Chapter 98 — Talented Young Masters and Mistresses (Part I)

A chiming of a stirring rod against porcelain cut through the flurry of stunned whispers, drawing attention to Lady Asara, who had risen up on a pillar of water to be visible to all the guests.

“Oh my, wasn’t that something? Have our youngsters attracted the interest of the traditional elf clans? How auspicious!” Lady Asara cheerfully observed. “And with a great timing for us to begin the evening’s talent competition! If all those desiring to participate and spectate would gather around the stage, we will begin the presentations!”

The musicians started up again with a vigorous theme that felt like it was announcing the start of an event.

“Already drawing the attention of old monsters,” Zena muttered to Ria, having returned to her feet and made motions of dusting her dress off. “Guess we should head toward the stage.”

“Oh? The infamous youngest daughter of Jeria Emberflow? A surprise seeing the young lady at a Novidus event, and of course, you would be right in the middle of the action,” Joren greeted as he, Nielle, and Phaelys returned, both holding plates with appropriate finger foods.

Zena innocently smiled and winked. “With the beautiful invitation Ria gave me, how could I not come?”

“Selune’s blessings, Young Lady Zena,” Phaelys greeted more properly.

“May our harvest be bountiful,” Zena replied, a grin on her face as she took in Phaelys’ outfit. “House Vesali is certainly making a statement.”

“We are,” Phaelys agreed, a small smile tugging at his own lips.

“Remember: confident competence, wit, and style,” Lady Janacythe advised as she too rejoined them. Ria half-expected Orlisi to also rejoin them for the talent competition, but the elf girl was still stuck entertaining her grandfather, it seemed.

Lady Janacythe’s words worked as intended and helped Ria reset her mental perspective back to what they had practiced.

Zena nodded in Lady Janacythe’s direction. “Ah, Lady Janacythe. Your renown precedes you. And is undoubtedly warranted, as Ria has yet to violently end any deserving noble twits.”

“Indeed,” Lady Janacythe agreed with a hint of amusement.

Ria humphed at her friend’s teasing expectation and focused on using her aura to subtly encourage the gathering crowd of guests to let her entourage progress closer to the stage.

“Young Lord Esten and Young Lady Belmina might mildly disagree with Young Lady Zena’s assessment,” Joren dryly pointed out.

Zena groaned. “No way? I already missed the action?”

Joren laughed. “Maybe so. With the challenge from Grandmaster Orelis, those with a sense of self-preservation are likely rethinking any plans to test the honorable lieutenant’s goodwill.”

Lady Janacythe hummed. “Though the encounter with Grandmaster Orelis was somewhat unfortunate for various reasons, for Ria’s first formal event, I am pleased with her performance thus far.”

Lady Janacythe’s approval eased a knot of worry Ria hadn’t realized was weighing against her mood.

As she worked her way toward the stage, Ria steered them toward a trio of girls located just back from the front of the crowding event attendees where the other debutants and their friends were now gathered, a trio who she could consider friends of her own now.

“Selune’s blessing, Young Lady Leriah,” Ria greeted as the three moved closer together to create space for her group. “Young Lady Nescia and Young Lady Elinore, have you met Sir Mage Phaelys and Sir Mage Joren?”

“Only in passing,” Leriah admitted, giving Ria a tentative smile before turning to the boys and the others. “Selune’s blessing, Sir Mages Phaelys and Joren. Greetings, Young Lady Nielle, Young Lady Zena, and Lady Janacythe.”

“Selune’s blessing!” the other two echoed. Elinore looked really nervous.

“A pleasure, ladies,” Phaelys acknowledged.

“Agreed,” Joren added, reaching for Elinore’s hand and giving the back of it a light kiss, causing the younger girl to blush to the tips of her ears and Nielle to roll her eyes at her escort.

Nielle nodded at Leriah, before excusing herself and continued on toward the stage where her cousin was already waiting. The pair were apparently doing a joint performance and going first—honoring their station as Vesali heirs. Lady Janacythe nodded as well, but less deep.

“A bountiful harvest to you three,” Zena offered, sending a questioning eyebrow Ria’s way.

“This is a surprise,” Joren said with interest, having let go Elinore’s hand. “I heard that Lieutenant Ria was not on particularly good terms with house Ravelle?”

