Aether and Missing Leg

Things were getting awkward between the staring mother and the wounded Arthur, and he had no idea what to say. She was a woman of elegance despite her dusty face and calloused hands. As the woman sat straight, Arthur could glean some hint of manners embedded to her bones.

"Have you ever worked for nobility?" Arthur asked, and the woman nodded with a smile.

"Yes, My Lord. My mother was one of the maids who served the Lord of Aquamia, and I was raised in the servants' quarters. I had just become a maid myself when the previous king was slain, and King Solomon impeached the Lord of the city."

"And how did that affect you?"

"It was many years ago, and I was just a child," the woman sighed and shook her head. "I knew not things were changing, but they did. The Marchioness of Aquamia was one of those who allied with King Solomon, and she was a merchant of the city. So when she took control, she replaced the servants with her people."