Awry Affairs

Change a hawk to a little white dove

More than a feeling, that's the power of love

~ Huey Lewis

Chapter 2

Hatred is the coward's revenge for being intimidated. ~ George Bernard Shaw

Katarina Rafa Claes was on watch for threats as she went out onto the practice field for the magic class.

Her mother, the redoubtable Duchess Claes, would probably have been delighted to think that Katarina had paid attention to her lectures and was aware of the potential for political attacks even in the relative safety of the academy. After all, her fellow students would represent at least a quarter of the kingdom's nobility - or at the least, the family of knights associated with them - and thus everything and anything that happened here would quickly become well known - particularly in Katarina's year which had a particularly high attendance by the upper nobility.

Fortunately for her mother's peace of mind, there was no way for her to know that Katarina wasn't looking for plots aimed at learning her secrets or of entrapping her in some scheme to gain benefits from association with the ducal family.

No, having been reborn into the life of the most notorious villainess in an otome game, Katarina was far more concerned with watching out for any actions by the heroine that could indicate which of the capture targets she was going after.

Frivolous? The sort of thing that would be expected to divert the attention of a pretty, well-born and well-dressed (technically, everyone was dressed the same in the school uniforms, but outside of classes, Katarina wore long, blue-trimmed white dresses that required considerable attention from her maid Anne to keep clean) girl from more important matters?

Not at all! Depending on who the heroine of the game targeted, and how well she won the affections of her chosen boy (or boys), Katarina Rafa Claes could face exile or even death. The game was terribly unforgiving towards the poor girl.

However, as the students began to demonstrate their current grasp of attack magic to the students, Katarina couldn't see the blonde head of Olivia Campbell at all.

She wasn't near Katarina's fiancee, Prince Gerald Rafa Stuart. (Exile or getting cut down with the prince's sword).

She wasn't near Katarina's brother, Lord Keith Rafa Claes. (Exile or getting crushed to death by Keith's golems).

Mildly optimistic, Katarina checked to see if Olivia was anywhere near Gerald's twin brother Alan - but this also didn't seem to be the case. While the brunette would feel terrible for her good friend Mary Fou Hunt if Alan broke off his engagement to her, that wouldn't actually leave Katarina dead so it could tentatively be considered a good end…? Maybe…? Poor Mary would be crushed, Katarina would have to make it up to her somehow, particularly after she'd stolen away the 'green thumbs' line that had caused Mary to fall so heavily in love with Alan in the first place.

"Lady Katarina!" Mary left Alan to hug her eagerly. "Are you ready for the class? Is there anything I can do to help you?"

Katarina returned the hug. Mary was so affectionate, she thought fondly. And a perfect lady, everything Katarina wasn't when it came to being proper and ladylike. "I was just looking for Miss Campbell," she explained.

"The scholarship student?" asked Mary. "She's not here."

"What?!" Was she after the last capture target, Lord Nicol Fia Ascart? The student council president, best friend of Gerald and (most importantly) the elder brother of Katarina's other closest girl friend, Sophia.

"Quite so," Gerald agreed, moving over smoothly. "Light magic isn't really useful offensively so she and the other light mage in the class are excused from this class to take tutoring at the chapel."

There was another light mage? Katarina frowned in confusion. She didn't remember that from the game. Was there more than one heroine? Was this… oh, no was there a multiplayer mode she didn't know anything about?

"Yes, that girl that's making a play for multiple boys," Mary agreed. "Shameless."

"Speaking of shamelessness, Mary, don't you think you've been hugging my fiancee long enough?" suggested Gerald.

"Never!"

Katarina giggled. Mary was a great friend. "I still have to take my turn," she said, indicating the wooden targets being set up for each student in turn to try out their magic on. "Even though I'll be the worst."

"You're not the worst!" protested Mary.

"And nor will your magic be the worst in this class," Gerald reassured her.

"But I can only use my magic to create a little bump in the earth."

"Yes, but Countess Bartford's son can't use magic at all," the prince explained, indicating a dark-haired young man. "He just swore at the target, claimed he'd have hurt its feelings and gave up."

