The room was wide and bathed in sunlight, the golden rays spilling through sheer curtains that swayed softly in the warm wind.
A quiet stillness filled the air.
At the center sat Erika, perched stiffly on a wooden stool. Her back straight, her hands resting on her lap. She hadn't moved for what felt like an eternity.
How long do I have to stay like this? she thought, trying not to wrinkle her nose.
My nose itches… and if I scratch it, she'll scold me again.
Her eyes darted forward—careful not to move her head—and there she saw Her lady, standing behind a tall canvas. The golden strands of her lady's hair caught the sunlight like spun fire, visible even above the wide frame.
The brush moved again—soft, careful, precise.
Her lady painted with a focus so intense that Erika almost forgot to breathe. She looked… serene, her piercing green eyes, like someone trying to capture something that words could never express.
Erika's lips twitched.
"I didn't expect my lady to be this passionate about painting," she murmured under her breath.
Without looking up, her lady replied evenly, "You're moving again."
"I'm not..!" Erika protested, straightening even more. "I'm just… breathing."
"That's good. Keep doing that," Her lady replied dryly, her lips curving slightly in amusement.
Erika sighed. Why did I agree to this again?
It hadn't been long since her lady had suggested this—out of nowhere she had suddenly suggested they do something outside the library for once. "It's been a while since I last painted," she'd said. And before Erika knew it, she had been volunteered as the subject.
Now, they were alone in the sunlit room, one painting and the other being painted.
Catalina squinted at her canvas.
The longer I look at her eyes, the more the color changes, she thought.
Is it violet… or blue? There's something peculiar about that hue.
After a while, Erika spoke again, perhaps out of boredom.
"So, my lady, how's it coming along?"
Catalina tapped the brush against her palette. "Hmm… let's say your eyes are being difficult."
"My eyes?"
"Yes. It refuses to cooperate."
"I wasn't aware my eyes had a will of its own," Erika said, trying not to laugh.
Catalina looked over the edge of the canvas and smiled faintly.
"It does now."
Their quiet laughter filled the room, light and fleeting.
But when Erika's gaze wandered toward the window, Catalina noticed her expression soften into something distant. She'd been spending too much time indoors—first the library, now here. Catalina realized their time together had always been framed by study or silence, never something… ordinary.
"Lady Heather," Catalina said, lowering her brush, "would you like to take a walk? The day's too fine to spend locked inside."
Erika blinked, surprised. "A walk? Around the castle?"
Catalina nodded, wiping her hands with a cloth. "You've only seen the halls and the library. There's more to it than dust and silence."
A walk? With her? Erika blinked, caught off guard by the suggestion.
For what reason? she thought to herself.
I like the library… to be honest, the other parts of this castle give me the creeps. Why now?
She remembered every time she'd had to walk these halls. Echoes following every step, knights in full armor standing like statues. Their visors always seemed to watch.
Still, her lady's voice was soft when she added, "Come, it will do you some good."
Erika hesitated, her eyes flicking to the brush resting on her lady's canvas. She sounds so sure about that, she thought with a small sigh.
"I… suppose I wouldn't mind that," she finally said aloud, rising carefully from the stool.
Her lady smiled—just enough to make Erika's heart stutter.
The castle halls stretched wide and sunlit, fabric draping over windows swaying lightly in the warm wind. The marble floors gleamed, and the faint scent of pine drifted in from the courtyards.
Erika walked beside her lady in silence, eyes drawn to the sunlit patterns on the floors.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed movement in the courtyard: two figures sparring beneath the sun. Steel clashed, echoes rippling through the corridors. Dame Amber and Ser Roderic moved with practiced precision, circling each other.
It was the first time Erika had seen them fight, and seeing Dame Amber hold her own against someone larger stirred something in her chest.
Catalina noticed the way she watched. "Would you like to go closer?" she asked softly.
Erika blinked, startled. "Ah— I… may I?"
Catalina smiled faintly. "Of course. Let's go."
They descended the stairs and stepped into the courtyard, sunlight spilling across the flagstones. When Dame Amber and Ser Roderic noticed them, both immediately halted their spar and bowed deeply.
Ser Roderic was the first to speak, his tone polite but curious.
"My lady — what brings you here?"
Catalina gestured gently toward Erika. "Lady Heather seems interested in watching your spar, especially Dame Amber."
