Night had fallen over Clover Kingdom and so, over the royal capital as well. Especially the secret rooms within the Silva palace were mostly dark. The only light came from the moon who shined through the windows of painted glass, giving the pictures a glimmer of silver over their colours.
A blurry silhouette came through one of those coloured windows. A woman, whose traits took slowly a more defined appearance. But she looked mostly white and the under half of her body was still a bit misty.
The woman floated and glided slowly through the chambers. In her metallic purple eyes shined some glimmer of nostalgy and sadness. Lots of sadness.
She stopped once in a while, to let her hand stroke over the dark stone walls, some of the furniture or a picture of one of the windows. Even though her hand went through everything instead of stopping at the surface. Every time a sad sigh escaped her lips before she continued to float forward.
The sad woman finally stopped in a room with a big canopy bed. A glance of recognition appeared for a second in her eyes, before she let the sadness return. She looked at the bed or more precisely, at the couple sleeping in it, tightly embracing each other. A sound between a laugh and a sigh escaped her pale lips.
"When I think that Athos and I slept in the exact same bed for years… As well as every couple before us."
The voice of the woman sounded like a distant memory.
She approached. Making no noise. Just watching the couple. A sad yet tender smile appeared on her lips as she looked at the man.
"Oh, Nozel… my baby boy… you're a grown man now."
The woman tried stroke his hair, but of course she couldn't feel anything. Instead, she was very cautious, so that her hand wouldn't go through the man's head.
"I'm so sorry you're now bonded here. Please be careful or you and you're sweet wife will become just memories in painted glass, like all the ones that came before. Including me and… Oh, I'm so sorry, Nozel. My secret… I should have told you, but… I was so terribly afraid. Not so much that my husband found out… well, that too, honestly. But more that you'll be disappointed in me, that you wouldn't love me anymore. I'm so sorry, my silver hatchling."
A smile graced her lips, as she saw how tightly the man was holding the woman next to him. "But today, you might understand. Given how deeply you fell in love. And you're so lucky to be loved in return. Only that I can't tell you anymore. I'm so sorry, Nozel. I shouldn't had let my stupid fear got the better of me. But I did and besides you were so young… and then the curse… you suffered so much already. I… I haven't even thought to write a letter and now it's too late. I'm so sorry… Nebra, Solid, Noelle and you… you deserved to know."
She turned to the woman in the bed, who was sleeping as peacefully as the young man holding her.
"Vanessa, was it? Thank you so much for loving my son. If only I could have properly met you. Please, take good care of Nozel. He's just like me when it comes to people he loves and cares about… We both gave our lives for them. I'm begging you, make sure that it won't destroy him. Maybe I worry for nothing, but… I've made the mistake to never show any weakness in front of my children… and I fear that Nozel… well… that he is at risk to do too many things alone…"
The woman took one last look at the lovers, smiled sadly while glancing at the silver wedding bands on their fingers.
"Athos…"
Misty tears floated on her cheeks as she finally turned away and left the chamber.
She went back just as slowly as she came, through the painted glass of a window. But she didn't appeared on the other side…
"Has anyone saw Vanessa lately?"
Noelle just shrugged, while looking very concentrated on the rapport she just wrote. Well, hopefully she looked concentrated and hopefully, nobody would notice how tense she already was. Except Finral, Nero and Gordon of course, because they were also aware of the secret around Vanessa.
She looked over at those three. Finral was doing some paperwork and with that face he was making right now, it had to be paperwork that captain Yami was supposed to do. And given how he turned the golden wedding band around his finger, it was clear as crystal that he wanted to go back to his wife.
Wedding band… Noelle sighed, almost grinning, but holding back her chuckle. Most of the Black Bulls didn't know that Finral wasn't anymore the only married Bull.
Nero was may more calmer, drinking her… third or fourth… bowl of coffee? She was almost as terrible as Nozel on this point and he had now at least Vanessa to watch that he wouldn't drink too much coffee.
Gordon was sitting in a corner, working on something that looked like a new doll. Noelle really hoped that it wasn't a Nozel doll. Well, if she was being honest, she wasn't really against Gordon making a doll that looked like her older brother, even though the act itself had some creepy touch. We're talking about Gordon, after all. But Noelle preferred that he would not do it in front of the Black Bulls who didn't know about Nozels and Vanessas secret wedding.
