Day 1 Following the Return From Gallia
—
This must be the place, Aly thought as she gave a scrutinizing, scrunched look of mild disgust at the sign above the entrance of the establishment before her that she could read, in the orange light of dusk, "The Charming Fairies Inn".
She had heard about this place, vaguely. Who couldn't in the capitol? She shook her head as she stepped inside, hearing sounds of lecherous revelry all around her as she did. As she scanned the room, the disgusted look on her face remained in place while she watched the various men being playfully doted on by scantily-clad young women.
"Hello! Welcome to the Charming Fairies! How can we serve you?" One of the women, a curly-haired blonde who was a little too exuberant for Aly's taste, greeted her.
Giving her a furrowed-brow look, Aly produced the paper that Julien had given her and handed it to the girl, who took a moment to look it over before raising her eyebrows in realization.
"Oh! You must be here for the mademoiselle!" The girl chirped, once again making Aly cringe at her chipper demeanor as she nodded. "Not very talkative, are you?" The woman teased with a smirk and wink.
"Should I be?" Aly asked, incredulous.
"Here at the Charming Fairies, it's all about the party! Don't be a party pooper now!" The woman playfully chastised her, with Aly feeling more of an emphasis on the chastising.
"Just take me to her, please," Aly requested, exasperated.
"If you insist! May I tell the mademoiselle who's calling?"
"Just tell her a friend of Julien's," Aly said with an irritated sigh.
"Oh! You know Julien? Have you seen him? How is he?" The woman asked in a rapidfire manner with a new kind of excitement in her voice.
"I've seen him, yes, he seems fine," Ally answered, unsure.
"Ah, he must be growing into a fine young man if his sister is anything to go by," the woman blushed.
Aly wrinkled her nose in simultaneous confusion and disgust.
What the hell kind of place did you send me to? Aly thought disdainfully towards Julien.
After a moment of the woman visibly daydreaming, she appeared to snap out of it as her eyes flew open and she looked at Aly.
"Oh! Right, the mademoiselle. One moment!" The woman brightly said as she turned to leave.
Aly, meanwhile, looked around herself for a place to sit, finding an empty chair that she placed herself in.
"Hey, paying customers only, chica," another woman said to her, this one much surlier in both tone and appearance, with straight black hair and a more melanated, olive skin tone, as she scowled down at her with her cold, piercing blue eyes, over and under one of which was a massive scar that went from above her brow to near her jaw. The effect of her surliness was lessened, to Aly, by the fact she was dressed in the same frilly, skimpy "maid" outfit.
"I'm just waiting on the 'mademoiselle', I won't be here long," Aly retorted as she crossed her legs over and looked up to the woman, raising an eyebrow.
"Traviesa, eh?" the woman said as she gave a smirk and chuckle before leaning down close to her, "Maybe I should make an example of you…"
"You're welcome to try…" Aly matched her flirtatious energy as they shared a coy smirk.
"Reina!" a masculine-sounding voice in a much higher register called out, causing Aly to turn and look at what looked, to her, to be a huge, muscled man in a crop top and wearing skintight short shorts that left very little, if anything, to the imagination. With a face that was amazingly made up in a way that complimented his chiseled features.
Aly was unfazed. After everything else she'd experienced, nothing fazed her anymore.
This man approached the table Aly was sitting at, giving a raised-brow look at the woman standing over Aly that she surmised was this "Reina".
"Being rude to the guests again? I hope she requested it, this time," the man asked, his ever-pouty lips forming into a small smirk.
Reina smirked back at him, "I've yet to see this 'guest' order anything. She just walked in and took a seat. Looks like a real traviesa, if you ask me."
Reina briefly directed her smirking gaze down at Aly.
"She is a personal guest of mine, Miss Reina," the man coolly replied.
Reina raised both her brows. "Oh, well, lo siento, señora."
Reina bowed her head to Aly, who nodded at her, before inclining her head to the man.
"Disculpame, mademoiselle." Reina took one, coquettish, last look at Aly before walking away to serve another table, while Aly was left alone with this man who turned to look at her with a friendly smile.
"So, Julien's friend, eh?" the Mademoiselle said in an amused tone. "Mademoiselle Scarron, at your service." the man did a curtsy that caused Aly to raise an eyebrow. "Come, we'll talk in my office, oui?"
Aly nodded as she followed him back into a small office lit by a single, small window and warmed by a dwindling fire. He leaned against his desk that had what looked like a carafe of wine and some glasses upon it, crossing his toned, smooth legs while Aly stood, staring at him nonchalantly.
"You don't seem so shocked by me," Scarron observed.
"I've seen too much for this to make me uncomfortable," Aly said.
"You really are Julien's friend, I see," Scarron crossed his arms. "What do you think of this place?"
"I don't see how that-."
"Humor this mademoiselle, would you?"
"I… it's lively. Garish. Debauched," Aly said frankly.
"I'll have you know nothing untoward happens here," Scarron raised a finger.
Aly raised an eyebrow, "I find that hard to believe with how much flirting I heard around me… and directed at me."
"Oui, but that is because men are easy pigs, non? And the ones that come here have nice, fat wallets," Scarron gave her a knowing look, "I think you know this."
Aly smirked, immediately warming up to this place and the man before her, "Indeed."
"Now that we have a rapport," Scarron said as they turned to pour the wine into the two glasses, offering her one, "let's get to know each other. So I know who my nephew has sent this way."
Aly gave an amused chuckle, "Alright. Why not?"
She took a sip of wine as she took a seat in one of the two chairs that faced the desk, placing her feet upon it and scanning Scarron for a reaction that never came.
"I'm from Hunspach, right near the Germanian border," she stopped to look, again, for a reaction. Only finding an imploring look.
"When my brother got conscripted for the battle at Tarbes, I disguised myself as a man and took his place." Aly took another gulp of wine as her countenance became solemn. "I saw some pretty messed up things there. Things no one should see. Let alone a kid like Julien or me…" Her voice trailed off. "If it weren't for that soldier who threw themself atop us we would've…"
She stared in silent contemplation, shuddering at the thought.
The fire that had been quietly burning low within her now grew back into its blaze of hate and passion as she recalled this, and she scowled up at Scarron. "So I knew, from that day on, I was gonna do anything it took to burn down the whole damn system that did this to me. To us."
She saw Scarron give a sympathetic look that left her feeling disarmed. They placed their glass on the desk and crossed their arms again as they looked down at them.
"As you should."
Aly raised her eyebrows and blinked in disbelief. Wasn't this one of the Queen's lapdogs? Her people were always coming and going from here.
"This system you wish to destroy, it reaches much farther than you think, mon ami," Scarron began to explain.
"Yeah, Julien said the same thing…"
"Did you forget? The Queen was there beside you when that happened," Scarron gently admonished her, "She has just as much reason to burn it all down."
Aly narrowed her eyes, "No, that would go against her interests to stay in power."
"Who said she wanted it?"
"What's wrong with you? Think she's gonna descend from on high and bless you with a taste of her status for defending her?" Aly rebuked as she stood up, scowling up at Scarron, "Oh right," Aly said with a wry smirk, "you're one of her close sycophants. She already got to you."
Scarron narrowed their eyes at her in a withering scowl, "There are so much bigger things at play here than Kings and Queens. The Jacobins have blinded you with their talk of 'freedom' and 'liberty'. Freedom and liberty to do what? Starve and die while they carve up land they've never seen to siphon our lives away?"
Scarron shook their head. "The true face of the Jacobins is the aristocrats who wish to seize power from the Queen to create their own fiefdoms. And they're using you to do it."
"That's not-!"
"Tell me. What have your targets been?" Scarron asked.
Aly both could not and would not answer.
"Public construction sites. Public food storage. Public housing," Scarron answered for her.
"People need to be freed from these things that are only meant to lull them into obedience!"
"Non, people are dying because the aristocrats wish to target the resources the Queen is trying to give to the people, while her royal court works against her to sabotage it all. Using you to do it." Scarron's accusation and withering gaze made Aly falter.
She could feel the edges of her programming by the Jacobins begin to be picked at, causing her to shake her head and steel her resolve.
"All paid for with those exorbitant taxes! The people are already suffering and the Queen keeps demanding more and more payment from them! And when they can't pay? They become slaves in prison! Is that the mark of a benevolent leader?"
"You think she, alone, is collecting these taxes? She has been fighting to lower or be rid of them for the commoners while raising them on the rich."
