Chapter Text
It happened not long after the Archduke conference. Flutrane was about to set down her staff and cede to Leidenschaft. Out past the colonnades of the new castle, in a freshly planted garden with bare arbors rising from the freshly turned soil, only a few timid sprouts dared to brave the increasingly hot and humid weather. It would likely begin to rain in earnest soon, and only Bluanfah—the Goddess of Sprouts, not romance—truly knew if the plants would thrive with the abundant water, or be drowned by it.
In a gazebo in that garden, which successfully blocked the direct rays of the sun until about sixth bell, I was hosting an afternoon tea party for Lady Rozemyne.
She had arrived in haste, but still exuding all the grace and poise expected from the leader of the duchy. Settling into her seat, her eyes toured the so-called gardens of Alexandria.
“Hmm… It seems that many Ehrenfest seeds were planted to foster harmony between our duchies, but the gardeners are concerned that so few of them have sprouted. Perhaps the climate is just too different.” Rozemyne admitted when she noticed me also taking in our surroundings.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize. The gardens of the previous castle were one of my favorite places, I didn’t consider that this one had only just been planted. We could relocate, if you’d prefer…”
“Oh no, It’s fine” Lady Rozemyne replied breezily, “Rome wasn’t—I mean, I don’t expect Alexandria to be built in a day. I’m also overjoyed that everyone is looking at ways to foster strong bonds between Ehrenfest and Alexandria, and with our other allies, too. But everything has its place. Just like flowers, we all have an environment we can thrive best in, I think.”
“I see. I’m sure that’s right if it’s you saying so, Lady Rozemyne.”
She just gave a short laugh at that, and we settled into our teacups for the moment, enjoying a brief beat of pleasant silence.
Lady Rozemyne had come dressed in all the finery one would expect to the Aub of a greater duchy to wear. The soft greens of an established spring gave way to a vibrant blue towards the sleeves and the hem of the dress, showcasing Ehrenfest's dyeing method that she recently resurrected. Wearing both the colors for spring and summer, her dress paid homage to the changing of the season, but also the firm relationship she had with Lord Ferdinand, as both colors reflected their birth seasons . It also incorporated that sheer, opaque material used in veils, adding an ethereal touch that made Lady Rozemyne look like a goddess, not of wisdom, but of the sea. Like Verfuhremeer who had risen out of the sea spray to quench the flames of Brennwarme and Elpberg.
I, meanwhile, was merely in my new high bishop robes. My appointment was made official back during the Archducal Conference, but my robes had only recently been finished. My ceremonial robes still needed some finishing touches on its embroidery. It had been a hectic few weeks, but I’d been working as hard as I could to live up to Lady Rozemyne’s expectations. It was quite the change from how I’d been before, where I had to be frequently bribed to keep up my studies under Lord Ferdinand’s harsh tutelage. I still often held the stuffed shumil Lady Rozemyne gifted me and accepted the sweets she would offer me to motivate myself, but they just didn’t seem to spark any of the joy that they had before.
I tried to shake myself out of my ruminations, and be a good hostess, refocusing my attention on my guest, who was sipping her tea and sampling the snacks, humming merrily to herself.
“Hmm, this one is quite good with the honey, but we only have so much from Klassenberg… we could start to cultivate our own bees, but that would upset the vested interests. This one is okay, but it seems to have a bit of a grainier texture to it. The others could all stand to be a bit sweeter in general. Even Rumtopf will be difficult if we can’t get sugar to grow here… maybe if Dunkelfelger’s climate proves to be more tropical…” Lady Rozemyne started to mutter a variety of increasingly hard to follow observations to herself.
I had obviously poison-tested everything, something of a trial from Glucklitat, seeing as there were many various samples of new sweets and old, demonstrating alternate sweeteners now that Lanzenave’s sugar could no longer be relied upon to meet demand. Moreover my appetite had vanished at the thought of hosting Lady Rozemyne, who along with Lord Ferdinand had been so gracious with my treatment in the wake of the invasion of Ahrensbach, now Alexandria.