At least, none of them looked like they knew something. Gordon and Nero were perfectly calm and Finral looked more irritated about the paperwork and impatient to see lady Finesse again. None of them would spill the beans.
It was still too soon, after all.
"Come on, guys, has anyone seen her?" Magna asked again and for some reason, he sounded desperate. "I really need her, Luck destroyed my trousers in our last fight and she needs to repair them."
"I already told you that it was a stupid idea to go fighting at the place with the thornbushes," Nero just replied very calmly.
"But Asta told me that it's an amazing place to train!"
"He's also the one who comes back with most of his clothes ripped off when he went to do his workout at this place."
"That's just a detail and it was Luck who destroyed my pants, not the thorns! His clothes are still fine."
"Or maybe that's just means Luck is better at avoiding the thorns than you while you fight."
"What did you say?"
Noelle sighed. Magnas voice was just as loud as Astas sometimes, especially when he was angry for the most stupid reasons.
"Vanessa is not here, as you can see and she shouldn't be considered only as our seamstress. Ask Gordon for your trousers, he is also very good with needle work," she just said without looking up from the rapport she didn't really read yet.
Gordon stood up, a happy look on his face.
"What? No! I don't want a patch that looks like a creepy voodoo doll on my clothes again!"
Gordon sat down, with very big tears falling down his face.
Noelle looked at him with compassion. She grew very fond of him since he helped to keep Nozels and Vanessas secret, he even was the ringbearer at their secret wedding.
"And if it's a patch in form of a skull? You like that, your grimoire has a skull too, after all."
"Hm… well, fine. At least skulls are badass."
Gordon was looking happy again as he took Magnas trousers and immediately began to patch them back.
"But seriously," Magna said as he sat down on a couch, "where is Vanessa? It's been one week that she was barely seen at the hideout. Normally she's always there and avoids to go on any missions."
"Maybe she's going out to drink more than usual," Asta suggested as he came in. Noelle immediately blushed and turned her head. Seriously, why does he need to walk around so casually without any shirt? And why was she still so flustered seeing his bare chest? She admitted her feelings for him, dang it!
But only to herself, not to anyone else. Especially not to Asta himself. And while she was dealing with her love for such an oblivious idiot, one of her squadmates fell in love with her older brother and was now even married! In secret, but that was a detail, they're still husband and wife since a week!
What an irony, really. Noelle knew Asta for longer than Nozel knew Vanessa and she was still dealing alone with her feelings while her brother actually get a grip of his Silva issues – whatever those were – and basically made a rebellion by marrying a Black Bull witch and in secret even.
Nozel Silva. Her brother. Her Head of House. Captain of the Silver Eagles. Rebelled.
It was such a foreign thought still, even after he and Vanessa told her about their relationship. Oh, she was happy for them, more than that, and she would do anything to support them. It was still pretty weird, though.
At least, she knew now that Nozel wouldn't be so against if she would be with Asta. This was so reassuring for Noelle… but also to far-fetched for now, since she and Asta weren't dating. Heck, that idiot wasn't even aware of her feelings! Noelle would have thought that since he could read Ki, maybe Asta would find out… but on top of being an idiot, he was also so, so oblivious. And Noelle was still too shy to admit them out loud. She'd rather fight some devils in Spade again.
Pathetic, really.
While Noelle sighed in quiet despair, her squadmates were still discussing Vanessa's unknown whereabouts.
"Her Ki was pretty weird, though, since a good amount of time, for months maybe" Asta continued and Noelle found herself flinch. Maybe that lovely idiot learned to use his brain more often, after all.
"Then why didn't you say anything earlier?" Magna asked, clearly irritated.
"Well, because I wasn't worried, she was mostly happy."
"It's Vanessa, she's happy almost all the time."
"Yeah, I know, but that happiness was still… I don't know… different? It was nervousness, hope, excitement, a high amount of emotions mixed in it. Sometimes, she came home only in the morning. I know, this is pretty normal for Vanessa. But she didn't came home with a hangover, rather giddy maybe?"
"If we weren't talking about Vanessa, I'd say that she's in love," Gauche replied, while working on a statuette that looked like his sister.
Magna and Asta looked at him with very surprised eyes.
"Can it be? I never sensed the Ki of persons in love before. Except Finral, but I didn't understood a thing."
