The Familiar Exhibition: Part 1
Mathilda gritted her teeth as she finished setting up the last bits of the plan in place. She DIDN'T want to do this. Her plan was simple enough as is, wait for everyone to get distracted with the stupid Exhibition, smash the vault from outside with a giant-ass Golem, take the Staff of Destruction, and leave while getting all the cash from that asshole Sheffield!
But no, now that couldn't be it, there had to be a huge plan behind it, and in the end, she wouldn't even get the cash! Well-... Not exactly? Not entirely? No, she wouldn't get a single penny out of this… Probably.
She still doesn't know what the resolution of this shit will be!
"Come on, Glasses Breedingmate, Bea-Sis said Illococoo and Glasses Breedingmate only had three hours left to make sure her plan is fully ready!" Meanwhile, the Rhyme Dragon from that Gallian blue-head was more than happily sewing her suit, while in human form. Yes, a Dragon Girl with a questionable number of functioning brain cells is sewing alongside her. They had been doing this since practically yesterday, and Mathilda knows she is lacking several hours of sleep just to be on time here!
But it was this or the Familiar Branding, and she would sooner bite her tongue and perish than let herself be branded!
… That didn't mean she'd keep quiet about Illococoo's nickname; "Stop calling me that! I'm Miss Longueville right now! During the thing, you'll call me Fouquet, and then you'll simply never talk to me ever again!"
The Rhyme Dragon stared at the mature woman for a moment, possibly doing her best to click with what little functioning brain cells she had. Then, she nodded.
Soon after it, the door of the room they were in opened up, and Guiche, who was trying to convince himself the world wasn't trying to harm him, and he could be part of the Exhibition just fine, came in, "Miss Longueville, can you come with me? Headmaster Osmond asked me to look after you for the Exhibition."
Illococoo was quick to turn to him with a pout, "No! Fouquet and I still aren't done working!"
"..."
"..."
One of them was glaring at the dumb dragon, and the other was trying to now convince himself that he misheard the words of the weird naked girl in the room. Upon noticing the secretary of the Principal turn to him with a warm (dark) smile, the boy shuddered greatly.
He'd consider it a mercy that they only stripped him of his clothing, shoved a gag into his mouth, tied him up, and tossed him into Mathilda's closet for the entire day.
Hopefully the other dumbass was having better luck on her end.
Beatrice sweated as she held a bottle of wine in her hands while standing before her Grandmother's room. She wasn't prepared for this one bit.
In no story of this event, that her parents or anyone told her, did Karin make an appearance in it. This had led Beatrice to simply believe the woman must have had literally no reason to be here, and when she asked her actual Grandmother of it that one time long ago, it turns out she was actually collecting taxes from the villages in their lands.
Then why was she here?
Did Beatrice's appearance somehow alter the timeline?
Maybe her actions caused a butterfly effect somewhere?
Whatever it was, she couldn't by any means let Karin be at her best. Not today, that Beatrice was going to be the Hero!
"... You know, this isn't really Hero-like now that I think about it." Beatrice would have dropped the bottle of drugged wine and walked away if she wasn't a hypocrite. Anyway, she went on to knock on the door, "Granny~ I brought some drinks~"
The door opened and Karin witnessed the Louise-look-alike that had come to visit her, "A-Ah… Beatrice. Welcome. Please come in." Beatrice giggled at the gentleness of her Granny.
She remembers back when her Mother would get mad at her during a visit to Halkeginia and Karin would jump in to defend her, making her Mommy look infuriated at Karin defending Beatrice from the same stuff she used to do to Louise, and thankfully that trait remained here.
Hopefully, she'd fall in nice and easy to a normal "wine" glass~
Moments earlier, Karin was sitting on the chair of her guest room. Her entire family had already gone out to do their own thing; Sandorion was helping the teachers in giving the students indications. Eleanore was helping some of the staff by reinforcing the exhibition platform for the most chaotic presentations. Cattleya, meanwhile… Was busy receiving love letters from many boys and a couple girls who saw her and couldn't be helped but try to reach her unmarried hand.
