Harvest - 10 (Patreon)

With the king's proclamation and the arrival of Celestine and Aderic, the ball started in earnest. While the dance had yet to start, musicians had begun to play a background tune to set the atmosphere and the entire north wing of the palace had been opened to guests. Many nobles had remained in the great hall, seeking the attention of the king, queen, prince, and guests of honour, but I, along with a number of others, had fanned out to quieter spaces

Which was where I had found myself speaking with an elderly woman entirely out of her depth.

"I never set out to become an inventor, you know. I just spent all my life making clothes – oh the stories these hands could tell!" Jasmine, or Old Jas as she preferred to be called, said with her calloused hands raised in the air. "Day in and day out, carding and spinning and knitting to see the little ones warm through winter. Then as they got bigger, unwinding it all and starting again. And then along came you!" She let out a great bark of laughter. "Some of my friends were quite mad, you see, thinking that they'd be out of a living. But me? I was just happy. Got meself a carding drum early and it let my old bones rest a bit."

Putting a hand over my face, I groaned loudly. "Bloody carding drums... I never did patent that. It got out before I could." I grumbled. "I saw a group of women attacking a factory on my way here... it wasn't pretty. But, even if..."

Old Jas waved her hand flippantly and scoffed. "Bah, let them fight it. Didn't do the ‘fineries any good when the smiths got their new-fangled techniques. Gilnean steel's never been better! Or so my grandson tells me. I can buy thread on bobbins for a thruppence from the right merchant now, spun all even like, and knit a poor lad to keep warm in an hour or two. Two farthings. Two and I can make a living off keeping people dressed in good nick. Afore I had to charge a crown fifth, a bloody month's wages, just to put food on the table I did."

"It's dramatic the difference it makes. Not that it's cheap up front, keepers only know how much I spent prototyping..." Well, keepers and Darius most likely. I was reasonably sure he kept track of my accounts better than I did. "I'll have to purchase one of yours; having a knitting machine to go with all else–"

She tsked. "No, no. You ain't paying a tuppence dear. I'll tell James to make one up and send it over. Would never have come up with the thought if I didn't see your little spinner, owe you my boys’ inheritance I do. Even got some nobs–" She paused, glancing briefly at some of the others who were relaxing in the same orangery as us. Nobles one and all. "–nobs." She repeated firmly. "Sniffing around my granddaughters. Me, a lass from a shack in the headlands, grandmother to a noble lady? Perish the thought!"

We continued chatting for a while, speaking further on the topics of tailoring and inventions to make it easier. I honestly couldn't think of why I hadn't considered making a knitting machine; well, no. I didn't use much knitted cloth because making an automated loom made woven fabric so easy, but knitting opened avenues. Knitted fabric stretched.

It was by no means elastic, I'd need to harangue the Royal Alchemical society to get that, but the path to comfortable lounging in a t-shirt was possibly open to me. Button-up shirts were fine but there was something to be said for clothes you didn't have to think about.

I didn't care terribly much that I gave away a few useful ideas to her. She was using bearded needles and me pointing out how much better a tiny latch would make things would just mean her product, when I got one, would be better. Also even with a knitting machine I was never going to care for making lace; it made it easier but it was still a pain in the arse. Tubular knitting was also something I vaguely remembered being a thing that I pushed her towards.

Old Jas wasn't the only inventor hanging around the ball either, just the only one with a focus on tailoring. I ended up speaking briefly with a clockmaker who had a plethora of similar inventions, from grandfather clocks to gnome-style animatronic toys – albeit unintelligent and simplistic ones – under his belt, and an old man who had devised the float glass method of production and made a business out of it some forty years ago.

It went a long way to explain the cheapness of glass in Gilneas and its presence in even relatively poor homes.

There were almost certainly more inventors scattered around Gilneas, some more important than others, but not everyone invited would come to the ball. Old Jas had only come because she was old and she decided she might as well before she finally kicked the bucket.

-oOoOo-

With the eighth bell tolling it was time to head to the ballroom, where the music was starting to get louder and the dance would soon begin. Vivi was at my side again, though she'd never been far away at any point; she'd left me to talk shop and chatted with some young noblemen who had been boasting of their skill with a sword. We had all gotten treated to a bit of a show after she decided to prove to them that she could use a sword and seemed to completely forget how she was dressed, taking up a display piece and stepping through a number of her forms.

