Nemorosis

The Bell Tolls for Me 40: One House, One Hope, One Hardship

Isabella arrived back from her meeting with Felix alongside Valerio. They were chatting amicably as they passed through the double doors to Valerio’s estate, but the duke stopped in his tracks when he saw Roderick and an older woman standing just beside him. Isabella studied her for a moment. She was tall, and it didn’t take her long to recognize a family resemblance. She had that same stern gaze that seemed intimidating at first.

�...

The Bell Tolls for Me 39: Proof is Hard to Come By

Isabella watched Gaspar walk into her room. Valerio and Randolph were beside her, and still doubt swirled through her mind. She had been very careful in her discussions with Gaspar not to mention anything that could implicate herself as the translator of the Veymont writings that were now being spread across the kingdom. But… she wasn’t perfect. Perhaps something had slipped through—something that would now confront her.

“Your Hi...

The Bell Tolls for Me 38: Forcing the Hand of Gods

Pius sat at the head of the table while his cardinals chatted all around him. Their voices overlapped with one another, all talking about how best to handle this problem. Alistair of Veymont, presumed by most to be the author of these pamphlets, had dug in his heels at the church’s request for him to publicly recant all of what he wrote in the Six Errors at threat of excommunication. Now, he was rallying the people in peaceful protest. He ca...

The Bell Tolls for Me 37: The Just Shall Live by Faith

Isabella admired the beautiful gray bird perched before her with a red tail of feathers. She moved her head, and it moved with her, roaming side to side. She had been trying to create this spell for the past three days. Three days of enduring indignities from the Inquisitors, the nuns, and the paladins. But now…

“I’ll admit that I am impressed, girl,” Igraine said as she watched from the side. “I wouldn’t call you a genius. M...

The Bell Tolls for Me 36: From Far Afield

Isabella had been expecting that the investigations for signs of pregnancy from the nuns would be very invasive, but it turns out that had been a mistake to assume. They’d been rather intrusive at first, but as time wore on, they lightened their interrogations and examinations. The reason for that was sitting on the end of her bed.

“I’m sorry about the nuns.” Gaspar shook his head. “Evidently there’s someone in the church tha...

The Bell Tolls for Me 35: Here I Stand, I Can Do No Other

Isabella sat beside Duke Valerio—opposite her was Archduke Felix. They haven’t been expecting this arrangement, but the archduke had been waiting outside of the estate when they left it. There was a matter that he wished to speak about, and so they had suggested that he ride along in their carriage as they journeyed to the archbishop’s cathedral.

“I’m sorry to see that you’re unwell, Your Highness,” the archduke said. “Be...

The Bell Tolls for Me 34: Magic and its Consequences

Igraine removed her hand from Isabella’s forehead. “Your body is having a negative reaction to the introduction of magic into your system. I told you this might happen, if you recall.”

Isabella blinked up at her tiredly. She felt a general malaise, alongside a heaviness and fatigue that made it difficult to have the desire to do anything. Despite the fact she knew she should be preparing for the business plan of the auction house w...

The Bell Tolls for Me 33: Have Faith, Child

This first scene will probably just be part of chapter 32 in the RR release. No need to break them up as I did.
***
Magic was a strange thing to manipulate. It was, by its very nature, a fickle and fleeting thing. One had to catch it and stabilize it with the use of their mana lock, and then, pluck it and weave it like the finest tapestry. The mana lock might be likened to the dreamcatchers that she’d hung up around her room as a littl...

The Bell Tolls for Me 32: Solidarity

“After what happened later that night, I understood,” Abigail said. “I wasn’t in any danger, but you very well could have been. So… you don’t need to apologize,” she finished, her face as stoic as ever.

Isabella smiled without saying anything. They sat in a private room in the archduke’s estate. Randolph stood behind her, keeping his promise of staying silent. It was terribly cold here—there wasn’t so much as a single...

The Bell Tolls for Me 31: The Bell Tolls for He

Great bells chimed melodically, faintly audible through the open balcony which let in the sea air. Isabella opened her eyes, looking toward the origin of the pleasant noise. Once more, she heard the royal bells welcoming a new monarch. For the first time, she heard them in Duke Valerio’s estate. While a room was being prepared for her, she had stayed for perhaps the last night in Valerio’s room.

