(no subject)

[pearwaldorf]

Digging through some old work and found some stuff I'm not going to finish. This was supposed to be the start of a Portia and Nadia origin story, then a Portia/Nadia and maybe Portia/Nadia/female Apprentice thing. I got waylaid by other stuff/fandoms and then lost interest entirely when I heard the new routes aren't as good as the original three, which I still dearly love (even Julian's, although it took me a real long time to get into it). 

Anyways. Here's approximately 2K words of Portia coming to the Palace in Vesuvia.

--

The Chamberlain is short, even tinier than Grandmama Rucha. I can hear their legs kicking against the chair as they read the letter of introduction I’ve presented to them. I’m not sure why I’d need something like this to be a chambermaid, even in a palace, but Auntie Lera insisted, because that’s the way they do things in Vesuvia. I deferred to her judgment since, unlike Ilya, I haven’t traveled far and wide. In fact, this is the first time I’ve been outside Nevivon. 

 

“Everything looks to be in order.” The Chamberlain folds the letter back up, tucks it into their breast pocket. They come out from behind the desk and extend their hand. “Welcome to the Palace, Ms. Portia.” 

 

“Oh! Thank you!” I shake their hand, trying not to loom as I do so. 

 

They lead me out of their office, motioning to someone waiting outside nearby. I think he’s a guard or something, but off duty. He’s tall, lanky, and pale, with long dark hair he keeps tied back in a ponytail. 

 

“Ludovico will show you to your room, get you oriented to the Palace,” the Chamberlain tells me. “Now if you will excuse me, I have other duties to attend to.” Ludovico nods, and the Chamberlain bustles off down the hall.

 

“Can I take your bag?” Ludovico asks. 

 

I shake my head. “Thank you, but I’ve got it. Besides, Pepi gets anxious in new places. I’d much prefer to be close to her.” At the sound of her name, Pepi raises her head out of the bag’s opening and makes an inquiring Mrr?

 

“Oh! Hello.” Ludovico presents his fingers for Pepi to sniff, which she does. “That’s some unusual coloring, with the pale fur and the dark tips. Never seen a cat like this before.” 

 

“Interesting. Cats that look like Pepi are all over Nevivon.” 

 

“Nevivon, eh?” Ludovico becomes more… alert after I mention it. “We had a doctor that came from there, few years ago.” 

 

“Oh?” I keep my tone neutral, hoping that none of the nervousness I feel comes through.

 

“This was during the bad years, when the plague was running through the city.” He looks at me, trying to ascertain if he needs to explain more.

 

“News of the plague made it even to Nevivon. We heard it was bad.” 

 

“‘Twas. Not a family in Vesuvia was untouched. Even got the Count, although that’s not what killed him in the end.” 

 

“How did he die, then?” I’d heard the Count of Vesuvia had died, but not that it was of unnatural causes.

 

“During the Masquerade, it was. The courtiers went to fetch Lord Lucio from his wing, and his bedroom was on fire.” Ludovico frowns, recalling. “Witnesses say they saw the good doctor fleeing the scene of the crime.” 

 

I scratch Pepi’s head so I don’t have to respond immediately. Ilya couldn’t hurt a fly, but how many doctors from Nevivon would have been in Vesuvia during the plague? If he had killed someone, it must have been for a good reason. Unless he’s changed drastically since I saw him last. 

 

I think back to the letters he sent from Vesuvia. Most of them were hastily written, sloppy penmanship even for him. He never mentioned anything about the Count, or the work he was doing at the Palace. 

 

“Well, we’re here.” Ludovico stops in front of a set of rooms and opens the door. A stout woman with red hair lounges on one of the beds, looking up when we come in.

 

“This is Bludmila, my guard partner.” I nod, and Bludmila looks ready to get up to greet me, until she sees Pepi. 

 

“I’m sorry to do this even before I’ve learned your name, but I am horribly allergic to cats.” Her eyes are already starting to water, and she looks like she’s holding back a storm of sneezes. 

 

It’s obvious Pepi and I can’t stay here, and I step outside. There must be another room we can have, somewhere in this palace. During our walk through the hallways, our footsteps echoed against empty everything. I expected a palace to bustle, not wait expectantly to be filled with people and activity.

 

“I should have thought about the cat. That was my oversight.” Ludovico looks embarrassed and sheepish. 

 

“So where will we live?” I peer up at Ludovico, hoping he has a solution. 

 

He taps his finger against his mouth, thinking. “I’ve got just the place. It’s a bit far out, but it’s nice. You game?” 

 

“Sure?” We traipse through the palace grounds, past the gardens, a hedge maze and a grand fountain next to an old willow tree. Some of these I recognize from Ilya’s letters. At the end of a dirt road, there is a clearing with a small cottage. 

 

Ludovico digs through his pockets and unlocks the door with an old iron key. “Take a look,” he says as he gestures me in. 

 

It’s modest but looks well lived-in. The window in front is large, catching the morning and afternoon light. There is a tall, brightly decorated ceramic stove in the corner, intended for both heating and cooking, and a bedroom area beyond that. Looking outside, there are the remains of a garden on the side of the cottage, now gone to seed. With some work, this could be a comfortable home.

 

I drop my bag and Pepi steps out of it, sniffing around curiously. She finds the bed and jumps on it, walking around until she finds a comfortable spot. She lays down and starts grooming herself, paying no heed to me or Ludovico.

 

“Looks like at least one of you likes it.” He tilts his head inquisitively, holding out the key. 

 

“Is this-- is this allowed?” This seems very extravagant for a mere chambermaid. 

