Unscripted Love | Fire Emblem Awakening

Chapter 7: Ball Gowns and Bridles

When I woke up the next morning and saw a dark shape lying by the door, I thought that I had forgotten to dispose of Lady Florence's rat. But as my sleepy eyes sharpened, I realised that this one looked as if it was in two pieces.

Did Merton realise that Lady Florence was borderline psychotic when she was feeling possessive?

Deciding that I needed to talk to him with urgency about this, fate be damned, I scrambled out of bed -- and promptly keeled over as my right leg hit the floor.

I crashed onto the floorboards with the grace and noise of a falling horse. Once I'd scrabbled around on my bedside table for a vulnerary, I uncorked it and drank half the contents. That was probably more than the recommended dosage, but I could already tell that between my leg and Lady Florence, I was going to need a lot of pain relief to get through the day.

I dressed awkwardly in a sitting position, and I stayed there until the medicine began to kick in and I was able to limp to the door. There, I discovered that my suspicions were right -- there was a different rat, and it had been decapitated. I had no time to clear it away if I wanted to reach Merton before Lady Florence did, so I kicked it aside.

There was no doubt now that she had seen him carrying me.

When I limped into the dining room, I found Merton alone. He was standing by the window, looking out at the fields and sky. He turned as I entered. "Good morning, Calla. Where's the fire?"

I halted beside him. "In my room, in the form of a decapitated rat."

He raised his eyebrows, which I was starting to learn was my signal to either prove my point or elaborate.

"I'm becoming seriously concerned about what you're getting yourself into," I said. "Last night, Lady Florence pushed a dead rat under my door. This morning, I woke up and found she'd done it again."

He took a long moment to process that. "You're certain these rats were from Lady Florence?"

"Yes: she'd carved her initials into them. She wants me to know, loud and clear, that these threats are coming from her."

"You should talk to Earl Mathis."

"It's not me I'm concerned for. It's you! You're set to marry her and --"

"Set to marry her?" His eyebrows rose again.

"Er...practically." Whoops. "You spend so much time together and you're...you're the perfect couple."

High heels clattered down the stairs, and Lady Florence herself breezed in.

"Good morning!" She came straight to the window with Lady Charlotte, fluttering her eyelashes. "Sorry that I'm a bit later than usual."

I could see why I'd managed to beat her down here. She was dressed even more ravishingly than ever in a high-collared mint gown. A light smattering of rouge dusted her cheeks, and she'd used kohl to add volume to her dark eyelashes.

Merton's face cleared. "Good morning, Your Ladyship. Happy birthday."

"Thank you." She sat down at the table and beckoned him over with a finger. "Won't you come and sit with me?"

He did, and predictably, she sucked him deep into a conversation that only she controlled. I rolled my eyes as I took my own seat, and Lady Charlotte gave me a similarly exasperated look. Lady Florence had clearly managed to get on her own nerves this morning.

She was good at doing that.

***

After a long and tedious breakfast, Earl Mathis, Merton, Cordelia, and Yukio departed to the courtyard. Ezri was staying in the house with me, alongside Lady Charlotte, Lady Florence, and the rest of her delightful family.