Things soon settled into a routine, as they tended to with time. Katarina worked on learning to draw her sword, doing her sword drills, learning etiquette from Shana every other day, doing her chores in the knight dormitory, occasionally bringing snacks for the knights after an etiquette lesson. Katarina slowly got the hang of pulling her sword out from any position she happened to find herself in.
So, of course, Maria switched up the difficulty by having her do it with her left hand. And had her start practicing doing her morning drills with her left hand as well. That had her feeling like a beginner again very quickly. Still, she persevered. After all, it was just flipping hands. She just had to get used to it!
Maria also fell into a pleasant routine similar to how she'd lived in at the Academy. She woke up, slowly broke through to Rafael's strange but exciting resolve not to ravish her, worked on her own sword drills, ate with her wards, inspected her Squire's progress, did her paperwork, inspected their factories, saw to the knight's gun training (in a bit of backsliding to cover past mistakes, she had them practicing quickdraws from the holster), occasionally had to entertain noble visitors trying to get at her Squire, entertained Dame Matthew over snacks and spars and told her about her cousin's progress, and sometimes had meetings with Sophia and Lady Berg about the growth and progress of their company.
"I think we need to start hiring agents to get the commissions for me," Sophia said. "The appointments aren't getting backed up yet, but I can already see they will be soon, and if we let people wait too long, they might not commission us. Nightflowers are basically a fad, and if we don't let people join in, they'll get bored and it'll fade away."
"I have to say I agree," Lady Berg said. "While it's only an undertone now, I'm getting the sense that people are getting impatient at not being able to commission nightflowers for themselves yet. Now would actually be the best time to massively increase taking commissions, while society is balanced between the wonder of the product and the frustration of their scarcity to acquire for themselves."
Maria gave Sophia a sidelong glance, but she only looked bright-eyed and un-blooded, just eager to help out on her first hunt, and totally not trying to get employees to do her rounds so she'd have more time for scheming to see Katarina Claes. She probably wanted more free time to read books again, but really, most of her Squire's retinue looped around to Katarina-centric thinking eventually.
"Do you have any candidates in mind for these agents?" Maria said. "Many of the appointments were arrange because of Lady Sophia's relative ranks. When we switched, I noticed that many seemed offended at having to deal with someone as low-ranked as I was."
Both Sophia and Lady Berg blinked in surprise. "What makes you say that?" Sophia asked.
"When I went to meet them, on seeing me many of the ladies on the appointment schedule were red with outrage," Maria said. "I am very familiar with the look, as I have had it directed at me since the first Academy Graduation I facilitated as a member of the Student Council."
"I'm…not sure you are…" Sophia muttered.
"No, I very much am. They're always flushed with indignation and keep making comments about my legs when they don't think I can hear," Maria said.
Sophia and Lady Berg exchanged another look, surely commiserating on her difficulties. "W-well, I'm sure after we send a cover letter explaining our change in arrangements, they'll be more understanding," Lady Berg said, coughing delicately.
"I would hope," Maria said. "I would rather any agents we send not be humiliated."
"Maybe we can hire some nobles to do it," Sophia mused. "You know, fourth or fifth on onward sons and daughters with no prospects?"
"To be honest, I was thinking of Lady Ginger Tucker," Maria said. "You remember her? From the Student Council? Not her exactly, as she has responsibilities to her family, but perhaps people in her circumstance? I've heard that in some places at Sorcier's borders the nobility are rather financially troubled. Someone from such a family might have at least the social standing to be a presentable agent for our company?"
"In that case, let's definitely ask Ginger," Sophia said. "She's got a good head on her shoulders, we know we can work with her, is trustworthy, and quite frankly she's less of a risk that she'd spy through company secrets and try to make her own nightflowers."
"A consideration for later," Maria said. "She's still in the Academy, after all."
Lady Berg coughed. "If I may suggest?" she said. "My Prince Ian doesn't have as much support as the other princes–"
"What, even Alan?" Sophia said, surprised. "Are you saying Alan has more support than him?"
"Prince Alan has fans, and the root word of fans is fanatics," Maria said. "Prince Alan actually has a very wide and proud support base, he simply does not direct it towards any aspirations for the throne."
Lady Berg sighed. "Yes… but even though my prince's supporters aren't as plentiful, most are reliable, well-reputed houses and nobles."
"Except those women who kept trying to get you to break up with him," Sophia said.
A surprisingly toothy smile paired with an edged look on Lady Berg's face. "Well, stupid women can dream," she said triumphantly. "And in a way it was a sign of their support for my prince, deluded as they were. I forgive… eventually."
"Huh," Sophia said, blinking. "Wow Selena, you look really scary when you smile like that."
