Kastali Dun

Claire rushed through the keep's corridors, anxious to return to her chambers. She had just finished her magic lesson with Mage Targa. While she was quite tired, her energy levels weren't nearly as low as they often were.

Over a week had passed since Caterina's threat, and fortunately, she hadn't tried anything else. She had, however, taken every opportunity to glare at Claire and utter snide remarks under her breath.

When Claire reached her quarters, she breathed a sigh of relief, immediately calmed by familiarity. "Welcome back, my lady." Desaree's serene voice greeted her; a moment later, she appeared by Claire's side.

"You know you don't need to call me that, right?" Claire lifted an eyebrow at Desaree.

"But all handmaidens call their ladies 'my lady.' I take my position seriously."

"I am starting to understand all too well."

Today was Desaree's first official day as handmaiden. Out of pure excitement, Desaree had far outdone herself. She had brought Claire breakfast, insisted on dressing her, and then insisted on putting her hair in an elaborate updo fitting for a royal woman. Claire wasn't used to this kind of pampering, and was struggling to adjust.

Out of curiosity, Claire asked, "How did everything go after I left this morning?"

A dreamy look passed over Desaree's features. "Absolutely wonderfully!"

"Oh? Do tell!"

At Claire's invitation, Desaree looked as if she might burst with excitement. "Well, since you must know: After you departed for your lessons, I went to the market to collect more writing supplies for you. I also stopped by Madame Rosanne's to pick up a gown she had finished for you. You will never believe what happened while I was there."

Claire's curiosity peaked. "It must be something good because you are in an excellent mood."

Desaree's smile grew wider. "When Madame Rosanne discovered that I was your handmaiden, she was in an uproar! You should have heard her." Desaree's expression and stance changed to mimic Madame Rosanne's. "'A handmaiden to Lady Claire cannot walk around dressed like that!'" The tone of her voice was lowered in a near identical re-enactment.

Claire giggled. "You're good! Really good!"

Desaree's smile was shy. "Anyway, I could hardly say no to her after that, could I? Anyone in my position would have felt as conflicted as I."

"Conflicted? What do you mean?"

"Oh come now, Claire. Madame Rosanne's gowns cost a fortune. Everyone knows that." Claire was taken aback by Desaree's sudden abruptness. "Forgive me," Desaree added. "I did not mean to sound so..."

"It's fine, Des. But..." Claire's heart sank as she thought about Desaree's words. "I will gladly pay for whatever you need. Besides, the king—he said you would have a good salary. There's nothing to feel guilty about."

Desaree took a seat on the couch and loudly sighed. "I suppose after living without indulgences for so long, I have become rather miserly. There is nothing I can do about it now. Madame Rosanne was more than accommodating, believe me."

"So...you decided to accept her offer?" Claire hoped this was the case.

"Oh yes." A wicked grin spread over Desaree's face. "She outfitted me with two new gowns from the display window and had my measurements taken to commission two more. She put everything on loan; I am not to pay her until it is convenient."

Claire squealed before she could resist. "That's so great, Des! You deserve it, believe me."

Perhaps she merely needed an invitation for it, but after Claire said this, Desaree's excitement returned in full. She smiled wide again and her voice took on a dreamy tone. "I can hardly believe it. New gowns...and from Madame Rosanne no less. I will wear one to dinner tonight." Her eyes grew round; she turned to Claire as if just realizing something. "I get to have dinner in the dining hall! Won't that be grand?"

"Wait until Verath sees you!" Claire already knew about what had transpired in the royal gardens between Desaree and Verath, how Verath had declared his love for her, and how she had returned it. Desaree had revealed everything the previous night.

"Yes, I suppose you are right. I still cannot believe..." Desaree trailed off. Her face turned bright red.

A knock at Claire's door brought their conversation to a halt. Desaree rushed to open the door and greet the newcomer. Saffra entered carrying a recurve bow and quiver of arrows. Her gown, which was made of a plain, lightweight fabric, looked more rugged than Claire was used to seeing. Her skirt was gathered and hiked up in front, held in place by what looked like a leather strap, showing off a pair of beige pantaloons and boots. She was clearly ready for business. "Hello ladies." She smiled at them both.

