Hey guys! It’s been a while, but that’s because I’ve been working on something special. This draft might be the one closest to the actual thing if I publish it, so… yeah. I’ll be updating one or two chapters per week, please leave comments and feedback so I know what the heck to add and take out. Thanks!

Chapter 1

“How much?” Eloise asked, holding up a shiny, ruby-red apple in her palm. It was hard to find good apples these days, probably because of the shipment problems and shortened supply. She could only hope she’ll get a few good ones before winter when Eithra’s docks froze over and closed themselves off to any imports.

“F-Five…” the fruit merchant whimpered as he cowered behind his stall like a frightened child, despite the wrinkles and creases in his pale face. His pale gray eyes kept going back to the pendant on her neck, to the black coin hanging by a thin silver chain as if it marked his death, which would probably be the case if Eloise wasn’t trying her hardest not to snap.

She breathed in slowly and counted to six. One… two… three… four… five… six. And let it out slowly. It was a simple exercise her mentor taught her to use whenever she felt frustrated. “Five, what?” she asked through her gritted teeth. Five Princes? Five Queens? Kings? Just spit it out, old man, for god’s sake! She wanted to scream.

“Five Princes!” he blurted out, “Please, don’t kill me! I’m so sorry if it’s too expensive for you, my lady! B-But… business is business, right? A-And I have a family to feed—”

“Will you just shut up?” she groaned and rolled her eyes, “Please?”

“Y-Yes, m’lady! Of course, right away, m’lady.” He stuttered. The man looked like he was about to cry.

Eloise heaved a sigh and reached down to pull out some money, but as soon as her hand went down, she heard a short yelp come from the man and muffled cries from the people around her. She paused for a short moment, knowing what it could’ve looked like to them, and reached down slowly to tell them that she meant no harm. She opened her pouch and took out fifteen Queens, “I’ll take thirty apples.” She said, then added, “Good ones.”

“Yes, m’lady!” he whimpered and flinched as she dropped the silver into his hand as if they were hot coals. “Right away, m’lady.”

She watched with amusement and irritation as the old merchant reached out with shaking hands and picked ten apples to put into the burlap sack. It took him about one minute to choose, and she would’ve snapped at him for being so slow if she didn’t remind herself of the delicious apple pie she would get to bake later. She couldn’t bake Callan’s birthday pies with rotten apples, could she? So, she let the old man take his time, even though it pained her to watch him drop one every few seconds.

“H-Here.” The merchant practically shoved the sack into her arms.

Eloise raised a brow but took it anyway, “Thank you.” She inclined her head before heading home, leaving the silent market square behind.

She had to admit, being one of the most dangerous and infamous people in all of East Borathea could be fun sometimes, but most of the time, having a reputation was annoying. On top of avoiding assassins from rivaling guilds, Eloise also had to endure the whispers and whimpers from Eithranian citizens.

“Stay away from her, she’s a Black Seraph,” they said.

“The most dangerous in her guild,” they would whisper.

“She could kill you in a blink of an eye if she wanted to,”

The rumors spread quickly, and most of them were exaggerations, but while most Black Seraphs took pride in frightening the crowd, Eloise found it downright insulting and annoying. Just because she had an infamous reputation didn’t mean she wasn’t a person, and just because she could kill in a blink of an eye didn’t mean she liked it. Eloise was a person; a mortal through and through, and she had her flaws too. Sadly, most people tend to forget that one detail.

She walked down the gray cobblestone path leading out of Rhen’s Plaza and headed towards the South Gate of Coin, passing by rows of wooden stalls selling everything from dried fruit to leather-bound tomes to hand-woven dream catchers. She would’ve stopped by the stall that sold books if she wasn’t in such a hurry. Today was Callan’s birthday, and she wouldn’t miss that for the world. Besides, even if she didn’t want to attend his party, he’d kill her if she didn’t show, so it wasn’t like she had much of a choice.

