Embris opened her eyes as the sun shone through the walls of her home. Part of her felt like the night before had to have been a dream, yet at the same time, she could feel Ralph's naked body still pressed against hers.
The knowledge of that brought a smile to her lips, a contentment that she wished she could bask in for longer. Yet, she knew that she needed to get up so she could start her shift as a guard for the Blue Rose's stand-ins. Something that even she didn't want to risk losing, even if it was to extend this moment any longer than she'd been able to enjoy.
So, as Embris started getting dressed, she couldn't help but notice Lily was the only other person awake. While Embris felt like she should feel embarrassed, she couldn't help but smile at the girl, wondering what she thought about her and Ralph being intimate the night before.
However, she didn't say anything to Lily and Lily didn't do anything more than look at Embris with a happy expression on her face as Embris got dressed. She wasn't sure if Lily really knew what had gone on between her and Ralph, but she knew this was likely to be the last day that she saw the girl, since she knew that even though Lily had essentially adopted her as a mother, Ralph was the father, or at least the person Lily had adopted as a father, which meant he was the one who was supposed to care for her and raise her as the father, just as all fathers were supposed to raise their children unless there were reasons they couldn't take care of them themselves. It was rare, but it happened. Which also meant that if Embris had a child from having actually slept with Ralph, then he would be expected to take care of that child and if he had to go away, the child would have to go with him, no matter what Embris felt on the matter.
Not that she planned on letting Ralph leave her that much in the future. At least not if she could find a way to keep him from doing so.
As Embris closed the door to her home, she had to pause. Ralph was the first person she'd even done that with and she had mixed feelings about knowing that he was going away at some point. Not just to the marquis who'd been helping take care of Feon and Ralph and his friends, but back to his own world. She wanted him to stay, but she couldn't deny the fact that sooner or later he'd want to return to that world. If nothing else, his own family was there, something Embris couldn't deny she'd want to return to this world at some point if she was in Ralph's position on his world.
Yet, even still, she was at least pleased that she'd been able to get this from him. Something that time wouldn't be able to take away, no matter what else happened. Though, she did wonder what her feelings would be like if they had a child together, aside from Lily, and Ralph still left.
Naturally he'd have to take the child with him, meaning that she wouldn't be able to tell if she'd be able to see her child again. Something that bothered her in ways that she couldn't explain when it was still merely a hypothetical scenario.
As Embris walked to the central building, she could see the settlement starting to wake up. Those who were in charge of farming were starting to head out to tend the fields while others were starting to get up to start their own jobs. It felt like a typical day, which Embris usually enjoyed. Yet, she couldn't shake the troubles she felt inside about Ralph leaving that day with everyone that had come with him. Aside from Feon, that is. Cinder seemed to be taken with Amelia in that he wanted to be her nurse, or whatever it was that Amelia called it, making it feel as if he was moving away from her. Making it almost feel as if she was losing her brother, the one she'd looked after the most since any of her siblings had been born.
While she knew that it was going to happen someday, she always had thought that it would occur when he found someone who loved him as much as their mother had loved their father. Yet, it was happening without him going with someone who loved him. Instead, it was because he was looking at a career.
While that career was along the same lines as caring for others, which he always had been exceptional at, it still felt something else was happening that she couldn't quite place.
In the end, she knew that she couldn't do anything at all about his choice. Which might be the biggest aggravation for her over the situation. After all, she'd always been able to let him know when he was doing something wrong, yet here, no matter what she said, he remained determined to take the path that he'd set out on already. Making Embris feel like she'd already lost her brother, even though he was still there.
When she reached the building, she entered without thinking twice, wondering if her worries were going to make this shift feel longer than it usually did or if it wouldn't have any effect on her sense of time.
However, as she went to relieve the guard who was looking like she was getting ready to fall asleep where she stood, Tchisa blocked Embris' path, making Embris wonder what this was going to be about. After all, she certainly didn't look like she was going to let Embris pass without talking with her.
"Something wrong?" Embris asked, hoping that it wouldn't be anything that would keep her from taking her post or worse.
