Chapter 17: Diana's Confidence
The date for Ash and Diana took a new turn when Daryl called up her niece, somehow learning about the date. The Mini Cooper headed to the House of Cavendish, already in the plan since Diana had some financial issues to deal with. Daryl was nervous about returning home and Ash saw it on her face. "Look, I'm sorry for taking your phone," Ash apologized. "But I couldn't let her bad-mouth you like that."
"An apology isn't needed, dear," Diana assured. "I'm just concerned about what Aunt Daryl will say. I'm still trying to figure out how she knew about our date."
"And do not accuse me of tattling on Daryl, young lad," Anna denied.
"No, though if you told Miss Callists, I'd be alright," Ash assured.
"But, I'm more worried about what Aunt Daryl will say after finding out about this," Diana murmured. To Ash, this was about the House's reputation.
"It's none of her business what you were doing," he advised. "Keep in mind, you wanted this date. If your aunt has a problem with it, she can talk to me." Diana shook her head, refusing the offer.
"This is family matter, Ash," she reminded.
"Not when she knows that I'm a part of it," Ash recalled. "Still, you're a smart girl. Take advantage knowing what you've learned and use it. I'm here if you need it." Diana realized Ash cared greatly for her.
"Very kind…" she smiled as they arrived at the door of a castle which Ash gulped to.
"This is the House!?" he gawked. "If this is what you call a house, I want to see the castle!" The Cooper stopped and everyone exited the vehicle. Anna led Ash and Diana to the door where she used a key to open it. The three entered a hall with a giant staircase in front of them. The clacking of stiletto heels drew the attention to the upper floor.
"So soon to arrive, my dear niece?" sounded Daryl. All turned to see a greenish-blond woman in a black vest over a teal dress and stiletto heels. Her hair was in a ponytail, longer than Ash's by far. "And I see you brought a child along. Are you so desperate for love that a little boy has to be your choice? I recall seeing a few boys from Appleton that might fancy you better." She took a sip of red wine that was in her hand in a wine glass.
"Good evening, Aunt Daryl," Diana scorned. "You decided to call me before I headed back to campus. I'm sure I didn't tell you anything involving my life."
"Which I feel upset about. Besides, the Cavendish family doesn't need to bring commoners to the house. We witches have our own lives to nurture before the thoughts of… commoners become apparent." That's when Maril and Merrill emerged to face the three. "Of course, we have to protect the legacy of the House of Cavendish: you, Maril, Merrill, Anna and myself." Ash felt left out but refrained to speak.
"Must you treat anyone who's not a witch as below yourself? Besides, my mother's death did nothing to you but gaslight your need for money."
"And you call yourself the heir to the Cavendish family."
"A much better heir than yourself," Ash snapped. Everyone turned to Ash, rather shocked at his mouth-off.
"The commoner speaks when he has no reason to!" snapped Maril.
"This is where those with magic reside!" added Merrill. Daryl snarled at the boy who talked back at her on the phone.
"The wanker," she hissed. "I'm surprised that you'd have the nerve to appear before the great Daryl Cavendish." Ash didn't bat an eye to Daryl's insult.
"Great?" he repeated. "Bashing a family member for finding love doesn't make you 'great'. Then again, you don't understand the motto of the house… do you?" Diana and Anna gulped to Ash's retort.
"Like you do?" challenged Daryl. "And what would you know about the House? You wouldn't unless you've been to her school, right?" Before Ash could answer, Anna stepped in front. She placed a hand onto Ash's head, getting a little gel from his caretakers onto the digits.
"That is enough!" she scolded. "This boy is a guest, whether you like it or not. Now, it would be proper as a host to let him stay and make sure he understands the rules in the House." Daryl, Maril and Merrill groaned to Anna's rebuttal. Diana scooted to Ash's side, sensing that he made the situation with her family worse.
"Do you know what conflict you've stirred?" she whispered. "Aunt Daryl and her daughters could've done an enormous amount of harm to you."
"I'm just showing you what to do with someone like her," Ash whispered back. "Just keep calm and challenge when you need to." Diana sensed the confidence from Ash that she took a deep breath.
"Just try to stave from the discussion," she warned. They proceeded to a study with a lot of books on a lot of shelves. The women surrounded a desk which Daryl brought out a paper with "NEW DEAL" on the top. "What's this?"
"When I found out about your commoner 'date'," Daryl started. "I made some adjustments. This is what happens when you've turned your back on me as your guardian." Looking at the deal, Diana grew horrified to what was written.
"You're stripping my funds to my studies to only 10%!?" she yelled. "Just because I took Ash out for a fancy dinner… that my cousins invaded on?"
"Call it a coincidence that we found ourselves in the same restaurant," Maril claimed.
"Not to mention that your dance with him is becoming viral online," Merrill added as she showed a video on her cellphone featuring Ash and Diana dancing. Looking at a count below the video playing was a counter that rapidly climbed past 20,000 views.
"This happened less than half an hour ago," Ash awed.
"Right, dweeb," Merrill acknowledged. "But we didn't record it, even though I would've to show mother the actions you and Diana made." Ash grinned to the briefing.
