“So, Ashy, did you put any thought at all about the wedding plans? It’s only 8 months away, but it doesn’t mean the Chief Brideswoman can be slacking off, you know. The [Head Maid] always tells me, ‘Ms. Carnwich, you can’t be slackin’ off and you should close your mouth so people can have some rest,’ she does. But she doesn’t seem to mind my chattering when I’m polishing the silverware, you know. Have you ever polished silverware, Ashy? I can teach you! We can make it so...”

  “Jasmine, why are you here?” I asked, peering behind at the untilled fields. I didn’t have any crops growing since all my seeds were still at the seed maker.

  “Missy said you were the Chief Brideswoman and you just left me in a lurch, you did. I had thought you’d be coming over at the crack of dawn like a good [Farm Girl] after your crops were done to talk to me about the planning, but then I realized you probably didn’t know where I lived, so I just walked here and—oh wow, you live so far away, Ashy. Can I bother you for a spot of tea or water?” she rambled.

  I looked at her still and didn’t realize she’d finished talking on her own until a moment later. “Uhm... I don’t have a well at the moment. Pa generally just made ale, but I don’t have that knowledge either. I tended to drink river water or, you know, go to town...?” I slowly admitted.

  She tilted her head. “You got no well? How are you doing so well! Well, well, well...” She began to laugh, deep from her stomach and buckling over. Her blonde hair bounced and her sparkling eyes were actually amused at her own joke.

  “That’s unfortunate, Ashy. Well, I see you have no crops growing either, so how about your best friend—”

  “We’re not—”

  “—of course we are, Ashy. You’re Missy’s Sissy, so you’re Jazzy’s... Sazzy!” she sang, and her arm hooked around mine. I stared at her, my eyes narrowing.

  “Whassit, Sazzy, do I got something in my eyes?” she asked, her face drooping and her lips frowning.

  “Please, just call me Ash—”

  “Ashy! Yessss, I’ve been so jealous that I was the only one who can’t call you that, Ashy.”

  I groaned and let her take me to the city.

  Jasmine could talk. She started talking about her shoes, then transitioned into her job, and then back to her shoes, and then about what she was thinking about.

  It was hard to hear myself think, let alone calculate the day’s earnings. The two of us approached the farmers’ market, and while Jasmine hemmed and hawed and window-shopped at the stalls, I moved to the production section to pick up my seeds.

  “Why don’t you have any of your own yet, Ashy?” Jasmine said, appearing behind me and peering over my shoulders.

  “...I dunno how to make them,” I flatly admitted.

  “That’s no fun. Not having any spare time to swap to [Craftswoman] to practice?”

  “When would I have time, Jasmine? I was spending all my time tilling fields and planting seeds so that when I finally got a moment to myself, my energy is—ACK!” I started, but Jasmine rested her head on my shoulders.

  “Then, like, why don’t you ask anyone for help? Missy’s husband would gla—”

  “No.” I finished that thought for her. I glanced at her smiling face, wanting to slug her for that sentence. I couldn’t tell which part bothered me more.

  “You’re weird. If I had someone who wanted to do my lord’s chores for me, I’d jump on it in a heartbeat. But if you don’t want his help, if you give me the money, I can make them for you.”

  “You have points in [Craftswoman]?” I questioned.

  “Yeah... A [Maid] has to be a master of many things! Just last week I had to make a wheelbarrow since I broke the other one going downhill kart racing. Have you tried that yet, Ashy? It’s so fun, me and a group of—”

  “How much?”

  “The buy-in is 5 silver, but I can cover your first round if you buy me a dr—”

  “For the seed maker, Jasmine.”

  “Oh!” She paused, taking a moment to think, but her eyes were scanning something. I could see her lips reading things out loud, so I just turned back to grab the three packets of common carrot seeds. Two entire crops of blood carrots and one crop of common carrots awaited me!

  “3 gold. I’ll need a day to make them,” she finished calculating.

  I only had 24 gold on me in total, but I wanted nine. I swallowed and turned to her. “I only have... 24 gold coins... but I need... nine. Can... you make me eight—”

  “No problem! You let me decide who’s sitting where for Missy’s wedding and I’ll do the ninth one for free!” Her hands landed on her hips, and her face turned into a delighted smile. She didn’t look at me, instead keeping her eyes closed and radiating this smug energy I did not like.

  “Excuse me?!” I asked, looking at her face.

  “I wanna pick who sits where, so I can put myself near Nathaniel,” she admitted.

  “...Sure, that’s an okay trade?”

  I felt myself hugged again, and her cheeks pushed against mine. “Thankyouthankyouthankyou, but I need to ask you a different favour too!”

  “Can you not touch m—”

  “I need you to ask your witchy friend for a...” she whispered, “a love potion. I have a plan, you see...”

