To be frank, I was really thinking of skipping this chapter... since there is nearly no real plot importance in my opinion, but on the other hand, it would make Scorch's meeting with Eleanor and Chi-nesama (I forgot her name at the moment, I'll remember it later...) would be awkward to say the least, so, I'll just get it over with... consider this episode/chapter as filler or something... also prepare for this chapter to be... more... boring... then the others and much more plot sticky if that makes sense...
PS: I'm going to experiment next chapter or the next by making a new chapter from scratch, as in, not based on the actual anime, so that I can clearly change the plot of the story. Bear with me, that, if I do that, then it will likely be a much shorter chapter than usual. That is if I even do it...
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*thud* I fell flat on the pile of cloth and straw in Louise's room, I didn't care where I slept to be honest, I just wanted to lay down...
"What's your problem?" asked Louise, who looked down at me from her bed, rolled over to her side with her chin casually rested on her palm.
"Training... new recruits... sooooo green... it's not even funny..." I explained. The new Fireteam Charlie was a nightmare to train... I almost wanted to call them the N00b squad but since they had never wielded weapons such as ours I guess their skill level was understandable... they were all in great shape, able to easily run the assault course and take any punishments I dealt out due to their incompetence... the one nicknamed Snips had 'tude but she was a natural leader and expert marksman... Hardcase and Cutup were also to be commended however the others all head major flaws... attitude, discipline, weapons handling, etc, etc... I thought about shortening the assault course time limit to only two minutes... the course was short by comparison to other ones on Reach and Earth but hey, we only had limited land... I remembered the Marines who had escorted them to the armory on the first day had given them rifles before getting Stacker to come over and get me... good choice, when I first got there half of them didn't even know how to hold the damn thing! We were supposed to go hunting with the new troops so they could get their first taste of battle in our world... and by hunting, I mean hunting Covies... they were bound to have small camps scattered here and there since they had their Super-Carrier in orbit...
"Sound's rough..." Louise sighed
"You don't know the half of it..."
"Well they are all peasants..."
"So? Big deal if they're all peasants... me and Stacker have vowed to make them into... at least... somewhat capable marines! Even if it kills us..." I narrowed my eyes in annoyance "Which it might for all I know..."
"Have you tried beating them? Works with you sometimes..."
I glared at her... making her smirk back at me in an expression that dripped with attitude. "Shut up" I sighed "And yes, I have whacked them, made them do push-ups, made them run laps around the base, taken away mess hall, weapon, sleep and other privileges, the works really... but it only seems to be getting through to half of them..." it was conversations like this, when Louise and I weren't at each other's throats that I liked... the rare moments when she broke character from her bitchy and bratty usual self...
I got back up "Well... I'm gonna go back to the base... get some food..." I walked towards the door but before I could open the door it burst open in my face and I got whacked in the nose by the door, putting me on my back and making me see stars...
"Whoooooaaaaaa... dizzy..." I groaned, my head pounding like a bitch... I wondered why sometimes I was able to tank hits like this on a regular basis but at the most inconvenient times I'd end up wimping out... I wondered if it was due to the cloning process or some unimaginable type of fate called plot convenience... however since this is real life, I was going to go with the former.
"Louise! Chibi-Louise!" shouted a commanding voice... I'd never heard the word Chibi until now so I had no clue what it meant...
"S-s-s-Sister Eleanor!" exclaimed Louise, and if my half conscious mind was working properly I would have guessed that was her crazy psychopathic sister she had ranted about one night...
"If see you are up early... good... pack your stuff up, we're leaving..." said Eleanor. I finally regained myself and got to see what she looked like... you could classify her as a nerdy looking blonde... certainly stuck up went without saying... her hair style was similar to Louise's and I could see the resemblance in their personalities instantly... also... they were both flat... just adding that last bit... ehehe...
"Wh-what?" Louise asked.
"You heard me, now hurry up!" she yelled and Louise flinched... if Louise was scared of her, I wondered if I should be, then thought better of it...
"We're going home, I don't have all day!"
"WHAT!?"
