The carriage ride back to the estate was excruciating, and I regretted not waiting for at least another day. But I had somewhere to be, so there was nothing I could do about it.

  Worse than the pain was the boredom. I had nothing to do, and I had neglected to bring anything to read when I first departed the estate – after all, I planned to be busy – and the garrison’s small library mostly housed records and texts about wildlife. In the end, I spent the trip staring out the window as the countryside passed by, trying not to think about difficult things. I told myself Helian might be waiting when I arrived, having already woken up while I was gone.

  We arrived late in the evening, and as the carriage came to a halt, I was jolted awake. I carefully extracted myself from the seat and stepped out of the carriage, only to see my mother practically sprint out of the front door and wrap me in a hug.

  “Frost! Welcome back.”

  “That hurts, Mother.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry.” Despite saying this, she didn’t release me, but she at least stopped squeezing quite so hard. “I suppose you got hurt somehow?”

  I frowned. “Yeah… I screwed up a little bit. No permanent injuries, though. Selene already let me have it.”

  She smiled. “Well, I’m sure you’ll tell me all about it. But not right now, okay? You’re headed straight to bed.”

  “I already slept, Mother.”

  “But you didn’t sleep enough; you look like you’re about to crumble into dust. We can chat over breakfast in the morning. Oh, make sure to strip out of those clothes and take a long bath first before bed! I can certainly tell you’ve been hunting monsters while you were away… it’s nostalgic but I’d rather not have the estate smell like that, understand?”

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  I nodded. “Okay. I think I can do that. Is Helian here?”

  Mother shook her head. “No, she’s still at the temple. She’ll probably be awake by the time you get there, though! Don’t worry.”

  ------

  As I climbed into the warm bath, I shivered. I supposed she had been right, and I wasn’t doing well. As my assigned maid started washing my hair, I closed my eyes and sank further into the tub.

  “How was the hunt, Lady Frost? Did you battle any wyverns, or defeat an evil dragon?”

  “Nothing so dramatic, I’m afraid. Just the usual lizards, acting up more than usual. Nothing to worry about, especially now that Selene is there.”

  “I see, that’s quite reassuring! It will be a shame not to see Selene around the estate, but the rumors lately about the border have been a little scary; my auntie who lives out west came into town recently to stay with my uncle in his house, and he hasn’t stopped complaining about how crowded it is now and how she keeps scolding him for not washing the dishes after he uses them. Though to be fair I can’t blame her, his place is a mess every time I visit. Men can be so thoughtless about these things sometimes – you should see what the knights’ quarters are like before we tend to them on a cleaning shift! Just the other day-”

  It was a little worrisome that Rosa’s behavior had started to rub off on the maids, but at the same time, it felt strangely familiar. I suppose I missed having her around. It occurred to me that I may have forgotten about some dirty dishes when I first left home… I should write a note to Uncle and apologize about that, since he probably had to clean them up.

  “- and that’s why I’ve been thinking about getting into embroidery, because it never hurts to have some additional skills to rely on in the event that you get laid off due to budget cuts or because you accidentally offended a noble by bumping into them on the street or because you accidentally damaged the young mistress’s dress uniform while cleaning it.”

  “Julia, do you have something to tell me?”

  “No, of course not. That was just hypothetical. I’m going to rinse your hair now, so close your eyes if you would?”

  They were already closed, though I suppose she couldn’t see from her position. I nodded.

  “I’m glad you returned safely, Lady Frost. The squires seemed anxious after you left, and Selene kept scolding them about losing focus during their training. One of them nearly lost an arm while they were sparring!”

  I had a feeling I knew which squire it was, and I would need to have a chat with her about it.

  “Do you want me to apply ointment to your bruises once you’re done bathing, Lady Frost? They look quite painful, and it might help you sleep.”