Isabella sat up and removed her blanke...

The Bell Tolls for Me 30: A Dove Spreads Her Wings

Underneath the yoke of King Edgar II, things had felt desperate and tightly constrained. Everything had been at its worst, then—there was a sense of impending doom, always, and a certain arbitrary nature to everything that led Isabella to walk on her toes at all times. One wrong move might find her walking the same path that she did in her last life.

But now, as she and Valerio started to speak to the councilors, she wondered if it had...

The Bell Tolls for Me 29: Should I Stay or Should I Go

Isabella raised the elegant teacup to her lips. It wasn’t tea within, though—it was coffee. She expected a rush of bitter unpleasantness, but it was far different than she remembered it. The bitterness was there, but it came alongside other subtle tastes. Caramel, most prominently.

“What do you think?” Valerio asked, sitting across from her.

Isabella looked into it, then up at him. “It’s better than I… expected,” sh...

The Bell Tolls for Me 28: Cabinet of Curiosities

Isabella walked through Valerio’s estate, her arm linked with his to provide support. She took light, delicate steps in the soft shoes that he’d brought her. These were perhaps the most comfortable pieces of footwear she’d even worn—even the slippers of the palace were meant for decency. The cuts on her feet barely troubled her. Just alongside was Alice, and trailing behind was Randolph and Solomon.

“In the far north, there’s...

The Bell Tolls for Me 27: Down By the Shore

Isabella watched the sea from Duke Valerio’s chamber, going through all that she’d learned in her head. She’d donned a more comfortable dress, and Valerio had left her alone with her thoughts. Solomon and Randolph were both just outside the door, guarding. Technically, Isabella had yet to pay Randolph for today… but still he stuck around. She was grateful to him. She’d be sure to pay him a substantial amount, whenever she had the cha...

The Bell Tolls for Me 26: Brave New World

After Isabella had asked where she fit into their designs, there was a period of long silence between Valerio and Roderick. The old butler looked at Duke Valerio for a long time, almost as though they were having a conversation with their eyes alone. Eventually, Roderick gave a solemn nod, and Valerio smiled.

“We’re willing to tell you about our aims with the royal court, and with Dovhain,” Valerio said.

“We?” Isabella re...

The Bell Tolls for Me 25: Maiden Fair in the Pirate Lair

Isabella walked through the gate of Valerio’s estate, looking around. Randolph was right along with her. It was a humbler, quieter place than most ducal estates that she’d visited, but she found it very pleasant and well-maintained. There was an abundance of trees, which made it relatively secluded. It had a prime location by the ocean in a low-lying part of the city.  

“Wonder what he’s got in the basement,” Randolph said...

The Bell Tolls for Me 24: Peaceful Transfer of Power

“Claude may not like it, but there are certain things that need to be done for smooth succession,” a man said, speaking to a group of armored knights. “The remaining holy paladins are congregating in the royal palace. The estates of the favored princes in the capital, however, are largely undefended. We need to eliminate threats to King Claude’s reign.”

The man produced a map of the capital, marked in certain places.

“T...

The Bell Tolls for Me 23: I Am the State

“It’s indecent. Frankly, I’m disgusted and appalled,” said a prominent nobleman standing near King Edgar. He stayed silent, listening. “Art is meant to pay homage to our betters. And this… this lurid piece...” the man gestured toward the painting, which depicted a couple in embrace. The man seemed dark and terrifying, while the woman vivid and full of life. “It’s simply self-indulgent.”

“Come now.” Another person ...

The Bell Tolls for Me 22: Battle of the Brush

“I think that you wouldn’t be disappointed by the evening, Your Majesty,” Isabella said lightly. “A debutante ball is for men as much as it is women. This one in particular has fine art—and I can speak to its quality.”

“Hmm.” Edgar rubbed his chin. “I’ve been very busy lately. Council meetings tend to drag on and on—so many problems.” He looked back to one of the holy paladins standing nearby. “At least I can re...

The Bell Tolls for Me 21: Unconventionality

Isabella stood rigidly before the painting that she’d chosen from among the artists of the city. The Archduke Felix’s estate in the capital was made of marble, and so the splendidly colorful paintings that she’d chosen seemed especially striking next to the architecture. Felix looked at each of the paintings.

“They’re rather unconventional pieces,” he said, after having been silent for a long time.

