The Stew had an algal smell wafting from it, mixed in with this weirdly salty overture and just the finishing scent of bile. The outside was decrepit , and that was a lot coming from a girl who was living in a hovel till yesterday. The windows were square cut outs in the wall which, outside of making the place look cheap, also created a privacy concern of people peeking inside.

  Oh, and there were urine-streaks against the wall, and another drunkard sleeping in the alcove to the entrance. He snored incessantly even though it was already 7:00 AM!

  Ophelia’s eyes glanced at me, and I must have been making a face. She reached into her pocket to pull out her silken handkerchief and handed it to me. “Cover your nostrils, Lady Hart.”

  I graciously took it from her hand and placed it atop of my nose. Instead of the smell of piss and algae, it smelled like Ophelia’s perfume – freshly plucked Hyacinths – and that was remarkably better.

  “Wake up,” Ophelia’s heeled foot pushed into the drunkard’s gut, prodding him with what I hoped was some form of gentleness.

  It was not, and the man’s body began to spasm, so I quickly tugged Ophelia back. She was much stronger than I was, but as soon as my hands touched her sleeve, she was pliant and allowed herself to be pulled away.

  Spit poured from the man’s mouth, and I pushed past Ophelia, keeping her back. My mind was on autopilot from the things I had learned – I softly placed my non-dominant hand underneath his cheek and used my dominant arm to raise the opposite knee up.

  This created a natural pivot, and I guided his opposite arm to cover his face. I then pulled on his leg, dragging him off his back to his side, where he still drooled like a pig about to uphurl its corn.

  I stepped away and looked at my white silk gloves. They were stained with dead skin cells and GERMS. I didn’t even know how to wash silk, and now they were almost YELLOW! I had only worn this dress ONCE!

  I gingerly turned to Ophelia and showed her my hands. She extended her hands, then looked at me. Her left hand took one of my wrists and held it in place as she ungloved me. She held it out for a moment, as it slowly began to become clean.

  The man began to retch, and his stomach convulsed. I was idly paying attention to him as a flurry of alcohol and last night’s meal of potato and meat expelled itself from his body. The vomit slid down onto the ground, as he drunkenly wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

  None of it was caught inside of his throat.

  Ophelia continued to fix my gloves for me, before extending her hands. I reached out to grab my gloves, but she again took my wrist and gently put the gloves back on my hands.

  “It’d been faster if I just equipped them,” I said, pulling on the silk so it was nice and tight against my hands.

  “Yes, it would be.” Ophelia agreed, and said nothing more.

  It was faster to equip things through the inventory, but it was also fairly impersonal. It gave a standard fit, and to look good, you had to fix it up yourself. Ophelia usually had staff that dressed her to high form, but for farm clothes or gloves where it didn’t matter, who cared?

  I guess high society did, and wearing a dress like this meant I couldn’t, or shouldn’t, be looking like the system dressed me. It was bad enough in school to hear that teasing wearing uniform.

  I returned the silk handkerchief to my nostrils, and looked down at the man who was snoring. I flicked my head towards him and Ophelia carefully stepped up and around his puddle of vomit. She leaned down, and then glanced left and right. Her eyes locked with a passing villager who gave the two of us a wave. She smiled politely, and returned the wave.

  She then brought two arms down to grab his shoulders and slowly began to drag him up. The man was probably around 200 pounds, which should have been nothing for her. Her muscles weren’t tensing, and she had no need to breathe or anything.

  Yet she seemed to struggle with it, forcing him up, until one of the villagers who had waved at her came running towards us.

  “Need help?” he asked, looking between the two of us.

  “I would graciously appreciate the help, dear.” Ophelia said, releasing her grip on the drunkard and letting him slump down again like a deflated doll.

  The man smiled politely and moved in when Ophelia stepped out of the way. He wasn’t as strong as Ophelia from what I could tell, but his muscles did tense as he lifted the drunkard up, and his heart started to beat and his lungs greedily sucked in air.

  “Oof! Fat bastard…” he muttered, pulling him to his feet. “Have a good day, Lady Hawthorne. Doctor… Lady… Hart?” He questioned, but pulled the drunkard away.