"You're lying! It was HER choice!"
"Oh? Have you asked her?"
"Why? So she can lie to me?"
"Can you not tell truth from lies?" Scarron goaded. "You will get the chance to meet her. IF," Scarron raised a finger, "you can promise you'll listen to her with an open mind."
Aly was unsure how to respond to this. To get a personal audience with the Queen was something that could fulfill her goals as a Jacobin. At the same time… if this Queen was really as much of a silver-tongued devil as her seniors in the organization always warned her, she may be infected with the same loyalist thinking that this person before her was spouting. That or she'd be captured and tortured. In the end, deciding she had nothing to lose, she gave a defeated sigh.
"Fine," Aly said, "just tell me when and where."
Day 2
—
It was a pleasant, temperate spring day. Louise and Siesta had been taking time to relax at the Sasaki household, enjoying the hospitality and warmth. While there, Siesta felt it prudent to tutor Juliette on her burgeoning psionic powers. Especially after the display she witnessed when they lashed out. Sitting beside each other in the grass beside the house, Juliette was focusing intently on a small rock before her that Siesta had picked as a target.
"You're doing very good, Juliette, but don't push it too hard," Siesta gently advised as she watched Juliette's scrunched face and felt her building frustration.
Juliette audibly strained as her face turned red with effort before, finally, releasing a breath and crossing her arms, pouting. "It's too hard, Mama Siesta… I just can't do it…"
Siesta reached over and took one of Juliette's hands, giving her a reassuring look as she did. "I know you can, Juliette. I struggled exactly like you did when I was first learning. Try to remember… it's more important to relax than focus. Feel your surroundings. Psionics…" Siesta's voice trailed off as she tried to recall Zeratul's teachings and how best to translate them to a child, "Well… look at the way the grass moves. Or the trees or flowers. Do you know what moves them?"
"Wind?" Juliette asked, confused.
"Yes!" Siesta responded, excited, "But it's more than that. It's… a lot to explain. But, still, yes, wind makes them move. As does anything that touches them. Like bugs, or your feet as you run through them, yes?"
Juliette nodded, still looking confused.
"So… psionics are… just like wind. Or hands. Yes. Think of it like hands or feet that you have that can reach out and touch things. You didn't always know how to walk or use a fork, right?"
Realization began manifesting on the blue-haired girl's face as she heard this, causing Siesta to give her an encouraging look.
"I can tell you're getting it! That makes me proud," Siesta praised the girl, making her give a wide grin. "So… the first time you use them on your own? It will be hard. Because they've never been used by you. Not in any way you controlled. You remember what happened that night? With the bad man on the roof?"
Juliette's gaze fell, "It was scary…"
"I know. The same thing happened to me a long time ago," Siesta reassured her as she reached out to pet Juliette's head. "That's why I'm trying to teach you. You wouldn't want that to happen again to someone like Trin or Gramma if you get angry or scared around them, right?"
Juliette sheepishly shook her head.
"Hey," Siesta said as she took Juliette in a warm embrace, "You're not in trouble. You're a good girl, and we love you. I love you." Siesta could feel Juliette's hands clench on her clothes. They stayed embraced like that for a small moment before Siesta broke them apart, looking down and sharing a gentle, warm expression with each other.
"When something moves, it's called 'cause and effect'. I push my hand against this rock," Siesta said as she reached out to the rock they were using as their target and pushed it a little against it, causing it to move slightly away from them, "and it moves. That's 'cause and effect'. Nothing moves without something else moving it."
Juliette slowly nodded at this. Siesta could feel she was still a bit confused, but the confusion was tempered with a burgeoning understanding that gave her confidence in her little apprentice.
"So…" Siesta said as she pointed to the rock, "I want you to try again, but this time… try to close your eyes. Don't think too much about it. Listen to the wind in the trees. Feel it on your skin. Think of the rock, and of reaching out with your own hands to pick it up."
Juliette slowly closed her eyes, instinctively taking a deep breath as she did.
"Very good, I forgot to mention the breathing," Siesta tittered. "Try to keep it even."
"Quiet, mama!" Juliette hissed, causing Siesta to be both taken aback and amused while looking at the rock before them.
Maybe it's too big? It's bigger than the first one I moved… Siesta wondered.
"Shh!" Juliette once again shushed her. Siesta stifled a giggle as she tried to clear her thoughts.
After a few moments… she saw it. The rock had shifted, if only slightly. But it was enough to know. She did it. Siesta elected to stay quiet to see where this would go as her mouth stretched with a grin of excitement that the little blue-haired girl couldn't see.
Siesta's choice of silence proved to be a wise decision as the rock's jiggling became more apparent before it began rising into the air. Siesta stifled a gasp, wishing so badly that she could rouse Juliette from her closed-eye concentration but also still wanting to see how far this would go.
Her patience was well rewarded as, with a crack that indicated it was launched with the velocity of a bullet, the stone was shot into a tree, forming a splintered crater where it impacted. Siesta, after a moment of gawking at this incredible display of power, turned to Juliette, whose eyes had shot open and were fixed forward, wide with shock.
"That was…" Siesta began, "incredible!" Immediately she took the girl into a tight embrace, beaming as she did.
Juliette, in response, started giggling with joy, "I did it, Mama Siesta! Did you see?"
"Yes! It was amazing! You did so good! Even better than I did my first time!" Siesta praised her. A moment later, their moment was interrupted by the sound of pounding footsteps on grass approaching, which were revealed to come from Louise, who was looking terrified as she stared down at the two.
"What was that?! Are you both okay?" Louise immediately demanded as she ran to the two of them and began looking them over.
"Yes," Siesta confirmed with a wide smile, "we're great!"
"Yeah Mama Louise! I used my psionics!" Juliette exclaimed, carefully pronouncing the last word as she did.
"Oh!" Louise exclaimed as she breathed a sigh of relief.
"Hey! What was that?"
"Are we being attacked again?!"
"Is sis Louise okay?!"
These comments came from Julien, Jean, and Ellie, respectively as they came running out of the house behind Louise to look at the trio with wide-eyed concern.
"Yes, yes, sorry about scaring everyone like that," Siesta said with an awkward, sheepish laugh. "I was just teaching Juliette how to use her psionics."
"Whoa, really? That's so cool!" Jean exclaimed with stars in his eyes as he looked down to a proud-looking Juliette.
Juliette puffed out her chest and gave a haughty, smug look, "That's right! So you better be nice to me or I'll beat you up just like Mama Siesta does to bad guys!"
"Now, now, Juliette, there's no reason to be like that," Siesta gently chastised Juliette, causing her to look slightly deflated. Siesta then turned to her siblings, giving them a raised-brow look, "I hope none of you are bullying her."
"What? Of course not! She's annoying sometimes and sometimes we pull pranks but we love her," Ellie swore.
"And Juliette," Siesta said as she gave Juliette a serious look, "make sure you don't use your powers to hurt people. Especially not your family. What I taught you is so you don't accidentally hurt people. Understand?" Juliette nodded, turning sheepishly red. "Aw, it's okay. You didn't do anything wrong, I promise. And I trust you'll be a good girl." Siesta pulled Juliette into another warm embrace that was swiftly reciprocated.
"Well if everything's alright, maybe you should come in soon, your mom said she needs help with dinner," Louise informed.
"Oh! I'll be right in, then," Siesta said, finally standing up and taking Juliette's hand to go back inside.
Day 3
—
Out behind the Sasaki house, Siesta was working on the Sky Fury. While it was still not in the best shape, her progress, with the help of her Gandalfr powers, was good. The machine was currently in fighter mode as Siesta was working on it, and she was inspecting the manifolds on one of the wings when a certain, pink flash appeared above her.
"Boo!" Louise exclaimed, causing Siesta to yelp and fall to the ground.
"Louise! You scared me!" Siesta cried out, pouting.
She'd only had that power for a few days and had already found a way to finally get back at her for all the previous teasing from when they first met.
Louise gave a cheeky giggle, "It never stops being funny. And the face you make is just too cute to resist!" She hopped down and reached a hand out to Siesta.
Siesta, still pouting, reached up and took it as Louise helped her to her feet, still giving a cheeky smile. After a moment, Siesta sighed in defeat as she gave a small half-smile to her wife and placed a hand upon her face.
"Well, as long as you're smiling, I don't mind," Siesta said as she kissed her, suddenly noticing that she didn't have to lean down as far as she used to and, once she pulled away (while still keeping her arms around her), gave Louise a look over.
