Chapter 4

I awoke to the sound of the world ending.

It came without warning, the thunderous pounding could shake the heavens. The air itself seemed to tremble under it's might. The sheer force of the blows making my insides quake as the very sound drilled into my ears.

It was a terrifying cacophony that made my bones ring.

It was morning.

"What!" I shouted in indignation, all but throwing myself out of bed. I grabbed my wand on the nightstand in case I needed to teach someone a lesson. Sure, I'd never managed a proper spell, but my explosions were, at the very least, a much needed shock to one's system.

I stomped over to the door, rage flooding my veins and fueling my body. The booming knocks on the door never stopped, and it only seemed to grow louder as I approached it. The door crafted of mere wood seemed moments from either flying off the hinges or shattering into splinters.

With a twist of my wrist, I threw it open to meet with whatever fresh hell had decided to wake me.

And was met with the face of death.

I blinked, every emotion draining out of me as my mind processed the strange sight. My eyes widened as my face went pale, my whole body feeling as if ice had replaced the blood leaving my veins.

The black skull of a ram stared back.

"I-I-I…" Stuttering was about all my mind could do at that moment, "Y-y-you…"

The man before me didn't so much as twitch.

I swallowed the lump in my throat.

"You're real" I said in a breathless whisper. I'd feared that it'd been all a dream. An impossible delusion my mind had come up with when the painful truth of reality had become too hard.

After all, who would believe that I, the Zero of the Academy, would summon a Void mage willing to tutor me?

"You're actually real," I said in wonder.

"Yes," He said flatly, "Now get dressed."

I looked down at my elegant purple night gown, and blushed at how underdressed I was to meet my teacher.

"Er, yes, of course," I laughed nervously, backing into the room. I set my wand back on my nightstand and moved towards the dresser. I looked up when I heard Lord Felwinter step in after me and close the door behind himself.

I blinked, "Um...are you going to…?" I began nervously.

"I don't fancy children, if that's what you're asking." he said idly as he inspected the room.

That old insult, more than anything, struck deep under all the supplication and respect I'd given him, as well as mother's old Rule of Steel.

The number of times I'd been teased for my small size and immature appearance made it a wound that cut nearly as deep as my failure at magic. Cattleya said I'd grow into a more shapely, mature, form that the rest of my family had, but that'd been years ago. Turning 16 and still being short as a stump and twice as flat doesn't exactly do wonders for one's self confidence.

And as such, what he was actually saying flew over my head.

"I'm not a child," I ground out.

"Don't take it personally," he said as he picked up my wand and fingered it. "When you get to my age, anyone who hasn't seen a few decades is a child."

Feeling a bit mollified, and more than silly for snapping at my teacher, I went over to my dresser and started taking my clothes out. For a moment, I hesitated, wondering if I should tell Lord Felwinter to turn around while I changed. I glanced back at him, and saw him instead looking out the window into the field below.

Frowning at the discomfort of doing it with another person in the room, I forged ahead and got undressed without complaint. I couldn't afford to seem unworthy of his precious time, not when he was my only chance to prove myself a proper noble. Given he'd been taken from his home, that I'd taken him from his home, I'm sure he had much more important things to do than teach some snot-nosed brat how to tie her shoes.

So I'd have to show him that I was worth every second he spent.

A few moments later I looked up from fastening my cloak to my uniform, only to jump when I saw Felwinter looming over me.

How the…! I jumped back.

"You're ready," He said before I could speak, "Let's go,"

He swiftly turned around and walked towards the window, "First lesson, landing strat-"

"Wait," I cried out, slightly panicked.

His head slowly twisted around to give me a long look.

"What?" He growled.

I flinched back, cursing myself for my weakness.

Fortunately, the growl of my stomach made my case for me.

He stared even longer. I blushed brightly.

"Right," he said blandly, sagging ever so slightly, "Breakfast."

A sound came from the helmet that could have been a sigh. Quietly I thought I could hear him say something like, "I forgot they need food."

"Very well, I need to talk to Colbert anyways." He straightened himself up. "You enjoy breakfast. Perhaps have fun with your friends. I'll come get you at 10:00."

And without another word, he jumped out the window.

"Wha…" I stared blankly at the empty space where he once stood, wondering if my instructor was, perhaps, a bit eccentric.

No sooner than he hadhad he left, however, then did I heard another knock on the door, followed by an all too familiar sound.

"Louise, dear~. Time to get up~!"

It took me a half second to process the transition from dealing with someone so cold, to someone who left me with a burning inferno of rage and indigance.

