Disclaimer: I own NOTHING of the ace attorney series, it all belongs to Capcom...except the occasional OC here and there.
Warming a cold heart
Franziska led both Gumshoe and Kay along the building of the prosecutor's office.
She started to tell the tale of one of Edgeworth's hardest times in his life...but she knew she'd have to start at the beginning of it all for it to make sense. Kay and Gummy, in the meantime, kept trailing closely behind her as they were curious to listen to the story and what it entailed; they were both equally excited but also worried at the same time.
"It all started several years ago, back when Miles and I were living in Germany..."
The whip-happy prosecutor began to narrate.
"Papa had decided to move us, just so we both could get the utmost "perfect" upbringing and training; we had just moved into the family mansion. My older brother, Fabian, had been enrolled in ein internat where she was staying at the time—"
"Huh? What does the internet have to do with anything?"
TWAP!
Franziska cast the detective a deadly scowl until she hardly wasted another instant in whacking Gumshoe with her whip —he winced painfully when the lash came into contact with his shoulder, causing him to cry out in pain and flinch hard.
She had a glare that could peel the hide of a horde of crocodiles.
"A foolish question asked by a foolish fool whom eats foolish breakfast that makes him an even bigger fool..." she scoffed, shaking her head in disbelief of the detective's foolish mistake "When I say "ein internat" it's the German translation for a boarding school. Do well to remember that, Scruffy."
"Y-Yes sir..."
"Anyways, Papa had decided to introduce himself to our neighbours —there was the widowed Ms. Antoinette Goldheart and her daughter..."
Seventeen years ago...
Germany was a place the young Miles Edgeworth had never thought he'd wind up.
He was still reeling after the trauma he'd suffered that fateful day...that fateful day in where he, his father (a defence attorney) and a court bailiff all got stuck in a lift mid ascension after a horrific earthquake struck and it all culminated to where his own father needed up deceased by the end of the ordeal.
As an orphan, he still felt a shred of lingering melancholy due to the fact that he was still grieving over the loss of his father.
He had been placed in the care of his father's rival (a prosecutor) and had basically been whisked off to live in a foreign country without much foresight or mental preparation; so, upon arriving to their destination, Manfred and Franziska were both eager to recover after all their travels while Miles took in his new surroundings.
The Von Karma mansion was truly a work of art.
The building was really tall, so tall that the pointed slanted roofs so high that the tiers of said roofing pretty much brushed the clouds. Upon looking more closely at it, the mansion looked more like a tower what with the lengthy shape of it being more exaggerated than the width of it. There was a door and several windows and, given how tall it was and how many windows there were, maybe like 4 or 5 stories high.
The mansion had unique architecture and this air of the purest grandeur.
Outside of the mansion was a nicely kept front garden that was heavily populated by rose bushes with the most unique colours he'd ever seen, such as a pale red or even the odd purple or blue roses. There were large trees such as a couple of pine trees, two large willows and one tree that bore a couple of conkers that were beginning to fall to the ground. There were nicely decorated shrubbery nice and neatly lined up in two rows along the garden gate, and the lush green grass was very neatly trimmed; the gardens scenery was slightly ruined with the presence of a few old plastic toys and a swing set, though.
Miles was baffled.
This was his new home?
If the mansion looked this nice outside, he could only imagine what it appeared to look like on the inside.
The boy didn't have enough time to gape at the mansion, however, as he felt someone nudge him forwards from behind.
He didn't even need to look around to see who it was as he felt the cold towering shadow of Manfred Von Karma looming over him, he felt so tiny all of a sudden and reacted accordingly by flinching but fought off the added urge to sink to the ground. He felt rather nervous to be around the older man but he buried those fears deep because, like it or not, this man was going to be his caretaker and he had to respect him.
Miles felt a strong hand grip his shoulder that forcefully started steering him to the mansion next door and, reluctantly, he let it.
"Come now, Miles. Let us meet our neighbours."
Miles hung his head and closed his eyes in respect.
"U-Um. Yes, sir..."
The Von Karma (plus Edgeworth) family made their way towards the large mansion next door.
In the meantime, Miles studied the outside next door mansion.
