The Tale of the Tragic Meister
Second chapter of this little story of mine. Hope this doesn't disappoint.
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
With the hectic nature of getting involved in the restoration, Mashiro had been unable to get any good reading time for the next couple of weeks, to the extent that he nearly forgot about the diary. However, the night Arika and the others made it back Natsuki had been kind enough to give all of them the evening off and now here he was, turning the yellowed pages once more.
It fascinated him, really, all those tales about her being a student in the academy. He'd never realized – never thought to ask- about how different or similar the experiences would have been across generations of the Otomes. As he flipped through the book he could spot gripes about the system that were now integrated smoothly into the daily running of Garderobe – apparently Natsuki had agreed with her on those particular issues. And of course the similarities were there too, so much so that he had to grin as he read of his mother making the same stumbling steps towards Meisterhood like Arika and Nina and Erstin were doing.
And most of all, by taking a peek into her innermost thoughts and feelings as she poured them out into her diary, he felt himself beginning to understand and connect with his birthmother in a way he never could before.
Pausing momentarily to lift an eyebrow at Arika enthusiastically tackling Nina with the intent of comparing their chest sizes, Mashiro turned another page and continued to read.
"Do you, Mai Tokiha, accept the responsibilities accorded to one who dons this Robe?"
"I do." She kept her head down, not looking up. As the ceremony continued she could feel her heart pounding in her chest, and she was sure she wasn't the only one. Behind her, Natsuki, Shizuru, and all the other graduates were standing at rapt attention, awaiting their turn.
Just her bad luck to have gotten the highest marks and overall best performance, then. Being the honoured student of the cohort had meant that she would be first up front, and the one that everyone would be paying the most attention to.
"Do you promise to serve your master faithfully, whoever he or she may be?"
"I do."
The ritual had been repeated for generations before her, and probably for generations to come. Barring the odd exception, it would be identical for everyone who would call themselves a Meister Otome. That didn't seem to dilute the impact of the oaths, though – if anything, the weight seemed to press down on her even more.
"Do you promise to wield your power responsibly, and to use it only for the good of the realm and its people?"
To be honest, this part of the vow had always seemed a little odd to her. Otomes were contractually bound to their masters, and if their master demanded that they do something horrible, what then? She supposed it was entirely possible to simply say 'no', but that always felt odd for some reason.
Nevertheless… "I do."
"Then rise." As Mai did so, she gazed up at the stone statue of the first Otome, still keeping her ceaseless vigil over the school. "In the name of Fumi the Founder, I hereby proclaim you a Meister Otome. Receive your GEM, and with it the power and responsibility."
A small flat-top box was presented to her- she knew that the actual application of the system would only take place later, but this was still an important symbol of her acceptance as a Meister.
"The Fire-Stirring Ruby." She whispered to herself as she stepped away from the stage, letting Natsuki come forward to begin her own ceremony. A piece of power she could truly call her own…
Clutching the box tightly, she returned to her place.
She rose early the next morning, feeling a tingle in her stomach she couldn't attribute to hunger (the fact that she was a rather big eater notwithstanding).
"Today's the day…" She whispered softly.
"Dun getcher hrps up." Natsuki mumbled as she sat up in bed herself, rubbing sleep from her eyes. "I'm gonna win our little exhibition, and then Mr. Royal Highness is going to take me in."
"Hopes?" Mai sighed as she settled herself in front of her bedroom mirror and started combing her hair back into some semblance of neatness. "I…" She sighed, twirling a lock of her fiery hair in her fingers. "Natsuki, I'm not even really sure that I want to make a contract. I've never even met the guy before, you know?"
"Sheesh." Her dark-haired friend swung her legs over the side of the bed and stood. "Mai, we've been through this dozens of times – we've been taught this dozens of times, and you know that most royals and nobles receive lessons on this matter too."
"Yeah, and you think it'll stick?" Mai sighed as she stood. "Rich, spoiled brats who have their every need catered to?"
"That's why we're supposed to act as their deterrent, silly." Natsuki sighed as she gently pushed Mai out of the way to begin grooming herself. "If we're wounded, they get wounded too, so it stops them from doing the really stupid things, like going to war."
