~ A Minute Before Dawn ~
Blooming Moon
Chapter Two: In the High House
Every time she set foot in Windham, Nohr's capital, it took her breath away, the striking colours almost mirroring the sky and mountains she had regarded earlier, fit for the poetry that had been spun and delicately crafted by the poets of old. Each spire crept toward the sky, most of them adorned with their own speckled red lights, ebbing and flowing in time like the heartbeat of the city.
Once her small party had entered Windham's great northeastern gates, The Mouth as they were commonly referred to, they had descended steep slopes and trekked through small patches of farmland until they had reached the circular fort atop the injured land. Deep within, her father's castle sat snug and protected, away from the thralls of night and tucked within an artificial day, the twinkling rosy lights amassing and throbbing in sync as if the castle's presence deep beneath the soil was a wound to the beaten land.
They had passed through the circular fort – God's Ring – where they had acquired more guard, Paladin's and Cavalier's of varying ranks, all of them willing to die should their party be the target of malicious intent. Through God's Ring Xander had briefly paused to arm himself with Siegfried, the sacred sword of their land, wreathed in a darkness to mirror the estate of its birth. A shining crimson stone at the sword's cutaway appeared to pay homage to the rare blood moon. A golden spine-like pattern clung to the centre of the hilt and clashed with the long, black blade that split to form a hollow centre, its edge glowed a faint red to match the pulsing beat that enraptured the rest of its ancestral home.
As they departed God's Ring through the small military courtyard she looked to the new gate – The Prongs, it was smaller than The Mouth and the doors were of a dark brown wood, heavily bolted with black metals to prevent the invasion of any unwanted people. Atop the grand wall arrow and magic based ballista perched, crowning it like jewels and threatening to crush any parasitic people that wanted access to the castle and the wealthy that dwelled beneath it.
"Princess." A raspy voice sounded from just beside her, causing her to start and quickly turn toward the ancient source, a hand temporarily moving to her left side to grip the hilt of the sword that simply was not there. Gunter looked down to where her hand had travelled with a fond and approving smile, watching as she wiggled her fingers and returned them to her reigns.
"Yes?" Teresa questioned, brushing back some of her hair, it was still slightly moist toward the nape of her neck.
"I didn't mean to startle you, milady." Gunter chuckled, a soft smile crinkling his withering skin; she grinned in response and shrugged it off.
"No, it's alright. I was just deep in thought about Windham. It never seems to change between visits." She explained, watching the path as it snaked toward Brillauge Square, the heart of Nohr's aptly named 'Religious District', the stomach that fed the starving masses and home of the church and its clergy whom preached the word of a God that did not seem to care.
"I think that Windham is a capital that takes a long time to see change and develop, one would need to live centuries to see even a small change to the way things are here." Gunter explained, earning a vague nod from his lady. Teresa observed the fabrics that hung outside of haberdasheries, displays simple with guards defending against theft beside the wears they protected. Other stores displayed dried meats, vegetables or fruits, even more guarded than the others and their products sparse. Warnings hung from the walls detailing various ways people would be punished, all of them ending in an excruciating but sanctioned death. People lingered and watched as they passed, their eyes prying and curious, maybe hopeful of charity, crowds thickening as they approached the square.
A deep inhale returned the familiar smells of Windham to her. The warm perfume of baking breads and roasting meat, the yeasty fragrance of ale as they passed by taverns and the faint traces of ozone that naturally clung to the air at all times. But with the good smells came the bad. The occasional waft of stale piss, the musty choke of smoke and the sporadic musk of blood. These were the smells of her home, even the 'bad smells' were familiar and comforting, she wished that she could bottle them up and save them forever.
"If only a poet could live several lifetimes." She mused, turning her face to reward him with a smile. After a brief moment he nodded and a more serious look gripped his face, she braced herself for some news of her magical arts teacher that had apparently left her Citadel with incredible haste, as if fearing a wrath similar to her father's when he was angry.
