The banquet hall was livelier than we'd left it. As an excuse for the length of Celeste's and my absence, I brought my mother and sister lavender bundles tied with ribbon. I tried to give one to Celeste, but she refused in a tone that meant she'd never falter on her answer. I tucked a single stem into her apron pocket without her noticing.
As my brother was going to ask where we disappeared, I interjected, "Daddy, let's go say hi to Miss Gina. I still have to say thank you. Does she like flowers?"
Another awkward silence rose over my family.
Is Gina as taboo as magic?
"We'll have to find out," is all my dad could say before whisking me away in his arms and heading out to the camp in the field. I noticed Celeste beckoning my mother and siblings to come with her. She was definitely, ten thousand percent, telling them our secret.
On our walk to the field camp, my dad told me about the impressed remarks my parents received about my answer, "I'm not a genius by any means, and I shouldn't speak for your mother, but I'm not sure how all our kids ended up so smart! Phoebe established the first apothecary in the duchy last year, and your brother has always been creative with food preservation. Who could've guessed our third would be a political rising star!"
A comfortable silence settled over us, but I knew my dad would be heartbroken if I kept the secret from him, so I whispered, "Daddy… I really am magical."
His breath caught, and he looked me in the eyes, "Are you really?"
I nodded, "Celeste told me the bad guys want magical people."
"She's right. But we'll keep you and Celeste safe!"
"Daddy, I thought you didn't know about Celeste?"
A cheeky grin spread across his face, "Everyone thinks your mother and I don't talk since we're so busy. But I'll have you know, Delilah's the best gossiper, and I happily take second place." Garth's tone grew serious, "When it comes to our kids, your mother and I hide nothing from each other. That includes anyone we might hire for you."
I gently pinched my dad's cheeks, beckoning his goofy smile back.
"Celeste said I'm… very magical."
"Then we'll have to get very strong, all of us, to keep you safe," the noise of the encampment grew louder, "are you ready to say hi to the villagers?"
I eagerly nodded, and then my dad put me on his shoulders and ran into the camp, acting like a wild horse.
________
Gina is pretty weird.
I expected a mad scientist, and while she certainly fulfilled that expectation, she also gave drunken-fist warrior vibes. Gina stood over two meters tall, with bulging muscles clad in the skimpiest silks, all adorned with many belts, scars, and jewels. I can't tell if she'd appreciate flowers either.
"Little Lady!" Gina shouted excitedly, "Happy Birthday!"
A group of young men surrounding Gina's bonfire wore the same neckerchief as her, and they greeted me in chorus, "Cheers from Gina's Genius!"
I pulled the bundle of lavender out of my dad's sling bag, "Miss Gina, do you like lavender?"
Gina is very weird.
Instead of saying yes or no, silently taking them, tossing them in my face, etcetera, she started bawling.
My father groaned, "Gina, it's not even an hour past sundown, and you're drunk crying?"
"I just," an inglorious, wet sniffle escaped Gina, "never thought I'd be receiving flowers from such a beautiful girl. Lady Daphne is the cutest. How could I not cry?" She took a long swig of something quite strong, "and I'm not drunk." Gina gingerly, though clumsily, tucked the lavender bundle into a bag resting at her feet.
Gina's Genius teared up at the sight of their war-forged boss crying.
They're all drunk.
"Miss Gina, thank you for making the wells safer," I was going to continue my praise and slide into another request, but Gina wailed harder in response.
My dad whispered in my ear, "I think we should stop by her shop next week. 'Miss' Gina is in no shape to talk right now," my dad turned to the company and Gina, "I'll stop by next week and give Gina some time to collect herself."
"Thanks for your cheers," I quipped to the young men.
My dad ran off once they started swooning and sobbing, too.
For the next hour, my father and I went from camp to camp to greet everyone who came for my birthday. I tried to make mental notes of each person I met; I wanted to be as impressive as my father, who could initiate specific, personal conversations with each person we encountered.