Lady Berg snapped open a fan and demurely concealed her mouth. A little edge remained in her eyes. "But to continue, in hindsight, not all of them were heated little dogs yapping above themselves," she said, "and once I got to know them, many were quite nice company. Lady Lalatina likes them too. I would propose we offer the opportunity to work as our agents to some of them, those who are third or fourth-hand spares or aren't even in the running for titles at all. Working with us should give them some degree of financial freedom, and they'll be less pressured to marry if their family thinks their work will bring in more connections for them than simply getting married."
"They will have to be vetted for personal suitability, but given you will be bringing them forward to recruitment, and their political loyalties, this would drastically reduce the possibility of any sort of betrayal," Maria considered. "And they need not meet here. I think we'd have the petty cash to establish an office for them in the capital?"
"I would be willing to offer my house as such a meeting place," Lady Berg said. "It's too big for just me, and it would save on costs."
"And I can just go there and pick up commissions," Sophia said.
"You'd still need to train them," Maria said to the scaleless young woman who was most definitely not the reincarnation of the paledrake. That would be wrong. "After all, we can hardly expect them to just walk in and get the best possible deal for a commission. I'm sure you've been employing all sort of negotiation strategies and methods to get the most souls from a commission, as well as a large enough time gap for us to prepare the display. Perhaps we should start with one or two agents and have them accompany you as assistants at first to learn your methods."
Sophia grimaced.
"But things would be easier after those agents are trained up, as they would be able to train others," Maria said.
Sophia brightened.
This time it was Maria and Lady Berg who exchanged amused looks.
"And of course, you would still need to monitor the progress of these agents," Maria said. "See that they are pursuing commissions, aren't underselling the product… Lady Berg can't do that, as she's already compiling the after-action reports and monitoring our market in the nobility."
Sophia drooped slightly.
"Which reminds me," Lady Berg said. "The castle would like to inquire about commissioning nightflowers for the International Assembly in a few months. My prince asked me to have us reserve that period for the castle only, so that the display wouldn't be diluted by having displays by other parties."
Maria tilted her head. "It should be doable. I do not think we have any commissions that far ahead?" She looked at Sophia to be sure.
The smaller woman shook her head, but they both checked their books anyway. "Nope, our schedule's clear," Sophia said. "We can certainly reserve that period so that we aren't accepting any other commissions in the capital during that time."
"For a reservation fee, of course," Maria said beatifically.
"Oh, of course," Sophia said brightly. "After all, think of all the business we'll have to turn away."
"I'll pass on the word," Lady Berg said with a smirk. "After all, my prince just asked to pass on the message. It's not his souls, it's the Crown's."
Everyone shared a silver serpent look at all the souls to be gouged.
"By the way Lady Sophia, will you have dinner with us tonight?" Maria asked. "You as well, Lady Berg, if you have not arranged anything prior with your prince?"
"Sadly, I have," Lady Berg said, looking like she almost meant it. It was time with her prince, after all. "Perhaps give me more warning next time?"
"Will dinner three days from tonight work for you?" Maria said. "Your prince is, of course, invited as well, if he is available."
"I believe we can manage that," Lady Berg said.
"Hmm…" Sophia said. "I don't know, I was going to reread my Night Fall books for continuity errors about the pendant now that they've revealed what it can do…"
"Ah. A pity then, we will be sorry to lose you," Maria said. "We shall simply have to find someone else my Squire can practice her proper dinner conversation with."
Sophia froze. "W-what was that?"
"Well, you're busy, I understand," Maria said. "Some other time per–"
"Campbell, stop giving me grief you griefer, or I swear every bookstore in the capital will never sell you anything ever again!" Sophia said. "Is Lady Katarina going to be at dinner?"
"Didn't I just say?" Maria said innocently.
"Please repeat what you said!"
"I thought you weren't going to be there?"
Lady Beg chuckled behind her fan.
In the end, Sophia agreed to stay for dinner.
"Hello Dame Campbell, I'm here to see my fiancé," the Third Prince said as soon as he stepped out of his carriage, handing her a bottle of good wine. Not rare, or expensive, but actually good to drink. "How are you? You're looking paler than usual, have you been getting out enough? My congratulations to Rafael, I hear he's been doing many interesting things at the Ministry. I don't suppose you're serving I Scream tonight? Where is Katarina?!"
"Hello as well, your highness," Maria said, taking the wine with pleasure and handing it off to Sadako to chill in ice. "My, this is a wonderful wine, it will go quite well with dinner." It would, too. "I'm afraid I haven't been outside as often as I should, but thank you for your concern. I would be most interested to hear what it is you have been hearing from the Ministry. Rafael seldom speaks of his work at home. I suppose it leave him feeling tired. And yes, we are having I Scream tonight." For a moment, the Third Prince looked like a child told her could eat his dessert first. "I hope you have versed yourself in 'The Noble's Proper Etiquette Reference and Manual of Propriety and Action', seventh edition's new rules for dining on cold foods for dessert. Shana wishes to gain some practice on it, and I thought we could take this opportunity for her to do so. Squire Katarina is still at her studies." She turned and nodded. "Hello Prince Alan. It's nice to see you again. How have you been? Lady Hunt has already arrived."
