The next day is just as lively as my birthday. Unbeknownst to me it's nearly time for another big holiday. The entire house is in an uproar preparing for the games. My days will no longer filled with peace and mindless wandering of the house. Sigh.
Freesia was resolved to have me learn about the holiday in my room forever but was interrupted. My mother decided to be a parent for a change, threw me a bone today, and invited me to have snacks in her room.
Her free hand pinches my cheek while the other scribbles on a piece of parchment. I struggled against it at first but now I'm used to the constant squeezing. One day!
What's she writing anyway? I skim over the parts of the paper I can see. It's a list of dungeons and towers.
Dungeons are enclosed spaces that house naturally occurring monsters and beasts. They're filled with other natural resources too. Magic ingredients, minerals, beast eggs, and weapons. Guilds often buy the rights to dungeons at exorbitant prices and train their members inside of them. Every once in a while they'll open their doors to other Guilds or guildless people for a profit.
Don't even get me started on the price.
Towers are different. They're large hulking buildings that touch the sky and house trials set by a god. Each tower and trial is unique. However, they're ridiculously hard to finish. The reward however is usually a power or something that the trial taker desperately needs.
Towers are monuments and wonders. They can never be owned by a mortal but by a Temple with permission from the patron God. However, Temples can't truly bar people from entering. It's an odd thing.
So what is she doing?
"What are you looking at?"
I mumble and trip over my words."The paper. Mother—I mean. Second Mother. Are you buying a Tower?"
"Yes."
"But I thought that was against the rules?"
"Rules are meant to be broken. Besides I was permitted to by our Mother herself."
My throat dried up. "You talked to her?"
"She sent me a vision."
I sneered and said under my breath. "Are you sure you didn't just have a bad dream?"
"Quiet."
She squeezed my cheek and I pouted."What's the big deal about today anyway?"
She says with derision."It's Nemea."
"What's that?"
I can feel her rolling her eyes at my seemingly endless questions. "If I tell you. Will you be quiet?"
"Maybe."
"..."
She sighs and leans back in her chair. Her hand holding the silver quilled pen relaxes and eventually releases the tool. Her poor hand has calluses and imprints from gripping it too hard.
She moves the parchment over, lifts me up, and sits me on the desk facing her. I kick my legs as she contemplates how to tell me.
She massages her hand and I reach out for it. She raises an eyebrow but allows me to play with her hand. I press down on some pressure points and knead them.
Her furrowed eyebrows relax and she finally speaks."It's an archaic series of games held in honor of the lightning bastard."
Does she mean Zeus?
"Participants compete in archery, wrestling, racing, running, etc. In the moments leading up to the games visitors from all over flood the capital and buy everything in sight like locusts."
"What about the winners? What do they get?" Gold?
"Bragging rights and leaves." Leaves? Like the fricking plant?
My face upturns into one of disgust and my nose wrinkles. "That's it?!"
She smirks at my disgusted expression and confirms it."Yes. However, this year is a very special year. Next month we'll also have the Pythian games. Rather than spending money coming back and forth. Those visitors will be staying with us for another month."
"And that's a bad thing?"
She contemplates it."It's an annoying thing."
"What does this have to do with you buying the tower?"
"I'm not buying the tower. I'm…renting it until they leave."
Why would she do that? The only thing I can think of is for barring them. Temples can't but if she has a Guild under her name...Still, that's plenty illegal right? "You don't want them to enter the tower. Why?"
Her eyes light up and she gives me a cruel half-smile."I never agreed to—"
It doesn't matter."It's because of him. The lightning bastard. You don't want the people who worship him to enter her Tower. Right?" I already know.
"Eat."
She stuffs a pastry in my mouth and I make a sound of protest. I'm taken off the table and put in her lap again like a chia pet.
She works on several matters. Matters that aren't honestly her responsibility anyway. Why is she doing accounting for the entire estate? Isn't that Dorothea's job as the first wife? Stewards from the house, estates, and the manor by the sea come report to her. They give me a small wave and greeting before spewing nonsense from their mouths.
Excuses. Excuses. Excuses.
They throw out numbers like it'll save them and she mocks them for being incompetent. After a verbal lashing, she throws a book with a budget plan at them and they leave dejectedly.
Food, shops, salaries, pensions, and more are decided seemingly on the spot. When the fourth bell rolls around she finally receives a break and takes me to her lounge room.
Where a small meal is waiting for us.
Huh. Freesia was taunting her but it looks like Niathe really is busy. Even while she eats she asks about the current situation in Nemea. Her maids respond and vividly describe the events taking place.
They parrot arrogant competitors, illustrate appearances with flowery words, and pry a laugh from her throat. They mimic Niathe and mention the lightning bastard with disdain in every sentence.
Then it's over. In a flash, we're back at the desk and she's pouring over documents. Her pen stabs into the paper and I wince. It skips and she growls in frustration.
You know. I do know how to make paper that wouldn't be as annoying to write on.
Should I tell her? How am I going to explain that? I tilt my head and ponder over an excuse. I mean it is a bit of a copycat situation but whatever."Mother?"
Oops.
She remains focused on the paper in front of her."Yes, Ria?"
"Remember when you were asking me about the stuff your...mother said."
Her pen makes a screeching sound and her neck cracks as she whips her head down to look at me."Yes. I remember. What is it? What did she tell you?"
Wow. She looks so eager. The wheels turn in my head as I formulate a believable lie and my voice cracks."Well…I asked about paper and she told me how to make a better one." That's believable, right?
She regards me with an unreadable expression."..."
