Finally, the letter came.

Amelia was carrying in firewood from the forest nearby when she saw the postman slipping it into her box. The second she had her hands free, she rushed over and ripped open the seal.

Gods, it had been more than a week, and it was finally here.

The letter was not in code, not some sophisticated trickery like Ed had pulled off before. Instead, it had only the simplest of deceptions to anyone who might have read it:

“Dear Ms. B,

“My lips wish to meet your hand, and so I have deemed it necessary to cordially invite you on a romantic evening together. We will meet at the Royal Gardens in the Castle District, and from there we may decide to do any number of things.

“Your beauty enflames my heart, and every moment without your presence saps my spirit. Please join me tonight.

“Yours truly, K.”

Amelia gazed on the letter with wide eyes and heavy breaths. Finally here. Finally time. Tonight, it said.

“Whatcha reading?”

Amelia pocketed the letter as quickly as she could before turning to face Mino’s bright pink smile.

“Hey, Mino,” she said. “Got the firewood in.”

“You seem nervous,” Mino said. “Something good happen?”

“...”

“Something... bad?”

Amelia, not one to lie openly, decided to simply pretend she had not heard her friend speak. Instead, she turned to the rest of the common room, where they sat together on the couch, Phelia’s head on Hummer’s lap as they looked through a fashion magazine together—one targeting gnomes, goblins, and other races of diminutive stature. Apparently, they were looking for nice clothes for Phelia to order, even though Amelia had yet to see the girl wear anything besides plain tunics. They both looked happy.

“What’s Hummer’s game, here?” Amelia asked.

“I think she just wants to stay friends with everyone,” Mino responded.

“Sure doesn’t seem like she’s leaving yet.”

“Well... Saxonia has a lot of weird aristocracy stuff. It’s probably all just that.”

“Think she’s going to stay.”

“No way. She’s a friggin’ royal. There’d be such an uproar if the press even found out she was here in this dingy hostel.”

“Still feel it.”

Mino’s interest in the conversation waned and she gave a sly look in Amelia’s direction. “So, what’s that letter you got?”

“Um.”

“Oh, is it private?” she asked. “Is it a secret love letter?”

“...”

“Is it related to the arrow from the window? Speaking of, I need some money to pay for repairs. Can I deduct that from your deposit?”

“Whatever, sure, and no, it’s not related.” Amelia grimaced as she considered whether or not to fill in some of the details, to at least provide context. “Sorry.”

“Oh, it’s... I’m sorry,” she said, nodding her head in the apparent acceptance that this was far too important to divulge.

Amelia sighed internally. As long as it did not involve Ed, perhaps it would be fine. It may even be vital, she thought. “It’s something extremely dangerous. I’m going on a mission that might change the whole city. It also might get me killed.”

“...!! Amelia!” Mino whispered loudly to avoid Hummer and Phelia’s glance.

She lowered her voice in turn. “If things go poorly tonight, I’m not coming back. Either I’m dead, or captured, or compromised. I won’t let this place become a war zone, and if I’m no longer safe, then neither is the hostel.”

“Don’t worry,” Mino said. “We’ll protect you from whatever comes. I’m a mage, and Aeo and Hummer can fight. We even have a secret safe room in the basement. Oops, I probably shouldn’t have told you that.”

“Thank you, but no.” She understood Mino’s emotions here, but the entire hostel would likely last less than five minutes against a squad of mage enforcers, and probably even less than that against a small army of war golems. It was beyond stupid to think otherwise. “I can’t humor stupid ideas. Just the truth.”

“Oh...”

Mino started to tear up, like her feelings were actually hurt by Amelia’s words. Ears drooped. A sniffle and her hand clutching her skirt.

Amelia gulped and then put a hand on the woman’s shoulder. “I really like this place.”

“Really? You do?” she asked with a couple choked breaths in between her words.

“Definitely. I’ll do everything I can to come back here safe and sound. You won’t need to protect me.”

Mino stepped up closer to Amelia than she had ever allowed herself before. Close as if to open herself up for a hug. Another sniffle.

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

“I promise too!” Phelia shouted, suddenly standing by Amelia and Mino. “What are we talking about again?”

“None of your business,” Amelia said.

Mino wiped her eyes. “Yeah, none of your business.”

“Oh, are y’all going on a date?”

Amelia removed her hand from Mino’s shoulders and stared at Phelia until she stammered and backed away.

“D-don’t hurt me, Mel!” Phelia shouted.

“...Mel?”

Amelia froze in place for a second, unable to move for her shock.

“She’s just teasing you,” Mino said.

“Am not,” Phelia said. “I was just asking if you and Mel—”

“Mel? What?” Amelia asked, remaining stuck in her current position.

“I was just asking if you and Mel—”

Mino went up to Phelia and bopped her on the head. “She’s asking you about the name. Mel.”

“Oh! Yeah, I heard you want us to call you Mel now. I like it better than Amelia, anyway.”

“Who.” Amelia stepped up to Phelia, looked down, and stared deep into her eyes. “Who.”

“...”

“I want to know who told you to call me Mel.”

“Uhh... Hummer?” Phelia gestured to the woman sitting on the couch, reading the same small races fashion magazine, blissfully unaware of what was about to approach her.

Amelia set down her letter on the counter, pushed past the kobold, and went over to the couch. She pointed right at Hummer’s face.

“You.”

Hummer looked up and at her. “???”

“Don’t call me Mel.”

Hummer did not relent. She stared back at Amelia and kept a cold expression. “Why not?”

“I hate it.”

“But we all like it,” Hummer said. “It’s cute.”

Amelia looked back at Phelia and Mino, both of whom nodded in agreement.

“I’m Amelia Bluewood. I chose this name.” She glared at all of them.

And then Hummer shrugged. “Whatever you say. Amelia’s a cute name anyway.” She gave a bright smile.

Amelia struggled not to blush.

“Then it’s settled,” she said. Her cheek went red, and she turned around quickly to walk upstairs, back into her room.

Enough with the fluffy friendly nickname-making and the vague flirting between friends that would surely waste the rest of the afternoon. She had a mission to fulfill. She put on her leather jacket (important to look nice to put up a good ruse), a hat, and her nicest trousers. She stuffed a face mask in her pocket in case she needed it, too. No eyepatch this time, even if it risked blowing her identity down the line.

Looked real good.

Now it was time to meet Korath and find Castien Brielwa.

Except—

She realized she had left the letter downstairs.

When she had finally finished dressing and went back down, she found the letter sitting neatly folded on the low table by the couch—not where she had set it—and Mino back at the service counter. Phelia and Hummer were gone.

Mino looked at Amelia’s getup and chuckled.

“Have a nice time with your ‘big mission,’ Amelia,” she said with a knowing smile.

She had misinterpreted the letter, and now Amelia was going to pay the price. The social price.

For now, all she needed to do was focus on the events to come tonight. But, if she were to survive, she would most likely have some big issues to work out back at the hostel.