Valentina blinked in confusion as she woke up. For a moment, she couldn't place where she was – the four-poster bed was too soft, the room too big, the air too sweet with the scent of roses.

"The duke's palace," Vyxara purred in her head. "You'll get used to it."

Before Valentina could answer, there was a soft knock at the door. Jenny, her new maid, entered, already laden with a tray.

"Good morning, my lady!" The young maid hobbled busily to the bed. "I hope you slept well? Breakfast is ready and then we must prepare you for your audience with the duke."

Valentina sat up and looked at the sumptuous breakfast on the silver platter: fresh white bread, honey, poached eggs, fried bacon, small sausages, black pudding, quince jam, various candied fruits, a pot of milk and a pot that smelled of herbal tea.

"You shouldn't eat it all at once if you want to keep your slim figure for a while longer," Vyxara commented with amusement.

"Is... is that all for me?" Valentina asked incredulously.

Jenny nodded eagerly. "Of course, my lady! It's important to the duke that his guests are well looked after. Oh, and the cook sent these candied violets especially – they're a specialty of the house."

While Valentina carefully tasted the unusually rich breakfast, Jenny chatted away. "We have to make you particularly beautiful today. His Grace will be receiving you in his private study in an hour. That's a great honor – he welcomes most guests in the official reception room."

"Oh, how... intimate," Vyxara purred.

Jenny hobbled busily across the room and opened the heavy curtains completely. The morning light revealed the full splendor of Valentina's new chambers. The walls were covered in golden silk, elaborate tapestries depicted hunting scenes and stories of saints. Several doors led into other rooms – a dressing room, the private bathroom, even a small salon for receiving visitors.

"May I help you dress, my lady?" Jenny asked eagerly. "The red velvet dress again, I presume?"

Valentina nodded. The dress was the best piece of clothing she owned. She would urgently need to do something about her wardrobe. Perhaps she could ask Jenny for a cheap tailor? While Jenny helped her get dressed, the maid chatted on.

"His Grace is a very generous man. And the Duchess... well, she's very proper. Lady Hazel, the daughter, can be a bit difficult at times, but Lord Lorenzo is very kind. He studied at Bridgewater University until recently, you know. Oh, sorry, I'm sure you know that, you study there too, that was inattentive of me."

"Ask her for more," Vyxara advised. "This girl is a goldmine of information."

"Tell me more about the people here," Valentina encouraged her maid as she brushed her hair. "Lord Lorenzo, for example, I don't know him that well. Only by sight. What's he like?"

A dreamy smile flitted across Jenny's face. "Oh, Lord Lorenzo is... he really is..." She blushed slightly. "He's so polite to everyone, including the staff. And so clever! Sometimes you see him sitting in the library studying for hours. And he always has a kind word to say, even to someone like me..."

"And he's handsome too," Valentina interjected with a conspiratorial smile.

Jenny became even redder. "My lady! So... Yes. I guess he is." She giggled softly. "His eyes are so... I mean..." She broke off and focused on Valentina's hair.

"Don't worry," laughed Valentina. "We'll keep this between us."

"Well done," praised Vyxara. "The girl is starting to trust you."

"And his sister?" Valentina asked casually. "Lady Hazel? What's she like?"

Jenny hesitated noticeably. Her fingers slowed in Valentina's hair. "Lady Hazel is... well..." She bit her lip. "She can be very... temperamental."

"That sounds like there's more to tell," Valentina asked gently. "I'm new here, you know. I don't want to offend anyone."

Jenny wrung her hands nervously. "I really shouldn't... that is... it's not up to me..."

"Jenny." Valentina turned to her. "Whatever you tell me, I'll keep it between us. I'm just a farmer's daughter myself and I just want to understand how things work here so I don't step on anyone's toes."

The maid looked around involuntarily, even though they were alone. "Well... Lady Hazel is very fond of her mother, you must know. She... well... she sometimes reacts a bit violently when..." Jenny visibly struggled for words. "When she thinks that... that someone might... might cause her mother... might cause her mother grief."

"Ah," Valentina said neutrally. "I see."

"Not that the duchess herself..." Jenny waved her hands helplessly. "She's very... sensible. As long as… uh... But Lady Hazel... she's still young, you know? She sometimes sees things very... black and white. Oh, by all the flames of Martyr, please don't tell anyone I spoke ill."

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"Don't worry, Jenny," said Valentina. "I can keep a secret."

"Interesting," muttered Vyxara. "So the daughter could be more dangerous than the mother."

"Have you ever thought, Vyxara, that I might not even want to cause the duchess any grief?" thought Valentina, exasperated.

"What I do know is that you've at least thought about causing her grief before," Vyxara scoffed. "But that's beside the point. It's one of those things where the impression alone is decisive. And the impression is already pretty clear.

Valentina just sighed in response as Jenny's nimble fingers braided Valentina's hair into an elegant coiffure. "Then there's Master Lucian, the duke's personal Essence Weaver. He is his closest advisor. Some say he's also his spymaster. He's actually quite nice, but he can also be quite scary when he sneaks through the corridors and always gives you such a fright when he suddenly appears somewhere. And then there's Master Bloomfield, his oldest friend – they've known each other since they were young and he's practically part of the family. He's a funny man. And very generous. Often slips us servants something."

