As we exited the safety of the bedroom, a wave of anxiety washed over me, and suddenly I felt exposed. My shoulders tensed, and I bit into my lip, while my hand tightly squeezed Lilia’s.

The maid gave me a soft, reassuring smile. “Breathe Iris. You’re safe.”

Safe was a relative term, as I was a prisoner here. At the same time, I felt more safe, more free, and more happy than I’d ever felt before. Following the academy’s meditation practices, I breathed in through my nose for five seconds, then exhaled through my mouth for another five. My jaw relaxed, and my shoulders loosened as I repeated the simple motion a few more times. Opening my eyes again, I turned to look at Lilia again, feeling my cheeks flood with warmth once again.

“S-Sorry about that… I just haven't ever… g-gone out like this before.” My heart fluttered in my chest again, realizing that I couldn’t bring myself to say out loud that I was presenting as a girl.

Melodious giggling escaped the elf woman’s lips, and I felt a burst of excitement rush its way through me. This felt different from the other giddiness I’d been experiencing, and I realized that the sound of her giggling was stirring up these feelings. My cheeks turned more red at the thought. Was I falling for my captor? That couldn’t possibly be healthy.

The smug smirk on her face didn’t help matters either, causing my face to curl into another scowl in response to her expression.

“Awww! That pout makes you look twice as adorable~”

“W-Wha-I’m Not pouting!!” My voice came out a little bit more shrill than I’d intended, and my cheeks flushed brighter as I realized my protest wasn’t helping my case.

That only got another round of giggles out of her, and I felt my heart flutter all over again. “Of course not~ Now then, My Lady is waiting, and we shouldn’t dawdle any longer.”

I crossed my arms and looked away from her with an expression that was Definitely not a pout. “And whose fault is that?”

Lilia didn’t bother to answer my question, only taking my hand once again and leading me down the hallway. Despite my status as a prisoner, I was still glad for her company, and not just because holding her hand made my heart thump into my throat. With how I looked right now, I think I might die from sheer embarrassment if we were stopped by anyone else.

The maid led me down the hallway, and we returned to the entrance hall that I had come in last night. Only instead of heading to the adjoining guest room, we were moving up the double stairwell, towards the second floor. Right at the top were a large pair of double doors, with a plaque that simply read: “Office”. A lump formed in my throat and I swallowed, as a bead of sweat dripped down my brow. I was finally going to meet with Lady Azalea, and under much different circumstances than I’d originally expected.

“You don’t deserve this.”

A pit of dread opened beneath my heart, and I felt myself sinking into it. Why had I agreed to dress up and present like this in the first place? What was I thinking?

“You’re unworthy of-”

A soft hand squeezed my own, and I felt a comforting tingle run up my arm, returning me to the present. Glancing to my right, I saw Lilia standing beside me, with her now characteristic gentle smile.

“It’s okay Iris.” My heart fluttered as she spoke my name… my real name aloud. “My Lady will not judge you, there’s no need to be afraid.”

Her reassuring words caused my heart to swell, and for the first time in a while, I felt my lips involuntarily curl up. Lilia’s eyes sparkled for a moment. “You have such a lovely smile~”

That got another blush out of me, but I knew we were already running late. Looking back towards the door, I closed my eyes, and took a few calming breaths. It never failed to help my body begin to settle down, this time being no different. Opening my eyes again, I felt a surge of determination, like a fire burning in my chest.

I can do this. I’ve got this.

Nodding my head to her in affirmation, Lilia stepped forward and knocked on the doors, before we crossed the threshold.

The office was quite spacious, with a large window in the back, plenty of space for storage, and a display of curios behind a glass case. The walls were painted red, with gold leaf patterns close to the ceiling, and along the floor. There were also a myriad of paintings, but the academy never held any art appreciation classes, so I didn’t recognize them.

The cabinets in the corners were adorned with trailing plants, their vines cascading down the sides like a waterfall of greenery. Soft red carpet compressed beneath our footsteps, and I felt a curious desire to lay down on it and sleep.

We were approaching a wide desk, with a large stack of papers on the left, and a smaller stack on the right. Behind the desk, the window provided a clear view of the forests and mountains beyond, while flooding the office with light, bathing the room with an unearthly glow.

The sunbeams brought my eyes down to the woman sitting at the desk. Immediately I knew from her presence that this was the Lady Azalea I had heard so much about. At first, she didn't acknowledge our presence, instead turning her focus on a sheet of paper in her hands.

