A/N: Rough ages for everyone in the story is as follows: David at 69; Johan at 68; Linda at 61; Daniel at 51; Clara at 49; Martha at 46; Lena at 18; Astra/Tara at an old 15; Sterling at 12; Oriana at 10; Maglina at an old 9; and Seren is 4 ½.

Chapter Thirty-Four: The Earlessa's Creation

As Winter's last vestiges began to melt and give way to Spring, the ruling family in Castle Gallifrey was beginning to fuss something fierce. Lena Anthea, the eldest child and heir presumptive to the governance of the march and earldom, was soon to turn eighteen years old and become fully of-age. While she had been a legal adult in the eyes of the law for two years at that point, the more recent traditions of waiting to declare a healthy heir officially within their rights until they reached the age of eighteen seemed much more attractive of a situation for her doting father than the traditions more prevalent in his grandfather's age. It meant relative peace and prosperity to be able to wait the couple years it took to bring her to Presentation age before turning her title into more than just a courtesy, which was something both of her parents could appreciate.

This did not mean that planning the event was going to be completely without bumps in the road.

"…but I want to be there, Papa!" Seren whined. He tugged on his father's cloak, hoping to monopolize his attention. The family was all sitting in the private study, with Lena and her parents going over the proceedings for the ceremony while the younger children went over schoolwork or read in the company of the remainder of the family.

"I told you, starlet: there has never been a child at these events before, and to break protocol would risk your sister's claim," the Marquis said. He picked his youngest son up and held him close, bouncing his knee in a vain attempt to amuse him. "We want her to govern uncontested one day, meaning we have to be particularly careful none of the pudding-brained lesser lords have any ammunition for their stupidity."

Seren made a decidedly unamused sound and wrapped his father's cloak around him. His eldest sister frowned at that, tapping the end of her pencil in thought.

"Papa, can't we simply have the younger ones in one of the hidden balconies?" Lena asked. "This is an important occasion and I don't want to have my siblings miss it."

"Ori needs to go too!" Maglina insisted from the other side of the room. Her attention was ripped away from her book, green eyes wide in horror. "If we can come, then she should as well!"

"I count Oriana in this, don't worry," Lena assured. "If her parents are coming, as well as all of you, then it would be a shame not to have her." She then turned her attention back over to their parents. "Do you think it would work?"

"I don't see why not," the Marchioness pondered. "Most of the balconies will be occupied by guards, but there should be enough space for the six of them."

"Why will there be guards in the balconies?" Seren wondered.

"…for the same reason you cannot be on the floor watching the ceremony, starlet: not everyone is a kind person," the Marquis replied. He stroked his son's hair and glanced at his wife and eldest daughter—they knew why there was a necessity for guards, but it was best to not go into detail with him. Should something arise, at least the younger ones will be in a position to be quickly ushered away from the chaos before anything too gruesome took place.

Danger was part of their jobs, however, and it was silently put aside for the time being for something else.

"How about we figure out what to do if Lady Linda decides to come along with Grandpapa?" the Marchioness asked cheerily. "Last time she was here, all she did was complain about the cold."

"That's because Grandmamma is allergic to fun," Maglina frowned, attempting her best imitation of her father's scowl.

"Now, now; no one can choose to be allergic to something," her mother scolded gently. "All we need to do is figure out what won't set off her unfortunate allergy." It was a successful distraction from the other topic at-hand, for her youngest two children were always ready to figure out what to do with their step-grandmother; the ceremony itself would continue to be planned for, she could count on that.

It was the day before Lena's creation ceremony and most of Castle Gallifrey was bustling with activity as the servants and family alike prepared for the big day. Finding himself with nothing to do and no lessons to attend, Sterling found his way to the large library within the castle; the one in his family's private wing was where all the valuable books resided, yet it was this specific one that was not only open to the entirety of the staff, but had a larger selection of books to choose from. The tween had plucked a book about astronomy from the shelves and began to comb through it, blissfully studying at a table tucked away from the main of the room. He was content, until movement caught his eye and tore him away from his studies. He knew the man's face—he was a baronet with lands within the marquisate and therefore attended court often—and that was the only reason why he let the man approach.

"Young Master Sterling, I'm glad to have caught you," the baronet said. He sat down across the table from the lad, keeping a respectable distance. "How have you been faring lately?"