"What?" Louise asked, suddenly feeling anxious at this scrutiny.
"I think you've gotten taller, darling!" Siesta commented, causing Louise to look down. She'd been so used to being stuck in a perpetually-petite body that she hardly noticed that her skirt was no longer reaching past her knees but was just above them.
"Oh, yeah… didn't even notice," Louise chuckled.
"Oh my, I hope I'm not interrupting anything," a familiar voice startled the couple as she whipped their heads over to an approaching Henrietta, with a familiar couple of black, folded cloaks in her hands. She was also flanked, as always, now, by the Adept assigned to her, Atindrias.
"Oh," Siesta said as her face fell into a frown. "What are you here for?"
Henrietta winced at that response. "I came here to return these to you two."
Both Siesta and Louise raised their eyebrows, which prompted Henrietta to continue.
"And to give an explanation of my actions."
The trio stood in silence for a moment before Siesta crossed her arms, "We're listening."
Henrietta nodded with visible gratitude, "You see… I could not risk publicly condoning your actions. But… I always did support them," Henrietta began, "the walls are closing in around me, and my enemies are taking any and all opportunities to discredit me in their bid to seize power. So… Agnes and I came up with a plan. When I initially ordered Fouquet to be taken into custody and you and Louise and Guiche not to go to Gallia? I was buying time for Agnes and I to come up with a way for you all to go, anyways."
Siesta and Louise were awash with visible disbelief.
"I understand your trepidation. And, in truth, I was truly scared to let you go for my own selfish reasons," Henrietta admitted, looking uncharacteristically ashamed, "but… I also know you two. And what you're capable of. And I trusted you would bring our loyal friend home. It was by pure luck that Colbert decided to bring his invention to the capital, and Agnes and I knew it would be the perfect smokescreen. So… I made sure that my orders seemed logical enough with telling the border guards to be on the lookout for you and having Agnes chase the Ostland, and just… prayed that my faith would be rewarded." Henrietta gave both of them a wide smile, "And now… here you two are. Victorious and unharmed. Just as I hoped."
Siesta and Louise were momentarily visibly stunned by this before they each smirked and shook their heads.
"I guess I shouldn't have underestimated your cunning, Queen," Louise said.
"Yeah, you really did have us fooled," Siesta chuckled.
"I'm glad! Otherwise it wouldn't have worked!" Henrietta laughed. Once their mirth had subsided, Henrietta held out the cloaks to the two of them once more. "So… I hope you will do me the honor of reclaiming your noble status. Both of you."
Siesta and Louise looked at each other. A moment after their gaze met, they shared smiles and nods before reaching to take their respective cloaks and affix them to themselves.
"Oh!" Henrietta exclaimed as she once again produced the badge that was supposed to go with Siesta's, "And, of course, you can't forget this." Henrietta stepped forward and pinned the badge to Siesta's cloak. Once again suspiciously letting her touch linger on her, causing Louise's eyes to narrow.
Maybe it wasn't ALL a lie… Louise thought, provoking Siesta to turn her head slightly towards Louise.
"That's not all," Henrietta said, interrupting both of their thoughts. "I have also come to offer you, Lady Sasaki, land and a manor. It's only fitting for a noble to have a place to call their own after all."
Louise immediately got a starry-eyed look, while Siesta simply looked overwhelmed.
"T-that's, well, it's very… uh…" Siesta stuttered.
"That is very generous of you, my Queen! We gladly accept!" Louise interjected, much to Siesta's surprise.
"I'm so happy! I'll send you the details in the mail later but, suffice it to say, I hope you will be happy with your new home, Ladies Sasaki and Valliere!" Henrietta took a bow before them before turning to leave the still-stunned Siesta and beaming Louise, whose expression faltered upon looking at her wife.
"Hey, what's wrong? You don't just have a title, you have a home and land now! You're a proper noble! Aren't you excited?" Louise asked, concerned.
"I-I mean… yes?" Siesta answered, unsure. "It's just… it was so sudden. I never thought this would ever happen in my life so I never planned for it, you know?" Siesta awkwardly admitted.
"I think I understand," Louise said as she took her wife's hand and gave her a reassuring smile. "But, hey, at least you won't be facing this alone, right? I'll be there, and so will our friends, to help you adjust every step of the way."
Siesta smiled back at her before sharing another kiss with her wife, feeling much more reassured as she did.
"Hey, Louise!" Lucy called out from the back door, causing both of them to be startled once more as they turned to the Mother Sasaki. "There's a letter for you here!"
Louise raised an eyebrow. Who could possibly be sending her mail here?
Day 4
—
The girls did not sleep well last night. The contents of the envelope weighed heavy on them as they traveled back to the academy for what they now knew was the last time. When Louise had opened that letter, she immediately let out an involuntary, horrified shriek before she had to be supported by Siesta to stop her from falling over from shock.
She had been expelled.
Perhaps it should have come as no surprise. They spent almost all their time gallivanting about on adventures and tasks rather than her actually going to classes.
And yet…
Since that moment, Louise, after a fit of wild sobbing, was quiet. Dead-eyed. Siesta did her best to comfort her, but found her wife almost totally unresponsive to anything. When she tried to listen to her thoughts, the only words she could hear were variations of two questions: What do I do? What now?
While Louise did not outright reject Siesta's affections as she still returned her embraces and held her hand when prompted, it seemed as though she were merely going through instinctual motions. Not really present.
When they had arrived at the academy, Siesta stepped out first. She turned to see Louise frozen in place, staring at the carriage floor. Siesta went to the other side and opened the door for her, taking her hand in her own.
"We're here, darling," Siesta said, her voice heavy with concern for her wife's distress.
Thankfully, with her prompting, Louise stirred and looked down at Siesta, her eyes still looking mostly dead as she did. Still, Louise squeezed on Siesta's hand just enough to get a steady grip to leave the carriage and slowly stepped out of it, seeming to wobble as she did. They both looked at the academy entrance, and, with Siesta leading the way with Louise's hand in her own, stepped forward.
As they walked, Siesta paused to look at the magnolia tree where they first met, feeling a brief wave of nostalgia wash over her. She looked over at Louise, who was still staring blankly ahead. Siesta, feeling that she should not disturb her for this, kept walking carefully forward, into the dormitory tower where Louise's room was. Each step felt like agony for the both of them, each filled with dread at having this chapter of their lives forcibly ended.
Finally, they were before Louise's old room. Siesta reached forward to try the doorknob, finding it locked. She turned to Louise, giving her an expectant look. Louise, in response, produced the key to her room and tried it, finding herself unable to turn it.
"They changed the lock…" Louise mumbled in a broken, hitched voice.
Siesta knew she had to take her wife into her arms as Louise's sobs returned. Siesta gently stroked her wife's hair as she held her close.
"Louise…" a familiar, sympathetic voice said behind them.
They turned to see the familiar visages of Kirche and Tabitha. Holding hands.
"I'm… so sorry. I just heard…" Kirche said as she stepped forward, letting go of Tabitha's hand as she opened her arms to offer comfort. Louise, upon seeing this, let go of Siesta and fell into Kirche, still sobbing as she did. Tabitha, too, wrapped themself around the two, while Siesta looked on, feeling helpless to comfort her wife.
That was, until she thought of something.
"Can you…" Siesta began, causing Kirche and Tabitha to look at her, "Can you get the door open with magic?" Without hesitating, Tabitha raised their staff, pointing it to the locked door.
"Binding of the lock: Undo," Tabitha ordered, causing everyone to hear a small click that indicated success.
Siesta gave them a small smile, which they returned with a nod while Siesta opened the door.
Louise's sobs became interrupted as she turned to look into the now-barren room. Save for one thing that caused the pinkette to immediately break from Kirche upon her seeing it. She marched into the room and fell to her knees before it while Siesta gave a grateful nod to Kirche and Tabitha as they took their leave.
Louise gingerly picked it up, the orb-shaped, singed, stuffed raven that Siesta had gotten for her. The pink-haired girl held it close, her sobs now just a gentle stream of tears as she held the doll. So focused was she on this, that she did not notice the second thing that had been left there, the khaydarin necklace gifted to her by Karax, which Siesta picked up as she rubbed her wife's back.
"Looks like the chickens finally came home to roost, brat," Eleonore's voice sternly chided Louise, causing them both to whip around at her.
"What are you doing here?" Siesta practically snarled at her as she stood up and scowled at her.
