~ A Minute Before Dawn ~
Blooming Moon Arc
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Chapter 1: Crescent Bud
An aggravated sigh slipped from Teresa's lips, disheartened yet again by the dying sparks of magic clinging to the exterior of her pale arm, golden circles and runes fading from existence in a fleeting breath. Her practice tome slammed shut, appearing to take on the longstanding frustration of her most recent magic arts tutor, a middle-aged woman with a taught figure and strict face, crisply dressed in the garbs of a Sorceress.
As her annoyed instructor approached Teresa watched the golden ornaments and glistening feathered cloak sway in time with her proud steps, each one as confident as the last. If her wheaten hair had been longer it may have swept in time as well, instead the front locks clung to her golden headpiece, almost bird like in fashion, a bun perched atop her head.
Bloated purple fabric, dotted with orbs of gold covered her arms, intermingling with the black down the rest of her form, the deepened colour made her pale skin appear paler than it should have, almost giving her a sickly appearance. Her heeled, golden feet came to an abrupt halt in front of her whilst her piercing blue eyes almost scowled down upon her, Teresa grimaced as the older woman permitted a despondent sigh from her thin lips.
It was the same look that they had all worn before, the one that told her that they were done trying to develop her skills with magic, that she would be shuffled onto the next tutor and then perhaps the next.
How long had this tutor lasted? What number was she up to now?
"We are done for now, my lady." She was doing a better job keeping her composure than the last tutor, her gangly fingers reaching to take the practice tome from her tense hands. She let the leather bound book slide from her grasp, it felt cold and dead amongst the unusually warm morning air.
"Yes?" Teresa encouraged, staring into Myra's eyes, feeling her heart pick up a frantic beat, every fibre of her being praying that her next words would not connote or outright state her abandonment.
"But," There it was, Teresa pursed her lip and briefly closed her eyes, still gripping onto hope. "I haven't see any improvement in you whilst I have been your guide."
"I suppose that you'll hand me over to the next tutor then, Myra?" Teresa bluntly replied, determined to assert herself, even if she was disheartened by her lack of progression. The sudden frustration and waves of discontent forced her tone to become frank and her body language defensive and tired, reluctantly anticipating the awkward process of informing father and discussing the recruitment of yet another tutor, if there were any left.
"Yes, I think that, perhaps, you might do better under another teacher. My instructions don't appear to have improved you in the slightest, my lady" Myra dropped her eye contact to the two tomes stacked in her hands, despite her proud demeanor she appeared to be crumbling under Teresa's resolute gaze, possibly intimidated by her strong stare, the one she used to make others think that she was fine when really she was highly disappointed. If she had not been wearing this mask she would have been openly scowling with displeasure, scorning her authority figure for abandoning her like all her predecessors had.
"Thank you for taking your time with me." Teresa sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose between her fingers whilst she bobbed her head slightly, placing a hand on her hip. She was keen to get the usual formalities over with quickly and focus on the coming week, it promised to be a busy one, and she had much to attend to now that her training today was over. "If you speak with Gunter he'll make sure that father is informed of your retirement from my services."
"Thank you, Princess. I pray that the next tutor might be more beneficial to you." Myra stated, watching as Teresa nodded politely and turned around, striding across the small, darkened courtyard toward the highest spire, dotted witch glowing candlelight. A tall man with ashen hair, neatly tied and plaited back into a long ponytail briskly began approaching her, saucer of tea in one hand and a soft cloth draped around his other arm. His wispy hair tenderly clung to the sides of his face, framing it in a way that suited its gentle slope and rounded chin. He adorned his typical butler attire, a white blouse carrying the weight of his black and purple vest, it all seemed to be held together by the blue brooch at his neck.
"Jakob." She hailed, accepting the tea from him and taking a sip, momentarily pausing before falling back into step towards the oak door that lead to the union between halls and spire. The brew was tepid and tasted fragrant, she enjoyed how it slid down her throat, the taste instantly relaxing her but not so much that she could let go of her failure.
