"Good evening, Earl Oakwood." A young girl said and bowed to the balding noble that greeted her in passing.
The Earl nodded in acknowledgement but didn't stop and continued to her father, the Duke.

The girl was used to this treatment. As the third daughter and fifth child of the Duke, she was used to being ignored. She hadn't even received an arranged marriage yet.

She adjusted one of the two large gold bells tied to her hair and looked around to see if she anyone needed her anywhere or to see anything interesting going on. Seeing nothing, she moved towards the musicians playing to the side of the room and waited out the party.

Her father had forbidden her to leave until it was over, though she didn't mind. Attish like her father held parties often, so she became accustomed to it and this one was happening on the last day of the Spring Festival.

***

Ierus finally finished with his greetings to the Duke of Whitereed. Normally it was abnormal for a Duke like him to travel to another province for the Spring Festival, but this was the first opportunity he'd had in months to take the time to travel the three days' journey by levitating carriage.

He spotted a girl.

"Nalulthyn, Daughter of the Duke of Whitereed," he said as he approached the girl.

The girl matched the description well. She was slightly shorter than typical for a girl her age. She had light brown hair done spectacularly with several braids and even two braid loops on the back of her head and one across the crown of her head. There were two large gold bells worn by the daughters of a Duke on either side towards the back, each attached to her hair by blue ribbons of the highest quality of cotton. She had large light brown eyes nearly the same color as her hair and eyebrows that gave her a mild, stern look. Running below both her eyes and across her small nose were several dozen freckles. She had her small mouth pursed into a thin line that gave her a slight stern appearance that accented her eyes.

On her forehead she wore a circlet with five yellow gems, two large round on the sides, a large oval one in the center, and two smaller round ones between the larger gems. Around her neck was a fine bead necklace. For her clothes she wore a small blue formal robe covered that covered a fine sleeveless black tunic the same color as the ribbons in her hair, blue and black being the Whitereed family colors. Long black gloves that almost went up to where her tunic ended covered her arms and hands, leaving about three finger widths of skin showing.

The girl looked at him, and she gave him a polite smile before bowing her head to him. "Good evening Duke Tallhill, it honors our family that you have attended our Spring Festival party."

Ierus smiled at how good her manners were for a girl her age. "I hope I am not disturbing you."

Nalulthyn smiled politely again, "Not at all. Is there something I can help you with?"

"In fact, there is," Ierus looked towards her father, "I already discussed this with your father and he approved but said I would also need your consent."

Nalulthyn showed a brief look of curiosity before returning the smile to her face. "I... well..." She looked to her father, her face showing a hint of worry.

"Have you heard about the daughter I adopted recently?"

Nalulthyn thought for a moment, "Yes, she is a Terran?"

"As expected of Duke Whitereed's daughter. He always said you were smart."

Nalulthyn looked taken aback, "My father said I was smart?"

Ierus smiled, "He says so every time you come up in our conversations."

Nalulthyn gave Ierus a genuine smile, "Father thinks I am smart." She gave a light giggle.

"It was your father that suggested you could help me with my problem."

Nalulthyn gave him a curious look, "Help? With your new daughter?"

"Yes. Tell me, what do you know about her?" Ierus was curious how much about his new daughter had made it this far.
Nalulthyn thought for a minute before replying, "I am sorry, Duke, but I have heard little other than that no one has seen her."

"This is why I want your help," Ierus looked around and noticed several minor nobles eavesdropping on the conversation, "but I would like to talk about this in a more private place. Your personal maid can come too."

***

Nalulthyn was excited of the situation. She had heard nothing but good things about Duke Ierus and she was curious to learn more about his daughter. The rumors going around about her had been a hot topic for a while, but nothing had come of them and she was about to find out about the mysterious girl.

Nalulthyn nodded to Ierus and lead him out of the banquet hall.

Outside she saw that her personal servant Sylvain was waiting for her. Sylvain spotted her immediately and waited to see if she needed her. When Nalulthyn nodded to her, Sylvain walked over and took her place behind her master.

"This way," Nalulthyn gestured to a nearby room.

Ierus nodded, and the group entered the room.

"This should do," Ierus said after the door closed behind them and looked at the guest room they had entered, "Now, I'm sure you're curious about what I want you to help me with."

Nalulthyn nodded.

"First you have to promise me you will not speak of this with anyone," Ierus looked to both Nalulthyn and Sylvain.

"I promise on the name of Whitereed," Nalulthyn put her hand over her heart.

"In the name of my Lady Nalulthyn, I promise to say nothing about this," Sylvain too put her hand over her heart.

Ierus nodded, satisfied, "First I should tell you about how I met my daughter. I am sure you have heard about what happened to my late wife and daughter?”

Nalulthyn nodded, "Yes, I am grieved by your hardship.”

"When I lost them I lost my place in the world," Ierus looked up towards nothing, "I left my lands and visited every temple to every Deity I could. I knew I could never see them again, but if anyone could help me, it would be the Deity. After weeks of travelling, I found myself at a temple dedicated to Usui. It was there that Deko, my daughter's servant, approached me. She was holding a Terran girl. Deko said that the girl had been through a terrible hardship and she was seeking a new life, even desiring a new name for the girl. She said Usui had heard my pleadings and led them to me."

