Hall of Games [ REWRITE ] | The Varya Chronicles #1

Chapter One

Media: Hall of Games character cast banner. From the left: Khazaria, Ales, Cadence, Cole

Music: Way of the Monk, World of Warcraft OST

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This story is dedicated to Jess. You know why. <3

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CHAPTER ONE

Cadence never liked washing silk. They were easy to tear and heavy to lift. The dress she was rinsing, albeit weighing a ton, was a blessing to the eyes—a whorl of cloth kissed by the winter and adorned with pearls as luminous as the moon—exclusively designed for the young Mistress of House Orelik to wear during Sahorr.

Like water, the silk slid from Cadence's fingers as she dropped the dress into a wicker basket. She stared at the pile, wondering what it would feel like to wear such an exquisite garment. White went well with stark colors, like red, for example, her favorite color. She could wear a ruby necklace or wear a crown of garnet. A small smile formed on her lips as she imagined herself dancing with a young nobleman on the polished floor of the grand hall, her golden hair falling from her bun as the noble twirled her around, laughing as the music hit a merrier note, going faster and faster...

Nonsense, her inner voice shattered the images in her head. To the nobility, we're nothing but rats. It's best if you kept such thoughts from your mind. It only makes your task harder.

Cadence pushed back a thin strand of hair that hung over her face and sighed.

You're right. These are only just fantasies. I should focus on what's truly important.

Struggling with the laundry basket, she dragged it up to the drying room. In the summer, the servants hung the washing outside, letting the strong sun and soft breeze do the drying. But during the winter, they placed them in a spacious, heated room.

The drying room had huge glass windows, giving a generous view of the courtyard. While pegging the dress onto a metal line, Cadence watched her Mistress train with a Kesatria in the snow. Even with the internal heating system of the mansion, the chill of winter crept through the window slits. The sudden draft and her wet dress made Cadence shiver. Rubbing her hands together, she shuffled toward the steaming pipe beside the window.

She held her hands up against rising steam, letting the heat sooth her cold muscles, and stared at the training yard below.

Tall, muscular, and hollow-eyed, Khazaria Orelik circled Kesatria Vasiliev, hands raised to face level. Her oval face was exposed to the elements, stray brown curls struggling against the wind, lips curled into a vicious snarl. She held no weapons, but Cadence wasn't surprised. Khazaria was Varya.