Day 1 after the Transfer
Albedo 1
It was but an hour ere the crack of dawn when her eyes fluttered open, free from drowse. The dulled glow of the shadowed room greeted her, golden vision uninhibited by the absence of luminescence, and the star-ceiling glamour waned with the fading dark.
An early rise, she felt. It was much unlike her usual wakes, where the orange sun would greet her whole and warm, and her dreams were more vivid joys than the present lack thereof.
Yet it was not an unpleasant slumber, relaxed and comfortable as she was settled in her husband's safearms, whose rest still carried strong, as heard by his low snores.
And much as she would like to stay in his embrace forever long— the heavens knew there was no greater place she loved more than in her beloved's arms— important duties awaited her. Unless she wanted unrest and rush in her day's schedule, an early start would award her the necessary mindset for it.
After all, it was a grand day.
With a low sigh, she eased out of the large bed and her love's arms, the dark satin covers smoothing off her pale skin with barely any struggle suffered.
Careful was she not to disturb her heartsworn's sleep, but fluency was a long-taught grace to her person of noble birth.
Her naked feet touched the soft grey carpet, the light brush of it bringing a small smile to her plump lips still a harsh cherry from the past night's sensual smooch. She did stretch too, so unashamed of displaying her bare form in this room of countless passionate nights.
Though a thin line of liquid seed trailed down her right thigh. Yet she found little care for it as much of the precious thing remained locked in her abdomen, chancing to grant her most desired wish in this fairy life.
The small smile on her lips stretched wider at the image of her yet-to-be birthed spawns, her jet-black waist wings fluttering slightly too.
Oh, it was a beautiful life she dreamed for them. Little precious things running around the marvellous castle with smiles the mimic of a crescent moon.
And her son, the boy-heir. He would be like his father, her little prince with hair as pale as the winter snow and eyes gold with charm and sovereignty. Would he not be the pride of the empire yet-to-be built, his name sung by bards and mummers lands far.
The world would be his as was the right as his father's blood, and through him, it would achieve unseen heights.
Not to be lost in her fantasies, the winged woman gave a slight shake to her head, her long black hair shimmering at the action as was the glow of the dim lights.
She turned back to her sleeping husband, her expression switching to something fond and loving. She owed much to this man who had given her happiness she felt undeserved. A happy woman she was now, not to say her life was bleak before their merger, but it was now a summer meadow in comparison.
Lowering herself with a graceful bent, she left a short-stayed peck on his cheek, the affectionate action giving a small twitch to his lips.
"Good morning, my love," was her unheard greeting, whispered low like a deep secret. Her husband merely grumbled in response, his mind still addled by sleep.
Her own smile and mood never waned, incredible as he was, this husband of hers, he had been rather frenzied and aggressive in last noon's passion. Even a nigh-god that he was, it would be strenuous to produce so much seed in just an hour.
"I suppose it's far too early for me to expect any coherent response from your drowsed mind." She still humoured carefully, her own fatigue nonexistent as was her lack of motion the previous night. "Though, I do hope you wake soon, it's a day of great import after all."
The winged woman finally moved away from the bedside, her right hand subconsciously brushing against the top surface of her nightstand where her lone ring waited. It was a round thing forged from prismatic metals and high gems, crafted in a simple twisted metal design with a clear emerald at its center.
And when she wore it on her finger, she could feel all its numerous enchantments settling into her body like a lost remnant. It took away her demon horns and angel wings— they were useless things given physicality by the cursed blood of her failed forge— and left her mundane in form.
Passing by the purple cushioned chair near the still-shrouded window, she picked her red silk sleep gown and adorned it as a cover. Red fur slippers also found her feet just before the carpet's end, lest the cold pristine marble floor shivered her body.
Wasting no further time, she made for the baths, the decorated doors leading to them self-opening at her mere want.
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The baths were a stark contrast to the black bed chambers, being bright and white with streaks of golden jade on it's polished walls. The floors were granite and woven with [Parch], and the width of the room was twice that of the bed chambers.
She moved through it with regal wander, the steamy warmth of the room wrapping around her without any mystic challenge. The air of it was fresh citrus and lilac, and a low hum helped unknot her body into further ease.
Front of her was a row of maids dressed in ankle-reaching black dresses with white long bibs tied from the back. On their heads were white mobcaps that hid their hairs from view and on their feet a simple pair of black shoes worn with white tights.
