Hey everyone! Searoar back with a fresh chapter. I'm finally through my cold and what I wanted to get done during the break, so the chapters will return to their usual weekly schedule on Saturday's and Sundays.
Hope you all have a wonderful day!
Cheers, Searoar.
With the calm string of piano keys and violin melodies, the guests of the banquet were quick to sort themselves out and find a respectable partner among the lines.
Glynda, ever the precious diamond among her lovely peers, rolled her eyes as the men on the other side of the room pushed and swapped their places so they could get the first dance with her.
"At least they look pleasing..." Glynda muttered as she glanced at her smiling mother a few paces behind her.
All the while, Caitlin beamed at all the potential suitors who were vying for her daughter's hand. She too remembered the days when she was no more than twenty, and those of all classes and reputations were practically toppling over one another to please her.
Her smile quickly vanished, however, as her pale green eyes spotted her limping husband. The limp wasn't as noticeable as it appeared mind you, but for someone like Caitlin, it was an eyesore. She took great care of her health after all and managed to maintain a youthful complexion despite what her actual age was.
Bolton, on the other hand, slowly shook his head at the boys who thought they were good enough to wear his daughter's wedding ring. While the wealth of their respective families was noticeable, the chances that any of these men could actually meet Glynda's standards were questionable.
Sure, Glynda had an eye for jewelry and a nose for dainty perfumes, but she had so much more to offer than just a pretty face especially after making a name for herself as a proud huntress.
The lines of men and women sorted out, the band in the background picked up the pace and initiated the new song with a loud toot of a trumpet. As temporary partners were formed, Glynda's eyes narrowed at the first man she would have to dance with.
A wavy mane of navy hair atop a face of tanned skin with amber eyes, he wore a maroon-colored suit with a dark golden tie. He was a branch member of the respected house of Marigold bowed politely as he accepted the hand that Glynda calmly held out.
"Tyler Marigold, it's an honor to be your first." The man flashed an award-winning smile and straightened his posture.
He was tall, but not as tall as Glynda as her partner's forehead reached just below her eyebrows.
"I take it that you're going to get something similar to my introduction from the rest of the guests?" Tyler joked as he slowly took the lead in their dance.
"I'd expect nothing less from their backgrounds, as they've been taught to be courteous no matter the circumstance," Glynda replied in a neutral tone.
"Well, for what it's worth, I think you look gorgeous tonight. I can see that you take after your mother."
Though she didn't show it, Glynda felt a twinge of guilt nick her heart. She didn't hate her mother, in fact, she loved her very much, that's why it hurt her so to think that her mother wasn't as spectacular as people assumed.
"Thank you, I can see that you take after your uncle as well," the mystical witch hummed as they neared the end of their dance.
The toot of a trumpet gave the signal to change partners, and Glynda's ears were relieved to have parted with Tyler's constant rambling. Though he did keep his hand on her hip and never allowed it to wander, so Glynda gave the noble points in that respect.
As for her second partner, it was none other than Griffin Winchester, who she was thankful that he was an older and married man.
His brown hair matching the thin beard along his square chin, Griffin smiled politely as he took Glynda's hand.
"I can see that you're not having fun, too bad there weren't any combat exhibitions, otherwise some of the heavier nobles would've had the chance to sweat away some of their chubbiness."
"Mr. Winchester!" Glynda playfully scolded as she was twirled.
"Hm, you have the grace of your mother, but the humbleness of your father. It's a good combination and rather refreshing in my opinion." Griffin chuckled as they entered the second stage of their dance.
"Thank you for noticing..." Glynda sighed wistfully.
"Your mother used to have eyes for me you know." The older hunter whispered mischievously.
"S-She did?" Glynda asked with wide eyes.
"Oh, she never told you the story? Truth be told, back when I was a young man, I was never really sought after by the ladies who shared my noble status. However, after the Grimm siege of 1994, I soon found that I was under everyone's radar. Especially the Goodwitch household."
"Really?" Glynda curled a skeptical brow.
"Come on, I know I'm not the most handsome guy around, but I've got some nice muscles wouldn't you say?"
"So was it my mother who tried to court you?" Glynda said quickly as they were nearing the last stage of their synchronized steps.