It reminded me of visiting the Academy professors after hours, while they look at a document and try to look busy. It was a subtle communication method to imply that they were busy, and to wrap the meeting up as quickly as possible.

This felt different. She had an almost bored air about her, and once we entered the room, a palpable change in her demeanor was visible. The Lady finally cast her glance up towards us, and a shiver ran through my body as I realized her eyes were a vivid yellow in coloration, with black sclera.

Strangely enough, I didn’t feel fear upon seeing the eyes. The air she gave off was warm and welcoming, and just a touch playful. She noticed that I was staring though, and gave me a confident smirk that made my knees wobble and my heart melt. I felt small in this woman’s
presence, despite standing above her eye level.

Lilia pulled a chair up for me to sit in, which only made the Lady’s presence loom larger over me, while the maid herself stood by her Lady's side. Despite being shorter than me in height, she seemed to look down at me, as her verdant eyes appraised me thoughtfully. My hands bunched up around the hem of my dress and I found myself involuntarily looking down as the familiar heat rushed to my cheeks.

“Look at me.”

The simple phrase rang with a commanding tone that compelled me to raise my head, which only deepened the woman’s smirk. For reasons I could not fathom, I felt compelled to obey her commands. Was it some type of spell at play? I didn’t notice her mana change in any way, but a closer examination revealed she had an enormous amount of magical power that dwarfed my own.

Perhaps that was why I felt so small next to her. If I was a star twinkling in the sky, she was like the Moon, bright, radiant and yet gentle. Despite her immense levels of power I did not feel threatened by her, in fact quite the opposite. Her presence made me feel safe and secure, as if she would shelter me from the troubles plaguing me.

“That’s a good girl.” My cheeks flushed red, and an involuntary squeak escaped the confines of my lips. She let out a giggle in response, which was quite different from Lilia’s. Where Lilia had a melodious giggle that reminded me of a bubbling brook, the Lady’s giggle was strong and confident, with an air of haughtiness that didn’t feel out of place with her at all. “Oh yes, I think you’ll do quite well here.”

My head tilted in confusion at her statement and she turned to Lilia, who gave a confirming nod, and leaned over to whisper something in the Lady’s ear. I glanced between the two of them, pondering what they were saying, and what had just been
decided.

The Lady assumed her full posture, leaning back against her chair and causing her towering presence to grow even stronger. I gulped.

“Lilia has informed me that you have been sent here to investigate the disappearances of several travelers in my domain. I have also been led to understand that you were sent without an escort, or transportation of any kind. Can you confirm this to be correct?”

Shame rushed to my cheeks, and I nodded my head. The Lady blinked once, and I realized she was expecting a verbal confirmation. “Y-Yes Ma’am, er, Lady Azalea. That is… correct.”

“I see. Ordinarily, the Imperial Academy would provide both to their mages sent on missions, but seeing as you have received neither, I am left to assume that your standing in the Court is not particularly high.”

Biting my lip, I looked down again as heat flooded my cheeks. That was all the confirmation she needed before she continued. “Oh do not misunderstand, I am not criticizing you. I know from experience just how cutthroat and ruthless the mages in the Imperial Court can be. They will betray and backstab their own, all in a bid for the measliest scrap of power to wield over their fellows. So you can imagine our wariness upon learning that one of their kind had come to our little Village.”

Adjusting her positioning, she continued her speech. “You are not like those mages. You have been shown to be courteous, obedient and compliant, and without a hint of desire to take advantage of your position. You practically fell into Lilia’s clutches last night, while being quite willing, and even a touch eager, to go along with her every whim.” Her stare was intense and scrutinizing.

Turning my gaze away shyly, I felt myself squirm in my seat. Just… how good of a read did this woman have on me already?

The Lady’s smirk widened again, and she leaned forward. “I know all about your secret desires Iris, and we can give you answers. Not to mention, safety and security.”

My heart fluttered for a moment at that. “Just… what is it that you’re s-saying, L-Lady Azalea?”

The smirk turned into a smile, and I felt warmth blossom throughout my body as I realized I’d pleased her with my question.

“I want to offer you a job, Iris."

Violet_Velvet

Thank you for reading Chapter 6 of Getting Comfortable! This chapter is a little bit shorter than the last one, but I think I hit a good stopping point.

I think I'm starting to hit a good rhythm with writing these chapters, and I've been putting extra effort in to make sure they are as pleasant for you all to read as possible. If there's any issues, or criticisms please feel free to point them out, I want to do the very best I can for all of you lovely readers!

I hope you all have a wonderful week, and once again, from the bottom of my heart, thank you for reading this story. <3