A hush fell over the room as the Duchess scanned the remaining seventeen contestants, her gaze lingering briefly on Adanna. "Felicidades," she declared, "you have all proven yourselves to be women of a certain... resourcefulness." A few nervous giggles rippled through the group. "The next challenge will test your personality and separate the truly worthy candidates from the... less prepared." She paused, letting the suspense build. "Only ten of you will move on to the third challenge, which will be exceedingly difficult, I assure you." (Congratulations)
The Duchess cast a pointed look at the remaining ladies. Their expressions mirrored a mix of relief and trepidation. "The third challenge will take place the day after tomorrow," she continued. "I wish you all the best in your preparations." With that, she walked out of the room, the door shutting with a firm click behind her.
Serena nudged Adanna, her voice a barely audible whisper. "How did you think figure the jug trick?"
Adanna grinned, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Pure fortune, I suppose," she replied, though the twinkle in her gaze betrayed a different story. Relief and a touch of awe washed over Serena. "I am so glad we both succeeded," she declared, squeezing Adanna's arm.
Adanna, however, felt a knot of frustration tighten in her stomach. This whole "Duchess" business was beginning to feel suffocating. Indeed, the challenges were interesting, but they were a far cry from the freedom she craved. Escape. The word echoed in her mind. She had to find a way out of this cage to explore Aeronia.
"Serena," she began, her voice low, "about exploring..."
Serena cut her off, "Adanna, no. At least not yet. We have come this far. Let us see what the third challenge is about. Then, perhaps..."
Adanna shook her head, her resolve hardening. She could not wait. Escape was now her driving force. "I appreciate the thought, Serena," she said, her voice firm, "but I cannot... will not... wait. I must get out there."
Serena's face fell. "But Adanna, What of becoming Duchess?"
"I know the duke will not even spare me a second glance," Adanna said, her voice filled with determination. "But this competition is about more than just becoming Duchess. It's about the adventure, the chance to break free from Niamedan constraints."
"I think you would be an amazing duchess," Adanna continued, placing a comforting hand on Serena's shoulder, her own arm jostling slightly with the weight of her voluminous gown. Despite her fuller figure, she moved with a grace that belied her impatience. "But I am not meant for this, not really. I am Adanna, a lady of Niameda, and I wish to experience Aerionia for myself, not just as a potential wife."
Serena sighed, a hint of disappointment mixed with resigned understanding in her eyes. "Be careful, Adanna," she murmured. "We are not from Aeronia, and their customs are different."
Adanna winked. "Always," she assured her friend, a mischievous smile playing on her full lips. "Now let us go and eat some of that delightful lunch. I suspect we shall need our strength for whatever the next challenge holds."
Serena could only shake her head, a small smile playing on her lips. But despite her worries, a part of her admired Adanna's daring spirit. They left the drawing room together, their steps echoing through the corridor as they made their way to the grand dining hall.
The next day, sunlight streamed through the window, painting diagonal stripes across the plush rug in Serena and Adanna's chamber. Serena hummed as she braided her hair. Adanna, however, remained sat on the edge of her bed, a frown etched on her face. She stared at the elegant gowns laid out before her, each one seemingly designed to accentuate her curves rather than hide them. She sighed heavily.
"What has you looking like a thundercloud on such a beautiful day?" Serena finally asked, her voice laced with concern.
Adanna flinched, startled from her thoughts. "Nothing," she mumbled, forcing a smile. "Just... thinking."
Serena raised an eyebrow, unconvinced. "About the third challenge?"
Adanna shook her head, refusing to meet Serena's gaze. "No. Just... things."
Serena studied her friend for a moment, "Well," she said finally, "if you wish to speak of it, I am here to listen."
"I appreciate it, Serena, truly," she said. "But it is... something I need to work through myself."
Serena sighed, a hint of disappointment in her voice. "Very well," she conceded. "But if you change your mind, or simply need a distraction, you know where to find me."
She cast a curious glance at Adanna once more before rising to her feet. "Speaking of distractions, are you up for a trip to the library? Perhaps some research on past Duchess challenges could give us a hint of what to expect for the third one."
Adanna hesitated. "Actually," she replied, her voice tinged with regret, "I think I shall pass. I am feeling rather... tired."
Serena eyed her skeptically. Adanna had never turned down an opportunity to visit the vast library of the De León estate. It was one of the few places where she could indulge in her love for knowledge without the stifling gaze of Niamedan society judging her. But today, she seemed... distant. "Tired?" she repeated, "Are you certain? You woke up full of vigour this morning."