"Listen," Eleonore continued, ignoring Siesta, "I am here as a courtesy to you. As your blood sister."
Louise began turning around, still on her knees, towards her elder sister, giving her a teary, broken look that made Eleonore visibly wince.
"What's going on? Why did you say it like that?" Louise desperately asked.
"I…" Eleonore hesitated, her scowling face now riddled with pity for Louise. After a moment, she took a deep breath to steel herself before scowling down at Louise once more.
"Louise," Eleonore announced in a stern tone, "your antics have brought more than enough shame down upon the Valliere name. So, henceforth," she once again seemed to hesitate to say the next words, causing Louise and Siesta to look at her with bated breath, "you are no longer a Valliere."
The shock of this statement caused Louise to choke on her gasp and begin coughing wildly. Once she had finally recovered enough, she gave her former sister a pleading look, "No… you can't mean…"
"It's done," Eleonore plainly announced.
Louise once again broke down into a howling crying fit as she squeezed on the doll in her arms. Once again, Eleonore's face faltered at seeing this, causing her to give Louise another sympathetic look as it looked like tears were beginning to form in her own eyes.
"Louise… I'm…" Eleonore's voice trailed off, hesitant from shame. "I'm sorry…"
Siesta marched up to Eleonore, glaring at her as she did, causing the blonde woman to go wide-eyed with fear.
"How can you do this to her?!" Siesta screamed at her, "She's your sister! She's your family!"
"It wasn't up to me!" Eleonore shouted defensively, now, herself, crying.
"But you're here supporting it!" Siesta shouted back.
"I tried!" Eleonore shouted, her voice quavering with desperation, "I tried! Okay?! I tried to convince them not to do this!"
"Obviously it wasn't good enough…" Siesta growled, "just like you always made her feel."
Before their back and forth could continue, they both noticed that the room had gone oddly quiet, causing them both to turn to Louise, who once again looked dead in her eyes,
"Where's Chii?" Louise asked, monotone.
"She's…" Eleonore hesitated to answer, taking a moment to muster up the courage to tell the truth, "She's not doing well…"
Louise's eyes went wide with panic as she gave her sister a pleading look, "Please. I need to see her. At least one more time. Please."
"That's just not possible," Eleonore shook her head.
"Well make it possible! I have the right to! And if you won't help me…" Louise now began growling as her face became contorted in determined rage, "then we'll make it possible. Won't we, Siesta?"
Siesta immediately nodded, "Yes! You can't stop both of us!"
"And what will you do? Huh, brat?!" Eleonore shouted, matching Louise's wrathful gaze. "Will you fight your way to her? Cut down every servant between you and her? Kill our parents? If that's what it takes?!"
"That's-!"
"A noble's pride," Eleonore interrupted a stunned Louise, "Something I know you've forgotten. Not that it's relevant, anymore, since you no longer are one."
Louise was not sure how to respond, instead opting for horrified silence at the sudden deluge of information and events.
"We'll find a way," Siesta said, walking back over to Louise and placing a hand on her shoulder while furrowing her brow at Eleonore, "no matter what."
Eleonore sighed as her expression softened, "I know. But I'll pretend I didn't hear that."
The girls needed a moment to try and process what she had said.
"What do you mean?" Louise finally asked, upon finding no answers within herself.
"Louise…" Eleonore began, her face now awash with sympathy as she stepped forward, "Regardless of what's happened… and what you think of me… especially now… I… I want you to know… I did love you. I do love you…" Eleonore said in a small, sincere tone that disarmed both girls before her.
With tears in her eyes, she continued, "From the moment you were born… I always felt you needed a firm hand to guide you. To protect you. To toughen you up. But I was wrong. Then… when I got older? The pressure from our parents got to me… and I… made you a scapegoat," Eleonore admitted, tears streaming down her face and looking deeply ashamed, "I'm sorry." Eleonore said as she wiped her eyes on each of her sleeves, "You deserved better. So much better."
The room, save for Eleonore's gentle, guilt-ridden sobs, remained quiet for what felt like an eternity. After a time, Louise's expression, first in shocked sympathy, became dead once more as she buried her head in the raven in her arms.
"You're right," Louise said in a monotone voice, "I did."
Louise finally stood up as she walked over to the window, staring out of it. "But it's too late now."
"Louise…" Eleonore pleaded.
"Just leave," at this, Louise turned and gave a withering scowl to Eleonore, "Even before I came here and got called it? You always treated me like a zero."
Eleonore seemed to have no more words. Instead she stared, wide-eyed and mouth agape, at her disowned sister glaring at her. Realizing there was nothing more to be said, she gave Louise one, last, apologetic look before casting her gaze to the floor and turning to leave the room. Now left alone with the raven, necklace, and the small amount of Siesta's clothes stuffed haphazardly into a sack, Louise looked to Siesta, her scowl now becoming a desperate look.
"Siesta," her voice hitched, interrupting her and causing her wife to quickly step forward and embrace her, "What am I gonna do?" Louise could feel the tears returning as the weight of her loss began to fully impact her.
"We'll get to Cattleya, don't worry," Siesta cooed with reassurance into Louise's ear as she gently stroked her hair.
"But after… then what? I won't be there if she gets worse. I won't be there if she-." Once again Louise cut herself off as her labored breathing betrayed she'd fallen into a spiral.
"Hey," Siesta said, pushing them apart as she gave her wife a look of conviction, "Don't think about that now. We've faced far worse than this. And not alone. You don't just have me. You have Kirche, Tabitha, Agnes, Tiffa, Zeratul… You're an executor for Founder's sake!" Siesta fervently informed her, "Louise, there's nothing you and your new family can't do. And there's especially nothing we wouldn't do for you."
A broken grin and giggle came from Louise as she wiped her tears, "I love you. So much."
Siesta placed her hand on Louise's face before pulling her into a tender kiss, "I love you too."
They shared a blush as they held each others' gaze, each of their hearts calming the other's. Siesta kissed her wife's forehead before giving her reassuring gaze, "Don't worry. Soon we'll have a place to call our own."
As they were leaving the dormitory tower, with Louise still clinging tightly to the raven whilst Siesta carried the necklace and her bag of clothes, Siesta once again spied the tree under which they had first met.
"Hey," Siesta began, causing Louise to give her a bleary look through her puffy eyes, "I have an idea, c'mon."
Louise's lingering sadness was now being eaten away at by curiosity as she followed her wife to the kitchens. Within, they saw it sparsely populated with Siesta feeling a pang of sadness at not seeing Marteau, and hoping that he was alright.
"Oh, Siesta!" one of the various prep cooks, a young man that looked a few years older than her with pastel pink and blue hair and a thin, gangly body, said as he stepped up, wiping his hands of the dishwater he was working with as he did.
"It's good to see you. Alive, that is," the man chuckled. Siesta gave him a confused, sheepish smile in return.
"Sorry, you have me at a loss," Siesta admitted.
"Oh! Right, we've never met, I'm Ed, nice to meet you," the lanky, pale man said as he reached a hand out to Siesta, who gently shook it. "Even if you don't know me, you're kind of a legend around here, if you catch my meaning."
"Really?" Siesta stuttered with another awkward laugh.
"Of course! The maid who can put nobles in their place? It's the stuff commoner folktales are made of!" Ed confirmed with a hearty laugh as he clapped his hand on Siesta's shoulder, causing her to wince. "So, what can we do for you?"
"Well," Siesta began as Ed pulled his hand away and she gingerly rubbed her shoulder, "I was hoping to borrow the stove for a bit, if you don't mind."
"Really? I mean, help yourself. The academy's everything but shut down at this point so it's not like you'd be interfering," Ed replied.
"I appreciate it, Ed," Siesta thanked as she inclined her head to him respectfully.
"Ah, don't mention it. Just… promise to wash your own dishes after? I'm sick of them for the day," Ed chuckled.
"Of course," Siesta confirmed with a nod before Ed returned to the remaining dishes he was cleaning. Siesta turned to look at Louise, still tightly embracing the raven and looking more lost than heartbroken, and smiled at her as she drew close. "C'mon, I'm gonna start teaching you cooking," Siesta informed her.
Louise immediately gave her a perplexed look. "Huh? Why?"
"Well, if we're going to be living on our own I can't be the only one doing it, right?" Siesta lightly teased as she walked away to go to the enchanted larder to produce some eggs. Once again, Louise was silently giving her a look of confusion in response. "Now, first lesson? Frying an egg!"