I threw open the door and glared up at her.

Wisely, if unfortunatly, she'd stepped back a bit from when she'd knocked.

"Kirche," I growled, "What?"

"I just decided to stop by and see how my favorite little Zero was doing," She chirped with a beatific smile upon her tanned face.

Hate you I thought within the confines of my own mind, hate you so much.

"Well," I forced a smile on my face, "You've seen me."

"You can go now."

"Oh, but I wanted to see your darling familiar," Kirche mock-pouted, leaning down to display her burgeoning cleavage in a manner I was sure was more habit than purposeful at this point. "Where is he?"

I narrowed my eyes and crossed my arms, "Out, like you should be."

"Pity," her pout deepened.

Then a devilish glint twinkled in her eye, "At least I can do you the courtesy of showing you mine."

My eyes widened, She wouldn't-

"Flame, darling~" She called, her fiery familiar walking up beside her. "Isn't he just the best? A fire salamander.

"You named you familiar Flame?" I growled, trying not to let my anger get the best of me, but with Kirche and the rest of her kind at this school it was so hard.

"At least I have one to name," She shrugged.

Rule of Steel I told myself, Rule of Steel

"You were there," I spoke in a low tone, "You saw me summon someone."

"I saw a nice performance," Kirche shrugged, "But I'm noticing an absence of any of that menace here."

"Maybe he walked, off," She smirked, "Unimpressed with the meager coinpurse you could offer him."

I bristled, trying, and failing, to keep my rage in line.

"Listen here you-" I began.

"Ms. Vallière," A voice cut through the red fog of my mind.

I looked up and Kirche spun around. Behind her loomed Lord Felwinter, his silent countenance sending spikes of dread into our hearts.

"I'd forgotten to consider your situation," He tossed something at me.

I managed to catch it, barely, and turned the object around in my hands. It was a...strange glass rectangle with some bits of metal.

"Uh…" I said, not sure what to do, or even how to interpret this.

"Think of it as a magic scroll," he said, already turning around, "In case we need to communicate. I'd forgotten such things are uncommon here."

At his words, the screen lit up with mystic lights and symbols that my mind couldn't yet parse.

"See you at 10."

And with that, he disappeared in a flash of light. I smirked at the look upon Kirche's face.

Perhaps today won't be so bad after all?

Siesta was panicking.

Today had started off alright. A normal day with normal problems. Nothing had seemed out of the ordinary.

She'd worked on laundry for the students, delivered food, cleaned up tables. She'd chatted with the other maids and the cooking staff. Picked up some gossip about a strange and savage mage that Ms. Vallaire had supposedly summoned during the ritual.

All in all, a normal day.

And then she had ran across Mr. Gramont. As is the duty of every servant of the castle, when he appeared to drop something, she tried to aid him, picking up the bottle of perfume and handing it back to the boy.

Only to be noticed by his lover.

And his other lover.

Now, Siesta didn't pretend to know about the romantic sensibilities of the upper class. Nor did she think that they necessarily had to limit themselves to one spouse like commoners, given that they had to spread their magical bloodline.

However, she had to admit, even if only in the most hidden portions in her mind, that it seemed like it would have been a good idea to at least tell his lovers that.

Two slaps and two angry ladies later, Mr. Gramont was left alone with a burning red face, a crowd of mocking students, and Siesta still holding the bottle that he'd tried to play off innocently.

Mr. Gramont...was not pleased.

He'd rounded on her, spouting a boisterous rant about how she'd incited two innocent young ladies to accost him. That it had been all well and good for him to thread the girls along until she had to ruin it. As such, it was obviously all her fault these three nobles had to endure this pain of heart and body. And, like the helpless commoner she was, she would need to be punished for such an act.

And now, here she stood, staring down at the rose-like wand of Mr. Gramont like it was the gunbarrel of her execution.

"You're to blame for the shattering of these delicate young flower's hearts," He spouted, playing to the cheering and uncaring crowd. "And for this insult to my father's good name."

"Don't worry," He smirked, "You'll live."

"But you might not be walking anytime soon."

And that was why she despaired. She could endure pain. It would hurt, but if it meant keeping this job Siesta could take her lumps. If it meant feeding her family back at home, she would swallow what little pride she had left.

But if Mr. Gramont was angry at her, he could have her fired. If he seriously injured her and she couldn't perform her duties, the school would have no choice but to fire her. And she knew there'd be little more than a slap on the wrist for Mr. Gramont, if that. She was but a simple commoner, and he was the son of a great noble general. He was a person that mattered, she was just a tool of the rich and powerful.