"Oh, she did more than just try, she even got her parents to treat me and my family at the Glass Unicorn. Which also happened to be the place where I met my wife. Hmph, it was a heavy choice to make, but given that Caitlin wanted me to retire from being a hunter if we got into a relationship... Well, let's just say that I chose my mace instead of the ring."
"It's commendable that you chose to serve on the frontlines against the Grimm instead of rotting your talents away in lazy comfort." Glynda smiled.
"And I'm glad to see that Bolton's daughter has grown into such a fine young lady. Much different from the brat that attended Mantle's hunter academy. Till our next chat, Ms. Goodwitch." Griffin flashed a pearly grin and went on to hold hands with another noblewoman as the toot of a trumpet echoed over the hall.
Upon their separation, Glynda found that she'd been placed in an awkward predicament. She didn't lock eyes with anyone near the end of her last dance, however, that quickly changed when she spotted a large golden hook fixed to a man of imposing stature.
Unlike her first two dances, Glynda sought out the owner of the RDI and politely curtsied.
Crocodile curled a brow and grunted as he held out his right hand and jokingly his left hook.
Glynda chose to only take the arm with fingers at the end of it, which earned her a chuckle from the scarred man.
"I'm guessing you want me to spill some details about that stoic magician from the north blue?" The former warlord smirked at the huntress' narrowed eyes.
"You seem familiar with him, or at least his former reputation." She nodded.
"Can't say I know the guy, or maybe I do and I just don't want to tell you." Crocodile chuckled.
"Was he a criminal of some sort? Or maybe an opportunistic businessman like you?"
"Lady, if I told you about some of the things I read about Hawkins when he was at the peak of his ambitions, I'm pretty sure you'd never want to affiliate yourself with him from this point forward." Crocodile replied.
"Is that so?" Glynda challenged. "Hawkins doesn't come off as the type who seeks violence willingly. But I assume that there are a few blotches on his record?"
"More than a few," Crocodile strutted to the right while Glynda swayed to the left, "but I don't trust everything I read. By the way, are you planning on meeting with Hawkins anytime soon? I'd like to have a word with him if he's available."
Their time together spent, Crocodile slid his business card into Glynda's hand, which she reluctantly kept and hid in her sash.
"If there's any time that you need any dust, you know how to contact me. I might even give you a discount if my business keeps up its pace."
A tad winded from all the dancing, but not exactly out of breath, Glynda was relieved to hear three sharp toots from the band which signaled the end of the first half of the festivities and made way for the most important speech of the evening.
/-/
The dainty taps of an empty glass from a poshly dressed man atop the main hall's stairway, it was none other than Jacques Schnee who stood above everyone else with observant and calculating eyes. Once all chatter had settled on the lower floor, Jacques waved a hand at the large band located on the western side of the room and once the orchestra and its instruments came to a halt, he cleared his throat and put on a greedy smile.
"It is with great pleasure as the head of this manor, that I get to celebrate the sixth anniversary of the day that the Schnee Dust Company was founded."
A round of applause, Jacques nodded to the richer nobles who wore similar smiles.
"As such, we cannot forget the sacrifices that we have endured together, and must continue to strive to maintain the peace that we've accomplished."
Whistles and more clapping, the head of the manor felt elated to be the center of attention.
"Which is why my close friends and I-"
"Have decided to screw everybody else in Mantle to keep our greedy claws on the monopoly that we've fabricated through loopholes and many gray areas." Came a gruff voice to finish the sentence.
The crowd's eyes widened and a few uttered surprised gasps. As for the man who spoke, he chuckled from the middle of the guests who were quick to give him a lot of space.
The new center of attention, the giant of a man took a long drag from his cigar and blew a puffy cloud of white smoke that dissipated into the ominous silence.
"Does anybody really buy this crap? Or am I the only one with some common sense in this entire manor?"
A golden hook reflecting the light from the winter-themed chandelier, the scar across his grayish face only added to his natural intimidating and condescending gaze.
"I beg your pardon!" Jacques puffed out his chest and straightened his posture. "This is a celebration to honor the years of cultivated work between both Mantle and Atlas, something that the founder Nicholas Schnee himself was a martyr for!"