It was his twentieth birthday, and apart from the apple pies she was going to bake for him, she also prepared a special gift, something she found during his time away from the guildhouse.

Eloise passed by the Black Seraph guildhouse: a large, worn down, red brick building five minutes away from the Gate of Coin. The window curtains were closed, like always, and the doors were boarded up and sealed shut to ward off intruders. The building had been abandoned a long time ago, maybe thirty years, and the people living around the building never gave it a second thought, but what they didn’t know was that there was a secret entrance to the building— an underground passage that connected the building to a local tavern three blocks away. It was called the Lucky Roll, and the bartender was none other than the guild master’s grandson, Jarrod, one of the most skilled alchemists in the guild. The staff in the tavern were also members of the guild, and they would rotate every week to give everyone a chance to do actual missions while manning the secret entrance to the guildhouse.

She pushed the old tavern door open and was greeted by the heavy scent of sweet wine and old wood. The tavern was well lit, even without a fire in the fireplace. Open windows on every wall let the bright sun shine through. Groups of tables surrounded by squeaky wooden chairs were pushed to either side of the tavern, leaving space for a small walkway through the middle to the bar.

Even at this hour, there were plenty of men and women cheering and drinking their hearts out, too many for her liking, so she pulled up her hood before walking into the tavern.

Fortunately, no one paid her any heed. Everyone was too busy gambling their money away or downing pint after pint of sweet alcohol to notice a small, hooded figure walk silently into the tavern.

Jarrod and the staff, however, noticed her right away. The way she walked, the way she paced each step carefully and deliberately, was enough to signal her arrival.

His shoulders stiffened as she stopped right in front of the wooden counter.

“What’ll be, stranger?” he asked in a neutral tone. Even though it was clear to him who he was talking to, he still asked. It was his job to ask, to make sure they let no spies or intruders infiltrate their ranks. One slip up, one misstep, and they’ll be in deep trouble.

“One night in the backrooms.” She answered with the passphrase quietly, her hand going to her black pendant instinctively, the coin smooth and cool under her touch.

He pushed himself away from the counter and headed to the backdoor, keys in hand. Eloise followed without another word, shifting the sack of apples on her shoulder to relieve her sore muscles.

The backroom was a typical wine cellar. Cabinets filled with jugs and bottles lined the walls, save for a corner piled with yellow burlap sacks full of potatoes, rice, and beans. It was a small room, but a room that held many secrets. Every third shelf of the cabinets, for example, contained nothing but the deadliest poisons and other alchemic mixtures. The burlap sack that was tied with a butterfly knot instead of a thumb knot was filled with bean-shaped suicide pills. The wall above the pile of burlap sacks was the entrance to the guildhouse.

“Are those for Callan’s birthday pie?” Jarrod asked, nodding at the sack slung over her shoulder.

“Yep,” she said, pushing against the wall. The stone surface responded to her weight by moving back and revealing a small alcove with a narrow staircase leading down.

“Tell him I said happy birthday.” He said.

“Will do,” she braced one hand on the rough wall and made her descent.

The staircase opened up to a small, closet-sized, torch-lit room with a single oak door on the other side. Enchanted metal bolts and latches sealed the door, and only one thing can unlock them.

Eloise bent down and pressed her Black Seraph coin pendant onto one of the bolts, murmuring the Black Seraph code, “Sacrento, aequalia, mortis.” Clandestine, equilibrium, sacrifice.

The latches slid out as the heavy door clicked and swung open silently.

“Home sweet home.” She murmured.

Chapter 2

The room she came into could’ve been mistaken as a storage room if it wasn’t for the dozens of Black Seraphs scattered about, sharpening their weapons or tweaking with objects better left untouched. No one looked up when she walked in. They didn’t need to. All Black Seraphs were trained to know a threat if or when they saw one.

