"E-er..."

Fanilly found herself leaning back, her cheeks coloring somewhat as the maid leaned closer. Of course, her family's maids and the maids assigned to her were a familiar sight, but this unfamiliar girl dressed as a maid felt different somehow. In a manner that left Fanilly uncertain what to say.

She hesitated a moment, her cheeks growing redder, and quickly tried to make some distance between herself and the taller girl before considering what she'd say next.

"I, er, see...?"

Of course, the moment she said as much, Fanilly realized it didn't really make any sense at all. Especially given that the maid had been brought here in the first place, and introduced as requiring further experience. There had to be something else going on with her, wasn't there?

The witch-Knight had mentioned it was a request from her little sister, or something? Did she have any siblings...? The history books hadn't said anything about them, if she did, but it wasn't as if the written record necessarily recorded everything. Especially given that Merilia's personal history was shrouded in mystery.

She took a deep breath.

"I understand it may not seem like it, but you must be here for a reason. I don't think..." Fanilly trailed off for a moment. She still couldn't be certain exactly what was happening here, aside from it not being a dream. She'd learned of particularly powerful Fae being able to establish their own, closed-off spaces in which the logic of the world could be bent. Faerie Realms were rare, but they were a known phenomena. Was this something akin to that?

The Knight-Captain didn't know enough to say.

"I don't think you'd be caught up in this by accident, and the Knight-Witch mentioned something about more experience."

When Sir Cyrus spoke, she tensed for a moment. It was still hard to accept being in the presence of a living legend such as him, even if he'd proven himself to be every bit as friendly as the tales said.

"I-I understand," she replied, taken aback by the casual mention of Saint Elionne. Was she really here?

Fanilly wasn't certain she'd be able to handle meeting her if she was.

"For now, Sir Gerard is right," she added, trying to push that thought from her mind as she raised her voice, "It's for the best that we get something to eat. Whatever this test might be, we probably shouldn't undertake it with empty stomachs."

[@Octo][@The Otter][@Raineh Daze][@HereComesTheSnow]