"Hey, Maria," Prince Alan said. "Thanks for the invitation. Most of the time's I only get invited to boring things with bad company."
"You get invited to all the things I'm invited to," his brother pointed out.
"Exactly," Prince Alan said with a grin.
"All right, you have a point," his brother said.
They entered the sitting room to find Mary Hunt not trying to climb out the window and being held back by Sadako's grip on the back of her dress. Indeed, they did not find Mary Hunt at all, only Sophia still in the clothes she'd worn for that day's meeting and appointments, Lord Keith and Dame Matthew, whom Maria exchanged knightly bows with.
"Huh," Prince Alan said. "I thought you said Mary was here. Did she actually manage to go out the window this time?"
"No, she is with Shana," Maria said. "My ward is doing some last minute preparations for tonight. We will be assisting her in practicing her etiquette. She's been nervous about not being able to act correctly, no matter how much she's studied her etiquette books. I hope you will be able to assist her by helping me enact a by-the-book dinner scenario for her."
"Really, it's pretty brash of you, asking two of the princes of Sorcier to help you with such a thing while you're keeping one's fiancée hidden," the Third Prince said.
"Surely little Shana can rely on her Uncle Prince to help assuage her worries?" Maria said.
The Third Prince twitched. "I was told Katarina would be here," he said.
"And she will," Maria said. "But only after dinner. You've waited this long. Sure you can wait a little more until after Shana has had her practice?"
The third prince rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine. I'll play the perfect prince until after dinner."
"Then you have my gratitude, all of you," Maria said. "I shall go check on Lady Hunt to make sure she hasn't run off."
Maria found her kneeling like some sort of pervert in front of the small dining room key hole, alternately peaking and listening as the opening as she breathed heavily like she was doing something indecent to herself.
"So cute…" she panted. "My student is so cute… ah, but Lady Katarina is so cute too… but my student is so amazing for actually getting her to learn… but Lady Katarina is actually learning…!"
Maria silenced her by covering her mouth, ensuring the start of surprise wouldn't result in anything audible.
"We are ready to begin," Maria said quietly, heroically resisting the purge to push Lady Hunt aside and peek herself. "Please come to the sitting room so we may all move to the dining hall."
"Noooo…." Lady Hunt whined quietly. "Can't I stay just a little longer? The cuteness… the warm and fuzzy feelings… I didn't know it was possible to feel like this…! It's like I've gone back in time and am watching a cute little lady Katarina…"
"Sitting room," Maria said sternly, if still quietly. "Now. Or else you won't see them doing this in a proper formal setting."
Lady Hunt froze, and a stream of blood began to leak from her nose. Resisting the urge to lick it, Maria picked up the stun-locked lady and carried her over the shoulder.
She was not letting anything ruin this dinner. It would be to everyone's benefit (except poor Lord Ascart would couldn't make it), and she was not going to let anything stand in its way.
Everyone would know her daughter and her Squire were the cutest in the world!
+1 Insight
Dinner happened, and Maria honestly did not have to nudge anything, as Katarina, and by extension Shana, both did exemplary, properly consuming the I Scream according to the new etiquette regarding cold foods for dessert (which so perfectly suited I Scream it seemed to have been devised with it in mind), and making proper dinner small talk about the weather.
Her entire retinue kept staring at Katarina as she actually handled her wooden sword before sitting down like a proper knight, ate like a proper noble lady, used the utensils like a proper noble lady, and made boring inane conversation like a proper noble lady. The Third Prince looked like his heart was breaking and being remade at the same time, and Lady Hunt just kept freezing and staring, overcome with a look on her face that could only be described as 'goofy'. Sophia had been so busy devouring Katarina with her eyes she barely touched her plate until prompted, while Lord Keith had stared at his sister as if she were an exotic stranger. Dame Matthew had kept fingering her little saucer and staring suspiciously at the Third Prince as if seeing him as a viable target.
Thank goodness mother had begged off this dinner to eat with the other children. Her guests were being rather embarrassing. Still, they at least managed to play their parts by rote, and Katarina and Shana answered appropriately. Katarina even managed to use the right titles! WITHOUT waiting for Shana to sue them first!
Prince Alan had snuck Maria a note in the midst of all this, torn from the little notebook he carried, hidden under the tablecloth and carried by a little spill of water. You didn't DM her, did you?
Maria met her eyes and shook his head.
As a Prince of Sorcier, I hereby officially proclaim you have managed to do the impossible.
Maria shook her head, tilted it in a direction.
Correction noted. Shana has officially done the impossible.
Finally the food was finished, and Maria called for everyone's attention. Shana and Katarina looked at her with polite expectation, completely appropriate for a dinner.