Stupid Dorksta.
"But why would someone even fall in love with Vanessa? She's too… huggy."
Stupid delinquent as well.
"Exactly, no one would fell in love with Vanessa that easily and no one would catch her interest for more than five minutes."
Stupid sister-obsessed freak as well.
"Don't you think that you're all a bit mean towards Vanessa?" Finral interjected, visibly upset. Which was normal, Vanessa was his best friend. "She is a wonderful person and if she fell in love, that person will be a lucky one and Vanessa as well."
"I definitely agree on that," Noelle said, in her most royal way.
"As do I," Nero said calmly.
"I agree too," Gordon admitted, while still working on Magnas pants. "If Vanessa finds someone she loves and who loves her back, I can even make a new friend."
Finral, Noelle, Nero and Gordon shared a knowing glance. After all, Vanessa did found someone to love and who loved her in return. They were even married!
Gauche sighed angrily, definitely not used that four people at once would question his statement on a topic that isn't about his little sister for once.
"Fine, believe what you want. But that still doesn't explain why Vanessa hasn't shown up since one freaking week. Without Rouge, we have to be more careful with those stupid explosions!"
"If you ask me, it's also a good training for us to not rely on her too much," Noelle replied, still in her most royal way. "If we do, we surely would become more reckless than we already are and we can't just assume that it'll always end well."
"We're reckless?" Magna and Asta asked, visibly genuinely puzzled.
Noelle sighed and was about to scold them, when Gauche growled, "But when she's not here, I can't protect my angelic treasures of Marie efficiently."
"As Noelle said, maybe it's time for you to learn to protect your collection without relying on Vanessa too much" Nero just added, completely calm.
Gauche was about to reply when Charmy entered the common room, carrying three giant plates, which looked funny with her being so small.
"Oh, Charmy!"
"La, what is it, Asta? You're hungry?"
"No, but have you seen Vanessa lately?"
"Nope, la."
Charmy looked way to calm about this topic.
"Huh, aren't you worried?"
"No, but there's no need to be worried. I always put delicious food and meals on the side for her and they're always gone. So, she still eating, la. Nothing to worry about."
With those words, Charmy went to the table and began to eat her… probably seventh meal of the day.
Noelle hide her smile. That was mostly because Finral, Nero, Gordon and herself sent the food Charmy made for Vanessa to the young lady Silva and her husband.
Gauche, Magna and Asta looked at Charmy, vaguely irritated. Well, that explanation with the food could be concerning when you don't know about Vanessas not so little secret.
"Oy, why are you troublemakers so quiet? Don't tell me Nacht is back and told you some mean truth again."
Captain Yami just entered the hideout by kicking the door open. Noelle hold back a sigh. She always wondered why he would not just open the door like anyone would. But she knew her captain and she knew what would occur if she dared to ask.
"No, captain Yami!" Asta screamed, welcoming their captain. "We just wondering were Vanessa is, we haven't seen her since a week and- OYE!"
"Do you really need to scream while I just came back for a captains meeting, kiddo? I already got a headache with all the complicated stuff while I couldn't go take a dump. Do you maybe think that Vanessa will appear when you scream? Keep dreaming, we have other things to do than run each time you have the need to get loud. And taking a dump is way more important."
"But… sir… aren't you worried that Vanessa isn't here?"
"She was the one who filled the rapports yesterday and put them in front of my door, I just needed to fill them. So, she's here. Now, stop bothering me, I have a huge battle that awaits me. And I hope for you that you haven't forgot to buy toilet paper this time!"
Asta just mumbled something that only Yami could understand. Apparently Asta didn't forgot the toilet paper, because the captain of the Black Bulls seemed satisfied with the answer. He let go of Asta and started to go to the bathroom.
But Yami suddenly stopped behind Noelle and she couldn't help but flinch a bit.
"Noelle?"
"What is it, captain Yami?"
Noelle was perfectly calm, her breathing was normal, nothing was showing how nervous she felt right now… she hoped.
"Have you seen your braided bro lately?"
"Three days ago. Nozel was perfectly fine. Why do you ask?"
"Oh, nothin'. It's just that he wasn't at the meeting today, but his vice was. Nice girl, but she just wouldn't tell some juicy secrets about your bro that I could use against him. Well, tell him he doesn't need to hide if he doesn't want to come at a meeting, I come too after all."