"…But if we go to war anyway, won't that mean we'll have to fight each other?"
" There hasn't been a full blown war in decades. Mostly border skirmishes between some of the more uptight nobles, but that always gets called off whenever one of the bigshots get hurt, and they all swear vengeance next time." Natsuki gave her friend a wan smile. "You worry too much. And of course, it's not like we're not going to be beating the stuffing out of each other in a couple of hours. Once Emperor Windbloom arrives, we'll-"
"What are you people doing?" Shizuru's urgent voice sounded as she forced the door open. "He's here already! Hurry up!"
"What?" Flabbergasted, Mai gazed out the window. "I didn't hear any procession or-"
"He didn't come with a procession! Hurry up and get dressed. You want to be presented before the crown prince like that?"
As Mai and Natsuki struggled to get into their uniforms, Shizuru shot them another worried glance before ducking back out of the room.
Yuuichi blan de Windbloom did not fit into Mai's preconceptions of what royalty looked like. For one thing, his attire wouldn't have turned heads in the business districts of the nation. It was neatly pressed, complemented with a nice tie, true, but all in all it was rather understated.
The second was that he didn't carry himself much like a noble. Well, sure, there was still a certain air that came with one who had to mentally calculate how every action would make him appear to others before doing it, but at least he'd apparently escaped the mentality that he was somehow inherently superior to the rest of peons infesting the land.
Which made the fact that he was here to pick out a servant all the more ironic, she supposed.
What intrigued her, as well, was a scar on his arm. The long sleeves of his suit usually kept it hidden well enough, but the end of it reached onto the back of his hand. Silently she wondered how long the thing was. Did it cover his entire arm?
Not that she had an excess of time for worrying about such things, of course. As Prince Windbloom was led to his seat by the arena's side, she saw her other classmates getting into position as well. Hurriedly she skipped into place beside Natsuki and Shizuru.
"I trust you will all fight well." Long speeches weren't the headmistress' style, and so with a nod and a quick bow, the tournament quickly began in earnest.
"Hrrr… hrrr…" Mai took in deep, steady breaths as she shifted her balance, deflecting Natsuki's blows while waiting for her own opportunity to retaliate.
She supposed, on some deep level, that this had always been the most likely outcome. The two of them had always been the best of the class, with Shizuru making a close third. No big surprise that they would be facing each other in the final bout.
Sensing an opportunity, she made a low, sweeping kick – but Natsuki had already jumped out of the way.
Both of them were in excellent physical condition, and empowered by their Robes, so they could, theoretically, keep going for one heck of a long time. They'd scored some glancing blows near the start of the match (enough to bump the hit counter to the 5 out of the requisite 30, anyway), but after getting more into the rhythm of battle, neither Otome had been able to land a blow on the other.
Well, perhaps it was time to up the ante a bit…
A ring of flame wreathed her hand next time she punched, and as Natsuki instinctively caught the blow, her eyes widened in shock and pain. Taking advantage of her friend's surprise, Mai pressed the attack, landing a kick that sent her friend sprawling.
"Oh, so that's how you want to play it, huh…" Her dark-haired friend quickly rose, firing off dozens of gleaming ice pellets as she did so. Mai dodged as best she could, but even then a large number of them crashed into her, sending her staggering and knocking up her hit counter.
Gritting her teeth, she charged forward. Quickly, she sifted through her options. Neither of them were particularly used to their new Meister robes, so, if she could pull off something with it, it might leave Natsuki too surprised to react in time.
Of course, there was always the probability that Natsuki had thought about this, too…
Stopping just short of arm's length from her opponent, Mai released a flurry of tiny fireballs that whirled through the air towards her friend. Confused, Natsuki backed up, switching her energies from attacking Mai to defending herself from this new attack.
Good. With any luck, her attack's patterns would be unpredictable enough that Natsuki wouldn't be able to deal with them quickly.
Leaping into the air, Mai gave silent thanks for whatever nano-machines there were that empowered the Meister robes to so much greater an extent. Catching her feet on one of the many pillars strewn about the arena, she paused for the briefest moment before launching herself to the far wall, directly behind Natsuki.
