Title: A Knight for a Girl

Rating: T

Summary: Cornelia can't help but admire Marianne

Author: Aminta

The day after her seventh birthday was when Cornelia first met Marianne. She had heard the whispers of the upstart commoner before, but nothing could prepare her for the magnificent sight of a woman dressed in flared pants and wielding a sword like it was an extension of her body.

Mother covered her eyes and roughly pushed her away as Cornelia twisted and turned to get a better look. Even Father was interested. Every time she glanced at him, he was intently staring at her. She crossed her fingers. Marianne was too cool to be angry at, even if Mother declared the woman to be unfathomably undignified along with other words that Cornelia was sure she wasn't supposed to know.

It took two hours to finally escape the demon's clutches. Her Mother laughed merrily with the other ladies for the first time in month in a smoky plume of incense and alcohol. The last attack had scared her into near silence.

In the courtyard, she finally found the intriguing knight and a sudden bout of shyness led her to grip the walls. Marianne stood proudly, head thrown back as she observed the stars. Most scandalously, her hair drifted freely. Mother would've been pissed.

Her hand combed through her hair, fingers splayed apart, and she knotted it over her hand and secured it... all without any help from a servant. Finished, Marianne unsheathed her sword and walked in a circle, the tip of the sword steadily pointing to the center. She lunged.

Cornelia's eyes widened at the audible swish. And again. The loose clothing snapped with each abrupt, precise move. A deadly ballerina.

"Teach me," Cornelia demanded, revealing herself. She glared at her elaborate dress with too many layers and tried to reach the tight lacing on her back to free herself.

Marianne lowered the tip of her sword and glanced at the lit windows filled with gliding shadows. Slowly, she dropped to the ground and bowed her head like a proper knight. "Your Highness. I'm sorry. I didn't see you there."

"I'm not a princess." Cornelia wrinkled her nose. "Not yet, anyway. Father needs to defeat Emperor Brandon first, and then Mother says I won't have time for anything fun. I will need to practice my penmanship and dancing and how to listen without being seen. I hope Father takes a looooong time."

"I'm sorry. My mistake."

"Stop apologizing!" she demanded, stomping her foot. "Show me how to do that... Please?"

"It wouldn't be appropriate. You're a lady."

"And you're a commoner. So you have to do what I say."

Marianne sighed. "Very well. Come here."

Beaming, Cornelia trotted closer.

A gentle hand pressed on her shoulders. "You need to bend your legs and crouch. It's sort of like riding a horse. Now, legs apart. Lower..."

Her legs burned, but she complied. "And now, I can use the sword?"

Marianne snorted. "Hardly. I've trained for years. You're, what, five?"

"Seven!" she shouted.

"Maybe if you behave, I'll let you inspect it. Swords are only for knights you know."

Cornelia copied her large step awkwardly, the dress wrapping around her ankles. "Mother says only boys can be knights."

"Well, she's wrong," Marianne said. "Lord Ashford made me a knight because I work for him."

"A knight of honor?"

"Nothing that important. I'm far too young for such responsibility."

Cornelia nodded seriously. "What's a whore?"

Coughing , Marianne broke out of her from. "Who told you that?"

"Mother told one of the ladies that you were Lord Ashford's whore... Is that another word for knight?"

Her face twisted. "No. It's quite rude."

Spinning on her heels, she marched off, and Cornelia gaped at her abrupt departure. Nobody had ever done that to her before. Hitching up her skirt, she rushed after her.

"Where are you going?"

Marianne didn't answer and banged open the door. The ballroom quieted as she marched to her mother and threw down her glove with a deafening slap. Angry shouts flooded the room, and Cornelia jostled her way through the crowd to get closer.

"What is the meaning of this, girl?" Mother asked, nose held high and not even bothering to look at her.

So rude... Marianne was awesome. She was a knight... like a proper one. Maybe even like Joan of Arc although Mother would be pissed to hear Odysseus slipped that storybook yesterday morning for her birthday.

"You're not an Empress yet," Marianne challenged, and her words rang through the room. "You insulted my liege by implying he was unfaithful to his wife. Do you retract that statement?"

The room chittered.

"Of all the foolishness," a man near her whispered.

"She is so uncouth. Whatever was Lord Ashford thinking?"

"Well, they are hardly proper nobles themselves. Reuben spends all his time in the labs."

