Vera woke to the distinct sensation of a small, warm body wrapped around her like a clingy koala. Arms looped around her neck. Legs draped across her waist. Face tucked entirely too close to her collarbone.
If this had been her old body, she was fairly sure she'd be walking around with a pinched nerve all day. As it was, her new one felt perfectly fine—but out of sheer principle, and in deference to an uncharacteristic part of herself she was still coming to terms with, she decided she was allowed to be mildly annoyed.
Especially when said clingy creature opened her eyes at almost the same time and looked up at her with a guilty-but-not-really expression—half shy smile, half barely contained amusement.
"Any last words?" Vera asked.
Serel just blinked at her.
"I see. An unrepentant offender." Vera sat up abruptly, causing the girl to yelp as she tightened her grip and got hoisted along for the ride. "Then I have no choice. No mercy shall be shown."
A stream of breathy giggles burst out of Serel as she squirmed. "Mommy! Let me gooo!"
"I don't think so. You're in my dungeon now, and we don't let criminals go that easily."
More laughter followed as the girl halfheartedly pushed at her chest, wriggling and laughing in equal measure. Vera had to exert a little real strength to keep hold of her without it devolving into a tickle fight, though the kid didn't seem to notice.
"Nooo! Mommy, you're bad!"
"Oh, I'm the bad one?" Vera raised an eyebrow. "Who clung to me like a starfish in their sleep and tried to give me scoliosis?"
"Moooommmy—" Serel's voice shifted, just a touch more serious. "I need to go potty…"
Vera froze.
Her brain blanked.
And in that perfect moment of hesitation, Serel twisted herself free like a greased cat, flopped onto the bed back-first with a victorious grin, stuck her tongue out at Vera, and promptly bolted across the mattress. She scrambled down the far side and darted out the door.
A second later, Vera heard a door creak open down the hall, then shut again.
She stared at the space the kid had just vacated. Then, slowly, a chuckle escaped her lips.
Had she just been outplayed by a six-year-old?
Part of her couldn't help but be impressed.
Had Serel known that would freeze her up? If so, that was slightly terrifying. Vera had next to no experience with kids, and hearing "I need to go potty" had triggered a brief but frantic internal diagnostic to confirm whether six-year-olds were supposed to be past the diaper stage—and whether she was supposed to help.
She was absolutely not ready for any of that.
Her gaze drifted back to the now thoroughly unmade bed.
Still, she was glad Serel seemed to be in a much better headspace than last night. Vera hadn't known how to properly comfort a crying kid, but she'd figured starting the morning off with something playful might help. Even if it felt very not like her.
She was relieved it had worked.
Honestly, she'd given herself 50/50 odds of Serel taking it the wrong way and thinking Vera was upset with her.
But hey, a win was a win.
She grabbed her clothes from where she'd tossed them the night before and stepped into the hallway. Her eyes lingered briefly on the door to Serel's room before turning toward the rest of the corridor, curiosity tugging her to explore more of this side of the estate.
Fifteen minutes later, she'd toured most of Dreadwake Alcove's internal amenities in far more detail than she had yesterday. She identified what she was fairly sure was the dining chamber, a proper study, a finely appointed lavatory, and—most importantly—a spacious, luxurious bathhouse.
Which was perfect, really. After spending the night with a very clingy six-year-old latched onto her like a limpet, she felt like she'd sweated more than from all the previous day's sparring, sky running, and teleporting combined.
The bathhouse was empty, but to her surprise, it had working hot water thanks to a system of sigilplates powering the heating. Everything else was stocked, too, including towels, oils, and what might've passed for enchanted soaps. After a moment's deliberation, she decided to go ahead and take a quick soak. It might be relaxing.
And it was… until Serel wandered in and wanted to join.
What followed was, without question, one of the more awkward experiences of Vera's life—bathing with another person and helping that person wash themselves, especially when that person was more than twenty years her junior and had no problem sneak-attacking her with a splash to the face.
According to Serel, that was revenge.
She looked so smug afterward that Vera decided she'd allow it.
Still, they both got clean, Serel was clearly delighted, and Vera managed to suppress her discomfort well enough to get through the experience with her dignity mostly intact—though she silently promised herself she'd get even later.
Once dressed, before they headed to the dining chamber, Vera paused and turned to Serel, watching her with a hint of hesitation.
Serel noticed, smiling up at her with still-damp hair, cheeks faintly pink from the bath—the very picture of youthful innocence wrapped in comfy clothes that looked more hearthside than high table.
"…Serel," Vera began, trying to keep her voice even. "Last night… did you sleep okay?"
Serel's smile faltered slightly, and she shuffled her feet before nodding, more shyly this time. "I did." She fell silent for a couple of seconds, then looked down at the floor. "Sorry, Mommy…"
"Sorry?" Vera's eyebrows shot up. "No, no—you don't have anything to be sorry for. I'm not mad. I just wanted to check if you made it through the rest of the night without any trouble."
Serel looked up again, eyes a little brighter. After a moment, her smile returned in full. "Mmm! I slept super good!"
"There weren't any… interruptions? I didn't wake you up at any point, did I?"
A flicker of confusion crossed the girl's face before she shook her head. "No."
Vera suppressed the sigh of relief that threatened to escape. "Good. That's good."
Serel watched her, but Vera didn't say anything else as they made their way to the dining chamber, where Caldrin was already waiting with an impressively arranged breakfast spread. The timing was suspiciously perfect, and Vera found herself wondering how he'd known exactly when to have everything ready.