"Doesn't that mean that he'll fail the class?"

The blond nodded. "To be fair, if he'd said that to me, my feelings would be hurt. Of course, he'd be on fire so…"

"What did he say?" asked Katarina curiously.

"I couldn't possibly repeat that to a lady."

"Lady Claes!" called the teacher."Lord Claes!"

Katarina and her little brother Keith (younger by six months - he was adopted - and thus in the same school year) walked out with the other students in their group. Katarina was trying to remember who the Bartfords were. Her tutors had gone through every important noble household in the kingdom time and time again, but like a lot of things that didn't matter, she'd forgotten them as soon as the class was over.

There was only so much room in her memory! She had to prioritise!

"Each in turn, hit the target with your best attack," the teacher instructed.

The targets were made of wood - not much more than a head-sized-circle on a stick - and about twenty yards away.

The first student hit his target with a fireball, scorching it visibly. While it was more destructive than her own magic, it made Katarina feel better. Gerald would have essentially obliterated it with his flames so at least she didn't have to worry about everyone measuring her against him. Lots of students had less magic than her fiancee.

The second of the five students lashed out with a stream of water that neatly severed the pole holding the target up. There was some applause for the girl from some of the boys in the class. She tossed her hair confidently and pretended to ignore them.

"Lady Claes," the teacher reminded her.

Oh yes, it was her turn. Katarina focused on the pole. She couldn't attack the target itself - it was too far above the ground. But the pole was buried in the ground… "Earth bump!"

The soil around the pole burst upwards a few inches, but burst was the word. A small spray of dirt few in all directions and after a moment the pole sagged slightly to one side, no longer fixed in the ground.

Whispers came from the crowd behind Katarina, and she thought she heard sniggering.

And then a golem the size of a knight-armour reared up behind the targets. Katarina glanced sideways and saw Keith's face tight with focus. The golem slammed one foot down, crushing not only his target but also Katarina's.

There was a sudden silence from behind them.

"Er… yes, very good Lord Claes. Perhaps next time try to just hit your own target."

"I hit every target I was aiming for," Keith told the teacher flatly.

Katarina reached over and hugged him. "That was great, Keith!"

"T-thank you," he answered, going red in the face. Aw, was he flustered at having people watch him? Katarina would have to help him with that. She wasn't sure how yet, but she would think of something.

The balcony seating area of the dining hall was relatively deserted and Violette had found it to be something of a refuge over the last few weeks. The weather hadn't warmed enough to make it all that comfortable, but she was less likely to be bothered up there by girls eager to learn of new developments between herself and Chris, and to suggest paths to try to change that when there were none.

Whatever some of the girls might have thought, she wasn't stupid enough to try some of the approaches that would be self-sabotaging. Getting rid of Marie from the academy would require her father's assistance, which she knew better than to expect, and in all honesty… Violette couldn't have brought herself to try. What was the little blonde doing that she hadn't tried herself to win Chris' affections.

It galled her that Lady Lafan was succeeding where she had failed, it galled her to the point she had barely kept some meals down. But there was no reason to believe that Chris would turn back to her if Marie was gone.

Return? Ha. She had never had him in the first place.

Hunched over in privacy at a corner table on the balcony, Violette crunched her fork through a crispy pastry and severed a corner of it. She delicately skewered the severed section and lifted it to her mouth. The sweetness of the sugared apples inside and the crunch of the delicate pastry was no particular comfort to her.

No, remove Marie and someone else would step into those shoes. She was not blind to the other girls who had tried for Chris in the past or those who were actively trying to push away Chris for their own benefit.

If she was to win him back somehow, it would have to be through some other method. And foul play would likely only cement his low opinion of her.

Violette put her fork down, dug out one of several handkerchiefs she had taken to carrying around and blew her nose, ridding her nostrils of the clogging. Wandering around with wet cheeks and a runny nose inspired contempt, not sympathy. At this rate, she thought, it would only be a matter of time before the Arclights decided to approach her father to end the arrangement between their families.