"Earl Grey this morning, my lady. I trust that it is to your liking?" He asked, taking the saucer and cup from Teresa so that she could acquire the light, silken cloth, she keenly nodded. The white colour shone a faint orange under the candlelight as she progressed past the small outdoor hearth, that Jakob had used to prepare her tea, and through the open door, taking an immediate left so that she could progress toward the bathing area. After halfheartedly admiring the beauty of the cloth she held it to her face and brushed off some of the sweat, wiping the cold fabric down her neck and along her right arm, the tingling fading away in final waves.
"Prince Xander is currently relaxing in your library, my lady. He arrived to escort you to Castle Krakenburg whilst you were training." Jakob stated, forcing Teresa to stumble a little with surprise.
"Really?" She asked in astonishment, this time it was her butler that nodded, a gentle smile gracing his face, the type reserved for her.
"Yes."
"I wasn't expecting him to take leave from father's duties to collect me, it was Leo's job to collect me today." She stated, swinging the cloth around the back of her neck to catch some sweat dripping from her teal locks, the unusual colour was not native to Nohr, more to Noltradia, the homeland of her mother who had been one of her father's concubines.
"He said that he wanted to surprise you." Jakob explained as they turned down another hall, handing her back the tea. She took another deep gulp, consuming most of the liquid, her thoughts now becoming clouded with her brother's presence rather than the event that had just occurred.
"Perhaps he knew that my tutor was going to drop me and decided to come cheer me up." Teresa half-heartedly joked, drinking the rest of the liquid from the pale cream cup, handing it back to Jakob for the final time.
At the end of the hall she saw the broad doors to the bathing area slightly agape, the steam lazily slinking from the hazy room to lick the cold, rocky ceiling above. In silence she approached and crept inside, closing the door behind her to deny Jakob access to the area, this was where her other trusted maids would take charge.
"My lady." Both greeted as she turned around. They wore light clothes made of translucent silks, exposing the colours of their flesh and the curves of their bodies usually hidden under their maid uniform.
"Felicia, Flora." She acknowledged, turning to her left and gesturing with her hand so that her maids would follow her to the undressing area just beyond.
"How was training this morning, my lady?" Felicia keenly asked, her pink hair drifting over her shoulders, coming to an abrupt end at her waist. She was by far the more enthusiastic of the sisters, but also the clumsier. Flora, her icy blue hair descending just down by her shoulder blades, was more serious and tended to be quieter.
"Terrible, my tutor has given up hope on me again." She sighed, letting her maids unbuckle and untie the slate training clothes she adorned, the fabric gradually peeling away from her in the humid steam. She looked at herself in the mirror as her maids undressed her and smiled, really they were more like friends, along with Jakob they had been raised alongside her for most of their lives, the four of them almost siblings.
"Oh, that's unfortunate." Felicia murmured; just as disheartened as the lady she served. Teresa watched her face become upset and marred with a small frown and smiled at her in the mirror to calm her, then turning her eyes to herself when the top half of the light training clothes were removed.
Her pale skin was reddened slightly from the surprising physical exertion of the training along with the heat retention of the clothing, her teal locks tumbled over her right shoulder like a river of water, a braid crowning the side of her head as if it were a snake descending into the waterfall where the pony-tail leapt from her scalp. Her oily strand at the front leant to the side to sit just by her right eyebrow, unusual pointed ears semi-covered from the front by some stylized curls of hair, a trait that only she possessed. Her vibrant red eyes glistened like rubies; toward the black in the centre they seemed to reflect her current state of discontent, the colour a remnant from her mother but not entirely unlike her father's eyes if one looked hard enough.
When her lower clothing and underwear fell away her naked body was exposed to the pleasant steam, the tingling warmth soaking through her icy muscle to her rock hard bone, she could not wait to immerse her core and warm it in the hot waters. Her toes, almost always uncovered around her homestead, curled into the scratchy stone in excited anticipation for the warming waters.
Unlike her other two sisters her body was athletic and toned, gently defined muscles could be seen in the ambient light of the room. She did not posses the distinct, luscious curves that her elder sister Camilla flaunted or the soft shape Elise was developing. Instead her breasts were on the smaller side, her body more rigid and column like than either of her sisters, only able to flaunt the small curve of her hips.
