I MUST BECOME A LION HEARTED GIRL

Now that I imagine you're all very eager to have me out of your hair, I'll do the work for you. There's a ship out of Floran, The Lady Autumn, which is brand new. One of the swiftest ships in Hanalan, and it's scheduled to arrive by the end of the month. I received a letter from my brother the king not a week ago telling me that my passage would be paid, if I wished to take it home.

I'll be leaving Eblar tomorrow, and if you will make me, I'll pay my own way out of the city. For my own carriage and my own guards, as well, but I'd hope that the crown has enough grace to see me safely back to my own city.

I'm returning to my chambers. Good night.

[Filter: Eliza]

Let's quit with the pleasantries.

We both know that it wasn't a serial killer that got to Seraphine. What serial killer is strong enough or clever enough to take out trained guards of the Crown? What serial killer would go after such a difficult target? Much less when all the previous dead girls in Conare have been girls that nobody will miss?

I could believe that they wanted to make a scene, but I can't believe that they would have gone after someone so ... difficult. Why not just go for another servant girl? Another waitress? Why risk your own life going after the princess of Dentoria? Just for the thrill?

We both know there's more to it than that, and I think you know even more than I do about it. And considering that I know every single one of the reasons that Seraphine died ...

There's really only one person who would have killed her, isn't there, Lady Eliza?

[Filter: Autumn]

Um.

Hello.

Look, um ... Princess Seraphine. You know she and I were really close friends, right? I just saw, well, a Messenger write about the whole thing, and, um ... Finlay and I were talking ...

This is so difficult to talk about!

That isn't you, is it?

[Filter: Seraphine]

I'm so glad you're feeling better. It's been awful to watch you just waste away the last couple of months. And not knowing what I could do about it ... I was really worried, for a while. Especially after you told me

Are you sure you're feeling well enough to come to the party tonight? I'm sure everyone would understand if you stayed in! I could even probably find an excuse to leave early and keep you company if you wanted, so you wouldn't have to spend the night alone! Anita's been taking really well to being lady of the house, and everything, I'm sure she could keep everyone entertained!

Oh, would you look at everything?? It's all so colorful!! And there's all the streamers and dancers, and I think I saw a man breathing fire near the middle of the city square!

Seraphine, do you want a funnel cake?? Lady Harmonia and Lady Rachelle, you too! I thought I'd go get one, but I know Eara has already had one, so it's just us ... ! What do you think? I'm going to get strawberries and cream on mine!!

[Filter: Lord Nicolas]

Hello!

Do you have a moment, my lord? I really need to speak to you, um ... about Seraphine. Or, on her behalf!! It shouldn't take long, I think.

[Filter: Private]

The letters do look like scribbles.

I keep staring at these pages and pages of everyone writing in Atsirian and it doesn't matter how often I look at the books about the difference between Atsirian letters and how to tell them apart and the entire alphabet, I can't make sense of any of it. I don't know how Atsirians can! And they're so stubborn about it, they never write in Trade, even when they really should ... I mean, the rest of the world writes in Trade!! Even Dentorians write in Trade unless they're being snooty, and so many Dentorians are so snooty ...

Ugh!

I guess I shouldn't even think about that, they're not going to change it. It's been thousands of years and they haven't changed it!

And this barely even matters right now, anyway. There's so many other things. Finlay is married and Seraphine is barely even herself still and Anita is apparently exhausting herself even when she isn't here?? And this is what I'm thinking about, is that murderer woman and politics and ...

It seems so silly.

[Filter: Seraphine]

I was thinking ...

Do you want me to maybe talk to Lord Nicolas? Maybe he knows why Lady Eliza is acting so strange. Or even if he doesn't, maybe he could talk to her about it! And tell her that you're not a fraud, or anything like that.

[Filter: Finlay]

Why did you just wander off like that!

I waited for a whole hour for you to answer me before I realized you weren't coming back! And there are people here that need me, too, you know? Seraphine has been so completely unlike herself, I could have been spending time with her!! Or I could have been entertaining Lady Eliza, or spending time with Lord Nicolas, or with his daughter! But I thought you must have just gotten distracted, since you said you had things to deal with!

You could have said something!!! Instead of just --

You're not the only one who has a mess to deal with!

[Filter: Lady Eliza and Lord Nicolas]

Hello, um.

I have an odd question. And I hoped you could give me some advice ...

[Filter: Seraphine]

How are you feeling today???

[Filter: Seraphine]

Um ... how are you feeling today, Princess?? I was wondering if you wanted to go out and take a look at some of the decorations that are up in the city for Rose Day! We could stop at a cafe and get some tarts, if you'd like, and maybe some hot cocoa ... ? If you don't feel well today, then we don't have to! I just thought I would ask!!

[Filter: Public]

I can't believe I'm going to miss your wedding, Philip and Amelie!! I wish I could be there. A wedding on Rose Day! Oh, it's going to be so lovely! I'm so excited for both of you!! You'll have to write about it!! I'm sure it'll be just beautiful ...

I wish I could be there.

My things for, um, Prince Ian got sent north a while ago, but it's not really anything special ... I wish the war was over. I'm sure all Dentoria would be brighter with their men back home again!

Conare is so lovely!!

And Lord Nicolas has been so welcoming and friendly! I can't imagine he isn't dreadfully busy but he's seen to absolutely everything we could want! And all the arrangements for Festival all look so amazing, I can't even imagine how exciting it's going to be!

I'd like to go out to the market today to buy a few things for Festival, in fact ... do you think you'd like to come, Anita, Seraphine?? It must have been such a long time since you've seen the city, Lady Anita ...