Nalulthyn felt a sadness. What had this girl been through to make her look for a new start like this? "And you adopted her?”

Ierus nodded, "How could I not? She looked even more pitiful than I. To this day her eyes are just as empty as they were back then, seeing nothing other than whatever haunts her mind. I could not even use telepathy magic to see what would cause her so much trauma. It was as if a great wall surrounded her mind. Even my most experienced mage could not break through it.”

Nalulthyn looked to the floor then back up to Ierus, "Has she improved at all?”

Ierus shook his head, "Not at all. She will not even let me touch her. If anyone except Deko tries to touch her, she recoils as if you were trying to kill her. She then repeats 'Not again' over and over for a few minutes.”

"But how can I help?" If Ierus and a mage couldn't do anything, what could she do?

"I was hoping a girl near her age becoming her friend is what she needs.”

Nalulthyn thought, "I do not see how I can help.”

Ierus looked disappointed, "Are you sure?”

Nalulthyn crossed her arms, with her left hand on her chin, "Can I think about it for a minute?”

Ierus nodded, "Very well, I will wait outside the door. Knock when you have decided what you want to do."

Ierus left the room.

Nalulthyn sat down on a nearby chair and turned towards Sylvain. The maid, now with mischievous eyes and an equally mischievous smile that she only showed when they were alone, studied her. Her long dark brown hair she liked to tie into two pieces began bouncing as she began bounced from foot to foot with anticipation.

"Syl, what do you think?"

Syl smiled, "I think you should do it Nal!”

"Hmm," Nal still wasn't sure how she could help, "But what can I do?”

"Sometimes all you need to do is to be there? What if he is right? What if she just needs a friend?”

Nal sighed, "But could he not have found a servant girl her age or one of the noble daughters in his Duchy?”

Syl shook her head, "Nal, the Duke's daughter cannot play with girls below her position, besides you are the only one that can be friends as equals.”

"Maybe, but she is a Terran. How am I supposed to relate to her? What if she is a fifty-year-old woman in a child's body?"

Syl nodded, "I guess that is true, well if what they say about Terrans' ages getting messed up when they come here.”

"Still," Nal perked up at a thought, "If I can help her I might get father to praise me.”

Syl laughed, "Always chasing after the Duke's affection. That's my Nal.”

"I am not chasing after father's affection!”

"Ah! That's the pouty face I love!" Syl grabbed Nal and gave her a hug. "I am so glad I get to serve someone so adorable!”

"Syl!" Nal tried pushing the overly affectionate maid away but couldn't overcome her bear hug.

"Not going to let you go until you agree to help." Syl said as she rubbed her cheek against Nal.

"Mmm! Okay! You win! I'll do it!"

Syl let Nal go, and jumped back, "Another hug torture successful!" She then walked to the door and opened it.

Ierus was standing outside. His face showed a curious expression. "Everything all right?"

Nal stood up from the chair and walked to Ierus, hoping he wouldn't notice her probably blushing face, “It would honor me to help you.”

Ierus brightened immediately, "Grand! I will tell your father right away. I will not be leaving for another two days so take your time to pack anything you need.”

"Oh!" Nal remembered something important and stopped Ierus before he had completely turned away from her. "What is her name?”

"Right, I have not told you her name yet. It is Iysinfyr.”

"Iysinfyr. Thank you Duke." He had named her after a flower. A white one with some purple towards the ends of the petals.

Nal watched Ierus as he walked, almost ran, back towards the banquet hall and entered.

Nal looked towards Syl and saw that she had returned to her professional facade, though there was still a hint and the monster that lurked below. She then recalled what had just happened in the room and decided she needed to punish her, "Your punishment is to pack everything by yourself.”

Syl nodded, "Yes, Lady Nalulthyn."

"Back to the banquet," Nal said to herself, sighed, and did just that.

***

Syl watched Nal reenter the banquet hall.

“What was that all about?” Another maid asked her.

“Lady Nalulthyn and I will accompany Duke Tallhill to his estate in two days to help with an errand,” Nal said without looking to the maid.

Syl was very excited. She had been wanting Nal to get out of not only this estate, but Lana too. She had worried for a long time that she was trying too hard for her father’s attention. The Duke Whitereed loved all his children, but he was too busy to spend time with them and it had torn Syl to see Nal not getting her parents’ attention like a normal child would.

“Oh, so sudden?” The maid replied.

“It is not my place to question a noble’s timetable.” She had no idea why it was so sudden.

“Mine either, not if I want to keep my job. Good luck.”

The maid left.

Syl had to stop herself from smiling. She hoped the Terran girl was cute. With Nal and the Terran girl she was going to have two adorable toys to play with. This was going to be so much fun! She was going to heal this girl's heart and mind, and with Nal as her best friend they would see each other often. She was going to have to make plans.

A slight laugh escaped Syl’s throat, though she quickly followed it with a fake cough.

“Now, what to pack...” Two days couldn’t come fast enough.