One more thing for father to blame me for, she thought bitterly. At least with Scarlet engaged to Greg Fou Seberg, this won't cost all of our ties to the royal faction. As long as that lasts…

There was a shameful moment of satisfaction that at least her father's precious daughter was having no happier time with her own fiance. But she quashed that down. Scarlet's unhappiness was no cause for joy on her part. Her twin hadn't had any hand in bringing Violette to this position, and at least one of them should have some chance at happiness.

The sound of voices below drew Violette's attention away from her introspection and she turned her head. Sour, cruel words. She could not make them out exactly but she knew the tone. Oh yes, she knew that tone.

Pushing her chair back, Violette leant over the balcony edge and saw a small girl up against the wall of the dining hall. Five other girls surrounded her in a semi-circle, and each seemed to have quite a bit to say to their target.

From this angle, it took Violette a moment to realise that the one being cornered down below was her 'rival'. Marie was towered over by most of her age-mates, and at least two of the girls in the pack around her were upperclassmen.

A dirty impulse suggested to Violette that she should leave well enough alone. Nothing had forced Marie to pursue Chris, or whichever of the men twisted around her fingers that these five envied her for.

Or was there? She had her own reasons for wanting Chris - or anyone, really - to care for her. Maybe Marie did have her own driving needs.

Violette set down her fork neatly on the plate and went to the iron stair set at the end of the balcony. It was intended for use as an escape from the roof in the event of a fire or anything else blocking the main steps, but it had long since been left unlocked so students could reach the balcony from outside. Security was hardly a concern within the academy.

Taking the steps two at a time, the girl descended as quickly as she could without slipping. Breathing heavily, she reached the foot of the stairs and rounded the corner to see that nothing much had changed in the scant moments since her decision to…

Well, what was she going to do now? Make five other girls stop this. How?

Well, she was a duke's daughter for what little that meant to him. Violette took a deep breathe…

"Stop this right now!" A sharp voice cut across the scene and Violette closed her mouth reflexively, anticipating a sharp reprimand.

The other girls all looked up in surprise, joining Violette in staring at an irritated looking Chris Fou Arclight. The young swordsman stalked up to them, directing a withering glare at the bullies. Then his eye caught on Violette and his lip curled as if he was seeing something distasteful.

"It does not surprise me to see you behind all this," he told her disdainfully and Violette flinched at words, searching for a way to explain she was not, that she had not…

But he ignored her, literally turning away to take hold of Marie's hands. "Are you alright, Marie?" he asked, far more gently. More intimately.

"I'm… I'm always alright when you are with me," the little blonde told him, resting her head against his chest. Chris' arms closed protectively around his paramour's shoulders and Violette felt a surge of despair.

"Yes." The boy assured her. "And I will always be there for you, Marie."

The other girls scattered suddenly, leaving Violette alone with the couple. Her feet felt numb, incapable of carrying her away.

"Go away, Ades," Chris told her sharply. "If I catch you near Marie again, I'll…"

"For a swordsman, your awareness is pathetic." The sarcasm cut the threat short and Violette turned to see a somewhat familiar boy joining them from the dining hall's main entrance. It was the boy from the rose garden, she realised. His uniform jacket hung open, revealing the shirt beneath and his hair was tousled.

"What do you want, Stuart?"

"A long list of things," the boy said in a bored tone. "But the only one you could provide if you cared to was to pay attention to something other than your desperate need to impress Lady Lafan. I was twice as far away as you and I had no difficulty seeing Lady Ades arrive the same time you did. She'd hardly be rushing to incriminate herself, so the only reason for that is that she was trying to help Lafan."

Chris snorted. "As if she would do such a thing."

The Stuart brother - which twin was, he? Violette knew there were two of them, Gerald and Alan, but she was embarrassed to realise she'd never known which was the golden-haired and which had silver hair. Wait, he'd mentioned Mary and the younger twin was engaged to Mary Fou Hunt so this must be Alan Rafa Stuart who was looking at Chris as if the other boy was a moron. "There's none so blind as those who will not see," he chided and then offered Violette his arm. "Permit me to escort you back inside," he offered. "If you're lucky, Lady Katarina won't have spotted whatever meal you left behind when you rushed to the rescue."

