Chapter 2: My Sister is Acting Strange

Magdalena 1st year Royal Academy

My sister was acting strange. Well, I amended to myself, she was stranger than usual. As a child people had often whispered that she had been born with Angriff's hand upon her, that she should have been born a boy. She absorbed anything that had to do with fighting and a body's movement more swiftly than the rivers of Dunkelfelger rushed. A vicious fighter with instincts that bordered on animalistic, but that sharp tongue of hers cut by far the deepest. Despite these things, my twin had very little interest in men or boys around. Teach them, direct them, beat them to a bloody mess, but interested in them? No. So, it had thrown me and brother Werdecraft when she had brazenly teased the delicate looking Ehrenfest archduke candidate.

Even Minerva's presumed fiancé had taken more time to catch her interest. Another oddity I would consider at another time. What he thought of her display I couldn't even begin to fathom. Even now he stood at her back while she sipped tea under my gaze. My dear sister had a smile playing on her lips as I watched her. The very same one she wore whenever I was scolding her. She was amused by my constant lectures about her brashness, but there was also a strange wistfulness about it that I never understood.

"Sister." I copied the put-upon tone that our mother always used.

"Yes, sister?"

It was strange to see my own face smiling so mischievously back at me. "What were you thinking bullying such a low-ranking duchy?" My words caused her to tilt her head. Times like this she reminded me of some of the birds of prey found in the forests of our home duchy. Her nails even clinked against the tea cup as her expression became thoughtful. A habit I hoped she would drop.

"I was not bullying him."

"You basically threatened him."

She chuckled completely unrepentant. "And he did not back down from the challenge while also being supremely polite."

"He was by no means polite." He had in fact been very rude to his superiors, something me and our brother would have censored him for if Minerva hadn't been the one to behave poorly first. "Though his noble mask was impressive. Most boys wilt under your… presences." I had to give him credit here. My sister had a tendency to plow through lesser more timid men, and that boy had looked like he would run if sister had so much as snarled at him. This thought again drew my gaze to her fiancé. He was lean and tall. Emerald colored hair tied back into a tail and the brightest of orange eyes made him somewhat striking. Most surprising he was no knight. Oh, he could fight, all Dunkelfelger men could, but his first and only choice of career path had been a scholar, for my sister no less. Perhaps that was my sister's type?

"He will be a good opponent for Dunkelfelger."

I took a deep breath and released it through my nose. That glint in her eyes. It did not bode well for me or my plans here. Not to mention the poor Ehrenfest boy. "What makes you say that?"

She shrugged carelessly. "A feeling. Perhaps the Gods are whispering in my ear."

I snorted very un-lady-like. My sister's influence on me to be sure. "Are you going give up on your bride tasks?" Her fiancé didn't even bat an eye at my comment. But my sister's soft laugh was even more surprising.

"Nothing in this world could make me give up on my task." The words were spoken lightly, but there was a fire in her eyes that was almost uncomfortable in its intensity.

Thanks to the fact that Peter was an archnoble who wanted to be a scholar our father had been unwilling to allow the engagement. So, my sister had followed the long standing Dunkelfelger tradition and threatened Peter at knife point for a task to be completed. The task in question was that she had to win every duel she was challenged to from that point until their final year at the Royal Academy. And at the very end he would have duel with her to prove to our father that he was worthy to stand beside her. So far, my sister had not failed. It was while I was musing over this that I realized I missed what my sister had said.

"Could you repeat that?"

Again, she smiled at me. "I said, what about you? Are you going to ask the prince for a bride task?"

I fought the warmth that rushed to my cheeks. A futile attempt to prevent Geduldh's color from touching my cheeks. My sister had the decency to stare into her cup and not grin as she waited for my response. "I'm not sure what you mean."

"Don't play coy with me, Maggie." I cringed at her use of that name. "I saw you glancing at the royal table. Nothing to be ashamed of. He is quite handsome." She watched me very carefully, so I knew lying would be unwise and would likely result in more teasing. But telling her that Bluanfa had indeed begun her whirling dance was also not an option. My sister might want to 'help'.

"I do not have plans at the moment." Gods curse her for being more observant than most. I had even tried to make it look like I was looking at those giving their greetings rather than the handsome young man on the dais.

"Hmm, well as always if you need my assistance, you need only ask."

I knew it. It was a touching offer, really. My sister was undyingly loyal, but she also was incredibly brash and impulsive. Though she hid it well, I noticed that those who tried to trip me up often wound-up meeting unfortunate accidents. Nothing lethal, but always highly visible and very embarrassing. Even our brother was not immune to this. He had done something to slight me and the next day he had several dark welts after training when he came to apologize to me. Minerva had been there shrugged when I asked about our brother's change of heart. Then she said the strangest thing.

'His mouth wrote a (*check*) his sword couldn't cash.'

She had explained it meant that he had been rude to someone of equal status and his sword skills had not been enough to protect himself from the repercussions. Her smile was enough to make me realize she had done it for me. But that kind of way of doing things also got her into a lot of trouble and created a lot of enemies. Especially with brother's retinue.

"I appreciate that sister, but as I said, I have no plans." I had the strangest feeling that I had forgotten something.