She crossed the room, weaving through the stacked-up crates that took up most of the room’s space and the outstretched legs of the Seraphs that had nothing better to do but nap. At the end of the room was another door that led to the Mess Hall, or the meeting room if they needed one, but today, it was where the party’s going to happen.

There were already decorations hanging from the second-floor balconies that overlooked the hall. Ribbons made of satin and bright-colored drapes hung from the railings. A banner that said, “Happy Birthday Callan!” was being put up as she walked in.

“Not bad.” She commented to herself just as another voice cut through her thoughts.

“Eloise!” the only other person besides Callan who dared to call her by her first name without a title squealed.

Amika climbed over the second-floor balcony railing and landed on one of the tables. The neatly arranged silverware clattering from the force of her fall, earning a few groans and mutters of exasperation, but she paid them no heed. She scrambled across the wooden surface and almost tripped over her own feet trying to get to Eloise.

Eloise blinked, “What do you want, Ami?” she asked indifferently.

“I have two things to say to you, Ellie!” she wiggled a finger at Eloise’s face, “One: You are one mean woman! What type of friend just leaves their B.F.F. to keep their other B.F.F from walking into their own surprise birthday party setup while the third B.F.F goes shopping for,” she craned her neck and glanced at the sack on Eloise’s shoulder, “a bag of rocks?”

“These are apples,” Eloise said, and then froze, “Wait, you left Callan alone?” she whirled around to look for her other friend, but Ami caught her shoulder.

“Relax,” she gave Eloise a gentle pat, “the dude said he needed to take a nap, so I let him. It’s not like I should watch him as he sleeps, that’s creepy,” she shuddered.

“You could’ve sat outside his door,” Eloise put a hand on her hip, “or maybe stand across the hall to make sure he doesn’t wander off.”

“Uh, no,” Ami made a face, “I know you’re horrible at social cues and etiquette, Ellie, but even you know standing outside someone’s door is really, really creepy.”

“You were the one who wanted the job,” Eloise replied without hesitation, keeping a straight face just to annoy her.

“Yeah, well…” Ami folded her tiny arms and pouted like a child, “I didn’t think you’d actually give me the job.”

“Again, you volunteered.” Eloise walked towards the kitchen without even looking at her.

“You know I’m crap at keeping secrets!” Amika whined and followed Eloise’s steps, “And improvising! I was just joking!”

“Well, I’m shit at reading people, you said so yourself, so you dug that grave, not me.” She opened the wooden door and stepped into the kitchen, heaving the apples onto the stone counter.

Amika, being the annoying, lovable monkey she was, pushed herself onto the counter and started swinging her feet back and forth like a little kid, hitting the wooden drawers every time her feet kicked back. “Fine, fine, maybe that was my fault. But I have one more thing to say!”

“Uh-huh.” Eloise said boringly as she took out the apples from the sack and lined them up on the cold, stone surface, “And what would that be?”

“While I was busy making Callan do everything but go to the Mess Hall,” Ami shot her an accusing stare, but with her small built and child-like appearance, it looked more like a poor attempt to scare her, “I overheard a couple of fellow Seraphs talking about someone important coming to our humble city.”

“Important?” Eloise repeated. This caught her interest. Despite Eithra being one of the most important cities in East Borathea, it wasn’t a really special city, save for the Black Seraph League headquarters stationed within its walls. Eithra was the type of city that made sure East Borathea’s economy kept running, but it lacked an interesting history or famed monument. The fact that an important figure was coming to Eithra was a big surprise, even to people like Eloise and Ami, who were trained to keep calm and neutral no matter the situation.

“Yeah, something about flagships, purple, and…” Ami scrunched up her face confusingly, “a spider web?” she shrugged, “I dunno. It was weird and made a total of zero sense to me, but hey! I was busy keeping Callan busy while avoiding the Mess Hall, so I didn’t have time to process what the heck what I heard!”