"Uh, but your fiancee…" Violette protested.

Alan made a dismissive gesture. "Unlike some people, I talk to my fiancee and Mary appreciates me treating other ladies with some courtesy, just as long as I don't neglect her in the doing."

Chris looked likely to make an issue of it but Marie pulled on his arm and shook her head. "Don't, Chris," the girl begged. "Don't start a fight like this."

Drawing himself up with something like dignity, the swordsman placed Marie's hand on his arm. "Let's return to the dorms," he proposed. "We can arrange food from the kitchens there."

Alan watched them go and then looked down at Violette, extending his arm in mute offer. This time she put her hand on his and he escorted her back into the hall and towards the stairs up to the balcony. "How do you put up with that?" he asked her when they were half-way up.

"With what?"

"His attitude," the boy clarified. "And her… her clinging to him, I suppose."

Violette smiled sadly. "I was no different from her, so how can I fault her?" she admitted. "And Chris…" Then she shook her head. "I don't know him. I don't think I ever did, I just deluded myself that I did."

"Leon!"

Having just returned to the academy grounds, Leon wasn't expecting to be ambushed by his sister. It was getting close to curfew. "Jenna?"

"Where have you been all evening?"

"At the port." He shook his head. "I have a ship there, you know. I do have to go across every now and then to make sure it's in good shape."

Luxion's voice was indignant in his ear. "My maintenance is impeccable!"

Jenna put her hands on her hips. "I've been looking for you!"

"Do you want a prize?"

"I ought to give you a piece of my mind. You're supposed to be looking out for me."

"If I'd done a better job of that," he told her honestly. "I'd not have been found. So what is it now?"

His sister's eyes narrowed dangerously. "What is going on in your class?"

"There are sixty or so students in the special class, just in my year," Leon pointed out. "Even if I knew every single thing going on with all of them, we'd be here all night." He gestured for her to wait. "Let's talk as we walk, I do have to be back in my dorm soon - and airing gossip out here isn't wise."

When she nodded reluctantly, he led the way into the boys dorms. "Sorry, Luxion," he apologised subvocally. "I needed an excuse. It's not like I can tell her I was using the knight armour simulator - you're the only one with anything like that, as far as I know."

The AI muttered something deliberately too quiet for Leon to make out, but allowed the point to stand.

Once inside Leon's room, Jenna barely waited for the door to close before bursting out: "I mean what's going on with the prince and his friends? Are they really all carrying on with the same girl?"

"Envious?" he asked her wryly, unbuttoning his uniform jacket.

"Don't be ridiculous!" Jenna shook her head. "If I want multiple lovers, that's what servants are for. Any sane woman is monogamous."

Leon frowned. "I suppose that those two statements aren't strictly contradictory," he conceded. "And yes, Viscount Lafan's youngest daughter appears to have Prince Julius and four other boys all at her beck and call."

"Is she drugging them somehow?"

"You're sounding just a little too eager about that idea," he warned. "And no, not as far as I can tell."

"Blow it out of your ear-hole, little brother. She can't possibly expect them all to marry her, what's her end goal?"

"I wouldn't necessarily rule stupidity out," Leon pointed out. "They're all fifteen or sixteen."

"I'm sixteen and you're fifteen," his sister pointed out suspiciously.

He started removing his boots. "And you've frequently claimed that I'm an idiot. What's your point, Jenna?"

"I suppose she might be aiming for Field," Jenna muttered, half to herself. "But she can't carry on with the others if she's marrying him - that would leave her children's paternity in question."

"Stu-pid-ity," Leon repeated slowly, peeling off his socks. He sniffed at them and then regretted it, flinging them into his laundry basket. Taking a cloth he soaked in the tepid water of his washbasin and started wiping his feet off.

"You're disgusting, little brother." Jenna turned away.

Leon shook his head. "I can't exactly strip off and head to the showers with you around, Jenna. Get to the point."

