There was a party planned for that afternoon, to accompany the… whatever that had been. The nobles would be staying and those called to be… judged… would as well. There would be an hour's delay, however, mostly so many of the noble ladies could change into a different dress, get their makeup touched up and perhaps have their hair done. The attendant who had placed the sword– which was hers now, apparently– in a box had been kind enough to direct them to a small private room. It was empty save for a plain couch, a chair and a dresser and mirror, obvious used for the quick changes many of the ladies were undergoing now.
The door closed behind them, and it was just Maria, her mother and Rafael.
Maria was relieved when the first thing her mother did was enfold her in a hug, awkward as it was with the case containing the sword between them. Rafael smoothly took the case from her, leaving them unobstructed as he put down the case at the dresser.
"I'm so proud of you," her mother said. "Why didn't you tell me you did all those things?" There was a hesitancy to the words.
"I… didn't think they were worth mentioning," Maria said. And they hadn't been. Anyone would have done them, it was just that she was the one there who'd done it. She might as well as for honors of lending someone her notes or cutting down a bloodthirsty beast. "Really, I'm sure this is all so sort of mistake."
Why was her mother staring at her like that?
"Maria is… a very humble person who expects much of herself," Rafael said from the side, and mother's gaze turned to him. "She probably really didn't think any of those things were worth talking about."
Maria frowned at him. "And they weren't," she said. Really, it wasn't like she'd slaughtered hundreds to find Blood Dregs for the Queen or stolen Old Blood from Byrgenwerth to bring back to Cainhurst. They were just some dogs, and it was everyone's duty to bring down dogs (practically beasts!), and there were some men who could barely fight. Really she was practically bullying them. And why wouldn't she use her Light Magic to aid the fflicted when she found them? If she had sought knighthood, she'd have done something truly worthy and difficult, like build protective railings around every cliff edge and high place in Sorcier. For such a thing, she'd deserve a barony! After all, heights were very dangerous, even to a hunter! She shuddered to think how many thousands of innocent lives were lost to falling off cliffs.
"See?" Rafael said. "You raised a wonderful daughter who thinks helping people doesn't deserve a reward."
"I don't deserve such praise," her mother said quietly.
"I am a knight now, apparently. You will receive much more as soon as I find a way how," Maria said. Mother deserve nice things, the child informed the lady, who deferred to the child's judgement. "As soon as I find the Third Prince and learn what his entails."
"Some lands," the Prince in question said, opening the door and strolling in like he owned the place, which he did. "A large sum of money that comes with the knighthood, the right to petition to join any of the Knightly Covenants, or to found your own, with the king's permission. There are obligations, of course. You'll have to fight or similarly meaningfully contribute in time of war, oversee subjects assigned to you, taxes in proportion to your income as well as a fixed amount in proportion to your lands… really, it's a whole thing." That smug smile he reserved for members of the Student Council, usually of Lade Claes retinue. "Though I talked father into letting you put that off until next year, since you're still at the Academy. It was considered enough of a mitigating circumstance. It's not like we're actually at war or anything. You're also allowed to bear the sword now, though you'd still have to keep it in your room at the Academy during class. No swords in school, not since the Civil War of the Pastry Allotment. I came to offer my congratulations, Dame Maria Campbell."
"Mother, may I introduce his highness, the Third Prince of Sorcier– " Maria said, before struggling with his given name. Honestly, why must it be so awkward? There were at least 3 different ways to mispronounce it! "Your highness, my mother Alice Campbell. Any who touch her will die by my hand."
"I can see why the warning might be necessary," the Prince said, before performing a commoner's bow. "Greetings, Mistress Campbell. I congratulate you on raising a fine, hardworking daughter."
"T-thank you, your h-highness," Maria's mother said, instinctively bowing in return.
"If I may inquire, your highness?" Maria said.
"You may, Lady Maria," he said, seeming to enjoy using the title.
"This wasn't some ploy of yours to find a way for Lady Claes be less mindful of propriety, is it?" Maria asked sternly. If she denounced it all as corruption on his son's part, would the King take back this title, perhaps?
The prince laughed, and for a moment, his resemblance to his brother Alan was clear as he clutched at his stomach. "I honestly didn't even think of that!" he crowed.