With that, Yami disappeared into the direction of the bathroom, Finral immediately following him, probably hoping to give him what was left of the captain paperwork.
Noelle let out a sigh. That had been a bit too close for comfort. She didn't know if she had to be thankful that despite the ability to read Ki, captain Yami was very oblivious or she should fear the moment he actually would find out about the secret.
It was a relief that she didn't need to lie. Indeed, Noelle visited Nozel and Vanessa three days ago. They were doing fine, waiting for the moment to come out of secrecy though, but so happy together. Noelle couldn't help but smile at how wonderful they were for each other.
But somehow, Noelle was still worried. Oh, their situation was a complicated one, with all the secrecy and… other things she hated to think about. But that wasn't what worried her, instead it was more the secret chambers within the Silva palace, in which Nozel and Vanessa would be hiding for a while.
Noelle couldn't really tell what was bothering her. She couldn't decide if the dark stone walls were intimidating or reassuring like the ones at the Black Bulls hideout. She couldn't exactly determine if the windows of painted glass were out of place or comforting. Those chambers were like cosy and haunted at the same time.
Haunted… why was it this word of all that came to her mind?
Noelle remembered how her Silva grandmother, that fragile and mad old woman, used to tell stories about secrets, tragic destinies and ghosts within the three castles. But her grandmother also told that royals didn't love, that witches were incapable of love and that the sky was all purple on full moon. So, the stories of the late lady Eislyn Silva, formerly from House Seashell, were always to be taken with cautious.
Still, Noelle wondered if her grandmother actually knew about those secret chambers…
"He, Noelle."
"AAAAH! Why do you need to sneak on me like that, stupid Dorksta!"
"Sorry, but I wanna ask you something. You're Ki, it's very weird, so-"
"Don't insult my Ki! And whatever you want, it can wait, the rapport in my hands won't be read by itself."
Noelle already regretted to be so harsh on Asta, but she couldn't help. For him, it was probably pretty normal.
Quickly, she stood up and ran to her bedroom. Somehow, she envied her brother and Vanessa. She wanted something like what they currently had, with Asta, despite the difficulties of classes, nobility and royalty. But with how she was right now, it sadly won't be so soon.
If there was something that Vanessa really found funny in her current situation, it was to go to the spots were the secret chambers were communicating with the outside world and listening to whatever happened in the Silva palace.
Be it the gossips of the servants, Solids and Nebras weird and secret hobbies, the two jerks of royal Heads of House that try to search for Nozel or the ridiculous nobles trying to get into good relations with the Silvas, it was always funny to witness. She just needed to hold her laugh for herself, so that she wouldn't get caught. This was the last thing Nozel and her needed right now.
For the moment, it was two nobles ladies waiting in the hall, probably for their husbands who would fail to find Nozel today.
"I know that lord Nozel isn't the easiest royal to catch, but at least we always got a glance on him. Now it's like he's hidden somewhere and nowhere to be found!"
True.
Vanessa hold back a chuckle.
"Let's not panic, my dear Cristal. Given the rumours about his potential future wedding, lord Nozel needs to appear again one day or another."
"You're very right, my dear Adelheid. But it is so frustrating! Our house has some of the best marital proposals ever, but lord Nozel seems to ignore them! I remember that the late lady Acier also was ignoring most proposals for her children, but at least back then, her husband was there to negotiate. Sadly, that dear man is now mostly out of the country as a diplomat."
"No wonder, lord Lac is such a wonderful diplomat."
That was probably true. But from what she heard from the father of the last remaining Silvas, he didn't had any paternal qualities when it came to his children.
Vanessa sighed. Lord Lac, basically her father-in-law today, was one of the reasons why Nozel and her took that rather drastic decision of a secret wedding.
"You heard about the rumours about lord Nozels, well, potential future engagement?"
"Of course, Adelheid, I don't go to noble circles just to chitchat. If this is true, then lord Lac is surely behind this. Princesses from foreign kingdoms with which the Clover Kingdom can forge an alliance would be at least good matches for a young Head of House bachelor."
Not so much a bachelor anymore. Vanessa hold back her giggle.
"Exotism is pretty in fashion, these days. If you ask me, Cristal, those princesses might be quite the attraction."
