Discordant Note: Crescendo | TBATE

Chapter 226: Roses

Thank you to my beta reader and editor, GlassThreads!

Tessia Eralith

The Royal Palace in Zestier was clean.

I'd always known this, even when I was young. Every inch and corner of the Royal Suites was kept free of dust and debris, each spot almost sparkling with reflected light. A subtle floral scent pervaded the entire complex, lending an aura of relaxation and pristine perfection I'd seen nowhere else.

And now that I'd been sent back to this place, all those little details felt so much more obvious.

It's these little things I'm noticing now, I thought as I stepped out of the bath, water streaming off me. The private baths in the Royal Palace were connected directly to a natural spring, creating an air of wonder that filled the small chamber. Even the water seemed a bit too crystal-clear as it dripped onto the stones beneath me.

I casually stretched out an arm in silent command to a nearby maid–an elven woman who had served the royal family of Elenoir since before I was born. Anea Asyphin strode over quickly, proffering a towel out to me.

I gave the maid a subtle nod of respect as she averted her eyes with a bow, as was befitting our differing social stations. With the ease of long-practiced grace, I threaded the towel around my bare body, already missing the warmth of the baths.

"My Lady, would you like for me to prepare your dress for the day?" Anea asked in a subservient tone, still bowing with her eyes locked on the stones.

I resisted the urge to sigh, instead maintaining the delicate mask of the Princess of Elenoir. "No, Anea. That won't be necessary. I will tend to my own dress and clothing," I said calmly.

Anea nodded slightly, her gray-streaked hair more prominent in the low light of the bath chamber. "If you ever wish for it, we live to serve at your command," she said demurely, before backing away.

I watched her go with complicated emotions warring in my stomach. Before I'd gone off to war, Anea had tended to nearly every one of my needs. Warming the water for my baths, preparing my dress and clothing for the day, and presenting my meals.

But then I'd waded deep in the mud of the battlefield. As part of the Trailblazer Division, I hadn't been afforded the luxuries of a princess. If I wanted a bath, I needed to go find a stream myself and pull the water. If I wanted to eat, I could either take the horrid rations provided or hunt for myself. And whenever my clothes were damaged or torn, there were no seamstresses waiting on me to sew them up in a split-second.

And now I was back in Zestier, living the high life once again. But for some reason, it didn't feel that way.

These thoughts and more occupied my mind as I strode gracefully into the changing room. I found simple pleasure in choosing my clothing for the day–an elegant dress that accentuated all the features I bore in shades of dark green and silver. Yet unlike most dresses, the leggings of this one were long and designed for freedom of movement.

I stared down at the dress with a furrowed brow. I'd always loved the designs of elegant clothes and lavish attire that my position afforded me, but now I couldn't simply wear them anymore. Not without subtle assurances like this–that I could always be ready to fight and defend myself at any time.

"I can't just be a rose," I murmured, running my hands along the expensive silk, no doubt worth more than most commoners could afford in their lifetime. "I need to have thorns, too."

But by being shipped back here–back into the heart of my kingdom and the very place I'd grown up as a child–my thorns had been stripped from me. Grandpa had promised me–gave his word–that I could fight for my continent. That I could make a difference in this war.