After setting up a wide pan and catching the stove's kindling alight with the flint and stone, she tied her hair back with twine the kitchen kept on hand for just such a purpose before turning to Louise.
"Here, let me help you with yours," Siesta offered as she, without waiting for Louise's response, gently began gathering Louise's mass of flowing, pink hair in her hands.
"Hey! What-?"
"It's important!" Siesta explained as she finished gathering enough of it to tie back. "To keep it out of your face and out of the food, of course."
Once she had finished tying Louise's hair back, she pulled away and back to her side, with Louise giving her a sheepish, awkward look that suddenly set Siesta's heart aflutter and froze her in place.
"What?" Louise stuttered, snapping Siesta out of her hypnotized state.
"Oh! Nothing!" Siesta awkwardly exclaimed with a laugh. "It just… You look so cute right now, is all."
Louise blushed an even darker shade of red as she averted her gaze from Siesta, "Don't say such embarrassing things so suddenly…"
"Is it really so embarrassing to be adored by your wife?" Siesta playfully rebuked, causing Louise to pout.
"No…" Louise's voice trailed off.
Siesta giggled and pecked her forehead before pointing to the sink.
"Next, of course, we need to wash our hands. Always very important before cooking and even during cooking!" Siesta informed her as she went towards an empty sink by Ed and began to rinse and rub her hands with soap before rinsing them once more and drying them on a nearby clean towel.
Louise, still looking confused as to what was going on, gave an unsure nod before setting the raven down on the counter near the stove and following Siesta's lead, with Siesta giving her a look of pride that caused Louise to crack a small smile before continuing with the lesson, grabbing an egg as she did.
"Now, breaking an egg is both easier and harder than you think. You need to hit it just right so you don't get a bunch of broken pieces in the parts you're going to cook and eat," Siesta informed as she reached below near the stove and produced a bowl before tapping the side of the egg with a flick of her wrist, causing a cracking crater to form at the impact site before holding it over the bowl with two hands and splitting it at this new weak point.
"Oh, oops," Siesta gave an awkward chuckle as both of them could see floating bits of shell now in the egg contents. "See? Even I mess it up, still, sometimes."
Siesta instinctively reached out with her psionics to grab the shell bits and begin removing them.
"Hey! That's cheating!" Louise indignantly cried out.
"What? Oh, I guess so. Sorry, I just never think about it anymore," Siesta once again gave an awkward chuckle as she released her psionic hold on the shell bits and grabbed one of the broken halves of the original shell they derived from.
"You're right, I should probably show you how to do it the usual way," Siesta positioned the shell just above the egg contents in the bowl.
"My mother taught me this trick, you use the shell to scoop out the broken bits." Siesta dipped the broken shell half into the egg contents, seeing one of the broken shell bits slip into it. As she attempted to right the egg shell into a "cup", however, it immediately slipped out, causing Siesta to furrow her brow. Her frustration was immediately dispelled upon hearing her wife giggle, which brought a small, slightly mischievous smile to her face as she had another idea.
"Well, alright, Mistress Chef, if you're going to laugh at me why don't you try it?" Siesta said in a faux-indignant tone that she made sure was obviously playful.
"Hmph! Now, watch a master at work!" Louise boasted as she took the other egg shell half and made the same attempt as Siesta. With the same result. It was Siesta's turn to giggle as Louise scrunched her face in frustration and tried again, with no change in the results.
"This damn thing… don't mock me!" She exclaimed as she immediately reached for her wand, only being stopped by Siesta catching her by the wrist, causing the frustrated pinkette's frustration to now be tempered with shame at her outburst.
"I get it, it's frustrating," Siesta admitted. "But a lot of cooking is trial and error. Just like everything else."
Louise nodded as her brow became furrowed in determination and Siesta could see that spark in her eyes she got when her hunger to learn was provoked. Siesta's heart swelled with pride as her body felt a tingling, loving warmth towards Louise.
I knew it, Siesta thought to herself. What she knew, exactly, was that her wife had always had an "override" to all her emotions when it came to learning and education.
"Ha! Got you!" Louise triumphantly declared as she raised the egg half up with a tiny, floating bit of eggshell within it successfully retrieved.
"Wow! Wonderful job, Louise!" Siesta sincerely praised her. "Just as I thought, you're getting the hang of this quite fast!"
Louise beamed with pride as she puffed her chest out, causing Siesta to giggle once more.
"Now, let's wash our hands again before we continue. I know it's a lot but we have to make sure we don't accidentally make the food dirty and get sick!"
Louise gave her a smiling, understanding nod as they both washed again before they continued.
Following that, there were several ups and downs throughout the process. Louise had, of course, failed to crack the eggs she was given at first in any good way, hitting them far too hard and causing egg to explode on her more than once. An irony that was not lost on her, but Siesta, who also realized it, felt it prudent to not point it out.
Finally, she found a way that seemed to work for her by gently rapping up the intensity of how hard she struck it against the bowl's edge until she could hear and feel it crack enough to break. Then, of course, there were initial mishaps with overcooking that Siesta did her best to gently guide her away from.
Finally, after a number of attempts Louise would refuse to number, she did it. She fried a scrambled egg. It was not perfect, slightly rubbery and overcooked as it was, but it was the first edible thing Louise had ever produced, causing her to jump for joy while pumping her fist in victory.
"You did so good, darling! I'm so proud of you!" Siesta praised as she gave her wife an affectionate kiss as a reward that left them both giggling. After a moment, a grave expression came over Siesta that caused Louise to become visibly wracked with concern. "Now comes the worst part of cooking… cleaning up."
Louise felt her heart drop as she looked at the mess of eggshells and their contents on the counter they had been working on and hung her head, letting out a groan as she did.
Unknown to both of them, there was an eavesdropper just outside the kitchen. Silently trembling while trying to fight her tears. Eleonore wiped her eyes as she gave a mostly stifled sniffle. At that moment she wanted so badly to run in there. To give a string of apologies she knew would never be enough.
This woman… this Siesta.
She truly did bring joy to her sister that Eleonore had never been capable of. Or even tried.
No… Eleonore felt she didn't deserve to have her apologies heard. Or be forgiven. Instead, she silently left the academy. To spend what little time may remain with her other sister.
Day 5
—
While Louise may not have felt her heartbreak of being disowned fully dispelled, the warmth of her wife and her wife's family did a lot to remind her that she wasn't truly alone. While Louise was helping Lucy with laundry, the mother Sasaki decided to try and reach out to her.
"So… how are you?" Lucy asked.
"Could be better…" Louise admitted as she roughly folded a shirt. Lucy, seeing this, took it and once again demonstrated how it was to be done, making Louise feel ashamed once more.
"I understand," Lucy said with a small, sympathetic smile. "It's not right. Not at all."
Louise could only muster a small shrug.
"I can't really do anything about it," Louise said in a defeated tone as she carefully tried to mimic Lucy's actions once more, now finding her result closer to what seemed to be expected of her with Lucy giving her an encouraging smile.
Louise took a deep breath to steel herself for something she'd been thinking about since last night. "Hey, Lucy?"
"Yes?"
"Now that I'm not… you know… now that I don't have a family name anymore… I was thinking about something," Louise began, causing Lucy to raise an eyebrow at her. "Before… Siesta and I just went by our last names for our married names. But, well, since that's not possible now… I was wondering…" Louise struggled to say this, remembering how protective Lucy was of Siesta when they first met. "May I… be a Sasaki?"
Lucy looked taken aback. After a moment of silence where Louise looked up at her, slightly trembling at her request, Lucy's expression changed to that of a warm, affectionate smile as she put her hands on Louise's shoulders.
"Oh, babygirl," Lucy said as she gently took Louise into a warm embrace, "as far as we're concerned? You've been one."
Louise could feel the sting of joyful tears manifest in her eyes as she nuzzled into Lucy, only for the back door to open for Siesta to come in, covered in grease from her work on the Sky Fury and causing both of them to turn to her. At this, Siesta gave them both a smile.
"It still tickles me to see you two getting along so well," Siesta commented with a chuckle as she walked over to the sink and began running the water to start spot cleaning herself.
"Why don't you tell her what we just talked about?" Lucy said with a small smirk to Louise, which Louise returned.
Siesta, scrubbing her arms, gave them a confused look as Louise broke away from Lucy to walk up to her and cleared her throat.
"Siesta Sasaki?" Louise announced, causing Siesta's confusion to gain amusement as a companion as she became very interested to see where this was going. "It is your pleasure to inform you that, as of today, I am hereby adopting your name."