"Well, Daffodil, I think you've greeted every guest in attendance," he said, gently detangling one of my many ringlets. "I hope you felt how special we think you are. I'm very proud."
I didn't want to end the night crying, but I couldn't stop myself.
"Thank you, Dad. I'm so happy. I love you."
Thank you for being so good to Daphne.
___
The morning after my birthday banquet was a sight to behold; it was a mess of hungover nobles and commoners alike. Breakfast lined the tables. I spied the usual preserved meats and biscuits, but in the spot I sat at last night was a jar of apple butter.
I made a beeline for the spot and hopped into my chair. Celeste was never far behind me and began serving my plate.
"My lady, what is… that?"
"Theo made apple butter. You gotta try some on a roll," I beckoned Celeste to sit beside me.
"Oh, uh," she looked around the room, "I don't think that's appropriate."
"Have you seen Miss Gina?" Gina was double-fisting bacon and sausage at that very moment, at the very same table.
Celeste smiled, "I suppose if 'Miss' Gina is allowed to sit at my lady's esteemed table, I might also be allowed." She got herself a plate and sat next to me.
My curiosity was thoroughly piqued, so I leaned over to ask Celeste, "Why is everyone amused by my use of 'miss' for Gina?"
"Gina is a retired knight. Her preferred title was 'dame' before she retired. However, she seems to adore her newly assigned title," Celeste smirked at how cute her lady was.
Phoebe and Theo joined soon after. Theo looked chipper as usual, but our sister looked on the brink of death.
"How was your first drinking banquet, Phoebe?" Theo quietly chuckled.
Phoebe yell-whispered, "I was exhausted! You saw how long I had to deal with Baron Toren's eldest son," she chugged her black tea like it was beer, "If I didn't get that drunk, I wouldn't be able to convince him I blacked out and forgot his umpteenth proposal. He's 37 years old! I don't want to marry some old guy who's twenty years older than me."
The baron's eldest son, Samuel, had already married three women. All died within a few years of marriage, and none of them bore him children. Officially, they all died from various illnesses, but my mother and sister were unconvinced of Samuel's innocence.
Our mother remained dignified as she walked towards our spots, but when she sat down, she sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. Her maid asked if Delilah wanted to make her own plate, but my mom gently waved her off to relax. Phoebe handed our mother a steaming mug of black tea, and they sighed again.
"That's quite a lot of sighing I hear from the ladies of our house," my father came up behind the two and placed his hands on their shoulders, "you both performed admirably while Daphne and I were off saying hello to folks from the province." Dad moved from my mother and sister over to me and Theo to rustle our hair, "and how are you two?"
Jealous, Theo hummed, "Didn't I also do a good job?"
My dad smiled, "Theo, my boy, you work too hard not to do an outstanding job. I feel like I could retire tomorrow."
I nodded enthusiastically at my dad's praise, "That's true! But, Dad, you can't retire until Theo has made me an entire cellar's worth of apple butter," I finished the last bite of my apple butter roll and tried to reach for another roll but struggled.
"Daphne," my father grinned at me, "I'm proud of you. Your answer last night was incredible."
I furrowed my brows and whispered to my family, "Baron Toren is annoying. I needed to prove him wrong. I've read lots of stuff from Dad's office recently, and Phoebe taught me a lot about plants! It was just an idea I came up with because of them."
My family cooed again in unison, "You're such a good girl!"
I proudly puffed my chest, trying to conceal my desire to cry again. Mother finally noticed my struggle to grab another roll and made me another.
I continued, "Oh, Miss Gina does like flowers. She cried a lot when I gave them to her," I giggled, "I want to see her again this week! I have a good idea to help everyone."
My sister enthusiastically said, "I wanted to go to her shop to get some new wheels for our wheelbarrows so I can take you!" Phoebe sounded oddly excited about wheelbarrows, but I chalked that up to her being an avid gardener.
