A story about the decision to walk the path of destiny.
Cidolfus Telamon x OFC
- Erie Murdoch has witnessed the power that has brought the Duchy to ruin and plunged Rosaria into political turmoil. Stripped of everything she once knew, now a fallen p...
"Well, that went great," Cid said as the doors closed behind them. Erie swallowed and hoped the people around her couldn't tell she was shaking a little. The king had given her a fair amount of chills.
"Yeah, awesome. I don't feel like I'm being reduced to a pawn." Erie crossed her arms in front of Cid and looked at him indignantly. He just laughed and a small smirk escaped Erie's face as well.
"The king certainly seems to like you, that's-"
"Cidolfus!" Cid's words were interrupted by a feminine call coming from the entrance of the castle. Erie stumbled backwards and was caught by Jim as a blonde girl came running up the steps and pushed herself between her and the Lord Commander.
"Cidolfus?" she asked, looking at Jim in confusion. 'Just Cid's full name? Jim quickly let go of Erie and shrugged in her direction. The girl in front of her seemed tense, like she was really trying to hold herself together not to look too excited.
"Benna," Cid greeted the girl and smiled down at her. A tender touch on her cheek followed, and Erie realized that this was the person Barnabas had been talking about. The person who could get jealous.
"While you were away, I practiced the last training sessions you had worked out with the men. They seem to be slowly catching on. Although I think we can ask a lot more of them. But then again, most of them are slow," the blonde blathered away and it occurred to Erie that she was obviously a soldier. Very likely, if what Barnabas had said was true, she was Cid's lover and therefore perhaps his right-hand woman.
Jim gave Erie an annoyed side eye - apparently it wasn't the first time she'd insulted the men she fought with in front of them. Erie smiled appeasingly at him and observed the young woman's comments for a few more seconds before Cid turned her attention to Erie: "Benna, I'd like you to meet Erie. We met in Storm and she has agreed to be my new chambermaid from now on."
Benna looked at Erie skeptically and asked Cid without taking her eyes off her: "What happened to your old maid?"
"She has to look after a sick family member in Eistla." Was this the truth? Cid hadn't intended to hire a new chambermaid on his journey. What about his old maid? Nonetheless, she smiled kindly at the young woman and held out her hand. "Nice to meet you."
After another moment of hesitation, Benna introduced herself: "Benedikta Harman is my real name."
"Still Erie." This elicited a grin from Cid, which he tried in vain to hide behind his hand. Benedikta looked at him briefly without making a face.
"I think you two will get on well. Benna, don't you want to show Erie the castle so she doesn't get lost?" Cid now suggested.
Erie didn't mind, even if Benedikta didn't give the impression that she was a big fan of hers.
"I was hoping we'd have some time so I could pick you up on what happened last week," Benedikta replied. She couldn't quite hide her disappointment.
"Later. First I have to take care of all the paperwork that has probably piled up on my desk in my absence. When you're done, you can come by and report to me. And you, Erie, please bring dinner later, I won't be eating in the dining room with everyone else today."
"Very well, Lord Commander," Erie confirmed his command and bowed briefly.
Benedikta did nothing, but looked after Cid for a moment before turning to Erie. "I'll show you the castle then, for all I care. Come, and don't dawdle."
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Benedikta showed Erie around the estate as promised, showing her where the kitchens were, the rooms of the other servants, the washrooms and all the other places she needed to go to carry out her duties. She didn't talk much with Erie, although Erie tried to make polite conversation. Benedikta's stature seemed very fragile, but she was extremely hardened. And apparently she didn't like letting people get close to her.
"And where are the training grounds?" Erie asked at some point. There was no way she was going to neglect her sword fighting while she was in Stonhyrr.
"Why would a servant girl like you want to know?" Benedikta asked, then rolled her eyes briefly, "there are always people, especially female staff, who want to watch the training, but it's not a spectacle and certainly not a bridal show."
"I know." Erie didn't have the strength to argue with Benedikta, although her arrogance was starting to get on her nerves. "I've been training with the sword since I was a child and I don't want to lose my routine. If the men train with you, surely they'll train with me too, right?"
"But I'm also a soldier in His Majesty's army," Benedikta replied, but now sounded interested, "you really know how to use a sword? I could imagine including you in our training, but first you would have to prove to me that you are really good at it."
"Gladly!" Erie replied enthusiastically.
"Let's do it tomorrow at sunrise in the backyard of Cidolfus' chambers, then. It's secluded there and it won't be so easy to see in. Before you embarrass yourself, I mean." And now Benedikta gave Erie her first challenging grin, which she quickly hid behind a stoic expression again.
"Will Cid... the Lord Commander allow that?" Erie wasn't sure if Benedikta would approve of her talking about Cid in a way that implied camaraderie between the two of them.
"Of course. Earlier he claimed we'd get on well. He wouldn't have said that if he didn't know we had something in common. I think he's even betting on us asking him for a place to cross swords." She seemed to know him well.
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A little later, Erie stood in the kitchen and picked up dinner as Cid had instructed her. Benedikta and she had parted and Erie had begun to talk to the other servants. To her delight, many of them were wonderful people, just as she remembered from Rosalith castle. Except now she was one of them.
While a kitchen maid, Serena, a young girl about Erie's age with long black hair and equally dark eyes, placed the food on a tray, Erie allowed herself to snack on one of the grapes on the plate. As she reached for another, Serena slapped her hand.
"I'll take the second one," she quipped, letting the grape disappear into her mouth, making them both laugh.
"Girls, pull yourselves together," one of the cooks, an older lady called Delilah, exclaimed, albeit with a smile on her lips. Erie was as comfortable as ever in the kitchen.
"Here you are. I hope you'll settle in here quickly. Why don't you come to the dining room for dinner?" With these words, Serena handed Erie the tray. Erie thanked her for the warm welcome and set off to bring Cid his dinner.
