Except Arwyn does have a lot to do. She has a lot to think about, a lot to figure out, and has to come to a decision of an overall goal that she wants to accomplish. She could fret about small rivalries later. Her past life's business like habits taking over; analyzing her situation and figuring out a clear path was of utmost importance. Once her mother was out of the drawing room, Arwyn was able to breath calmly and look around the room. It was another intricate room, set up to receive guests of a large number, but small enough to feel almost intimate. It was full of natural lighting from the three large bay windows. A chandelier hung above the dark wood table lit with more blue energy stones. Apparently always on, even though the lamp in her room had an off switch, Arwyn could see that no switch was visible in the room.
Energy stones were natural here on this world. They are harvested from the rivers and creaks, apparently coming from deep beneath the Pan's (Pan is the name of this world) surface; pushed up from the gushing streams of fresh water. The stones came in several colors. Blue was warm and had a soft light when under pressure- which was used for lighting. The red stones were used to warm the buildings, cooking and heating water. The blue and red stones were the most common. The more rare colors helped enhance person's abilities; yellow for endurance; pink for resistance; orange for strength; green had amazing healing capabilities; and purple was for transporting to places quickly to far away places (most noble families had this even though it was rare, they were willing to pay the prices for such a valuable item). Magic was embedded deep in how this world works. How did her parents assume it was all right to keep magic and the awakening from their children? And how on earth did they not learn of it when they had a governess? Thinking back she knew the past Arwyn didn't care much for learning. That must be it. Apparently the governess had gotten married the year previously, and her parents never rehired a new one. They figured their daughters were learned enough. Judging from the past Arwyn's fuzzy memories of this place, they had not.
Arwyn got up from her chair and walked out of the room. The foyer was big and open with gold trimmings along the edges of the wall, with smooth shiny marble floors. Several doors leading to other rooms; the first floor was set up for entertainment- card rooms, dance hall, sitting rooms, and two dining rooms; the second floor is where all the bedrooms for the member of the family and their guests to sleep, about 7 bedrooms in total, plus an extensive library; the third floor was for the servants living quarters- the main staircase did not go up to the third floor. The servant's had two stairs in the back of the mansion, one in the back of the kitchen and one at the end of the hall on the third floor on the other side of the house which was used for fast access to the living quarters for them to clean and assist the family.
Needing to find a good thinking spot, Arwyn headed to the library. She ascended the stairs. Finally looking around and up. The ceiling was high vaulted, with magnificent oil paintings around beautiful glass colored windows. The library was directly in front of the top of the stairs. It had two large black doors, unlike the halls with white trimming, the door itself was black with a deep brown frame, and only the gold handle matched the rest of the house. It was a heavy door, which Arwyn had to pull very hard to open it. Upon entering the vicinity, the familiar smell of her past life and new life, hit her nose. Books, old and dusty and pleasant. This was it. This was now her spot. Arwyn walked through the bookcases up along the bookcases. Magnificent ancient books with leather binding, and cloth binding and gold lettering stared back at her. The library had two levels, starting on the second floor of the actual building, the second floor of the library reached the third floor. In the middle of the library were tables with chairs, and it looked like thinking chars. On either side of the center of the library were two spiraling stairwells.
The extremely cushioned chair next to a table with a lamp called to her so Arwyn chose to sit there. It was comfortable. It was exceptional. Arwyn leaned back and kicked her feet up onto a stool she grabbed from under the little table. She was reclining comfortably.
Her train of thought went back to her traumatic death to waking up in a new world. A normal person probably wouldn't have handled waking up and talking to new people unrelated to anything she ever knew, so well. Heck maybe if she was transported here ten years prior, she might have still handled it the same. She learned at such a young age to survive. Surviving was engrained into every fiber of her soul. It may be a cutthroat way to live, but it worked. So far it was helping her, but for how long? She didn't want to live like she was in the past. She didn't want to use people anymore. She wanted to do things on her own. She wanted to actually live, love and to be her honest self, but how?
Looking into the fuzzy memories of Arwyn's, she figured that Pan was another male dominated world. Meaning that inheriting her father's title would prove to be a rather complicated dramatic task. Granted women here have held their own titles without giving it to their husbands or just not marrying- were successful, but they were few compared to the men ruling things. Her mother for example, the marchioness's original duties had nothing to do with taking her husbands duties when he was absent; it is something that normally is supposed to go the one of his more successful viscounts. Mother was strong willed and smart. She demanded equality in her marriage and to be treated with respect. Her father was happy to oblige.
Arwyn didn't want to go into society just to look for marriage. She wanted the connections, where two parties get something in return. It would be fair and not at all what she used to do in her past life. So she didn't throw out getting assistance all together. If she had learned any kind of lesson in her past life: you cannot get anywhere completely on your own.
What if she inherited the title and was successful in this world? What would be her goal? Maybe she shouldn't have a goal. Just do things completely different this time? Just wing it? See a chance and grab at it honestly, if that is what she truly wishes for? It frightened her to think about not having a plan. It might be for the best.
Arwyn could hear the doors opening and then footsteps coming down the corridor of shelves. Merida appeared from the forest of books. "My lady!" Her voice sounded on the verge of tears. " I was getting worried when I couldn't find you! This was the last place I would ever look to find you!" Merida reached her lady. "What on earth have you been doing?"
"I was just thinking." Arwyn answered, unmoving in her position. Merida did not seem to like that. Arwyn sat up and rubbed the wrinkles out of her dress. "Is something the matter?"
"Well no, I am your personal maid, I'm supposed to be glued to your side." Merida replied, now unsure. "And since the Marchioness is out today, the cook would like to know what you would prefer to have for lunch?"
Not wanting to upset such a devoted person, Arwyn eased her worries. "Alright, I will try not to disappear on you very often. Every now and then I need my alone time though. Can we agree on some sort of compromise?"
Merida thought it over. "During my meal times, which is usually after yours there is about twenty to thirty minutes I can make sure not to harass you." Then she winked.
Arwyn liked this agreement. "For lunch I want something light, cake early in the morning is too heavy for me." She stood up. "Maybe some soup?" Arwyn started walking toward the doors.
"Yes my lady, I will go inform the cook now. " Merida scurried away, very happy with their compromise, being a personal maid can be suffocating even for a maid. Having no time to actually sit down for a meal, usually always needing to be by the lady's side. So this definitely worked in both their favor.
On the way out, a book caught Arwyn's eye in the finance section. She stopped and pulled a few books from the shelf. The old Arwyn had not learned how to manage money or really a whole lot of math or business for that matter. It would be good to study on how money moved this world. Studying sounds like a good thing to do to pass the time for now. So she went to her room, placed the extra books on her little table, sat in her flower cushioned chair and began to look over the books.
A few hours had passed before Arwyn realized it, Merida was retrieving her for lunch. After much reading through a few books, it was easy for Arwyn to gather that business and finances were ran very similarly to her old world. That would benefit her more if she were to inherit the title after all. She just needed to figure out her magic if she even had any.
Maybe after lunch.