"I refuse to believe that anyone could be stupid enough pick a fight with two ducal houses and a court count's family unless they have some plan and some serious backing," Jenna told him. She started chewing on one thumbnail. "You realise what this could mean, right?"

"It could crack the crown's support with Duke Redgrave's traditionalists, two major ministers and push Ades either back out of politics or into one of the other factions?" Leon asked. "It's crossed my mind. What worries me is that it doesn't seem to have occurred to Prince Julius or any of his cronies. Either they're as stupid as stumps or no one has explained the politics to them."

His sister stared at him for a moment and then shrugged. "Alright, at least you're not that stupid. Are you involved at all?"

"No… although it may not be avoidable if this goes on." He finished rinsing his feet and went for a towel to start drying them off. "At the moment I think it's contained within the academy, but presumably the news will get out once term ends and the students get home."

Jenna nodded. "We need to make better contacts so we know how this is going to go down," she decided. "We're a count's family now. We can't expect to be ignored if it comes to a conflict. Unfortunately, I couldn't make contacts at that level last year and joining a clique in the second year is difficult. I need you to buy me a servant."

Leon opened his mouth to speak, considered the question with care and then went with his original reaction. "Hell no."

"Leon, I don't fit in without one. The other girls think we're too poor for me to afford even an elf!"

"Even an elf?"

His sister sighed heavily. "The prices crashed on elf contract servants, you know why."

He blinked. "That's faster than I thought. Anyway, I wouldn't buy you an elf even if I could. Mother would skin me and salt me - and with good reason."

"You know what gossip's like," Jenna said dismissively. "I don't think anyone knows for sure outside of certain select circles, but enough's out that hints have been dropping thick and fast that elves are out of fashion."

Leon pursed his lips. "You haven't been the source of that gossip, have you?" Jenna hadn't been there when Zola got her comeuppance, but he assumed she'd learned at some point between that being done and the instructions to keep the reasons quiet. Digging up dirt was one thing she was decent at. Not the only thing, but also far from the most reputable of skills.

Fortunately for his peace of mind, the girl seemed sincere when she shook his head. "I'd rather not incur royal displeasure, thank you very much. We're by no means secure in our status - it wouldn't take much to deprive mother of her new rank. It's not as if we've got entrenched support with the baronets and knights of our new domain."

"I'm glad we agree on something else."

"A demihuman would really help me, Leon."

"Jenna, I bought off our debts and helped dad pay for the war. Most of what I had left paid for me getting put in the special class unexpectedly - I really didn't think I'd be out of the general class, given our upstart status," he lied. "I'm not broke but I can't afford to buy you a servant. Try writing to dad."

"I did!"

Leon shook his head. "And he turned you down. Get lost, Jenna. I'm not going behind their backs just because you're trying to keep up with your classmates in how fast you can throw money away." He went to the door and opened it for her. "Get back to your dorm, you've barely time before curfew," the young man added to cut short any further argument.

The academy's library wasn't one of the truly great collections of lore - the Temple and the Ministry both boasted much older and more varied libraries, while there were always whisperings about what the crown and the older dynasties had within their private archives.

With that said, the academy had copies of almost every book in general circulation from reputable scholars. The printing press made that an affordable expense, and thus the library's shelves took up a long and narrow hall lit from either end and skylights above. The walls were lined with books, and other shelves occupied much of the ground floor, partially enclosing desks for study

The shelves on the mezzanine level held all books that students could sign out, while the lower level was usually reserved for those wishing to study books that could not be taken out. Scarlet and Leon had ventured down there, claiming one of the desks that was well-placed for access to books on magical theory.

"You disagree with this point?" Scarlet asked, tapping one page with a slender finger.

Leon checked that it was the section that he thought before answering. "I can't test it for myself - but the arguments on the previous page seem to add up more to 'because I can't do this, I declare it to be impossible for anyone'. If I accept that principle, then all magic is impossible, which is clearly not the case, so…"

Scarlet nodded solemnly. "It's one of the more basic premises in the theory though."