He had to surmise that this family was either a bit more wealthy or just showing off not just because they lived in a mansion just a bit taller than their own mansion but also because of the fact that the home had a boarder in the form of a fence and gate made out of solid gold. The tall rooftop parapets were also looking particularly fabulous.
It didn't take long for Manfred, Miles and Franziska to reach the front door of the mansion next door as they stared at it; Manfred wasted no time in pushing passed the children and knocking the door with a fist like iron —his knocks on the door could have been loud enough to awaken the dead.
Franziska moved to stand next to Miles, in the meantime, just encase something happened.
The door opened as a well-dressed middle-aged man greeted them.
He wore a fancy black suit with a crimson red bow tie, sort of similar to Miles' own, and he had this poised yet elegant aura about him. He just stared at the three as though they were the most uninteresting thing in the whole world. He had his nose stuck up in the air and his eyes were forever gloomy.
"Ah. You must be here to meet the mistresses." He said.
Manfred nodded without missing a beat.
Then a sweet, honeyed voice called out from within the mansion.
"Let them in, Carlisle."
The doorman stood aside and let the group of three through, as ordered.
They were greeted by a tall, thin woman with strawberry blonde curled locks that reached passed her mid-back greeted the trio. She wore a long gown with a fluffy elegant scarf wrapped around her neck and her lips were coloured a luxurious crimson red. Her face was decorated in little makeup that elevated her beauty slightly.
Despite her snootily stuck-up appearance, the woman had this kind-hearted yet motherly aura.
Manfred simply walked up to the lady and proceeded to grab her hand in his and plant a polite kiss upon it.
"It is nice to make your acquaintance, Mrs Goldheart." He said in a strong, stoic voice.
The older woman, known as Mrs Goldheart apparently, simply smiled and nodded at him and then spotted the two younglings scuttling along behind the prosecutor. She gave a pleasant yet kind-hearted smile when her eyes laid upon the pair of children and bent down to meet them on eye level.
"Aww, and are these your children?"
Manfred nodded.
"Indeed. There's my daughter, Franziska, and my ward, Miles."
The woman knelt down to meet the children on eye level and smiled a warm smile at the both of them.
"It is so nice to meet you both. And as for you, young man, a little bird had told me that you had never been to Germany before."
Edgeworth felt a tad strange due to feeling so comfortable in this lady's presence in spite of knowing her for a full thirty seconds but he tried his best to remain as polite as possible as he bolstered up his courage and mustered the smallest of smiles.
"Y-Yes, Madame. I...I am taking quite the liking to Germany, I m-m-must say."
Miles wanted to kick himself for the stuttering.
He was supposed to be polite, he was never a timid person when it came to introducing himself to strangers. He used to be confident but now he was stammering and stuttering like he never had before. He could feel the glower of Manfred's disapproval burning holes right into his back and he could feel bucketloads of sweat start to pour down his face like little waterfalls and he tried his very best not to let the discomfort show on his face as he tried his best to appear neutral.
Thankfully, Mrs Goldheart didn't seem to notice and she just giggled and patted him affectionately on the head.
"Aww, what a charming gentleman you'll turn out to be. I'm sure you will like it here!"
The compliment made him blush scarlet.
"And what about me?" Came an indignant cry.
Edgeworth jolted out of his trance and looked down at his adopted sibling with a look of surprise and discomfort, he'd almost forgotten that Franziska had been hiding behind him all this while. He could only watch as the small girl trotted up to the older woman, prized riding crop in hand, and stood on her tippy-toes to beg for some attention too.
He watched in silent wide-eyed annoyance as Franziska asked "I'm going to grow up to be just like my papa! Does that mean I'll be charming too?"
Mrs Goldheart's smile broadened as she acknowledged the small platinum-haired child.
"Very charming and smart, Schätzchen..."
Mrs Goldheart grinned softly at the two younglings and told them "I'm going to talk to your papa, in the meantime would you like to meet my daughter?"
Franziska answered before Miles had the chance to.
"YESYESYESYESYESYES-!"
Manfred snapped as he scowled down at his daughter.
"FRANZISKA. SILENCE!"
