Note: So this chapter was actually supposed to be a two for one, but it got to be so long so I cut the other half (the same tea party from Ferdinand's POV). If you guys want me to go ahead and write that too I will, but it will have to be it's own chapter. The songs used here are as follows,
One Step at a Time, Jordan Sparks
Hey Brother, Avicii
Black Fox, Heather Dale
Enjoy!
Magdalena 2nd year Royal Academy
I greeted Lord Ferdinand upon his arrival at the Dunkelfelger tea room. If he or his female attendant were surprised by the complete lack of other guests, they both hid them well behind their noble smiles. It was only after greetings were exchanged, and tea had been tested for poison did he remark about the lack of guests.
"I apologize if we came early. My attendant must have been mistaken."
I sipped my tea watching him over my cup. "Nothing to fear, Lord Ferdinand." There were plenty of chaperones in my attendants and his. "Another guest will be joining us shortly."
I wondered if he had even an inkling of how much sway he currently held with my sister. Oh, she hid it well. Most people mistook her behavior towards the Ehrenfest archduke candidate as mockery, but I knew better. I had grown up and watched her do the same thing to brother. Then there was her; Heisshitze, constantly 'challenging' him using expensive materials as bait. I knew sister was providing those materials to her knight. And do not even get me started on Peter. My sister's presumed fiancée was constantly in the shadows around Ferdinand, always exceptionally helpful. I knew him well enough to know he did not act without either my sister's direction or her direct betterment in mind. All this combined to make me suspect sister had feelings for the young boy in front of me. But was he worth that affection? I continued to sip my tea and contemplate him.
"I must apologize for my sister's rudeness to you last Earthday. Please do not take her behavior to heart." I really should have been more concerned about Klassenberg, especially after sister had humiliated him and his guards in such a manor. But from what I gathered; the worm had switched gears. Now he tried plying my sister with gifts and honeyed words. As if she would abandon her honor as a Dunkelfelger woman to someone so unworthy. But now the young man was becoming a nuisance. He showed up every day at the training field in search of Minerva. In response she had hid in her room for the past week just to avoid the temptation to 'take out the trash' as she put it.
"No offense was taken. I would be more worried about Klassenberg. Victor has been around the training ground." So, his thoughts followed my own in this matter. Frustratingly though, I couldn't tell how he felt about Victor's presence. He was certainly much better at hiding his thoughts than Minerva.
"Yes, I heard about that."
"Is that perhaps the reason why Lady Minerva has been absent of late?"
I tried to sound unconcerned, but the truth was I was nervous about sister's disappearance from training. Typically doing so made her incredibly restless and irritable. Which she had been when I last spoke with her. "Lady Minerva makes her own path. I doubt even the Gods could guess at her motives."
He frowned thoughtfully and looked like he was about to say something when the door opened to admit my sister and her scholar, Peter. I resisted the urge to smile victoriously at the sight of her.
She had done what I had asked and wore the strange make-up of her own design. Her lips were painted in what she called 'gloss'. It made her lips look shiny and gave them a deep red color. She had also applied powder to her face. This hid the ever-darkening circles under her eyes. Then her eyelids had been powdered in a lighter blue to draw attention to her silver eyes shielded by her magical tool. The dress she wore was one of my own design. It clung to my sister giving her an almost delicate feel while still allowing freedom of movement as well as access to her hidden weapons. The colors matched well with her hair, cape, and eyes. White with silver, and blue accents. Overall, it gave her the appearance of Ewigeliebe's sword made flesh.
I shot a glance at Lord Ferdinand to see how he took this sight. I was almost annoyed when I realized he was frowning at my sister, but I could not even guess what was going through his mind at the moment. The only gratification I got was that he did seem surprised by her appearance.
"Lady Magd-." Sister cut her question short, her sharp gaze instantly took in the almost completely empty tea room, and the few guests present. It was a toss up on how she would handle my manipulation. Normally she would have one of two responses to being tricked. The first being she would smile like Fetze watching a shumil. Feigning playing along, at least until accidents started happening. Then the second option was she would just turn around and leave. Either would be an insult to me and something I was praying sister's affection for me would prevent. Or at minimum have her anger be tempered.
It was Peter who was my ally. "My Lady?" Somehow, he managed to convince her with those two words. She realized she was about to make a scene and approached the table. She greeted me properly then Lord Ferdinand. While she did that, Peter pulled out her chair for her. I watched this with a question clearly written on my face but Peter smiled in a way that asked me not to make a fuss about it. Perhaps this was part of his plan to ensure sister did not embarrass herself.
"You look lovely, sister."
"Thank you, Maggie."