"You're not wrong, we'd -" Leon paused at a thump from further back in the shelves, then shook his head. "We'd be docked points if we argued against it without proof, but if we're hunting extra credits then we could propose a more rigorous set of experiments to prove or disprove the theory."

"I see." Her brows furrowed. "To test this we would need a second mage to…" There was a second thump and Scarlet broke off. "What is that?"

The boy shrugged. "Someone being careless with books?"

"Perhaps," she said a little tartly. "They could be more careful, this is a library after all. But I was saying, we would need one mage to cast the shield and a second to direct spells at it."

"Strictly it wouldn't have to be spells but that would definitely be more convenient." Leon considered candidates. This might be a good way to introduce himself to the class' one student who wasn't from the nobility. He was about to say so when there was a third thump from the same direction as the last two.

The two students exchanged looks and then set down their notes to investigate.

It wasn't a busy day in the library, most students were either in class or out enjoying the better weather. Summer was coming on and many of the trees were blooming, something that encouraged romantic gestures by hopeful young men. Leon personally thought that quite a lot of the girls would have been more interested in the boys making it rain money than showing them flowers on the trees, but he was willing to concede that he might be wrong.

Although he'd want some rigorous scientific proof before he admitted to more than the bare possibility.

Three alcoves away from them, there was another thump and this time quiet giggling, cut short by a wet sound. Scarlet blinked and gave Leon a questioning look, evidently at a loss. He pinched the brow of his nose. He didn't know exactly what was going on, but he was beginning to suspect.

Waving Scarlet to stay back slightly, Leon reached the next bank of shelves and took pains to be quiet as he craned his head around to peek past it. Well, that wasn't quite as bad as he'd thought it might be.

"This isn't performing arts," he said quietly, "It's a library."

Scarlet joined and blinked several times, apparently taken aback at seeing Marie Fou Lafan in the arms of Brad Fou Meadows. The two had been quite enthusiastically involved with each other, given the hickey Marie was sporting, but at least they were fully clothed.

"Wh-what business is it of yours?" the heir to Marquis Field asked, pulling his composure together. "We're not disturbing anyone."

"We could hear you from halfway to the stairs," Leon corrected him.

"Well, so what? It's not hurting anyone." Brad snorted and flicked his head, throwing his long purple hair back over his shoulder. He still had one arm wrapped around Marie. "Unlike Greg, I'm not engaged to anyone so it's no one else's business if Marie and I spend time together."

Leon frowned and glanced at Scarlet, but she seemed either unmoved by the implication - or perhaps had just missed the suggestion that Marie was just as physically involved with the silver-blonde's fiance. "I don't particularly care about either of your marital statuses, but this is a place for study. I'm sure there are other places for you to practise your performance… or to study reproductive biology, if that's what you have in mind. Just do it where other students won't be affected."

Brad gave him a look. "Ha, what are you going to be studying anyway? You're that cripple that can't use magic in the first place."

"It beats out not being able to use my brain," Leon shot back. "But besides the many other subjects than magic, I'll have you know that I can cast one certain spell very well."

"Oh really?" asked Scarlet.

Leon raised his hand and formed a fist. "I can still punch someone right in the face."

The girl brightened and she raised her own fist. "I love that spell," she agreed happily. Unlike Leon, her hand was visibly encased in magical reinforcements. "There's just something so… satisfying about it."

Marie went wide-eyed and pressed herself against the shelves. "B-brad," she said hastily. "Maybe they're right."

Brad held her reassuringly. "They wouldn't dare actually start a fight here."

Leon tilted his head slightly. "We wouldn't?" he asked Scarlet.

She gazed happily at her fist and then looked at Brad hopefully, bouncing slightly on the balls of her feet.

"Ah… perhaps we were being a little noisier than we should have been," he conceded. "You're right, Marie. Let's leave the happy couple here to their studies."

The two edged around the alcove, staying as far from Leon and Scarlet as they could as they did so. Then, hand in hand, they trotted briskly towards the door.

Scarlet slumped slightly in disappointment.

"Never mind," Leon told her consolingly. "If there's one sure thing in this life, there's always someone somewhere that's deserving of a fist to the face."