Ria gestured with an open palm in Leriah’s direction. “Young Lady Leriah’s father has been helping me to better understand and navigate Crysellian politics.”

Zena snorted. “That is one way to put it.”

Leriah grimaced, and Nescia and Elinore looked uncomfortable.

“While it is true that my initial interactions with Administrator Rente Ravelle were not as I would have preferred, I am pleased with our current relationship. Young Lady Leriah and I have amicably resolved our misunderstanding.”

Zena snorted again and laughed. “I love that your version of amicably includes blowing up Shining Sun Hall. Ria, don’t ever change.”

Ria huffed.

“Seeking resolution through mutual benefit is commendable,” Phaelys pointed out.

Thank you, Phaelys!

“I am sure embarrassing Young Lord Verdin was not the best way to introduce myself to House Ravelle,” Ria reminded, giving Leriah face by publicly accepting responsibility for the trouble between them.

Joren was the one to snort with amusement this time.

Further conversation on the topic was preempted by the music dying down and an anticipatory hush announcing the start of the competition.

During a moment unnoticed by Ria, Lord Jevaran and Lady Asara had moved their thrones from on the stage to face the stage from the front of the gathered guests and seated themselves, Ophesia and Niele curtsied toward the event’s hosts before addressing everyone present.

“I am Ophesia,” Ophesia started grandly.

“And I am Nielle,” Nielle continued, giving a bright smile.

“We are from House Vesali and will be presenting our sculpting skills with crystal magic.”

The pair stepped apart a few spans and faced each other as if to duel, summoning shimmering crystalline cloaks complimenting their dresses and weapons, a powerful mage’s staff for Nielle and a priest’s long cudgel for Ophesia. Gasps rippled through the hall as both built up tremendous magical energy within their bodies and, weapons in hand, took combat stances as if they were about to unleash powerful magic at the other.

Spell matrices came into existence and two pillars of crystal half the height of the Vesali cousins formed and flowed like liquid into the frozen shape of the other girl, a high-pitched tickling reminiscent of cracking ice or glass sounding with each of the tiny shifts in shape.

Ria thought she noticed signs of rivalry between the two girls, particularly Nielle’s eyebrow twitching and Ophesia’s slight smile. When the cousins were satisfied, they turned as one toward the thrones and curtsied again. “We present these to Lord Jevaran and Lady Asara as mementos of the evening’s event.”

“Thank you for the wonderful performance and the exquisitely crafted gifts. Truly, a performance worthy of of such lovely young ladies of House Vesali,” Lord Jevaran accepted on behalf of Lady Asara, and servants hurried forward to move the two crystal statues to a table that had been set up to receive and display the results of the participants’ various talents.

“Wow…” Ria gasped out at the finished statues. They were much more detailed than the figurine she received from winning the Divinesday tournament. If she would have to exceed that for her apology gift to the Golden Dawn…

“A skilled performance,” Phaelys agreed.

“Crystal’s unfair,” Zena complained. “I can make sculptures with ash and embers, but it’s not really the same…”

Leriah made a twisted smile. “It’s even worse with lightning, constant focus is required to maintain the shape.”

“We have a similar practice with wood,” Joren volunteered. “While not as fleeting as lighting or water, working with living wood can have some of the same problems with transience that I imagine ash sculptures would have, but there is beauty to be found in that transience.”

Joren’s comments drew a re-evaluating look from Leriah, and Ria imagined it was a sentiment Hulle would likely agree with as well.

Montimer met Ophesia as she descended from the stage and both Vesali girls approached where Ria and Phaelys were watching from. Nielle gave Ria a challenging half-smirk as they rejoined the group and sought praise from Phaelys.

Faris was next, and Ria ignored the banter, eager to see his performance. Ophesia and Nielle had set an impressively high bar with theirs. Ria watched intently as the boy who was supposed to be the event’s most prominent debut introduced himself and announced his talent: the Water Dragon’s Dance.

It wasn’t a dance, really, but a training exercise similar to the Serpentine Fire exercise but intended for court performance. To that end, there were stances and poses similar to martial arts forms that expressed the properties of water and added showiness and flair to the display.