I tried not to wince as she smiled back at me. Sister did not forget. She only ever used that name when we were with just our retainers or family. This was her way of telling me she saw what I was doing and she did not approve.
"It suits you, Lady Minerva." Ferdinand's words drew my sister's attention. I looked between my sister's silver eyes and his gold eyes I was suddenly struck with the thought that the Ehrenfest archduke candidate was hiding no small amount of amusement. The smile on his face had a wicked curl to it that was reminiscent of sister's. Had the gewinnen board been flipped? Why? Minerva saw the same thing I did. Her eyes narrowed in a way I knew too well.
"How very kind of you." She certainly did not find his words kind. In fact, her smile seemed to have become a blade so when she turned it on me, I had to fight not to squirm under it. "It is one of my dear sister's many designs that I have tested." I forced my noble smile to remain in place, but was frantically trying to figure out a way to direct her ire elsewhere. "I think she may have taken inspiration from my 'Ice (*Wyvern*)' armor."
"That strange thing you wore during your race against Klassenberg?" I managed not to sigh in relief when his words drew my sister's gaze away from me.
Minerva chuckled, "I prefer to make a statement when I crush my 'betters'." Ah, so Victor had said something nasty to her. Yes, that would sadly explain her lack of control even after nearly breaking the boy. Normally, she hid her rage from me as if it shamed her for me to see it.
Thankfully Lord Ferdinand did not comment on her words and instead steered the conversation slightly away from such dangerous waters. "How did you make the armor give off frost? Of the five magic circles I could see, none of them would have had that affect."
For the first time I looked at the boy across from me and understood what my sister had meant when she said he would be a good opponent for Dunkelfelger. It was rare that a second year would have any substantial understanding of magical circles. We simply had not learned about them in any great detail. Unless, like Peter and myself, a person was tutored by a parent. But this boy was afforded a brief glance of the circles on my sister's armor. Yet he not only was able to remember them, but also clearly understood their function. This combined with his exceptional growth in combat related skills made him a truly impressive opponent. Skills like this would balance well with Minerva's personality. Perhaps even make him a good consort if I could ever convince sister to take the seat.
"Well sister?"
I blinked as Minerva's words dragged me from my contemplation of my home's future.
"That particular circle was one of your design."
I opened my fan; a gift from my twin, and used it to cover my blush. "That circle is indeed hidden." Partly because it was a last line of defense, which is why I placed it on her back Adding it to the circle that allowed feystone armor to adjust the temperature had been tedious, but worthwhile. Getting the frost to be directed outward against an attack had been child's play in comparison. "I designed it to prevent my sister's unique way of fighting from being turned on her."
I remembered quite vividly the weeks leading up to our first year at academy when she had decided to teach me the method of self-defense. It had been shockingly scandalous. She had called Peter to play the part of the villain with a weapon. Then she proceeded to show us how to swiftly disarm him without a weapon. My attendant had told her bluntly she was being shameless with how close to a man she placed herself. At one point her chest had even been pressed to Peter's back. Though I do not think he enjoyed the experience that much seeing as his arm had been twisted behind his back in a position that looked very uncomfortable.
"Oh? Does that have something to do with the 'Pattern Dances' I've heard so much about?"
I had heard that sister had used her 'Pattern Dance' as bait to draw out Dimitri, but I guess she never actually preformed it. For the best. I shook my head no. "No, it involves fighting bare handed." Let him guess at the how. It would also have the benefit the boy would keep his distance from sister until I could be certain he would be a good match for her.
His reaction was so small it was easily missed, his eyes widened only a fraction. At least he understood the dangers to a noblewoman. Both our eyes went to my sister who was calmly sipping her tea. A smirk lurked behind her cup while we stewed. Finally, she set her cup aside.
"A fan is not always a fan. Especially in the hands of a Dunkelfelger woman." It took all of my self-control not to tighten my grip on my own fan. I doubted the boy realized the true warning in her words were as literal as she was. My own fan was made of sturdy metal ribs, and their razor edges were veiled in lace and contained by magic circles. Only a couple drops of my mana would transform it into a weapon that could easily part a man from his head.
I needed to direct sister away from my secrets. "Hmm, speaking of things that are not what they seem, sister, Lord Ferdinand was surprised to hear you write your own songs. Would you care to demonstrate a couple?" Minerva had told me long ago that the songs she sang were for family alone. Due in part to their blunt nature, but also, they meant something special to her. Though she had never said why. She had even refused to even sing them when an honored guests arrived in Dunkelfelger, opting instead to sing a song she had modified. If she agreed to play even one of those songs here, I would know she was serious about her intentions toward the Ehrenfest archduke candidate. But if she flatly refused…
"I did not bring my-."
