I shook my head at Sage as I made my bed and prepared to leave the room: the witch was not out yet.
"She might take a while," I said. "She might be lenient today."
Sage shook her head. "I highly doubt it. What with her current annoyance with you, she will be anything but lenient."
"I was going to tell her I would refuse lady Froya when she came today," I said.
"Why?" Sage asked. "This is such an opportunity. You got lucky. Would you prefer to slave under Lady Uma for the rest of your life?"
"I suppose it is better to slave under the emperor?" I said.
"You revolutionist nuts," Sage said. "Do you think you can single-handedly pull the emperor down? What delusion. At the end of the day we all slave under one person or another- it is the conditions of service that matters. My village was raided and burnt down for most of what it was by Imperial guards sent by the emperor when I was a few years younger. My village was populated by a particular bunch of notoriously seditious gangs and so the guards came to cleanse the empire of them. That was why I was orphaned and had to leave and look for work in one of the emperor's cities. I loathe him more than you do, but even I would not turn down such an opportunity as you have been given."
I got dressed and appeared at the main dining hall at a little less than an hour past dawn, waiting with the rest of the other Fae girls for Lady Uma to assign us our tasks for the day.
Sage was the first to react to the bright and smiling face of the lady. She frowned-we had to be in trouble for the lady to smile so much. But we were not apparently, as Lady Uma beamed even more as she approached us and she did not break into vituperations halfway; she maintained the smile. I stood with the rest of the girls, puzzled at her behavior. The fact that she had given us extra time to prepare was puzzling, but this new behavior might be classified as scary for a lot of reasons among which is the fact that she had looked like a volcano that would explode only yesterday.
"Avril!"
I stood out of the line. "Yes, my lady."
Lady Uma watched me for a while and then she said: "Are you dressed already? Is this what you would be wearing to such a prestigious place as the Imperial complex?"
"I..."
"Are your bags packed?" Lady Uma asked.
"I did not have much time to pack them but I don't assume they should take me long as I do not own a lot-" I was saying.
"By all means, finish up with your packing," Lady Uma said. "And wear something nicer. It's your big day today. Lady Froya would be here anytime soon. I received her emissaries just a few minutes ago."
I stared shocked at this transformation. Lady Uma began a long speech on how I had made her and her establishment proud and how I was now recommended to go serve the Royal kitchens because of my skill and expertise... " You girls should follow in Avril's footsteps and maybe someday you will work in the same or even higher capacity, you never can tell."
There was going to be a small send-off for me. I did not get the details of why I necessarily needed the send-off- or what it was going to look like seeing as Lady Froya would be here soon- as I headed for the workers' dormitory to change into another dress and pack the last of my things.
Sage was in the dorm and she watched me work as I gathered the little things that belonged to me in a small case. She only just entered the room seconds ago and she looked sad, somewhat. She was going to miss me after all.
"Uma was well compensated for being an agent to your employment," Sage said then. "I saw her carefully counting the coins in a small sack, all of them gold with the imperial insignia glowing brightly over them."
My purchase, in a single paragraph.
"I think we now know why she is not as furious as she was before," I responded.
Sage reached for me and gave me a warm hug, patting my back slightly. "Take care of yourself, okay? Don't let anybody strong-arm or bully you. I won't be there."
"I'll miss you Sage," I said.
"Hopefully I'll see you in what, a few years? Never?" Sage said and she laughed. But it was mirthless laughter.
The empire was big. We might never meet. The Imperial Place was even far away and that was why Lady Froya had come here with a Pegasi-pulled carriage. Only winged horses could make up for such distance when nobles traveled between kingdoms.
"We should go to the dining hall. We have a cake waiting for you," Sage said.
"Cake?"
They did. At the dining hall, while Lady Uma was at her inner chambers, probably looking for a good spot to hide her newly acquired gold coins, the girls led me to a small cake which we shared over mead as they hugged and patted me on the back, telling me goodbye, they would miss me- dispassionately, or truly. It didn't matter. It did not.
I heard the whine of the Pegasi just outside the dinning hall and Lady Uma rushed from inside her private cubicle to grasp my arm and lead me outside.
Well, my send-off was done.
Minutes later, I was in the carriage driven by Pegasi and Elf augmentation magic for the wheels. Lady Froya had exchanged pleasantries with Lady Uma only for a few minutes before we set out. Now, my case loaded at the trunk of the carriage, the Pegasi glided through the air taking our carriage with them, succumbing to the whiplash of the carriage driver.
Wind blew the tiny curtains at the top of the carriage doors on both sides and through the opening, I could see birds fluttering in the air and clouds and the tips of mountains as we glided past the countryside.
I felt light. I had never ridden by Pegasi before- they were the preserve of the wealthy and influential in the Elven colonies. Landed horses were more affordable and even that too, by only well-to-do individuals.
The wider, less luxurious carriages were public transportation, carrying more seats, the roof serving as trunk for cases and belongings