CHAPTER 89 Still, Still, and This One Won’t Stab You

Henrietta

Last night had been the most wonderful time of my life. I'd gone to bed content, exhausted, out of breath from kissing, and ready to live the rest of my life as an official adult.

The system updated my filed paperwork, and my character sheet changed to Henrietta Doryn of Nilheim. I kicked happily on my bed and rolled around a few times hugging my pillow.

I was officially free to be me. And me wanted to spend the rest of my life in this Dark Lord's castle baking cinnamon buns and filling tax revenue forms with the odd quest.

I woke up a bit sleepy but ready for the day. Nothing was going to stop me from celebrating my first day as a citizen of the Dark Enchanted Forest with my friends.

At least, that's what I thought.

I stopped by Brownie's door, but I couldn't sense the woman inside. She'd been out later than I with the celebrations, and no doubt grabbed a room at Scowls.

I wandered down to the kitchen … and Panlith wasn't there. My hands immediately reached for Jacqueline, who was still in my bedroom. The entire kitchen was clean and empty of anyone.

Unease came over me. The castle was quiet. Too quiet.

I exited the kitchen into the dining area, and no places were set. I told myself that maybe this was a day of rest. Maybe nobody had thought to tell me that in Nilheim, everyone slept in the day after St. Veralyn's Day and just took time off?

Even the servant's quarters were empty. None of the lizardkin maids could be seen. Keith's office was empty, papers neatly stacked, and chairs pushed in.

There was something I was missing, but I didn't want to bother Keith; it was still hours until he normally woke up. I was wandering about when I sensed movement outside.

My feet carried me downstairs and out into the gardens. The corpse roses had bloomed overnight with some new fertilizer to inspire their buds. The entire place blossomed with color.

"Shhh."

I heard a sound further down the path and walked that way. As I turned the corner to the nook where Keith and I usually enjoyed our afternoon tea, I was met with a thunderous shout.

"Happy Birthday, Henrietta!"

Keith, Brownie, Gerda, Rufus, Chloe, Julia, and all of the castle minions were there. Even Lady Amy was present.

Keith came forward and wrapped his arms around me. "Happy birthday, love." He handed me a kerchief to wipe my eyes.

I smiled through the tears. "Thank you, everyone."

There was breakfast and a private concert from Bronwynn as she regaled everyone with funny stories about my days dressed up as a maid running around the city. The entire affair lasted until noon, when everyone had to get back to work.

I took Brownie and Lady Amy to the drawbridge with Gerda, who scolded me saying she was not a teleportation hub, but for just this one time she would make an exception because it was my birthday.

The four of us ended up spending an outrageous amount of time having tea and scones. Lunch became afternoon snack, and only when everything was cleaned up did Gerda let us all out at our respective bridges. We dropped off Amy first.

"I'm going to be busy until the Spring Ball." The bridge troll told me as we waited for Gerda's perk to cool down. There were still a few minutes until she could connect to the castle drawbridge. "I'm getting my dress made in Peldeep and then I'll be travelling straight to North Sumbria."

"You're going to the Spring Ball?" I was happy she was going, but usually, only the powerful, the eligible, and the important were sent invitations. And you needed an invite. Even I would have been turned away at the door without one.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," Gerda assured me.

I hesitated to ask, unless it was considered rude, but Brownie had no compunction. "How'd you get an invite?"

"I have my ways." Gerda winked, but she didn't elaborate. Come to think of it … hadn't Julia owed Gerda a favor to cross her bridge?"

"I'm going to be performing," Bronwynn stated proudly, "So that means we'll all be there."

"Except Amy," I added. The poor elf girl still had to fight for time off, and there was no way she'd make it to the ball and back. I wondered if she received an invite; I wondered if her father would even let her know if she'd received an invite. Maybe I would audit the Hollow this year and find out …

"It's going to be something. Until next we meet, Princess." Gerda reached out and magicked the door open to a familiar moat. The edge of the water was very narrow, and I had to hold on to the doorway to not fall directly into the water.

As I left the bridge, the troll called after me, "Have a wonderful birthday!"

And I did.

It was my day off, so I wandered back to my rooms to do some light reading. When I arrived, however, I was met with a team of ratkin.

"This Rinrin greets Her Viciousness." The ratkin came forward and motioned me to come in. The title made me blush, but I let it slide. It was my birthday after all, and I could give myself a small gift.

"Rinrin." I nodded. "What's all this?"

"The arachne have sent the cloth you like, Mistress." Rinrin waved forward a pair of primly dressed ratkin assistants, each holding a bolt of shimmering fabric in a color somewhere between dark blue and purple. "Just in time, too. We are fortunate that the weather has been so sunny and warm. Yes-yes, this will do nicely."

Rinrin had taken over tailoring my clothes up to this point, turning the previous Queen of the Dark Enchanted Forest's wardrobe into the current fashion for me to use. I'd only given her a general idea on my Spring Ball gown and apparently, she wasn't fixing up an old piece but making me a new one! Some of the pieces were already cut out based on my previous measurements. There were … a lot of pieces.

"Oh, Rinrin, this is too much!"

"Tsk," went the ratkin. "Rinrin has only just begun. Now come stand here. Still! Still, and this one won't stab you."

She had silk pins clenched between her fingers in one hand, and a pair of long, sharp scissors in the other. I gulped. "Alright. Just let me change out of my shoes …"

My pair of beautiful low-heel calf-high boots were presented before me, black and embroidered all over with roses of silver and blue threads. The young ratkin bobbed a quick bow, "Here, quick-quick, Princess."

I accepted my fate and put on the boots, then stood perfectly still as the group ran around pinning and trimming fabric all over me. I wasn't pricked even once.

After all was said and done, I collapsed into bed smiling.

Happy Birthday to me.