Gordon was one of her father’s fellow apprentices when he was studying magic item crafting in the capital. Olivia also knew Gordan well since he’d spent six months in Daregas for work seven years ago. He’d also traveled all the way out here from the capital for her father’s funeral and made sure to tell her when he was leaving to let him know if she ever needed anything. Her father must have said something to him before he died.
She slipped deep into thought as she stared at her father’s letter.
I’m surprised by what the letter says, but going to the capital might actually not be a bad option.
She’d heard the capital was ten times the size of Daregas. Surely, there would be somewhere that would hire her as an artificer.
Olivia slipped the letter and envelope into her bag and closed the safety deposit box. After thanking the bank worker who had been watching from a distance, she withdrew enough money to cover her living expenses for the time being and left the bank.
The sun had risen high as Olivia stepped into the open square just outside the bank; people and horses bustled across the cobblestone. She looked up at a clear blue sky. As she gazed, she made her decision.
“To the capital.”
Even though she was forced out, she couldn’t bear the thought of leaving town and her father’s shop behind—but she also knew she would feel nothing but regret if she gave up on being an artificer just to stay here. It would also make her parents sad. She decided to go to the capital, work hard, and become an excellent artificer like her father.
Now that I’ve decided, I need to buy a ticket to the capital.
With a look of determination on her face, she set off at a brisk pace, cut across the chaotic square, and passed down a street lined with stalls selling breakfast foods.
She stopped before a particularly large building and looked up at the Daregas Horsecar Rail Station sign.
The rail line utilized horse-drawn carriages pulled by a special breed twice as powerful as your normal horse. They ran along two rails laid on the ground, cutting the usual two-day trip from Daregas to the capital down to only half a day. Tickets were costly, so Olivia hadn’t ridden it in a few years, not since she had to travel to her cousin’s wedding.
Olivia entered the station into a space as vast as an open square in the city, with a high ceiling that reminded her of a church. Well-dressed people bustled back and forth, carrying luggage. In the back, she saw the large horses, stone platforms, and silver rails that stretched into the distance.
She gulped.
The place’s unique atmosphere made her question if everything really was all right, but she straightened her back and gave herself a reassuring pep talk before losing her courage.
Get in there! You can do this!
She set off through the station, even though her steps were a bit awkward, and went to the ticket desk. She approached the bespectacled lady working there and crisply told her she wanted to go to the capital.
“The next horsecar isn’t until noon. Is that all right?” asked the woman.
“Yes. I’ll take that one.”
She retrieved her wallet and dished out enough money to support a family of four for two weeks, then took the palm-sized ticket that displayed the date and time of the horsecar.
Once she stepped outside the station, she let out a sigh. All she’d done was buy a ticket, but she still felt as worn out as if she’d worked all day. She didn’t have time for a break now, however.
Let’s take care of the things I need to get done before I leave.
She boarded one of the carriages outside the station, and it whisked her off to the cemetery outside town. With her head hung in front of her parents’ relatively new graves, she told them she would be back to visit someday.
Afterward, she returned to the carriage, traveled to the area near the station, and ordered a simple pasta dish from one of the stalls to fill her belly.
About twenty minutes before the horsecar was scheduled to depart, she was already waiting on the platform. Several horsecars were at the various platforms, and people milled about as they boarded and disembarked. She stood on the largest platform with the sign saying “Capital” and let out a little sigh.
I wonder what the capital is like.
She stared into the distance where the rails disappeared, a mixture of unease and anticipation inside her.
Not too long before her horsecar was meant to arrive, she heard a man and woman behind her talking.
“Hello, handsome. Where are you off to?” asked the woman.
“Hello, miss. I’m on my way home,” replied the man.
“Will you be coming back to this area anytime soon? I’d love to grab a bite with you.”
“As much as I appreciate the invitation, I don’t have plans to visit again at the moment.”
“Oh. That’s unfortunate. What if we went right now?”
Olivia found herself scowling as she listened to their conversation. It made her think of the gloating faces of her ex-fiancé Henry and Catherine.
I don’t think I want to hear any conversation less than that right now.
She closed her eyes and turned her face down to hide her irritation. Suddenly, a harsh bell rang loudly as a station worker’s voice echoed through the station.
“Capital horsecar now arriving! Capital horsecar now arriving!”
Four massive black horses thundered toward the platform she was standing at, drawing behind them two linked carriages.
Oh gosh!
The sight was so imposing that she found herself stumbling back. She tried hard to plant her feet so she wouldn’t fall over backward.
“Careful there,” came a voice from above as a strong arm cradled her back. “Are you all right?”
With the help of that arm, she managed to regain her footing. She spun around and bowed low. “Th-thank you; you stopped me from falling.”
“It’s no worry at all. I’m just glad you’re not hurt, madam.”
“Excuse me?” Olivia froze, still looking down.
“Uh, I just, I’m glad you’re all right, madam.” He sounded confused by her intense reaction.
Maybe it was because this was the man who’d been having that chat that annoyed her, or perhaps it was because the title “madam” was only meant to be used for married women over thirty, or possibly it was even because she was on edge after having spent a sleepless night in a park. Still, she found herself glaring at this man who was more than a whole head taller than her.
He gulped when he saw how young she was.
“I am not a madam!” she shouted.