"Yeah, the old soldier who sold his glamor so he could become a weak businessman. How about you? Have you ever picked up a gun and had the courage to pull the trigger? Or did you simply leech the company off Nicholas' deathbed like every other tragic trope in children's tales?" Crocodile sneered as uncertain mumbles bloomed around him.
"You can keep praising the accomplishments of the old bastards who came before you," Crocodile continued, "but from what I've seen all you've got is nothing but hot air beneath your collar."
"I invited you here out of respect for your good sense of business-" Jacques was once again cut short of his monologue.
"That, and mostly the possible threats that my upstart of a company poses for your monopoly. Hell, I heard that people used to buy their dust from a man named Onyx Coal until you and your lackeys ran him so far out of business that his company was wiped off the map."
"It was simply a matter of logistics, my company was able to provide more for the people of Atlas and Mantle, and the citizens have enjoyed the peace that the SDC has maintained for over-"
"You mean the tyranny that everybody ignores because you keep shoving lien down their pockets? Heck, even I might turn a blind eye to your bullshit if you paid me enough. Then again, considering my snobby peers, they're most likely on your side given the current economic situation. Then again, I am trying to compete in the same field so I'm not that much different. But at least I can back up my death threats." The warlord sighed lazily.
Jacques' reply came in a sharp shout.
"What you're insinuating is completely out of line with no foundation to back it up! I will not tolerate this desecration of my step-father's celebration, and I demand that you apologize for disturbing the peace of this event!"
"Easy everyone, there's no need to ruffle our feathers on such a wonderful night.~"
It was the voice of the holy mother that broke the squabble, much to the relief of Jacques and the annoyance of Crocodile.
"Oi, nobody asked you to interfere, Carmel, I was only getting my fair share of entertainment out of this boring event." Crocodile grunted and took another long drag from his cigar that was now a quarter burnt.
"I admit that there have been some missed opportunities for light-hearted fun, but we mustn't put a wedge between the classes. After all, it is their yearly contributions that are keeping the people of Mantle from resorting to more vile and desperate means of survival." Carmel sighed wistfully and put herself at the base of the stairs. This meant she was between Jacques and Crocodile.
"So why don't we get the dances started then? I'm sure everyone is keen on stretching their legs before the best wines are brought out.~"
Her smile as white as the pearl necklace around her neck, Carmel tilted her head in an innocent manner while her cerulean eyes burned with a challenging aura that dared Crocodile to step out of line.
The warlord curled a brow, and as the tension between the two powerful combatants rose, their staring contest was broken by the loud cry of two boys... and a girl.
"You'll never take us alive, you pompous carpet-licking snobs!" Cried Roman as he sprinted across the second floor.
"Yeah, what he said!" Cardin added as he wiped the remains of his last creampuff off his cheek.
While the two partners in crime dashed their way toward the main hall's staircase, it was evident that they were carrying someone between them.
"Let me go you, barbaric idiots!" Weiss cried as she struggled with her arms held by Roman and her ankles by Cardin.
"..." Neo didn't say anything as she perched herself atop Weiss' stomach as the noble girl served the role of a stretcher, and dabbed her lips clean from the crumbs of her last cream puff.
"No can do, Snow Angel, as you're just as much of a partner in this shenanigan as the three of us. Which of course, makes you as guilty as we are!" Roman jeered with a glorious smirk.
"You can't do this to me! I'm a Schnee!" Weiss sulked through frustrated tears as the heavy stomps of bullies and angry nobles thundered behind the mischievous group.
"What in Oum's name is going on-" Once again, history decided to repeat itself, and Jacques was denied a complete sentence as Roman bashed him aside with a fake apology.
Jacques barely managed to yell as he steadied himself on the stair's railing, though he paled as laughter began to erupt among his guests and respected peers.
"When we get our hands on the three of you fools, you'll be begging that dungeons still existed!" Shouted a male teenager with slicked brown hair. His suit covered in creampuff crumbs, he and his other cream-covered cohorts chased after Roman's troupe like hungry bloodhounds.
"It's time to change tactics, Cardin, sharp turn to the left!" Roman ordered and jumped onto the side railings of the staircase.
Though the young Winchester was a tad slow to catch on, he at least gave Weiss an apology when her small tushy collided with the butt of the railing before Cardin jumped on it.