Without another glance at herself she turned around and headed toward the steaming water, out through the small door from which she had entered. As she traveled toward the bath she looked around the steam, its tendrils ascending toward the ceiling in a wispy purple shade, derived from the surrounding candles mounted on the walls by ornate golden holders. A single, large bath lay directly in the center of the room, in all areas it was shallow enough to sit in, it glimmered with the surrounding light and appeared to breathe as the bathwaters danced.
Slowly, she descended into the waters and sat down, letting the wet body greet her, its hands lapping against the space between her naval and her breasts with a tender, loving heat. It did not take long for Flora to sit down behind her and begin undoing her oily hair, letting a shallow bucket float atop the lilac water, filled with small glasses of salves to wash and condition her hair. Teresa melted into the motions and inhaled the deep scents of lavender and exotic flowers, occasionally sneering when her hair was manipulated or tugged in an uncomfortable manner.
"Well, perhaps you'll pick it up the next time." Felicia encouraged, even if the statement was a little belated. Teresa chuckled in response, she felt grateful that Felicia always tried to make the best of unfortunate or miserable situations; the hope of performing better did lift her spirits a little along with the scented steams.
"I really hope so." Teresa agreed, a tug at her hair replaced by a pleasant scratching at her scalp began to relax her, made her want to fall asleep amongst the lapping bathwater, soon after she could feel Felicia pouring some of the lavender smelling salve over her scalp, the cool liquid in contrast to the humid room and balmy bath.
Flora continued to comb her hair, teasing out some of the knots. "Perhaps tutor number twelve will encourage better results in you."
"I really, really hope so." Teresa reiterated, leaning into Felicia's hands whilst she massaged the floral liquid into her scalp, feeling some of the foam dribble down her cheek, now rosy from the pleasant heat of the room.
"What was her reason?" Felicia asked, "Are they as petty as some of the other ones?"
She considered Felicia's question and realized that Myra had not given her a definite reason, she felt a little relieved that Myra had denied her a stupid excuse, instead suggesting the honest reality, that she was not necessarily a natural with tomes after all.
"I suppose that she felt the way some of the others did," Teresa speculated, "She just couldn't break the wall I've encountered learning this rank of tomes."
Initially she had shown a lot of promise for tomes, years ago when she had been assessed. The basic practice tomes, the Nohrian-Runic language and pronunciation and the E-class and D-class tomes had all been relatively easy to learn. However, once she had reached the C-class tomes she had encountered problems, her magical constitution seemed too weak to be turned into offensive spells or even minor hexes.
"Perhaps you should ask King Garon if you could pick up axes instead." Felicia stated, pouring the warm water over her head a few times to get rid of the foaming salve. Picking up axes as her secondary class was her back up plan, she had shown some promise for them as well.
"No, I can't." Teresa denied, shaking her head from side to side, only to feel Flora's hands travel to her temples to straighten her skull, then falling back into the familiar rhythm of combing her unruly hair. "If I can't prove that I'm capable of learning this, especially after so long, father will look down on me for it and won't see me as a soldier capable of leading or even properly leaving this damnable Citadel."
A brief moment of considerate silence filled the air, only split by the undulating water and moist scraping of the delicate bone comb. Her father, King Garon of Nohr, already seemed to view her as the black sheep of their family, the outcast that was slow to learn. A determined fire, perhaps ignited by the waters, seethed within her, hungry to earn the look of approval from her father for what could very well be the first time, to stand by her eldest sibling Xander as a capable warrior beloved by the people and looked up to by the soldiers. That had been her dream for as long as she could remember.
"If only I was as fast taking up tomes as I was with swords." Teresa remarked to break the silence, huffing a little at the end, feeling some of the disappointment and hatred that had gripped her before slide away into the steam, rising and fading away with the transient haze.
"It'll come, my lady. Please, have some faith in yourself." Flora remarked, the comb clicked down against the stone tiles nearby and soon the hands that had been working her hair began to rub her shoulders, loosening the tense muscle.
"Yes. One-day things will just click!" Felicia giddily contributed. "That's what happened when I was learning how to handle throwing knives. One day I was terrible with them and then the next I suddenly understood that I was throwing them wrong. I felt the right tension to throw them and things got better from there! Don't you remember?"