 

Ludovico shrugs. “One thing I’ve learned here is below a certain level, nobody pays attention to what goes on. ‘S long as food gets cooked, people show up for their guard shifts, them that think they’re important don’t look too close.” 

 

“All right.” I take the key, and he grins. 

 

“I’ll get out of your hair, let you settle in,” he says, making his way towards the door. Before he leaves, he stops and turns around. “I almost forgot to say. Welcome to Vesuvia.” 

 

I lay down on the bed, trying not to disturb Pepi. There are definitely worse ways to end the first day in a new place. It’s the last thought I have before falling asleep.

 

-- 

 

I make my way to where I’ve been told the Countess’s rooms are, unsure of what I will find. The light streams in from windows draped in filmy cloth, enough to obscure the view from outside. In the middle of the room is a bed, with coverings descending from the ceiling all the way down to the floor. 

 

Somebody is sleeping in it, a woman. She has high cheekbones and brown skin. Her purple hair tumbles around her, shading into cool violet. She is one of the most beautiful people I’ve ever seen in my life, and it takes me a moment to catch my breath. 

 

If these are the Countess’s rooms, this must be Countess Nadia. I had not anticipated working around her in this fashion. There isn’t much I can do about the bed while she’s in it, but I can take care of the rest of her rooms. I tie my hair up and get to work. 

 

I’m about done with everything but the main chamber when the lunch bell tolls. I follow the crowds to the servants’ dining room. The food isn’t fancy, but it’s well-made and filling. I see Ludovico and Bludmila at a table, and they motion me over. 

 

Bludmila presents a vase of flowers from under her chair. “For your new home. I’m sorry about being so rude yesterday. But I am very very allergic.”

 

“Thank you.” I pull the flowers closer. I don’t know what they are, but they have tight, circular clusters of petals and smell of spices. 

 

“How was your first day?” Ludovico asks. 

 

“Aside from the sleeping Countess, surprisingly uneventful. Is she a night owl?” 

 

Bludmila and Ludovico look at each other. “Not exactly?” Bludmila says. 

 

Ludovico picks up the thread. “Countess Nadia fell into a deep sleep after the last Masquerade. At first, it was thought related to the shock of Count Lucio’s murder, but it’s been almost a year and a half.” 

 

“And nothing will wake her up?” 

 

Bludmila shakes her head. “Nothing. She doesn’t waste away or require food and water, so it must be magic of some kind.” 

 

“Maybe she’s waiting for true love’s kiss,” I joke. “We should get some frogs from the woods.” 

 

“If the Court gets desperate enough, I wouldn’t be surprised,” Ludovico says. 

 

Lunch is over, and I get back to my work. In the lull of the afternoon, the palace and the Countess’s chambers are quiet; if I am still, I can hear the rise and fall of her breath. As I take care of the main room, I wonder what she is like when she’s awake. Is she haughty and arrogant? Wry and sarcastic? Or is she kind and compassionate? 

 

When I am done with my cleaning, I go back to look at the Countess. Feeling a little foolish, I clear my throat. “Hello, Countess. Milady. My name is Portia. I’m here to take care of your rooms. Any time you’d like to wake up, please do.”

 

I wait for a few moments. Nothing appears to have changed. I let myself out and close the door. 

 

--

 

My life settles into a rhythm at the palace. I do my work, and I get to know the other servants better. JENGA

 

One day, I see a figure sitting next to the Countess’s bed. They notice my approach. They wear a shawl that does not quite cover their hair, red with lines of grey. Astute violet eyes look me over, measuring but not judging.

 

“Hello there,” they say. “What is your name?” 

 

“Portia. And you are...?” I end my introduction with an inquiry. 

 

“This is why I hate titles,” they say. “Nazali Satrinava. Please, call me Nazali.” They extend their hand, and I shake it. Their grip is strong, fingers callused from work with delicate implements. 

 

“Please, come sit down next to me.” I sit on the other end of the bench Nazali has been occupying. 

 

“You are the Countess’s sibling?” I ask. There is a definite familial resemblance to Nazali. I had not known the Countess had siblings, but then again, I knew very little about anything in Vesuvia before I came here.

 

“I am.” Nazali’s eyes cloud with worry. “I came to visit after not hearing from her for a while and discovered her in this state. I am told she has been like this for two years.” 

 

I nod. “Do you know how is this possible?” 

 

Nazali shrugs. “The interaction between magic and biology is difficult to trace sometimes. Something happened that was the impetus for her falling into a deep sleep.” They brush a strand of hair away from Nadia’s face where it has fallen. “All we can do is wait for her to wake up.” 

 

They look at me. “Can I count on you to help take care of my sister, Portia?” 

 

I have no experience in such things. But if I don’t do it, who will? I nod, and Nazali beams. 

 

“Splendid. I will teach you everything you need to know. You must write to me the moment she wakes.” 

 

“That... might be a problem.” 

 

They stop short. “Ah yes. I keep forgetting things here are not like Prakra, where every resident learns to read and write. We shall also get started on that process. Let us begin.” 

--

 

My days are filled with instruction from Nazali, in both reading and writing and how to properly care for a perpetually sleeping patient. They explain some of the theory behind both, and I don’t understand all of it, but enough that I understand why things are done in that particular manner. It is hard work, but gratifying, especially when Nazali smiles and says I am doing well. 

 

Bludmila comes to visit me outside of my cottage when I’m tending to my garden. “Haven’t seen you much lately. How’s it going?”

 

I wipe the sweat from my forehead. “I’m busy. But I’m learning how to take care of the Countess, and that’s what’s important.” 

 

She smiles. “I’m glad. It seems to give you a sense of purpose. Not that you’re bad at doing anything, but there’s a care and attention you give to it that’s different from everything else. She needs more people like you around her.”