“Good morning, Madam Skyward,” a chirp voice called out. Ellanor jerked awake, searching for the source of the voice. It did not belong to Tara, but to one of the castle’s avvir servants. The woman had just pulled back the curtains to let in the light of the day. Her complexion could only be described as golden, with fair spots spread out in irregular patterns across her skin and light brown wings. Dark golden locks bounced with her every step from the windows to the nightstand.

“Oh, Madam! Did you forget to put out your candle last night?” The woman picked up the candle holder, dusting off the soot from the long dead flame. “Need to be more careful, would not want to cause a fire, would we?” She had a slight accent Ellanor had a hard time placing, but she had other issues on her mind.

“Where is Tara?”

The avvir maid looked at Ellanor with a hint of confusion in her eyes. “Your slave is helping in the kitchen with the other humans,” she said, putting the holder down, a new candle ready for the night. “The Duchess does not allow humans in the upper castle.”

Ellanor was not exactly shocked by the response, but it irked her nonetheless. She sat up a little straighter, the tip of her tail whipping back and forth. “What is your name?”

“Clados, Madam,” the golden woman responded with a bow. “The Duchess has assigned me to your service during your visit.”

No surprise there, either, but that did not stop Ellanor’s rising annoyance – mostly with herself. She should have seen this coming, should have planned for it. She doubted any harm would come to Tara as of now, but if Duchess Yvet began suspecting the truth she might very well go after the handmaid.

Throwing the covers back Ellanor slid from the bed and waved a hand in the general direction of Clados. “Help me get dressed. I’d like to speak with the Duchess.”

“Of course,” Clados answered with another bow. She fetched a dress Tara had picked out the night before as she continued talking. “The Duchess eats her breakfast around this time, should I request you join her?”

The thought of enduring another conversation – yet alone an entire meal – with the gossiping avvir made Ellanor’s tail twitch, but she wanted to stay on Yvet’s good side. “If she will have me, then yes. It is not necessary though, my matter won’t take long.”

Clados gave her a nod and neatly laid out the various layers of the dress on the bed. “I’ll send word to the Duchess then,” she said and disappeared from the room for a brief moment. When she returned Ellanor had begun putting on the garment – a sunflower yellow dress with bell sleeves – as far as she could without assistance. Clados’ hands were sure when lacing up the dress, but when it came to her hair still wrapped from the night, Ellanor waved the woman off and did the work herself.

Once done she left the room and headed out to the corridor and the castle beyond. Relief washed over her when she found Lukas and Jane stationed outside her doors, ready to escort her wherever she wished. The two avvir bowed as she exited.

“Good morning, Madam,” Lukas said, mirrored by Jane. His eyes slid to Clados with visible confusion. They must not have been informed of the change in staff then.

“Morning, indeed,” Ellanor responded and started down the hall, Clados leading the way to Duchess Yvet’s chambers.

The castle was in full activity, avvir staff walking the corridors, going about their daily routines, only stopping to bow at Ellanor. They met no humans on their walk, though Ellanor doubted they were not present – just hidden away in the servant’s passages and shadows.

The doors to the Duchess’ rooms were not hard to spot. Not only were they grander than the other doors that lined the halls, positioned outside were two of the Avvyrian Legion. The pair were standing still as death, radiating such power that it made Ellanor halt for a brief moment, before swallowing her surprise and continuing forward. She had never seen a Legionnaire in the flesh and had secretly hoped never to do so. The warriors with their pitch black wings were known to be ruthless killers, bread for war. Despite having a daunting reputation and a high status in Avvyr, they were practically slaves to the Crown – anyone born with the colouring was destined to a life in the army.

Clados came to a stop in front of the Legionnaires, no sign of fear in her posture. For a moment the black clad women looked down at the servant, before they took a step aside and the doors opened on magic hinges into a grand dining room.

“Duchess,” Clados said, stepping into the room with a deep bow. “Madam Skyward is here to see you.” She stepped out of the way, allowing Ellanor through. Lukas and Jane stayed behind in the corridor.

As Ellanor walked into the room the Duchess smiled and rose from her breakfast. “Ellanor! Please do come in.” She sat back down, white wings barely shifting, ever so graceful. She looked at Ellanor expectantly. “What is on your mind?”

Ellanor sat down by the table, rejecting a servant offering her a cup of tea. She wanted to get to the matter as quickly as possible. “I am very grateful for your hospitality, Duchess. The Duke might have been the one to invite me, but I am aware any such decision must have been approved by you.”

The Duchess let out a laugh. “Oh, you give me too much credit! And please, do call me Yvet, all my friends do.”

Ellanor gave a slight nod and continued, “Du– Yvet, if it is not too much to ask I would like to have my handmaid back.”

Yvet paused, a piece of toasted bread with luxurious toppings halfway to her mouth. She slowly lowered her hand and cocked her head to the side in a predatory way. “The slave girl?”

“Yes,” Ellanor said, careful not to scowl at the Duchess’ words.

“Why?”