"My Lady." Once the conversation had turned towards her music Peter had gone and retrieved her harspiel from where he had stashed it. My sister took one look at it in his hands then sighed, "Et tu, Brute?" Another of my sister's strange phrase, but this one I did not understand. Peter on the other hand smiled brightly so it couldn't have been a bad thing.
"If I may, my lady?"
Minerva nodded at her presumed fiancée.
"I brought the boots." I looked between the two of them confused. What did boots have to do with a song?
She blinked at him. "That song? Hmm, I suppose." She then turned to me. "What song were you singing Lady Magdalena when you and Lord Ferdinand met?"
"Hey Brother."
She nodded thoughtfully. "Lord Ferdinand, do you have a preference on a subject for a song?"
He shrugged. "I have no preference." He may not have a preference, but he was sitting up straighter and giving my twin his undivided attention. Even his female attendant was watching my sister and her scholar with intense eyes. She was actually going to play three songs? I blinked in surprise.
Sister took her instrument from Peter, perching it in her lap. Then before she so much as touched a string, there was a rhythmic clicking. Peter was tapping the heel of his boots. After a few clicks my sister caressed the strings plucking a hopeful sounding tune. A couple notes later she sang,
Hurry up and wait
So close, but so far away
Everything that you've always dreamed of
Close enough for you to take
But you just can't touch
You wanna show the world, but no one knows your name yet
Wonder when and where and how you're gonna make it
You know you can if you get the chance
In your face as the door keeps slamming
Now you're feeling more and more frustrated
And you're getting all kind of impatient waiting
We live and we learn to take
One step at a time
There's no need to rush
It's like learning to fly
Or falling in love
It's gonna happen when it's
Supposed to happen that we
Find the reasons why
One step at a time
You believe and you doubt
You're confused, and got it all figured out
Everything that you always wished for
Could be yours, should be yours, would be yours
If they only knew
You wanna show the world, but no one knows your name yet
Wonder when and where and how you're gonna make it
You know you can if you get the chance
In your face as the door keeps slamming
Now you're feeling more and more frustrated
And you're getting all kind of impatient waiting
We live and we learn to take
One step at a time
There's no need to rush
It's like learning to fly
Or falling in love
It's gonna happen when it's
Supposed to happen that we
Find the reasons why
One step at a time
When you can't wait any longer
But there's no end in sight (when you need to find the strength)
It's the faith that makes you stronger
The only way you get there
Is one step at a time
Take one step at a time
There's no need to rush
It's like learning to fly
Or falling in love
It's gonna happen when it's
Supposed to happen that we
Find the reasons why
One step at a time
One step at a time
There's no need to rush
It's like learning to fly
Or falling in love
It's gonna happen when it's
Supposed to happen that we
Find the reasons why
One step at a time
When the words came to an end, I could only stare at my sister. Like all of her songs this one was terribly forward, this one also held contradictions in it. But it was somehow comforting. It felt like she was specifically encouraging me to reach for I wanted. My thoughts wandered to the handsome prince that would be graduating this year. Regret briefly twisting in my gut.
"That was…" Lord Ferdiand seemed was struggling for a polite response to my sister's music. Annoyance and anger at him surfaced. "Something."
"I believe the word you are looking for is, blunt, Lord Ferdinand." Minerva chuckled clearly taking no offense from his words. I on the other hand was very indignant on her behalf. "Grammalatur rarely blesses me with the gift of flowery language. Too much of Angriff's blessing, I suppose. But other than that, what are your thoughts?"
"Grammalatur's blessing eludes me."
No one was fooled by his deflection.
Sister chuckled again. "Let's see the then the next song was 'Hey Brother'." She started to strum the familiar lullaby. I remembered the first time she had ever sung the song to me. One of my aids had just been found dead. Murdered. A young woman I had been very fond of. I could not sleep and was worrying my remaining retainers and nursemaid. They had been at their wits end when my sister had snuck to visit me. She ignored my retainers who told her it was improper behavior and climbed into my bed beside me. Then she had sung softly repeating the song over and over until Schlaftraum granted me his blessing.
Hey brother
There's an endless road to rediscover
Hey sister
Know that water's sweet, but blood is thicker
Oh, if the sky comes falling down
For you
There's nothing in this world I wouldn't do
Hey brother
Do you still believe in one another?
Hey sister
Do you still believe in love? I wonder
Oh, if the sky comes falling down
For you
There's nothing in this world I wouldn't do
What if I'm far from home?
Oh brother, I will hear you call
What if I lose it all?
Oh sister, I will help you out
Oh, if the sky comes falling down
For you
There's nothing in this world I wouldn't do
Hey brother
There's an endless road to rediscover
Hey sister
Do you still believe in love? I wonder
Oh, if the sky comes falling down
For you
There's nothing in this world I wouldn't do
What if I'm far from home?
