Wholesome

Brenda arrived as I was leaving, so she helped me back to the inn room that the other girls had got all settled in. The room was probably the largest they offered but it still felt rather cramped with all of us minus the Mistress and Master.

The first noticeable thing was how they had pushed the four beds together to make a bed more like the one back home. Our Lady was laying on the bed with Natalia, and Victoria, with Natalia being in the middle.

Sofia was cooking with the help of Vivi and Lillian and Freya, Elise and Julia were playing cards together. Julia hopped up and ran over to me hugging me. “Sister!”

I smiled. “I told you I would be fine.”

“Did,” she paused, “he cause you any trouble?”

I shook my head. “Not really. I got the guild involved though, so the request should be gone by tomorrow. He will probably be upset. But hopefully he will go home.”

“He can be quite persistent,” she added.

“Don’t worry, we got this,” I said.

We decided to join the game of old maid while they food was still cooking. I managed to win three of the four games. I always had a good poker face. Hehe.

We all sat for dinner. The Lady served all of us before serving herself. I guess she couldn’t help but wanna contribute at least a little even when she was the Lady of the Night. The smell was strong but pleasant. I can’t recall anything quite like it.

I took a small bite and my mouth was exploding with the flavor. “Oh my, this is quite good.”

Sofia smiled. “Overall, I am a worse cook then our Lady. But I have a few recipes I can do better.”

“She was often called the best homemaker,” the Lady said.

“Oh?” I asked. “I hadn’t heard about that.”

“Care to share?” the Lady prompted.

Sofia blushed but nodded. “Well, I grew up in a small village. My father was a carpenter and my mother a seamstress. We were poor by any normal standard but decent by the small village. I really didn’t have ambitions. I was taught from a young age that all I would ever need to do is marry a nice man and be a good wife.”

That made sense. Most little girls were raised with that idea. Brenda and I were very much the exceptions due to our unique circumstances and not the rule.

“My father arranged my marriage when I turned eighteen and we were riding to meet my soon to be husband but a recent dragon attack had closed the main road. We passed by the Master’s castle and we thought to meet him to offer our services. I ended up staying here. I had never been happier. I don’t know who my would be husband would have been but I can’t imagine him being better than what I found.”

“How did that get you the nickname the best homemaker?” Brenda asked. She beat me too it.

“Well, I could make repairs on small things like the window hinges, I learned from my father. I could sew, and cook. I was good at cleaning too. Essentially everyone said I was a ‘good catch’ or something along that effect.”

“You have been with the Master the longest. Do you regret not having a baby with him yet?” Freya asked.

Sofia shook her head. “Originally that was my plan. Three or four children as a loving wife but with Master I found something deeply more meaningful for me.”

“Oh?” I asked.

“Art! Expression and beauty. Back home my skills had always been used practically, and now I discovered, that they could be used creatively, and I love that almost as much as I love the Master,” Sofia added.

Such a beautiful story.

We cleaned up and got ready for bed. We couldn’t bath in the inn and we weren’t that dirty, so we decided it was just time for bed. Or that is what I thought was going to happen.