A/N: Muse hasn't been the working type lately. . In any case here's another building chapter for you to read and enjoy. Thanks to Elder-master-sempai for the beta.
(Winter Palace: Main dining hall)
Like everything else in the palace, the dining hall was majestic. The room truly fit the Tsars that had feasted and would continue to feast there. The room was easily bigger then a small house and was several tens of yards long. The table itself had probably been crafted from an entire tree.
Upon fully entering the room, Nagisa could only look from panel to panel and plank to plank. Nagisa had grown up in a nice place, but to call it 'nice' now would make the place she now stood in on par with the hall of Odin. Nagisa chuckled at the comparison and the notion that she would probably eat the rest of her meals in this room.
As she stood there and gawked at the room as if it were nude, several sets of eyes had fixated on her. Many of the same faces from the throne room greeted her. Though this greeting was not warm, nor was it friendly.
"She stands there as if she never saw such a thing before. I guess they really do live in barns in Germany." Said the brown haired woman from the throne room. Even though she had spoken in Russian, Nagisa knew from the tone she was being mocked. Nagisa felt her nerves fray at the notion and was ready to let the woman know what she thought.
"If you intend to insult me, the very least you could do is allow me to understand what it is you are saying." Nagisa said in rather prickly German. The woman simply ignored Nagisa, as if she had just spoken gibberish. Not wanting to continue further, Nagisa walked past her and once again caught the eyes of her companion.
"You must forgive Momomi; she forgets that she is still a mortal. Even though I treat her like a goddess. My name is Kaname; you look as if you would be worth some of my time." Kaname said making her attraction plain. Momomi bristled at the notion indicating that she did indeed understand what Nagisa had said earlier.
"I have no interest in anything you could offer." Nagisa said flatly. Having not been in the best social condition before entering the room, these two were not making it any easier. As Nagisa crossed behind Kaname, she noticed her head turn to the side, and one of her eyes lock on to Nagisa's own.
"Well, I guess plain is plain after all. I would rather like to see if I can spin straw into gold. Really, that 'princess' has more than enough cups to drink from." Kaname finished. The resulting action resounded in a loud echo. Kaname had been slapped, but not by Nagisa or Momomi.
"I w-will not let somebody talk to Lady Nagisa like that. H-how shameful!" Chiyo railed at Kaname. The surprise of everyone present was evident, even Nagisa herself was not immune to shock. However Kaname was furious at being made a fool of.
"A servant striking me? That just will not do." Kaname's chair shot backwards as she grabbed Chiyo's wrist and bent it behind her, subsequently pinning her face down to the table. "You know what I do to servants who misbehave? Hmm? You look like you would …" Kaname never got to finish as she felt something hot at the back of her neck. Kaname howled as the embers of ash burned her neck. Kaname made no effort to let up on Chiyo who still remained pinned under her.
"It would seem as if they let the hounds back in from the outside. This one even bothered to put clothes on." Chikaru's soft voice spoke from Nagisa's side.
"Why you! Always putting me down. What business is this of yours?" Kaname growled as her hair hung over her face.
"Interfering when cute things are being manhandled is my duty of course. Oh, and a dog will always be a dog no matter how much wealth it amasses." Chikaru said coldly. Nagisa stood off to the side as she tried to keep up with the conversation. Nagisa knew that she could not get Kaname to unhand Chiyo as Kaname would not listen. It seemed as if Lady Chikaru was handling it.
Chikaru stepped back as Chiyo was pushed at her. Clearly upset, Chiyo took her place at her master's side, albeit shaking and on the verge of tears. Kaname, on the other hand, straightened her clothing and her hair. It would seem as if her temper had cooled and her composure had returned.
"Mark my words crow, I will make you pay for what you have done to me. Your last words will be my name on your breath." Kaname said as she returned to her chair.
"My, my, it seems as if I am being threatened. It makes no matter. A coward will not do anything." Chikaru said with a smirk as she clearly enjoyed her insult.
"I will not tolerate you threatening my Kaname in such a way. Your house is falling apart and before long you will not be able to support a single servant." Momomi sneered.
"Says the one whose bloodline has been running thin…" Chikaru answered but never finished.
