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Calida beamed with pride. “Well, that’s the point of trying new things. To broaden your horizons.”
Soon I forgot about lord Caes and enjoyed myself. Calida and I chatted and laughed as we ate, and I felt more at ease.
Maybe this place wouldn’t be so bad after all? Not if there were people like Calida here.
“What are your plans for today?” Calida asked as we finished our meal.
I narrowed my eyes thoughtfully. “I’m not sure yet. I was thinking about exploring the city.”
“That sounds like fun.” Her eyes lightened up. “I would love to come with you.”
“Really?” I asked, surprised. “I thought you would be busy.”
She waved her hand dismissively. “I can take some time off. It’s no problem.”
∞∞∞
To my surprise, visiting Rossertham was a lot like visiting any other city. If it weren’t for two things. The first thing was the people. All of them Elves, and they all had a certain look about them.
They were all so... perfect. Maybe it was the way they dressed, or maybe it was something else. But they all looked like they belonged in a painting. There was no way for me to determine who was lower class and who was upper class. Everyone looked... the same, if not for the diversity in their features.
The second thing was the magic. It was everywhere. In the air, in the people, in the buildings. The city was made of magic. In Midar, magic was more subtle. Here, it was in your face. They used portals as the primary mode of transportation, the buildings were adorned with magical lights, and people used magic to do everyday tasks. It was all new to me, but I didn’t want to let it show. I didn’t want to look like a hick from the country, even if that was exactly what I was.
“You’ve been quiet since we left the Aeglire,” Darith said, as we made our way through the streets. “Is everything alright?”
Not a spot of dirt or a single leaf out of place. It was as if they built the city yesterday.
“I’m fine.” I lied. “Just... taking it all in.”
“I know how you feel.” Calida chuckled as we crossed the street. A group of ladies in bright yellow dresses glanced at me before looking away. “When I first arrived in Rossertham, I couldn’t believe my eyes either. But you get used to it.”
“I’m just taking everything in. It’s a lot,” I said, although I wasn’t so sure. “Where are you from?”
“From Aetrecht. I lived in a village you probably never heard of. Couldn’t you tell?” she teased.
“I don’t know,” I said, playing along. “You’re great at pretending to be a city girl.”
She laughed. “Well, I’ve had a lot of practice. But it’s not all bad. I miss the village sometimes.”
“Really?” I inclined my head as a horseless carriage crossed the street. “That surprises me.”
A village didn’t seem like the best place to learn about the world if you were interested in politics.
“I mean, I’m happy to be in Rossertham. It’s just... There’s something about the village that I miss. The simplicity of it. Everything is fast-paced and there’s so much pressure to conform. In the village, everyone was just themselves. There was less need to put on a show.”
I sympathized with her. “It must be hard to keep up the act all the time.”
It was for me, and so far I wasn’t pretending too much.
“It is,” she admitted. “But it’s worth it. I get to live in the city and experience all kinds of new things. And I get to meet people like you.”
“How about you Darith?” I asked, turning to her. “Where are you from?”
“Here,” she said, gesturing around us. “I was born and raised in Rossertham.”
“That explains a lot,” I said. “You seem very comfortable here.”
“I am.” She smiled as a group of officers in their bright blue uniforms passed us. “I love it here. There’s always something new to see or do.”