Maria sighed. A pity, she supposed.
"Technically, she's still not supposed to," Rafael said helpfully. He had lived as a Marchioness' 'son' after all. "In public, she'd still need to call you Lady Campbell. Or Dame Maria at the most."
"Stop trying to train my fiancé to be proper, she's perfect just the way she is," the Third Prince said, but he was smiling when he said it.
"Now you're confusing her with Maria," Rafael said.
Maria knocked on the dresser, and the prince looked wildly about for a desk with paperwork before he stopped and scowled at her. "Stop doing that!" he said.
"Was there anything else, your highness?" Maria said.
Shaking his head, the prince smiled again. "Fine, but only because it's your day." He reached into his pocket. "This is a letter of rights to an account in the royal bank in your name. In it is the money that comes with your knighthood, as well as all the royal bounties, and rewards for all those men you directly helped put away, as well as combat pay for Noir. I'm not going to tell you how much is which, you'll just have to take it all. If you must, use it to pay your taxes for the next twenty years. Take it, prince's orders."
Maria took the letter as ordered, not being so crass as to check the sum. "Thank you, your highness," she said blandly.
"And this is from me," he continued, drawing a small box from his pocket. He flipped it open, and handed it to her. "For your neck cloth," he said. "From a friend. Can't let you be unfashionable on your day, can I?"
It was a simple broach in the shape of a wavering teardrop, the usual stylization of fire. Hesitantly, Maria clipped it to her cravat. "Thank you," she said.
"And finally, there's the last reason I'm here," the prince said, and his smile started to grow smug. "Some time ago, a cunning commoner extracted a promise from me. Lady Maria, there is a young girl, as well as several other children, in need of a protector. A noble who will care for them instead of using them for their rare gifts to elevate their status. I have been tasked with seeking such a person to care for them. I have the agreement in writing right here, as a matter of fact. Are you up to it?"
She suddenly felt much more sympathy for Lord Claes, and why he often glared at the prince so. He could be such an ass!
Rafael agreed to continue escorting her mother, which included keeping her away from his grace the Duke Claes, lest there be a scene. As such, Maria entered the party alone.
New sword at her hip, broach on her cravat, Maria entered the hall garden where the party was being held as she had the throne room: as befitting a Cainhurst Knight. Back straight, head held, high coat sweeping dramatically behind her… a previous childhood practicing in front of a mirror was finally paying off!
As had happened during graduation, many were turning red in outrage at her garb. It wasn't like she had a spare dress prepared, only her formal suit. It wasn't any more strange than some of the other knights walking around with their helms off now. Hmm, if she armored the coat, added hardened leather inserts, make some proper hunter's garb, she might be able to pass that off as armor on the next formal event…
"Maria! Maria!"
She turned and bowed to Lady Claes, who was coming with her brother and her parents. Maria was glad to see she was wearing a hat to protect her from sunstroke. The duchess was glaring sideways at her daughter in disapproval. "Lady Claes," she said. "It would be most improper for a mere knight such as myself be referred to by you like that, Lady Claes. Please do not allow yourself to fall to such sloppy habits. It is most unbecoming of a noble."
"Eh? But, we're both nobles now, right? So you can call me Katarina!"
"I cannot, Lady Claes. I am but a mere knight with no honors or accomplishments worth speaking of to my name. To refer to you in any way but as is proper would be a terrible breach of protocol."
"Eh?! But Maria–!"
"Ah, I fear I am losing my ability to bake."
"L-lady Campbell?"
"Yes, Lady Claes?"
"You can still bake, right? Please tell me you still remember how to bake?!"
"Of course I can, Lady Claes. It must have been a passing migraine. Good day, Lord Claes."
"Lady Campbell," Lord Claes said. "May I introduce my parents, his Grace Luigi Claes, Duke of Morpork, and her Grace Milidiana Claes, Duchess of Morpork."
"I am honored to meet your acquaintance, your grace," Maria said, bowing.
"It's good to finally meet you," said the man she suspected was her father. He looked much like his son, if with shorter hair, and almost seemed harmless, but Maria wasn't fooled. "I've heard good things about you from my children. We will watch your future with great interest."
"You are too kind," Maria said, absolutely not reacting as if she were speaking to the man who had ruined her mother's life, and her own by extension.