Of course, Karin would be sure to tell those horny teenagers, "HAHAHAHAHA! No." before they leave the Academy.
What was the matriarch of the family doing then? She was considering everything out so far regarding her supposed kidnapped daughter in the little time she's met her.
Nothing about her was as she imagined. There wasn't anything ladylike with her! Grant it, because of last night's events she didn't get to know her a lot, but she managed to hear stories from the maids assigned to her.
Beatrice doesn't seem to know how to keep up appearances, even when facing certain death, she chooses to act like a dumbass instead of the way a Noble should act: Strong and cold.
At the same time, she doesn't act like a Commoner either; She's not scared of speaking her mind out, nor is she one to hold her opinion back, and at times she even seems to give good points out?
The Academy's Chef confessed that she told them how to cook the perfect rice: 2 cups of water for each cup of rice, and a small spoonful of salt. Suddenly, the students began demanding for rice on almost all their foods.
Karin couldn't understand it, not one bit. Was Beatrice raised as a Noble? Did she grow up amongst commoners? Was there any ulterior motive to any and all of her actions?
Probably not, and probably Karin is actually overthinking the whole Louise's twin plot. Conveniences exist, and this might be just one of those! Pink hair is not something unique to the Valliere family. It is one of the thing that characterizes them, but other people can have it too.
Except Beatrice has Louise's same failure of magic, and conveniences only go so far.
She groaned and rubbed her nose bridge, finding it hard to read the girl simply by her actions, and especially when said information comes from verbal statements and not a seen thing.
Last night was the perfect time to meet up with the summoned girl… But given all that happened, and a quick small re-trial in which she kept quiet to herself while asking about "Mommy" after they pulled Louise from the log she was buried under, that couldn't quite happen.
They were all too tired to greet up properly, especially Louise. She wasn't even awake during the re-trial!
Probably because she was half-dead, but still, shame on her!
And as if fate were replying to her needs, she hears a knock on the door; "Granny~ I brought some drinks~", alongside a familiar voice.
Karin got up from the seat she had been at and walked to the door, opening it up and meeting the figure of her supposed granddaughter, and most-likely to be true youngest daughter, holding a bottle of a fine looking wine. "A-Ah… Beatrice. Welcome. Please come in."
The girl did as told, and the Matriarch of the Valliere family considered on how to approach the teenager. She's never had this problem before. She usually would just be direct and demand answers.
Other times, she would start a conversation topic that had to do with what she wanted to know in order to get the information in a more subtle way… She couldn't find a way to do that with this girl.
Is it right to be so straightforward with someone who might be her child, and who she hadn't had any idea existed until a few weeks ago?
The rule of steel demanded Karin to not lose to any feelings one may have against a serious situation. Yet, Karin couldn't help but want to hug this girl and pamper her with all the love she refused gifting to Louise.
The Older Noble closed the door of the room and walked up to the bed, where Beatrice had sat up, put the bottle of Wine a little casually next to her, and then reached inside of her jacket and pull out two mugs.
Already, Karin wanted to call out on how friendly and familiar she was being. However, she held herself on it. Now's not the time.
Instead, she decided on taking a different approach.
Sitting next to the girl, she witnessed as Beatrice began trying to cork the bottle open with her bare hands, without success of course, and the matriarch simply sighed before holding a hand out to her. "Allow me." Beatrice gave the bottle to her Grandmother, who pulled out her wand and made a simple gesture, alongside a soft chanting, and the cork popped out without any real effort. "There we go."
"Yey! Thanks, Granny!" Without warning, Beatrice lunged and hugged Karin, catching her by surprise and almost making the older woman drop the bottle. "You're really the best!"
It wasn't he first time Karin had been flattered over basic actions. Commoners and Nobles trying to get on her good side before asking a favor were the common ones to attempt lowering her guard via words alone.
And somehow, while she could keep on a steel mind and feelings towards everyone else, Beatrice made Karin's heart warm up greatly.
Was it because she went ahead and got physical? No. Her husband is very physical with her on private, and she still sends him to fuck himself without hesitation each time he has an opinion different from hers.