"Are you saying that you two are jealous at your cousin?" he teased. "I could ask if it would be any different if it was either one of you dancing with me." Maril growled but retracted her head from Ash.
"Like me dancing to you will make a difference," Merrill scoffed. Diana tossed the deal back to Daryl, sliding across the desk.
"It's daring enough that the will has me with only 18% of my mother's and father's inheritance," she mulled. "And now, you're willing to siphon more from me just for this occasion? It's already difficult enough maintaining an education after mother's death." Hearing the detail, Anna seemed skeptical of the will.
"Daryl, bring out the will so that I may check it over," she ordered. Daryl took a sip of her wine that she held, the stem between her middle and ring finger.
"Why, oh why, do you need that?" she questioned.
"I believe the will has her earning more than just the 18%," Anna recalled. "More like 25%, distributed evenly among all four of you." Daryl snickered, believing her recollection.
"Now, now…" she hushed. She brought out another paper which had the will. Ash came over, seeing a few signatures like Daryl's, Bernadette's and one more. Anna cringed at the will's wording as Ash's eyes were blue. Daryl spotted Ash's changing of chocolate brown to neon cyan so quickly. When Diana saw the eyes as well, she suspected something was amiss.
'Wait, does he see an issue with the will?' she believed. 'I know I told him to stave from conflict...' That's when she looked to the signatures. Quickly, Diana realized what Ash was looking at: a problem. This gave her an idea as she slammed the will onto the desk. With newfound realization, Diana glared at Daryl with scorn. "Where's the real will, Aunt Daryl?" The woman was in the middle of her sip when she gasped, turning her head to the side and spraying wine from her mouth. She recovered, wiping her lips.
"My dear niece," she gulped. "What makes you say that-"
"You know exactly what's going on!" snapped Diana. "This may be my mother's signature, but it's a photocopy!"
"HA!" dismissed Daryl. "A photocopy!? You don't have-" That's when she saw Ash's eyes aglow again. He nodded with his arms crossed.
"The only signature that I found is yours," he explained. "In fact, the lines of the attorney and the client that I normally saw vanished when I had a closer look." Maril and Merrill gasped to the discovery. Daryl seethed to Ash's findings.
"Who are you?" she pondered. "No commoner should have this power." Ash sneered to Daryl's puzzled look.
"I could tell you, but you wouldn't believe me if I did," he replied. "I guess all I can say is that the Ketchum and Cavendish families are back together." Daryl whipped out a wand at Ash, standing firm.
"You're correct that I wouldn't believe it," she agreed. "It's that you'll have nothing to say of the matter! Lightning Bolt!" Sparks began to crackle from Daryl's wand when Ash reached for his lower back, something protruding from beneath the vest. A lightning bolt shot at Ash who whipped out his own wand. Diana and Anna backed off, covering their eyes with their arms.
'I guess this counts as an emergency,' he grinned. "Light Screen!" The lightning bolt reached Ash, but a screen appeared before him. Maril, Merrill, Diana and Anna gasped to the sudden acts of the monarch and the wiccan. Daryl blinked in surprise at seeing Ash holding a wand.
"Wait a tick," Maril irked. "That wand… That's from Luna Nova Academy!"
"But why does he have it!?" asked Merrill. "Luna Nova Academy is a girls' school!" Daryl cringed while Ash maintained focus on her. She turned to the maid.
"Anna, what is the meaning of this!?" she hissed. Anna stood firm to the mother and daughters.
"It's just like you said," she started. "'You wouldn't believe it.' He is Ash Ketchum; son of Luna Nova Academy's alum, Delia Ketchum, the one Bernadette tutored before she graduated. In fact, you've had more disdain than Anne does about Delia." The family of women couldn't understand the connection.
"Son of a witch!?" gawked Maril and Merrill.
"Not to mention, Maril and Merrill…" continued Anna. "Delia actually babysat you with Bernadette, despite your mother's hatred towards her. You two were handfuls for your aunt but Delia never surrendered." Maril and Merrill seemed flabbergasted to learn about themselves as kids to the mother of Daryl's target.
"This is laughable!" snorted Daryl. "You mean to tell me that my little sister aided his mother before her untimely death?" Diana scowled to Daryl's mockery as she revealed her wand from her sleeve.
"Do not belittle what Mother did for the House!" she snapped. "Our ancestor, Beatrix, would frown about you for what you have turned the House into."
"Like hell, Beatrix or Bernadette have some spooky aftermath for us to tremble our drawers!" she cackled before turning to Ash. "Even if what Anna said is true, you're nothing to me, son of that witch." Ash scoffed to Daryl's warning.
"Why, oh why, do I meet those who underestimate me so much?" he shrugged. "Even if you are a powerful witch, sometimes it takes one spell to spell your fall." Maril and Merrill brought out wands of their own, aiming them and Ash. Anna pulled a wand from her sleeve.
"Keep in mind, we're the next in line to take the House of Cavendish!" claimed Maril. She held the wand with her right hand.
"And outsiders have no say to change the results!" advised Merrill. Ash glared to the women, ready to intercept their spells. Daryl clapped her hands to get everyone's attention.
