Harmonia unpacked her own luggage and reflected on the novelty of such a menial task. Two Hands had brought her trunk up, of course, but she’d asked them for a proper meal and they’d all left to fulfill the duty. Sensible servants would have left one behind to handle her needs, but the Hands had no sense of delegation or planning. She could have asked for one to wait on her, if she really wanted, but the act of asking felt a bit like chiding a lazy servant and she didn’t want to annoy herself with the bother. She suspected them sometimes of a deliberate misunderstanding of her needs, and refused to rise to that bait. Besides, it felt like an adventure to handle her own things; a primitive entertainment amongst incongruously luxurious surroundings.
And it really didn’t take long to get her clothes out. She traveled hilariously lightly to the Castle. Her House signs were all the social cachet she needed. My House can afford to send me here. The Assembly sees fit to let me pass; you aren’t special. More importantly, she didn''t need to bring everything she planned to wear anyway. The robes she would be wearing would be the ones she’d request from the Hands, woven or dyed in her House''s red. They wove beautiful work, and she’d make sure to take them home. The Voice had never minded her requests (it wasn''t like all those Hands could have that much work to do, she thought), and the unique fabric would speak for itself when she wore it at functions at home.
Her socialization at the Castle would be limited; there was no proper sense of form here, no organized functions. She had no interest in socializing with the odd foreigner. Most of the Tyrenians present were scholars, sent by their houses on cheaper permits. The Temple hadn''t been able to get many permits lately at all, so the only social equals Harmonia would see were those that happened to come at the same time as she. That might amount to five or so, and they would visit to each other''s rooms.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.
She wished she could have proper receptions in the Castle. It was rich enough, and the Hands would make excellent attendants if only she could talk the Voice into it. She understood why the Assembly gave out so few permits to travel there, though; the Library itself was useful, but only at arm''s length. Besides, there was no real business to be done otherwise. There were no markets around the Castle. Only undeveloped forest, the Castle itself, and superstition.
What a waste, Harmonia thought. She liked the Castle''s isolation in that she could relax there, and it was pleasant to parade her Castle dress in front of others back in Tyrene, but she knew she could do more with the place given the chance.
Her meal came after a while, and Harmonia waved the Hand away immediately afterwards. She had a beautiful suite to relax in, and days ahead of her to spend in it. Days without bustle, or the responsibilities of household management, or her father’s spies mixing it up with the spies from other Houses. What did it matter that the Voice’s servants were so few and so insolent? Harmonia could handle that. The privacy here was a treat.
Ismene and her father''s pet scholar didn’t really deserve it, but Harmonia didn’t want to gainsay the Voice’s over-generosity towards the servants. Ismene never got spoiled, fortunately. Harmonia would have to make sure Eryx didn’t take on an air from it either.