While I felt rather possessive of Vivi, for the obvious reason of her being my girlfriend, I found that the stares she received when she put on her display – stares that translated into further attention beyond just her sword forms – made me more proud than jealous. She had put aside the embarrassment she felt over the dress I made for her and was owning her appearance. The confidence on display was only making her more attractive.

It certainly helped to know that they could look all they liked, leer with slack jaws, but that was all they would ever get. Vivi made a point of beaming a smile my way that made my heart skip anytime she caught me staring.

Vivi stopped to brush a lock of hair out of my face, tucking it behind my ear. My cheeks burned for a moment, wondering if she was going to break decorum and kiss me like I had earlier; there had been plenty of scandalised whispers when I did that.

More for the public display of affection than the fact we were girls, though there was still a little of the latter.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked teasingly.

"You." I breathed, not able to stop myself from giggling like a little girl at my own response. "And the dance we're going to have. A real, proper, ballroom dance. With the best dance partner I could possibly ever have."

Now it was her turn to blush, her arm twitching from where I was holding it like she wanted to reach out and grab me, like she wanted to pull me into a hug. Stupid propriety.

"W-well, it takes two to waltz. I can't possibly do it without you." Vivi said, staring straight ahead and starting us walking again.

"Every time I see the two of you I am astounded that the stories about sapphic lovers are, if anything, an understatement." Lorna said with deep exasperation and a shake of her head. "I understand that you wish to match your partner, but I don't think changing the colour of your skin is the way to go about it Gwen."

"I'm not that bad!" I protested, only to be met with a blank stare.

"The fact your blush extends past your cheeks says otherwise." She said dryly.

"It's cute." Vivi muttered, her eyes flicking away when I looked up at her.

Finding no refuge with Vivi in the face of Lorna deciding to be her wonderful self, even if I was inwardly happy to learn Vivi found my extended blush cute, I looked around the ballroom for a suitable change in topic. Lady Tulvan was in a position away from her aggravating son, where I might chance speaking to her without his interference and fulfil what Darius wanted; I'd gotten to most of his list but not her.

However, before I told Lorna I needed to go talk to the woman, my eyes landed on something much more peculiar. Beside the familiar feelings of Celestine and Aderic, their amber tokens pulsating with Life alongside mine, was a figure of Arcane magic.

Not a strong one, or at least nowhere near the strongest I'd ever met – not that I could accurately tell when they weren't casting – but a presence nonetheless. One cloaked in a variety of magical trappings, items which each gave off their own buzz and electric tang of magic. All chorusing and focusing Arcane energies in one way or another.

"Who is that?" I said, gesturing in his direction. "Beside Celestine."

Lorna shot me a look telling me she knew what I was doing, but turned anyway. "Ah, that's Archmage Arugal. Considering the crown's relations with the Kirin Tor," she looked at me pointedly, "it is something of a surprise to see him here. But I suppose he is a Gilnean citizen, and as our sole archmage he has a right to be here."

"He's the one who hexed you to leave red handprints everywhere for a month, isn't he?" Vivi asked, leaning towards Lorna. "You never did tell me how that happened."

"We were trying to steal his spellbook." Prince Liam said with a sidelong smirk aimed at Lorna as he strode in beside her. "It was a daring tale of two youths out to discover the secrets of magic from the secretive magician who had stolen away the time of their parents, feats of courage and cleverness abound in our efforts to thwart guards and sneak into the quarters of the magician to prove his devilish intent."

It wasn't often I got to see Lorna turn a deep red, but it was truly a sight to behold. She didn't seem to be able to decide between embarrassment and anger at the prince spilling their secrets.

"So, you got caught red-handed, and he made it literal." I said, covering my mouth as I laughed. "I didn't know archmages had a sense of humour."