"I understand that Myra will no longer be teaching you the magic arts." Gunter stated, like his face a strict tone seemed to ensnare his voice, harkening back to time when he had taught Windham's soldiers and led troops to battle.
"You understand correctly." A more neutral tone settled in her voice when she replied, maintaining eye contact with Gunter and giving him her full attention.
"A shame." Gunter sighed, "I'll request a brief audience with King Garon tonight to discuss this with him and ask your father's course of action."
"Thank you, Gunter." Teresa said, finishing their conversation as the Grand Cathedral came into the view before them on her left side, domes speckled in white light, illuminating the slate tiles along their swollen side with a holy ambiance. She broke Gunter's side so that she could ride by her brother, admiring the stony magnificence of the structure. Along the outside of its circular girth dark grey columns stood like sentinels, fending off the corroding hands of time. Nohrian banners of blue and gold gently stirred with a faint breeze, the Rever orange crescent moon and open tome displaying golden words in Nohrian-Runic fluttered against their dull scarlet backgrounds.
Brillauge Square hosted crowds of people, some of them working to hang banners and ornate decorations, some the Imperial Guard, others spectators writhing and fighting to catch a glimpse of a life that was beyond them, of people revered as descendants of God. Teresa felt slightly unnerved by the eyes that turned to look at her, some from children that appeared like they had not seen a meal in days, whilst other pairs belonged to the prying eyes a darker side of Nohrian society. Yet most people seemed hopeful and loving, genuinely enraptured with the sight of their royalty.
Their horses ascended the stairs and stopped just before the outgrowth of patient columns, she followed her brothers lead as he dismounted and handed his reigns to Lazward, Lilith grabbed her own. Without much thought she silently followed her brother, entering through a hole in a wall of Nohrian guards and onto the ground many thought of as sacred.
Beneath them simple cobblestone turned to scales of dark grey tile that looked like they might inhale if left for long enough, as if Anankos slumbered beneath the protective dome and cathedral. A smirk gripped her; what mighty God would let its mortal creations walk and build legions atop its magnificent scales?
Anankos certainly would not allow such a thing.
Her riding boots clicked against the stony floors and underneath a sculpted arch, reaching the small basin brimming with holy waters. The inside of it glimmered with a thousand colours as the white candles shone against the mother of pearl lining. Xander dipped his fingers into the waters and closed his eyes, raising them to touch his forehead whilst he recited a prayer. It seemed like her brother had become more in touch with religion over the past few years, slowly but surely, perhaps she had offended him with her earlier statement as well. Teresa reluctantly sighed but followed the same course of action, she was the High Priestess or otherwise Popess of the Nachtfoi, if she were caught not following the most basic of their rules it would reflect poorly upon her lineage and herself. It would make father mad and she would be scorned heavily for it.
Her fingers dipped the bottom of the basin, against the smooth mother of pearl and quaked slightly against the icy waters. She raised her hands and closed her eyes, letting her freezing fingers grace her forehead with the blessed water, quietly mouthing the most basic of Nohrian prayers. Satisfied with her halfhearted offering she smiled at Xander and led him into the cathedral beyond.
Bustling crowds of people hastily worked the floors, the walls, anywhere that would attract the attention of those seated for Camilla's wedding ceremony. The spaces between paintings of religious stories held the same banners as outside the mighty structure. The pews looked as lush and comfortable as the seats in her library with the addition of magnificent cushions, likely possessing the same capacity to transport any person that sat upon them away into whatever yarn the High Priest read from the colossal golden book of scripture.
Within the sea of busy people, each of them too hectic to see the entrance of the crown prince of Nohr, Teresa could spot the distinct golden curls laced with died purple strands signature to her younger sister, Elise.
"They're over there." She said to Xander, grabbing the cuff of his blouse to pull him in the right direction, he followed without a word, only releasing a soft chuckle similar to when she had forced him to follow her as a child. Her brief glance behind him revealed that only Jakob and Gunter had followed her into the cathedral as expected, their guard had thinned down but still lingered behind them, stalking like shadows.