But Eloise was no longer listening. Once Ami said the words “flagship”, “purple”, and “spider web”, she stopped paying attention. “Spider web” could’ve been referring to the underground messenger organization who called themselves the Spider’s Web, and as their name suggests, they had connections with outside groups, guilds, and even politicians within the castle walls. They had eyes and ears everywhere. Whatever the royals wanted to announce, the Spider’s Web was always the first to know. Eloise wouldn’t exactly trust them as a reliable source of information, but whenever they had something to say, she listened.

As for “flagship”, they could’ve been referring to the Imperial Armada’s flagship, the Serpentine. But the Serpentine had been stationed to the Beirgra Isles down south along with the Stormtide and Watcher, the last she heard, which was last week. Flagship was also a keyword among the Spider’s Web that meant “top priority”, which would’ve made more sense because it was someone important.

Then “purple”, which, if her deductions were correct, referred to the color of the royal banner. That could only mean one thing.

“A royal family member’s coming,” Eloise concluded out loud.

Ami choked, and in doing so, almost fell off the counter. “Say what now?” she coughed.

Eloise went over to the sack of flour with a cup in hand, “A member of the royal family’s coming.” She repeated, “It’s the most logical conclusion.” She opened up the sack and filled up the cup with white, powdery flour.

“That’s a little far-fetched, don’t you think?” Ami cried out, struggling to keep in her excitement, “W-What about ‘spider web’? That has nothing to do with the royal family!”

“No, it doesn’t.” Eloise agreed, “But the Spider’s Web is one of our allies. The people you overheard could’ve received the news from them, haven’t you considered that?”

Ami opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it when she realized her friend was right, “Oh yeah.” She stared at the ceiling, “Well, I guess that’s true.” She perked up, “Then ‘flagship” would mean ‘top priority’, right?”

Eloise nodded, “Yes, Ami.”

“Which means that it has to be a royal, because the only important, top priority people who have anything to do with the color purple are the royals!” she declared proudly as if she was the one who just came up with the idea, “Ha! I’m a genius, aren’t I?” she put her hands on her hips and grinned.

“Yes, of course, you are.” Eloise said while cracking a few eggs into a bowl, “You’re the smartest person I know, and it totally isn’t like I literally just told you the answer.”

“Hey!” Ami punched her arm lightly, “Making fun of me, are we?”

Eloise smirked, “Figured that out all by yourself, did you?”

Ami gaped at her, “Meanie!” she said accusingly and wiggled a finger at her, “I may be stupid in a lot of ways, but you don’t have to remind me every day!”

“Oh, I’m sorry for hurting your feelings, Queen Amika,” Eloise bowed mockingly, eggbeater still in hand.

“Yes, I am Queen!” Ami declared proudly and held up a fist in the air, “Now, bow, peasants, and beg her royal majesty for mercy!”

“Oh no!” Eloise rolled her eyes, “A monkey for queen? Run for your lives!”

“Hey!” Ami jumped off the counter and shoved her face into Eloise’s, “I’m not a monkey! On the contrary, I see myself as a graceful swan!” she stood up on her toes and started waving her arms in the air while doing what Eloise can only assume was her version of an elegant dance.

“Graceful swan,” she snickered.

“Yeah, a graceful swan!” Ami did a little twirl and jumped into the air, “Be grateful, peasant, because you are watching none other than Queen Ami performing the most difficult dance step ever: The Silver Swan! Feast your eyes upon this goddess, whose power rivals that of— ACK!”

The door opened all of the sudden and slammed into Ami’s face with a satisfying THUMP!

“Oh my gods, are you okay?” Callan emerged from the other side, auburn eyes wide and black hair tousled.

“Yeah…” Ami sniffed and clutched her cheek, “I’m fine, thanks for— HEY!” she jumped back when she realized who it was, “You’re not supposed to be here!”

Eloise slapped her face and groaned. Just because he walked into his own birthday party setup didn’t mean Ami had to reveal everything.