"This is so exciting," muttered Vyxara. "The balance of power here is like a complicated spider's web. And you, my dear, are about to get caught up in it."

A servant knocked on the door. "My lady? His Grace is expecting you in a quarter of an hour."

Jenny put the finishing touches to Valentina's hairstyle and stepped back to admire her work. "You look beautiful, my lady. The duke will be impressed."

Valentina looked at her reflection in the mirror. The red velvet dress perfectly accentuated her slim figure, her brown hair was artfully braided. She looked like a real lady – on the outside, there was not a trace of the peasant girl from Palewood.

Just a few minutes later, the Chamberlain Morris himself led Valentina through the high corridor to the duke's private chambers. It really wasn't far from her own. He stopped in front of a heavy oak door with ornate carvings.

"His Grace is expecting you," he said with a precise bow and opened the door.

The duke's study was an impressive room. Tall dark wood bookshelves lined the walls, punctuated by large windows that offered a breathtaking view over the gardens. A massive desk with a polished top of fine wood dominated the center of the room and was littered with parchment, books, charts and maps.

Duke Cosimo was standing at the window when she entered. He turned and his round face lit up in a warm smile. "Ah, Lady Valentina! Welcome to Dusktown." He approached her with outstretched hands. "I hope you had a pleasant first night?"

"Notice how he addressed you there," Vyxara commented, amused. "As if you were born noble. He's trying to flatter you."

"Very pleasant, Your Grace," Valentina replied with a curtsy. "The rooms are beautiful and the scent of the roses was wonderful."

"I'm glad to hear that, I had them brought especially for you." The duke motioned for her to sit down.

At that moment, a side door opened and the Duchess entered. Duchess Rosalind was a tall, elegant woman with perfect posture. Her chestnut hair, in which the first strands of gray were showing, was artfully coiffed. Her sharp green eyes scrutinized Valentina attentively.

"Ah, Rosalind," said the duke. "May I introduce you? Valentina of Palewood, the winner of the Greystone Competition. Valentina, my consort, duchess Rosalind."

The Duchess bowed her head slightly. "Welcome to Dusktown." Her voice was cool, but not unfriendly. "I have heard of your impressive victory. An extraordinary feat for someone of your origin."

"Oh, that was clever," Vyxara purred. "A compliment and a reminder of your status in one breath."

"You are too kind, Your Grace," Valentina replied modestly.

The duchess sank gracefully into one of the high-backed armchairs. "Tell me about your plans. What do you hope to gain from your stay here?"

As Valentina spoke of her hopes to learn and improve her skills at the hospital, she observed how the duke and duchess behaved subtly differently. Where he smiled warmly and jovially, she remained cool and reserved. But her questions were sharp and precise, her interest obviously genuine.

"Of course," said the duchess at one point, "I do not hold it against you that you are not of nobility. I am a tolerant woman. But I expect the same standards from all people at court, whether noble or not. Especially when it comes to decorum."

"That was a warning," Vyxara commented. "A very clear one, in fact."

Valentina watched the duchess furtively. Despite her coolness, she radiated an impressive dignity. When I'm her age, Valentina thought, I want to be like that – so elegant, so confident, so impressive. In fact, she caught herself thinking that she wished the duchess might like her.

"That's not impossible," Vyxara intervened. "But the more important thing is that her husband likes you. And he obviously does."

In fact, the duke had barely taken his eyes off her. His eyes kept wandering over her figure, lingering on her face, her hair, her dress. His gaze was emphatically casual, but meaningful nonetheless.

"Master Wilford will be thrilled to have such a talented young Weaver at the hospital," he said just then. "I've been told about your water purification technique. Very useful. I think you can learn great things at the Hospital."

The Duchess suddenly stood up. "Well, as much as I would like to continue discussing the latest developments in Essence Weaving, I'm afraid I must leave you. Lady Beatrice is expecting me for tea." She nodded to Valentina. "You really are a pretty young thing. That will certainly be of use to you here at court." With these ambiguous words, she hurried out.

The duke smiled apologetically. "My wife can be a little... direct sometimes. But she doesn't mean any harm." He stood up and stepped to the window. "Come, take a look at the gardens. You have the best view from here."

Valentina followed him. As she stood next to him, she felt the warmth of his body. His hand touched her arm as if by chance when he pointed outside.

"Over there are the rose gardens – your favorite flowers, I hear?" He smiled down at her. "I hope you'll spend a lot of time in the gardens. They are beautiful in the moonlight."

"Oh, how subtle," Vyxara scoffed. "Almost as subtle as a hammer."

Valentina blushed slightly. "The gardens really are beautiful, Your Grace."

"Not nearly as beautiful as you," he said softly. Then he took a step back and his voice became more formal again. "The Chamberlain will show you the palace now. I'll see you at dinner – a small, private circle only. Family and close friends."

He took her hand and breathed a kiss on it. His lips lingered a moment longer than necessary. Despite herself, she felt a flutter in her stomach.

"Well," said Vyxara with satisfaction, "that was a promising start, don't you think?"

"Promising start to what?" she asked in her mind, only to hear the demon laugh softly in response from one of the back corners of her mind.

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