As the crowds dispersed she could see that Elise was talking to Leo, he seemed a little irritated by her excited bouncing and high pitched squeak. However, it was not his expression that made her pause and stare, mouth agape, it was what he wore, his sudden transformation.
"He's grown into quite the prince over the last few months, hasn't he?" Xander said as if reading her mind, standing by her side and watching their brother try to calm Elise down. Despite the casual demeanor of the day he wore his noble armor of a Dark Knight, ebony sheets lined with iridescent gold, shimmering even in the modest light of the cathedral. Around his shoulders a cape made of silk hung, its exterior a tantalizing navy whilst the interior displayed a royal purple lining.
He stood in a different way as well, his arms crossed behind his back in a strict and principled fashion different from what she had seen months earlier, full of accomplishment and pride. His golden hair was also slightly shorter than she remembered, cropped to the sides of his youthful face, supported by the ebony circlet that clung to the top of his hair, a gift from father.
Despite her pride in seeing Leo looking so noble, like a true prince of Nohr, she could not help but feel some pangs of jealousy roil around in her gut, hardening the smile she wore. He was younger than her, yet he had found favor with father first, if dropping another tutor from service this morning had not been hard hitting enough, this had about done it.
A small squeeze on her shoulder drew her attention to Xander; he was not smiling yet he wore a soft face, still serious yet wise with experience that was beyond her. "Your time's coming, you'll be the next."
All she could do in response was sigh and continue toward Leo, determined to push her own cravings for her fathers affections and recognition aside to celebrate that he had won fathers praises, had earned his onyx crown. She knew that Leo, no matter how hard he hid it, wanted the admiration of his eldest siblings just as much as she craved it from father. His victories in maturing into a commanding soldier would be overshadowed by Camilla's wedding, just like her he would be pushed to the side again to make room for the milestones in their elder siblings lives.
A question rushed into her mind, was he wearing this armor now because he wanted her praise as well? Desired for her to acknowledge that he had bested her in their unspoken competition to determine who would earn a crown from father first.
Whilst she approached she took in Elise, she wore a soft white dress with light grey detailing depicting something that could be a spring breeze and flowers, the craftsmanship almost lost to the low levels of light. She wore white bows today, small rubies were mounted in a golden frame at their centre, almost as if they were little, frozen hearts.
Her siblings stood by the Grand Alter, despite the darker colour scheme apparent in the rest of the Cathedral, the alter was made of pristine white stone. A golden stand in the shape of a dragon held the weight of the heady collection of scriptures. Bowls of fruit and loaves of bread slumbered atop a modest red cloth that draped down the front of the alter, the symbol of Nohr igniting it with a golden luster. A brief glance around the area revealed that her sibling's retainers were hanging back, having a conversation in their own small group.
Leo's retainers were two eccentric men, but both in very different ways. Odin, the blond Dark Mage was clad in yellow and possessed an identical accent to Lazward, always had a passion of making a spectacle out of any event, as if every aspect of his life were being acted out in front of her like a long play. Yet, despite his joking nature and habit of screaming out excessive titles for himself, she had seen darkness in his eyes more than once before. He kept it well hidden, yet when he was caught off guard and exposed that different set of eyes, it was almost frightening to see.
Zero was the other retainer with a loose tongue for blatant sexual metaphors and self-arousing descriptions of making nobility suffer. For Nohr his darker skin and white hair were exotic, yet his piercing blue eyes seemed at home with those from the south. She stared at him, suspicious. He may have been in her brother's service for a long while, however she did not trust him. He had origins as a freelance Thief and would have access to Castle Krakenburg's riches should he wish to rob her family of their most prized heirlooms and treasures, and would likely have a detailed escape route for his exit. His talk of making nobility suffer also did not help her relax around him, even if he made such vivid claims with a teasing tone, she could almost palpate the hints of honesty that dripped from his tongue.