"It was Darius' suggestion, actually." Prince Liam said, sending a charming smile my way. I blinked and leaned closer to Vivi; that was annoying, he was a damn handsome prince and had a good smile. "A pleasure to meet you, Gwyneth. I made a grave mistake in not meeting you properly during your time in Duskhaven. Please, if you would be so kind as to allow me a dance tonight I would desire to make up for that mistake."

"I have a dance partner," I said, buying myself time to think. A dance with the prince didn't sound like something I could refuse, but it didn't sound unpleasant either, especially if I could get more stories about Lorna and his hijinks as children out of him. Maybe I could learn what started her infatuation with him in the first place and have something to tease her with. "Perhaps we could trade for a dance? Myself for Lorna so that Vivianne isn't left alone. They have been close friends for many a year."

He smiled again, infuriatingly attractively with his neat little beard. "An excellent proposition. If our partners have no complaints, that is?"

"I suppose I have sufficient room on my dance card for an old friend." Lorna said, still looking at the prince with narrowed eyes. "She, at least, doesn't spill secrets without a moment's hesitation."

"It sounds delightful." Vivi said, an amused lilt to her voice. "I won't presume a dance with Your Highness myself, but I would be quite happy to swap stories about our mutual friend if you'd like."

Lorna's eyes snapped to Vivi.

"Indeed. She's told us so much about you, it is only fair to turn it around, right?" I said, grinning widely.

After a moment, the three of us, sans Lorna, burst out laughing. She bore it stoically with only a slight shake of her head. Further conversation, however, was interrupted by the call for the dances to begin, the ballroom floor opening up for those who had the first dance to take centre stage.

Darius had a slot as a duke, but as he refused to remarry after the loss of his wife, or even contemplate it so long as he had Lorna as his heir, he had passed it to me. We all knew that Lorna was going to end up with the prince for the first dance so it wasn't like he was denying her either. The very nature of the ball was more organised and structured than one might think looking from the outside in, with the few openings for the first dance that weren't pre-assigned apparently the subject of some jockeying amongst lower-ranked nobility.

This was all information I'd picked up as part of my etiquette lessons with Lorna, the governess who had overseen them considering a ball one of the most important aspects of being a noble lady. Though, with Lorna's circumstances, that was demonstrably not true for all noble ladies – still, I could understand why she considered it important. Chance to display yourself for the benefit of your family and to show off your appeal to possible suitors by demonstrating the poise and beauty you held weren't common.

Not that I really cared about any of that for me. I just wanted to dance with Vivi, getting to show her off and wow everything with my amazing girlfriend was just a side benefit.

We walked arm in arm onto the floor, drawing attention as the only same-sex couple to have that honour. I had seen a pair of attached men in the crowd at one point, but that didn't stop us from being unusual – nor did it stop Isobel from glaring at us.

I made a point of meeting her eyes and smiling at her as the music started, Vivi taking my arms and taking us through the steps of the Tyrian Waltz. Three steps, our bodies held so close that our chests touched while my feet followed her lead. It was a simple dance, at its core, but that didn't mean it didn't take skill and practice to get right.

One. Two. Three. Rotating around and around, twisting and turning with my skirts swirling around us and Vivi's grace letting her move so fluidly that she never got caught up in them. She was smiling, so brightly and widely, that the world around us seemed to shrink away.

Just me, her, and the music.

Thankfully despite her eyes being on me, Vivi was paying more attention than I was. When it was our turn she lead us into the very centre of the hall, the centre of the dancers, and started to speed up our spin, a test of my ability to keep up with her that left my heart pounding, before we stepped away once more into the circle of dancers and another took our place.

I knew, in my head, that the first dance was the longest. But as the music drew to a close and we came to a stop, it felt like it hadn't been any time at all. My breath heavy I rested my head on Vivi's shoulder, closing my eyes.

"Love you." I whispered softly, the words bubbling their way out of me.

There was a brief moment of tension before her hand rose to stroke my hair. "I love you too." She said, her breath tickling my ear and making my head spin. "Light and watchers and... all the gods, Gwen, I love you."

-oOoOo-

The hour was late, my feet were sore, and my skin was flushed by the time we stopped dancing. I didn't know what came over me to say the words to Vivi but I had and it meant the world to me that she had said them back. I knew there were more important things, I knew that the world was in danger and life would be a struggle for survival soon, but I didn't care. Vivi loved me.