A stellar display of excellent uniformity that a simple glance would delude one into thinking every maidservant in this castle was the same person.
…well, that was perhaps an exaggerated expectation. Yet the uniforms did allow for familiarity and order.
Behind them was a lone tub emitting a thin fog and a potent scent of wisteria.
Upon her notice, the maids bowed as one and chorused, "Greetings, lady Albedo!" Synced and melodious were their voices, and graceful were their movements.
Albedo felt no small amount of pride in their elegance and devotion. Simple serfs far too concerned with the completion of their tasks had no right being in such prestigious employ, after all, lest their disregard for noble conduct taint the flawless image of this royal house she now belonged to.
Thus, despite her many duties and responsibilities, she still kept a close and assessing eye on these royal serfs whenever fate and time permitted it.
A harsh treatment, she knew. But there were certain expectations one needed to maintain when a mere serf in a house so great.
Of course, even with all the pride she felt, the royal consort made sure that her face betrayed no such emotions. Her gait never stopping, she gave a small nod— an act that was lost on the maids this bent.
"Do rise, ladies. Today is to be a busy one, I'd rather we not waste it on trivial formalities." Was her magnanimous reply so contradictory to her common stance on proper conduct. Yet this was an ordered allowance in free expression. So long as the conduct was involuntary, she would allow it.
Among the group of five, it was the middle one who spoke for the whole, "If that's what my lady desires, then it shall be so." Her reply was spoken with a smile far too honest in origin, and her eyes, dulled blue in shade, glinted with admiration and casual envy as they met Albedo's content gold.
The winged woman's gait did ultimately come to a halt just a hand away from the bathtub already filled with water and fragrances. And the maids sprung into action prepping the items needed to wash her and unclothing the little wears she had on her person.
They moved well, almost like a dance, with motions so smooth and touches restrained. The only notable thing she felt from their doings was the bundling of her hair which was styled high so it did not soak.
Yet Albedo knew that more was being done, thus her calm wait.
The blue-eyed maid once more appeared in front of her, a tinge of rose on her cheeks. She seemed rather sheepish this time around, and it was only with a quick consultation with her mind that she understood the maid's aversion.
'Still a novice hire,' she realised, 'and an innocent one at that.'
Despite herself, Albedo did feel a slight quirk on the left side of her lips that brought a teasing smile to her expression. This nude and unobstructed, she had no doubt that the marks her love left her were as glaring as an oasis in the dunes.
One need not be too depraved to deduce their origin.
Seeming to have mustered her resolve, the maid asked, "Lady Albedo, how would you like thes—uhm, I mean your…spots to be handled?" The girl seemed to have difficulty trying not to point to her husband's love bites. "Would you rather they be healed before or after your bath? Of course, you could also elec—"
Albedo interrupted the nervous maid with a lift of her hand, curious. "Your words suggest that you possess with you the capability to invoke healing magic?" She inquired, a single of her perfect brows quirked.
Panic came to the maid's face, "Of—of course not, mi—milady. I w—was merely suggesting that we could retri—retrieve a mending potion should you require immediate treatment."
The poor thing almost kowtowed at that, the royal consort noticed. Oh, it was at times like this she envied the nonchalant charm her beloved and that wild Aura seemed to possess in spades.
But she did have great muscle control, thus a mimicry of that should not be in far reach.
Still, this revelation was rather disappointing. Then again, it would be extremely odd for a healer to hold a station of mere maid, royal or otherwise.
"'tis quite well." Albedo said with something close to placating on her face, but then she swiped her hand, the motion cutting through the realism of the current space and into her rippling pseudo realm of [Riftspace]. As quickly as the spatial tear came, it was gone in the same breath, leaving a delicate capsule filled with an alchemic solution in her hand. "Add this to the bathtub, it should treat these spots as I bathe."
As if receiving a priceless treasure, the maid's eyes were wide and her jaws slackened. Albedo did not share her wonder, merely dropping the regeneration potion in the serf's hands and stepping into the tub.
A soft moan left her lips as she submerged herself into the warm waters, and whatever tension that claimed her body left it whole.
She took a breath, inhaling the scented ambiance and warm air, before letting it out slowly, subsequently drifting most of her attention away from the maids whom were moving around her with scrubs and towels in hand.