Next to him stood Arthur whom seemed to be deep within the throws of thrilling stories, perhaps about his own personal experiences with his notoriously bad luck. His blond hair was stylized so that it was swept back in what he seemed to think was a heroic look. A permanent smile lay etched onto his sculpted face; sometimes she wondered if smiling like that all the time caused him pain. He was clad in his normal Fighter gear; the red and blue appeared deeper in colour under the soft light.
The last of the quartet was Effie, the only woman amongst them and the only one with noble blood. She belonged to house Pyke of the south, the family that provided the most soldiers to the Nohrian war effort. She was the daughter of Lord Angus, the head of their house. Despite her medium frame she was inhumanly strong, a common trait amongst her bloodline, but with that unnatural strength came her colossal urge to eat. Teresa could only smile as she watched Effie eye off some nearby food that was being used as an offering to their God, probably considering if she could get away with eating it or not. She was not wearing her steely Knight armor today and her silvery hair was down, just touching the lower tips of her shoulder blades.
"Sister!" A high pitch voiced hailed her, her attention turning back to Elise, allowing a broad grin to seize her. Before she had time to react she felt Elise's body weight slam into her chest and pull at the back of her neck, if would have been enough to push her over if not for her sure footing.
"Elise!" Teresa exclaimed, a little breathless after the intensity of her younger sisters hug. She looked down into Elise's lilac eyes, her younger sister peering up to her from her stomach, hiding her smile against Teresa's black clothing.
"Come on, Elise. Give Teresa some time to greet Leo." Xander encouraged, kneeling down and opening his arms to invite their youngest sibling into his hug, an offer that she was all too keen to accept. Teresa shook her head from side to side in an affectionate way before turning and walking over to Leo.
"Are you too noble for a hug now, brother?" She asked with a joking tone that only made Leo smirk, he left her open arms exposed for a few seconds before breaking his rigid stance to hug her. The plates of armor rubbed against her, denying her proper warmth from his hug.
"I thought that you would deny me." She stated, keeping up a strong face so that Leo would not see her seething envy.
"If I denied you I'm sure that you'd only wrestle me to the ground and force me to hug you." He teased back in a familiar way, it was nice to know that so far only his physical appearance had been changed by his promotion.
"That's a good idea for next time." She confidently asserted with unwavering eye contact, unnerving her younger brother slightly. "Relax, Leo, I was only joking."
"Sometimes you're too cruel, sister." He sighed, closing his eyes and breathing deeply to regain some composure, only opening them and cocking his head to the side when she did not respond.
"I'm proud of you." Teresa whispered, summoning those words with as much confidence as she could, dropping her gaze to the floor and wringing her wrists whilst. She chuckled a little bit to try and dispel some of her own tension. She loved him, he was her brother, and it was unfair to rob him of the praise he deserved because of her own disappointment. "You did it! You beat me."
After a moments silence Leo replied. "I did, but you put up a good fight. With Myra at your side you'll follow me soon … surely …"
His sentence trailed off as she shook her head from side to side whilst pursing her lips, raising her gaze to give him a fleeting moment of disappointed eye contact.
"Oh." Leo sighed, his jaw noticeably tensing with the awkward situation, after a while he managed to say another word, seemingly unsure about how to progress. "When?"
"A couple of hours ago." She sighed, now it was Leo who was looking down, hands on hips.
"Next time." Leo exhaled, watching as she shook her head again. His tone seemed strained, likely trying to encourage her whilst thick with the idea that she would not get another chance.
"What's going to make tutor number twelve so different?" Teresa sighed with frustration, she could be the most honest with Leo, he was the most realistic out of all her siblings, or so she felt. The others gave her the benefit of the doubt through hope; Leo was more prone to seeing the outcomes of situations based separately from faith.