Dropping into a crouch, she lunged forward, her fist striking forward-
To be deflected cleanly by Natsuki's arm. "You honestly think I didn't see that coming?"
Not wasting time with words, Mai quickly rolled out of the way as the fireball she had released at the same time she had hit the pillar slammed into Natsuki's back knocking her forwards.
"No, but I'm pretty sure you didn't see that one!" She called out as she leapt forward again. Natsuki was staggering, trying to recollect herself, but she had left herself open for the crucial second that Mai needed.
"RISING DRAGON!" Her friend was quite literally taken off her feet by the strength of her flame-infused uppercut, and slammed into the wall of the arena with enough force to leave a sizable dent in it. She didn't need to hear the beeping of the hit counter behind her to know that it was a winning blow.
With a deep breath, she turned and bowed once towards the raised platform where the prince was sitting.
The tournament was over.
"Did you have to hit quite so hard?" Natsuki mumbled as she massaged her sore chin. "I still ache all over."
"Aw, I knew you could handle it." She gave Natsuki a friendly wink. "And that's another win for me."
"The last one for a good while, from the looks of things." Shizuru smiled as she lifted her teacup to her lips. "Your performance today was nothing short of splendid. Prince Windbloom is all but guaranteed to pick you now."
"Y – yes, well…" Mai turned away, her expression troubled. "You weren't half bad yourself, Shizuru."
"Pshaw." Her friend said. "My combat style may look graceful, but it can't compare to either of yours in terms of pure power. I'm not going to be the first pick out of the batch."
"Well, he might like someone graceful and refined like you." Mai shrugged. "Not wild and straight-shooting like me."
"Oh for-" Natsuki gave a exasperated growl. "Mai, if you really don't want to be contracted that much, then why didn't you just throw the match? Then at least I wouldn't have to deal with feeling pain every time I open my mouth."
"What, Natsuki suggesting an act of duplicity? Well, I never." Shizuru continued calmly. "Regardless, Mai isn't used to deceiving people. If she'd tried, I would bet good money that she'd have given herself away eventually."
"Like the royalty would even know how the fights are supposed to look!" Natsuki snorted with disdain. "Why, I'd bet-" She cut herself off at the sound of a knock on the door.
"Is Otome Mai there?" Came a female voice. "Prince Windbloom desires an audience with you."
The three Otome exchanged brief glances. Then, with a sigh, Mai stood.
"Yup, I'm here." She called.
She found the prince standing on a balcony, overlooking the school grounds. After standing there for several seconds, he still gave no indication that he was aware of her presence, and so she hesitantly curtseyed.
"I – I'm Mai Tokiha. You called for me?" She paused, vaguely aware that there was something else she should be saying, before blurting out, "Milord?"
Still the silence remained, to the extent that Mai was about to start wondering if the Prince of Windbloom was hard of hearing, or just that enamoured with the view, or maybe-
"Mai Tokiha, was it?" He sounded younger than she would have anticipated – about her own age, in fact. "I'm sorry for making you wait."
"I – it's no bother at all, really." She said hastily. "Otome are servants, after all."
"Servants?" He hesitated, looking slightly surprised. "I was always under the impression that you functioned more as… confidantes."
She was talking mostly through memory here – endless reams of rules and procedures drummed into her head by years of lessons. "If our master wishes to confide in us, then he may do so, and it is our duty to keep it secret." She nodded. "Our duty is to serve."
"Hm." The hint of a frown crossed his face, and Mai had to release the urge to reply 'Hm, what?'
Prince Windbloom sighed and turned away again. "Mai Tokiha… what would your response be if I were to say that I wanted to hire you as my Otome?"
"…" She hesitated, her mouth hanging open as she tried to give an answer that wouldn't be lying. "I would… say that you would be paying me a very high honour, milord."
"Again with the canned responses." He frowned. "Here's another question, and I hope this one isn't covered under your textbooks. Mai Tokiha, do you know the reason why I want you to become my Otome?"
She hesitated. "Because… because I won the tournament?"