As Serel excitedly dug into her food—perched in what amounted to a very regal-looking high chair at the edge of the round table—Vera just watched her for a moment, smiling faintly, before turning to her own meal.
Her plate held an elegant selection of items that wouldn't have looked out of place in a five-star inn: spiced root hash, fresh-baked flatbread, a buttery sort of soft cheese spread, a poached egg garnished with glowing herbs, and something that vaguely resembled roasted mushrooms… only the mushrooms glowed slightly. She decided not to think too hard about that last part.
It all looked delicious—enough that she genuinely wondered how one person managed to cook all this while also managing the rest of the estate.
She picked up a fork, eyeing the food, then glanced at Caldrin, who stood near the wall in his usual butler-like posture, hands folded behind his back, watching over them with all the patience of a saint.
"I've been meaning to ask," she said, gesturing vaguely at him with her fork, then toward the table. "Where exactly did all of this come from? Is it from the estate's stores?"
"That it is, my lady," Caldrin replied.
"It's still edible after two years?"
He inclined his head. "It would seem the entire estate has remained in temporal stasis during your slumber."
Vera's eyes moved to Serel.
That did track, considering the girl didn't appear to have aged either. It also lined up with a few other things she'd noticed.
She turned back to Caldrin. "Same thing with all the mounts?"
"I confirmed it myself yesterday," he said. "They are healthy, safe, and have been fed."
"Good to know." Vera stabbed a piece of egg. "Say… they wouldn't happen to be kept in the Summoner's Nook, would they?"
This time, Caldrin raised a brow—just slightly—before giving another small nod. "Indeed, my lady. That is precisely where they are housed. Your intimate knowledge of your own estate, as always, never fails to astonish."
Vera shot him a flat look. "Oi. I don't need your sass before ten in the morning."
"It is ten-oh-seven, my lady."
She squinted at him. "And how exactly do you know that? I don't see a clock on you."
Caldrin touched two fingers to his temple. "I make a point to maintain an internal chronometer. It ensures I may always provide accurate timekeeping should your ladyship require it."
She narrowed her eyes. That had to be a lie. She just hadn't yet figured out how he was actually keeping track of these things—if he was.
With a sigh, she turned back to her breakfast.
At least she'd confirmed the mounts were physically here, and exactly where she'd suspected based on the presences she'd picked up yesterday. The Summoner's Nook made sense as housing. It might not have been explicitly designed for that purpose, but it was the closest fit Sablewatch Hollow offered.
She hadn't seen them during yesterday's exploration, so they were probably tucked into some adjoining chamber or enclosure. She'd check them out later today.
"Any plans for the day, my lady?" Caldrin asked, breaking the comfortable silence after a while.
"Maybe," Vera said around a bite of spiced hash. "I was planning to check out those Hollowmaw Sentinels this morning. After that…"
She trailed off, gaze drifting to Serel.
The girl was fully engrossed in her food, lifting a wedge of red fruit to her mouth—though some juice had escaped onto her cheek in the process. Her expression was a contented, blissed-out mix of focus and delight.
For not the first time this morning, Vera hesitated.
"…Ahem. Serel?" she asked, clearing her throat. "I was thinking about heading over to Marrowfen this afternoon. I was wondering if you might want to come with me…?"
She hadn't originally planned to bring the girl. But after last night… going alone didn't feel quite right.
Serel froze for a beat, blinking. Then, slowly, her face lit up with a smile so wide it hit Vera square in the chest and wedged itself there.
"Okay!"
Vera smiled faintly in return, but before she could say anything else, Serel paused again. A tiny, thoughtful frown crept across her brow, and she glanced up with the air of someone preparing to enter serious negotiations.
"…But only if you promise not to send me to the dungeon again," she said firmly.
Vera stopped, her fork hovering mid-air.
"Dungeon?" Caldrin echoed from his post, a faint note of intrigue in his tone.
Serel nodded, perfectly serious. "Mhm. Mommy tried to lock me in her room earlier. She said it's her dungeon!"
Vera turned slowly to look at Caldrin.
His face spoke volumes.
"It would appear," he said at last, addressing Serel with grave solemnity, "that you have successfully escaped from her ladyship's dungeon then, young miss."
"Yup!" Serel chirped proudly.
Caldrin inclined his head, eyes twinkling. "Most impressive. I believe there are exceedingly few who can claim such a feat. In fact, I suspect you and Lady Valecrest may be the only ones."
Vera sent him a death glare. Her hand twitched around her fork. She was this close to flinging it at him and pinning him to the wall.
"Mama?" Serel sounded confused, looking at Vera. "Was Mama also in your dungeon?"
Vera choked, caught somewhere between a gasp and a sputter as she met the girl's pure, curious gaze.
Her lips parted. Closed. Opened again.
She had no idea how to answer that—not only because she hadn't met Elaria Valecrest, but because Serel had just dropped that question with all the wide-eyed sincerity of a six-year-old completely unaware she'd just launched a conversational landmine.
"Ehm…" Vera stalled, searching. "…She wasn't. You're our only prisoner—and our only escapee—so be proud of that, alright?"
Serel seemed to weigh that explanation for a second, then beamed and turned happily back to her food. "Okay."
Vera, meanwhile, once again leveled her glare at Caldrin.
The man, of course, looked like the very picture of blamelessness.
She was going to have to figure out his weaknesses. Preferably soon.