"I don't know." Leo acknowledged, when he shrugged his shoulders his armor made a pleasant scratching sound. Teresa turned to see where Xander was; he was still talking with Elise.
"I know Xander isn't deluded enough to guess that father probably won't give me another chance at this." She began, turning and sitting down on the steps, tapping next to her so that Leo would sit beside her. "But he's hopeful, you're more realistic."
"There are few people left in Nohr that would be capable of teaching you. Myra herself had to come from the southern border patrol just to try." Leo acknowledged, accepting her invitation to sit next to her.
"I know." Teresa said, watching the list of names in her mind grow shorter and shorter with every failed tutor.
"I can't say that I'm much help, all we'd do is get frustrated and fight." Leo bluntly stated, recalling the many times he had tried to help in the past, only to fall into arguments with her.
"I'll see what father says, he must have a reason for allowing me to repeat this rank of tomes so many times if he has allowed me to have twelve tutors." Teresa pondered; drawing a blank on what father would gain from her continued struggle. She did not want to give up on tomes. The feeling of the magic against her skin, the ancient runes, all of it captivated her. Yet she always did better with the artistry of steel or iron and the swing of a sharp edge in her hand.
"Sometimes father can be a mystery." Leo contemplated, watching the people around them run about and prepare like bees in a hive, each one of them with a role to play, a job to do. "As far as magic tutors go I can only think of two others that may be able to help you."
Her gaze turned to his, but before she could ask whom they were they were interrupted with the deep herald of a man.
"Ah, King Garon's beautiful children! How are you this fine morning?" This drew the attention of all of her siblings. Teresa had to turn her torso around to behold the stout man. He was of medium height and despite the food shortages in Nohr he did not seem to be affected, his white robes swelling where his stomach was supposed to be hidden. The rest of the gowns possessed ornate red artistry depicting Anankos wrapping around him until the mighty dragon's head and neck curled around his collar. He was supposed to be around the same age as Gunter, yet he appeared more worn down by the malicious waves of time, the only colour from his youth being his blue eyes. His hair was naturally a light shade of grey, only making him appear older than he was. Atop his pale head a large mitre sat, encrusted with jewels of ruby and diamond and woven with golden threads.
A pompous glutton was all she could ever think when she saw him, a man who ate and likely whored his way around in utmost secret. Yet he preached to the poor about never breaking the sins he committed himself, somehow blinding them to think that he was just as moral as they hoped to be. Effortlessly she placed the most modest smile on her lips that she could muster, softening her eyes, acting the vessel that was free of sin for the enjoyment and control of so many.
"High Priest Martin." Teresa greeted, she did not bother to stand like her other siblings did. Technically speaking she ranked higher than him when on this holy ground; she was the Popess of this church, of the starving people in the streets throughout Nohr.
"Ah! Popess Teresa, what an honor it is to see you here in this House of God again after such a long time away training!" He praised, walking over to her so that he could kneel down and plant a kiss on her hand, his oily lips made her stomach roil but she smiled and thanked him anyway. "I do hope that the results of your hard work have been seen by Anankos and have been aptly rewarded."
"Of course." She lied, suppressing a snide laugh due to the amusement. When her mother had sacrificed her life to save her during the Krakenburg Massacre, only five years ago, she had prayed to God every hour of every day to have her returned to the mortal world. Before then she had prayed that all the starving people in Nohr would be fed and clothed, that Cyrus would be allowed visit and train with her more often and that the Nohrian's would stop fighting amongst themselves.
Yet none of her prayers had been answered, none had been addressed. And with every prayer unanswered she had lost faith, a God that at its least did not tend his people or feed the starving was no God that she would worship, if Gods even existed in the first place. Unlike so many she saw the church for what it really was, a way to control the masses and sedate them from further anarchy, a flock that was quite literally as controllable as sheep.
Now it only seemed ironic that he would bring up her training, if Anankos really did exist, it looked down on her and found cruel humor in her consistent bout of tome failure.
