A Day with Olivia and Ellis
The Military District of the Emaleid Citadel
With the attack on Fort Astora looming, the stream of people coming and growing grew more turbulent with each passing day. In the midst of all this, Olivia, who found herself with time for leisure, wandered the barracks without purpose.
Claudia and Ashton are both so busy, they don’t have time for me. Maybe I’ll go hunting for a change... With that in mind, she turned a corner and saw Ellis walking ahead of her. Or maybe I could go and eat with Ellis at the mess hall. She opened her mouth, about to call out, then immediately clamped it shut again.
Ellis has gotten even more clingy lately. She might not be easy to eat with... Olivia decided that she would not invite Ellis after all, only to in the next moment find Ellis standing right in front of her, grinning from ear to ear. The tiny noise that escaped her sounded strange even to her own ears, she was so taken aback.
“Fancy the two of us meeting in a place like this! We really must be bound by fate, don’t you think? On which note, where are you heading, General?”
“Me? Oh, um... I wasn’t really... You know, I can’t believe you realized I was behind you.”
Ellis had been a fair way ahead of her, but what astonished Olivia still further was how the other woman had gotten right in close to her without giving away her presence at all.
Ellis’s smile grew broader. “I’d know where my big sister was if you were on the other side of the world.”
At that moment, Olivia could not have confidently denied this statement. Ellis had a formidableness about her that implied she could really have done it.
“Anyway, where were you headed?”
“Um...” Olivia mumbled. “Good question...”
“If you don’t have anywhere to be, I’d love to have your company for a little while. I just so happen to be free at the moment.”
Before Olivia could reply, Ellis hooked an arm through hers. At this, the man walking beside her hurried to interpose himself between them.
“Hold up, sis. You haven’t got a minute of free time!”
“Don’t call me that! And my schedule just opened up, so get out of the way,” Ellis said coolly to her aide, giving him an icy look that she had never used on Olivia. Faced with those eyes, Olivia would have been out of there as fast as possible, but the aide stood his ground without fear. Olivia applauded him silently.
“This is an order from your superior officer. Seeing as you’ve got time to stand around balding before my eyes, you can go do my paperwork for me.” The acidity in her voice seemed cruel, even to Olivia, and with it, the aide finally gave in. As she watched him rub his head piteously, it inspired in her a profound sadness, even as Ellis tugged on her arm and led her away.
An hour later, Olivia had somehow found herself in the tailor’s shop known for having the best assortment of goods in town.
“I think these too may suit the lady very well.”
“That’s a fine eye you’ve got! I like you. Bring us what you think is good, and keep ’em coming!”
The shop assistant dressed Olivia up in one outfit after another, Ellis sighing passionately while her eyes shone at every change.
If I’d known this was coming, I would have said I was busy... Olivia thought. But regrets weren’t going to help her now. All she could do was hunker down and wait for the storm to pass.
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