“Liliath wants to see me?” I asked, surprised.

“...Liliath, huh?” Lonna narrowed her eyes, faintly. “You’re getting pretty close to her, aren’t you? I thought you were of common birth, but you don’t seem to think anything about getting close to nobility - or royalty either, for that matter.”

“Well, we didn’t really have much in the way of royalty where I’m from,” I admitted. “So I guess I just don’t take the whole thing that seriously? I can try to be more formal, if you want. Princess.”

“Don’t call me that,” Lonna warned, scowling. “It makes me seem like I’m nothing more than my title. Which I didn’t exactly ask for, for the record.”

“Sorry,” I apologized, nervously wrapping another bit of hair around my index finger. “I’m… Honestly, I’m still not entirely sure what to make of everything. There’s so much I don’t know about you. I can tell that things must have been hard on you, but other than that… Everything is a mystery.”

“Well, maybe I can remove some of that mystery after breakfast,” Lonna suggested. “When we don’t have anyone waiting. And when we hopefully have less of an audience…”

“An audience?” I asked. I hadn’t been aware of anyone but the two of them.

At the question, however, Lona sighed and pushed the door further open. Behind her were a black haired harpy maid, and Joanie the rabbit sapphi.

“Yup yup,” Joanie said. “I’ll be guiding you to the countess’s chamber this morning. Guard and guide, I’m earning really my keep this week. If you’ll follow me?”

“I, as well, will be guiding you,” the maid declared, dropping into a curtsy. “My name is Marindell; a pleasure to meet you, Heroine.” 

“Wait a second,” I protested, holding up a hand. “I just got up. My brain’s not even fully functional, yet. And…” Wasn’t I forgetting something? That’s right! “I had something to give to Lonna!”

“Something to give me?” Lonna frowned faintly at this news, glancing behind her at the people who’d come with her. “Is it okay to talk about in front of company?”

“Well… I don’t think waiting is a great idea,” I confessed. “It’s uh… It’s sort of. A spell?” I explained, holding out the parchment. “Clatarra - that is, the tailor’s daughter? - she told me it would shield you from a spying spell? Which is apparently on you. ...She gave it to me, yesterday, actually, but after everything that happened I kind of forgot about it.”

“A spying spell?” Lonna asked, skeptically. “Give it here.”

Since I was still holding onto the spell, I simply lifted the parchment up for Lonna to take. She practically snatched the thing out of my hand.

Scanning the spell, Lonna turned the square of paper from side to side. As she did so, the annoyed scowl slipped from her face, replaced by a look of abject horror.

“I need to copy this,” she declared, pushing past me and moving towards the writing desk. After taking out a sheet of parchment she began to copy it down, neat and quick strokes marking the paper. Though she wasn’t quite as quick as Clattara was in crafting the thing, she still got it down pretty swiftly in the end.

Finally, Lonna pressed her finger against the topmost symbol of the central circle. It lit up, as she did so, the light traveling through the circle of ink, spreading through all the circles and symbols written on the page. When the last symbol lit up, and the central circle completed itself, there was a flash of light so bright that I was forced to look away. When I eventually was able to see again, though, I found that the inked circles had burned away, leaving only scraps of paper and ash behind for Lonna to wipe away before grabbing another piece of parchment.

This process repeated itself four more times, before Lonna eventually folded up the original parchment - plus a few copies - and put them in her pouch. “That tree-forsaken…” Lonna muttered to herself. “She better not have been spying on me last night, or… branch and root, I’ll kill her myself!”

“What happened last night?” Joanie asked, curious.

“None of your business,” Lonna snapped, before seeming to think better of it. “I mean… It was something personal, is all.” I saw it for myself, this time - Lonna was blushing.

I decided not to comment on it, though, since I was blushing, too. I’d just realized that Sorissa might have seen our kiss.

“Well,” Lonna declared, “now that that little issue is taken care of - shall we go see what the Countess wants?”

“Taken care of?” I repeated, barely able to believe what she was hearing. “Isn’t it really bad if Sorissa was spying on us this whole time? Like. Won’t she know what we’re after? And where we are right now? And… Everything?”

“You don’t need to tell me what it means,” Lonna grumbled, glaring at me. “If this is real, every bit of freedom I’ve ever had was just some sick joke from Sorissa. When I think about the fact that she might have been watching me, all this time… It makes my skin crawl. It makes it feel like everything I’ve ever done was just some bit of naughtiness Sorissa let me get away with… Which is why I don’t believe for a second that this so-called spying spell spell is real. I mean, I’ve never even heard of a spell like that, before, and some woman you randomly met happened to know of it? No way.”

“Then why’d you cast the spell?” I asked, confused.

“Because it’s harmless to take precautions,” Lonna told her. “...I mean, as long as you didn’t pay for it. You didn’t pay for that, did you?”

“I didn’t pay for it,” I confirmed. “She uh. Also said it’s only good for a day? So you’ll need to recast it tomorrow.”

“Hah. You’ll be lucky if I’m not taking this spell out hourly. The idea of being watched is so horrifying I want to crawl in a hole and die. But if Sorissa could spy on me, there’s no way any of us would be free right now. So it’s probably fine.”

“I… Guess that makes sense,” I admitted, idly tugging at the hair I’d wrapped around her finger. “Clatarra seemed pretty convincing, though.”

“Uh-huh. Well, I’ll say this much - the spellcraft on this thing is good. I saw runes from the sapphi, the lamia, the harpies, and even the Roptera on this thing. Not that I know what most of them mean, but… Just looking at it, it’s practically on par with Sorissa’s work. Are you sure the girl who did this was just a tailor’s daughter?”

“Pretty sure, yeah,” I confirmed. “I mean, the only reason she even did this was so that I’d let her take my measurements.”

“...Seriously?” Lonna shook her head. “Well, whatever. A polished turd is still crap, in the end. Now come on, the countess is waiting.”

Lonna smiled brightly as she spoke, but I couldn’t help but notice her hand slipping back into the pouch. I pretended not to see the flash of light that emanated from Lonna’s bag right after, though.