Chapter 40: Her duties

"Wondering like a lost child... too weak," Eiravyne thought to herself that night. 

Roland's words had struck a nerve. He didn't seem like someone who would say things just to please others; his words felt genuine and true. She knew that much, at least.

 Eiravyne tried to follow Ilkar's instructions to walk and be seen, but she couldn't shake her flustered, embarrassed, and confused state. 

Each step felt uncertain, each glance from others felt like a judgment. She was clearly out of place, feeling the weight of unfamiliar expectations pressing down on her.

What troubled her most was her lack of understanding of what was expected of her outside. 

In Verdant Vale, she had been confined to her room, trapped in a rhythm of seclusion. 

Now, with Ilkar's directive to engage in her duties, she found herself adrift, uncertain of where to start or what those duties even entailed.