"I do." Teresa confessed; she was there to see Felicia hit the target for the first time and if she recalled correctly she had very rarely missed it since, even despite her usually clumsy nature.
Suddenly, an extremely cold liquid splashed down her head, over the front of her face and down her chest, a small amount slipping the opposite way along her back. Teresa yelped in surprise and instinctively shuddered, shocked by the sudden change in temperature.
"My lady! I'm so sorry!" Felicia gasped, doing her best to wipe the thicker salve from Teresa's face so that it would not get into her eyes.
"Honestly, you're so prone to accident, Felicia." Flora chided, scraping up some of the lotion from her back and smearing it into her hair.
"I'm sorry!" She apologized again; massaging what was left of the salve into her hair, slowly scraping it along the moist strands.
"Don't worry about it, Felicia." Teresa calmly excused, wiping away some trace amounts of the conditioning lotion from her face whilst Flora began work on combing it through again. She had grown used to Felicia's blunders; the mistakes were not of great concern to her generally relaxed temperament and if anything the Citadel she called home would feel empty without the familiar panicked vocalization and frantic repair job Felicia was well known for. However, if she had been a maid to her father such blunders would have seen her flogged and eventually worse for her incompetence.
"Just make sure that you don't spill anything on any of the other lords or ladies when we're present for Princess Camilla's wedding reception." Flora reminded her younger sister, earning a small whine from her pink haired counterpart.
"She's right." Teresa agreed, "Father wouldn't take it too well if you spilled something on Camilla's wedding dress … I don't think that she would either."
"Yes, I wouldn't want to ruin her special day." A meek tone of voice struck Felicia as she rinsed the salve from Teresa's scalp, the combing stopped soon after as well. Teresa cautiously opened her eyes and rubbed away the water before turning around to watch Felicia and Flora quickly wash their hair with the remnants of the salves.
The talk of her elder sister pulled her thoughts to her wedding, an event that was supposed to help quell the restless and somewhat antagonistic Rever house in the west, their alliance was needed to help with the invasion of Hoshido this land desperately craved. Being starved for resources, particularly foodstuffs and crops, and lacking sufficient amounts of trade to feed everyone, this was a necessary step to keep Nohr alive and away from the brink of anarchy fuelled collapse, if that had not started happening already.
An ironic smile tugged at her lips as her thoughts dragged away from the war on the horizon and more towards the unusual pairing, or so she thought. It seemed like a waste of Camilla's natural physical strength to marry her to a house well known for their magic, particularly their abilities to cast strong illusions. She shrugged to herself, apparently Camilla got on well with Hans, the head of house Rever, really that was all that mattered, hopefully Camilla's presence and everything this union promised would cease their hostility.
Although, many other houses were becoming antsy as well, their brief unity was slowly collapsing due to the failing crop yields, the lack of food nursing a breeding ground for anarchy and trouble. Things were particularly bad in the north where the Cawdor, Dane and their sub houses resided; their crop yields deprived due to the blistering cold and year round night.
She watched as her twin maids quickly finished scrubbing and combing through their hair with the remaining lotions before she stood up and stretched, reveling in the radiating warmth of her loosened cords of muscle, letting a small whine drip from her lips towards the end of the motion. Her maids were quick to stand and exit the water, Felicia collecting the implements they had used to wash and brush her hair. Once the water parted from her calves the bottom of her feet connecting with the moist yet heated stone tiles, she padded back to her right to travel into the dressing room, keen to get dressed quickly and meet her brother whom patiently waited in the library.
Just ahead of her the solid doors to her Citadel's peaceful library opened, soundless despite their ancient hinges and colossal size, the butlers that stood by the door bowed to her as she walked past, smiling when she thanked them with a brisk nod of her head and broad smile. Unlike her father she liked to treat her staff kindly, they maintained her home, fed and even clothed her, they deserved to be treated with respect for their services.
When she crossed into the library she was overwhelmed with the scent of weathered pages and dry leather, an aroma that must have been engrained into her by the hours that she spent curled up amongst the pages of her favorite poetry. Her feet travelled briefly from the polished wood onto the plush red carpet, her gaze travelling through the shelves and seating areas to find her noble brother.