"My lady, I'm eager to eventually hear the news of the decimation of the eastern, heathen hordes – Godless swine." High Priest Martin hissed during the last part, standing up and glancing towards the other siblings with a similar approving look. Teresa also took this chance to stand up and briefly stretch. When she glanced to the group of retainers she could see that Pieri and Lazward had now joined into their conversation, Jakob and Gunter standing separately from the merry unit.
"Well, Father." Xander sighed, earning the praising glance of High Priest Martin, "The way things are right now none of us will be able to taste combat in the east. Their blockade is as strong as ever and they're supported by more bountiful resources whilst and our country is falling back to civil disarray."
"In time, my prince, in time. This is the will of our Lord God." The High Priest said with the utmost confidence, perhaps naïve to the sheer amount of effort it took to prepare an army and country for invasion. The God he selflessly believed in certainly did not seem to be helping the war effort.
"Now." He boomed, extending his hand to Teresa, and then sweeping it away from her in a motion that was indicative of his desire for her to follow him. "Popess, if you'd be kind enough to follow me to your seat."
Without so much as a word she followed him away from her siblings, smiling to Elise and mouthing the word 'later' to tell her that she would listen to all of her stories after their practice at the cathedral was done. He led her past the white alter and up another small series of steps to a freshly uncovered throne. It sat within a small alcove, red fabric covered the stone steps and poured from the surrounding walls, each one the wall tapestries adorning the black symbol of Anankos: a curled up dragon with finger like wings, sharp teeth and a flurry of omniscient eyes.
The throne itself was incredibly shiny, like the rest of the dull coloured church it was black, however its design was less modest and more flamboyant, the carvings depicting all types of draconic imagery. Its top was spiked like the ridges that sat atop a dragon's back. The arm rests came to a clawed end and she could just see the faint trace of marks indicative of scales along the entire object, almost as if the floor's giant scales had congregated into a smaller formation. Besides the throne and along the stairs candles produced a pure, ambient glow, compelling her to sit on the ancient object.
But perhaps the greatest thing about the chair was the giant rock that sat beneath it. Legend said that it had fallen from Anankos, an egg from the constellation in the sky, given to his blood children to look after and tend. It was claimed that one day the person that sat upon it would 'hatch' and become Anankos's new heir. They would herald the return of the dragonkin, Manakete, and breed to produce a freshly blooded royal line, a strong one that would inherit and build a world of their own.
Such a momentous event had not happened yet; the world had not seen the famed Manakete for many generations, to a degree she did not believe that they had ever existed. Instead she was more inclined to believe that they were just dragons whom had died out due to the advances of mankind and poor breeding. The High Priest seemed inclined to believe that her pointed ears and ruby eyes made her one of the dragonkin, the first child of Anankos to come back and inherit a crumbling world, to birth the rest and start the line anew. Yet she had not come from the stony egg nor had she 'hatched', she had come from the tender flesh of her mother's womb, a human just like father.
As she sat down on the surprisingly comfortable throne, compelling herself to sit with closed legs like a lady should, she frowned. If he believed her to be the dragonkin, then he would probably expect her to breed with her own half-brothers, more likely Xander. She repressed the thought and scowled with disgust, acknowledging that such a thing would never happen or be expected of her. She was aware that there was a lot of incest within the royal line in order to keep their Dragon Veins and blood as pure as possible, however a lot of that incestuous activity had fallen to first and second cousins rather than direct siblings.
She watched High Priest Martin usher her other siblings over to where they would be seated, to the left side at the front of the perfect block of pews, but could not make out what he was saying to them. She cocked her head with a little confusion as she looked at the seat next to Elise, a space that should not have been there, wondering whom else would sit beside the royal siblings. Slowly she spread her legs and assumed a similar position to the way father usually sat, resting her cheek onto her right palm in a lazy and almost disinterested fashion. Whilst the High Priest conversed with her siblings, instructing them of their roles and when they would have to take part, she glanced down at the blue veins crawling just beneath her skin.
