~The Lady Ria~

Oris didn't pretend that it was privilege that had her in a carriage all by herself when everyone but Wei Wei's golden trio had to share the space with two others.

If any strings had been pulled, they would have been from Andrea's side, her father working his magic to make her comfortable. Not that the carriage was spacious as it was, but there was something about sharing an enclosed space with women who wished you harm that brought on a sense of claustrophobia.

Oris knew that she had been alone only because her presence had yet to upset the hierarchy.

A mysterious two hours with the Emperor wasn't enough to make the lower-ranked women fawn over her. They couldn't risk upsetting the candidates they had long been supporting for something that was probably just a flash in the pan.

Whatever the reason, it provided Oris the opportunity to strip the moment wheels started rolling. Mayree and Seline secured the curtains while she tugged on strings and buttons.

"The relief." She nearly moaned when the dress was off, another reason she was glad to be going down some layers.

Inae's weather wasn't meant for large, puffy dresses, especially when said dresses were meant to be worn outdoors. The sun burned relentlessly, which was why the other women had their maids shield them with umbrellas on the short walk into their carriages.

Oris did nothing of the sort because walking ten steps in the sun wasn't going to kill her. Also, the heat made the dress glimmer and she needed all the attention she could get.

Andrea dug into a sack and tossed over one of the dresses they had packed from the choice selection that had been in the wardrobe. It was pretty basic, hadn't been tailor-made for her, and was wearable in the I'm-tired-of-being-eye-catching way.

She pulled it over her head after realizing that it needed no lacing and had no buttons. If not for the fact that its bodice was covered in delicate embroidery, it would have been mistaken for a night gown.

When Keziah pulled out a sewing kit and started threading needles, Oris grabbed the embroidery thread and began the daunting task of making a perfumed sachet.

That, and small talk, was all she had to entertain herself until they reached their first stop and she didn't feel professional enough to help with the dress now that more people where going to pay attention to it.

The embroidery pattern was a simple one. Simple because it was the first flower she had learnt to draw, the Crocus. Come spring, all the little children in Orse would go around picking the poor flowers and handing their hauls to dye-makers for treats and rewards.

Right in the center of the State's national flag was an embroidered Crocus. It was an unspoken rule that every citizen should be able to draw it so Oris' meager drawing talents were stretched and whipped into shape until she could, decently enough to not shame her family's name.

"Since when did you embroider in your free time?"

The skepticism in Seline's voice made her blush. She secured the cloth in an embroidery hoop and aggressively poked the needle through it. "When I become one of the Emperor's women, I'll need something to do keep busy," she said coolly, distinctly aware of how they had all stopped what they were doing to look at her. "What?"

"This is the first time you've talked about after the Selection," Mayree answered with a weird smile. "It's strange to hear."

"She means that I'm the one who's always talking about things like that," Andrea piped in.

"You don't like the emperor," Seline added, with a pair of scissors in hand.

Oris felt the need to defend herself, as though the girl's statement threatened to have her sent to the guillotine. "I don't not like him."

"In fact, this sachet is for him," she lied, "for... giving me such good medicine."

While the others hardly looked convinced, Andrea leaned forward to take a look at it. "How did you know that white is his favorite color?"

Keziah snorted but kept her head down, and Oris took that as a reason not to reply.

If even Keziah was laughing, she must have sounded completely ridiculous.

After taking a vow of silence, she returned to poking the cloth. Now she had to somehow hand it over to Hermes, or she'd never live it down.

Andrea might pretend that she never said anything, but the others would never stop teasing her.

Even if I have to plant it on him...

A single Crocus had never been embroidered more seriously.

~

There were five stops between Heshera and the old capital, Gita. Oris knew this because Keziah had told her, and Keziah knew because she apparently knew all that there was to know about Inae's roads.

While Seline argued with Mayree about which type of gem should be in next set of jewelry, Andrea was snuggled next to Oris admiring her new perfume pouch.

All the girls had one, all crocuses because as much as Oris needed the practice she didn't want to disgrace herself by attempting a pattern she was not good at. It was still more embroidery than she had done in one sitting.

Her adoptive mother would have been proud.

"The second stop is coming up," Keziah announced after peering out the window. It was getting dark now, so Oris assumed that this was where they'd be setting up camp.

She had remained in the carriage the first time the procession had stopped but the girls had gone off to stretch their legs and gather information.

If she could stay in the carriage forever, she would have, but unfortunately, that wasn't safe... unless Hermes was also sleeeping in his carriage, which she doubted, if the journals of his past squires were anything to go by.

True to Keziah's words, the procession stopped again and people started getting off, with very loud titters and laughter of course.

Oris waited until the noise died down before trailing after the girls, tying some extra knots to keep her veil safe against any mischievous forces.

The driver stood off to the side with his arms by his sides and his head bowed.

His hair was the wrong color. He was too lanky. His limbs too stiff. If he had been Mikeal he would have taken her by the hand and helped her down, whether she wanted him to or not.

Mayree draped a fur coat over her shoulders and Seline fitted it with a ruby brooch.