Perhaps it was the tone she spoke with? Less likely. Many children living in her territories are made by their parents to ask her to lower the taxes she sends them, and she (gently) tells them a firm "No".
Karin couldn't understand it… This is a feeling that anyone would have with someone blood related to them, one of younger blood at that. This isn't something she'd ever felt with her daughters, (except with Cattleya, but who wouldn't feel like petting her?) and the matriarch is not sure whether she would ever feel this.
The woman felt… Like hugging Beatrice back… Can she do it? Is it right to? What is the correct option here?!
After a moment of consideration, Karin slowly wraps her arms around the younger girl, feeling weird at doing this action of affection.
And today, the cold, empty, and small heart of the Valliere Matriarch regained some of the warmth it lost when Louise did her first spell.
The two stayed together a little longer, with Karin feeling joy for once in a long time. After this, she'd probably slap herself and give a long self-lecture about the Rule of Steel and how this wasn't something any Noble would approve of, ever. And then she'd give the same talk to Beatrice.
The two females broke the hug, and Beatrice was fast in taking the bottle of wine off her Grandmother's hands and began serving it in both mugs, putting the bottle down and holding one to the older female afterward.
Karin stared down at her drink, it smelled a little weird, compared to most wines anyway. However, before she could question it, she felt her supposed lost daughter tapping her mug with her own.
"Cheers!~"
"I suppose there's no harm.", thought the Valliere matriarch before putting the mug's edge on her lips and started drinking the liquid. Beatrice, however, was quick to toss her mug's content onto a nearby pot with a flower.
The flower began withering in pain before quite literally catching fire, and a grin formed on young Beatrice's lips as her plan started bearing fruits. Nothing could ruin this day!
Louise was pretty sure she was going to be killed the moment she blinked.
"We're so sorry!"
Apparently, after the tree nearly shattered her skull to pieces and a trial of sorts (which she wished being able to remember, along the reason it happened in the first place), she woke up today in the Water Mages room, ready to be met with this sight.
Agnes and all the Musketeer members are in dogeza position, all of them holding gazes that, should Louise be able to see them, she'd notice they looked as if they had stared at Death herself.
With Henrietta hidden on the side, holding a "warm" smile at her personal military group, she watches the scene develop from within the closet of the Water Mage's room. She could be next to them from the get-go, but she wanted Louise to believe this came from Agnes and her group's own will rather than an order from her.
And since the Princess' clothing vanished for something lewd, she had to wear one of Cattleya's extra packed dresses (it's dragging a little on the ground), and wear a strange cardboard crown that Beatrice had stored for some reason, which of course, made her a little hesitant to show herself to her friend.
Part of Henrietta still wondered what kind of ruler the "Burger King" was.
"Go on~" Henrietta cooed quietly, "You know that is not enough for an official pardon, Agnes."
Agnes, somehow, could feel the words coming from within the closet, and her entire body began shaking. The blonde soldier couldn't remember the last time she felt terrified for her own life. Maybe it was when her entire town had been annihilated by those fire mages when she was a child, or maybe when the King died and the Queen left an incompetent child as ruler.
In any case, apparently the soldier had decided to execute the childhood friend of the Princess and not some random pervert as she first believed Louise to be, and for her life she swears that this side of Henrietta didn't exist previous to yesterday!
"For having decided the fate of your life without any previous trial of any sorts, the Musketeers beg forgiveness from your part, Lady Louise Francoise Le Blanc de la Valliere!"
Louise's fears start vanishing as a small proud smirk forms on her lips, "It's fine, it's fine… Actually, what the fuck? No! It's not fine! You all shot me!" And just like that, Louise's pride ended, and she came back to reality.
The musketeers all shuddered. Not because of Louise, mind you, but because of the ruler watching from the side.
Still, surprisingly, Henrietta seemed to be alright with this development. The girl was probably just angry, and with a fair reason.
Taking a deep breath, Agnes looked up at the pink-haired girl before them. "I understand, you're furious, and you have every right to be, however I-"
"No, I understand you are a trigger-happy sociopath!" Henrietta, and thus everyone else in the room, were astonished by the sudden reply of the pink-haired girl. "Now, where is that son of a bitch who looks like me!? We need to prepare for the Familiar Exhibition!"