Within seconds, Franziska stopped her bouncing and stopped immediately but instead of having the same reaction any other young child would have to someone screaming at them (crying her lungs out) the platinum-haired girl instead just followed her father's words and stopped bouncing with such enthusiasm.
She nodded acceptingly instead.
The whole room was bathed in this uncomfortable silence as nobody knew what to say, until someone practically skipped into the room.
It was a young girl whom had fair skin with cherry red hair that was just a bit longer than shoulder length. She had the most unique indigo blue eyes with long eyelashes that were almost as long as butterfly wings, her face was beautiful and flawless; like a blank piece of paper with no imperfections, not even a wrinkle out of place. She wore a red plaid dress with a hem that reached passed her knees and black shoes.
Mrs Goldheart smiled (albeit awkwardly) as the child came into the room.
"Annalise, my sweet, these are our new neighbours. Say hello."
Miles could not stop staring at her as he thought that she was so pretty, it was ridiculous.
He felt his chest thump, his intestines twisted into loops and knots, butterflies fluttered in his stomach, his head felt light and his face felt as though it were on fire. He didn't know what this feeling was but he was sure that this girl was responsible...
He never felt this way before.
He could only stare as the pretty young lady made a slow stride towards him and she proceeded to give a polite curtsy.
"My name is Annalise. Annalise Goldheart. What is yours?"
Miles cleared his throat awkwardly, trying to avert his gaze.
Goldheart. That surname was very appropriate due to the family's apparent wealth. Alas, he just stared at the really pretty girl stood in front of him non-blinking because somehow his newly-heightened nerves started to get the best of him.
"A-A-Ahem...E-E-Edgeworth. Miles Edgeworth."
Edgeworth couldn't take his eyes off of her face no matter how hard he tried.
It was as though he was staring at one of the seven wonders of the world and one of them was her eyes! Those unique, aquamarine eyes with a hint of cinnamon brown swirling within the irises. He just drank in every detail of her face such as those eyes, the freckles dotting her face, her rosy cheeks, her lengthy yet curly golden honey-coloured hair that reached passed her shoulders, her thin bronze coloured eyebrows and her sweet lips that seemed to pull into a permanent perfect smile.
He suddenly felt this childish need to hide from her but he guessed that Master Von Karma wouldn't allow it...
His thoughts bounced back and forth in his mind as he tried to move, tried to speak, but he couldn't, it was impossible! He was as stiff as a tombstone; no matter how hard he tried he could not move a single solitary inch.
Annalise gave a polite curtsy and bowed her head.
"Es ist schön Sie kennenzulernen, Miles Edgeworth..."
There was an awkward silence as young Miles just stood there, unable to make an attempt to verbalise his thoughts. What should he say? He didn't understand a word she just said! He may have just arrived into the country but he knew next to nothing about how to speak in the German tongue.
He blinked as she stared at him expectantly.
What was she waiting for?
Franziska cantered up to stand beside her new adopted brother and placed a supportive hand on his upper arm. He flinched for a second, startled, until he looked down at the small 8-year-old girl with the silver hair and the bright eyes. She wore a gigantic devious yet knowing smirk on her face.
"Don't be rude, little brother! She said, it's nice to meet you!"
Edgeworth looked down at the younger girl in astonishment.
He guessed that since the little girl was probably born in Germany, of course she'd understand the language...although he sort of wished that she would understand that just because she could understand and speak it fluently didn't mean that everybody else did. Regardless, he felt this responsibility to impress her with the illusion that he knew everything as this girl's new brother.
Admittedly he felt rather annoyed that she insisted on referring him as her little brother considering he was just more than a year older than her...
He bit back the urge to sigh.
"O-Oh. Right."
He straightened his posture, adjusted his bow tie and gave a polite bow of the head...however he couldn't even try and conceal the bright blush painting his cheeks. He felt ashamed for acting so childish in front of anyone, strangers especially. Regardless, he cleared his throat and tried his best to sound as civil as humanly possible...in spite of his embarrassment.
"I-It is nice to meet you too, Miss Goldheart..."
Franziska jumped into the conversation to introduce herself.
"And my name is Franziska Von Karma! Nevermind my little brother, he is just a bit dull at first but he's nice when you get to know him!"