"Well, kids, Delilah and I have to go finish the event. Daphne, are you ready to say goodbye to all your visitors?" My dad offered my mom a hand to stand up.
I nodded and hopped out of my chair.
My mother quietly groaned, "What if I'm not up to it?"
"You're up to it," Garth had a childish glee about him, "who will keep me in line when I have to say farewell to that bastard, Tor-"
My mother gripped my father's hand quite hard and stood up, "You're right, you're right. Lead the way."
I trailed alongside my mother. Her hand was freely dangling, and I considered my options; I could grab it and assuage some of her feelings of rejection. She's not a bad mother; I feel that in my bones.
Am I ready?
With a deep breath, I gripped her hand with my own. I could feel her freeze for a moment before relaxing.
"Thank you, Daphne," my mother happily sighed.
I didn't reply, as the final boss was already upon us: Baron Toren and his creepy heir, Samuel. Behind them stood the oddly delightful Wanda.
I started by curtsying, "My thanks for your attendance and participation, Baron Toren."
I want to kick his shin so bad.
"You're an impressive specimen, Lady Daphne. Uniquely intelligent for your age…" he squinted at my parents, "I'm sure you've learned a lot from your parents."
Ah, another implication that I'd been fed the answer.
" Lady Wanda told me the question was different than she thought. Thankfully, my parents taught me well enough to answer such questions on a whim," I smiled at him smugly.
He cleared his throat, "Of course you can. Now, Samuel, give your greetings."
His son couldn't look any worse for wear from his hangover.
"Blessings for your seventh birthday, Lady Daphne," he mumbled. Then, like a ghost, he drifted into the Toren's ornate carriage.
"Blessings for your seventh and prayers for many more, Lady Daphne," Count Toren slightly bowed, then turned to follow his son. Wanda gave me another wink but silently followed her father.
My mom let out a chuckle, "Maybe I can retire too. Daphne, I'm not sure where you learned to handle people like him, but it'll be an invaluable asset for the rest of your life. There's an unfortunate number of men like him and worse."
The rest of the guests deemed important enough (by societal hierarchy), had departed after another hour. As the door shut behind the last guest, my dad picked me up and tossed me above him without warning. From me escaped a short shriek followed by giggles.
There's no memory like this from… before. Simultaneously full of butterflies while under the gentlest warmth of the sun. Securely resting in a blanket, I've always had and always will. Those feelings were all wrapped into the simple joy of my father tossing me into the air and trusting he'd catch me.
What a beautiful life.
"You're going to get too big for me to do this soon," Garth lamented, "but I'm thankful you're growing slower than your siblings. Maybe you'll be short like your mother," he gently put me on the ground. "Now, what are you going to do today?"
Celeste's many talents included silently appearing out of nowhere at precisely the right time, so she chimed in, "I think Lady Daphne needs a rest day."
My mother and father agreed, going off to do what needed to be done for the day, no matter the strength of their hangovers. My siblings and Celeste were left to discuss what was happening next.
Celeste swiftly fixed my hair, ribbons, underskirt, and socks. No one could deny her efficiency or attention to detail. Once she was satisfied, she straightened herself up and cleared her throat.
"Celeste, spit it out," Theo laughed.
"I'm so sorry, Lady Daphne, I broke a promise the first day we met. Your siblings and I need to discuss the lavender satchels you made."
What was Celeste talking about?
I must've been making an incredulous expression because Phoebe subtly caught my eye and gestured to all the servants around us.
Catching on, I feigned delight, "Did I do a good job? Did you like them?"
Theo smirked, "They were too perfect, which is why it's top secret! Now, to the cellar!"
Without thinking, I grabbed Celeste's hand and squeezed.
She crouched to my level, "My lady, are you afraid of cellars?"
My eyes filled with tears, and I nodded.
Celeste cupped my cheek with her hands, "Lady Daphne, next time you're afraid, please tell me. Sometimes, I forget you're still a little girl. I apologize."
