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"That went well, I think," Mia said after sitting down next to Lily.

"You really know how to boss people around, don't you?" Lily said. "I felt bad for that poor captain."

"I don't like putting on the spoiled brat act, but it can be useful. If they had insisted on questioning you, and you told them who you were, they would have been forced to hold you until they confirmed you were a champion of a god, which would require getting a priestess of Dahlia from the temple, and if I wanted to stay by your side during the process I would have been forced to reveal that I used Soul Link on you, which would have made things awkward," Mia answered with a frown.

"Much more convenient for us to go to the temple tomorrow on our own. Depending on the nature of your quest, you might want to keep your identity concealed for a time, and the priests at the temple are much more trustworthy than a bunch of City Watch guards."

"If you say that's better, then that's how we will do it. You know more about these things than I, and I trust you," Lily said,smiling. "Anyway, what was that whole "My Lady" business about? You didn't mention that your family was part of the nobility."

"That's because the Dawnhearts aren't. My mother, on the other hand, is a half-elf noble," Mia replied, and Lily could see sorrow in her eyes when she mentioned her mother.

"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to," Lily said gently, not wanting to force Mia to relieve past trauma.

"It's fine, a long time has passed since she left. It's not a complicated story, anyway. Basically, our Republic and the half-elf kingdom of Amar signed a treaty of friendship about thirty years ago. It is their custom to seal such treaties with a marriage between nobility, but since we don't have any, my father was chosen due to his wealth and the fact that he was on the ruling Council at the time. That's how he and my mother, Elena, got married. It was never supposed to be a permanent match, half-elves live longer than humans after all, and it was a political marriage to begin with but they fell in love with each other. They knew it wouldn't last, but that didn't stop them from spending a lot of happy years together. In many ways, I was my mother's gift to my father, something to remember her by. The treaty ended when I was six, and a new one was signed. That meant a different marriage alliance, so her family recalled Elena. Refusing would mean jeopardizing the new treaty and tisking war, because her family is very influential in the politics of Amar, so she had no choice but to comply," Mia explained, unable to keep pain out of her voice.

"That must have been hard for a young girl," Lily said quietly, but Mia shook her head gently.

"Not as hard as you might think. I was mostly raised by maids and my grandmother anyway, and while I missed and still miss my mother, I don't blame her for what happened. My father didn't either, and a few years later he met one of his old party members by chance. They reconnected, and have been happily married since," Mia answered, but the sadness wasn't truly gone from her face.

"So are you a half-elf too?" Lily asked, trying to shift the topic a little.

"No, a child of a half-elf and a human is human. I did inherit my mother's eyes, but that's it, I won't live any longer than a regular human," Mia answered. "Didn't stop the bullies when I was a kid though. Not everyone in Entara is tolerant of elves and half-elves, and unfortunately, they pass that onto their children."

"I am sorry to hear that. Must have been tough making friends." Lily commented. Her own childhood was not easy, but it was made more bearable by the friends she had at the orphanage, and she couldn't imagine how much harder it would have been if she was alone.

"Oh, once they grew up a little and realized how wealthy and important my father was, everyone wanted to be my friend," Mia said with a sour smile. "It was even worse when I joined the Adean Academy. The wealthy and the privileged from across the human states study there. Between my powers and my status I had to be really careful about who I associated with. It was a lesson I learnt the hard way.

There was regret and pain in her voice, and she obviously wasn't telling the whole story, Lily thought, but she decided not to press further. It was Mia's story to tell, when she was ready to tell it.

"For a rich, noble girl, your life hasn't been easy, has it?" Lily said, "I grew up in an orphanage after my parents died, but at leastI didn't have to worry about people constantly trying to take advantage of me because of who I was."

"Maybe, but I can't complain. Everything turned out fine," Mia said, turning to face Lily, with a smile on her face, "After all, how many people can say they were rescued by a beautiful hero in shining armor?"

Lily couldn't stop herself from blushing at the compliment, so she quickly decided to change the subject. "How long until we reach your home?" she asked, and tried to hide her embarrassment by looking out through the window.

"It's on the other side of town, beyond the old walls," Mia replied. "Still, we should be able to get there before darkness fully sets in and the storm starts."

"What's the plan afterwards, beyond visiting Dahlia's temple?" Lily inquired, her face still glued to the window.

"Well,that's up to you. After the priests confirm your story, you'll be able to contact the goddess through a ritual. I assume she will give you some instructions on what she wants you to do," Mia answered.

"We also need to register you with the Adventurer's Guild, and we could visit a low level dungeon to get you familiarized with fighting monsters," she suggested.

"How big of a party do we need for that?" Lily asked, unsure if she wanted to add more people on short notice.

"Introductory level dungeons, so called "zeros" can be started solo. The rewards aren't great, unless you clear the whole thing, but neither is the danger. A pair of level ones, like us, shouldn't have much trouble, as long as we are careful," Mia explained.

"I see. Have you ever been to one of these dungeons?" Lily asked and Mia shook her head in response.

"Oh, no. You are only allowed into an introductory dungeon once, the Guild is very strict about that, and I didn't want to go until I Linked with someone," she said.

"I am glad that we will experience it together, then," Lily said, happy to know she wasn't behind Mia in experience. The smaller girl had a lot of other advantages due to being born in this world, so Lily's competitive side was glad they would start at even footing, level wise, at least

She wanted to say something else, but her thoughts were interrupted by the street lights outside turning on. The roadside lanterns started blazing in an unnatural light that was cleaner and colder than the sun's. She pointed to one of them and asked her companion how they worked. Mia explained that Light mages made the lanterns with the help of certain enchanter attunements, and that all the lanterns needed to shine was an infusion of mana. They wouldn't last forever, and they weren't cheap, but they made the city safer, so the council gladly paid the bill.

Shortly after, they passed through a gate and were outside the walls again. There were fewer houses here, and Mia explained that this was the side of town where the richer folk lived. Lily certainly believed it, seeing the impressive gardens and facades. Ornate gatehouses, decorative statues and small fountains gave off an impression of wealth, and Lily wondered if Mia lived in a similar house.

She got her answer soon enough, when the carriage came to a stop in front of a tall fence that stretched as far as Lily could see. The driver exchanged a few words with a guard, and the great gate swung open, allowing them in.

"Welcome to the Dawnheart estate," Mia exclaimed proudly as they entered. "I hope you enjoy your stay."