Claire stared, mouth agape.

"I hope you are willing to keep me company at the practice range?" Saffra asked.

Exhaustion forgotten, Claire eagerly accepted. She insisted they get Desaree dressed up before departing. She and Saffra got to work, helping Desaree tighten the ties on her new light blue and gold silk brocade. Once Desaree was ready, they took a few minutes to fuss over how well she looked before departing. Claire was especially eager to try out Saffra's bow, and Saffra wholeheartedly offered to give them a few lessons.

"With the Fall Tournament approaching, I hope to take first place in my events," Saffra said as they reached the second level of the keep. The second level was ovular in shape because half of it jutted out towards the west. The western half was covered in green grass and hosted a large practice ground for the king's soldiers. Claire often saw it from afar, but she had rarely visited.

The late afternoon was a popular time for the practice grounds. The swordplay area was packed with bodies. Most of the men had ditched their shirts as they danced around with swords, spears, and a number of other weapons.

For the first time in a long time—since her breakup with her ex-boyfriend Jake—Claire found her eyes lingering longer than necessary over the muscled chests of some. Her relationship with Jake hadn't ended well. After he broke her heart, she wasn't eager to give it away again, and aside from her feelings for Cyrus, she had not allowed herself to so much as look at another man that way. In this instance, she couldn't help her gaze.

As she scanned the bodies on display, she stopped dead in her tracks. On the opposite side of the sparring area she spotted Bedelth and Verath. The first thing she noticed was the impressive way they moved compared to those around them. She nudged Desaree, whose eyes immediately found Verath and became transfixed. "He certainly moves well, doesn't he?" Desaree whispered.

Almost as if the Shields had heard them, Bedelth and Verath slowed their sparing. "It looks as if we have company," Bedelth said telepathically. Claire couldn't help but overhear them in such close proximity.

Both Bedelth and Verath's eyes landed upon the three lovely ladies who looked very out of place amidst all the men. They giggled and scurried away in the direction of the archery range. After that, Claire frequently caught Desaree's eyes darting in Verath's direction.

"This will do," Saffra said, bringing them to a halt. Saffra pulled her bow from her shoulder and began fussing with the strings. As she did so, she explained each of the steps she moved through. First, she notched the strings, making sure they were firmly attached to the bow limbs. Next, she selected an arrow and showed Claire and Desaree on which side to place the arrow, how to stand, and how to hold the arrow while pulling the bowstring tight. Claire already knew some of what she was being taught, having grown up in a rural hunting family.

When Saffra sent a well-aimed arrow straight for the bullseye, both Claire and Desaree clapped with excitement. After that Saffra fired several more, explaining her movements as they watched her. She made it look easy.

They each took turns with Saffra's bow. It took them a while to get over the difficulty of pulling the string tight. "I had no idea it took so much strength," Desaree said.

"I think I've been spoiled by compound bows," Claire muttered. She knew full well that some bows were much harder to draw than others.

"What is a compound bow?" Saffra asked.

"Oh. Well, it's similar to a regular bow, but with lots of pulleys and things to make it easier. I suppose it is a modern version of this." She pointed at Saffra's bow.

"Pulleys? On a bow?" Saffra's brow furrowed.

Claire tried to explain the pulley mechanisms, which earned more looks of confusion from both Desaree and Saffra. At last she said, "Oh never mind! It's all too complicated without a pen and paper."

Desaree surprised them by having a good aim for a beginner: two of her arrows hit the edge of the target. Claire didn't hit the target a single time, but she was challenged in a way that left her invigorated. While she had shot her father's compound bow many times on their hunting trips, this was entirely different. She had to use her strength to hold the bow tight while aiming it. With each miss of the target, her weakness grew more apparent.

"It is a good thing I did not bring my longbow today," Saffra joked when Claire missed the shot by a great distance.

"Yes, good thing..." Claire muttered, scowling. She hated exposing her weaknesses, and clearly archery was one of them. Her inability to hit the target a single time left her feeling helpless.