Teresa had not been able to use her draconic abilities yet, only Xander and Camilla could so far, yet she knew this power was coming. The awe striking ability to destroy mountains, create vortices, birth storms and boil rivers into clouds of steam sent a tingle down her spine and warmed her gut. Such power was a testament to her bloodline, however it was limited. In the past her kin were said to have free control over these abilities, but now they were tied to the earth, only capable of summoning such tremendous power where it was naturally swelling beneath the soil and stone.
Not only that, but father had once told her that everyone had their own element that they seemed to have the most strength with. Xander looked more inclined to control the earth and manipulate the soil whilst Camilla's fiery nature appeared to project into her abilities to warp fire and melt stone. She wondered what her ability would be, would she be like her siblings or would she develop her own strength?
She considered the royal family in the east, the Shirasagi line, and pondered on how they had come across their Dragon Veins, repeating the Nohrian story in vague images in her head. Supposedly they had inherited these abilities when one of the Nohrian princes who had fallen in love with a harem of eastern noblewomen. He had bedded them all and produced a plethora of children from them. When his father had heard about this misdoing he had sought out the heirs and killed them all along with his own son.
However, he had not been careful enough and after the Nohrian Kingdom had lost their first war with Hoshido, the young prince's descendent married into the Hoshidan monarchy, allowing the Dragon Veins into their line. These abilities later spread to the sovereigns of the Izumo Duchy. That was the Nohrian account of events of course.
She was aware that the Hoshidan people believed that they were descended from the less war like light dragon, the opposite to Nohr's dark dragon Anankos, and that the draconic ancestors from both sides had killed each other, leaving only their royal offspring behind. Despite the Nohrian belief that peace would only be reached when the sinful fruits of such lighthearted breeding were wiped from the earth and the heathens suppressed, the Hoshidans believed that both sides were needed to promote balance. Her brows furrowed in concentrated frustration, she could not say that she understood, as far as she was aware one side needed to dominant and control all other parties under a mutual belief in order for peace to be achieved.
"Right, Popess-" The High Priest begun, being quickly interrupted by Teresa's own question, her legs snapping shut so that she was not sitting too immodestly before him.
"Who's to be seated next to Elise?" She asked, drawing her attention to the man that stood at the base of the small flight of stairs, leaning away from the throne so that she could sweep her hair over her right shoulder.
"Did Prince Xander not tell you?" He asked, only forcing her to grimace with confusion and furrow her brows, reconsidering their conversation whilst they travelled here.
"On the way here we only talked about our siblings and then moved onto talk about swords and training." She acknowledged.
"Oh. T-then you are not aware of your father's newest child?" He stuttered, appearing nervous to tell her of this news.
"No!" She exclaimed loud enough to warrant the attention of Xander whom jumped from his seat and quickly began pacing over.
"Your brother has been working tirelessly around Nohr lately – doing all manner of work for your father, my lady. It seems that he forgot to tell you." High Priest Martin hastily explained as Xander came to a stop by his side, Teresa spoke before he had the chance to.
"We have a new sibling?" She asked, her mouth falling slightly agape and heart thundering in her chest, fueled on pure surprise.
"Oh … yes." He grimaced, brushing back some of his hair and placing his free hand on his hip. "He's very recent, only a few months old now."
"Why was I never informed before this point?" Teresa gasped, her heart beating harder in her chest than it should have. She had known many of Garon's other children before they were massacred; she had even seen the birth of the three whom had been born after Elise, all of them now dead in the ground.
"Father wished to keep it a secret up till now to protect her – they won't even live in Windham until he has come to an age where he can defend himself. Only father's most loyal guards have been assigned to them, even hexed so that they are incapable of harming either of them." Xander explained; he seemed to be growing more exhausted by the second.
"Who exactly are 'they'?" Teresa asked, still shocked by the news.