"Uh, good," the boy replied. "Thank you for asking." A thought came to his head and he stared at the lesser lord with caution. "Why do you ask?"

"You are the middle child—middle children often get overlooked when their siblings are being given all the attention," the baronet reasoned. "Older ones reach milestones first, while younger ones demand the remainder of the parents' time simply by being young; it's nothing uncommon for a middle child to feel left out and forgotten."

"I don't feel forgotten," Sterling said. "Mama and Papa treat me the same as ever."

"…but is that how you should be treated?"

This took the young lad by surprise. "What do you mean…?"

"Your future is being kept from you, Young Master Sterling," the baronet explained. "The only coming-of-age ceremony that should take place is yours in six years' time. There is a faction amongst us lesser lords that would rather it be that way instead of what is about to transpire. Your sister is a smart young woman who will go far, I'll give her that, but it's your birthright she's about to claim."

"I have to go," Sterling blurted out quickly. He took his papers and pencil and stuffed him in the book, attempting to make a bee-line for the staircase. On his way, the baronet took hold of his forearm, forcing him to stay.

"Think about it, Young Master Sterling," he requested. "If this were any other title, in any other part of the kingdom, it would be yours for the taking, despite what your father insists. You know how to get a hold of me."

At that, he let the tween go, allowing him to run off back into the family's private quarters and into his room. Sterling collapsed on the settee, absolutely terrified and shaking terribly. He rang the bell for service, huddled underneath a blanket, and profusely thanked the maid who delivered his tea, insisting that the room was not cold enough for her to stoke the fire. His hands were nearly steady again when there was a soft knock on his door.

"Sterling? May I come in?"

"Go away, Lena," he replied, his voice high and thin. Instead, the door opened and his eldest sister popped in, sitting down next to him.

"I just ran into Claire, one of the maids, and she said you were acting peculiar," she stated. Lena frowned at how her brother was retreating further and further into his blanket. She forced the fabric from his fingers and pulled the blanket back. While they had both inherited their father's eyes, hers were the steely grey while his seemed a pale, watery blue. "What's the matter?"

Instead of responding with words, Sterling squeaked and pulled the blanket over his head again. Lena groaned in aggravation, not liking where this was heading.

"Okay," she said. "I'm going to sit here until you tell me what's wrong. Take your time."

"No."

"Am I talking to Sterling or Seren? Come on—talk to me. Do I need to get Mama and Papa?"

"Don't!" he gasped, staring at her in fear.

"Then what's the problem?"

"I don't want to be in trouble," he said. Lena watched as Sterling readjusted his blanket and stared at the tea tray. "I'm really scared."

"What scared you?"

"One of the lesser lords asked me how I was doing while in the larger library today."

"That sounds… kind of him…?" Lena replied, scrunching her nose.

"I thought so too, but he said I wasn't being treated right, and that you're stealing my birthright from me, and I tried to go right away once I knew what he was talking about, but please don't think I agree with him!"

"Oh… that's why it was scary," she nodded. "You know that's treason, but you don't want me to think you're in on it, because you're not."

"Uh-huh," he sniffled. "I don't want to rule; good marquises don't make star charts as their job."

"Did you tell him that?"

"Nuh-uh—I was too afraid. I don't want it to be a mess like when Grandfather's uncle tried to take over. He said there was a faction that wants me instead of you! That means there's lots of people!"

"Sterling, listen to me," Lena ordered. She held his face in her hands in order to make sure he had nowhere to look but at her. "I trust you. I know that if any of those daft lesser lords try to convince you to overthrow me, you won't have any of it, because that's not the kind of kid you are." She then pulled him in close for a tight hug, rubbing his back. "I know they won't listen if you tell them you want to be an astronomer, but if you say you're happy making star charts and they insist you should be otherwise, come find me and I will make sure that they know where they can take their complaints to next time."

"…to you…?"

"Out of the marquisate and to whatever other thick-headed imbeciles will listen to their whining," she said firmly. "His Lord Highness is behind my appointment, and there are others in power in the capital that can vouch for Mama, Papa, and me. You don't need to worry about being made Lord Earl of Gallifrey unless you wish it."

"…and I don't," Sterling whimpered.

"Then don't be afraid," she assured him. "Do you remember who it was?"