As the sun set and evening approached, they were forced to bring their practice to an end. Desaree was the most reluctant, having immediately fallen in love with the sport. "I never imagined it would be so much fun."

"Indeed. I have passed many hours here," said Saffra, "especially when I am overwhelmed with my other duties."

"Perhaps I ought to do the same," Claire said, thinking about all the stress she was experiencing. "I could definitely use an outlet for my frustration."

"That would be a grand idea. And I am sure Commander Daxton would also lend his assistance to your training."

Claire and Desaree burst into laughter. "Oh, I am sure Dax would love any excuse to spend time with his betrothed," said Desaree. Saffra blinked several times before giving them a shy smile.

The three of them made their way back into the keep. As dinner was quickly approaching, they decided to go straight to the dining hall. When they entered and proceeded to Saffra's favorite spot, Claire's eyes happened to fall upon Lady Caterina. Caterina was deep in conversation with her china doll friend.

The moment she spotted them, her talking stopped and her eyes narrowed. Little patches of red emerged on her cheeks. Seeing Desaree in their company so finely dressed must have been a shock for poor Caterina. Caterina's anger and obvious jealousy brought Claire a great deal of satisfaction—more than she would have expected.

When they took their seats, Claire saw that the head table was unoccupied. With King Talon and Reyr visiting Fort Lin, only the other Shields would be present.

"Good evening, ladies." The voice of Lord Verath surprised them. Claire found him standing beside their table. Although he greeted the three of them, he only had eyes for Desaree. "I do hope you enjoyed yourselves this afternoon. You look especially lovely tonight, Desaree." He paused for a moment before adding, "Have a pleasant dinner." After saying this, he bowed and departed for the head table, leaving them wide-eyed.

"His words were entirely meant for you, Des." Claire nudged Desaree's shoulder with her own. Desaree looked overcome and said nothing.

Dinner was an especially enjoyable affair. The three of them feasted while discussing wedding plans for Saffra's big day. Weddings in Dragonwall were very similar to those in Claire's home world with subtle differences, such as the color of the gown, and the phrases spoken.

For the Drengr, ceremonies were quite different. They were not called weddings, but rather, bonding ceremonies. These ceremonies had several differences compared to weddings, the biggest of which was the involvement of magic, and the gown color. For a bonding ceremony, the Rider always wore a gown to match the dragon scales of the Drengr she was bonding to.

Claire was especially intrigued by the idea of bonding ceremonies. She didn't know much about them, and when she pressed Desaree and Saffra for details, it was clear they knew little more than she did.

For traditional Dragonwall weddings, women wore gold gowns and men generally wore the colors of their house's coat of arms or house colors. A formal ceremony was held to declare vows, and huge celebrations followed. In smaller villages, the entire village often took part. In larger cities, these celebrations were usually more restricted to those closest to the bride and groom's family.

"Madame Rosanne will design my gown, of course," Saffra told them, which sent them off on a long tangent about shades of gold, fabrics, and embellishments. Nothing made the time pass faster. It was the kind of conversation that left one feeling warm and giddy inside. The only time Claire's heart felt heavy was when she witnessed brief flashes of longing that crossed Desaree's face. Shields were not permitted mates, and especially not marriages. Desaree's love for Verath no matter how deep, would not be sealed in matrimony the way Saffra's was soon to be. And although Desaree hid it well, Claire knew that this matter left her aching.

The end of the night came quickly. After dinner, Claire and Desaree bid Saffra goodnight and retreated to Claire's chambers. Desaree was motherly in her attentions, helping Claire to undress and unbraid her hair. For Desaree it was a matter of principle. For Claire, it felt too excessive. She wanted Desaree to have some time to herself. Instead of saying something about it, she allowed her to fuss because it was clearly important to her.

After they had bid each other goodnight, Claire crawled happily into bed. As she lay in bed staring up at the canopy, she realized that her life within the keep was finally falling into place. Having both Desaree and Saffra by her side left her feeling more confident than ever. Somehow, she knew that having these two women supporting her in the days to come was going to make all the difference in the world. 

⭐🌟 DON'T FORGET TO VOTE!!🌟⭐