"Emily Dane of Fowler and father's new son Rickard, the latest child to grace the Krakenburg line." Xander explained calmly, his composure seemed to radiate and allowed her to relax a little from the shock, still prompting her next question.
"But how? I thought that father was coming to the very end of his childbearing years – Elise is fourteen years old! The last child before this one was born six years ago!" She quietly exclaimed, glancing over Xander's shoulder to see her other siblings watching.
"Well, apparently father was blessed and managed to bear another child. Besides, he's not of an age where he can't produce children anymore, it's just more difficult for him now." Xander sighed, rubbing his temple with the free hand, the other still perched on his hip. He ascended the stairs a little and leant down to whisper in her ear, possibly embarrassed to speak the next part loudly in front of the High Priest. "You do know father still actively beds his concubines?"
"Yes, of course." She whispered back, brushing aside any vague thoughts or opinions of her father's insatiable libido.
"Do you remember, Emily?" Xander asked, leaning away and resuming his normal tone, remaining by her side.
She took a moment to shuffle through her memory, trying to recall any of father's previously vast harems for any sign of the woman. Drawing a blank she shook her head, shrugging her shoulders.
"She's the one with the vibrant red hair, green eyes…" Xander began explaining, prompting her to purse her lips and peer more into her memories of women clad in black and feathers.
"Was she the very shy one?" She inquired, vaguely remembering a woman of a similar description who seemed quiet and to herself, she had only really talked to father if she remembered correctly. She still could not form a proper memory of her face.
"Yes, she was quite shy." Xander confirmed, brushing his hand through his hair again and releasing a heady sigh at the end of the sentence.
"I vaguely remember her, but not in great detail." Teresa admitted, earning an understanding nod from her brother.
"You'll meet her soon enough, she's sleeping in the wing next to you, she'll have to travel through your corridors to get there, or Leo's on the other side." Xander said before continuing, rubbing his eyes. "Sorry to shock you like this, I got so caught up with our conversation riding here that I forgot."
"That's unlike you." She whispered, watching her brother rub away the sleep that wanted to grip his eyes, flinching a little with his sudden but sharp inhalation.
"Like I said earlier, sister, I've been very busy. Learning this news is the least on my plate right now." Xander mumbled; all she did was nod in understanding.
"Ok." She sighed, ready to let the topic go for now for her brother's sake, the news still violently competing for attention in her rushing mind. "I was just a little shocked is all, to say the least this is unexpected news."
"Yes." Xander agreed, turning as the High Priest began to come up the stairs. "And soon the whole of Nohr will know if whispers of and rumors have not started already."
"I beg you both your pardon, but we really must get on with rehearsal now. My lord, may you please take your seat. I'm sure that on the way back to Castle Krakenburg this evening you will have plenty of time to discuss more with your sister." The holy man pleaded politely, earning a sincere nod from Xander.
"My apologies, Father." Xander sighed before turning and walking back in the direction of her siblings.
"Now!" High Priest Martin begun, first detailing that her ceremonial clothing was already in her room in Castle Krakenburg along with the women of the clergy whom would help her get dressed. Teresa started to push the shocking news of her newest sibling to the side of her mind, inhaling the scents of the surrounding candles and incense to remind her of her tasks. He detailed her roles in the ceremony and forced her to practice relentlessly until every movement was refined and perfect for the audience that would be crowded amongst the pews tomorrow afternoon. Once satisfied with her performance and her confidant public speaking he moved on and made her siblings practice their smaller parts.
Whilst she watched their rehearsals on clergy members whom were filling in for Lord Hans and their sister she pondered how she felt, now that the waves of shock were receding within her. She mostly felt confused about how to treat her newest sibling, especially due to the fact that she was so well adapted to living and interacting with her other four brethren. Yet she also felt open to the idea of a new brother, wondering how he would grow and feeling a strange urge to dote on him like she had with Elise, pondering how they might interact in the future.