It did not take long, she sauntered quietly into the central area and briefly paused, her brother's back was to her and his head deep in the throws of a novel, the fire before him raging and hitting her with the strong but localized scent of smoke and herbs from the fire. Above the fire place the painting of her mother tenderly hung, her ruby eyes and smile glistening down on her daughter, teal hair curling down over her shoulders, forever dressed in black and crowned with the feather to denote her concubine status.
Carefully, Teresa began to stalk her brother; approach quietly behind him, even wearing riding boots her feet made no sound as she slowly approached him. The closer she crept, the wider her smile became, it was a childish idea, yet she could not resist the thrill of catching her brother by surprise, his sudden jump and agape face the reward for a successful hunt. Her hands rose into the air above his shoulders, ready to push down on them quick and hard, fingers twitching with anticipation.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Xander purred, his head still firmly planted in the book before him, some of the writing was faded. "You know that I don't like it."
"Damn it." She mumbled, brushing her hand through her moistened, free-flowing hair before she sighed and sat down in the chair closest to the fireplace, adjusting it slightly so that she was facing him. The red velvet cushions supporting her were soft like clouds, perfect for transporting the reader away to a different world. In front of Xander on the small table between them sat a little tea set, an orange cup vomiting steam from the fresh concoction of tea, some small cakes and fruit slumbered on a stand next to the pot, begging her to eat them. A soft chuckle from her brother caught her attention.
"Go ahead and eat them, you know that I'm not one for sweets anyway." He stated, still engaged in the book, his eyes drifting down the page. Once they had reached the bottom they looked up to her and blinked a few times, the manuscript in his hands closing with a soft thud, as if fulfilled that it had finally been opened and allowed to breath after such a long time.
Today he was dressed sharp and crisp in a soft grey vest with ornate golden lining at the top, it seemed in contrast to the puffy white blouse beneath it. His pants were black like the lingering night outside, yet not showy; they were for the purpose of riding. His blond hair was styled like it usually was, naturally curly towards the back yet straight at the top, a remnant from father, a single strand delicately swept to the left side of his face, as if it were trying to protect him from her gaze. The onyx circlet sat snug on his brow, a gift from their father when Xander had finally been promoted to a Paladin and granted command of his own forces.
Deep russet eyes seemed softened from being tired, perhaps a restless night sleep from the growing list of duties he had to attend to. He must have noticed her sympathetic staring because his expression began to lighten and his eyes widen, grinning and cocking his head to the side as if asking her a question. She broke her gaze to acquire some of the sweet food on the stand, throwing some small cakes into her mouth to please her insatiable sweet tooth.
"You look nice today, sister." He acknowledged, a hint of amusement on his tone, he was unused to seeing her dressed in anything half as pretty as this. She paused her chewing to look down at her clothing, a black, dress like shirt with a silver buttoned front travelling from below her breasts to the top of her groin, then ceasing with the steep angle that travelled up towards her hips and then down toward he rear. The sleeves were ruffled with a glossy fabric that was different from the rest of the piece, yet it worked as did the medium cut that exposed some of her collar bone and upper chest region, still modest but slightly questionable. Like her brother, she wore black riding pants and freshly polished riding boots, prepared for the hour-long ride to Windham.
"Thank you!" She mumbled after swallowing the first batch, this time picking up what appeared to be miniature glazed custard tarts from the line up of enticing foods. "You look handsome as always. I suppose you'll look better tomorrow evening when you get the attention of all those prospective court ladies."
Xander sighed; he seemed a little unnerved by the attention of so many women at one time. "Perhaps Leo will diffuse some of that attention."
"Maybe." Teresa agreed, nibbling on the vanilla tasting custard and sweet pastry case, grinning a little with with the discovery of fruit amongst the velvety mix. She thought of her suave younger brother, the air he tended to give off in public, and then she considered his awkward side and decided that he would be more likely to display that when harassed by handfuls of the most beautiful women in Nohr, each one of them wanting to bed him.
"Are you sure that High Priest Martin won't think that clothing too immodest or flamboyant for your position?" Xander sighed, making her feel a little bit self-conscious. She swallowed the rest of the tart and moistened her mouth before replying.