Siesta raised her eyebrows at this as she let out a small gasp, "Wait… does that mean-?"
Siesta was cut off by Louise giving a prideful nod, "As of today, I will be known as Louise Sasaki! You may now be so honored as to praise me for my generosity."
Behind her, Lucy was doing her best to stifle laughter while Siesta cracked a smile as she giggled before drying her hands and arms and walking from the kitchen to the living room area where Louise and her mother were. Once before Louise, she took a knee and took Louise's hand in her own as she cleared her throat and took a deep breath to put on the best "formal" face she could.
"I truly am honored, Missus Sasaki," Siesta announced in a mimicked noble manner, "truly, verily, forsooth, and all those other words." Siesta and Louise shared a giggle.
"You may rise, Lady Sasaki," Louise said, causing Siesta to stand while they both took each other's hands and immediately kissed, with Louise jarking back and frantically wiping her mouth while flapping her lips.
"Oh, sorry, I got a little dirty out there," Siesta apologized with an awkward chuckle.
"How did you get it on your mouth?" Louise asked incredulously as she continued to rub her mouth on her sleeve.
Siesta chuckled awkwardly at this, but, thankfully, did not have to provide any further answers as they were both interrupted.
Akhundelar Siesta, Executor Louise, I ask that you meet me outside, Zeratul requested. I assure you, there is nothing urgent. Zeratul added, obviously feeling their immediate concern at his announcement. Both girls left the house out the new front door as they looked around and saw Zeratul standing, arms-crossed, uncloaked, and in the broad light of day, just beyond the trail of dirt that led to the Sasaski house.
"What's going on, Zeratul?" Siesta asked.
It is of no serious concern. I merely wished to extend to you both an invitation to the Spear of Adun. I am going soon to meet with the Hierarch and Matriarch to discuss what is to come. And I believe you still need to retrieve your own warp blade, Akhundelar, Zeratul explained, causing Siesta to gasp as she suddenly remembered about her gauntlet that was still left with the phase-smith.
After a moment, Siesta gave him a nod.
"Let me wash my face first, then we'll go," Siesta said, giving Louise, who still looked annoyed, an apologetic look.
After she had washed up, she met them back outside where they both traveled to the nearby Nexus and felt their bodies once again twist and contort from being warped into space. This time, however, neither of them felt the disorientation or sickness to the degree that they usually did.
We must be getting used to this, Louise thought as she still felt the need to take a deep breath to fully center herself before the trio marched forward to the bridge, taking the same golden, floating disc of an elevator there and once again marveling at the vastness of this massive ship built to house millions of Protoss warriors should their race ever be in dire need.
Once the elevator had stopped, the trio stepped out onto the Spear of Adun's bridge, which looked as though it were open to space when, in reality, the shimmering distortion of a mostly-invisible barrier surrounded it to give the crew and commanding officers a great field of vision.
Upon their stepping out, Artanis, a Protoss clad in gold and white armor and robes, turned to regard them.
My friends, Artanis greeted them as he approached, it is good to see you both once more. Artanis' eyes locked with Siesta's.
Friend Siesta, Artanis' voice rang softly in Siesta's head, and she began to feel a sting of joyous tears begin to manifest from her eyes. Tears she felt were not her own. There are insufficient words to explain how overjoyed I am to see you. I have had so many good friends ripped from me before their time. So to have one returned to me lifts my spirit.
Siesta did not need him to explain his feelings, as they were emanating so strongly she could feel them.
"It's good to see you too, Artanis," Siesta greeted him.
Artanis nodded while another Protoss, with darker, bluer-tinged skin and a somewhat feminine-looking body that was adorned in garments similar to Zeratul, though more bejewled and ornate, stepped forward.
I echo the Hierarch's sentiment, Akhundelar, the Nerazim spoke, with a voice that even sounded more feminine. We are truly overjoyed to see you again.
"Thank you, Matriarch Vorazun," Siesta bowed her head to the female Protoss.
There is something else that I must tell you, Akhundelar, the Matriarch continued, causing Siesta to look confused and concerned. Do you remember when we talked of the Shadow Walk?
"I do. But why?" Siesta asked.
There are many conditions for what is considered one, and for what is considered succeeding one, Vorazun explained, If you will recall, I told you once that the Hierarch himself has accomplished one. And now, so have you.
Siesta froze, unable to understand what she had just said. Or, rather, not believing it.
"What does this mean?" Louise asked, seeing Siesta's frozen state.
She stood alone against insurmountable odds. And did not turn away, Vorazun said, though she did not seek it, her Shadow Walk was thrust upon her. And she succeeded.
Then… is she-?
Indeed, Prelate, she is one of us now, Vorazun interrupted an equally disbelieving Zeratul.
"I…" Siesta, finally finding her voice, began to speak, "I don't know what to say."
Be honored, Akhundelar, Zeratul said as he gently clapped Siesta's shoulder, you have accomplished a feat no Terran has.
Siesta, face now flushed, felt overwhelmed by this. By now she was getting used to warm receptions after her miraculous return from Albion but this felt like too much. From a meek, abused maid to an honored and respected near-kin of magic space beings. She never would have guessed. While she felt her brain melting at this, her spirit was calmed when Louise took her hand and smiled at her.
"You deserve this honor, Siesta," Louise praised her.
Before they could become too lost in each other's eyes, they were interrupted by the sound of a clearing throat, clearly done for purely dramatic effect as Protoss lacked physiology to physically do so.
To the girls, this felt as though it came from behind them, causing them both to turn around to see the oddly stout-looking Protoss form of-
"Karax!" both Louise and Siesta gleefully exclaimed as they ran up to him while he exited the elevator.
Indeed! It is good to see you both, friends. And you, Akhundelar, I am overjoyed to see you well. When I was asked to look for your life signs following the events on the surface and was unable to locate you… I could feel my own spirit sink along with your teacher's. So, to see you again brings me joy beyond measure, Karax said to Siesta as he opened his arms in an inviting, expectant manner.
Siesta and Louise, surprised by this, both approached as he took them in for a surprisingly gentle embrace. After they separated he looked down at the two of them, That was an acceptable "hug" yes?
Both Louise and Siesta giggled as they nodded to the Protoss they still found strange in a good way as he was the most exuberant and expressive one that they'd met.
Excellent! My studies have paid off! Now, on to important matters, Karax produced a familiar, silvery-steel object from his person, holding it out to Siesta, who, with her heart aflutter, took it.
It looked… different than she remembered. As it now lacked the parts that went over her hand and ended at the first metacarpals, it could no longer be called a "gauntlet" but this was, indeed, the gauntlet she had been given by Zeratul almost a year ago today.
I see you notice the changes. I hope I did not overstep. I was trying to make it more… subtle. And comfortable for you.
Siesta slipped it on her left wrist, surprisingly not feeling her power activate the moment she felt it attach to her. She furrowed her brow, puzzled as to why that may be.
You noticed? Karax observed, causing Siesta to raise an eyebrow at him. I consulted with the Prelate regarding your "Gandalfr" powers. And how having them active at all times when adorning the bracer was harmful to you.
Siesta gave a small nod, averting her gaze as she did.
So… I worked on trying to have this be a… combination of a training and real blade. When you are not channeling your power into it… it should not be considered a "weapon". The moment you do, however, it will "switch". Do you understand?
Siesta met his eyes with her now widened ones.
"That's… pretty amazing, Karax. You're a genius!" Siesta joyfully exclaimed as she beamed at him. She hoped maybe him and Colbert could meet someday. Though maybe that would cause some sort of singularity of scientific exuberance that may end the world as they knew it.
You are too kind, Akhundelar, Karax inclined his head to her. There was then a brief pause as Siesta and Louise could feel a foreign sense of melancholy.
I know that I promised to merely do maintenance upon it, to extend its lifetime, but… when you were gone… I became, how should I say it, fixated upon it. It felt like my only connection to you, Karax said in a somewhat mournful tone that almost felt ashamed. Siesta and Louise looked at him fondly, hoping it would reassure him.
The more I studied it, the more I learned. And it became apparent to me there was far more to this warp blade than meets the eye, as Terrans would say. Hierarch, may I? Karax asked as he stepped forward, motioning to what looked like a tall, to the humans, round table with light-made images dancing just above it.
Artanis nodded to the exuberant phase-smith, causing Karax to wave his hand over the table, conjuring a light-formed image, a holographic projection, of Terre to form above it.