And while she'd been more fortunate than most to land a job that could feed her family, it seemed that lady luck had finally left her. No more payments sent back home. No more pride in serving those more worthy than her. No more light and happy days with the staff. No more feeling safe.

"Please sir, I-I-I…" She stuttered, "I have a f-family. I-I-I need t-this j-j-job."

"Well you should have thought of that earlier," he sneered. "Now I need to make an example of you."

And there she saw it. The twinkle of fear in his eyes. He wasn't doing this out of rage. Not solely, anyways.

It was pride, she realized. It was the fear that was born of losing face in front of so many people. He had been burned, hard, by her blunder. And now, to earn it back, he would play to the crowds more savage instincts. Then, at the very least, he could be known as cruel and violent.

It was better than being a joke.

It was almost enough to make her laugh, if she didn't feel so much like crying. To have her reality ended because a young boy didn't want to lose face? When she put it like that, she kind of felt like the sick punchline to a very cruel joke herself.

"Now grit your teeth, and-"

"You!"

A voice cut through the cheering. It was cold and filled with some kind of sound she couldn't quite parse, but tinged with the unmistakable sound of annoyance. The crowd went silent. Mr. Gramont stiffened and whirled around. She looked up and saw the man looming over everyone.

Clad in cloth and chain, the blackened skull of a ram covering his face, he strolled forward, parting the sea of students like a galleon parts the waves.

He stopped a few meters away and spoke again, "You are one of the staff, correct?"

Siesta blinked, her mouth gaping like a fish, but she still managed to nod. All at once, the entire courtyard seemed to be focused on her. The spotlight had left Mr. Gramont behind, instead passing to her and this new armored giant.

He towered above the children, and despite the gold and silver color of his clothes, he seemed to radiate a dark and cold aura that made a feeling of dread well up inside her.

"Good," He nodded, "Could you tell me where I can find the library? I am to meet professor Colbert there, but he neglected to inform me where it is."

"Thoughtless fool probably thought it was obvious." He grumbled quietly, "And now I have to waste my morning trying to find the bastard."

Siesta's head began to swim. A sea of confusion, fear, relief, and a half-dozen emotions were washing over her. Each rapid change merging together to come down on her like a tidal wave, threatening to drown her. At first, she was well and truly afraid. Now she wasn't sure what she felt. She could barely think, let alone respond.

"I-I...w-wha?" She said intelligently, giving the man a completely lost look.

He let out what Siesta thought was a sigh, "Do you know where the library is?"

Siesta thought for a moment, probing her memories. Then she nodded. Yes, she did, in fact, know where the library was.

"Good," He nodded sharply, "Take me there."

"What?" She repeated in a confused stupor. Hadn't her livelihood been about to end? Were they not still on track for that?

"Go!" He pressed in an annoyed voice, "Library, now,"

He waved his hand off, gesturing for her to lead him out.

"Oh," Siesta said blankly, her legs moving on their own as her mind slowly brought itself around to accepting her new reality, "Okay."

And she moved. She couldn't hear him, despite the weight of his clothes, but the cold presence he seemed to radiate let her know he was right behind her.

Siesta had taken only a dozen steps when, suddenly, Mr. Gramont appeared before them.

"Hold!" he commanded, holding up an open hand to stop them, "I have business with thi-"

"Move," Felwinter said briskly, stepping forward to brush the boy aside like he was nothing more than a particularly annoying fly. Given that Mr. Gramont only came up to the bottom of this strange lord's breastplate, perhaps it was true.

Siesta blinked, her mind still clogged, but when he shot her an impatient look, she quickly started leading the way again.

"Wait!" Mr. Gramont called out, grabbing the maid's arm, "I have business with her." He growled.

"Then you can do it tomorrow," the lord rumbled as his helm slid to Gramont.

Compared to Mr. Gramont's loud boasts and commands, this lord was quiet. And yet, his hushed voice held all the presence of thunder. Where Mr. Gramont seemed almost like a small puppy or someone's pet dog yammering for attention, the armored lord was like an old wolf on the prowl.

And like an old wolf, he just marched past Mr. Gramont without a care for the indignant puppy's woes.

"She's insulted my father's good name!" the boy yelled at him, "and she's broken the heart of two young maidens!"

The lord just hummed with a nod, as if taking note of the errant fact and nothing more. Instead, he opted to continue walking forward. As dazed and out of her element Siesta felt, she just followed the man's metaphorical lead and continued to walk towards the library.