"Just a little midday weariness, I suppose. I shall be fine after a nap." Adanna lied, her voice lacking its usual conviction.
Serena scrutinized her friend for a moment longer, then finally relented with a nod. "Very well," she said, her voice laced with a hint of doubt. "Well, if you are sure. Just do not sleep through dinner. I would not want you to miss out on the Duchess's pre-challenge address, or whatever she has planned."
Adanna offered a weak laugh. "I would not dream of it."
As soon as the door shut behind Serena, Adanna's facade crumbled. The tiredness she had feigned vanished, replaced by a feverish energy. She waited a few moments, allowing Serena's footsteps to fade completely, before springing into action. This was her chance.
With a determined look in her eyes, Adanna slipped out of her chambers and made her way towards the gardens of the estate. The vibrant flowers and manicured hedges momentarily stole her breath away. But the beauty of the scene could not distract from the task at hand. Escape, Adanna reminded herself, scanning the perimeter of the garden. There had to be a way out.
Adanna surveyed the garden with a critical eye. Her mind raced, searching for any sign of a potential escape route. Then she stared at the garden wall. It stood at least ten feet tall, constructed of smooth, grey stone. Vines snaked their way up the side, offering a tempting, yet flimsy, ladder to freedom.
"I would look quite foolish," Adanna murmured to herself, eyeing the wall. Just then, a tall tree caught her eye. A magnificent oak tree, its branches reaching toward the sky, stood at the edge of the garden. A spark of inspiration ignited in Adanna's mind. "Climbing trees," she whispered, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.
When she was a child, she spent countless of hours climbing the trees of Niameda, her nimbleness surprising for a girl of her size. She glanced down at her silk gown, it was most practical for the Aeronia lifestyle, but she did not think climbing trees in such garb would be ideal. With swift, decisive movements, Adanna unlaced her corset and kicked off her shoes, her gown pooling around her ankles.
With newfound resolve, Adanna approached the oak, her gaze fixed on a sturdy branch within reach. She hoisted herself up, the rough bark offering a welcome grip. Memories of her childhood prowess flooded back - the thrill of the climb, the satisfaction of reaching a new height.
Halfway up the tree, a sudden rustling in the leaves above sent a jolt of fear through her. Had someone spotted her? Before she could react, a misplaced foot sent her tumbling. A strangled cry escaped her lips as she plummeted toward the unforgiving ground.
Just as her vision blurred with panic, a strong gust of wind hit her, and a pair of claws gripped her gown, causing it to rip. A startled gasp escaped her lips as she was hoisted through the air, the ground rushing away below. She opened her eyes, fear quickly morphing into awe as she found herself perched on the back of a magnificent griffin, its powerful wings beating steadily.
The griffin landed with a graceful thud, settling beside a tall figure dressed in the distinctive attire of a griffin rider. Adanna clung to the griffin's neck, her heart hammering against her ribs. She had never been so high, never felt so exposed. She could see the entirety of the De León estate sprawled out before her, the grand manor a mere dollhouse in the distance.
Slowly, she peeled her fingers away and slid down onto the soft grass, dizziness swirling in her head. As she regained her footing, a hand reached out to steady her. She looked up, blinking against the bright sunlight, to find a pair of warm brown eyes gazing down at her.
The man was indeed tall, around 6'4, his muscular frame a clear indication of his demanding occupation as a griffin rider. His skin was a warm tan, kissed by the sun, and his dark brown hair fell in loose waves around a face that was both strong and gentle. His eyes, a kind of brown that reminded Adanna of warm chocolate, met hers with a reassuring calmness. His arms were covered in ink, tattoos of griffins and ancient symbols weaving their way up to his neck.
For a moment, they simply stared at each other, the only sound the rhythmic chirping of birds. Adanna finally found her voice, a nervous laugh escaping her lips. "Well," she stammered, "that was... unexpected."
The man remained silent, his expression unreadable. Adanna could almost feel him assessing her, his gaze sweeping over her with those keen brown eyes. She shifted uncomfortably under his scrutiny, unsure what to say or do next. This encounter was certainly not part of her escape plan.
"Uh, you can, uh, let go now," the man stammered, his face flushing a deep shade of red. His accent was thick and unfamiliar, a blend of spanish and english that sent shivers down Adanna's spine – a strange mix of something familiar and completely foreign.