"We recently received a possible contract protecting the queen," Tchisa answered. "We were able to get word to Jenn about it, that she should head there straight from Pleonths and head to Veloutra. She recently mentioned that we should get some more people ready to head up there as well if they get the contract. We're not sure when she'd want more Silverthorns sent to her, but it was decided to get some volunteers first."
Embris wasn't sure if that would be a good thing or not for her. After all, she was content being a guard for the Blue Rose's stand-ins, and she didn't want to do anything to jeopardize that.
Whether Tchisa was able to read her mind or merely guessed at what she was thinking, Tchisa continued, "When the job is over and the royal guards for the queen are recovered from whatever is ailing them, you'll be free to return to your regular position here."
Embris nodded slowly, not sure if there was something else as well as that, that Tchisa wanted to discuss with her, but she couldn't help wonder how they'd received word from Jenn when this place had been under quarantine.
"Uh, how did you get in contact with Jenn? Wasn't this place on quarantine until this morning…" Embris trailed off, realizing exactly when word would have gotten through to them. "So, she sent a messenger this morning, right? That's how the message got through the quarantine, right?"
Tchisa looked at Embris appraisingly, making her feel as if she was being evaluated for something that she might not like if she knew what it was about. "Not a bad guess, but no. Apparently there's a thing called a 'dream conference' that she was able to communicate those things with us. In fact, she should already be in Veloutra already. So, we're just waiting on word about if she was able to secure the contract or not. In the meantime, it was decided that you could be one of the volunteers and even raised in rank to a Lieutenant for this job and when you get back."
Embris blinked. She had wondered about getting a promotion from having Lily adopt her as her mother, but she hadn't expected to have it offered to her without her saying anything. Yet, at the same time, she couldn't say if she wanted to receive it at this time, since she really didn't know what would be required from taking on this assignment.
"What if I decline?" Embris asked, not sure if she should 'volunteer' as it seemed almost like she was being 'voluntold' rather than being asked to volunteer right then.
"Then we'll move on to someone else, but the rank will also go away. We have enough officers in the settlement at the moment, so it wouldn't be something that you'd be able to have if you stayed."
Embris nodded, not really surprised, but it at least let her know that she wasn't actually being required to go, like it at first felt. "I'd like to go," Embris replied. "Though, what will happen if the contract doesn't come through? Will anything change then?"
Tchisa shook her head. "Not really, but your interest will be noted when it comes time for your next review as well as if something else like this comes up in the future."
Embris wasn't sure if she liked that response, especially since she was pretty sure that she'd be able to use the extra pay that came with a higher rank. As while she hadn't been interested in collecting any of her pay before, she had come to the conclusion that she needed to do just that so she could get things for her siblings so they'd have something to help them prepare for whatever they might want to do in the future.
Not to mention if she got pregnant after that night with Ralph, she would need some money to care for the child if she never saw Ralph after this. Such as getting a wet nurse to feed the child to begin with.
Tchisa started to turn away when a thought occurred to Embris. Since she wasn't heading out right away, and it might not actually happen, she wasn't sure when she should determine if she was actually going to get to know if she was going or not. After all, a promotion was riding on them getting that contract, regardless of anything else.
"When will we know if that contract will come through?"
Tchisa shook her head, not turning back fully to Embris. "Either in a dream conference or I'm sure Jenn will come to let us know. Either way, we'll let you know if it's going to happen or not."
Embris nodded, feeling a little disheartened by the response. It seemed as if her promotion was riding on things out of her control, though she supposed that it was better than anything else she could have hoped for. After all, she hadn't even expected the possibility of a promotion right then, which meant that she was at least in a better position than she would have expected on that front.
_
Jenn felt like her head was pounding. As she made her way to the guild hall, she felt like she had drunk that ale. At least with those who had hangovers. Which Jenn was confident she'd have been one of those if she had drunk that pint, although from what she could catch on the conversation the others had over breakfast, the one who had asked Jenn if she could have Jenn's pint had managed to drink it anyway, even though Yaelish had told her not to.