"U-Uh…" Henrietta was at a loss for words. She had heard that Louise had become nothing short of an angel for a week or so by now, so seeing her like this brought all sorts of confusion to the ruler.
The blonde soldier, meanwhile, was doing her best to not explode here and now. "Listen to me, you brat, I am here on the Princess' orders to apologize-"
"Shut the fuck up, I'm thinking of where Beatrice could be!"
"Louise?!" If Henrietta didn't feel nervous before, she did now. Not only did Agnes completely blow up the cover-up story she made, but her childhood friend was now outright doing what can easily be considered a legal offense.
Refusing an order from an officer is bad, but refusing or complicating an order from the ruler was an easy way to get yourself and your entire family killed!
Deciding she had enough, Agnes got up from her position on the ground, and her look of panic vanished for an angry one. No one, no matter the reason, had any right to reply to the Princess' will like that!
"This was a command from the Princess herself. Talking to me is like talking to the Princess. So apologize immediately for your manners!" The blonde soldier demanded.
"Fine. Sorry." After that, Louise tossed the blankets off her body and reached for her shoes.
Agnes, however, looked anything but satisfied with that response. "What makes you think you can treat the words from the Princess with this utmost disrespect?"
"I'm only giving it the respect it deserves from me; None!" Finally, Louise got off the bed and prepared to walk away, only for Agnes to stand in front of her.
"I swear…" Her tone became cold and hard, as one would expect from a soldier like her, "If you don't give me a valid reason as to why this all deserves no respect from you, I will slice you down myself. Here. And now."
While Henrietta wasn't happy with the way things were developing, she was already preparing two speeches; one for Louise and one for Agnes.
Sure, Louise is being unkind, but Agnes is basically begging for a fight.
Once Louise answered Agnes' question, the Princess would come out of the closet and be sure that everyone became friends!
"Princess, please, we need to begin…" Osmond called to Henrietta, who appeared to have lost all the life in her eyes. He has been trying to get her attention for the past ten minutes, and so far he's succeeded in annoying the public more than in getting any reaction out of her.
They were in the site where the Familiar Exhibition would take place and everyone was awaiting a supposed speech from part of the royalty who came to visit them… But if she didn't return to her senses soon, then they'd have to begin without her.
If his secretary were here, which for some reason she still isn't, she would have probably come up with something to solve this. She's just that smart.
Unfortunately, his problems didn't start or end with Henrietta.
"Sandorion… Why is it soooo~ hot today?~" The Duchess from the most prestigious family in the country spoke while seemingly melting on her seat in the most uncaring way possible, much to the discomfort of her daughters and husband who were trying to get her to properly sit on her chair.
The Duke in question knew she was drunk, and truly it was a mesmerizing sight, one he hadn't ever seen before in his life… And the first time he did, it just had to be when they were in an event with absolutely no alcohol nearby.
What the fuck happened to her?!
She's the last person who should have done something this irresponsible!
Part of him thought of abandoning her back at their room, but she was so adamant about coming here… They even had a few potions that kill the alcohol within one's body given to her, and she hadn't returned to her senses yet!
Whatever happened, it was definitely an enemy attack, probably from the evil Zerbsts at that!
He knows one of those scoundrel harlots is here after all. He'd have her investigated as soon as this was over!
The old Principal looked at the two most hyped females to have ever been present with a sad gaze, to then frown, knowing he couldn't keep delaying the event. "Alright… Uh-... Princess Henrietta is not feeling well." He declared while clapping his hands at the audience a single time.
"Ha! What a loooooser~!" They hear Karin jeering, and while Cattleya cringes, Eleanore and Sandorion finally decide to use a mute spell on her to avoid any further problems.
Osmond stared at the process with a half-deadpan, the rest of the audience trying hard to not laugh in amusement. They didn't want to make themselves enemies to her family.