'I wonder if any of these maids would make for adequate masseuse,' for all its luxuries, the castle did lack a few vain necessities she was trying to rectify. And having a private spa area in the castle was one of those.
Unfortunately, despite the recent influx in servant-hires within the castle's staff, their numbers were already accounted for and future positions predetermined. In fact, this blue-eyed maid was doubtless one of the few candidates to be head maid for one of the planned estates of the royal family.
And on the topic of future estates…
The Great Migration operation had commenced, and for the next few weeks— and this might be close to months— her schedule would be far more busy and stress inducing.
A soft sigh left her lips as she tried to plan and arrange procedures in this moment of motivated rumination…
In the borders of her attention, she absently registered the effects of the alchemic solution washing over her and remaking her flesh to the unblemished flawlessness that it was yester-night.
…her immediate worry was the locations of the would-be settlements and townships. The surveillance department should have an accurate representation of these far western nations and their surrounding terrains in map form by now.
Her husband, the wise man that he was, had already deduced a few areas that were unclaimed like the Great Forest that should be their closest neighbour, and the nearest mountain ranges that should be brimming with metals.
Less fortunate was the unknown dangers lurking in these lands, and the exact suitability on the surfaces. After all, relying too heavily on druidic intervention would have countless consequences for not just their agricultural system, but their economy as well.
Predictably, this meant she needed to have word be sent for trust worthy surveyors…
One of the maid lifted her arm and allowed the pleasant sensation of her scrub to travel through it. She could practically feel the minimal waste on her flesh be vaporised under the bubbly onslaught.
Through all this, a lone voice breached through her thoughts and pleasant haze of wonder to inquire about simple matters she could not afford to ignore, "Are there any deviations you would like implemented to the normal routine, milady?"
It was yet again the maid in charge of today's chamber maids.
Albedo gave the question the necessary thought.
"A few." Was her final answer after running some scenarios in her mind, "I'd like a change to be done to my attire. I feel a more ceremonial look would suit the day."
Scribbling echoes breached her ears, a sound of the serf having put her words to paper.
"Any suggestions?"
She hummed and thought about the grand events expected to take place today. Her husband was to hole a royal court— a meeting to address and ruminate over the future steps of their lands. "Something red and gold, I'd also like for the attire to match with my love's dress code. Have a talk with Sebas to arrange matters to fit this specification."
…this brought back her thoughts to the second aspect of this migration operation, security and infrastructure.
The initial wave of soldiers should have been sent out to subjugate any wild dangers, and barrier borders setup to discourage ignorant wandering or scrying. Yet those would only help with external matters.
'Mayhaps a few minor incentives can be offered to sway some of the free guards to venture onto these places of interest and maintain order.' She mused. After all, some of these settlers would not be content with their given fortune, and would try for dubious means of wealth or power acquisition.
As for the infrastructures, all the necessary plans and resources were accounted for with excess to spare. It was only a matter of manpower for those many projects that needed flawless completion.
'The true difficulty will be prioritising.' Was her silent lament.
It was rather hard to doubt her prediction of an increase workload when she gave the operation this much thought.
She let free a sigh and withdrew from her planning.
The maid's queries of deviations were still ongoing, thus Albedo continued to indulge her, "Is there anything else you'd wish altered, milady?"
There was little much to change, but an idea did come to her. Something born of vanity and sadism, if a bit mild in intensity.
"We are to break fast with the twins and their obnoxious cousin, I'm led to believe." She asked with a feign of ignorance, her head lazily drifting towards the pot plants in a show of bored curiosity.
There was a freeze in the maid's body, perhaps anticipating her order. Then again, calling Shalltear obnoxious probably did not leave much to misinterpretation. Hers and the blood wench's feud was a well known affair after all.
"Tha—that's indeed the case, milady. Miss Lupusregina and Lady Narberal are the ones in charge of arranging matters on that front."
Albedo ignored the maid's obvious attempt at fault deflection.
"Then I would have you send a message to them about how the seats need be arranged." She ordered, amusement dancing within her tone, "And you might as well request the head chef to prepare dishes that would fancy their palates while you are at it."
She could almost taste the whimper and resignation of the poor girl.
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Information [Magics]
1. Parch: this is a simple absorbent enchantment.
2. Riftspace: An inventory space.