Oh brother, I will hear you call
What if I lose it all?
Oh sister, I will help you out
Oh, if the sky comes falling down
For you
There's nothing in this world I wouldn't do
Those words were the core of her promise to protect me and our family. The hauntingly soft words ended and again I looked to the young man across from he. Unlike last time, now he was completely unreadable. Strange. Why now? This song was incredibly simple in comparison to the other which had strange flourishes not including Peter keeping time by tapping his heel.
"Lady Magdalena has heard the song often." I tried not to blush. "But what do you think, Lord Ferdinand?" I found myself struggling not to glare at him. There would be trouble if he insulted this song.
"While much too simple there was much beauty to it. You honor many gods with piece though you never name them. And your family." The last word was said with such emotion that I was taken aback. It was uncommon for family's to be extremely close. My siblings were some of the few I knew who were not in direct competition for the seat of Aub. Being I had my sights on someone far higher and my sister refused to be the Sword. Content to be a shield. Was the Ehrenfest boy truly so at odds with his family? My intelligence claimed he and his brother were much closer. Was I wrong?
"My family does mean everything to me." Sister's eyes glazed slightly. For a brief moment she did not see us anymore. She was looking at something Sehweit hid from us. Then Peter coughed drawing her back. "Ah, I promised one more song, didn't I." She tipped her head sideways and studied Lord Ferdinand causing the poor boy to sit up straighter. Then a wicked chuckle escaped her. "Ah yes, I know."
As we were out a hunting one morning in the spring
Both wolfeniel and horses, running well,
Made the hills and the valleys ring
But to our great misfortune, no fetze there could be found
Our huntsmen cursed and swore but still no fetze moved over the ground
So up spoke our Master Huntsman, the master of our chase
"If only the (*Devil*) himself ran by, we'd run him such a race!"
And up there sprung like lightning, a fetze from out of his hole
But his fur was the colour of a
Starless night and his eyes like burning coals
So they chased him over the valley and they chased him over the fields
And they chased him down to the riverbank, but never would he yield
And he's jumped into the water, and he's swum to the other side
And he's laughed so loud that the green woods shook
He's turned to the huntsmen and he's cried:
"Ride on, my gallant Huntsman... when must I come again?
For you should never want for a fetze to chase all over the glen
And when your need is greatest, just call upon my name
And I will come and you shall have the best of sport and game."
Well, the men looked up in wonder and the wolfeniel ran back to hide
For the fetze it changed to the (*Devil*)
Himself, where he stood on the other side
And the men, the wolfeniel, the horses, they went flying back to town
But hard on their heels come a little black fetze, laughing as he ran:
"Ride on, my gallant Huntsman... when must I come again?
For you should never want for a fetze to chase all over the glen
And when your need is greatest, just call upon my name
And I will come and you shall have the best of sport and game."
"Ride on, my gallant Huntsman... when must I come again?
For you should never want for a fetze to chase all over the glen
It was the oddest song I had ever heard from sister and I had over heard many. It left me with many questions the first of which was,
"Lady Minerva, I find myself stumped. What, or who is the (*Devil*)?" Lord Ferdinand asked.
My sister chuckled and Peter's mouth quirked at the corners as if he too understood the reference. "The Devil is a myth. Supposedly he was once a beautiful and clever God before Chaosfliehe whispered honeyed words into is ear driving him against the other Gods. When he and his subordinates were cast out, they were transformed into twisted feybeasts called demons. Though they were turned to beasts they retain their cunning nature and their anger towards the other Gods. Supposedly they hunt, charm, and tempt men against their better nature to spite the Gods. And the Devil was named Demon King, by his subordinates."
There was a very thoughtful look on the young archduke candidates face as he listened to my sister's strange tale. "I have never heard this story before."
Sister shrugged. "I'm not surprised. It would likely not be a very popular one."
Though I wasn't so sure about that and almost said as much, but sister directed the conversation back to magical circles with shocking ease. I almost hadn't even realized Lord Ferdinand and I had been debating various ways to argument circles for half a bell until I heard the chime. A glance at my sister revealed she was watching us silently, like a proud parent. A proud mischievous parent. Soon after Lord Ferdinand made his excuses and left. Then I was alone with my sister.
"Maggie."
I refused to flinch or back down. "Yes, sister?"
"I know what you were doing. I will never be Aub."
"So, you have said, but you would make a good Aub Dunkelfelger."
She chuckled. "No, I would not. I am shield for my family. My head was never meant to hold the crown. I am a hero, but never general. People like me cannot rule."
"Sister."
"I know I am difficult. I hope you'll forgive me?"
That was never a question. We both knew it.