"She needs to pay!"

He only hummed again noncommittally.

Mr. Gramont scowled, growling deeply in frustration and rage. He ran ahead and stopped in front of them.

"Fine then," he hissed, "In that case, you leave me no choice."

The crowd had followed the trio, eager onlookers waiting for something to happen. Some deep, animal part of them wanted blood to be spilled. Their toothy smiles and gleaming eyes screamed for it.

"I challenge you to a duel of honor!" Mr. Gramont declared with all the weight he could muster.

The crowd was silent, held in rapt attention. This is what they'd been waiting for.

The iron-clad lord took one look at the boy, and brushed him aside.

Guiche sputtered, his dignity taking another blow at being dismissed. All around him, the crowd chuckled, hiding cruel smiles behind hands and cloaks.

"Come back here!" he roared, whirling on the giant. "I demand a duel."

"[Fuck off]" the noble grumbled in a foreign tongue, waving his hand at the boy dismissively.

Though something in Siesta clicked. She'd heard those words before. And when her mind connected those, it ran down a list of all the other connections she'd seen and heard. Connecting all the dots in the puzzle. It was a long process, and in the meantime, her legs kept marching her towards her goal.

Mr. Gramont ran up to the lord and roared, "Do not disregard me!"

"I am Guiche Gramont! Son of General Gramont! You will accept my duel!" He screamed.

Siesta could see it plainly now. The panic in his eyes. The respect he'd lost. The crowd was turning on him, and he could feel it. Mr. Gramont was a showman, if nothing else. He could tell the tide of the audience, and if he lost it, he might never get it back.

That it mattered so much to him that he was willing to go so far saddened Siesta. Though she wasn't sure why.

"No," The armored mage said simply. "Now leave us. I have places to be and things to do."

Mr. Gramont grit his teeth and stood his ground. His hand holding his rose wand pointed at the lord's chest. With all the effort and seriousness he could muster, he told his last line. His final effort to win back all the respect and prestige he lost.

"You'll have to kill me."

In the moment after, Siesta got the strange impression that the lord behind her was rolling his eyes.

Then the lord's long arm whipped out, faster than a snake, and placed itself upon Mr. Gramont's head.

She could see the boy go pale, whiter than a sheet as he realized what he'd said and who he'd said it too.

Then there was a flash of light.

And the lord and the boy were suddenly 3 meters back.

The giant armored lord released the boys head and stepped back.

Guiche immediately fell to his knees and spat the contents of his stomach onto the ground. The puddle of bile and half-digested food sunk into the knees of his trousers, the backsplash of his projectile vomit staining his once pristine shirt while bits of it smudged around his lips. The boys eyes were wide and dizzy, his legs weak and wobbly.

Another flash of light, and the lord was beside Siesta again.

"Alright," He said, as if he'd done nothing particularly of note, "Let's go."

And so she did. As she walked off, she could hear something behind her.

"My father…" Mr. Gramont said weakly, "Will hear of this."

But over that, almost drowning it out, Siesta heard something else.

Laughter.

A/n:

So there you go, Felwinter meets Siesta. That's all you wanted, right?

What? Something about Guiche?

Well, I considered having Felwinter fight him for a moment, but then I couldn't see why Felwinter would let him live.

Then I wondered why Felwinter would fight the little shit at all. I mean, to Felwinter, Guiche is basically a toddler with a pointy stick.

And if you had an appointment with someone, was lost, and were asking the staff for directions when a toddler with a stick came up to you and challenged you to a duel to the death, what would you do?

You probably wouldn't have time for his shit.

So he just Blinked him 3 meters to the side and let the extreme nausea that comes from not being used to being disassembled atom by atom, moved at the speed of light, and then reconstituted piece by piece, do the rest.

And whenever I use [brackets] it's to show that Felwinter is speaking in his own language.

Also, one of my betas, Luna, this time, mentioned that Felwinter seemed a bit bland. They did this about 30 minutes ago, so I don't have a lot of time to fix it, so I don't know. And my other beta, Trav, tells me this is, quote, "Well it's grammatically terrible but narratively it kinda works".

So that's comforting.

He told me this about 2 minutes ago, by the way.

Thanks guys. Thanks so much.

So let me know what you think.

And if I got any names wrong because I was feeling too lazy to look it up this time, and neither of my editors said anything.

Oh, and the general style this is all going to take is that Louise is always in 1st person, everyone else is in focused 3rd person.

Next chapter's gonna be about Felwinter and Colbert doing some research.

Which should be in about a week. 'Till then.