-Eris-

  Dear Eris,

  It's been a long few months since we last met. The labyrinth dive was an unmitigated disaster. I nearly died and Sylphiette lost a hand protecting me. In truth, it was the most shameful moment of my life, costing my partner something so precious. Luckily, we were aided by Elinalise and Talhand, Ghislaine's old party members. Elinalise helped me nurse Sylphiette back to health and, without anyone asking, Talhand created a prosthetic for her. It was a simple prototype, but she managed to channel magic through it as if it were her own hand.

  Once Sylphiette had recovered and become comfortable with her new hand, we set about gathering materials for an improved model. Our personal quest took us back through the Eastern North, where rare materials were plentiful. While Sylphiette and I had avoided areas with the most valuable minerals in the past, due to the monsters protecting them being so fierce, our party of four easily subdued any threats.

  The final piece that Talhand required was something special for Sylphiette: A Wind Crystal. Much like the magic stone in my staff, we would need to dive into a dungeon to acquire such a rare gem. I feared Sylphiette may struggle to return, after having nearly died on her first dive. However, my fears were unfounded. She was unbothered and an invaluable member of the party. By the time we had claimed her crystal in the depths of the labyrinth, she convinced us to defeat the guardian at the core. Even having recently cleared two, she's already shown interest in exploring more labyrinths.

  The finished product was a work of art. The metallic hand was forged around the crystal, with it's face barely visible in the palm. Once Talhand had forged the improved prosthetic, he left with barely a goodbye. It seemed he had a longstanding appointment to attend to. I'm certain he will pop up again when he misses us. As for Elinalise, she decided to keep adventuring with us. She has become a close friend to both myself and Sylphiette.

  Now, in response to your letter. I will gladly attend the coronation of Queen Aerial. I'm to understand it was a hard fought battle for the throne, so I'm happy to hear neither you nor your compatriots were harmed. I will be bringing Sylphiette as my additional guest. She recently proposed, so now I am her fiancee. After the coronation, we'll be heading to Buena Village for a small wedding. We will see you soon.

  Sincerely,

  Roxy Migurdia

  P.S. Sylphiette may have gotten the wrong idea when you two met. Please be patient with her during the coronation.

  Eris read the letter with some trouble. Even after all these years, she sometimes needed help understanding Roxy's flowery writing. Using different words for the same item or people confused her. She tended to grasp the main idea, but on occasion requested assistance from Derick or Luke, her fellow imperial aids. She used to ask Aerial for help as well, but she no longer had time to help her knight read letters.

  Once she fully comprehended the contents, she was excited for the chance to once again meet her teacher. She wished she could meet Elinalise as well, but the royal court was clear about guests only bringing one additional person. She wasn't disappointed in the choice though. Sylphiette was a swordswoman she respected, so another encounter was more than welcome.

  The night of the coronation, Eris was careful not to let her excitement get the better of her. When she last met Roxy and Sylphiette, she had been scolded for her reckless disregard for her station. As one of the Seven Knights of Asura, she represented not only Aerial's power, but her judgment. If one of her hand-picked inner circle was to make a fool of herself at the coronation, it would undermine the Queen's mental faculties for her entire reign. So, Eris patiently waited to be released from her duty and allowed to wander the banquet.

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  Even once freed from her work, she remained respectable. She was required to wear the knight's ceremonial golden armor for the entire night. She found it uncomfortable, but she could handle it for special occasions. The one benefit was it allowed her to stand out, so she was quickly found by her teacher.

  “Hello, Eris. How are you doing?” Roxy came over, followed shortly behind by her betrothed. The elf woman had a sense of confidence to her that she had lacked the last time they met, as well as a streak of white hair that ran through her braid. Eris knew Sylphiette had struggled, so she was happy to see the woman who would wed her teacher had gained strength in exchange for her pain.

  “Fine.” As blunt as ever, she didn't elaborate. “So, you two are getting married?”

  Roxy blushed, still not comfortable with discussing the engagement. It didn't help that she feared Eris might say the wrong thing, possibly not understanding that two women could be wed, and offend Sylphiette. “Well, you see...”

  “Yes. I'm making Roxy my wife.” Sylphiette took Roxy's hand and declared her intentions to Eris. There was no fear or insecurity in her eyes. Only pride.

  “Good. You better make her happy.” Eris was proud of Sylphiette. She understood from personal experience that confessing one's love was one of the hardest things a person could do. With that matter settled, she made a demand. “Let me see your hand.”

  The abrupt change in topic took Sylphiette a moment to register. Then, she realized Eris wanted to see her prosthetic. “Uh... Sure?” Taking off her glove, she held it up to the knight.

  Grabbing Sylphiette's wrist, Eris looked it over. Then, she nodded. “This is a sign of your courage. It may have cost you dearly, but you grew from the loss. Never forget that this isn't a sign of weakness. It is your strength.”

  Sylphiette was stunned for a moment, not expecting such well worded encouragement from the brutish swordswoman. She felt like she was finally starting to understand Eris. She was certainly brash, but she had never meant to offend her. With a caring smile, Sylphiette accepted the praise. “I'll always remember.”

  Roxy was happy to see her two students get along. She felt it was the right time to ask, now that the tension between them had eased. “Eris, would you like to come to the wedding?”

  “Sure.” A simple reply, as always.

  “Is it really that simple?” Sylphiette asked. “Aren't you one of Aerial's most important allies? Should you be leaving her side so soon after she ascends the throne?”

  “I'll figure it out.” Eris brushed off the concern. Then, an idea occurred to her. “Take me the next time you explore a labyrinth too.”

  Roxy and Sylphiette looked at each other, then laughed. Sylphiette was the first to reply. “I guess she did earn a dive.”

  Roxy had no concerns either. “As long as it won't cause any issues, that should be fine.”

  Their idle chatter went on like that for a good while. They planned to meet at the capital's exit the next day, after Eris's affairs were settled.

  The following morning was chaos. Queen Aerial was unable to dissuade Eris from her plans of departing the city. Derrick Redbat tried to convince her, but the mage had never had much luck when it came to taming the Red Lion. Her husband also failed to change her mind, not that Luke Notos Greyrat tried awfully hard. Eris always held the higher authority in their relationship. The matter was settled with Eris needing to return as soon as possible, though everyone besides the woman in question understood that may be months in the future.

  So, the four women headed for Buena Village. Sylphiette was excited to see her family again, as well as the Greyrats. She wished Norn and Aisha could attend their wedding, but they were still studying in Ranoa. Roxy was more nervous. She would have to face not two, but five parents when returning to Buena, hoping they'd accept her. Little did she know, Paul had spread the word of Sylphiette's crush years ago, so they were all prepared for her to become part of the family.

  Elinalise was still considering her options. She was conflicted over whether it was the right time to meet her son, or if it would be better to skip the wedding and maintain her current relationship with Sylphiette. Every instinct was telling her to hide, sparing her granddaughter the shame of knowing she was related to a harlot, but the look on Sylphiette's face when she talked about her wedding kept Elinalise at her side.

  As for Eris, she was just along for the ride. In all her life, she had never truly had a friend. Roxy was her teacher. Ghislaine was her bodyguard. Aerial was her master. Even Luke was so infatuated with her that they weren't on even ground. But with Sylphiette, she had finally found a friend. That thought brought her great joy.