Here and now, what else could matter?

It had been with great reluctance I had parted from her for long enough to dance with the prince, those few words turning my intentions on their head in a moment. Still, dancing with him hadn't been bad, it just hadn't had the same spark. I had, however, drawn attention – though perhaps not as much as Aderic had garnered when he performed a perfect Foxtrot with a rather perplexed-looking Lady Tulvan in his furs and leathers.

Given that it was the only dance he had taken part in I got the feel he had specifically learned it, one of the harder ballroom dances, just because of the name.

"I'm surprised you aren't cold." Prince Liam said, his breath misting in the wintry air as he examined the three of us.

We had gone outside, escaping from the music, now that we exhausted ourselves. The prince still wanted to speak with me more for some reason so far undisclosed so he had come with us – and I got the feeling it wasn't just because Lorna was following along to make sure Vivi and I didn't abscond into a suddenly enlarged and flowering bush when no one was looking.

"Magic is amazing." I replied happily. Not that I had stopped being happy for the last few hours. Vivi said she loved me, how could I not be happy? "I didn't put that much into enchanting our dresses, but they're still warm. My scarf more than anything." I pulled the product of my and Mama's efforts up to my lips.

It was nice to have something of hers with me on such a momentous day. She couldn't be here, she would hate being here, but... it mattered. Or, I could be entirely too sappy inside my own head right now.

The prince looked at me, his eyes drifting to my exposed cleavage before returning to my face with a raised brow. "My own clothes are made by the finest tailors Gilneas can offer–"

"No they're not!" Vivi interjected, pulling me closer such that our hips bumped. "She's right here."

"–and they don't have such an effect as to ignore this cold entirely." He finished, turning his gaze to Vivi. "Perhaps, Vivianne. I do not believe any of mine studied in Dalaran, nor under an archmage even. Archmage Modera, I believe it was? An accomplishment when one factors in how young you must have been."

"We didn't part on good terms." I said, my mood flattening. Apparently there was a way to burst this bubble of joy I was feeling, remind me of the worst time of my life when Mama was gone and I failed utterly. "I would prefer if you didn't bring her up at all, Your Highness. But I will say that I learned magical tailoring under one Enchanter Holdfast rather than an archmage."

"Gwen has an uncomfortable relationship with her time in Dalaran due to her expulsion from the city." Lorna supplied, understating things massively. The event had reshaped the way I lived and acted immensely, I stopped being sure things would work out and started thinking I had to go for the sure thing rather than hopes and dreams.

It had been an overcorrection. And I knew that. In hindsight.

But that didn't stop it from changing the way I thought and lived.

"Oh dear." Prince Liam said, his footsteps halting. "I was entirely unaware. While the archmage was here I had the chance to speak with her and she spoke highly of you. I thought..." He shook his head. "My apologies, Inventor Arevin, for my mistake."

"She's the one who kicked me out of Dalaran." I spat angrily, then took a deep breath – leaning into Vivi's hair and the apple scent of her hair wash helped calm me down, helped bring back the bubbling joy I felt. "And you can call me Gwen, Your Highness. Lorna is my second oldest friend and you are hers, so I give you my confidence." I didn't accept his apology. I appreciated it but I didn't want to acknowledge it. Didn't want to think about it.

"Thank you." He said, smiling that charming smile of his again. "Onto a light topic! My sister has not stopped telling me about the little witch who came and entertained her over the summer. Patricia, her name was. Are you familiar with her?"

The topic whiplash was real but good. "You could say that, she's my apprentice. And quite traumatised by her experience – it took her near a month to forgive me for leaving her with Her Majesty."

"That isn't the story Tess told! She thought they were good friends and keeps asking if Patricia could come visit again. Mother and Father coddle her, keep her too close, and she lacks playmates." He sighed deeply. "I suspect she has spent all day fussing over being left alone with no one save the maids and trying to spy on the ball."

"We could change that." I said impulsively. "That is, if you do not believe the king and queen would disapprove. I don't think I wish to return to the ball tonight regardless. Why not brighten up your sister's night, if she's still awake?"