Erika flushed but composed herself. "I… was only watching from the window. Dame Amber's form… remarkable. Even against someone larger, you move without hesitation." she said sincerely.
Dame Amber's cheeks tinted pink. "Thank you, Lady Heather," she said softly, bowing.
"You flatter me, my lady, but I'm far from perfect."
"Don't listen to her modesty," Ser Roderic cut in, his stoic expression softening into a rare grin. "Dame Amber can best three men my size in one bout."
That earned a soft laugh from both knights and Catalina — though Erika tilted her head, unsure if he was jesting or not. Three men her size? she thought, almost wanting to see it herself.
As Erika enjoyed the moment, she didn't notice Catalina's gaze lingering on her
Quietly, almost imperceptibly, Catalina studied her — the way Heather's eyes shone with admiration and curiosity. She couldn't help but linger on the sight, noting the quiet fascination lady Heather held for Dame Amber.
Catalina turned to her, green eyes glimmering.
"If seeing Dame Amber spar interests you, perhaps I could show you something more impressive," she mused, placing a thoughtful hand beneath her chin. "Though I'd need to summon a few of my other knights."
The reaction was immediate. Dame Amber straightened, her eyes widening. "M-my lady, there's no need!" she stammered.
Ser Roderic followed instantly, his voice half-panicked.
"Indeed, my lady — no need to trouble yourself!"
Even the guards standing nearby stiffened at the suggestion, some exchanging nervous glances.
Erika blinked in confusion.
Why are they all reacting like that? she wondered, glancing from one knight to the other.
Are they afraid their lady might get hurt from holding a sword?
She tilted her head, trying to make sense of it — not realizing that it wasn't her lady's safety they were worried about.
It was their own.
Catalina smiled faintly, almost teasingly. "You're all acting as if It won't be fun," she said, folding her arms.
Dame Amber straightened quickly, a bead of sweat trailing down her temple. "N-not at all, my lady. Merely concerned for your… schedule."
Catalina chuckled softly. "Is that what they call fear now?"
Erika blinked again, unsure if she had heard that right. Her lady's smile lingered, calm and composed, yet something in her tone carried quiet authority — the kind that could command an entire courtyard into silence.
And yet, to Erika, it only deepened her curiosity.
After a while, they returned, walking through the castle halls after exploring some of the estate. Sunlight spilled through the tall windows, casting long patterns across the stone floors.
Erika's eyes caught something in the corner—a dark hallway, ending in a door. Curious, she glanced at her lady.
"My lady… what's behind that room at the end?" she asked.
Catalina paused, then smiled softly. "Just a storage room," she said. "It's off-limits. But we should move along."
Erika's curiosity remained, but she said nothing, letting the matter linger in her mind.
A little later, she asked cautiously, "Do you ever… go outside the estate?"
Catalina thought for a long moment before answering, her smile gentle but distant. "I… rarely leave. Or perhaps I cannot reveal myself openly. It's safer to remain here, in peaceful seclusion."
Something stirred in Erika at that moment. Without thinking, her words slipped out.
"My lady… would you like to go outside together? In secret, perhaps?"
The two froze mid-step. Erika's hand shot to her mouth, panic flooding her. Why did I just say that? She thought, heart hammering.
She has her reasons for staying hidden… why would I even suggest this? I hope this isn't going to get me fired…
She peeked through her fingers at her lady, trying to read her expression. The sunlight caught Catalina's golden hair, swaying softly in the wind from the open window, obscuring her face.
Then her voice came, soft and steady.
"Alright," she said.
Wait… she agreed? Erika's thoughts raced as a warm breeze brushed her cheeks. Catalina turned slightly, golden hair flowing, and Erika still could not discern her expression.
"I know a small town nearby," her lady continued. "We can visit it another day, if that's all right with you, Lady Heather."
Erika's mind raced briefly.
A town from here? Here I thought this estate was completely isolated…
"I… yes, that would be fine," Erika said carefully, her curiosity barely contained.
The two continued down the sunlit hall, the wind tugging lightly at their cloaks and hair. Erika kept her gaze on the shifting patterns of light on the floor, stealing glances at her lady only to catch the flash of green eyes that seemed unreadable.
The castle felt quieter now, almost holding its breath, as if it, too, were curious where they were headed. Outside waited something unknown, and for the first time in a long while, Erika felt the pull of a path she could not yet see.