Though, Jenn was more amused than anything else about it right then. Especially since she had a feeling that it that person was going to have a difficult time in the near future for having done just that. At least aside from the hangover she was suffering from. Which seemed worse than any of the others who had one.
"You might have been smart to have passed on the ale," Yaelish remarked, not showing any signs of having a hangover herself. "Though, it looks like you might have a problem of your own."
Jenn did her best to shrug off her headache. She had a feeling it was more because of how she slept than anything else. Which was something she could work through.
"Let's just find out if the contract's still good," Jenn said, not interested in anything else right then. Especially when it came to discussing how she felt right then.
"As you wish," Yaelish replied, her tone adding in the 'my lady' part that Jenn knew she wanted to say. Unless it was just Jenn's imagination that it was added in through her tone.
The mercenary guild hall was crowded and it hardly seemed like there was room for them to make it to the counter where the main business was conducted, but somehow before Jenn knew it, they were at the counter.
"What can I help you with today?" the clerk asked after Jenn showed him the token that she had been given to show she was part of the Sliverthorn mercenary company.
"We were asked to check on the contract offer for guarding the queen," Jenn replied, hoping that she wasn't about to be told that it had been withdrawn or cancelled or something of that nature.
"Ah yes, I remember now, but we're not the ones you should be talking about that to. You'll need to go to the royal palace to inquire about it," the clerk answered professionally. Then as if an afterthought, the clerk continued, "Although, since I'm sure many are professing to be eligible for such a contract, show them this and that'll let them know that you are who you say you are. On the reputation of the guild, that is."
The clerk handed Jenn a token that looked rather innocuous, other than being made out of rainbow silver, that is. It also held a design of a unicorn's head on one side and the head of a griffin on the other. Which clearly made it known as something other than the currency rainbow silver usually was made into.
"Thank you," Jenn said politely, not wanting to burn any bridges behind her, just in case she might need them sometime in the future.
"Anytime, we're here to help, after all."
"So, I guess we'll go to the palace and see if they'll let us in to check on the contract status," Yaelish muttered, not sounding convinced that it was going to work out for them.
"Well, it's better than being told outright that it's not going to happen," Jenn remarked, not letting Yaelish's attitude get her down. After all, she had a feeling the guild would know if the contract had been cancelled or whatever rather than sending them on to the palace to hear that from them.
Besides, the fact that they were given a token to get into the palace was likely a sign that they'd be able to still get the contract, even though it'd been a while since they'd received word about the contract in the first place.
The only real problem with going to the royal palace was that it was farther from the guild hall than it was the inn where they'd started out. While they'd still be able to make it before the sun started to go down, it would take at least most of what was left of the day to reach it. Which Jenn couldn't say that she was happy about. All it was, was something that she had to deal with since there wasn't anything that could be done about it right then.
"So, should all of us head to the palace or should some return to the inn?" Jenn asked, looking pointedly at the members of their party that were dealing with their hangovers. While they were clearly getting better, Jenn wasn't sure how long they'd still be like that.
"We might as well all go together since we've come this far," the one who'd stolen Jenn's ale answered, though Jenn suspected that Yaelish might have said pretty much the exact opposite, which was also possible why the person who answered had spoken up. As Jenn got the impression that no one wanted to be left behind if they could help it.
However, Jenn looked at Yaelish, letting her make the decision, since she was essentially the one who was in charge after Jenn herself.
"I guess we might as well as stay together," she said, not looking happy about that fact. "Though, we'll be going without anything to eat until we return to the inn."
Jenn expected as much and she suspected everyone also expected that as well. Though, part of her hoped that they'd be able to stay in the palace. After all, if they were going to guard the queen, then they really should be staying where the royal guard normally stays. Or at least that's what her opinion was about it.
Besides, if they stayed at an inn, then they'd have to take however long it took them to reach the palace if there was an emergency, which didn't seem like it'd be very efficient. Which Jenn was pretty sure would be a security issue that wouldn't be as easily patched if they weren't allowed to stay in the palace. Not to mention how they were trusted enough to be chosen to guard the queen in the first place.