Over the course of two weeks, not much had changed despite Lianna’s firm resolution to approach Duke Rithan before her debut. The laundry still needed washing and hanging, Aaron still needed help with his studies, and her father still needed lots of care for his illness. And many of the counts duties fell to her. There simply wasn’t time for her to sit back and dwell on what was to come–at least not much.

It still haunted her dreams, however. Even when she couldn’t remember the exact events in the dream, she’d wake up in a cold sweat, filled with that odd feeling in her mind that she got when recalling the visions.

She kept working to support her family and her people, but the splinter in her chest was that she knew her plan would cause her to have to abandon all of this–at least for a time. Before the end of the summer, she would have to leave–either with her father’s permission or without it–and ride several days to the Rithan Duchy’s capital on the vague hope that she could elicit help from the duke.

When her work was done for the day, she would gather a few more items and store them under the removable bottom of her wardrobe. Little by little, she put things aside for the trip. But with each day that passed, she felt herself becoming more and more reluctant to set out.

Will I be able to do it in a few months?

On the fifteenth day following her trip to town and deep dive into the record of her visions, she found herself sorting through her father’s paperwork at his desk. His study was a small room on the second floor, but it had a large window that opened up onto a balcony. From the window, she could see the area just in front of the manor. Cloudy weather and the occasional rain shower made it necessary for her to have a lamp in the office, but she kept the wick as low as she could tolerate to save oil.

The sound of pounding horse hooves carried up to the study. Lianna’s chest tightened as she stood and moved to the window. A shockwave of panic ran through her at the sight of a Brendwald knight galloping into the courtyard, the hooves throwing up cakes of mud as they struck the soggy ground. But it wasn’t just the knight that made her blood run cold, it was the fact that this was new.

Her memory of the visions was now complete after having read over her old records. But there had been absolutely no vision in which a second knight had visited their manor before Lianna’s debut. Only couriers had delivered higher and higher requests for payment in an attempt to pressure her father into answering more quickly and favorably.

Something has changed! But there was only one thing she had done that could have made an impact like this: talking to those travelers. Have I only made things worse? Whatever ripple of change her bold action had caused, this knight was now the result, and knowing Brendwald, Lianna could not think the knight brought any good news with him.

The knight dismounted and came towards the house. Lianna could no longer see him due the angle of the roof that overhung the front steps. Almost immediately, Lianna heard raised voices coming from downstairs. She went quickly to the desk, extinguished the lamp, and shut the account book before locking the study door behind her and heading down. She had to find out what the knight wanted.

Lifting her skirts, she held onto the railing and rushed down the first flight of stairs. On the landing, she caught sight of the knight and Harrace facing off in the foyer.

“You can’t barge into the count’s residence like this! Once before was enough. Give me what you have to deliver, and I’ll give it to him. Then, you can go back to Brendwald and leave us be.” Harrace was furious, but the knight didn’t budge and just looked at Harrace with disdain.

“I’ve an order to deliver a message directly to the count, not his servant.” He said the last word with the same tone one would talk about something pathetic, clearly not acknowledging Harrace as a guard knight at all. “And there is nothing to hand you. My message can only be delivered in person, aloud. So move!” The knight rested his hand on the hilt of his sword and took a step towards Harrace. Harrace tensed, his hand going towards the hilt of his own worn sword.

“Hold! Both of you!” Lianna put as much force into her voice; it resounded through the foyer. She stepped forward, and all eyes turned towards her. She paused but then steeled herself. Mustering as much grace as she could, she held her head high. “I’m sorry to say that my father is unwell today. Delivering a message to him will not be possible. But I am acting in the count’s stead today. While he is resting, you may deliver it to me.”