According to my analysis of the available data, the materials for this gauntlet were primarily procured from here, Karax pointed to the image of Terre, which zoomed in on an area far to the east of Tristain.
Both girls were intrigued by this, as it indicated that the gauntlet was made from materials retrieved from what they knew as the Elven-controlled "Holy Land".
And that is not all, Karax continued as he waved away the image and stepped back over to the girls. Before I give you this next piece of information, I must also tell you something else. When a phase-smith or any psionically-attuned forger crafts, a piece of their own psionic signature will forever reside with that armor or weapon or piece of hull or tool that was crafted. Both girls looked at him, confused, This is to say… there was a psionic echo upon your gauntlet as well.
Siesta instinctually looked down at it, furrowing her brow with intrigue.
And, even more curious, I have been following your travels since you have returned. As… I do not want to lose you again, Karax admitted, making Siesta feel slightly touched, And as I have. I have found that you travel with a psionic signature that is remarkably similar to the one found within this phase-smith work.
"You mean… Tiffa made this?" Siesta asked in disbelief.
I should clarify, the signature is similar, but not identical. So whoever made it is likely a relative of this… "Tiffa" that you speak, Karax informed.
This time, Siesta did not feel overwhelmed, but merely surprised. And interested. She was sure, after all they'd been through together, that Tiffa was not keeping anything so serious from her, but she hoped that she could get to ask her about this, nonetheless.
With her gauntlet retrieved, the psi blade handed over for the same adjustments as the warp blade, and the reunions complete, Louise, Siesta, and Zeratul were returned to the surface. For Louise, there was certainly much more on her mind than what her family had done to her, now.
When they had left, Artanis was reached out to by a familiar presence he had not consulted for some time.
Hierarch, many times now there has been a presence aboard this vessel that has felt… familiar to me. I have been ignoring it, as I felt it was a lingering sensation from my time as Preserver, but I feel I can ignore it no longer, the presence asked of Artanis.
What is it, Rohana? Who do you recognize the presence as? Artanis inquired.
I cannot be certain, as I have long since been severed from the Khala's light, but the more this presence is aboard this vessel, the more certain I become.
And what is this presence you feel, Preserver?
There was a pause in which Artanis could feel she was considering her next words carefully. Not in how to say them, but in what the implications of what she would say would mean.
I feel the presence of Tassadar, Hierarch.
Day 6
—
Tabitha's leg was shaking from their immense uncertainty. They knew their personal funds they'd accrued throughout their career would not last forever, and they were also aware that there would be no more new jobs coming to them from Gallia. Not after what they just pulled. Thankful as they were for Queen Henrietta giving them asylum, they knew that meant little as long as Joseph, megalomaniac and sadist that he was, would not recognize such laws. And with his vastly superior technology to anything else in Halkeginia, who would stop him? They could only find solace in the presence of the Protoss, which they assumed were the one and only reason the UED had not run over this small country and the rest of the world by now.
Their contemplation was interrupted by the sound of a knock upon their door, causing them to whip their head around at it.
"Hey, Tabs? It's me. Just wanna check in," the familiar voice of Kirche said through the door, immediately dousing the flame of anxiety that had been burning within them,
"Come in," Tabitha requested.
Not a moment later, the door opened to reveal Kirche, in her mostly-transparent magenta negligee sleepwear, entering the room. Tabitha, the embers of their worry still alight within them, could not bring themselves to feel anything about it at that time as Kirche approached and laid a hand on their shoulder. Both of them, now, were looking down at the sleeping form of Tabitha's mother.
"They had to sedate her again?" Kirche solemnly asked. Tabitha merely nodded as they began tapping their heel on the floor once more. "Something on your mind, Tabs?"
"Everything," Tabitha simply answered as they put their head in their hands, mussing up their own hair as they growled. "Still don't know how to save her. Still don't know how to beat Joseph…" Tabitha admitted, clenching their teeth and fists as they did.
"Hey," Kirche said as she kneeled beside the sitting Tabitha and tilted their head towards her. "We're gonna figure it out. After all, we have so many capable allies now. Not to mention you." Kirche said in a warm, reassuring tone to the Gallian sitting before her, causing them to begin to blush, "You're much more amazing than you think, Tabitha. If anyone can figure this out. It's you."
Tabitha took Kirche's hand that was upon their face, breathing the name that escaped their lips, "Kirche…"
As they began to draw closer to each other, their lips parting in anticipation, a voice was heard in their heads that caused them both to jump.
Aw, how sweet, the voice said, causing Kirche and Tabitha to immediately jump to their feet and whip their heads around. After a moment, a swirl of red and black shadows appeared, coalescing into a familiar form that, quicker than either mage could react, had drawn and ignited a bright red warp blade upon his wrist, holding it to Kirche's head. Tabitha brandished their staff at him, glaring as they did.
"You," they said in their always-monotone voice, with just the slightest tinge of rage that only a trained ear for their mannerisms, like Kirche, could detect, "How did you get past the Protoss?"
"I follow the path of the blood hunter. Making my presence unknown is a specialty of mine," Vish'dnir sneered.
"Blood hunter…" Kirche reflexively commented, light terror in her voice.
"I do not know why you find it so terrifying. You ally with one, yourselves," Vish'dnir commented, amused.
Both Kirche and Tabitha let out small gasps. Was he talking about Tiffa? At their thoughts, the red-eyed elf smirked and nodded, "The very same. In fact, there are a lot of secrets my cousin is keeping from you that I hope I get to see the looks on your faces when she reveals them. But, I won't spoil it for you."
Tabitha merely kept glaring at him as they thrust their staff threateningly, "What do you want?"
"First," Vish'dnir pointed to Tabitha's staff, "let's remember what happened last time this little standoff went down. And my even greater advantage now." The elf indicated with his head towards Kirche.
Just as Tabitha felt they had no choice but to acquiesce, Kirche drove her elbow into the elf's groin, causing him to immediately release her and double over while Kirche took to Tabitha's side and drew her wand from her nightgown to aim at him.
"Looks like we have the advantage now," Kirche smirked, which Tabitha reflected.
Groaning, Vish'dnir attempted to straighten up, heaving as he did and deactivating his warp blade. "Okay," he strained to say, "I must admit, that got me. Tal'darim training definitely doesn't cover that."
After a moment, he smirked at the two, causing them both to look confused, "You still both vastly overestimate your position here."
The three stared at each other intensely for what felt like an eternity before Vish'dnir finally gave an exasperated sigh and put his hands up. "Look, as a show of good faith," he said.
"Not good enough," Tabitha growled.
"What, do you want me to strip naked? Look, just… I'm here to help, not fight, okay?"
"Help? Why the Hel should we believe that?" Kirche demanded.
Vish'dnir indicated to the sleeping Mother Orleans. "I can cure her."
Tabitha gasped as they faltered, causing Kirche to catch them. After a moment, Tabitha glared at the elf, "Lying."
"I assure you it is no lie. She was poisoned using a potion derived from my people's culture. And I just so happen to have a cure. If you don't mind," Vish'dnir waved his hands, giving them both an expectant look as he did.
Kirche looked to Tabitha for confirmation, who nodded, causing Kirche to nod to him. Once she did, he reached into the folds of his robe and produced a bottle of a glowing, white liquid.
"I won't say how I got this, or from who, but I'll simply tell you it's the cure. Derived from our people's own special magic that will undo the poison that enwraps your mother's mind," Vish'dnir's tone seemed serious as he said this, yet Kirche and Tabitha still felt no reason to trust him. "I can sense your distrust. Is there anything else I can do or say to convince you this is the real deal?"
"Why?" Tabitha interrogated as they once again leveled their staff at Vish'dnir.
"Why what? You're going to need to be more specific."
"Why do this?" Tabitha demanded.
The elf smirked.
"Call it spite," Vish'dnire said, "I hate Joseph, as well. I was only working with him to try and secure his UED to liberate my homeland. But now… I see I bet on the wrong horse, as you humans say." Vish'dnir tossed the bottle onto the bed. "You can run any test you like on it. It won't expire. So you have time to decide whether or not you wish to use it. It makes no difference to me." Vish'dnir shrugged apathetically.
"You want my help?" Tabitha asked, their aggression beginning to fade.
Vish'dnir nodded, "That's right."