"Not by name, but I could point him out."

"Then don't bother—he will get suspicious if you do that." She let her brother go and patted him on the back. "People have been wanting to put you before me in line for Papa's title for twelve years now—I'm used to it, and haven't blamed you for a moment."

"Thank you, Lena," Sterling smiled. His expression then turned to worry as his thoughts went elsewhere. "What will you do if they try something tomorrow?"

"You just leave that to me, okay?"

"Okay. Umm… can you not tell Mama and Papa? They'd be furious."

"They won't know until it's too late to do anything about it," she said. "Now, how about if we see if Tara's home yet—I'm sure she would be willing to help you with some sparring, and doing something physical will help take your mind off it."

"…and everyone's so afraid of Tara that they won't want to come near me," he added.

"That's the spirit; come on." The two then left for the sparring hall, with Sterling feeling much more confident with himself, as well as glad that Lena did barge into his room despite him telling her not to.

The governance hall was packed as Lena walked down the aisle that parted the sea of people there to see the ceremony. She was dressed finely, in an elegant red dress—brand new for the occasion—and a trailing black cloak that was capped in white and lined with crimson. A quick glance towards a corner and she saw the balcony where her siblings and Oriana sat watching. She kept on walking, head held high and shoulders set, returning her focus on her parents at the governance chairs. A man stood to her father's left, whom she knew as the local magistrate, holding a pillow with her coronet. She had requested that one specifically, it having not been used since the creation of her father's first wife as earlessa, and she wanted to honor that instead of being made a new one, despite mutterings of curses that followed the item.

When she made it up to the bottom step of the dais, she knelt down and the ceremony began. Her father spoke over her in the ceremonial tongue, reciting words old even by Gallifreyan standards. He declared her suitable for the earldom, that she was well-trained and was capable of not only fully taking charge of Gallifrey, but that she would be ready to take on the entire marquisate when the time came. She had to reply back, to swear her life's mission to her people, which made both her parents beam.

"Then come," the Marquis said in the common tongue, "and claim your birthright."

Lena stood and ascended the dais, bowing deeply when she reached the top. The Marquis took the coronet from its perch and, together with the Marchioness, placed it on their daughter's head.

"We would now like to present in an official capacity, the Lady Earlessa Lena Anthea of Gallifrey and the Northern Lands," the Marchioness announced. Applause filled the hall as her daughter stood upright and turned around, greeting everyone in an official capacity for the first time.

"Thank you," Lena said in Ancient Gallifreyan. It was a word near everyone knew, though she switched back to the common tongue for the remainder of her speech. "I want to make sure it is clear that I am grateful for everyone's support and understanding over the years, both nobility and otherwise, in allowing me to take on duties and learn governance from a young age so that I stand here truly the best I can be for this position.

"Furthermore, I would also like to make clear that the only way I am giving up being earlessa is if I pass on the title to my younger sister in lieu of becoming marchioness. There has been rumor of a faction amongst our ranks that is disgruntled that I am not my younger brother, and that he has been pressured into joining them. This is treason and there shall be no tolerance for it. Drop any such thoughts now or prepare to either be banished from Gallifrey or rot in her inner bowels. You neither scare me, nor shall scare my family; that is the last word on the matter."

Hushed murmurs spread through the hall; who was the fool who went directly to the youngster thinking they would come out unscathed? Not a soul claimed to be the perpetrator, though high above the crowd, the freshly-official earlessa's twin sisters were examining the frazzled emotions that were definitely unguarded and easy for them to read. They already knew which one it was that attempted to sway their brother, and now finding his cohorts were all the easier. Their identities were tucked away for later—now was about their sister, not them.

The dinner and dancing that ended up following seemed slightly thinner as far as attendance, though that did not bother the Marquis and Marchioness in the slightest. They were taken aback as anyone over the revelation their eldest shared with the rest of court, causing them to pull their eldest son aside when they had the chance. He assured them that everything was now fine and that his lady sister had taken care of it with her official first speech.

No one was going to bother him anymore about taking over Lena's position in the earldom and marquisate. She made her stance clear, meaning that if anyone were to argue, she'd have the ability to fight back. It made him feel safe knowing she had it under control, and it let him, as well as his parents, enjoy the rest of the celebration with ease.