"Oh please, for the head of Nachtfoi he dresses a bit too ornate, perhaps he spends the money the masses donate on his clothing and not on acquiring their food." Teresa replied with a cheeky grin, after a long stare from Xander he nodded and agreed. She considered the Nachtfoi, the holy men and women of their land and servants of their Lord God Anankos, they presented themselves as just and noble with cause, but she knew better about the higher ups. Being born the third child of King Garon, she was required to attend important religious events and sit on the highest pedestal as the representative of their draconic ancestry and descendants of their Lord God.
"I wouldn't voice those opinions in front of anyone else, those are dangerous words." Xander warned, his typical protective older brother instinct bringing authority to his voice, the teasing familiar side replaced by something she was less acquainted with, the rising Prince in him. For a moment their eyes connected in a tense display, she was forced to look away, leaning back into the chair and towards the fire to her side. He sighed and leaned back as well, the tension in their sibling relationship thickening the air once more.
Lately their bond had been improving from the damage it had suffered years earlier, however moments like these were still common occurrences, her teasing and jokes occasionally becoming lost to his critical and serious side. Before, when they had been children, he had never missed her jokes and had always understood when she was not being serious. But his time at court and withdrawal from not only her but also the rest of their siblings meant that he had become less in touch with their humors and more thoughtful about the politics of court and the possible hidden meanings of voiced statements.
He cleared his throat, earning her attention. "Perhaps we should get going, a long day of rehearsal and preparation lies ahead of us." He did not wait for her reply; he took a long sip of his tea and stood up, she was quick to follow in her brother's lead, she always had been. After a few steps out of the central area a long sigh slithered from Xander's lips, she could feel the weight of it, a mixture of exhaustion and what seemed to be remorse.
"I'm sorry about just now. I know things have been rough between us, it's just - the events at court have changed me to be more considerate of those who lurk around us. Just make sure that you don't say anything scandalous like that around the lords and ladies or even the more religious staff here, alright?" He whispered, placing a hand on her shoulder, briefly squeezing it in an affectionate way. She could not bring herself to meet his eyes so she bowed her head and nodded.
"I'll try." Teresa replied, not in the same whisper that her brother had used but a more assertive tone.
"You won't." He sternly corrected her, bringing his hand back down to his side and letting the silence hang between them for a few more seconds. As they approached the butlers at the door he began to talk again, trying his best to maintain the tone of voice she was had bee used to as a child, from when they had slept in father's libraries and played in the gardens, even from when he had taught her to ride a horse.
"Leo and Elise will be happy to see you after so long. Camilla won't be coming until later, she has some speech practice to attend to first for when she gives her vows." He murmured, stopping momentarily to return the book to its home on the giant shelves, its siblings tightly cuddling it upon arrival.
"Yes." She agreed, trying to produce a lighter tone in her voice, using the best of her acting ability to try and convince him that she had shrugged the tension off as fast as it had appeared. "It's been a while, they've both been so busy learning. Has Elise taken up tomes yet?"
"Not yet, however she's doing well with staves." Xander replied, acknowledging the butlers by the door as they exited, the one to her side moving toward the central area to collect the tea and sweets stand once she had passed. Just ahead of them Jakob waited in the hallway, silent and stern, maintaining his bow until they had moved past.
"She'll pick up on it fast, it's in her nature to learn quickly." Teresa acknowledged, a hint of jealousy tainting her voice before it succumbed to a sweet smile, she had missed Elise's regular visits. However, she had come to an age where her training had to take priority, unfortunately she was not perusing swords, an area she could hone her younger sister's skill in.
"Father was considering hiring Myra to tutor her as well. Has she been able to help you?" Xander asked, his sentence trailing off once he noticed the growing pout on her face.
"I think that she would help Elise, however she dropped me this morning. She had that face that told me she had become tired of teaching me." She stated, waving her hand in a dismissible manner, here eyes briefly caught Xander's, his seemed to reflect the sympathy of knowing that exact feeling.
"Onto the next one then?" He asked, her only reply being a stern nod. "Don't worry, it takes persistence. I had a similar issue with public speaking, remember?"