"And Duchess Valliere is intoxicated for some unholy reason I can't explain. I apologize for the time loss, we'll start the Exhibition now, and hopefully the two will have something to say to the winner of the Exhibition!" He got several claps, obligatory ones, from the public.
They were all just so done with this crap.
And so is Osmond… But hey, things can't get any worse, can they?
"I hate you. I hate you so much." Mathilda declared while thinking of the ridiculous outfit she was forced to wear.
It was a single tight leather bodysuit that hugged the wearer's skin so tightly that it highlighted all of her body parts, especially the round butt, the child-bearing-hips, and the big breasts… However, this outfit wasn't Mathilda's, it was Illococoo's, and the dragon girl had no idea the true purpose of this outfit was to make Beatrice hornier on their next mating session.
Mathilda's outfit was hidden under her usual secretary dress and the long, ominous cape with a hoodie she'll be wearing with her actual outfit.
Of course, before getting the more modest clothing, she had to first put on her "villain" outfit… And Illococoo seemed to like the outfit enough to let out some heat-calling noises. Beatrice on her end was still having a nose-bleed from the sight she witnessed. How does Fouquet's outfit look like? You'll find out when she reveals it, willingly or not!
"I don't see what's the problem. You'll only show it to me, A.K.A., the Hero who'll stop you!" The teenager with a tissue drilled in her nostril declared as if there was nothing wrong with solving a problem she herself caused. "... And anyone who happens to be my eyewitness."
The older woman tossed a glare at the teen before ultimately sighing.
"So, after this, you'll tell me the way to craft my own Staff of Destruction, and we'll pretend none of this ever happened, right?" She asked, hopeful to get confirmation.
Beatrice, however, rolled her eyes. This was like the fifth time she asked today. "Yes, yes, I promise. I won't harm you, turn you in, or make any mention of this to Auntie Tiff~" Seeing the thief sigh in relief, the girl from the future turned to the sword on her hip. "And you're fine with this, right?"
"Honestly? I should be telling you 'no'... But what the hell? We only live once. Let's do this!" Beatrice grinned at Derflinger's response. Despite Uncle Derf always being the most carefree around her (in a non-negative way), he had still held a sense of morality he wanted Bea to follow. This one thankfully didn't have that one, making him ten times cooler already!
The entire group then heard a knock on the door, and Tabitha pushed it open.
"..." She gave a boring gaze at the group before her eyes landed on the busty dragon girl wearing the charming outfit. "Our turn is in five minutes, hurry, Sylphid."
"'Kay, Big Sis!" Mathilda was still in shock over how easily the other teenager had easily agreed to be in cahoots with them. Apparently, as long as no innocent got harmed, she didn't mind letting a thief go scot-free.
"I think that's also my signal to go. Remember, wait five minutes after Illococoo's show, it'll probably be during my turn, and ensure to follow the plan!" With that, Illococoo jumped off the room's window and transformed into a dragon mid-fall, and Beatrice rushed to the door, exiting it and following Tabitha outside the tower after tossing Derflinger at the thief. "You'll do great, Auntie Mathilda~!"
"..." The thief kept glaring at the now closed door of her room before letting out a sigh. "Congratulations Mathilda, you just had to become a thief, you couldn't be happy with just having a stable job in the most famous magic school of the continent. Splendid job, Mathilda, I'm sure Tiffania and the kids will be filled with joy when they find out…!"
She kicked the door of her closet out of frustration, and she heard Guiche's panicked and muffled screams from within.
Oh right, he's still there… Well, she's sure he'll be fine with waiting a few more hours inside.
AN: Just like how you'll be fine waiting a bit more for the actual Exhibition. c:
Put in the reviews what you think Beatrice has her dress as! I'm curious if someone will be correct xd
Also, am back! HI!
Sorry for the delay, I didn't wish to take so long in uploading again, just-... A lot of things happened, which is resumed in a lot of stress on my part, which ended up in me spending most of the days playing Dragon Age 1 and 2...
But the time for crying is over! And am here now!
Thank you to everyone who is still here, I am back and more than ready to continue! :3
Shadic out for now, expect the next chapter in a few days~