Adanna blinked at him, somewhat bewildered by his awkwardness. "Oh, indeed," she said, finally detaching herself from his grip. She brushed a stray leaf off her gown, her gaze lingering on the man before her. His attire was more suited for a guard than a servant – and his nervous demeanor left her questioning his role.
"Are you... a servant?" She blurted out the question before she could stop herself. His eyes widened in surprise, and he took a step back.
"No, no, not a servant," he stammered, his thick accent making parts of his speech sound like a charming melody..
Adanna tilted her head, trying to decipher his response. "Then a guard?" she hazarded a guess. "Stable hand? Gardener?"
The man just shook his head, his cheeks now a full shade darker. "No, no," he said, his voice barely above a murmur.
Suddenly, a dramatic gasp escaped her lips. "Heavens above," she exclaimed, clapping a hand to her forehead. "Are you... the Duke?"
The man's face paled several shades. "The Duke?" he sputtered, his voice barely a whisper. "No, no, certainly not!" He looked as though he might faint right there on the spot.
Adanna's initial shock melted into amusement. This poor man, he looked positively terrified of the title. "Oh goodness, please don't tell me I've offended you! I just... well, this whole escape attempt is incredibly embarrassing. Please, do not disqualify me from the competition. I just..." She trailed off, flustered by her own outburst.
The man raised a hand, cutting her off mid-sentence. "Disqualify? No, no, there shall be no disqualification." His English seemed to smooth out a bit under the pressure, though the accent remained. "I... I am not the Duke. Merely... a friend of the Duke." He stammered again, then looked away, his face flushed.
Adanna took a deep breath, trying to make sense of the situation. The griffin, magnificent in its silver and blue feathers, strutted closer to Adanna, its large head nudging her hand gently. The creature's eyes were surprisingly gentle, filled with curiosity rather than the fierceness she had always imagined. The man took a step back, allowing her to approach the griffin without feeling threatened.
"He seems to favor you," the man mumbled, more to himself than to her. Adanna chuckled nervously.
"Perhaps he favors the scent of desperation?" She joked, trying to lighten the tension. "What is his name?" Adanna asked, her voice softening as she gently stroked the griffin's feathers.
"His name is Aetheris," the man said, a hint of pride in his voice as he watched Adanna with the griffin. His eyes remained on the creature, avoiding her gaze. "He is one of the finest griffins in Aerionia."
"Aetheris," Adanna repeated, rolling the name on her tongue. "It is beautiful, just as he is." She glanced back at the nervous man beside her. "So, you caught me attempting to escape the estate, did you not?"
He nodded sheepishly. "Sí, I... I did. Well...you were quite hard to miss," he said, his accent thick as he stumbled over his words. He cleared his throat, trying to regain some semblance of composure. "My apologies for the... interrupción." (Interruption)
"It is quite all right," Adanna assured him, her own smile growing more genuine. "It is just that I have been in Aeronia for four whole days, and I have not seen anything of Aeronia! Is that not why we are all here? To explore?"
"Do you not like the contest?" The man asked, his voice tentative as he finally met her gaze.
Adanna raised an eyebrow. "Like it? It's... interesting, I suppose," she replied, her tone not quite hiding her ambivalence. "But it is not what I came here for."
The man's eyes searched hers, a hint of curiosity in their depths. "Then... what brought you here?"
Adanna considered her words, his gaze making her feel as though she was being dissected under a magnifying glass. "Adventure," she said finally. "A chance to break free from Niamedan constraints and experience something new."
The man's eyes lit up, a spark of something akin to excitement flickering within them. "Ah, I understand," he murmured, his accent thickening as he switched to Spanish. "Aventura, la vida sin barreras." He paused, then added in English, "You wish to live without boundaries."
Adanna felt a strange kinship with this stranger, a bond that seemed to be forged in the shared understanding of a yearned-for freedom. "Exactly," she said, her voice earnest. "But alas, it seems I have been confined to these very walls and the company of seventeen other hopefuls, each vying for a title I am not sure I wish to claim."
The man looked at her for a long moment, his expression inscrutable. He seemed to be wrestling with his thoughts, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. Finally, he spoke, his voice softer now, "The Duke... he is a good man. The title, it is... heavy. Much responsabilidad."
"You are only saying that because you are his friend," Adanna said, her voice filled with doubt. "How can I possibly know if he is the right man for me if I cannot even know the land he lives in?"