“I just wanted to get a snack—” Callan didn’t have time to finish before Ami launched herself at the tall Seraph.

“We spent three days planning this thing! Three days!” she shoved her face into his, “That’s one. Two. Three days of hard work and distracting you!” she held up three fingers and shook them before his eyes, “I worked so haaard…” she started fake sobbing, “But alas! My actions were in vain!”

“Well, I’m sorry,” Callan said apologetically, trying to inch away from Ami’s flying fists.

“Sorry? Sorry?” Ami’s voice went up an octave, “Would ‘sorry’ bring back all those days wasted on following you? Would ‘sorry’ let you forget the fact that Eloise’s baking you apple pies for your birthday?”

“Will you shut up?” Eloise clamped her hand over Ami’s mouth to prevent her from revealing anything else.

“Apple pies?” Callan perked up like a puppy.

Eloise clenched her jaw and looked away, “Yeah…” she mumbled. There was no use in hiding it. If Ami didn’t tell him, he’d know right away from the apples and ingredients lining the counter.

“Can I help?” He asked excitedly, like a child about to get a treat.

“No,” she made a face, “the last time you helped out in the kitchen, you almost burned the entire turkey into a crisp.”

“But I’ll do better this time! Besides,” he shrugged his broad shoulders and smiled playfully, “I have a feeling that you’ll need my help.”

“A feeling.” Eloise echoed skeptically, raising a brow questioningly, “I don’t know how accurate of a feeling you have, but I don’t think you should trust it, especially since it was your feeling that got us jailed in Mikhaal prison for a week.”

Callan frowned at the low blow. The Mikhaal prison incident happened around four months ago when the three of them were sent on an errand down south. They ran into some trouble, and they ended up being chased down a labyrinth of alleyways. Even though it was still Spring at the time, the merciless northern sun blazed, practically scorching the city’s dirt paths and clay rooftops. Ending up in the alleyways was the last thing any of them had in mind, but the Mikhaal guards left them no choice. They pursued them deep into the neighborhood until they had to stop for breath, and it was there Callan suggested they go left, saying that the main streets were that way and they’d lose the guards in the crowd. After being chased by guards wielding big-ass halberds and running at full speed under the hellish, ever-beating sun, they were willing to do whatever it took to get them out of their situation, so, instead of thinking it through logically and planning their steps, they gave into their fatigue and followed Callan into the outstretched arms of the friendly-faced guards.

After that, they were practically thrown into the Mikhaal prison, and a week went by. There was little water and even less food. The only reason they got out was because the Mikhaal city was subjected to another one of their neighbor’s raids. The rogue clan Draghal decided to pay Mikhaal a visit, and a Draghal warrior decided to release them. The enemy of my enemy is my friend, he said, before taking off towards the central plaza with the rest of his horse-riding brethren.

There was an awkward pause between the trio before Ami decided it was a great moment to cut in, “But for what it’s worth, at least we learned something! Always stick to the main streets, am I right?” she elbowed Callan playfully with a cheerful smile on her face.

The tall, dark-skinned Seraph let out a reluctant grunt, “I guess,” and walked over to the cupboard, “just let me get my snack, and I’ll be on my way since you don’t want my help…” he mumbled.

Eloise and Ami watched as he padded over to one of the wooden cupboards and pulled out a loaf of bread wrapped in paper. He tore off a piece silently and put the loaf back, “See you guys later,” Callan said, dejected.

Eloise felt guilty already. He just wants to help, her empathetic side said, there’s no harm in letting him try.

Sometimes she really hated that part of her.

“Callan wait!” she reached out with a hand.

The tall seraph stopped in his tracks, bread still in hand, “Yes?” he asked in a hopeful voice that almost made her heart melt. Almost.

Eloise took the bowl of eggs and handed it to him, “Here, you can beat the eggs,” she held out the beater.