This time when the prince smiled, it was far more genuine than charming. "She most certainly will be. Tess was adamant she would be awake to witness the fireworks tonight."

-oOoOo-

"It's the wolf!" Princess Tess exclaimed, pointing excitedly at the constellation I had conjured for her. "And it's running! Look! It's made of stars and running, brother, look!" She laughed merrily as she started to chase the stellar wolf after I made lines of Astral light connect the dots, filling in its limbs and making it run.

The sheer exuberance, excitement, and joy that had come from the young princess finding her brother, his 'girl friend', and a new witch coming to visit her had my heart feeling like it was too big for my chest. She managed to remind me a little of Trix when she was first starting to learn, so utterly fascinated with and adoring of magic; none of my students were quite like that anymore.

Maybe that meant it was time for new ones? We needed to expand the ranks somehow. Something to speak with the speakers about, exactly how we were going to handle that had never been finalised.

As the princess 'caught' the wolf and tried to clamber onto the insubstantial illusion's back, I was dearly tempted to turn into a fox and let her ride me. If we were alone, just myself, Lorna, Vivi, Prince Liam, and Princess Tess, I might have actually done it. The thought of someone riding on my back didn't bother me at all – the thought of letting a child have the night of their lives because I gave it to them on the other hand? That made me feel a warm glow.

But, there were guards. Guards watching the prince, guards watching the princess, and most of all, guards watching those who might threaten either of them – namely me. We weren't in the open wing of the palace anymore, instead one of the parlours of the west wing with the doors to the balcony flung open so the princess had access to the snow whenever she wanted. There would still be a grand view of the fireworks from here, giving us little reason to return to the ball proper unless someone sent for us.

"Be careful, Tess!" Prince Liam yelled, dashing across the snow as the princess threw herself at the wolf as if that would make it real. "I understand. I would have wanted to ride a wolf as child too, but sadly we have but horses."

"But the wolfy!" She protested. "He's right there!"

"There are riding wolves out there in the world, Your Highness." I said, smiling as the prince picked his sister up out of the snow to put her on his shoulders. She latched onto his head and seemed quite happy with the situation – her protests about trying to catch my illusion ceasing entirely. "Some... not too far from here, as distances go. The Alterac Mountains have valleys where they live and there are those that tame them."

Lorna gave me a sharp look. This wasn't anything relevant so it wasn't like I'd told her before; though I had told her about orcs riding dire wolves... which may be giving the wrong impression here.

"Really?" Princess Tess asked. "Can I have one?"

"I couldn't say – I've never met the ones who tame them. They're... not the friendliest, but not evil either. They've kept themselves hidden for twenty years or so, away from all of the kingdoms. They didn't want to be involved in any wars, you see."

"An Alteraci splinter?" Prince Liam mused. "It would be difficult, sister. I will speak to Father but I cannot make promises."

Rather than protest, the princess just pouted, crossing her arms over Liam's head and letting out a stoic little huff. It was absolutely adorable. "Fine. I'll just have to ride the horses then." She grumbled as if it was the greatest sacrifice in the world.

It was still a remarkable showing of not throwing a tantrum to get her way for a girl of seven.

"Are those people on the bridge?" Vivi said, peering over the balcony railing. "They're riding fast."

"What?" One of the guards blurted, rushing up to the edge and looking for himself. "I don't– I see them. Julian, go inform the staff at once. Two riders on the bridge, magical lights."

"Aye sir!"

Curious as to what was going on, we all moved to peer into the darkness and see who was coming, only for me to recognise who was there. My hand on the cold stone railing tensed, the chill ignored as my fingers did their best to bite into the stone.

I recognised them. Even in the dark, even without any way to see their faces, even without any light for the tabards’ colours or patterns to show, I could tell who they were. Or rather, I could tell who one of them was. The magic of her robes seared into my memory. The buzzing of my teeth from the magic that wafted off of her putting goosebumps on my skin. The magical light shining before them, guiding their horses safely, screaming of the heavenly dance of the stars above.

"Modera."

It didn't matter who the other rider was, the woman who tasted of hoarfrost even at this distance. Modera had come again and she was here to ruin my day.

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Beta read by Trestira.