  “...Witchy friend...?”

  “Yeah! I saw you walking out the Cat’s Cradle, and I hear that weird girl is a [Witch]! I want a love potion, but a [Maid] who works at a lord’s house can’t go in there.”

  “And... I can?”

  “You were already there, and my friends saw you dance with her!”

  My eyes stared at her, and I gulped, but she shook her head. “Nothin’ wrong with that, Ashy! You’re a [Farmer]! We all know you folk need Flora’s blessing, and a [Witch] is good at that. So, what do you say—help a girl out?”

  “...I mean, if I was having trouble with 3 gold to buy a seed maker, what makes you think I’d be able to afford—”

  “I’ll pay for it! I just need you to make the request! Pretty please?” she begged.

  “Fine, but stop touching me,” I tried to bargain.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  “No can do! We’re best friends now, Ashy. So, you go do that, and I’ll try to find a venue. Maybe my lord will—”

  “Adrian would prefer the church,” I responded quietly. “Preferably when the leaves turn red and are beginning to fall. During apple season, with hot cider. I don’t know about Melissa.”

  Jasmine observed me. Her normally happy, chattering face was stoic, lips straight and unmoving. “Wow, you know a lot! I can arrange that. I’ll do my best. Thank you for trusting me, Chief Brideswoman.” She finished with a deep bow.

  “I... see.” Jasmine smiled at me, mouthed something like love potion, and walked off. I shook my head and opened my gold purse. I had 22 gold and 80 silver. With the amount left behind for the seed makers, I’d have 1 gold and 80 silver.

  Thankfully, I was just asked to do it for her, and not spend my own money. So I had money for food. I was going to visit Madeleine anyway, so that worked out.

  A group of children exited the Cat’s Cradle, holding a basket of candy and other baked treats. Among them, I saw Matthias Shaw, who waved at me excitedly. He held up a peppermint stick, triumphantly raising it to the sky, before running off with the other boys and girls.

  Madeleine stepped out to wave them off with a smile, before glancing around and catching my eyes. Her smile became bigger as she beckoned me over. “Chérie, come in, come in.”

  I followed her inside and sat at the table near the front. She poured me some elderbrew tea and smiled. “Your new crops ready, chérie? My clients are looking forward to their new supplier.”

  “Almost. I’m currently being slowed down by seed production—and no, I don’t want a loan—but I’ve mostly solved that part. However, to do that, I need something from you.”

  “Oooh? A [Rain] spell, chérie? I can make that ha—” she began, smiling at me. The fact that Madeleine always smiled disturbed me.

  “No. I’ll pay for it when I need it,” I corrected. “My friend is looking for a love potion...”

  “Chérie! A [Paladin], one becoming an [Inquisitor] no less, would see that coming from a mile away! And besides, that isn’t a true form of love.” Madeleine worriedly brought her fingers up to her lips, covering her face. I peered at her, but her eyes were watching mine, and her bemused expression was just gone.

  Was she actually worried about me?

  “First of all, Maddy... it ain’t for me,” I said, before taking a breath and letting the burning feeling in my heart and stomach fade away. “It’s for a friend; she wants to woo the blacksmith.”

  “Oh! You’re talking about Jasmine Carnwitch!” Her voice went up in pitch, and she bounced in place. Her face returned to genuine amusement as she took the seat in front of me. “Tell me all about it...”

  “How did you know?” I asked flatly, between a sip of tea.

  “Nathaniel came in earlier to ask for the same thing,” she laughed. “So, what’s it going to be, chérie? You want to indulge them in a love potion, or want them to figure it out themselves?”

  “You said love potions don’t work like that?”

  “Arcane manipulates; Divine creates. A [Witch] does neither, but potions—alchemy—are firmly in the realm of the Arcane. It can’t ‘create’ love, but it can force someone to mimic what love is like.”

  “O...kay. So we’re going to Albion’s Theory of Manufactured Consent versus the Divine Imperative?” I asked. I felt another heat inside me as the gears in my brain began to whir to life.

  “Oooh, my little fille is well read! That is exactly what we’re going to do. I personally do not care—money is money. I can make that potion, or I can make a potion like it... I think chemists call it a placebo? I’ll charge them the same either way.”

  “I kind of wanted to debate the whole idea of mimicking an expression versus genuinely feeling it...” I sourly whined.

  “The difference is choice, chérie. You can mimic all the actions you want, but if you don’t choose to do it, you’ll only ever follow the letter, not the spirit. I’ve seen many love-potion marriages fail, since the enchanted only ever does what their spouse asks them to do, and never more.”

  “...That sounds awful. I wouldn’t like that for Ad—Nathaniel and Jasmine. How do I make this placebo?”