Callan stuffed the bread into his mouth and snatched the bowl out of her hands with a grin plastered all over his face. “Watch me!” he said triumphantly and started beating the eggs like his life depended on it.

“Wait, no—” Eloise screamed and jumped back when egg yolk flew out of the bowl.

“Callan, Callan, my dude, you’ve gotta chill,” Ami held up her hands peacefully like she was trying to calm a wild animal and took two tentative steps forward.

“This is why I never let you help out in the kitchen!” Eloise’s voice cracked as she watched Callan in horror.

Her best friend continued to beat the eggs until it was the perfect shade of yellow, then he stopped abruptly and handed her the bowl with a satisfied smirk on his face, “See?” he panted, “I can be useful! And I did much better than last time!”

Eloise eyed the egg yolk splattered all over the floor and nearby shelves, “Sure, Callan,” she set the bowl down on the counter with her fingers, “But I think you’ve done enough for today.”

“Aw,” he leaned his hip against the stone counter, “alright, fine, but can I watch?”

“Yeah, can we watch?” Ami piped in with a big smile on her face.

Eloise frowned, “Don’t you have other things to do?”

“No,” they said in unison.

She poured another cup of flour into the big metal bowl, “Yes, you do. You guys can help with the decorations.” She said pointedly.

“Ami can help,” Callan nodded his head towards the smaller girl, who looked nothing short of betrayed and shocked, “but I’m the birthday boy, so I can do whatever I want.” He held his chin high with a smug look on his handsome face.

“Hey!” Ami pouted, “You can’t do that! That’s illegal!”

“To be fair, Ami, Black Seraphs can care less for the law. And second, may I remind you that you were the one who dragged the entire carnival across the city to attend your birthday party,” Eloise paused, then added, “including the petting zoo. Against their will.” She still remembered how she freaked out at the sight of Ami riding a mini pony, with a handful of balloons in one hand and party horn in the other, into the Mess Hall. The carnival master looked like he was ready to make a run for it, and Eloise almost felt sorry for him. It wasn’t every day he got to see a guild full of Black Seraphs armed to the teeth and trained to kill on sight.

Eloise didn’t even know how Ami managed to convince the entire carnival to attend her birthday party, or how the Hells she managed to fit the entire carnival through the narrow staircase, but when she asked, Ami simply shrugged and grinned, “Hey, it’s me you’re talking to!” Before skipping off.

The guildmaster wasn’t happy about it either, and after a day’s worth of convincing from his grandson, he gave them three months of cleaning duty and two months of minimal food. Eloise would never forget the bland taste of porridge ever again, thanks to that girl.

But even with all the trouble they got into after the party, Eloise never had the heart to tell Ami what really happened to the carnival. For all she knew, the carnival moved onto another city, but Eloise knew the real reason why they disappeared soon after her party.

“We cannot risk letting anyone reveal the secrets of our guild,” their guildmaster said coldly, “not even the most insignificant of insects. Never forget that.”

She still remembered how his eyes hardened as he spoke, how his voice and actions haunted her dreams for months after.

“First of all,” Ami held up a finger and put her other hand over her heart, “the day I went to the carnival to invite them over, I asked for permission, and they said yes—”

“Who’s they?” Callan asked abruptly with a confused look on his face.

“Oh, just a couple of dudes who were organizing my party, anyway!” she continued before any of them can interrupt a second time, “Second, everyone enjoyed it! So, it was all good in the end!”

“Okay,” he blinked slowly, “but… how does this back up your argument?”

“You have to ask permission from the people organizing your party!” Ami declared.

“Fine,” Callan looked at Eloise, “Eloise, may I stay here and watch you cook while Ami finishes up the decorations outside?”

Eloise pulled herself out of her thoughts and looked up, “You guys can do whatever you want,” she said absently and went back to the unfinished pies.

“You good, Ellie?” Ami peeked over her shoulder.