Meanwhile I was still in the WTF was going on stage... any moment now I figured I would go into the realization stage and freak out as well but that moment didn't come... because Louise grabbed the back of my armor and pulled me along... Damnit... sometimes I hated energy shields but sometimes I loved them... if they didn't diminish in a specific location while it was in contact with the ground it would cause the armor to slide along the surface like melting butter... a problem with the early stages of MJOLNIR but was fixed part way into it's development... apparently my ass didn't get the memo... I was dragged outside still in the WTF stage when Eleanor pointed to a passing Siesta...
"You, maid, over there, you are coming too!"
Siesta made no argument as her expression also turned to WTF as she was dragged along my Eleanor herself... eventually we were both thrown into the rear carriage that Eleanor had brought with her, while Louise and her sister got into the front one... on the way there I swear I heard Stacker mutter something from the school gate... something about wondering whether he should pity me, or hang his head in shame... or slap me and call me a lucky bastard... but I could do without his hand-outs!
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Siesta and I were in the rear carriage, which had made its way to the front after a series of events beginning with Louise complaining about something... I could take a guess at what...
"Weeeellllll... uh..." I started to Siesta who was right next to me... "It sure it a tad... cramped... in here right? um... are you ok?" I asked "You've been really quiet..."
"Y-yeah... sorry" she replied timidly
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Louise's POV
"He's getting close to her again!" I yelped from the now rear carriage... but was abruptly grabbed by the cheek by Eleanor...
"Chibi-Louse! I'm still talking to you!" hissed my sister.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, eldest sister!" she let go of me and I put a hand on my now red cheek...
"Since we've begun our way here you've been un-attentive... do you have no composure at all?" she scolded.
"B-but... my Familiar is..."
"Honestly, all those military drills around the academy is... unusual to say the least... so I can't simply just leave you there now huh?" she scoffed then looked at me "Now then, when we get home we will start training you to become a bride!"
"Right rig- WAIT WHAT!?"
"YOU HEARD ME LOUISE! CHIBI-LOUISE!" she grabbed my cheek again and pulled me close, glaring at me the whole time...
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Scorch's POV
"Hey is something wrong Siesta?" I asked "You've seemed kinda down as of late." I just had to break the awkward tension that was there... probably not the best way to do so if you think about it.
"Well..." Siesta sighed "I have realized your true feelings..."
"Huh?"
"You and Miss Valliére... so... I have given up..."
"Me!? And... Louise!? Are you high?" I replied, getting a raised eyebrow from Siesta.
Then the carriage bumped un-expectantly at an awkward angle and we both lost our balance... and ended falling onto each other... after recovering... I didn't like the strange smell of lead and gunpowder that was building up...
"Oh shi-"
*KA-PEW!*
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We eventually made it to Louise's house at dark... though maybe house was an understatement... mansion would be more like it. A few servants came out and took away Louise and Eleanor's stuff, while me and Siesta had to carry our own stuff out from our carriage... or... what was left of it anyways... courtesy of Louise... after arranging all our stuff and Siesta fixing her little maid's cap thingy we all entered the mansion, with Eleanor taking the lead with Louise right behind her... me and Siesta stood a bit of a ways back...
Once we passed through the front door and my eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness I noticed a line of butlers and maids all lined up on opposite sides of the room, there must have been at least thirty in total... why a family of only five needed this many servants (Why they needed any servants) was beyond me... either they were lazy... or they had a giant house... and I'm gonna go with they we're lazy just cuz it got on my nerves... seriously... they can't just get a smaller house! Who the fuck needs this much room in the center room anyways!? You could at least 20 or more Scorpion main battle tanks side by side from top to bottom... hell you could easily fit a few Pelicans in here!
But enough monologing...
All the servants in the entry hall chanted "Welcome home Lady Eleanor, Mistress Louise."
I glanced at Siesta who was beside me in a Really? Just... Really sorta fashion... this... welcome home greeting... it was a little overkill if you ask me. I mean who the fuck needs thirty plus servants welcoming them home! Hell, I when I was 6, just starting school I'd be lucky if my father even welcomed me home... (Something I wish he did more of since... you know... the whole, Spartan thing...)
