She worked in Tomas’ tavern for several months, while she tried to recover from the loss of Nicolai and everything she’d ever known. She thought she could put all that had happened back in Tavedor and Jardal behind her. It would take a long time, but she was off to a good start, and she had nothing but time.

     Often she would lie awake at night and wonder what it was Queen Nola thought she could use her for. What did she want so badly from her that Nicolai had died for it? She didn’t really have any talents. She could sew, but Nola surely had her own royal seamstresses. She could cook okay, but it obviously wasn’t that. She didn’t have any magic, but Nola did. Only kings and queens had magic, granted to them by the Gods upon their coronations. She just couldn’t imagine what anyone, much less a queen, could possibly want from her.

     Her days were busy, but she liked it that way. She usually slept through brightening, and got up to work from midsun, through dimming, and into the soft muted light of sundown. After which, she would eat, bathe, and tumble, exhausted, back into her cot. 

     She developed friendly relationships with their regular customers, and Tomas became like the father she’d never had. He was slightly shorter than her, and much more tan from his days on the sea when he was younger. He had once been heavily muscled from hard labor, but his body was changing after years of running his tavern. They looked nothing alike, but anyone who didn’t know them might see them together and assume they were father and daughter just based on their interactions with each other. 

     He checked in on her on a regular basis, and made sure she always had everything she needed. Sometimes they would have dinner together, and tell each other stories from their pasts. He told her about how he’d been a sailor in his youth, and had crossed the ocean more times than he remembered. She told him about carefree days spent with Nicolai, and the tavern she’d worked in before his. 

     He thought she would feel better if she learned how to defend herself, after what had happened in her previous home, so he introduced her to a friend of his named Draik. 

     Draik was a few years older than her, very handsome, and impressively skilled with a variety of weapons. He showed her his collection of blades, everything from small stiletto daggers to a huge claymore that she wasn’t even strong enough to lift all the way up.

     When he asked her if she had any experience with weapons, she couldn’t help but feel ridiculous telling him that she had killed a man with a kitchen knife and an iron pan but had no experience beyond that. She was a bit embarrassed, and worried about what he would think about her being a murderer, but he actually looked a little impressed.

     He taught her how to spar first, then he taught her the very basics of handling most of his blades. She had an affinity with daggers, so they focused on those. It took time and effort, but eventually she could hold her own against Draik. He won most of their matches, but she started to win more and more. 

     When he figured he’d taught her everything he could, he gifted her with her very own set of twin daggers. They were beautiful. Silver handles engraved with a lovely flowering vine pattern, leading down to the sharp blades. He even gave her a pair of leather belts to strap them to her thighs. She told him she couldn’t possibly thank him enough, for the weapons, the training, and especially for the friendship that had grown between them.

     Everyone in town seemed to think that Draik and Kaeda were more than friends, but he never made a move beyond looking at her with interest. She knew it would make him happy if she returned that interest, but her heart just wasn’t ready to open up to anyone new, and he understood that. So, they let everyone think what they wanted, but they were never more than close friends. 

     She missed Nicolai every single day. She missed the bed they had shared in their small two room house, and the life they had together. Despite that, she had grown to love her new life. She felt safe, after a time when she hadn’t been sure that she would ever feel safe again.

     One brightening, she got up early and decided she wanted to look extra pretty for work that day - not something she bothered with often. She sat down at the vanity Tomas had placed against the wall in the stockroom just outside her door, and gave herself a long look in the mirror. 

     Her hair had grown quite a bit since she’d left Tavedor. The strands, an unusual pale lavender, fell around her waist. She was glad her eyebrows were naturally a darker purple, otherwise they’d have been barely visible on her face. Her lashes were also dark, creating a lovely fringe around her eyes that brought out their sky blue color. 

     She pulled a few sections of hair into long, thin braids around her face, and swept some pink blush high on her defined cheeks. After applying a matching gloss to her full lips, She smiled at her reflection. She was feeling good about herself, and she was sure it was going to be a good day.

     She got dressed and headed out to the front to prep things behind the bar before they opened, and that’s where she was, humming to herself, when a young boy came in. She smiled at him as he held up a fancy looking envelope. 

     “I’m looking for a Kaeda Meadows.” he announced.

     “That’s me! Thank you.” she said, taking the letter from him. “Can I get you something to drink, on the house? I was just about to make some fresh juice.”

     “No, thank you, Miss. I have more letters to deliver.” he called over his shoulder, already heading out the door. 

     Well, this was interesting. She hadn’t received any mail here yet, and she’d certainly never been sent a letter in such a nice envelope. She put it deep into a pocket on her apron, deciding to open it later after her shift. 

     Time flew by as she worked and bantered with the customers, and she realized she’d been right, it was a really good day.