Chapter Ten

  The familiar sounds of Songstress and the Flows greeted them as the carriage train rolled to a stop, Ambrosia's voice strong and clear, finally able to be the one singing the lyribsp; Prince Adric slipped out first, shivering enough that his teeth were chattering from how the temperature inside had tio dip during the ride through the city.

  Harmony glided out, her face a trolled mask. [Poise and Bearing] bined with [Style and Grace] to create a social crutch she leaned on to keep her emotions in check.

  The music stopped. When the beast tamer came up and gave her a light hug Harmoated briefly. Ambrosia was in her maid's uniform. The mixing of work, singing, blending the informality of her passion and the seriousness of her profession wasn’t something her friend did. Never mind she trusted Ambrosia to tell when she didn’t want to be hugged.

  "I made a deal. Room and board for your notable and newsworthy presence." Ambrosia whispered before she let go.

  Releasing her focus off Ambrosia, she took ihey were. The Grand Dragonfly Inn loomed over them. Not as tall as the city's spires, but a representation of majestic opulenbsp; The staff in shimmering green uniforms, marked with golden dragonfly wings was already quickly and effitly unloading the wagon train, including a team helping direct Hyath and Bowe towards what has to be quarters fer familiars as.

  Harmony had expected to be housed in one of the lesser vined spires that was set aside for impoverished nobles.

  "Wele to the premier Inn in all of Naewauld, my Lady White," Ambrosia announced with a curtsy, having slid bato her profession's role but a touch of performance for the staff. Premier might be stretg it, but she wasn’t going to protest if it was free. It was well within the space of pces she’d overheard Lady Coodly chat about when she was a servant.

  “Magnifit that you’ve secured such lodgings!” Harmony would py her role as well, but in private she’d squeeze the details out of her friend. After a bath though. She needed something to calm her nerves.

  Prince Adric stepped up to Harmony’s side, staying half a pace behind her, atuating that he was subservient to her politically. Oh, they’d debated leaning on the fact that he rince. But his ck of aowledgmeoo many questions. Factor in his new profession as the dy’s pet prind his quasi-living status, Bates uionably advised she should take charge as the ranking member of the pair socially. Everyone carefully ighe monster in the duhat was Adric's social aional acuity, and how that might affect things if he was in charge.

  Bates joined Ambrosia to shadow the pair, opening doors, iing with the inn’s staff, and all those other butler and maid duties. No thank yous to refreshments or a steaming towel. Both knew Harmony wao get to her room quickly, even if her pet longed for some of the services provided. Staff could haaff, guests were ahing.

  Sir Maxwell stepped out from behind a pilr and used three long strides to step in front of the pair. With a deep breath to gather ce he kneeled. “Sir Maxwell, your sworn knight at your service.”

  Harmony could feel him leaning on that oath he’d given her all those months ago. Now that she was a dy it felt mht and proper. The rge knight's hair was still pink, and his woven beard was just as manicured. This time the pink was imperfectly dyed, rather than the magic of her skill having ged it. Retly dooo. [Beauti] was just being nit-picky as it was ag up too, even then she had to aowledge that it was quite nice, for a dye job.

  This would be the time to dismiss him from his oath. Maybe that was his goal? One less plication to have around. But it wasn’t like the maid had a lot of friends in the capital or even oathbound fools at her disposal. Which led to the question of why was he here? He could easily just have decided to avoid her altogether in a city this size and not worry about his silly oath. Even sworn to tell the truth, the lobby of the inn was not the pce to question him. She certainly was not going to order him up to her room. The prince was bad enough, there was o get a rumor spread about her building a harem of men.

  “I’ll be heading into the duomorrow. e by at dawn with any knowledge or tools I might need. Your service is always appreciated.”

  Standing up the man bowed. “Yes, Lady White.” Then turned a.

  Adric leaned in. "I didn't know you had a knight?"

  "We went on one dungeon run together, then a mispced oath. I wouldn't call him my knight."

  Her pet’s response was a snort. She could feel a trickle of amusement through their bond.

  Bates motiooward the stairs at the back. A sure sign to pick up the pace. Though subtle, and odd. Harmony koday's pn was to rest and do a little pnning, nothing that required any hurry.

  Five steps to the ast. "Harmony, did you get my letters?" Not quiough.

  [Poise and Bearing] reflexively kicked in at Tyler’s voice, preventing aion on her part.

  As a manor maid, she'd always had the excuse to dash off to some unenviable task her orders from the matriarch. As a peer, there rotocol she couldn’t afford to ignore. So she turo fae of her former masters.

  He'd trimmed up and was groomed even beyond what his gran was able to for him for social events. The huhough, was the same. In his eyes, wanting you without actually seeing you. Harmony all.

  "Vorry was an iing choice. I'm sorry I didn't have the time or skill to respond in kind."

  "And the other letters?"

  Professing one's "undying" love towards a neancer oor choice of phrasing. Yet he used it so many times. The ck of response was one. Didn't help that the few times she'd sidered sending a respohe ink froze in the well.

  [Stride Before the Fall]. It was a relief to be oairs out of sight. Two minds on this problem were better than one.

  The Harmoo Adric tapped her pet on the shoulder. “Head to the stairs.”

  The prince hesitated but left and walked towards the stairs.

  Harmony strode forward towards Lord Tyler. “I’m not in a pce where I eain thoughts of a retionship.”

  At the stairs, Adric turhe er with Bates and Ambrosia. “Harm?” He squeaked out.

  “Let's head to our room, this is as good a distra as I think of.” With a nod, the two servants lead the way at a brisk pabsp;

  Knowing she’d escaped, Harmony rexed in front of Tyler. She flirted with the idea of chilling him, maybe ging his hair green, though the idea he might keep it like Max did and she’d be followed around by another colorful man was too mubsp;

  “I know I’m asking a lot, Harmony.” Tyler started.

  Words. Words would have to do. “You are asking too much. I ’t run away with you. We’re not star-crossed lovers. I have duties. I have obligations. And you don't know me." [Poise and Bearing] worked in tandem with [Recall] and the aristocratise of her css to pull from every book she read oopic of adding an uone and infereo her blunt statement to drive the point home.

  Tyler broke in front of her. Through authority’s e, she felt the mispced adoration and desire crumple some. A neancer crushing a heart, how cliche. Not that it would be enough. “But I want…”

  Rather than face his words. Harmony made her choid left. Ceasing to be.

  In Harmony’s room, a luxurious suit paired with Prince Adrics she sat on her bed and hoped that would be the st of Tyler. Foolish, he wasn't oo give up so easily. After that dirty task, she felt more soiled from that iion than the whole trip here. “Ambrosia, I’m ready for my bath."