I then noticed another girl standing at the head of the room, pink haired and eyed with relatively fair skin, she had long locks of hair over both her shoulders wrapped in some sort of golden trappings while the rest of her hair flowed down her back. Also, but this point, unless I actually say they are flat-chested, just assume they have a big bust ok? Because at this point, I find it needless to say that almost every girl I've encountered in this world has a huge rack! (Minus Eleanor, Louise and Tabitha while Anies was also not huge, but she wasn't flat either mind you)
"Ah Louise, welcome home my little Louise." Said the girl, whom I guessed was Louise's other sister, herm middle sister I assumed.
"Chi-chi!" Exclaimed Louise and ran up to – and hugged her sister.
(A/N: I'm replacing Chi-neesama with Chi-chi/just Chi since I don't want to directly refer to the characters in Japanese which would break the they speak French and technically only French thing... something alot of people tend to forget, *incoming rant, sorry, this has just been bugging me for a while* since I've noticed many people who write FOZ/ZNT fanfics use terms like Hime-Sama, Neesama, San, Kun, Chan, etc, etc... when they are supposed to be speaking French, not Japanese, I know that it says that in the Anime even in the subbed version but when they do that, it kinda breaks the image of a French like language. Just saying that I find it confusing to combine three languages all at once, French, English and Japanese... however I guess simply saying that me or others writing this thing in English is to the contrary of what I'm saying, in which case I could be called a hypocrite... but by that logic you could get made at the creator for writing the story in Japanese despite it's supposed French dialect... aaaanny ways, enough ranting, back to the story, this is not a forum, it's a story... geez...)
'Damn, she's fine...' I thought, looking at her chest, then shook my head. 'no, don't think about that... your better then that'
"Chi, how is your health?" Louise asked, to which I raised an eyebrow, nothing looked wrong with her to me, though I suppose you can't judge a book by its cover, pardon the cliché...
"thank you for your concern Louise, but it's fine, the same as usual so don't worry about it, ok?" replied Chi as Louise had called her, until I hear Eleanor refer to her by name.
"Cattleya, where is mother?" Eleanor asked.
Moments later I stood disgruntled at the fact that I had to stand a few meters behind Louise as she and her two sisters and mother ate at a ridiculously long table that looked like it would make reaching the salt a little more than a challenge... my stomach growled...
'Oh if only Marteau were here...' I thought 'I could activate Active-Camo... no one would notice if I left right now I'm sure...' I wondered if I put my helmet on people would notice, then about if I turned on Active-Camo right now if my head would vanish, or if I'd have to deal with the floating head problem... which was bound to attract more attention rather than the opposite...
"Damnit, I'm hungry..." I mumbled, I had run out of E-bars a week ago now so I was relying on either Louise's authority, the UNSC base, or secret trips to the kitchen for food these days... unfortunately none of these options were available at the moment, so I thought about just sneaking away and finding something to take my mind off the nagging hunger pains...
'Man up Spartan, you've gone longer than a day without food' I thought 'yeah, but I haven't done that for nearly 5 years now...' retorted the other side of my brain... god how hated internal conflict... made me sound mentally unstable...
There was an awkward long silence where all that could be heard was the clattering and light pings of eating utensils against plates until... "M-mother..." started Louise
"Mother!" said Eleanor, cutting Louise off "Please, clearly tell Louise is quietly stay home! She's a failure at the magic academy after all..." she turned to look at Louise who slammed her fists on the table and stood up.
"N-no! I'm not like I used to be!" she retorted "I'm being useful to the Princess! She says that my power is necessary." Oh how I wish she'd kept her mouth shut and her pride locked up... but being a noble... I guess this was inevitable...
"Ha!" laughed Eleanor "Your Power? What power? What can a zero like you do?!" Ohhhhh... she did not, just play the Zero card...
"T-that is... I... I..." We both knew that it was best for the time to keep Louise's abilities as a Void Mage a secret, hence no one, not even her family was able to know until due time, which was not now.
"Mother, we should really get on with making Louise into a bride." Said Eleanor who turned to their mother, who, like most of the Valliére girls, had pink flowing hair... "How about the second son of Baron Albert?"