"I agree. But still, it is a bit frustrating. After all, we nobles of Clover have plenty of candidates that would make an excellent wife for lord Nozel. But they're not royalty, and while foreign princess are, well, foreigners, at least they're surely from royal blood."
"But my dear Cristal, surely the most eligible candidates of our young ladies will certainly be considered as well among those princesses, if the rumours indeed are true. Isn't your first born daughter considered one of the most perfect matches for royalty."
"Ah, yes, my sweet girl Athénaïs. Thank you for reminding, Adelheid, otherwise I would have let myself frustrating over silly things and mere rumours. My dear daughter has a reputation of being a perfect royal match, after all."
Yes, but on the inside, this Athénaïs was nothing more and nothing less than a manipulative bitch who thought that Nozel was just a prize, her prize, and easy to control so that she could have power over the royal house of Silva. Vanessa knew that, she had met Athénaïs on a mission once… and it was a meeting she'd hate to think about, honestly.
"See, nothing is lost for our Cloverian beauties. Ah, I wish I had a daughter that could be a perfect candidate for lord Nozel, but as you know, I only have sons."
"What about your nieces, Adelheid? You have many of them, I'm sure there's some that would fit in the category."
"Well, from all of them, sadly only Rubinia and the second Bérénice could probably be potential candidates. Virginia is more interested at becoming a nun, sadly. Angélique is too much of a tomboy. The first Bérénice puts all her energy on her career as a Magic Knight, can you imagine that? Quaneith is too much of a romantic and my dear sister-in-law fears she would never grow out of that idea of happiness with love. And let's not talk about Myrina, Ermengarde and the third Bérénice."
Vanessa almost facepalmed. Really, three Bérénice in the same family? She already knew that a lot of nobles could be weird, but three girls with the very same name in one family was still a hilarious thought.
"I see what you mean, Adelheid. But still, your sons could be potential suitors for lady Nebra and lady Noelle."
"Oh, you're right! Well, if you ask me, my dear Cristal, it is time that the Silvas finally get married. Lady Nebra should have been married like a decade ago and lady Noelle should at least already have been engaged at the time she became a Magic Knight."
Oho, Vanessa didn't like where this conversation was going.
"Exactly my thoughts. Some of the stupid decisions lord Nozel made as a Head of House would never have been an issue if he had been properly married."
Okay, Vanessa wouldn't hear anything more of it. She didn't like how those women could casually talk about Noelle, Nozel and even Nebra – she was now Vanessa's sister-in-law and so part of her family, even though she still ignored it yet – like they were prizes to win. Those women didn't know any of the Silvas, they couldn't judge them from their standards.
Vanessa still wondered why Solid wasn't often considered as a potential spouse for the nobles, though.
But as she was starting walking away, she stumbled… and it was heard on the other side.
"Goodness, Cristal, did you hear that?"
"Yes, Adelheid. But there's nothing here."
Vanessa quickly got up, trying to be as quiet as possible.
"I swear that I heard something!"
"It wasn't your imagination, my dear. I heard it too, after all. But the rooms nearby are all empty and servants should all be at the office at this time of the day."
"Well, maybe a servant defied the rules. Or… do you think it was a ghost? It is said that the Silva palace is… haunted."
The last word echoed in silence in the hall and in the secret chamber. But while the two noble ladies inhaled sharply, Vanessa had no idea is she should facepalm or giggle.
"The late lady Eislyn said that and we all know that she was a mad and dreamy woman who told tales left and right. But… mad persons are usually more sensitive to the presence of ghosts, right?"
"She did tell my sister-in-law years ago about music playing in the Silva ballroom, while it was empty. And, Cristal, you did hear about the little girl with the balloons?"
"Of course. It's just a tale, but every time someone claimed seeing her, a catastrophe occurred in that persons entourage. Of course, in reality it was just some tragic coincidences…"
"You're so right."
Those two noble ladies didn't sounded so certain as they probably would have liked. Vanessa almost pitied them.
"Adelheid, do you believe in ghosts?"
"No, but I am scared of them."
"Me too."
Vanessa couldn't help to let out a loud giggle, before she put her hands on her mouth, trying to muffle it.
On the other side, lady Adelheid and lady Cristal shrieked loudly.
"Well, even if ghosts obviously don't exist and I don't believe in them, of course… I think we should better leave, my dear Adelheid."