I don't think I've ever seen that one before. She asks again."Paper?"
I nod emphatically."Yeah. Smoother and easier to write on."
She continues in a disbelieving tone staring into the distance. Her other hand slowly curls around my neck and I try to escape it."You asked…My holy mother…Who lies beyond the stars…"
Uh oh.
Her voice is rife with disbelief as if I had just committed some foul sin."About paper?"
She finally sets her flaming eyes on me."You wasted such an opportunity on paper?"
Well. While I'm doing this I noticed your quill is kind of strenuous to use and requires a lot of wrist strength. "Well, not just paper. I asked about pens too."
"..."
She takes a deep breath. "What are you trying to say, Ria?"
"I noticed you were having difficulty writing so I remembered that."
Her eyebrow raises and she loses some of her previous anger. She exhales a gust of air, massages her forehead, and asks pleadingly. "What else did she say."
"..."
"Sweet dreams?"
"Would you like to see my sword again?"
I sit up and start rambling with no sign of stopping."Ok! No need for that. I can't remember everything right now. She's such a Chatty Cathy." She lets go of my neck and reaches behind her and I ramble even faster. "There was paper, pens, hair stuff, and um…Food. Yeah, I have a whole bunch of food instructions from her. Starting with beignets."
"What is that?"
I rave like a lunatic and remind myself not to drool."It's fried bread. They're soft and covered in sugar. It tastes so good."
"Oh, it does?" She drawled lazily while staring down at me.
Holy shit. Why does everything that comes out of her mouth sound so menacing?
She watches me like one would watch a monkey. Watching me dance in her lap and makeup lies in hopes of bringing my food into this magical world.
She purses her lips while judging me."Freesia was right. You're too greedy."
I bristle and point at her."Hey! There's no need for name-calling."
She snorts and smirks down at me while muttering to herself. "You met a deity and instead of asking for gold or power or anything tangible. You asked for food…Unbelievable."
I continued my pursuit of somewhat modern stationery."So how about that paper?"
She finally relents and throws her hands in the air in mock surrender."Ugh. Fine. I was getting tired anyway. Let's try this paper given to you by Mother. Maria?"
Her right-hand maid walks over to her desk with a smile on her face. "Yes, Madam?"
Maria is a young woman with two foxtails, chocolate hair, and haunting serene green eyes. She's also one of Mother's first-grade maids.
"Tell her about the paper. She'll have it made by a craftsman." She pokes my face and gestures to Maria. I get it. I heard you.
I pondered over my first order of business. I can't just use any tree."What kind of trees do we have access to?"
Niathe makes a sound in her chest. We both look up at her and she glares at Maria who smiles thoughtfully before beginning to list them. She mutters under her breath but I don't catch what she said.
Maria lists them in the common tongue and I think hard. Morus Alba is a Mulberry tree I think. Abies cephalonica is Greek Fir. Those are enough.
"Abies cephalonica and Morus Alba seem to be the best to use."
"Thank goodness." Niathe sighs in relief and I roll my eyes. Really?
"Ok. So plant paper is made like this…"
I described with my hands and mouth the entire process. From gathering bark and needles from the fir. To spreading, pressing, and drying it on a screen.
Their original skeptical expressions change from indulgence to genuine admiration as I describe the intended product. I take a deep breath and lick my dry lips once I finish. "So that's it. How long do you think it will take to make the screen, mortar, and pestle?"
Niathe says with certainty. "Not long." After that, she asks with some excitement hidden in her tone to Maria."Is it feasible?"
Maria counts on her fingers subconsciously as the cogs turn in her head. Her pointed ears twitch in tandem with her tails. That's a cool habit. Slowly she raises her head and regards me with burning passion. "Yes."
Woah! That's an intense look.
That was all the prompt Niathe needed. Her glowing eyes implored me as she stroked the top of my head softly the way one would do to a pet. Or a priceless treasure. I think I'm in a little danger. Still, her soft caresses have me closing my eyes in relief."Ria. What about those pens?"
I sighed and cracked my neck which had become sore from looking up at these tall people. "Now that's a little more complicated. Depending on which kind you want...I prefer dip or fountain pens."
"Oh really?"
My breath catches in my throat and I cough nervously. "I mean. I prefer that design over the rest. Anyway, I might need to draw that."
"Can you draw?" It's an honest question but it stings.
I grit my teeth and say in an equally mocking tone. "Yeah. Can't you?"
I was given a time-out and ordered to draw this mysterious fountain pen. I grumbled in the lounge room, sitting on her coffee table as I broke my back drawing the stupid thing.
Oh yeah. I'm gonna make this alright. How has she been writing with this thing all day?
I hate this thing. It's a glorified feather pen and this paper barely absorbs any of the ink. It needs an ink reservoir. I'll add that in here too.
I scratched furiously on the shoddy paper while the maids giggled and watched me undergo my timeout.
One day you're all going to be using my new paper and regretting this humiliation. You'll see.
I scratched on the stupid animal skin paper until I was done and passed out on the coffee table exhausted. My poor hands were developing callouses and twitching from the cruel treatment.
Niathe couldn't care less. She eyed my drawings with dollar signs in her eyes and ordered for them to be carried out with the utmost secrecy.
Freesia came to collect me soon after that and scolded Niathe for leaving me in such a state. I was taken back to my room and fussed over. She massaged my hands with essential oils and wrapped them up in mittens before letting me take a nap.
After that, I got up to eat and undergo my regular schedule.
In the back of my mind, I'm thinking of eating beignets and playing card games this time next year.