Final Fantasy XVI - Thunder's Torrents

Ch 12. - Letters Homebound

In the weeks that followed, Erie tried to get a routine into her life at Stonhyrr. In the mornings, Cid, Benedikta and herself had breakfast together in Cid's chambers, after which Erie and Benedikta trained together. The two were almost equals as long as Benedikta didn't use her powers, and Erie had managed to disarm her a few times. They had begun to exchange tactics and maneuvers, and Erie felt she had a lot to learn as well. Ash's battle strategies were different from Rosaria's and made an excellent addition to her previous experience.

Afterward, Erie always threw on one of the beautiful dresses the king had so generously provided her with and went about her duties: Maintaining a homely atmosphere in Cid's chambers, coordinating his appointments, sorting his documents, inventories, all the things she had also done working under Elwin.

She also had many conversations with the other servants, making friends with some of them and expanding her social circle as quickly as possible. As Benedikta opened up to her more and more each day, Erie was soon allowed to watch the soldiers training and made friends there too. She quickly developed a relationship of trust with Jim, the guard she had met on her first day, and often brought him treats from the kitchen.

And although she tried to keep busy, Erie's emotions got the better of her as soon as she went to bed at night. Not a day went by that she didn't cry when she was finally alone. She knew that her stay in Stonhyrr was only a means to an end, but she was no closer to that end - revenge for Rosaria. She missed her old life terribly and thought every night about how she could manage to return home one day. As friendly as the people at the court of Stonhyrr were, they weren't Rosalithians, they didn't know the customs of her country, only their own. To make matters worse, Erie was not allowed to tell anyone that she was from Rosalith, instead she was only ever the servant from Ran'dellah who had wanted nothing more than to serve Waloed.

Erie found herself in an identity crisis, torn between her old life and the new one she didn't feel she belonged to. She hadn't tried to talk to Cid about it because she didn't want to further exploit his helpfulness. He hadn't told her what exactly he wanted from her, how exactly he wanted to use her. They had only spoken very business-like since Erie had entered Stonhyrr and learned of Benedikta's relationship with him.

Erie didn't want Benedikta to think of her as a threat, even though Erie wasn't thinking along those lines. She really had other things to worry about than throwing herself at a man. She had been promised to a Marquess before she came to Stonhyrr. And she would hold on to that memory until she knew how to return to Rosaria.

While Erie was settling in at court, she rarely saw Barnabas. Which was just fine, because his presence frightened her. She had no chance of reading his emotionless expression. The only conversation she had had with him had been during dinner in the dining hall, when Cid, Benedikta and she had sat at the table and the king had asked Erie to join him. Erie had stood up.

That evening she wore a low-cut black dress, and a simple necklace with a pendant that drew even more attention to her chest. Erie was not used to such cuts, but she had come to terms with it, because it was better than wearing old, scratchy dresses.

Before the king's table, Erie bowed, trying hard not to show any discomfort under Barnaba's gaze.

"I see they have chosen the right clothes for you," he had said, "a waste for Cidolfus to be so insistent that you remain in his service. Surely we could find other, much better tasks for you. Then again, you're not as talented as Cidolfus' other little acquisition."

His gaze had fallen on Benedikta, who had nodded respectfully to her king.

In that moment, Erie had understood why Cid had insisted on Erie not showing off her skills with the sword in public. King Barnabas was interested in people with military training, and he seemed to have taken a particular liking to Benedikta. Probably because she was a highly skilled soldier and had gained a high profile in the ranks through her relationship with Cid.