The man shifted his weight from one foot to the other, his eyes darting around the garden as if searching for a way to change the subject. "You will know," he assured her, his English stumbling over the rolling 'r' in 'know'. "When you... when you find the one, you will feel... un espejo del alma."
Adanna blinked, confused by what he said. "I beg your pardon?"
The man's face flushed a deeper shade of red. "Ah, forgive me," he said, switching back to English. "It's just an expression. It means... a mirror of the soul. When you meet the right person, it's like looking into a mirror that shows your deepest self."
Adanna felt a warmth spread through her chest at his words. Despite his shyness, there was something incredibly earnest about him. "That's beautiful," she murmured.
The man looked away, his discomfort palpable. "It is just something we say," he mumbled, his gaze returning to Aetheris. "But I believe it to be true."
Adanna watched him, the corners of her mouth twitching with amusement. "And what do you say about someone who attempts to climb out of a garden in a silk gown?"
The man's eyes widened further, and he stuttered, "Ah, about... about that, I..." His Spanish-inflected English grew even thicker, and his cheeks turned a deeper shade of crimson. He looked at her as if she had just asked him to perform an impossible feat.
Adanna couldn't help but laugh, the sound ringing out in the quiet garden. "I'm sorry," she said, her laughter subsiding into a gentle smile. "I did not mean to make you uncomfortable."
The man, whose name she hadn't yet learned, looked at her with a mix of embarrassment and confusion. He was clearly not used to interacting with women, especially not those from Niameda. His gaze darted to the ground, and he mumbled something in Spanish that she didn't catch.
"I'm sorry," Adanna said, "I don't speak Spanish."
The man looked up, his cheeks still flushed, "Ah, no problem. I was just... saying that I should be going. I don't want to keep you from... from whatever it is you do here." His eyes darted around the garden as if searching for an escape route, much like she had been moments ago.
"Wait! Please, do not go yet," Adanna said, her voice tinged with a gentle tease. "Perhaps you could show me around using Aetheris? That would be quite the adventure, no?"
The man's eyes widened even further, his embarrassment clear. "Ah, I... I don't know. Taking you for a flight on Aetheris... estaría rompiendo las reglas." (It would be breaking the rules) He stuttered in Spanish, his English faltering under the weight of his nerves.
Adanna's face fell. "Oh, of course," she sighed. "I should not have asked." But a mischievous look sparked in her eyes as she glanced at the nervous man and the magnificent griffin. "Well," she said, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, "how about just a ten-minute quick survey? A little peek around the estate from above? Just us three?"
The man's eyes widened again, then darted towards Aetheris. The griffin, as if understanding, let out another insistent trill. Adanna could not help but laugh. "See? He seems quite eager for a little adventure," she said, her voice light and teasing.
The man's face turned quite red, even more than before. He spoke with difficulty, as if two thoughts fought inside him. The rules and what might happen if he broke them battled against the charm of this woman who had fallen onto him. Aetheris, seeing the man unsure, pushed the man's hand with his beak and made a low sound. At last, the man gave in.
Maybe it was how Adanna looked at him, or how Aetheris urged him, or just how exciting it felt to break a small rule. "Very well," he said quietly. "But only for diez minutos. (Ten minutes)."
Adanna smiled widely. She hugged the man tightly, without warning. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" she cried happily. "You will not be sorry, I promise!" The man, quite surprised, did not move in her arms. His face grew hot, and his eyes wide.
Adanna, realizing she might have gone too far, stepped back quickly. "Oh, I am very sorry," she said, her cheeks a bit pink. "I got too excited."
The man cleared his throat, trying to calm himself. "It is... fine," he said, still not steady. He pointed to Aetheris. "Come, let us get you on."
With Aetheris beside them, they both felt nervous and excited. Adanna, very happy as the man helped her onto the griffin's back. His touch was gentle, and it made her shiver. The man then got on behind her, holding her waist too tightly.
As Aetheris jumped into the sky, Adanna cried out in surprise. The wind blew through her hair, taking away her worries and filling her with joy. Below, the big house looked small, its gardens like spots of bright color on the green land. Adanna laughed happily, feeling alive for the first time since she had arrived in Aeronia.
The man, at first stiff and worried, relaxed as they flew. He looked at Adanna, her face bright with joy, her hair moving in the wind. A small smile came to his lips as he realized he had not felt this free in years. Perhaps this little adventure would not be so bad. In fact, it might be the start of something quite unexpected and wonderfully exciting.