"Won't father be mad? According to Flora the next tutor I get will be the twelfth one." Teresa sighed, shifting some loose hair behind her pointed ears, watching the stone floor move below her clicking steps.
"Stick with it, you'll get there, I promise. I wasn't a natural with the sword and had similar troubles, I even cycled through many tutors like you did. I think that it was practicing that allowed me to break the wall I encountered with my parrying technique." Xander encouraged, his voice taking up the familiar warm tones she remembered, helping raise her spirits just as Felicia had done before. Deep within her the oily grip of fear pulled at her stomach, dreading her father's reaction. Would he be mad? Would he spite her? Or worse, would he say nothing?
"I do practice." She mumbled, feeling a gust of cold air come from down the corridor, the scents of horse and hay carried upon the wind. A familiar chuckle caught Xander, bringing her attention to him.
"Do you mean that you practice a little bit before becoming frustrated and taking up the sword? Or do you mean that you practice consistently with tomes?" His tone was lighthearted, as were his eyes, earning him a smile as a reward and dispelling some of the lingering tension. He had the right idea to an extent.
"The former I suppose." She guiltily agreed, wringing her wrist as they descended the small cluster of steps into the stables.
"Maybe I should ask Leo to come and supervise your practice, make sure that you're actually doing what you're supposed to do." He teased, making her grin to the point where her sharp canines protruded and shone in the orange candlelight.
"You know we'd only get into a fight about it. He doesn't have the patience to help me for too long – if anything it'd make me take to sword quicker." Teresa huffed, coming to a standstill before a small crowd before them, filled with familiar faces. Each of them addressed Xander and bowed before turning to her and doing the same, almost in unison, a few more enthusiastic than others.
"Good morning." Teresa hailed, nodding her head to Gunter. Her ancient guardian and friend stood by his horse, a soft smile gracing his well-aged features, only disturbed by the scar that marred his left brow, cheek and right side of his chin. The orange candlelight made his pale, lilac hair appear more vibrant alongside the night sky outside. He was in the process of finishing tacking up his dark brown stallion, Mercer, the great horse nodding its head up and down in a friendly way.
Next to him but in a closer position was her chief stablehand Lilith, her unusual features clashed with almost everyone around her, the strange beauty of her yellow eyes and blue-red hair vibrant against her pale skin. She was tacking up Teresa's horse, Velvet, the beautiful chestnut mare with a white smudge between her eyes, mane braided into the fashion currently popular in Nohr.
Across the stable Lazward, one of Xander's retainers, stood with the reigns to his master's stallion, Ausdauer, in his hand, grinning when she caught his brown eyes, a strand of ashen hair drifting over his brow.
"My lady," He acknowledged again, bowing down with a noble elegance similar to that of her brother, perhaps he had learnt how to bow correctly from Xander, perhaps he possessed a talent for holding himself highly. His unusual and unplaced foreign accent smoothly purred with his voice, an accent nobody in her castle could place from the continent they lived on. From behind his back he produced a lilac flower, "I saw this flower on the way here and thought it fitting of your beauty."
She accepted the flower and placed the stalk behind her ear so that it seemed to float amongst the river of hair swept to her right side.
"Thank you Lazward, I hope that you have given the other women you may have seen along the way here flowers that are just as fitting to their beauty. I like the one you picked for me today, it's simple and modest, less beautiful than many of the other wild flowers growing along the path." She replied nonchalantly but with a hint of a tease, a shy blush fiercely gripped his cheeks, forcing him to look away and partake in a nervous grin. She would not fall victim to his womanizing and casual flirting, a small smile made the sides of her mouth twitch, she was not deluded about herself, she was very plain compared to many other women and showed more beauty with a sword in hand then dressed for a ball.
Her eyes finally glanced at Pieri, depressing her smile a little bit. She did not get on well with her brother's other retainer. Like Lilith, her hair was blue but did not fade to red, instead to a soft shade of pink familiar to those pure and central to house Glover. The girl briefly acknowledged her with her single rosy eye before fixing her stare on Xander, smiling broadly at her brother.