"Making a woman a knight... What would you expect?"

Biting on her tongue, Cornelia glared at them fiercely. She was going to be a knight, just like Marianne and show them all. Then she could challenge all of them to a duel and never have to wear a stupid dress again. They would all be begging for her to become their knight.

Mother drew back her shoulders and slapped her across the face. "You dare to insult me?"

Coming to the rescue, Lord Ashford grabbed his knight and pushed her to the side. "Please excuse her, my lady. My ward is a little too zealous in defending my honor."

"Although, I do wonder if you would like to slander my husband to my face," Lady Ashford cut in. She struck a radiant imagine in a tightly fitting gown and her golden hair cut far too short. "From what I have been hearing, our ward has every reason to be upset. I have half the mind to issue you a challenge myself. Our work is vital to your husband's cause, yet you treat us with such disdain."

Mother's face twisted. "I am afraid that the rumors might have gone out of hand. I meant no offense."

Across the room, Schneizel snuck up to an older teen. The Gainberg was always such an insufferable brat. He kept declaring that they would marry, and they would raise fifteen sons. And he called Schneizel a four-eyed freak! It wasn't his fault he needed glasses. They were so cool to look through, and her uncle needed them too.

The teen huffed and rolled back his shoulders. Shoving Schneizel to the floor, he marched across the room. Cornelia clenched her fists and prepared to tackle him to the ground. Only she was allowed to push Schneizel around. The cruel, satisfied smirk on her brother's face stopped her.

Eagerly, she crept closer. Her brother's antics always led to the most exciting fallouts, even if Odysseus dragged him out of the room by his ear half the time. Mother always said he acted out because his mother died. Emperor Brandon blew up their entire house. Cornelia thought he just liked the chaos. She did too. Everyone was always too serious all the time otherwise. They only relaxed on nights like tonight where words slurred together.

So what if they died? They didn't have to cower like cockroaches.

Gainberg stopped in front of Marianne and flung his glove into her face. "Well, I find your presence here intolerable. I bet you can't even duel, only spread your legs. I am not like those others you trick. I would never be attracted to a monkey."

Slowly, Marianne pulled out a small handkerchief and wiped her face. "Would you like to duel, my lord?"

"Marianne, no-" Lord Ashford hissed.

"Yes," Gainberg shouted. "I challenge you to a duel. I'll take those fine clothes as a forfeit. You are hardly worthy of wearing them anyway."

To the jeers of the room, Marianne shrugged off Lord Ashford's grip and walked into the center of the room. She drew her sword and bowed mockingly. "And when you lose, we'll all see your birthday suit."

His face flushed red, and he hurried through the formalities before charging at her with a ridiculous yell. She stepped to the side and swatted him on the back with her blade. He squealed like a pig and spun around, charging again. Weaving between his uncoordinated strikes, Marianne laughed.

Cornelia inched closer, Anything for a better look. A hand grasped her shoulder, and she froze at Father's considering raised eyebrow.

His gaze drifted back to Marianne. "You were talking with her in the courtyard."

"Yes..." What if he was mad at her for teaching her. "I ordered her too, Father! She wasn't rude at all."

"Then I guess you were the one to inform her of Victoria's cruel words." He shook his head. "She is an interesting one, is she not? Not an Empress yet... I doubt anyone else would have the gall, and a commoner as well."

"She's amazing," Cornelia whispered.

The sword flew out of Gainberg's hand, clattering down to the ground. Cornelia screamed in excitement, and only Father's hand kept her from rushing forward

Marianne finished with a slash to his chest, drawing first blood. His trousers fell to the ground. "Well, you are halfway there. You lost, my lord."

"Yes!" Cornelia screeched.

A hand clamped over her mouth. "Behave," Father reminded her. "That was quite impressive. I have never seen someone make such a fool of themselves before."

She giggled as Gainberg stripped and, bright red, fled the room. No one stepped out of his way, forcing him to shove his way through.

"Schneizel helped," she said.

"Well, for once his mischief was put to good use." He knelt down besides her and fished out a handkerchief from his coat. "To clean her sword. I will distract your mother."

"Thank you!" she shouted and raced off. The crowd resumed their tasks, and she didn't hear a single derisive whisper as she approached. Curtsying, she held out the handkerchief. "For the blood."

Marianne smiled softly and accepted it. "Thank you... Cornelia."

Could be considered canon to Excalibur...