The duchess stepped forward and…
Katarina looked confused as her mother put hands on her shoulders. "Thank you for all you have done for my daughter's education. I know it might be too much to ask, but please continue to watch over Katarina and show her the right way to live! I entrust her in your care!"
Oh dear, was Katarina's eccentricity perhaps in the blood, rather than the result of a blow to the head or sunstroke? Still, Maria accepted this charge. It was basically what she was already doing anyway. "I shall watch over her as long as she is in my care, to the best of my ability, and ensure no harm or dishonor befalls her person. My blade shall feed on the blood of any who dare."
Behind her, there was a high-pitched sound as several women swooned.
Huh, Lord Ascart must have smiled. Maria wondered if he was nearby?
Thankfully, her mother and Duke Claes did not meet.
The rest of the party was quite pleasant. It was nice to meet Lord Ascart again, and his reunion with Rafael was quite warm. It was nice to see that vein of friendship hadn't been severed by the revelation of his base birth. Maria had also gotten more gifts. Lady Ascart had given her an exquisitely carved golden broach shaped like a mythical Chloranthy flower, which superstition said was good for one's stamina. Prince Alan and Lady Hunt had given her a broach, almost a twin to the one she currently wore, in the shape of a blue teardrop.
Had everyone known about this?
Lady Claes gave her the largest broach, however, with a green cabochon stone that…
"Is that a watermelon?" Prince Alan said in askance, staring at the broach that was bigger than the others by a finger's width.
"Yup!" Lady Claes said, sounding proud. "I saw it and thought it looked really pretty! I'm surprised no one bought it first, it looks delicious! I was going to get her an eggplant one, but–"
"Thank you, Lady Claes," Maria said. Clearly much thought had gone into this. Probably all she had, the poor thing. "It's beautiful."
The celebration ended as the sun began to set, and everyone had a great time.
"But what a missed opportunity!" Lady Ascart sighed. "There were to new knights right there, they should have tried out their new swords. Imagine, a dazzling duel between knights…!"
"What did Lord Wayne do that you want him to get hurt?" Lady Hunt said.
"He picked Blue Sentinel! He would have looked so much nicer in Darkmoon armor, perhaps with a long black cape, standing upon the rooftops…"
"What book have you been reading now, Sophia?"
"Decadent Habits. It's this heartwarming story of–"
"Confiscated!"
"Wah! Brother, Mary is bullying me!"
Everyone had a great time.
Sadly, Maria had to return to the academy, as the next day was the first day of class resuming, so she and her mother had to part ways. Lady Claes volunteered her carriage and her maid to see Maria's mother home, and Maria agreed, hugging her mother goodbye and seeing her off.
That done, Maria and Katarina shared a carriage back to school.
The professors quickly managed to remember to refer to her as 'Lady Campbell' instead of 'Miss Campbell' after the first couple of days of force of habit. Some students tried to get her to tell them the truth behind the so-called 'Lady Maria' rumors, but Maria honestly didn't know how those had gotten started at all. She tried to explain what had really happened, but that didn't seem to help quell the stories, only adding her version of events to the cycle. Her judgement quickly became distorted, with her being depicted as some pure, chivalrous figure who had refused the elevation three times or some such nonsense. This told with a straight face by people she knew had actually been there!
She sent a letter to her mother that first day, relating events, saying how much she missed her and loved her and then had to rewrite it what she realized she was in the middle of writing a rather questionable poem, considering the recipient. Within the week, her mother had written back.
After the first time, Maria stopped sniffing the letters in case they had taken on her mother's scent. The child told the lady to stop being weird.
Her mother's letters were full of mentions of how proud she was and asking after Rafael and how she was doing in her schoolwork, and how that nice Anne was doing…
Maria wrote back, glad her mother seemed to have made a friend. A thought that was confirmed when Miss Shelley came to Maria and inquired if she would help the maid direct a letter to Maria's mother, as she unfamiliar with the address. Maria was all too willing to help, glad that her mother would have someone else to correspond with.
She politely didn't mention how Anne's letter seemed to have perfume on it. Really Lady Claes, how could you spill perfume at your age? Now people will think your class notes are correspondences to a lover or something!