Before he continued, his face was marred by a grave expression as he clenched his fists, "I've heard Ma'lash has gained proper Tal'darim reinforcements, so I fear my people may soon be disposed of. I don't have time to be picky with allies, and you do seem strong. And capable. As well as your friends." After saying this, he visibly relaxed as he gave a wry smile, "Tiffa chose well. She always was so many steps ahead of the rest of us."
Both Kirche and Tabitha were very effectively disarmed now, as they both gave him a confused, and slightly sympathetic look.
"Regardless of if you choose to help me or not," Vish'dnir said as he continued to give them a wry smile, "I hope your mother will be okay."
Vish'dnir disappeared in a swirling mass of red and black shadows. Once he was gone, Tabitha turned their attention to the bottle upon the bed, picking it up and looking closely at it. Obviously they'd take it to Montmorency or the school apothecary to verify it was nothing nefarious, but for the first time in a long time as they looked down at their mother, they felt hope.
Day 7
—
"Is this the place?" Siesta wondered aloud as they approached what looked to be something that could be generously called a manor, with its plain somewhat elongated boxy shape, two floors (that they could see from the outside) and a thinner, brick-made building attached to it that Khaydarin had rushed ahead to begin scanning.
"It must be," Louise answered as she looked at the letter that Henrietta had sent them yesterday, as she promised, and looked back up at the manor with sideways-quirked pursed lips and a furrowed brow.
After spending a good amount of time with the Sasakis, she was growing used to things less… fancy than what she grew up with, but there was still an instinctive aversion to places smaller and more dilapidated than what she'd known since childhood.
And while it truly was dilapidated, Henrietta's letter may have oversold how terrible a condition it was in. It was not in the greatest shape, by all means, with bits of rotted wood and peeled paint trimming the edges of the manor's surfaces, some of the windows broken or boarded up, and the ones not broken being so thick with dust that they had lost their transparency, rusted metal railings along the edge of its house-wide porch, and vines of ivy also snaking along its exterior like veins on an elder's skin, which was "complemented" by the overgrown land surrounding it all indicating years of neglect.
Still.
Its structure was perfectly habitable. The roof looked completely intact and sturdy. None of the walls looked to be showing any signs of collapse. The front door, most importantly, may have looked somewhat weathered, but the design of the overhang in the front of the house and its placement and rotation left the entire first floor on the front side untouched by sun damage.
"Oh! Are you the envoys for the new lord?" a wizened, masculine voice suddenly made both girls jump as they turned to the source of this interruption of their scrutinizing of what was to become their home.
The voice belonged to a hunched over old man wearing plain, brown, commoner garb with a wide-brimmed straw hat upon his head and worn leather gloves on his hands that were leaning on a short, thick "cane" that looked more like a polished branch.
"Actually," Louise began as she puffed out her chest in her usual, noble, proud way, "we are the new ladies of this land."
"Is that so? My apologies for assuming," the man said with a sincerely apologetic chuckle.
"It's alright," Siesta reassured him as she looked over the overgrown lands that nature was in the process of reclaiming. "Did you know the previous lord?"
"Him? Oh, yes," the old man nodded, "fine man. Kept to himself, though. Never cared about collecting taxes or any other kind of tribute."
"Sounds nice," Siesta said with a small smile creeping on her face.
"Indeed," the man nodded as he smiled back, "I was sent as a 'representative' of the other serfs on this land. Call me Quincy."
"It's nice to meet you, Quincy," Siesta greeted him as both her and Louise stepped forward and offered their hands to him, which he shook in turn.
"That's a very fine grip you have there Lady…?" Quincy's voice trailed off expectantly at Siesta.
"Oh! Sasaki. Siesta Sasaki, and this," Siesta gestured to Louise, "is my wife, Louise Sasaki."
"Hmm," Quincy hummed as his eyes narrowed at the two, causing Siesta to suspiciously narrow her eyes back at him.
"Is there a problem?" Siesta asked, the slightest hint of preemptive aggression in her tone.
"No, no problem," Quincy shook his head, "you two just seem very young is all."
"Oh. That," Siesta said, feeling herself relax a little.
"That, and the name… Sasaki… it's certainly an odd one," the old man commented.
"Yeah, it comes from a far away land," Siesta chuckled.
"I see," Quincy chuckled back. "Well, I just wished to meet you, feel you out for the others. Most of us are getting on in years. The youth have almost entirely moved on to seek greener pastures. This kind of slow life didn't suit them."
"May I ask… what do you do here?" Louise piped up.
"Oh, mostly grow grapes. The soil isn't great for growing much else," Quincy admitted.
"So… it's a winery?" Louise asked.
Quincy gave a shrugging nod, "More or less."
A moment of silence fell over the trio as Quincy once again looked them over, then behind them to the strange golden orb that seemed to be washing a blue beam over everything, causing him to look confused. The girls noticed this and turned to look at Khaydarin before looking back to him.
"Oh! Don't mind them, that's just my familiar," Louise tried to reassure Quincy with a sheepish laugh.
"Ah, I assumed at least one of you had to be a mage," Quincy replied with a similar laugh. After a moment he smiled warmly at both of them. "Well, I should get back to it. I'll let the others know what you told me. Though," Quincy fidgeted with visible discomfort, "we were wondering what the tax or other tribute situation might be. We've been paying basically nothing except to the crown for years. And the land isn't exactly profitable…"
"Oh, you won't have to worry about that," Siesta immediately reassured him, "Nothing will fundamentally change. For the worse, at least. We're happy to leave you be just as the last lord did. Perhaps introduce some improvements, if your homes are in need of repairs."
"My heart swells to hear that. I am sure the others will be very appreciative as well."
The three nodded at each other as Quincy waved them goodbye and walked off into the grass, which they assumed would take him back to the "others" he mentioned.
"Alright," Siesta said as she turned back to the mansion, prompting Louise to mirror her movement. "Let's see what's going on with our new home."
Once inside, they immediately felt the dust they could see swirl in the light they had now introduced to the home tickle their nostrils. While the air did not smell bad in there, it was certainly stale. A layer of dust coated everything, and cobwebs were strewn throughout. It was overwhelming to consider where to even begin when it came to making this place their home.
"First thing," Louise said as she peered into what looked like a living room that was right next to the front door, to the left. "We should find a usable bedroom."
"Oh?" Siesta replied, coughing as she removed a dusty sheet from a chair and began folding it neatly, "not that I couldn't be in the mood, but that's a little forward, isn't it?" Siesta teased.
"N-no! That's not what I meant!" Louise replied, flustered. "I mean that we need to establish where all the necessary rooms are. So we're not too tired to look later."
"I was only teasing," Siesta said with a giggle, causing her wife to pout. She approached Louise, placing her hand on her face, "That's a good idea. As always." Siesta pecked Louise's lips before they began to establish the layout of their new home.
Everything they needed and more seemed to be here. A kitchen, living room, dining room, even a library were all on the first floor. Ascending to the second, there were all manner of what looked like they could be bedrooms, but seemed to be being used as storage. Even what the girls assumed to be the "master" bedroom was like this.
There was one, however, at the front of the house that seemed set up perfectly. Or at least good enough. The bed was far smaller than what the girls were used to at the academy, but still big enough for them both. Aside from the door they used to enter from the hall, there appeared to be another door leading to the adjacent room, which, again, seemed to be being used as a storage room. Within this bedroom they found, besides the bed and two doors, there was a bookshelf and a single bedside table. Clearly this was the last room used by whoever was here before as it had the least amount of dust.
They did notice something troubling, though.
This house had not been given the gift of indoor plumbing as was spreading all throughout the rest of the land. The idea of going back to chamber pots and outhouses was quite unappealing to the girls, but after their long journey to this place they felt they had little choice but to at least stay one night.
The tub, at least, that they found in one of the second floor washrooms seemed clean enough, and both girls set about the task of gathering water from an outside pump to fill it. Siesta's psionics were very much needed for this, as it allowed them to fill the tub in one trip, setting a fire alight underneath it using gathered coal from the back of the house. Once bathed, the girls adjourned to the room, where Siesta carefully combed out Louise's wet hair.
"How do you feel?" Siesta asked, continuing her task.
Louise hummed as she thought, "It's not the best," she began, pausing for a moment to think further, "but it's ours."
Siesta moved the hair at the back of her head to kiss the nape of her wife's neck, causing the pinkette to shiver with delight, "I was about to say the same thing."
With Siesta's task done, Louise looked up to her, her eyes shimmering with another task she desired. As their lips met, the girls fell down into the bed to christen their new home.