He chuckled and glanced out over the courtyard. "I do have to admit that strength is a rather large factor in why one would hire Otome. But I could just as easily choose your friends – the serious, dark haired one, or perhaps that graceful brunette. Your abilities are – based on my own limited judgment, of course – close enough that I would not really be losing much out on the deal either way. Too, there is a cost I shall have to pay depending on how valued the Otome is to the school."
"Then…" She frowned. "Then why?"
"Well…" Here he heaved a sigh. "You strike me as being rather headstrong and passionate. And truth be told, I am going to be crowned soon and placed in a role I never really wanted, nor do I believe am suitable for. I will be making a lot of decisions in my time as king – and if ever I make a wrong one, I'd prefer someone smack me on the head and tell me what an idiot I'm being."
"I can do that!" Mai blurted out instinctively before realizing just what she was talking about, and she lowered her head as she felt her cheeks grow hot. "Uh, I mean…"
Prince Windbloom laughed at this. "Excellent demonstration, Mai Tokiha. A bit of your true personality at last."
She grimaced. "I…"
"Well, I don't claim to be privy to what you're taught in Garderobe itself, but in Windbloom palace our Otomes usually share very close relationships with their masters. If you're going to be so formal – and, well, uptight – then it would be a rather awkward relationship were I to hire you."
"And if you… you're going to act like a snarky know-it-all, then I'm not sure I want to be your Otome!" She fired back. Okay, so she knew it wasn't proper, but the smug, self-satisfied way he was behaving just ticked her off.
"Very well." Abruptly he was serious again, glancing down at his arm. That one had held a scar, she remembered. "Then I ask you in all seriousness. Mai Tokiha, are you willing to become my Otome?"
She paused, folded her arms, and considered her response. When it came down to it, she knew she couldn't exactly refuse his request. No matter how polite or casual he was with her, she still had to consider her position as a representative of Garderobe. She heaved an internal sigh. Life would be so much easier without politics to get in the way. Still, she got the feeling he liked the straight-shooters… "…Well, on one condition."
"Name it."
"Well, it's the names, actually." She smiled at him. "If Otome in Windbloom are as close to their masters as you suggest, then perhaps you might care to refer to me as 'Mai' instead of my whole name."
He chuckled, smiled, and nodded. "Very well, Mai. And perhaps you might like to refer to me by my given name as well?"
She raised an eyebrow. "I was under the impression that I would simply refer to you as 'master'."
"What, even more reminders of my status?" He shook his head. "Thanks but no thanks." He paused. "Well then, if that's all… I believe I'll get back to you on the details for the ceremony."
She merely nodded, a strange, twisting feeling in her gut solidifying as she watched him leave.
"So what do you make of him?" Natsuki asked as she bit down into a biscuit, late that night.
"I… I have no idea." Mai said as she settled herself on the bed. "I barely even understood our meeting, actually. I'm just… suddenly contracted to him. Our whole conversation was like some sort of awkward verbal fencing." Reaching over, she grabbed a pillow and buried her head into it. "I'm doomed. I've signed my life over to a man I barely know."
"Oh, cut the melodrama already." Natsuki mumbled as she reached over and flipped the light switch. "You know, most of us would kill to be selected by the prince of the country we are physically located in. Think about how easy it would be to visit."
"Well, maybe, but don't forget that-"
"MASHIRO-CHAN!"
The old world of his mother and Miss Kruger vanished in an instant, to be replaced by the smiling face of his sister. "A – Arika-chan." He stammered.
"Whatcha reading? Is that a diary?" Reaching over, she tried to grab the book, before Mashiro hastily shoved it into a nearby drawer.
"It's, uh, it's private. Sorry." Then, at Arika's wilting expression, he sighed and relented somewhat. "I'll tell you someday, okay? Right now I – I'm still trying to make sense of it all."
Arika sighed, but nodded. Behind them, Nina glanced up. "It's getting late. We should be getting to bed soon."
"A- alright." Standing, he closed the drawer, and headed off to bed.
CHAPTER END
Thank you for reading, and sorry it took so long. Please review.
