Liana

The future awaits

"Goodbye, Eldaren," and these are the last words Liana intends to share with Eldaren. Her face is cold, disdain clearly painted in her eyes. She holds her head high as she walks away from Eldaren and everyone else. 

She departs into the city, filled with various stalls that are selling freshly caught fish, the smell wafting into the air. She keeps to herself, ignoring the pleas for her attention. She feels the weight of her decisions weigh on her, and she keeps walking.

What now? she thinks to herself. Where do I go from here?

I should have asked Valentine if she had any other contracts, and her heart feels heavy. Walking away had been easy and successful enough, but now Liana walks towards the unknown. 

Liana eventually finds herself at a small, hole-in-the-wall cafe. She orders herself a fresh, hot cup of coffee and sits at a table, alone. It's there that she notices that the cafe has a billboard listing various oddjobs. One of those oddjobs happens to draw her attention.

A single, well-pressed note reads "Help wanted at the holy sovereign's palace."

"Interesting," Liana says to herself. She sips her coffee and ponders why the holy sovereign would want help externally, rather than hiring from noble bloodlines.

Liana goes up and rips off the ad and goes to the lady who served her, a short lady in her late sixties, "Pardon me, ma'am. Do you happen to know any more of this?"

"Ah yes," she old lady muses. "Some of her royal messengers personally came and delivered these ads all over the town."

"But why? Why would the holy sovereign solicit help from outsiders?"

"Why don't you go to her and ask yourself?" and the lady gives her a warm, sincere smile.

"You're absolutely right," and Liana stares at the ad, her eyes enlightens with hope for the future. "I think I'll do just that."

Liana lightly bows at the old lady and thanks her for her time. She then finishes her coffee and takes her leave.

Liana had taken a mission that had changed her, made her decide that she wanted more for herself. 

It seems so long ago now, that Liana Duntatch decided to leave Eldaren and pursue a new direction. 

She had high hopes that perhaps meeting with the high sovereign could, at the very least, enlighten her with a new insight.

She figured that most likely, she would have to deal with reckless and childish nobles again, especially if she were to once again lend her service to nobles. 

But she held out hope, hope that being involved with another woman, a woman who had worked her way so viciously to the top, would somehow change things for her.

Liana could have never known that such a decision would lead to her doom.