"Maril, Merrill, now is not the time to act irrational," she halted. "It would be easier just to send Diana and her 'date' back. We're holding back now, but cross us again, you little wanker… and you'll be mud for a late bloomer's Shepherd's Pie." Feigning, Maril and Merrill accepted their mother's advice.
"At least there some decorum among you," Anna huffed. "Ash, Diana… let's return to the campus." She led Ash and Diana away. Ash stopped and turned to Daryl, Maril and Merrill.
"Consider that if you try to harm Diana again," he warned. "I have more than magic to teach you a lesson." He rejoined Anna and Diana, the latter grabbing and holding his right hand with her left. They left the House and into the Cooper. They drove back to Luna Nova Academy.
"Why, Ash?" questioned Diana. "The House of Cavendish should be handled by those in the House, not by outsiders." Ash took a deep breath.
"Diana, my friends come before myself," he began. "It could be you, it could be Akko, it could be Amanda, it could even be Croix or my Pokémon… you come before me since that's the kind of guy I am." Hearing Ash, Anna chuckled to his claim.
"Would you consider me as a friend?" she wondered. Ash snorted a laugh.
"You were there for our moms, Anna," he pointed out. "Of course, you're a friend." Anna giggled to the response.
"Much appreciated," she thanked. The Mini Cooper returned to Luna Nova Academy and slowed at the dormitory. Anna stepped out of the Cooper before opening the door to allow Ash and Diana out as Akko and Pikachu spotted the pair.
"Hey, welcome back!" she greeted as Pikachu leaped onto Ash's shoulder.
("I got anxious waiting for you!") he squeaked.
"Oh, I didn't mean to do that, buddy," Ash apologized. "Of course, I don't think Diana's cousins would've liked you." Pikachu blinked to the people Ash referred to.
("Cousins?") he repeated. Akko pondered on where Ash and Diana had gone to.
"You went to the Cavendish House?" she guessed.
"We did, since I had a financial discussion with my aunt," Diana answered. "But we realized her ordeal, and nothing has changed… for now." Pikachu blinked to Diana's explanation.
("What does she mean?") he asked as Miranda and Anne emerged from the dorms.
"Ash, Diana, welcome back," Miranda greeted.
"I hope your date was worth it," Anne scorned.
"It was, as a matter of fact," Diana replied. "And it's thanks to you and Ash, I know what I have to look forward to." Anne's eyebrow twitched.
"My, my…" awed Miranda. "A mess in the House that you have to tidy?"
"And a big one at that," Ash added as he came to Anne. "Her aunt was willing to strip her funding by a large amount." Anne gulped, realizing Ash being a witness.
"While this doesn't resolve a thing between us," she whispered. "I will keep an eye on the situation. I want Diana to be at her best." Ash nodded to Anne's wish.
"I'll do as much on my end as well," he whispered. "The first thing we can agree on."
"I suppose so…" surrendered Anne. They broke away as Ursula and Croix reached the scene.
"How's our growing boy?" teased Croix. Ash laughed to the comment while Anne and Miranda retreated. Diana wanted to stay around for a little bit.
"What did you have at the restaurant Diana took you?" asked Ursula.
"When they mentioned the Beef Wellington selling well," Ash started. "Well, I went with it, and I'm glad it was good. In fact, I asked for their recipes of that and Shepherd's Pie."
"Oh, planning to try and make it yourself?" pondered Croix.
"It's worth a shot," Ash hoped. Diana stopped unlacing her stiletto heels and came over to Ash while Pikachu giggled to the thought of Ash cooking.
("Something I want to see,") he sneered before eyeing Diana. ("But here comes Diana.") Ash heard and turned to Diana while Akko hoisted Pikachu up.
"Ash, thank you for a delightful date," Diana smiled.
"I enjoyed the night out as well," Ash admitted. "I guess the Ketchum and Cavendish families are closer than I believed."
"And now, you and I…" compared Diana. "We're closer than they believe." She and Ash kissed, holding it together as Diana kicked her leg up, her stiletto falling off her foot and to the dirt. Their tongues wiped each other, tasting what remained of their dinners. Ursula and Croix shed tears of joy at Ash finding love with a girl.
"I hope one day that it's me with Ash," Akko smiled.
("You too?") guessed Pikachu. Ursula and Croix nodded before turning to Akko and Pikachu.
"Can you watch over Pikachu tonight?" requested Ursula. "I think we can let those two cap off the night together." Ash and Diana smiled before he noticed the stiletto down.
"I got that," he offered as he picked the stiletto up and redressed Diana's foot.
"Much appreciated," Diana giggled. Seeing the two in their moment, Akko bobbed her head.
"I'd love to!" she accepted. Night fell. Alcor looked on as Ash and Diana snuggled together. Diana's head was adjacent to Ash's head and shoulder as Croix and Ursula finalized something.
"It may help Ash grow more independent with the temporary dorm," Ursula briefed.
"And the way he and Diana became after tonight," Croix added. "So, we can call up Andrew and have him bring the dormitory ASAP." They glanced to Ash and Diana who they pictured as a married couple. Tomorrow, it was back to school for the two.
TO BE CONTINUED...