Speeding down the polished makeshift slide, Roman's bright green eyes navigated to the closest escape route, which happened to be a wheeled dessert cart that was conveniently parked near the base of the stairs.
With a shout to Cardin followed by a springy jump, Roman landed on his desired target with a thud and began his loose zig-zagged travels through the screaming crowds of nobles and business folk alike.
The bullies, meanwhile, fell over one another halfway down the stairs and crashed on the ground floor in a messy heap. Carmel dodged the incoming tumble of poshly dressed chaps with an elegant hop and found the whole situation very amusing given that this silly display wasn't occurring at an event she orchestrated.
Meanwhile, in Crocodile's point of view, he couldn't feel more proud of the bold tactics of his adopted son and daughter. Not to mention their Winchester lackey seemed more capable than what Crocodile had first assumed.
"Gangway or get a pie to the face!" Roman cheered as the dessert cart picked up in speed.
The cart stormed through the hall's band and singers as they scrambled to get out of the way of Roman's path.
"Gotcha, you stupid peasants!" Screamed a teen with black spiky hair and a cream-slathered red suit.
The teen jumped onto the end of the cart and snagged the ladle from the punch bowl then made a heavy swing for Roman's head.
"Oops, don't wanna hurt the SDC's second daughter would we?" Roman laughed and pulled Weiss up in front of him like a shield.
The teen froze, and in his hesitation, Roman did a low sweep with his leg which sent the angry ladle-wielding opponent to the marbled floor.
"How dare you use me as a shield!" Weiss shrieked. But the moment Roman let her go, she was clutching the edge of the rolling cart like a lifeline.
"What can I say, Snow Angel, nobody wants to hurt that dainty face of yours. As ugly as it is."
"Excuse me?!" Weiss was half deliberating on letting go of the cart so she could strangle her captor to death.
"Want another creampuff, Neo?" Cardin asked as both he and his new multi-colored friend chowed down on some sweet delectables.
Their journey through the dance floor ended at a pair of half-closed doors, Roman glanced at Cardin and Neo who seemed to understand what he was trying to convey through his eyes.
Each member atop the table, except for Weiss, grabbed a heavy piece of silverware and swung them the moment their cart collided with the doors. Through the wooden obstacle, Roman and Cardin laughed as they skidded into the courtyard and came to a slow stop at the end of the stone pathway.
"You three are complete buffoons! My father will make sure you're never invited to another one of our family's parties ever again!" Weiss fumed as she stumbled off the rickety cart.
"Aw, come on, don't be like that." Roman chuckled with a smirk. "You gotta admit that spending time with us was a lot more exciting than listening to your father's future business plans."
"I'd definitely take a creampuff over a long-winded lecture any day." Cardin agreed as did Neo who nodded in the positive.
"Besides, we're all friends now, aren't we?" The young Winchester's words earned him three tilted heads.
"What?" Cardin asked in slight worry. "My dad always tells me that friends are people you have adventures with, and my mom says it's important to make connections with the right people. So doesn't that make us friends?"
The three before him shared uncertain glances. That is until Cardin put an open hand between them with a genuine smile.
"Come on, it's just like in the book; Sora the warrior of the sea! We just put our hands in a circle like this and shake!"
A grin from Roman and a giggle from Neo, the children of the RDI accepted Cardin's proposal and then turned their attention to a fidgeting Schnee.
"Weiss?" Cardin asked with a questionable look.
Her glare lessened at the uneasy pressure directed toward her, Weiss felt a strange sensation heat up in her chest. She was accustomed to making connections, at least the ones her father approved of, but none of those children had ever asked for her friendship in such a manner. It was strange really, as while Weiss wanted to deny the excitement of getting involved with these three rebels, the smiles they showed her seemed to brush whatever scrutiny she had about these 'lesser nobles', or at least that's how her father put it.
"F-Fine..." The Schnee relented. "But I'm only doing this because I have to keep you three in line!"
"We'll see if you're still saying that in the next decade." Roman laughed as did Cardin. Neo opted to just giggle silently.
So, with a clap and a shake, a new circle of friendship was formed between the most contrasting of backgrounds. Yet... perhaps in the coming years, they'd find that their friendship was much more valuable than they first assumed.