A realization struck me 'Wait!? A Bride... don't tell me this is another one of those forced marriage things again! I hate dealing with those kinds of situations...' I thought.
"Oh, c'mon! Why do I have to get married first!? You're the oldest!" Louise pointed at Eleanor "You should be getting married first!" her logic made sense I figured, however her sister seemed to have a short temper... as proven by the following... "What happened to your engagement with the Count of Burgundy?!"
"L-Louise! That's been kind of a touchy subject of la- oh no..." started Cattleya
Eleanor was metaphorically on fire, her face red with rage "Chibi-Louise! For you to speak to me in that manner, you have apparently grown more arrogant!"
"Uh..." Louise flinched
Eleanor stood up, her chair knocked backwards "The engagement has been cancelled you hear! Canceled ok!? You have a problem with that!?" She lunged forward "HUH!? Do you!?"
*Bang*
And as per my usual entrance and/or warning a strand of hair fell from Eleanor's head. All eyes were on me, oh how I relished these moments when I was the center of intimidation... "No one. Handles. My master. Like that..." I said in the most deadly tone I could muster, filled with killer intent.
"H-H-How DARE YOU!" Screamed Eleanor.
"Madam" I addressed their mother "Please control your eldest daughter before she does something everyone but myself regrets..."
"Mother!" Screamed Eleanor "Don't tell me your going to listen to this- this... peasant!" she reached for her wand and everyone could hear the metallic click of my magnum.
"You so much as raise that wand and I'll snap your neck faster than you can say abracadabra!" I said
"Sit down Eleanor." Said their mother "Louise too, we are supposed to be having dinner, I can respect the wishes of a protective familiar, at least he is doing his job well..."
"But Mother!"
"I will not have violence in this household; we can discuss this matter about Louise's future once your Father returns home tomorrow."
Everything quieted down and I noticed Louise struggling with her self-pity, mind you she had my pity for what is was worth... (Not much at the moment)
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I didn't want to be anywhere near any of the Valliére sisters after the events of Dinner so I managed to find a small snack, courtesy of one of the servants who was impressed my display at dinner, and then found a small room which hadn't seemed to really be furnished at all, or even visited that often, and crashed in the corner. The thing I was laying on, must have been the medieval version of a beanbag chair or something, cuz that's what it felt like really... quite comfy actually... there was only a single window and one chair and one wardrobe in the room though when I checked it, the wardrobe was empty.
"I can't believe Louise is getting forced to marry... again!" I muttered to myself. "As if the situation with Wardes wasn't hard enough on her, now she's being forced to marry again against her will... geez..." I sighed and put my arms behind my head "I'll never understand this society..."
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Siesta's POV
I sat on one of the beds in one of the many lower class guest rooms; it was supposed to be mine and Alexander, however he wasn't here at the moment...
I wore only my bland yellow night garments; much more simple than anything the Valliére's would wear. 'If Alexander really likes Miss Valliére... then... I thought giving up and backing off would help ease my mind... but...' I thought and looked up at the mirror on the wall 'it doesn't seem like they have progressed... and if what he said about not liking Miss Valliére in that way is true...' I stood up and walked over to the mirror...
'I mean... even I'm an equivalent as a woman!' I thought determinately and I ended up glancing down at my breasts... I smirked and jumped around with renewed hope 'On second thought, I'm better as a woman, I've got three things that Miss Valliére doesn't!'
I could easily list off those three things, one was obvious, two was my charm and care for him was much greater than Miss Valliére's... and lastly... well... I don't think I have to bring up the events of about a few weeks ago!
And even if I didn't win in the end, it's not like I couldn't have a bit of fun at Miss Valliére's expense!
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Louise's POV
I was in Chi-chi's room, all her pets were laying around the foot of her bed, she had a strange affinity with animals that I never understood. I sat in a chair in front of a large mirror while Chi-chi brushed my hair.
"Why does Eleanor bully me so much!?" I asked "It's always been like this, even in the past!"
"You are pretty, and that worries her..." replied Chi "She also loves you so she is really trying to look out for you."