  I stared at Ophelia suspiciously, and put that on my list. I guess the bath I had to do for her had to be moved up in my priority list if she was having that much trouble.

  An arm slung across my shoulder which would have caused me to recoil or freeze, but it was joined in with the loud sounds of Jasmine’s voice and that accompanying scent of blacksmith’s coke.

  “Ashy! You look gorgeous! And Orphy is here too! I brought Annie with me since I wanted an assistant even if she wants to be a [Nurse] and she’s so nice! How are you doing today?” She was closer than most people, but that was still not right beside my ears. That didn’t do much to stop the pain from spreading through.

  I pulled away, and used my pinky to scratch out the vibrations in my ear. “Mornin’ Jazzy,” I slowly said, before turning to the pair.

  Jasmine was wearing a white blouse with a brown frock, adorned with a frilly white hat. Annabelle was wearing something similar, but her frilly white hat was more of a white band that kept her long brown hair in a ponytail. Her mousy face was hidden behind thick glasses, and her curious brown eyes glanced between Ophelia and I.

  Ophelia approached the pair. “Morning, Ms. Carnwich.” Jasmine immediately curtsied, holding the skirt out and bowing her head.

  “Morning, Lady Hawthorne,” she responded, and whispered something to Annabelle. Annabelle gasped, and immediately followed the motion.

  “U-uh, M-Mornin’ L-Lady Hawthorne!” she stumble-shouted. Ophelia’s face didn’t break composure, but Jasmine was holding back laughter. “A-Annabelle Baker, d-daughter of the B-bakers. Pa is a [Baker], Ma is a [House Wife] and I –”

  “At ease, Ms. Baker. I do handle the staffing and work for Lady Hart here, since she is Oakheart’s Patron, Priestess, and Doctor. I understand that you were offered an apprenticeship by Ms. Carnwich here as a [Nurse] for Lady Hart, and will be joining my staffing roster. I am a fair boss – I have tolerated Ms. Carnwich – but I have high standards. If this is acceptable to you, I will see to you getting paid and properly boarded within our establishment.”

  “Y-Yes, please! I mean, yes, Lady Hawthorne.” Annabelle exclaimed, repeating the curtsy. “A-are these clothes acceptable?”

  “No–” I began, but Ophelia talked over me.

  “Yes, they are for the current task. Lady Hart means to say you will be provided a new uniform when your apprenticeship as a [Nurse] begins.”

  “Yeah! That!” I agreed, which caused Jasmine to just break out. Ophelia regarded her, and Jasmine immediately shut up.

  “Amaril, Orphy… We’re friends now, and you’re still so serious.”

  “Lady Hawthorne while working, Ms. Carnwich. I have reminded you plenty of times.”

  “And as always, you’re goin’ to have to remind me once more.” Jasmine shot out, sticking out her tongue. “Do you need help with your dress, [Seneschal]?”

  “If you and Annabelle would. Lady Hart, us three can handle the cleaning alone, if you wish to sort out what goes where.”

  “Don’t wan’ my help?” I asked.

  “Nah, Ash–” Jasmine started, but Ophelia again regarded her. Jasmine gulped. “I mean, Lady Ha–”

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  “Call me Ashy, please.” I interrupted, and both of them looked at Ophelia. She gave them a nod, and Jasmine and Annabelle visibly relaxed.

  “Thank Elora you’re not about protocol, Ashy. I jus’ mean.. I’ve seen your house and your place. It’d take too long trainin’ you as a [Maid]. I mean, anyone can clean, but you don’ have the abilities.”

  I pointed at Annabelle. “She’s a [Maid]?”

  Ophelia shook her head. “[Maid], like all of the commoner tracks, can be learned by anyone, Lady Hart. You can discover it yourself, or be taught. I mean this with no offense, but anyone is able to plant a seed to start being a [Farm Girl]. Mastery of it takes time of course, but you do not need to be a [Farm Girl] to plant a seed.”

  “Yes, I know that. I can go fishing right now if I want. But why can’t I be a [Maid]?” I countered.

  “Because you’d be awful at it and make more work for me and Ophelia.” Jasmine immediately shot back, and Ophelia didn’t defend me! She raised her hand to cover her face and gave a small laugh.