This was Ria’s first time watching Faris show his water magic, and she was impressed. His control of water was to the extent that making the beautiful flows and sprays in the air seemed effortless and natural. How he could be so down on himself and his ability all the time… Ria shook her head in bemusement and felt glad for Iselyn that Faris wasn’t just an obtainable son of a powerful family that was pretty to look at.

Faris had become so focused on his presentation that he must’ve forgotten about the audience, and Ria laughed behind her hand when she noted the coloring under his face powder that came shortly after the polite clapping when his performance ended.

“As expected, Lord Jevaran’s son is quite skilled,” Phaelys commented. “You enjoyed the performance, Ria?”

Ria nodded. “I did. Young Lord Faris must love his magic even though he complains it is not good enough—that he does not have the natural talent of his cousins.”

Her comment received odd and wry looks from the heirs around her, but it was Zena who spoke, “It can be tough chasing after older siblings and cousins.”

The mood shifted to contemplative for a moment, and Ria couldn’t help thinking of her antagonism and competitiveness with her own brothers. She felt a pang of guilt that she hadn’t thought of them much lately and hadn’t sought out further divinations since the one with Priest Dohan in Vorshan’s Hills. Did she dare impose on Hemse’s Crysellian high priest for that? Did she really want to know?

The commenting and conversation in the wake of Faris’ performance changed to hushed and secretive whispers as Iselyn took the stage—beautiful as she was in the moonlight and with her mind mage brand glowing on her hand.

After introducing herself with a clear and delicate voice, Iselyn explained that she would be performing an illusion with the help of her familiar. Iselyn then turned around to place a rustic wooden stool from her vault and a large chest. Opening the chest revealed the tops of large mushrooms and Malleron climbed out to sit on the edge to whispers of “A nature spirit!”

Iselyn took her seat on the stool. “I will begin now. Malleron, if you would?”

At the prompting, Malleron began to puff out spores, and Iselyn formed the spell matrix for her domain spell. Iselyn’s magic spread out her sporific illusion domain and gasps were heard as spores filled much of the hall, replacing their surroundings with just Iselyn, Malleron, and a mist-shrouded forest glade in which the moon-elf girl appeared to sit.

Gradually, animals began to appear in the forest: a colorful flash of wing drawing the eye to a song bird, white spots resolved into the pattern on the coat of a bounding fawn, a croak heralded the arrival of a hopping frog—that looked rather like the ones they harvested in anatomy class…

The happy sylvan sounds that surrounded them brought Ria a sense of wonder that left her ill-prepared for the feeling of dread that seemed to lurk in the shadows of the trees. A spiderweb where a songbird had been trapped and a terrifying spider that looked like the one from Tyrilenil’s shop was feeding, a scene of gruesome murder where a crow was dissecting a less fortunate frog almost out of view, an emaciated fawn that had starved and was nurturing the soil.

An owl fluttered out from the misty shadows of the trees, almost silent as the air rustled its feathers and it landed on Iselyn’s outstretched arm, pulling Ria back from the terrible things happening in the shadows—an owl with big eyes that she couldn’t turn away from, big eyes that were staring right into her own.

And with a mind-clearing ‘Hoooo’ from the owl, the illusion exploded into spores that disappeared to reveal the event hall still festively decorated and lit for the elven Festival of the Spring Moon.

At first there was stunned and uncomfortable silence, but Iselyn had impressed the only member of her audience that mattered, and Lady Asara called out her approval, “A powerful performance! It gave me chills!”

“Indeed,” Lord Jevaran agreed, and the other guests were released from the after-effects of the magic enough to politely clap. Ria happily joined in, proud that her friend had improved her magic to such an extent.

“Thank you, Lady Asara,” Iselyn said, blushing at the praise, and had to stop herself from hiding her face, instead giving Lady Asara a respectful curtsy as she made the stool and chest with Malleron disappear and stepped down from the stage to rejoin Faris.

Ria’s heartbeat quickened. with Iselyn done, it was her turn. Everyone’s performances thus far had been beyond what she had imagined, and the worry that her performance wouldn’t compare pushed its way back into her thoughts, but Ria quickly pushed that down.

“I am sure you will impress us,” Phaelys offered as encouragement, and with Lady Janacythe's advice reinforcing her poise, Ria gave him her best confident nod and smile as she handed her mostly finished plate of food off to a servant that had conveniently hovered nearby and began her way to the stage.