I thought about some of the terms Alexander used and I would normally never use such terms but I deemed it necessary this one time. "Right, I'll get back to you when I buy into that load of bullshit..." I said, with Chi-chi looking at me confused since we didn't have curse words like that here... however in Alexander's world that was supposed to be one of the really bad ones, but not the worst... "Cow-dung" I explained.
"Louise, why do you use such rude terms" said Chi
"I'm explaining what bullshit means, it's a worse and more vulgar word for cow-dung" I replied
"Well a Valliére does not refer to any kind of dung when speaking about another."
"Riiiiight..."
"However back to the subject, that is because I also really love you, hence I know all about you such as I know you have reached the age where you are starting to fall in love."
I could feel my face turning red. "I haven't fallen in love!" I replied
"I never said you did, but based on your reaction you can't hide it, I know you have..."
"No, really, I haven't fallen in love!" I exclaimed.
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I shuffled around in my sister's bed, unable to sleep...
"What's wrong, can't sleep?" my Chi-chi asked.
"Mhm" I mumbled in reply
There was a short pause "Are you thinking about someone? I wonder if it's that boy you brought with you earlier."
"Huh? Y-your wrong, he is just my familiar, I don't love him..."
"Again, I never said anything about love..." Chi remarked mischievously.
I buried my head under to covers "I hate you Chi-chi" I whined.
"Oh no" sarcastically replied Chi "I've made someone hate me..." and the covers over my face were pulled down and Chi was looking down at me. "You should go, to the place you belong..."
"F-fine..." I said and got up, grabbing a loose blanket and draping it over my head and down my back, wrapping myself in it. as I walked down the hall back to my room I contemplated what I would say to him once I'd gotten back.
'It's not that I wanted to see you...' I thought as though I were talking to him 'I'm a mage, a Noble... for you to always serve me is only natural! I'm only seeing you because as a familiar if you don't see your master, then as a familiar, you will be lonely' I paused right outside my room... "Oh who am I kidding" I muttered...
He hates me, I know this already... if I said that to his face, he'd laugh right back in it saying my absence was a god-send! If only I'd summoned a more obedient familiar instead of this... revolting, defiant, muscular, protective, loyal... I realized what I was coming to... he wasn't all bad, but... I also realized that he wasn't doing what I told him due to loyalty or affection... but if that was the case, why did he put up with me. He seems to have no sense in honor, so I find it disturbing to think that he's just as likely to stab me in the back as do my laundry... why hadn't he run off yet, there was nothing physically binding him to me...
At this point my mind was in shambles, one part was saying 'he loves me, he loves me' while the other said 'no, he hates your guts, he hates your guts!' while the middle was still indecisive. In the end I suppose I thought there was only one way to find out for sure... hopefully he was in my room...
I opened the door and entered the room, letting my eyes adjust to the light level, then I noticed a bulge where he would have been sleeping on the floor... odd, he usually preferred to sleep with his back propped up against the wall or on top of whatever coverings were provided, instead preferring to use his armor to keep his temperature regulated.
Well... there was only one way to find out for sure if he hated me, or loved me... I crawled under the covers and lay there next to him. After a while he reached over and un-expectantly kissed me on the lips... I was surprised, I guess he did love me, his lips were oddly soft for someone so... for lack of a better word, serious and tough. A few moments later I wanted to put my hand against his chest, which I proceeded to do only to find soft mounds of flesh protruding from... his... chest... then I opened my eyes and there was a slight delay in my reaction... providing enough time for the word: "Alexander" to escape Siesta's mouth... then she opened her eyes... there was a three second delay before.
"What the fuck!?" we both exclaimed using the common word he used to express his distain and distress... and instantly sat bolt upright.
"W-w-why are you here!?" I squeaked
"M-miss Valliére!" stuttered Siesta
"And an even better question is why are you in my familiar, Alexander's bed!?"
"Uh... uh..." Siesta sweat dropped "Th-that's because... well... Alex h-he... he called me, that's why."
"W-what!?"
"Y-yes... Alexander said: 'Please come to my room tonight'. Alexander called me so I came!"