  “Betrayed by my friends!” I pouted, but they didn’t seem to take my concern seriously. I guess I wasn’t being betrayed. In fact, the two of them joined in laughing!

  Annabelle looked between Ophelia and Jasmine, and her eyes wouldn’t meet mine. I wasn’t exactly sure what I was supposed to say to her yet, so I again said nothing.

  “Inside, Ladies. Do you have something to breathe in, like a mask? The bathhouse is in poor shape.” Ophelia said, her face returning to neutral and killing her laughter immediately.

  “Yes, Orphy,” Jasmine sang, and Ophelia rolled her eyes. Jasmine pulled out a small cloth to cover her face.

  Annabelle hesitated, and Ophelia watched her closely. She slowly gulped, and kept her head downcast. “N-no, Lady Hawthorne. I-I’m sorry.”

  Ophelia shook her head. “You were employed today. Ms. Carnwich, go with her to buy some clothing and…” she turned her head to the building. Her eyes scanned it for a moment, before returning to look at Jasmine. “...Lye, Fragrant Herbs, brooms, mops, some rags, and plenty of disposable bags. If you are able to find a Fire Conduit or Water Conduit, please purchase those too.”

  Jasmine lit up and grabbed Annabelle’s hand. Her other hand extended forward and Ophelia handed her a coin purse. “Let’s go Anna! Melly can make you a proper dress and some things to keep you clean. Brown or green, Orphy?”

  “I do not care. She is your assistant, dress her rank to your heart’s desire, Ms. Carnwich.”

  “Black it is!” Jasmine said, and Ophelia furrowed her brows. “I’m kiddin’, Orphy. Gonna get her some greens.”

  “Could you ask Melissa if she could make these too?” I said, handing her some sketches based on Dr. Anise’s outfit. They were a simple white shirt with a matching pair of white pants with a cord to tighten. They were nondescript, but had pockets and the cotton mixture could be boiled to kill off any lingering germs.

  “I’d like mine in white to honor my teacher. I need a coat on top of it. Uh… She’s gonna need her own set. Make them black. No coat though. Just tell Melly to make a few, since I think Mary also wanted to be taught.. I’d like three of the white ones myself.”

  Ophelia, Jasmine, and Annabelle looked at the design. “These look very plain, Lady Hart,” Ophelia began. “But I can see why a medical professional would want it.”

  “...Can mine be pink?” Annabelle softly asked. I shrugged and nodded, so Ophelia allowed it.

  Jasmine ran off with Annabelle, leaving Ophelia and I together again.

  The inside of The Stew was not better than the outside. If anything, it was worse. Green algal blooms spread across the Antechamber, mixing in with cracked walls and dirty flooring. I gagged as soon as I entered, before opening the main door.

  It was Old Kingdom in the strangest ways, where after the antechamber there was just a singular pit that once held water. It reeked in here, and I turned to Ophelia.

  She had already equipped her uniform, and the frilly white hat drew a sharp contrast to her black hair. The black uniform also contrasted to her pale skin, and the white apron acted as the centrepiece. Even if it was system-equipped, Ophelia definitely wore it well.

  “Ancient. Older than me,” she chuckled. “Are you planning to keep this design?”

  “Do we have enough water?”

  “Is that your concern, Lady Hart? How about it being one massive pit and no separation?”

  “That’s a concern noblewomen have?”

  “...Yes. Yes it is, Lady Hart. You should not be naked in front of the opposite sex.”

  “Just you and Jasmine then?”

  Ophelia said nothing, and then let out a breath. “Fair play.”

  “I think one communal pool is good, and then private rooms for heated water or couples. Different rates. Oh! And if we can build upwards, a place I can meet people who need medical advice.”

  Ophelia nodded and looked upwards. “We need to rebuild most of this establishment. We can make a proper area for guests to change, and an area to purchase soap and the like. With more powerful magic around us, we can easily clean out the water and filtrate.”

  I knelt down to look at the pit. “One communal pit is enough for the basic cleaning. For the heated pools, we can cordain off another section, and build into a proper balneum here. The other section can be the Thermae when we source a proper heating source?”

  “I will look into acquiring more land grants over the period you are gone.” Ophelia slowly said.