If Edgeworth's blush wasn't bright before, it most certainly was by now; why did Franziska see the constant need to embarrass him —especially right now? He just wanted to go to a dark corner and cry from humiliation, but, alas, he knew that this wouldn't be polite so he just sucked up his embarrassment (with his face still as red as a traffic light, mind) and watched the girls laugh.
Annalise giggled adorably and took Miles by the hand, surprising him.
The young girl started to lead the young boy out the front door while Franziska watched, quirking a curious brow at the both of them, and followed after them. She refused to be left out of anything!
She called out for them to wait for her as she flounced after them.
"Mama! Mama!" Annalise called out as she bounced up to her mother and a chilly-looking Manfred Von Karma "May I take Miles and Franziska outside to play? Bitte schön?"
Antionette looked down at her excitable, hyperactive daughter and looked down at her with a passive yet gentle expression worn on her kindly face; she crouched to the floor on both knees as she spoke to her daughter slowly but warmly, in a way that would calm even the most hyperactive children even if said children were experiencing the worlds most severe sugar rush.
"Now, now, Meine Liebste. We have to make sure Herr Von Karma is alright with it first."
Without missing a beat, Annalise and Franziska both put on puppy dog eyes and looked up pleadingly at Manfred who looked back at them with a solid yet moving expression. He didn't seem phased by the expressions in the slightest (well, maybe except for Franziska's puppy dog look) until he hung his head and sighed.
He decided to relent.
"...Do as you wish but just for a few minutes, and don't get your clothes muddied."
The girls cheered in triumph, giggling all the way in a mischievous manner, whilst Edgeworth chased them both outside to both keep an eye on them and to also get away from Manfred and his scariness; he hated seeing such a scary look but he decided to try and suck it up and who knows, maybe he'd adapt to the point where he'd wear his own evil expressions on his face.
Either way, the children ran into the back garden which looked somewhat generic in spite of the huge amount of trees and shrubbery and the odd playground equipment such as a large slide or a pair of rope swings. The grass was neatly trimmed and the scent was heavy with pine trees, there were a few flowers blooming as they made an attempt to pop out the ground. Franziska became drawn to and then rushed to play in the sandbox.
Edgeworth stood back to watch with Annalise stood right beside him, the two stood there for what felt like an hour as they just watched Franziska play and make sand castles. The silence between them both brewed for what felt like an eternity, not knowing what to say to one another at first, before Annalise smiled at Miles.
The young girl extended a friendly hand out to him.
Young Edgeworth blinked in perplexity; he didn't have many friends apart from two boys back in Japanifornia —Phoenix Wright and Larry Butz— and was generally a lone wolf who kept to himself and, while he did enjoy the isolation somewhat, he also found that maybe (just maybe) he could perhaps enjoy the companionship of this girl.
The girl, Annalise, looked down at the ground and scuffed her foot anxiously against it.
"Miles...I was wondering if you would like to be my freund, and me your freundin?" She asked.
The boy felt a bit awkward as he couldn't remember the last time someone had extended the hand of friendship his way, especially since the day his father died, but he just looked at her hand with great skepticism. He forced back the skeptical feelings and decided to just shake her hand, if only because he feared if he didn't then he'd find himself on the receiving end of being in the uncomfortable position of having someone crying in front of him.
"U-Uh, hmm, umm, th-th-thanks...or sh-should I say Vielen Dank, Annalise."
He took her hand in his and firmly shook it, ignoring the butterflies in his stomach as best he could. He couldn't keep the bright red blush off of his cheeks, though, and he desperately hoped that she didn't spot the fact that he looked like a ripe tomato every time he was near her.
He didn't know where this "friendship" would lead him nor why he felt this way towards this girl but, he started to think that perhaps living in Germany wouldn't be so bad after all...
A/N: Hi, guys! Here's an update to this Edgeworth story and we get to see how Edgeworth is adjusting to his new home in Germany.
And Miles gets to meet the lovely Annalise for the first time.
Btw, if you are wondering about the third (and currently absent) Von Karma child I mentioned (I named him Fabian) then I added him because Manfred has a seven-year-old granddaughter apparently so I thought that he should be incorporated too.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
-Chloemcg