Of course, things weren't perfect. But it was lovely here, and Briseis could be her own person. That made up for a lot of imperfections. She wasn't ready for having children just yet, but she was glad to find that there was a lot she could do here to help. There was a great deal that she could contribute, and that felt good.
She wasn't terribly fond of the new coffee drink that everyone had seemed to crazy about. It was horribly bitter! Perhaps she simply needed to develop the taste for it, but she didn't have the patience to do that right now.
In time. In time.
She sat down next to another young woman (she was far more comfortable around women, still), and smiled.