The Five
~~~SSS~~~
A year following the events of Weiss' tenth birthday, the staff had slowly realized how Lady Willow stopped trying. She no longer spoke against her husband, she no longer cared for what the servants did, and she no longer put in effort for her children.
Master Jacques was similarly no longer putting in an effort to hide his personality. He became colder almost overnight, and his verbal abuse of staff got worse. Of course he played the perfect father and host when any guests came by. But in private?
Turnover for staff had been rough those first few months. Only about half had not been fired for meaningless issues or quit outright. Finding replacements had been hell. He'd had to look outside of Atlas for many, since they were not aware of the reputation the estate and its master had.
The ones that lasted however, had shown promise, the maids and butlers took on more responsibility in making sure the three kids were okay. It was easiest with Winter, already being in her teens and who had been learning swordplay. But Weiss and Whitley were confused at the lack of paternal affection, they seemed less cheerful as well.
It got to the point where Klein was no longer enough as the Head Butler, despite the work he put in. So candidates for personal maids for each Schnee were looked for. Eventually, after tough and thorough vetting, five candidates were selected to watch over one specific Schnee.
Looking over some papers one last time, he got up from his desk and walked into the hallway. The maids were lined up in the hallway, awaiting instruction for their duties. Each selected for the splendid skills they had, by the amount of time working here, or by recommendation.
The first in the line was a strikingly tall girl. She stood at an impressive five foot eleven inches with tanned skin and her long black hair done in a simple braid that was befitting of a maid. The next was a girl of moderate stature with red hair cut into a bob. Third was an older woman with striking eyes, silver hair arranged in a tight bun. Despite her age, the sharp look in her eyes made even Klein slightly nervous. The next was a simple looking girl, long black hair and brown eyes with no real distinct features that drew attention. The last was the least difficult to find, she was a girl with orange hair and eyes, face fixed into a serene smile.
"Ginger Aurelio." The orange eyed girl at the end of the line stiffened at his words. He hadn't spoken to any of them yet, so he may have startled the lass. "You've been brewing tea for Lady Willow each morning to help her with the side effects of her… Affliction. Is that right?"
"Yes Klein, herbal remedies to help with her… hangovers." He nodded and checked his pocket watch to see the time. "Well, it's nearing noon. The Lady is likely going to wake soon, it's best not to keep you from her."
With a slight bow, the girl walked off. Likely to the kitchens to prepare medicine for Willow Schnee. Hopefully this girl would keep the bottle out of her hands for a few hours. Next he turned to the older woman among the younger girls. She had been personally selected by Jacques himself, so there wasn't much for him to do.
"Miss Sagittarius, you have been made aware of your new position, correct?"
When her eyes darted to his own, he had to fight the urge to switch to one of his other selves, but none would be good here. The woman unnerved him, like she was sizing him up as a hawk would a mouse.
"Yes. Master Jacques has provided me with tasks I must complete today. So I shall be off." Not even bothering for a response, the new personal maid/ Secretary of Jacques Schnee left. Well, it looks like she was well suited for the man.
"The rest of you three will each watch over one of the children. Sequoia Kiona, you will be young Whitley's personal servant." The tall girl smiled at her new assignment. "You have been chosen for your experience from your stint as a pediatric nurse a few years ago. Please look after the boy, he is quite frail."
"Yes, sir. I will do my all to look after him."
"Yew Beryl, you have been selected to watch over Weiss. You've worked here for years and your loyalty is unquestionable."
"Thank you Klein, I shall treat her like I have my nieces." Yew beamed with pride at her new job. The red haired girl had begun to unofficially look after the young girl, so giving her the position was obvious.
"Miss Petál, your charge shall be Miss Winter. As we all know, the girl wishes to enroll in Atlas academy in two years, you will support her wishes."
"I thought Master Jacques was, less than enthusiastic, about such goals."
"He is, but your duty is to winter primarily now. If she requests assistance, it will be up to you to find acceptable help for her martial studies." The girl nodded nervously, it was fair. The master of the house was frankly furious that his daughter was shirking her family duties and "playing soldier" as he put it. Klein was proud, proud she'd found a path for herself, by herself. "Though that being the case for each of you, you still must obey an order given by him. Even if it conflicts with the wishes of your charges."
"Now, it is time for you to inform the children of these changes, ideally I would be there myself, but I have much more work on my desk than I anticipated. Forgive me." The maids and Klein gave a slight bow to each other before they all left to locate their designated Schnee. He just hoped this would all work out. Moreso for the children than for himself. They seemed to be losing their childish energy without parental figures, hopefully this would bring some back.
~~~SSS~~~
"Hello Weiss, my name is Yew Beryl. From today on, I shall be in your care." The eleven year old girl only stared up at Yew. She had aided the girl occasionally, so her face wasn't a new one to the child. The smile on Weiss' face was a precious sight she had to admit. She knew she would enjoy her new assignment, the girl was a true doll.
"M'kay." So precious!
~~~SSS~~~
"And who might you be?" Winter looked at Tulip with a cautious look. The girl was more than aware of how life worked in this manor than the other kids, so it was best to be straight to the point, no matter how much she would rather have a different position.
Giving a proper bow, she introduced herself. "My name is Tulip Petál, from now on, I shall be your maid and your maid only. I will answer to you alone, whatever you will have need of, I shall endeavor to accomplish." That got a curious, yet pleased smile from the girl. She really hoped she wouldn't be asked to take up fighting…
~~~SSS~~~
"Hello Whitley, my name is Sequoia. It's a pleasure to meet you."
The small child looked up from his book in wonder. "Tall…" Sequoia giggled a bit at his words, he'd likely never seen someone near his father's height. She was far from insecure about it, it was something she had gotten from the father that she cherished dearly.
"Yes, I am quite large, aren't I?" He nodded, head still looking straight up into her golden eyes. She could already tell this was going to be fun.
~~~SSS~~~
Got some followers for this fic, so I'll post more. This does in fact take place before chapter two. It introduces a few of the core cast. More will come later and will be more entertaining. I hope.
The original title for this fic was "Schnee Staff Chronicles" but I went with "Stories" for ~*~alliteration~*~