I probably went white as a ghost, simply due to the fact that, A: I couldn't believe that I'd kissed a girl... B: Due to the fact that knowing this, I was pretty sure that he didn't like me, and C: It was now my obligation to kill and eat Alexander for breakfast in the morning...
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Scorch's POV
I walked down the halls of the Valliére Manor, this place was huge! Sure it still had nothing on the skyscrapers of Reach and Earth, nor even some of the UNSC ships we had, but still, with no map to follow it was... difficult to get around...
Until however, I finally found what I thought was the personal quarters wing, I started down the hall and was about to turn a corner when someone coughed behind me... I turned around.
"So, now that I don't have my mother interfering with me, why don't you go ahead and apologize for acting to me in such a manner, peasant!" said Eleanor with an evil smirk.
There was an awkward silence, and I put on my best oooohhh, I'm so scared face which probably wasn't that good, but she seemed to buy it... then... my face changed to a more, cruel humored one... "HAHAHAAHA, HAHA, HAHA, HAAAHAAAAAA..." I laughed manically "Whhoooooo..." I wiped a tear from my eye "You know what, since you're so rash and up in your own little world, I think I'll let this one slide, 'aight? You know, let you walk away without any broken limbs?" she looked like she was about to retort in a way that would have set me off... then my face turned dead serious "No seriously, I suggest not pissing me off, I have a tendency to kill people who piss me off... Louise being the one exception... oddly enough..."
"Look here, you insulted me in front of my family and you fired a gun at me, I demand that you apologize this instant or else!"
"Are all you Valliére's so stubborn!?" I exclaimed, probably not getting me anywhere good... "I go ahead and give you good warning, but nooooo, you just gotta go and make your day worse don't 'cha!?" I sighed and put my hand to my forehead "My patience is wearing thin, if you follow me I will seriously, fuck your shit up..."
I started heading to the left, opposite of Eleanor... I heard footsteps behind me, they got faster and as soon as I felt a hand roughly grab my shoulder I turned around and looked at her straight in the eye... "I warned you..." I said and grabbed the back of her head and slammed it into the nearest corner pillar, breaking her nose... also knocking her out cold... I started dragging her body towards the nearest room when a servant came around a corner and looked at me wide eyed... I was quick to respond accordingly.
"I think Miss Eleanor tripped and broke her nose on the floor, can you get her some medical attention?" I said
"Y-yes... right away..." said the servant and took Eleanor's body from me and helped her towards wherever they took care of their injuries and stuff...
I thought about what I just did... ohhhhh... how I'd been longing to do that... hopefully the concussion I forcefully induced would have the advantageous side effect (Or at least for me) of being slightly amnesiac... and she wouldn't remember the fact that I'd done that to her, if she did... well... I'd have to make a hasty exit in the morning or even earlier...
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Cattleya's POV
We all sat around a small white round table on the balcony of our manor, drinking tea and eating these little biscuit things... (The name of which escapes me)... I glance over at Louise who seemed highly disappointed, maybe even distressed... I wondered what had gotten my little sister so upset...
"So, Louise has returned" said a highly masculine voice and well all looked towards the balcony door...
"Ah, Father!" said Eleanor, who for some unexplained reason had a bandage across her nose and forehead...
"Yes yes, here I am..." replied Father, his expression one that clearly showed his annoyance... my mother however understood his situation immediately.
"Don't tell me the military conference dragged on longer than usual again?" she said
"Yes, that it did... and to top it off, I have to head back again real soon, so I'll be leaving again shortly..." he sighed "The world is a tough place these days, sure we're at war but dispatching troops will only seem to agitate the people... the Queen has been having... problems..."
"Father!" exclaimed Louis, standing up "About Lady Henrietta stirring up the war-"
My father's expression turned from annoyance to disgust "What do you know of it!?" he barked "Listen good now Louise, you need to stop forcing yourself to learn magic! Just stay home, and become a bride... I will not discuss this matter anymore! My decision is final!" and he turned around and left.
"B-but Father!" cried Louise
Eleanor stood up with her hands on her hips "Well now that it's official, let's hurry up and start Louise's marriage proposals. I mean that is the best way to calm the girl down..."