"Mistress, this way." Andrea pointed to the spot where the other women had gathered.

Oris wondered how long it took for her to get used to calling other people 'Mistress' despite starting off higher ranked than they were. "Did you manage to send the letter back to my sister?"

"Of course, Mistress," Andrea answered. The golden chain around her neck was a new addition to her outfit and stuffed in its locket was the piece of silk that had almost gotten Seline killed.

"It was so kind of the Emperor to let you contact your family," Mayree gushed. "The moment he left, the head eunuch personally delivered the letter."

"The head eunuch is His Majesty's personal servant, I was so shocked when he handed it to me," Andrea added. "I'm so lucky to be serving you."

What else was there to do when approaching a group of women than preplanned smalltalk?

"Both of you, hush. We may speak of such things inside the carriage, but here, isn't it too inappropriate?" Oris examined the campsite. The tents were already being put up and the carriages were quite a ways from the main road in a cosy, well worn nook.

The makings of a large campfire sat in the middle of it all and some soldiers were already coming back with game.

Everything was organized that she just wanted to find a spot and watch it all. It felt almost too peaceful, with the crickets chirping in the background and the torches crackling.

If not for all the chatter, she could have pretended that she was seated in front of a hearth and thawing out after a long day.

"Mistress, we are only talking about the Emperor's kindness. How is that inappropriate?" Seline asked in her ever constant monotone, but managed to sound condescending with little effort. "They have been here for years, of course His Majesty has been good to them too."

"Oh, that's a relief." Oris put a hand to her chest and hoped her words sounded as patronizing as she intended. "I was worried we wouldn't have anything in common."

After gauging the gazes that flicked to her, she decided that she had acted snobbish enough for the day.

She looked at the sachet in her hand and wondered, for a moment, what scent it should carry then gave up a moment later and stuffed it into her sleeve.

"Lady Ria of Ashenpol."

The voice made her stiffen, not exactly because it had come out of nowhere, but because she could almost swear that she had heard those Rs and As before.

Her eyes swiveled to the right to catch sight of a woman with dark skin that almost glowed in all the firelight. Her teeth shimmered like gold when she smiled, mostly because there was an obscene amount of gold decorating her mouth... and everywhere else.

"Nice to meet you," Oris replied, with a little bow of her head.

Ashenpol was the capital of Narita. Ria said her vowels the same way Aella did, long and soft as though she was about to break into song.

Between the two of them were a handful of maids and some more distance. They weren't even facing each other.

If nobody paid close attention, no one would know that a conversation was going on.

"Quite mysterious, aren't you?"

"I can say the same for everyone here."

Mayree and the girls were still talking about how great Hermes was, they couldn't seem to hear the woman's voice, or hers, for that matter.

Lady Ria inclined her head towards the gaggle of women. "That is stretching it a bit, isn't it?"

"I am certain that I am not as interesting as they are. I wonder what lead you to speak to me..."

"Oh, no. Not interesting. Mysterious. I know everything that there is to know about them." She looked down at her hand and started fiddling with her rings. "You on the other hand..."

"Do you mean to say that I don't wear my heart out on my sleeve for everyone to see?"

"No need to be defensive. It is merely an observation. No sane person would willingly expose themselves to the enemy."

"I don't think a lot of the women here are quite sane."

At this the lady of Ashenpol shrugged quite obviously, and like that the spell was broken. "Who knows, maybe that is the sort of woman His Majesty likes?"

This time, everyone seemed to hear her. One of her maids even replied. "Mistress, who are you talking about?"

Lady Ria flashed her audience a cryptic smile but anyone really watching would see that her gaze never drifted from Oris.

Quite a few of them caught on and flocked around her to start discussing the topic.

In only a handful of moments, all Oris could see of the woman, through the throng of flashy dresses and ornaments, was her golden smile.

Mayree tugged on her sleeve. "Mistress, don't pay attention to them."

"Yes, Mistress. Maybe you're exactly the kind of woman the emperor likes." Andrea shot one glare in Lady Ria's direction then forced Seline to chime in with another.

"Yes," the taciturn girl added, "our mistress is the best."

Only Keziah looked up and met Oris' gaze.

"She is from Narita," was all she said.

"Yes. I'm sure the emperor would be pleased to have his kinsmen around."

But Oris she could think about was how many Naritan women there were in the Selection, and how dangerous they were when compared to Nian Fey.

~

I dunno. I've been writing this chapter so slowly... Like what, write 1k in one sitting then add a word a day? I dunno. It's weird. Everything I try to write, I get busy.

So. We. Have. Another. Person. That. I. Had. To. Name.

So many ladies! Okay, only two and I've forgotten silk lady's name already, lmao.

Nian Fey, also know as Aella, also know as Hermes' mother, has tribespeople here, and this one is covered in gold. Can you guess what Oris is thinking?

Lemme give a hint. If she and Hermes succeed in replacing Wei Wei with Aella, who among the women in the Selection would she (Aella) favor the most? Oris? Or all the darkskinned babes?

Also, Keziah is in another universe where she always knows what's up.

Note: Not every darkskinned person is from Narita. So how the hell did she know??