I knew I didn't hide my awakening well. After all, I wasn't sure how to convincingly behave like a child noble. These thoughts filled my head as our footsteps echoed down the stone staircase.
___
Celeste lit the sconces with magic and shut the door behind us quickly.
Just as the door shut behind us, Theo slumped into a chair by the counter, "How much more mana could she possibly contain than you or Phoebe?"
Celeste interrupted his whining, "My lord, I believe you'll understand why I made such a fuss. Daphne, do you think you can do what we did last night all by yourself?"
I nodded, but Phoebe interjected, "Daphne, you must remember that this is a secret we all have to keep so you, our family, and the citizens of our duchy remain safe."
A heavy silence filled the room.
I stood before Celeste and my siblings and closed my eyes. After Celeste's test last night, feeling the mana surrounding me was like an innate sense. A gentle warmth filled me, and when I opened my eyes, I shone brightly like before.
My siblings made the same grim yet awed expression Celeste had in the greenhouse.
Phoebe hugged me tightly, "My dear baby sister… have you seen what someone else's mana looks like before?"
I shook my head.
Phoebe started to glow like I did, but the light shining off her was dim. A soft green glow emanated from her abdomen.
Green seems so on the nose for Phoebe's aura.
Celeste followed suit; her mana shone from the top of her head to just above her chest and gave off a light blue glow. Celeste had quite a bit more mana than my sister, but the light they produced was nothing compared to mine.
Theo suddenly stood up, "I gotta talk with dad about something," then he frantically ran off.
Phoebe shut the door behind him, "one more question, Daphne. Is it really you in there?"
Yes, but no.
"I'm not sure," was my only answer.
"It's okay; your family will always wait for you. Even if you're not just you."
Phoebe's sentiments simultaneously lifted a heavy burden from my shoulders while dunking me into a nightmarish spiral of anxious thoughts and grief.
_____
A few days after the party, my dad, Phoebe, and I were in a carriage on our way to the outskirts of Lykos, the Roswen duchy's largest settlement at just under six hundred people. It was Celeste and Astrid's day off, and they decided to spend it with my mother, surveying the territory.
Father drew my thoughts back to the matter at hand, "What's your idea for Gina, Daffodil?"
Phoebe pouted, "Daphne said it's a secret for only Gina to know."
I couldn't help but laugh at Phoebe's antics, "you'll know once Gina's made my idea a reality."
My dream was to create and then popularize sawdust toilets.
Plumbing was probably asking for too much, but I could no longer abide shitting in a pot and making someone (as precious as my handmaiden) dump out the contents the following day. Plus, cesspits smell way worse than sawdust toilets. No one loses.
Gina's workshop was along the main road leading into Lykos. The building was an impressively large, elegant Greco-Roman castle. I didn't expect their workshop to be so beautiful. I realized how showing their clients what's possible by example is better than any illustration could portray.
The outside of the building was far more aesthetically impressive than the interior, but inside were dozens of projects and experiments being run by Gina's employees. My sister and father went off to do whatever they came here for, leaving me to look around alone.
The guys seemed like blockheads at the party, but it was clear how uniquely intelligent each of them was. One man was formulating a variety of cement while another was smithing nails. On the mezzanine above the large workshop, a woman in a lab coat was pacing back and forth while muttering to herself. When we made eye contact, she jumped and hurried off to somewhere more private.
"Isn't she interesting?" Gina startled me with her question, "You're just like Jasmine, scaredy cat. Jasmine's a doctor who's researching different methods of house ventilation. She needs us to build the prototypes, so she spends much time here."
I raised an eyebrow, "You're using many big words to talk to a child."
"I heard your answer at your birthday party; you're no ordinary child. Frankly, none of you Roswen kids are, but you're especially interesting." Gina's tone was quite serious, "So, what can I do for you, my lady? I heard you came to ask me to build something."
