"Rooms of Silence"
The sound of Naoko's heels against the marble faded, swallowed by the stillness of the grand hall. The silence she left behind was weighty, echoing with unspoken meanings and veiled warnings. For a long moment, neither Rina nor Leona dared to move. Even Amelia remained seated, golden eyes resting on the space where Naoko had stood—as if reading the last notes of a song only she could hear.
Then, soft footsteps clicked delicately against the floor.
A young woman, no older than her early twenties, entered. She wore a pristine white uniform with silver trim—a simple design, yet elegant in its tailoring. Her auburn hair was pinned into a precise chignon, and her eyes were warm chestnut, kind yet dutiful.
"Lady Amelia. Lady Rina. Lady Leona," she said, bowing her head with respect, "please allow me to escort you to your chambers. The Lady Naoko has arranged individual suites for each of you for the night."
Amelia stood first. "Very well," she said with regal calm. "Lead the way."
Rina followed, her mind still clouded by the presence of Naoko. Every word, every look from the silver-haired matriarch had felt like being weighed and measured by a divine scale. And yet… there was something strangely captivating about her—a quiet gravity.
The trio moved silently behind the maid through long, opulent corridors. Velvet carpets with silver-thread embroidery muffled their footsteps. High, vaulted ceilings gleamed with chandeliers shaped like falling stars, their light cascading across carved obsidian pillars.
The walls were lined with paintings of the Roche bloodline—tall figures in dark robes, silver eyes, and haunting beauty. One painting featured a woman who looked almost identical to Naoko, save for her eyes—they were red, not silver. Her expression was unreadable, and Rina shivered as they passed it.
They reached a fork in the corridor, where three ornate doors stood side by side, each bearing a distinct symbol.
The maid stopped and gestured gently.
"Lady Amelia, your suite is this way." She motioned to the left, to a dark wooden door embossed with a golden flame.
Amelia nodded, her expression unreadable. "Rest well, Rina. Leona."
With a soft click, the door shut behind her.
The maid turned to Rina and Leona and smiled lightly. "Lady Rina, your room is here."
She stepped aside, revealing a silver and crimson door engraved with moon motifs. Rina hesitated, then opened it.
The scent hit her first: roses, amber, and something ancient—perhaps dragonwood or old spell parchment. Inside, the room glowed with soft candlelight. Crimson velvet curtains framed a towering glass window, through which moonlight spilled in rivulets onto the marble floor. A four-poster bed, draped in white and silver, sat beneath a carved canopy shaped like twisted wings. There were fresh roses on the bedside table, and a crystal perfume bottle that shimmered like dew.
It was more than a room—it was a chamber of power, tailored elegance, and quiet threat.
Rina stepped inside slowly, absorbing every detail.
"Lady Leona," the maid turned, "your suite is beside hers."
The adjacent door was adorned with a white lion engraved on a silver crest, its eyes glowing faintly with a blue enchantment. Leona, who had been silent since Naoko's question, opened it without hesitation.
The scent of sandalwood and clean steel filled the air. Her room was noble and sharp—white walls, silver furniture, and a beautiful mural of a lion roaring atop a cliff. The bed was massive, yet Spartan in elegance—fitting for a swordswoman of her lineage. A polished sword rack rested beside the vanity, and a faint aura of protection magic hummed from the corners of the room.
For a moment, the two girls stood in the hallway, exchanging glances.
Rina leaned against her doorway. "That was... intense," she whispered.
Leona gave a short nod. "She's unlike anyone I've ever met. Cold... but not empty. More like…" she searched for the word, "...a storm held still."
Rina let out a small, dry laugh. "Do you think she knows everything?"
Leona's blue eyes sharpened. "I think she knows more than we'll ever guess."
The hallway quieted again. The flickering torches lining the walls danced shadows across the paintings. A distant sound—perhaps the echo of footsteps, or just the wind—brushed past them like a whisper.
Leona hesitated, then added, "We'll get through this. Together."
Rina nodded. "Yeah."
"Goodnight, Rina."
"Goodnight, Leo."
They stepped into their respective rooms and closed the doors behind them.
---
Inside her room, Rina slowly walked to the window. Outside, the Roche gardens were silent—too silent. The moonlight bathed everything in silver-blue, and somewhere in the distance, a fountain whispered.
She placed her hand on the cold glass. So much had changed in the span of days. Her engagement. Her future. Her place in this world.
And Naoko Roche—the woman who had killed gods and shattered empires—now stood at the center of it all.
Rina turned away from the window and sat on the edge of the bed, fingers trembling slightly.
Tomorrow, she would see more. Speak more. Perhaps even face the heir of the Roche legacy himself.
But tonight, in the silence of the obsidian palace, all she had was her heartbeat, the scent of roses, and the ever-present sense that the future had already begun to unfold.