Isabella nodded. “I...

The Bell Tolls for Me 20: No Word is Law

Igraine took both of Isabella’s hands in her own, and looked her straight into the eye.

“This exercise is dangerous,” Igraine said. “I will be doing the best that I can as your senior, but we’ll still be utilizing forces far beyond both of our ken. If you toy around with them, they can and will escape your body violently. Do not allow your intrusive thoughts to win, elsewise you might have a hole in your body somewhere.

I...

The Bell Tolls for Me 19: Testing the Waters

“We’ve had some shortfall on taxes in the south,” the treasurer Count Julian said, bringing Edgar to attention.

“What?” Edgar looked over, breaking his silence. All of the council seated devoted their full attention to the king. “Shortfalls? What are you talking about?”

Count Julian picked up the reports. “There’ve been a number of refugees flowing in from the southern continent,” he explained. “The local sout...

The Bell Tolls for Me 18: Tightening the Noose

The value of art was closely tied to how the connoisseurs viewed the piece more so than the technical talent behind it or other such considerations. In the days of Isabella’s father, Edgar the Great had proven a patron of artists that made pieces enshrining the crown and the pantheon for the sole purpose of furthering his legitimacy and public image. He had been a master of building a reputation for himself. His preferences naturally dissemi...

The Bell Tolls for Me 17: Trading in Lives

Duke Albert and Duke Valerio sat across from each other, their faces dimly lit by the chandelier above. Duke Valerio’s estate, perched right by the ocean, had a fantastic view of the ocean. All of the windows were open, allowing the salty sea air to flow into the dining room.

“What do I need to give you to make you end this engagement?” Albert asked.

Valerio spun his knife through his fingers without saying anything.

�...

The Bell Tolls for Me 16: Familiar Feeling

After a great deal of hesitation, Isabella opened the window slightly for the bird once more.

“I apologize for startling you, and for any impropriety that may come with approaching a lady in the dead of night, but circumstances demanded that I approach you in an unorthodox way,” the bird said to her.

Isabella listened to the voice closely, then asked, “Arthur?”

She looked at what she wore—it was winter, so her night...

The Bell Tolls for Me 15: The Business of War

Isabella watched the warriors training throughout the wide-open hall that Valerio had taken her to. On the outside, this place looked like a fancy bank. Deep inside, however, countless well-kept warriors sparred amongst each other. Isabella didn’t know very much about fighting, but they didn’t look clumsy or poorly trained. Rather, it reminded her of when she’d entered the training barracks of the holy paladins.

“What did you cal...

The Bell Tolls for Me 14: Opening the Door of the Birdcage

Isabella looked up at Abigail as they stood in the gardens of the royal palace.

She’s even taller than I remembered, Isabella thought. I suppose I was always looking up at her from afar when she was queen, so it would’ve been hard to tell.

Lady Abigail of Balat stood as tall as her father, who most certainly wasn’t a short man. If she were to don heels, she’d probably be taller than even Duke Valerio. Isab...

The Bell Tolls for Me 13: War of the Doves

Isabella looked into her mirror. There were some dark circles beneath her eyes. She’d been having difficulty sleeping from the strain in her neck, the thoughts of the present, and the nightmares of days past. She simply didn’t like this place. It made her feel suffocated.

Today ought to have been a day that she could smile boldly. She was temporarily rid of the advances of Duke Albert. She had something of an ally in Duke Valerio, th...

The Bell Tolls for Me 12: At the Whim of the Wicked

When Isabella was abruptly singled out and summoned to the royal court, that did little to quiet her anxiety. She’d already seen King Edgar II once today, and judged that he was hungover. That boded poorly for his already bad judgment. When it became apparent that she was one of many that’d been summoned, she was further uneased.

Entering into the throne room of Dovhain, Isabella could recall nothing but bad memories. Even when she�...

The Bell Tolls for Me 11: Invoking the Imperial Imp

Arthur sat in his private quarters in the Archwizard’s residence, stewing over last night.

The man that he’d confronted had managed to weasel his way out of any punishment. He’d claimed that when he’d been talking about the ‘trade of love,’ he was speaking about the finer arts like poetry. When he referred to a pleasure house, he’d only been referring to a house that makes people happy, not a brothel or something more indec...