The countess had clearly been day drinking. As such, anything could happen.

  I prayed fervently to no god in particular for their mercy, hoping that Lady Solana would refrain from saying anything reckless and allow the evening to proceed without any disruptions.

  As I looked to Selene for reassurance, the countess gestured in my direction.

  “This young lady here is XXXXX. I can see you were struck by her beauty just a moment ago, and I completely understand! The little bird found her way onto my estate earlier this year and she’s been a fantastic addition to the staff. I’m sure Selene would gladly sing her praises as well, were she not so reluctant to pamper the aides and trainees.”

  As the countess said ‘little bird,’ I flinched involuntarily.

  “Now that I think of it… when we first met, she told me she grew up in the southern part of the Rydberg barony. There must be something in the water for two talents such as you young ladies to emerge from there in the same year! In any case, XXXXX, this fine visage in front of you is the Saintess Helian, from the rumors, right here in the flesh!”

  I nodded and did my best to reply without my voice cracking. “We’ve met, Countess.”

  She tilted her head. “You have?”

  Helian frowned. “Yes, Lady Solana. We grew up together.”

  The countess grinned from ear to ear and lifted her glass for an impromptu toast. “What are the odds? Marvelous, marvelous. To fated reunions, then!”

  After our toast, the countess proceeded to introduce the rest of the aides and knights seated at the table.

  The wait staff entered the room with a selection of appetizers.

  After filling her plate with the sweetest items available and gesturing for the waiter to refill her drink, Helian turned to stare at me –at my earrings, to be precise – then asked one of the few questions I hoped not to hear.

  “What have you been up to?”

  I sipped my wine. “Not too much… Dame Selene keeps me busy with paperwork, and I train with the squires during the afternoons to keep my sword sharp. I’m truly grateful to Lady Solana for giving me an opportunity like this.” I gestured towards the countess with my glass.

  Helian drank her wine without breaking eye contact. “The countess is a remarkable woman, so I’m not surprised that she recognized your talent. I’m sure you’ve learned a lot from her.”

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  Ah. I’m screwed.

  I cleared my throat. “Ah… yes, she’s an example for any aspiring swordswoman. I’ve learned a great deal by being here. Anyway… how are you doing? It’s great to see you again.”

  Helian finished her glass in one large gulp. “Yes, it’s a surprise to see you too. I’ve been busy, as you know, but my stay here with the countess has been a nice chance to relax. It’s a shame that things are going to become complicated again.”

  The countess was having the time of her life. Meanwhile, I could feel Selene’s discomfort rolling off her in waves. And Helian looked like she wanted to kill me. I couldn’t blame her.

  Still, I had to keep up appearances. “I’m sorry to hear that, Helian. Let me know if I can do anything to help, though I’m not sure how much time I’ll have to spare… there’s been a lot of paperwork to handle lately.”

  Lady Solana finally saw fit to rescue me from my predicament. “Helian, darling, if you keep staring at her like that, I’ll get lonely! If I’m not mistaken, you were XXXXX’s swordplay tutor, am I right? You must tell me about your instructor. And if you feel up to it, perhaps you could grant me the pleasure of a sparring match during your stay? It’s always a delight to get some exercise with a beautiful young lady.”

  ------

  After Helian excused herself at the end of dinner, I bid the countess a polite farewell. “Have a good evening, Lady Solana. Thank you for the meal.”

  “Of course, of course! Thank you for your company tonight.” She nodded towards Selene. “Please make sure she makes it safely to her quarters.”

  It’s not as if I was drunk… probably. As I carefully stood from my seat and left the table on mostly-steady legs, the dame walked ahead of me and waited at the door, watching me with concern.

  Don’t look at me like that Selene, I’m fine…

  As I thought this, I stumbled over a thick wrinkle in the ornate rug and fell right into the arms of the exasperated knight.

  “Sorry… I tripped.”

  “Yes, I’m sure you did. Be careful.”

  We slowly made our way up to the second floor and she led me to my room, entering briefly to remove the spare bottle of wine from my cabinet. Yes, that was probably wise. Thank you, Dame Selene, for your consideration and wisdom.

  “Thank you, Dame Selene, for your consideration and wisdom.”

  “What?”

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to say that… I think I should go to sleep.”

  “I agree. Good night, XXXXX. I’ll see you at the meeting in the morning.”

  With that, she turned and closed the door behind her.

  ------

  I carefully hung up my dress uniform, then took off my earrings and placed them in my desk drawer, making certain to lock it afterward.

  As I turned out the lights, a knock came at my door. I moved to answer it.

  “Yes? What is it?”

  The door flew open and hit me in the face, knocking me flat on my rear. A woman entered, silhouetted by the light from the hallway.

  “You’ve got a lot to answer for.”

  My visitor shut the door, locking it behind her.