Ellanor opened her mouth to answer but quickly closed it again. She realised if she wanted to get what she wanted she had to speak a language the Duchess would understand. “Well, for she is my property, of course.” She straightened a bit, folding her hands in her lap. “I bought her off of Lourelle when I was fifteen with money I had saved up. She knows my every routine, all from my favourite colours to wear to how to care for my hair.” She met the Duchess’ gaze and held in firmly. “I would like her back.”

Yvet narrowed her eyes for a moment, then went back to her meal. She said casually, “I do not know how you run things at Skyward, but here humans are not to be seen nor heard. Keeping them in the lower castle is simply better, would you not agree?” She smiled. “I am sure your slave has found she fits in below ground.”

“I mean no disrespect, Yvet,” Ellanor pushed, “but I simply cannot trust harm would not come to her below the castle. I promise you she will stay out of sight.”

Yvet looked inclined to reject the request a final time, but then she pursed her lips and thought for a moment. With a huff out her nose she answered, “Very well, but she stays in your rooms at all times.” She took another bite of her toast, letting Ellanor wait in silence before she continued. “If I or anyone else in my staff so much as glimpses her she goes back – and she stays there.”

The grand doors opened and Ellanor was dismissed. “Thank you, Yvet.” She rose from her chair and bowed deeper than needed.

Outside in the hall she found Lukas and Jane standing against the opposite wall from the two Legionnaires, the air taught between them. Lukas was visibly uncomfortable, his eyes darting back and forth, actively avoiding the woman in front of him. Jane on the other hand held the glare of the black winged avvir, not balking an inch from the armour with its royal crest. Something told Ellanor the staring contest had been going on since they got here, and when the Legionnaire had to look away to keep an eye on the door, Jane’s green wings flared with triumph.

Without a word Ellanor headed back the way they had come, her guards falling into step behind her. She could practically feel the victory beaming off of Jane in contrast to the relief of Lukas. Once out of earshot Ellanor addressed her company. “Lukas, I want you to go and make sure Tara makes it to my rooms in one piece. Stick to the servant’s passages – no one sees you.” Lukas peeled off with a bow. “Jane.”

The woman came up beside Ellanor, alert as ever. “Yes, Madam?”

“From now on I want you two to take turns. Let the castle guards handle the graveyard shift, I will need you most during the day.”

“Of course,” Jane said. She paused before adding, “Has something happened?”

Ellanor huffed a breath. “No,” she said. “I am just being cautious.”

***

As the day passed by slowly, Ellanor had to resist the urge to check on Tara. Lukas had come back and reported the handmaid had gotten safely to the Madam’s rooms, where now Jane stood guard.

Most of the morning had been spent avoiding Yvet, and eventually the Duchess had left the castle to spend the afternoon and night with a friend. Soon after her departure a message came from Duke Dalton, requesting Ellanor to join him for lunch. Ellanor gladly accepted.

“I apologize for my hasty departure from yesterday’s dinner,” Dalton said, dismissing his servants. “I hope my sister did not keep you up for too long.”

“Not at all,” Ellanor said. “I was plenty entertained.”

“I can imagine,” he scoffed.

Taking a sip of her water, Ellanor continued, “I spoke to her this morning, actually.”

The Duke paused his eating. “Oh? How come.”

“I woke up to find my handmaid, Tara, replaced with an avvir servant - Clados I believe her name is.” She took a spoonful of the soup served. “I asked to have Tara back, and Yvet agreed, as long as she stays out of sight.”

Dalton groaned quietly and leaned back in his seat. With a hand he rubbed his left temple. “I advised against it, and I was sure I’d convinced her not to, but clearly she changed her mind. Be cautious of Clados, she is fully under Yvet’s employment and Yvet always assigns her to guests she wants an extra pair of eyes on.”

“I figured as much,” Ellanor said. “How come she has not found you out yet?”

“I’ve been careful,” he answered. “And a bit lucky I reckon. Because of Yvet and Philippa people assume I have the same opinions as them.”

“The Grand Duchess is the same as Yvet?”

“Not in the ways you might think.” He looked to the wall above the fireplace where a portrait of the siblings hung and frowned. “Looking at them they could easily be twins. But Philippa is the opposite of Yvet, calm and collected. Uses her words sparingly.”

Ellanor studied the painting. It portrayed the siblings in their youth - Dalton looked more a child than a teen, and the two girls were most likely in age with Ellanor, if not older. “The Grand Duchess, does she know about Dorethy?” she asked despite already knowing the answer.

“No, not at all.”

“Would she react poorly if she found out?”

Dalton shook his head. “Her job is to react poorly,” he huffed. “She might look past it because I am her brother, but it is not worth the risk.”

The air got a bit heavy, and Elanor realized how alone Duke Dalton was despite having such a great social circle. She supposed none of that mattered if you had to lie all the time.

She scrambled for a way to change the subject. “Lourelle always spoke of a temple when we came here, an old one - Mother forbid I cannot remember the name,” Ellanor said as casually as she could, returning to her lunch. “You would not happen to know of such a thing?”

“Yes!” Dalton said with a bit too much enthusiasm. “It must be Water Edge Temple, it is only a half hour flight from here. A bit longer by horse,” he added, embarrassment flashing across his face. “We could visit it tomorrow, if you’d like?”

Ellanor smiled. “Yes, thank you.”