"Full marks," Maria said simply. "Very well done. I hereby declare dinner officially over."
Katarina improperly thrust her fist into the air in half of a gesture of joy. "YES!" she cried.
For some reason, everyone sighed in relief. What, did they really think she'd managed to completely unmake Katarina Claes?
As Shana's cookies where given to her, impeded slightly by Lady Hunt beginning to gush incomprehensibly about her student and Katarina, Maria leaned back and enjoyed the familiar sounds that surrounded Katarina Claes as her friends for once, congratulated her on her perfect manners with absolutely no irony.
Eventually, Dame Matthew approached her, Katarina's friends had crowded around her so thickly she'd been pushed out.
"Is this really so amazing?" Dame Matthew said softly
"Oh, yes," Maria said. "Katarina can be very… rough at certain things, and learning can be difficult for her. Some learning. She has always been able to power through it with her eccentricity and charm before, but I will not allow my squire to have such a gaping deficiency. Besides, she's still Lady Katarina. Nothing will ever change that. She simply knows a little more, now."
"I suppose you're right…" Dame Matthew said as Katarina's friends went about their usual dynamic parrying of each other's attempts to bury their metaphorical swords into her.
"By the way, Dame Matthew," Maria said, "my saber has finally come back from the smith's. Would you, perhaps, be amenable to a spar tomorrow? With your greatshield?"
Dame Matthew's eyebrows rose as she turned to look at Maria. "I would be very amendable, Dame Maria. In two days, after breakfast, perhaps?"
"I will look forward to it," Maria said.
Two days later, after breakfast, Maria faced Dame Matthew at a cleared area of the estate, in view of the manor's many windows. Off-duty knights lurked casually, and Katarina had been given a free day, as Maria would not be able to do much teaching of her today. Katarina had promptly made I Scream and was sharing it with the children, who were… well, being less than generous in their assessment of Dame Matthew's chances. Maria had told them this was just a spar, and that where were no winner nor losers, but they didn't seem to comprehend.
Because she had promised, the usual retinue was there as well to try and monopolize Katarina's time during her free day. Fortunately, the children had been at her all morning and would allow some horny teenagers to get at the Saintess offering I Scream. Off to the side, Dame Matthew's redheaded maid waved a small flag with the Romani family crest on one said and the Adeth Family crest on the other.
Dame Matthew wore dark purple plate armor of middling weight. The shield at her side was enormous, taller than her, and looked like someone had taken a table, removed the legs, and started carrying it around for protection. Like the greatshields of old, it was not meant to be srapped to the arm but lifted by a single handle.
Maria faced her, wearing her hunter's garb. Her holster was, of course, empty, as this was merely a friendly spar. In one hand she held a twinblade, their edges saber-curved and the blue of crystalline titanite. It had taken a lot of work for the smiths to alter her weapon to this.
Dame Alicateria stood between them, officiating the, of rouse, perfectly friendly spar.
"Are you ready?" she called.
Maria and Matthew faced each other.
They both moved at the same time, bowing at the other in respect, their weapons at their sides.
"All right then…" Dame Alicetaria gave the signal to begin. "You are being invaded!"
They both moved at the same time, slowly walking towards each other, Dame Matthew shield carving a furrow on the ground as Maria raised her new twinblade before her. Maria grasped the hilt of the shorter blade on one end, twisting it. There was a click, and with a wrench one weapon became two.
As they neared, the world seemed to slow, as if creating a perfect, tranquil moment.
They both moved at the same time.
Consequence Rakuyo (Enchanted)
A strange weapon borne from the imaginings of Lady Maria Campbell of Sorcier. Originally a saber bequeathed to her by the king on the occasion of her knighthood, it was been altered to become an unusual twinblade weapon. Infused with a special form of rare crystalline Titanite.
A trick sword that is the first of its kind, this sword feeds not off blood, but instead demands great dexterity and power of magic.
Lady Maria was fond of this weapon, which is said to have been borne from her dreams. One day, she took her faithful saber and had it reforged anew, becoming this blade. From then on, it was always at her side like a quiet, unfaltering friend, one that would that she had been reunited with after so long, never to part again.
Protector of Smiles
The greatshield that the Knight Matthew Romani possesses.
A great and sturdy shield made with a mother's love and the sacrifice of many dresses for the rare materials with which it was made. Its strength is said proportionate to the willpower of the user. So long as the heart doesn't break, this shield too shall never crumble. Go beyond death.
She may look like an gallant knight, but her mind can be quite filthy.
A/N: So, my Pat-reon is up now at P.A.T.R.E.O.N.C.O.M -/-SCM2814. If you want to support this fic, that would be great, but no pressure. But if you do, you'll also get advanced access to my new original fiction series about a wizard on the frontier, her dungeon, and the idiots around her...