“Yeah,” Eloise cracked a few eggs into a separate bowl, “just had a weird thought, that’s all.” After a moment of silence, she looked up to face her two best friends, “You two should get ready for the party.”

Callan had a concerned look on his face, and he looked like he was about to ask what’s wrong, but Ami didn’t push. Instead, she took his hand and dragged him towards the door, “C’mon, my dude, I’ll go buy me an ice cream cone. Want one?”

They shut the kitchen door behind them before Eloise could hear Callan’s reply.

Chapter 3

The apple pies came out perfectly, and it didn’t take long for the smell to fill the giant mess hall. Eloise set the last pie down with gloved hands and looked around. Everything was just about ready. The banners and streamers were up, the silverware was set, but when she looked at the present pile at the center table, she realized something.

“Damn!” she yanked off her gloves and strode towards the door.

“Ellie, what’s wrong?” Ami called from the other side of the room while trying to hide the fact that she just stuffed three chocolates into her mouth.

“I forgot his present!” Eloise didn’t bother closing the door behind her as she walked into the Quarter Wing.

Her room was on the first level, a floor she shared with other high-ranking Seraphs like her. But because she reported directly to the guildmaster himself, she had the luxury of owning her bed-chamber.

Her door was the second one down from the entrance to the mess hall, the first belonged to Callan. Ami had brought up on many occasions how lucky they were to live so close to each other, but Eloise begged to differ. There were some things that happened in his room that she longed to forget, including his one-night stands or his awful singing voice that made a banshee’s scream sound like a lullaby.

But, unlike Callan’s room, which practically looked like the armory, Eloise preferred to decorate her room according to her likes and hobbies. Once she entered the room, she couldn’t help but smile a bit.

Lining the right side of her room were five two-meter-long bookshelves filled with tomes, books, papers, and occasional decorations made of crystals or glass. Between the third and the fourth shelf was a dark, cherry wood desk she hand-selected from a local furniture shop. On the smooth surface were piles of fliers, books, notes, and maps she was supposed to study ages ago but pushed aside because she wanted to read. Twin mushroom-shaped lamps with brass handles stuck out of the wall above her desk like two guardians, and above them was a gold-framed painting of a mighty red dragon and a flock of pegasi freely flying across the Misty Glades. She found it during one of their heists and couldn’t help but bring it back. The creatures of the Misty Glade have always been one of her many fascinations, and whenever she looked at this painting, she couldn’t help but wonder if she would ever meet such beautiful creatures.

On the left side of her room was her four-poster, king-sized bed. She liked space when she slept, even though she only used up about a quarter of it whenever she rested. On the right side of the bed was a small oak bedstand with another brass lamp and her leather-bound journal. And on the left side of her bed was her gold-handled, cherrywood wardrobe, bought from the same store as her desk. Most of her wardrobe was empty, save for what little clothes she had, which became a problem ever since Ami discovered she could hide in her wardrobe whenever she got into trouble.

In front of the wardrobe was a southern changing screen made of wood and paper, depicting a pond, lilies, and carp. It was something she learned to love during her trip to the southern continent, along with their cuisine and weapons.

On her bed were four pillows and a feather duvet. They would’ve been the only things on her bed if it wasn’t for the beautiful, rectangular box lying at the edge of the bed. It was made of ebony, with an imprinted gold dragon on its lid and a velvet strap. She opened it carefully and inside was the masterfully crafted sword. Its sheath was made of polished black wood, just like the box. Wrapped around the hilt of the sword was black and gold cloth. When she picked it up, it was as light as the day she first held it. She wrapped her fingers around the hilt gently and pulled the blade out. The sword came cleanly and smoothly out of its sheath, making little to no sound as black gave way to silver. The blade was still sharp and spotless, even after months of storage. A blade like this is gifted to only the most powerful and worthy warriors, the blacksmith had said, make sure your friend uses it well.

She sheathed the blade and put it back carefully before shutting the lid and heading back to the mess hall.