"Ok, why are you so determined to see Louise married, I still haven't quite understood that." I said, but the question was brushed off...
"Wait! But Eleanor should be getting married first! Ah!" Louise yelped as Eleanor grabbed her by the cheek.
"Like I said, the engagement was cancelled!" Eleanor hissed
"I'm sorry" whined Louise "But I don't want to get married..."
"Mother, Eleanor" I said "To suddenly force Louise into a marriage will only trouble her, and lately I've been noticing she's been increasingly depressed, shoving this marriage upon her will only make matters worse..."
"The decision has been made Cattleya... your father has already said so." Said Mother "But we can at least hear if there is anyone Louise might prefer to marry, if that will ease the burden..." Mother turned to Louise "Louise, do you have a lover?"
Louise suddenly went red "N-no, I don't have one!"
"By Brimir Louise, you are horrible at lying..." I said
"There does seem to be someone you like..." noted mother
Louise sweat dropped "No, there isn't!" she panicked...
"Who is it? Which noble family?" questioned Mother
Then Eleanor got in on the action "A count? A Baron...?" she paused "It can't be a Semi-Baron of lower class, can it!?"
Louise twitched sharply, giving off the indication that she was right... "This girl..." she sighed "It's true isn't it!? She's fallen in love with a person of low social status!"
Mother sighed and put a hand to her forehead in disappointment "This girl always makes me worry so..." she said
"I didn't fall in love! I didn't!" screamed Louise who ran off.
"Louise!" I called after her, but I knew where she'd go... I also knew that there was one likely person that wouldn't want to see Louise married and who also, was likely the person she held dear...
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I made my way upstairs to the room which were rarely used and listened around for a bit before finding my way to a room with mutterings coming from it... I knocked on the door.
"It's open!" called a voice, but I knocked again, not knowing if that meant come in or not. Then the door opened and Alexander, the boy that Louise had brought with her was there in some strange armor, a helmet under his arm.
"Would you mind if I come in?" I asked
"No-no, not at all." He stood aside politely. He may have been of low social status, but he was almost as much a gentleman as any noble I knew. However given my impression was only based on about an hour of semi-contact with him, it probably didn't hold much weight as an opinion...
He had a protective mind, as was proven during dinner last night, which was good for Louise, bad for anyone who crossed either of them. I went and sat down on his makeshift bed which was surprisingly soft. The boy came and sat next to me, with his helmet on his lap. His mind seemed to be wandering in admiration.
"Louise will become even more charming than me when she gets older." Then his attitude swung.
"Riiiiiight..." he sighed "Hey, tell me, how can one so kind and gentle be related to ones so violent and harsh?"
"W-what?"
"Oh nothing, just a thought I had the need to voice for a while now..."
"Oh... well... you are aware that, at this rate, Louise will become a bride right? you don't want Louise to get married right?"
"Well" he started "on the contrary, I want her to get married" this confused me a little bit "I mean, I don't feel that way about her, sure I love her, but more like a little annoying sister you see? Which is something she doesn't seem to be able to wrap her head around... she's rather stubborn that way..."
"Well, either way, I know you don't want to see her married forcibly, it should be to one she loves right?"
"True... I don't want to see her upset... I guess I've got a loyalty complex..." he mused
"She will be in the courtyard, can you go to her?" I asked "That girl, whenever something bad would happen, she'd hide herself in the little boat in the courtyard... then once you've gotten her, leave the manor. There will be a carriage waiting for you."
He nodded
I then leaned towards him and put a hand on either side of his face. "I wish good fortune to both you and my sister." I kissed him on the forehead "I will leave my cute sister in your hands. Sir Knight."
He seemed a bit shocked by my reference but also a bit flattered, he nodded again and got up and left for the courtyard.
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Louise's POV
"I haven't fallen in love" I muttered while hiding under the tarp of the small boat in the courtyard. "After all, Alexander thinks more about that maid than me..." I found myself crying a little bit, right before the tarp was torn off and I looked up at who had done it. Alexander stood there, helmetless, looking down at me with a playful smirk on his face.