  “I’ll miss you. But, hopefully, it won’t take too long.”

  “I think you vastly underestimate how long it will take to deal with the [Blood Witch], Lady Hart.”

  “Nah. Just a scouting mission first.”

  “And if it extends?”

  I tried to think of something, but released my breath. “I’ll have you and Jasmine run this place till I return. Knowing you two, it’ll be great. And you know my plans, so it’ll be fine.”

  Ophelia just gave a soft nod. “Lady Hart, my assessment is that between Jasmine and I, we should have this place cleaned within two hours. With Annabelle’s help, it’ll be an hour at most.”

  We left The Stew until Jasmine and Annabelle returned. The three of them nodded, before Jasmine and Annabelle approached Ophelia to set her dress right. Now, with it properly set, clung, and prepared – Ophelia absolutely looked like she was in charge.

  The three girls walked in, and pointedly told me to wait outside. Jasmine even acquired a new sign – The Cockatrice and replaced the old signage.

  Thirty minutes later, Annabelle came out to fetch me.

  Already, The Cockatrice was doing better! The vast majority of the Algae was gone, and the interior area did not smell of bile and piss! The massive marble pit sparkled, and Jasmine had already begun work on sectioning off areas to make a changeroom and entire upper floor.

  “Good thing you’re leaving, Lady Hart. All the changes Lady Hawthorne requested will take Jasmine and some of Lady Hawthorne’s workers a week to accomplish. Also,” Annabelle informed me, handing me the [Chirurgeon] clothing I had asked for. “Mrs. Skye also made a few masks for you to use, that were less ominous than the ‘scary bird face’ she said you had?”

  That name bothered me. Far more than I’d care to admit. I gave a quick exhale before taking the package. Annabelle bowed to me, but still hung around. I realized this time, she wanted to ask me something.

  “Yes, Annabelle?”

  “If I may, Lady Hart, why are you going to Flowers-By-The-River? I understand Lord Skye had asked for your help, but it seems like you’re moving there?”

  I shook my head. “I have work that needs to be done. I will be back, Oakheart is my home, and I just want to get back to farming as soon as I can.”

  Annabelle bit her lip. “You’d do more good if you just remained as the town’s wisewoman, priestess and doctor.”

  I glanced at her. “You’re probably right, Annabelle. But it ain’t my callin’. I don’ mind helping out with these kinds of things, but I gotta prove to Pa and Ma I ain’t no worthless daughter.”

  Annabelle’s eyes scrunched up in confusion, and I could tell she wanted to say something. I motioned for her to talk.

  “I… not to overstep my bounds, Lady Hart, but… Amelia wanted you to be an Academy girl? She talked about her smart daughter getting an education, and now you got one. Matthew didn’t even like the farm… and everyone in town knows you hated being a [Farm Girl]. Looks to me you accomplished it, Lady Hart. I don’ get the farmin’ bit one bit.”

  “Look,” I began, shaking my head. “I thought so too, but it ain’ me. I… like the dirt. I like carrots. I dunno how to tell ya, but I don’ really wanna be a [Chirurgeon].”

  Annabelle regarded me curiously. “Shame that. If I had the chance to be a [Chirurgeon] like you, I would do it in a heartbeat. A [Nurse] is fine though.”

  I turned around to stare at Annabelle’s eyes. I had an apprentice.

  I had an [Acolyte].

  “I can teach you to be a [Chirurgeon] like me, but you’d have to start understanding the Ledger.”

  “...The Ledger, Lady Hart?”

  I said nothing but turned to Ophelia. I wasn’t able to have this conversation without freaking her out – but I had something different now.

  I had friends.

  “When this is done, and all of Ophelia’s demands are met, let her know I am telling her to teach you about the Ledger. If she deems you worthy, I’ll train you myself, if my Master sees benefit in it.”

  “Your Master? Oh! The person who trained you?”

  “Yes! Dr. Anise is more talented than me.”

  “I’d love to meet him then!”

  I chuckled. “You’d die before you met him.”

  Annabelle crossed her arms. “Rude! Just because I’m a country girl don’ mean I can’t meet an Academy Professor.”

  I raised my hand and patted her brown hair. I said nothing more, but gave her another laugh, and let her on her way.