"You're so right, my dear Cristal. Even though ghosts don't exists, it is better to go somewhere else."
Vanessa heard the two noble ladies running away, her hands still on her mouth. She left the room she was in and went to the big living room. And only there she finally started laughing heavily.
"What is so amusing?"
Nozel sat on a couch, under one of those breathetaking windows with painted glass, reading a book. Good, that meant that he was done with all the Head of House work and captain of the Silver Eagle work for today. Even if Vanessa and Nozel remained hidden for an uncertain time, he refused to stop doing his work, even though he was working so much less than in the past, thank goodness.
Thankfully that Agatha Austen, the nice vice-captain of the Silver Eagles, was part of their secret, helping Nozel with squad matters. And thankfully that now he let Vanessa help with all the affairs of House Silva. She still found it overly complicated and so unnecessary for many parts, but she also wanted to help her husband, to partake his burden. And some parts were entertaining and even interesting.
"Some middle aged noble ladies," Vanessa just replied, as she sat down nonchalantly on his lap.
Nozel let out a sigh, resigned. At the same time, it kinda sounded amused.
"You were listening to noble visitors again."
"Yep. Can't help it, it is really entertaining. They were waiting for their husbands to find you. Well, I guess they have abandoned as we speak."
"Hopefully."
"There was a lady Cristal, the mother of that bitch that is considered the perfect match for a royal, in other words for you."
"House Vitrail never gives up to marry into royalty. But I'm already married…"
Nozel kissed her cheek and that simple gesture was enough to make Vanessa shivering.
"That other lady was called Adelheid of… Well, I forgot the name of the house, but I learned that her family has a strange habit to give multiple girls the name Bérénice."
"It must be house Sandler, then. They have the same stupid traditions to name many of their sons Alexander or at least different variations of that name."
"Why even having a tradition like that?" Vanessa giggled. "Sounds pretty awful to me when there's a big family dinner. You call Bérénice or Alexander and multiple heads would turn around when no one precises which one is meant."
"I have no idea. Vermillions also have a tradition for their names, but at least it's not the same over and over again. It is either all variations of names with Leo in it or very long and of course complicated ones."
They went silent for a moment, just enjoying each other's company, before Nozel asked, slightly worried, "Vanessa… Did lady Cristal and lady Adelheid hear you?"
Vanessa looked down. It hadn't been so worrying, given how those two noble ladies immediately thought that it was a ghost. But she knew her husband well and how he would be worried for their safety, especially hers.
"Well, yes… first I stumbled and then I laughed, because their commentaries were just too ridiculous. But don't worry, honey. They thought they heard a ghost and even though they denied believing in it, they both ran away rather immediately."
"We're lucky that lady Cristal and lady Adelheid aren't the sharpest within the Cloverian nobility. But someone who knows how to think, who is smart enough and not superstitious, someone like that could be able to connect the dots."
"This is still a bit too far-fetched, handsome husband of mine. Those chambers are so secret that not even your servants know about them. You're still doing your work, many would think that you're still doing what many expected of you. And if anyone would suspect you've eloped, they would think that you went into another realm or even another country, like it's usually done."
"I know. But I know my father. He wouldn't stop thinking that far…"
"I know that, honey. He is one of the reasons we took this decision in the first place, after all. But don't forget, he can't force you to make a political marriage anymore. You told me that once you're married to a royal, no one can destroy that marriage, not even the king. Well, we married in secret, so it's easier to consider our wedding illegal, but don't forget that seal we put on our marriage contract. We are the only ones who can put that marriage into an end and this would never happen, as far as I'm concerned."
Vanessa changed her position slightly on his lap and leaned down to kiss him softly on the lips, before she continued, "We'll be fine, Nozel. They way in front of us is still stony, but we came this far together. We both have no intention to go back, we never had. One day, we won't need to be hidden anymore and show the world that we're husband and wife."
Nozel sighed again, but there was a smile on his lips. A soft and happy one. Her favourites.
He put his book away and caressed her cheek as soft as a spring breeze. "How can you manage to stay this positive?"
"Some has to. I know for sure that my husband is kinda negative, worrying for any worst-case scenario, so I need to balance that out."