"Prince Xander!" She happily acknowledged, bounding up to her brother's side and tilting her head. "Pieri just got done with tacking up Ausdauer. Has Pieri done well?"
"You have." Xander praised, earning a broad grin from her master.
Teresa sneered a little bit before turning away and walking to Lilith's side. She did not get on well with Pieri, mostly because she treated her servants and staff with so little regard, killing them for no reason apart from whenever she felt like it or suspected them of treachery. Not only that, but time and time again Pieri had tried to discipline her-own staff for trivial failures or paranoia based reasoning. This, amongst other trivial disagreements, meant that they often bickered and generally did not see eye to eye.
Just beyond them Jakob mounted his horse and trotted over so that he was beside Felicia and Flora, each of them atop a grey mare.
"Thank you for your service this morning, Lilith. When we reach Windham please feel free to go and get something to eat with Felicia and Flora nearby the Cathedral." Teresa acknowledged whilst she grabbed Velvet's reigns and lead her from the stable, the chestnut mare happily neighed in response to her presence and the promise of a long walk.
"Of course, my lady." Lilith agreed, travelling beyond her to get her horse Kobalt, a steely stallion that she had already tacked up. After a few seconds of bouncing up and down, her left foot in the stirrup, she ascended onto her horse, allowing the right foot to fall into place and the adjustment of her groin in the saddle. Satisfied, she urged Velvet into a trot, bringing her beside Xander's horse, allowing another question to slip into her mind, one she had forgotten to ask earlier.
"So, why couldn't Leo come here and get me himself? He was supposed to come and fetch me this morning, wasn't he?" She asked, bringing Velvet into a walk alongside Xander, watching his facial features fade into the light of the crescent moon and stars as they exited the stable. This stable was the primary one and exited into a smaller courtyard, the dusty frontal twin of the yard she had been training in with her tome just an hour before. This court opened up to the bridge that lead over the small chasm to the outside world, a stony tongue licking the soil on the other side. The wide doors were open to expose the base of some small mountains that encapsulated her Citadel, their sides barren from vegetation with the exception of an occasional dried husk of a former tree.
"Is it so wrong that I wished to take his place and come surprise my sister?" Xander huffed, pretending to be a little insulted.
"I just wasn't expecting it considering that I can't recall the last time you came to visit. Jakob had given me that reason earlier, however I was expecting an alternate agenda to your arrival here." Teresa stated defensively, raising her hands and palms toward Xander, he only smiled before turning his attention to their small party. Her own little segment of it was comprised of all the people she would need, the other half of her staff permanently resided within her quarters in Castle Krakenburg, maintaining it for whenever she was compelled or otherwise permitted to visit.
Xander led their little group out under the gate, Pieri and Lazward leading them atop the bridge a few lengths ahead of them with torches in hand, her own staff lagging back a little behind her. The moon clung to the sky, allowing a vague shade of grey light to stick to the surrounding environment despite the skinny form the celestial body took, making some of it visible to her keen Nohrian eyes. Outside the silhouettes of the mountain peaks could be made out against the iridescent, speckled sky, today they would not see any sun, its glowing tip would not be seen on the horizon for another few weeks.
The sky itself took on a shade close to pitch black, the opposite to the shimmering sons and daughters it supported and birthed with the moon. Above them, high in the sky, she could make out the constellation of Anankos, a giant serpentine spiral that was praised to be their God, watching his children from his heavenly abode. A scoff slipped from her lips, despite her strictly ceremonial position as the High Priestess of the church, she was not inclined to believe in such legends, making her position ironic.
Xander began some casual conversation as they travelled toward Windham's northeastern entrance, a large gate supported by two spires thrust high into the sky. He shed light to what she had missed in the castle, the antics Elise had been up to and the achievement's Leo had been showered with, finally coming into his position as a Dark Knight and receiving his own circlet crown from Father.
She listened with great intent, smiling with the thought of Leo wearing his circlet with great pride, Elise clinging to her side, likely excited to tell her about taking up tomes, Camilla's beauty and elegance igniting the room and Xander's protective eyes fondly looking upon them all alongside that of their noble father, watching and hoping that this marriage would unify and enrapture the nation.