"C'mon Louise, we're going back to the academy." He said "Your middle sister has prepared a carriage for us." He explained
I scoffed, remembering the events of last night "It doesn't matter, I don't care about you anymore!" I looked back at him, who looked back at me with a raised eyebrow. "I can't tell my family about Void Magic... no matter how hard I try, no one will acknowledge my abilities..."
"Aie-aie-aie..." sighed Alexander who lightly stepped into the boat and sat in front of me. He grabbed my right hand "Then I will acknowledge you... I mean, you brought me into this world with that magic of yours; you must have done something right? So grow up, learn to stand up for yourself, because once I'm gone, when I'm gone, there's not going to be anyone else left to fight your battles for you."
I looked at him in awe, what did he mean when he's gone?
He noticed my look and explained "To be honest, despite my combat skill and abilities to overpower almost anyone I come across here... I doubt I'll be able to live out my days till I'm old... something, sooner or later, will get the better of me and I'll be killed in action sooner or later... when that day comes, like I said, it will be you and only you. I care about you, so don't let yourself succumb to a fate where you can't even vouch for yourself without being shot down faster than you can get up..."
"Stop lying" I said "Considering you called that maid, how can I believe anything you say?"
"Wait what?" he asked
"You like her more right?" I asked
"Yes..." he said
"WHAT!?"
"I like her in the sense that, yes, I'm more attracted to her... but do I like her more... is another story..."
"You just said tha-"
"Stop being so stupid and pig headed!" he yelled
"Who are you calling pig headed and stupid!?" I retorted.
"Who had to deal with your sister's temper, who saved you from Wardes, who fought for you when others teased you, who goes on stupid missions for a Queen I, officially, hold no loyalty to... who has to be the familiar of a flat-chested, annoying, brat brained, stuck up, little girl!?"
"Y-you just said it!"
"Well I've got more where that came from! I'm tired of dealing with this little phoney-war, the side missions, you becoming a bride against your will for what!? The second and most likely not the last time!?"
"Well then why don't you just leave and go home!?" I yelled
"Because I CAN'T!" he exclaimed "I'm a soldier, I have a loyalty complex, to be honest I've grown an attachment to you like one would to a little sister, I'm protective of you, sure we fight and want to strangle each other, but in the end I'm loyal to you. I'll protect you with my life if need be... like right now I guess... well... if your father found out about all this... but... anyways... I do love you Louise, but not like that! Not right now! Highly doubt I ever will but hey, I'm no Prophet."
There was a long silence for a while... I looked back right into his eyes... "If you are lying... then I will kill you..." and as expected, he replied with a smart as remark.
"Right, I'd like to see you try..." he said with his playful smirk returning... and I couldn't help but play along... "C'mon, let's get outta here!" and he pressed a small blue triangular object with a cyan orb in the center of it into my hand and pressed a button on the side of it and the object vanished and my vision blurred blue for a moment. I raised my hand to find it nearly invisible... the only thing that would hint that it was there was a reflective glimmer... "One of the early versions of Active-Camo, you don't need a suit to use it, but it wears off quicker and the devices are in short supply nowadays since it's no longer manufactured... Now hurry up, we're burning daylight!" Said Alexander and turned invisible himself, but only enough so that I could slightly see his outline...
I smiled "Right behind you!" I said and jumped out of the boat and followed him..
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A bit of a different ending... but I' really tired and this chapter was one of the more painful to write simply due to the fact that it had boring material for me to work with in the first place...
Anyways you know how it goes now...
Since I went through the excruciatingly painful process of writing this chapter in particular (So boring and it took me nearly four days to write...) why not leave a review telling me what you did or didn't like. And if you really did like it then why not add the story to your faves and follow it so you can stay in the know of future updates. (Which might slow down now since I'm losing inspiration). All of the above help me a great deal when it comes to staying motivated to write this story. Thanks guys! Your all awesome!
WTYL :D
-Rogue
I'm actually wondering if I can reasonably milk this chapter in order to get to 7,000 words on Microsoft Office Word... I'm so close... but I wanted the 7,000 so I can feel like this chapter is longer than most... but oh look, it is now!
WTYL for real now... ;D
K thx bai!