Nozel scoffed, before pulling her into a tight hug. Vanessa smiled. She always enjoyed feeling his arms circling her, his hair tickling her nose, his skin against hers…
"Those two ladies… They said that the Silva palace is haunted," Vanessa said after a while. "Where do those kind of stories come from? I never heard of it before. Granted, I never learned about many things involving royals before I met you properly."
"Every old estate can be considered haunted, under many circumstances. And the three palaces are old, the most ancients parts were built in that time before Magic Knight Squads were a thing, even before the whole concept of Wizard King was born. It is only natural some stories, legends are born over the centuries. The Silva palace is no exception. Although I admit that my grandmother gave those stories a new kind of importance somehow."
"Yes. They did mentioned your granny."
Vanessa turned to look at the portrait of Nozels grandmother. When they moved in those secret rooms, he took some family portraits with him or rather Océane, his Vermillion auntie, gave some to him. Except of his father, of course.
That portrait of lady Eislyn Silva had been paint in her youth, she didn't looked much older than Noelle on it. And probably she was already married, as she was wearing Silva emblems. Lady Eislyn had been a beautiful woman, Vanessa was able to recognize some of Noelles and Nozels traits on her face. Especially her eyes, it was the same soft metallic purple as Nozel and lady Acier. Only her hair wasn't silver at all, it was a very light blue. Normal, she wasn't born a Silva, after all. Well, maybe it had some silver shining in the light.
The woman on the portrait looked somehow dreamy, not really there and even sad. Didn't Adelheid and Cristal called her mad?
"Did your granny loved spooky stories?"
"I can't tell. As far as I can remember, she was very dreamy, never right there with us most of the time. And when she was, she was telling stories. Mostly about ghosts and such. Even the most innocent tales could became spooky in her way of telling stories. My grandmother also always talked about ghosts she pretend to have seen. Because of, well, how she was, she never had any political role. My grandfather, lord Roc Silva, never loved to partake his power anyway."
"Did she loved her children, at least?" Vanessa asked, looking at lady Eislyns portrait. Somehow, she felt compassion for that poor woman.
"She never showed it like my mother showed it to us. But I believe she did. My grandmother often went to visit my aunt Océane after she married into house Vermillion. And I remember that she was terribly sad after my mother died, becoming even more dreamy and absent. But she already lost three children before my mother, it had to be tough on her."
"Poor woman," Vanessa whispered, while Nozel kissed her cheek. "Arranged marriage, watching almost all of her children before her time had come and you told me that your grandpa never had been a loving person. I'm not surprised that she talked so much about ghosts."
She stopped, suddenly remembering something that lady Cristal and lady Adelheid mentioned a few minutes ago.
"Did your grandmother also told about a story of a little girls with balloons?"
"Indeed. You heard about it as well?"
"Nope, only since Cristal and Adelheid mentioned it while I was eavesdropping on them."
"I think that it is well known around the capital. But I don't quite remember the details, I never gave my grandmothers ghost stories much interest."
"The ladies said that when this girl appeared, a catastrophe would always occur."
"Well, isn't that a common belief for many ghosts?" Nozel replied, almost smiling. "I think my grandmother told that this little girl with the balloons was part of what she called the curse of the five."
"The curse of the five? This sounds sinister."
"A curse is mostly sinister, anyway. Sometimes she called them curse of the six, no idea why she changed numbers. But I never paid any real attention to this story of hers, especially after mother… well, you know."
"Of course I do, honey."
Vanessa hugged him tightly. The tragedy of his mother was still a heavy subject for Nozel, even though he was more at peace today about it.
"Do you feel scared? About those spooky stories…" Nozel asked quietly.
"Hm, no," Vanessa answered, surprising herself at her answer. "Normally I would laugh my worries away, but now… I don't feel scared about it. On the contrary, I feel very at ease right now.
"Same here. I just can't be concerned about it, even if I wanted."
"Maybe that's because we're both together and happy with each other," Vanessa smiled, brushing his braid away before kissing his forehead.
Nozel smiled, pulling her to him for a deep kiss. Vanessa forgot about ghosts and granny Eislyn and the nobles ladies as their lips met. Kisses and cuddles with her husband were now so much more important for her.
While Nozel and Vanessa made out, a bunch of balloons appeared in a mirror, just for one second, before a woman with soft, metallic purple eyes appeared instead. Her glance was sad, but she smiled softly while looking at the couple.