  “Well... normally, the real ingredients would need far more ritualistic things, and that would mean you need to find a [Farmer] that’s cross-trained in something like [Acolyte]...” She tapped a finger against her cheek. Her eyes glanced at me, and I rolled mine.

  “...But for a placebo, I just need the ‘witchy’ thing from both of them. Get me their hair. I’d ask for blood, [Acolyte], but I don’t want you to start fertilizing your fields with that as well. Oh, and 25 gold. Actually, make it 40.”

  “Excuse me?!” I shouted. That was enough to buy seeds for an entire field... for five years!

  She shrugged. “Those ingredients are rare!”

  “You’re not making a real one!”

  “And if you tell them that, is it going to work? Sometimes, people just need a little push...” she countered.

  I sighed. “So, placebo—it sounds easier. What do I want to ask her for?”

  “Her lock of hair, his lock of hair, and the money. And don’t let your Add-boy-toy...” she began, mocking me with her singsong voice, “...see you bring it. I can’t imagine he’d want to hear that excuse.”

  I rose from my seat, then turned toward the door. “Easy enough. By the way, you mentioned your clients—does that mean they’re nearby?”

  “Mhmm, chérie. Don’t worry yourself, you didn’t bring them here, but having a local supplier really did tip the scales.”

  “Lovely. Am I safe?”

  “You should be. My clientele prefer higher-class creatures, not a raggedy [Farm Girl]... and they wouldn’t bother an [Acolyte] either. You were, and still remain, safe.”

  “Thanks. I’m glad to know I’m beneath notice for monsters too.”

  “I don’t see how that’s a bad thing, chérie.”

  I scowled at Madeleine and walked straight out the door. I turned the corner, wondering where I could find Jasmine, but that question was easily handled for me.

  “Sooo, Ashy, what did she want? Is she gonna do it? Please tell me she’s going to do it,” Jasmine began.

  I looked her up and down and opened my mouth to speak. My lips trembled, and as much as I just wanted to get this over with, I sighed.

  “Jasmine, why do you need a love potion to court the [Blacksmith]? Can’t you just ask?” I questioned.

  Jasmine frowned and looked at me. “Look, Ashy, I get your point and all, but... have you seen Missy? She’s worried that now you came back and her husband-to-be went out on your first day back and found you unconscious on the fields. And the things she taught him are being used to take him away from her.”

  She took another deep breath. “I can’t have that! I mean, for myself... I’m glad the [Inquisitor] is fancying a [Farm Girl] and all, and even then, Missy is just too pretty and her job is in high demand. Me? I’m barely qualified as a [Maid] and I have no chance of getting to Level 10, let alone advancing to [Head Maid] or even [Cook]. But Nathaniel? He’s someone, and I just want to lock him down for my own sake, you know? It’s easy for you two, being wanted by a friend and being so pretty the nobles you work for forget their dear old [Maid] and just ask to see Miss—”

  I put my hand on her shoulder. “Jasmine. Stop talking. I’m...” I gulped. “...here for... you. Just, uh... are you okay...?” I muttered, then looked up to see Jasmine’s eyes. They shone, and small droplets of tears were forming. I chewed my lip and frowned. “You don’t think he’d stay in love with you?”

  “I hope he will after we have children, but... My father never really cared for Mom. Just took care of her and us. Said he was too tired and stressed from work. So I saw my mom die inside and just smile away, pretending it was alright. I don’t want that.”

  Flora. Damn. It.

  This was supposed to be a simple side quest. I was still holding onto Jasmine’s cheek as I tried to think. My fingers squeezed in, which caused her to yelp.

  “...I need a lock of your hair and Nathaniel’s. And please don’t tell me you already have that, since I’m going to tell you to go find it again, you creep.”

  Jasmine sniffled, wiped her eyes, and nodded. “I’ll be back tomorrow with what you need! And your seed makers. Thank you so much, Ashy!”

  I frowned as she ran off. Something about her made me want to hire her when I had the income. She’d annoy the living hell out of me, but a part of me thought I’d enjoy it.

  When I returned home, I had a grueling day of work in front of me. 27 carrots to grow.

  I felt my arms ache and my body wanting to just rest. But that would mean no profit, or anything. Besides, the physical work wasn’t as bad as the blood-letting.

  My arms continued to till, my hands continued to plant, and I continued to bleed. I had two crops of common blood carrots and one entire crop of common carrots to sell.

  And I hit my energy maximum. Until I got better at this, 27 was the most I could do—and that’s with being well fed.

  The next morning, Jasmine returned with two locks of hair—blonde and straight, and black and curly. She also handed me the seed makers, along with 40 gold for the potion. I thanked her, got the potion made by Maddy... and then sold my carrots.

  [Quest Complete].

  I was ready to become Level 3.