"SILENCE! WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS AND IN THE DINING HALL OF THE TSARINA, NO LESS! How dare any of you." Many eyes shot back to see Miyuki standing just slight from the door eyes ablaze. Miyuki's booming voice had cut though the hall like a sharp blade though beef, her last words sounding no less reproachful though not as dynamically voiced.
The reactions of the culprits varied. Kaname and Momomi returned to their proper postures, while Nagisa and Chiyo found their seats across from the blond woman from the throne room and one of the nuns. Chikaru headed in the direction of her chair once more. Even though Nagisa did not clearly understand what the servant had said, she knew that she was to sit down and be quiet.
"Know that this was not Lady Nagisa's fault." Chikaru said as she sat down.
"I am aware of this. Lady Kaname…" Miyuki began to speak, but then noticed a white glove slid out in front of her vision.
"Your Highness …" Miyuki said out of concern. Though it seemed as if Miyuki's expressions held more emotion in them then before. Nagisa couldn't place her finger on it, but it would seem that the head servant was more relaxed then when she had last saw her. Shizuma's uniformed arm dropped slowly as she locked eyes with Kaname.
"Please, if you would, explain to me why you are manhandling the servant of my future wife." Shizuma said sharply not trying to hide her displeasure. Kaname didn't respond because it was a statement.
"This is your last night in my dining hall. After tonight, I do not wish to see your distasteful sight again when I am eating. You have become a nuisance, something that I will not tolerate from peasants." Shizuma then proceeded to sit down and turn her attention to Nagisa. She then whispered something to Miyuki, who then nodded and sat to Shizuma's right.
"It is not usually this lively." The dark haired woman across from Chiyo said in German. Nagisa recognized her face, but not the rest of her appearance, save for the simple metal crucifix that hung from her neck.
"Yaya is right, Kaname enjoys manhandling people. I should introduce myself as well, I am Hikari." Hikari said with a smile. Nagisa could only think of daylight and the sun when looking at this woman. Nagisa nodded and then returned the greeting.
"I am Nagisa; I believe you know where I am from." Nagisa said with a pause as she thought to ask a question. "I thought nuns had to always wear habits?"
"Hahaha, do not be silly. Plus I would not be allowed to wear one here. It is far too drab for Her Highness." Yaya said as a plate was sat down in front of her, "Hmm, it seems as if it is liver again. How wonderful."
"Liver is better then borsht." Hikari said as a plate was also set before her.
"Borsht?" Chiyo asked as she had calmed down to the point of discussion.
"It is a soup with beets, even though the chef here seems to have it down to a science." Hikari said as plates were set before Nagisa and Chiyo. Chiyo seemed to grimace a bit as it also didn't look very appealing to Nagisa either.
All eyes then went over to Shizuma, who raised her knife, but then was glared at by Yaya.
"Oh yes, that is right." Shizuma bowed her head and began to recite words that Nagisa could not even recognize. After the apparent grace was given everyone began to eat.
"What was she saying?" Nagisa asked.
"She was reciting the prayer of Our Lord in the old tongue. It is required of her as she is chosen by God." Yaya answered.
"How strange." Chiyo said as she was glared at by Nagisa.
"Yes, it would be strange to outsiders, but it is how we do things. Make no mistake, I am not offended, this is just how things are." Yaya replied.
"I am finding a lot of difference." Nagisa began to eat her meal as a familiar head neared her ear.
"Her Highness has requested that you join her in her study after the meal. She wishes to apologize" Miyuki said in Nagisa's ear before starting back over to her seat on the other side.
"I would rather not hear what that was about. I am still a vessel of the Lord." Yaya said as Hikari looked as if she did not wish to discuss it either. But then Hikari found words.
"Lady Nagisa, I am having tea tomorrow. Would you like to join me?" Hikaru said.
"Yes, oh!" Nagisa paused as a thought came into her mind. "Did you receive a letter from my servant?"
"The other woman? No, what kind of letter?" Hikaru ask
"It was from a Cossack that helped us get here. A woman by the name of …"
"Amane." Hikaru said finishing Nagisa's sentence.
"That is right." Nagisa replied as she notice a complicated expression cross Hikaru's face.
"Yes, bring it with you. I would appreciate it immensely."