I followed Gina into her spacious drafting room off the mezzanine. She had conceptualized hundreds of things, from bridges to passenger lifts, and stored them as scrolls on shelves lining three walls. Dozens more hung along the wall opposite the door.
My cheeks grew hot as I realized what I'd have to say aloud, "I've come to ask you to build a new type of… chamber pot or waste disposal system. It'll be far more hygien-"
Gina interrupted me with a bellowing laugh, "I stayed up all night looking through my designs while trying to guess what a little lady would have me build. A chamber pot is not something I considered." Gina's laughter fizzled into a wheeze, "Sorry to interrupt you, but please go on while I find my diagrams of alternative chamber pot designs."
My blush grew more intense, "I'm sorry. I know it's weird, but I had an idea. Um. So. You know how cats use sawdust to cover up their waste?" Gina grumbled about the damn cats in the workshop, affirming my example.
I continued to explain, "It seems that sawdust covers up the scent of cat waste. Additionally, the sawdust makes it easier to dispose of the waste. So, I thought, what if we made a sawdust toilet? You could even sell the sawdust your business creates. Then, the waste we create could still be used for fertilizer but in a slightly less unpleasant format for transporting. Still gross, of course."
Gina stopped searching and began tapping her foot, "what'd you call it? A toilet?"
Oops.
I cleared my throat, "Yes, um… I just sort of came up with it on the spot."
The foot tapping suddenly stopped.
Gina grabbed a pencil and started to sketch out her idea. After only twenty minutes, we'd agreed on a prototype to be installed in her workshop. Gina would update me in two weeks to see how my idea works.
As we emerged from the drafting room, my father found me, "So, what did you guys think up?"
I grinned, "Dad, it's a secret until I know it works."
His shoulders slumped, but he perked back up when I grabbed his hand, "Shall we go find your sister?"
In the back garden of the workshop, Phoebe was talking with a young man who appeared to be a few years older than her. From a second glance, I immediately knew what was up.
I ran up to Phoebe and hugged her waist, "Hello, my beautiful sister."
Phoebe blushed, "Hi, Daphne!" Phoebe gestured towards her crush, "This is Gina's nephew, Fiore. Daphne is my baby sister that you've heard so much about."
Fiore knelt to my level and offered a hand, "Nice to meet you, Lady Daphne."
I took his hand and smiled brightly, "Hello, Mr. Fiore."
Wow, he's pretty.
Fiore looked like Gina: tall, dark, ridiculously good-looking, with eyes like amethysts and raven black hair. In contrast to his aunt, Fiore was a calm, measured man with a profoundly aloof demeanor. He wasn't covered in battle scars, but he did have one significant slash mark across his left eye and brow.
Gina lumbered behind us, and Fiore stood up to retreat against the back wall.
Is she beating him?
"Well, Fiore, how's your ladylove?"
Ah, right. Gina is weird.
My sister and her crush simultaneously turned pink and went speechless.
Father held out his hand to Fiore, "How are you? How's your sister?"
Garth was surprisingly calm about this situation; I expected him to be more of a protective type, but he seemed very happy for Phoebe. Perhaps it was because Fiore made it evident that he treasured my sister. He addressed her with proper decorum in front of my father, and when he stared at Phoebe, his eyes softened like Father's did when he stared at my mother.
"Ah, she's recovering well from her fall. No improvements in her… behavior, however." Fiore unconsciously touched his scar.
Gina wrapped an arm around her nephew, "Sera's going to take a long time to get better. She's been through a lot."
Sera?
Sera?
Sera.
Sera… that was my name.
So I wasn't always you…
I'm sorry, Daphne.
I'm so sorry.
The room spun, and everything went dark.
A voice in my (our?) head gently whispered," Sera, Daphne, it's time we talk."
The next moment, I was under the stars on an unfamiliar grassy hill surrounded by a gigantic, opalescent dragon.