First by Lanzenave, who abducted me, intending to steal me away to their homeland where I would have suffered hardships that were best left unmentioned.
Lady Rozemyne’s own invasion came just as swiftly and unexpectedly, stealing Ahrensbach’s foundation in such a short time that it would likely have frozen any archduke’s blood had the actual timeframe been made public.
If only I could have leaned on her uncanny abilities and competence a little more in the turbulent time after the invasion was halted, and rebuilding began. Lady Rozemyne was stretched extremely thin with her time and staff, which set the date of this tea party back considerably. My retinue of retainers was also woefully understaffed. The vetting process for new retainers was already underway, and while I ostensibly had the final say, it was Lord Ferdinand who was carefully screening my retainers, ensuring there were no risks to Lady Rozemyne or himself, or indeed any of the nobles from Ehrenfest who now worked about the castle. But I didn’t mind, even finding it prudent.
No one could ever, will ever, replace Roswitha in my heart, anyhow.
My previous head attendant, Roswitha, my oldest and dearest friend, was killed by Leonzio right before the battle for Ahrensbach took place. He took her from me, from the world, seeing her as nothing more than a potential feystone. He didn’t know the warmth of her smile, the way she was able to balance being strict and lenient with me, how she used to hold me as I cried in my hidden room because my real parents were back in Drewanchel, and I was stuck in this foreign duchy that was so very humid and hot, and at the same time so chillingly cold.
Fairseele stood by my side now, as my new head attendant. She was tucked off by one of the gazebo’s posts, busying herself with her cart, preparing for the change of tea. She was the daughter of Lord Strahl, the Knight Commander of Old Ahrensbach, now Alexandria, and while she took the Attendant courses at the Royal Academy, my understanding was that she had ample knight training as well. Though I hoped to leave her combat prowess untested, it did give me some comfort. She was right by my side through most of the invasion, as well. Her steadfast presence behind me was reassuring.
Lady Rozemyne was also severely understaffed, and while her hiring process was similarly hindered, Lord Ferdinand and Lady Rozemyne had come up with a unique, quite out-of-standard solution.
Lieseleta was present, of course, tending to Lady Rozemyne with grace and class, as was her sister Angelica, standing at the entrance of the gazebo, defending the archduchess from any and all threats, staring off gallantly into the middle-distance. But there were two new ‘retainers’ flanking Lady Rozemyne, each standing in front of a gazebo post behind her. Strangely, they were both shumil magic tools, of the walking talking variety. One was light blue, the other light green, coincidentally matching the sibling retainers’ hair colors. Lady Rozemyne introduced them to me.
“The light blue one is Dinan, say hello to Letizia, Dinan. She’s our one and only archduke candidate, and Ferdinand and I plan to adopt her after our starbind.”
“Letizia, hello. Archduke candidate, remembered.” The magic tool replied in a cute tone, but remained unnervingly still.
“Dinan is going to manage the other shumils, so he’s a bit smarter than the rest. I’ve also nicknamed him Dino, so he’ll respond to that name, too.” Lady Rozemyne continued, “The other one is Adlet, and he’s going to be one of my librarians. Ferdinand is working on building a few more for me as well, so I won’t be unguarded at the Royal Academy. All of my current knights are too old to attend the academy with me, after all.”
“How cute! I can’t imagine how much mana they’ll require, though, especially day to day. Will you have enough for your studies bringing so many shumil magic tools with you?” I responded, even as she patted Dinan and Adlet on their foreheads, feeding them some of her mana. Surely, even with Lady Rozemyne’s large mana supply, it could prove to be a bit too much for a fifth year student.
“Oh, I think it’ll be okay. Raimund managed to streamline their magic circle even more, and I’ll be skipping most of my practicals since I’ve already completed the Archduke Candidate’s course with Zent Eglantine.”
“Of course… I’m sorry, I’m sure you and Lord Ferdinand are aware of what your mana capacity can sustain, I didn’t mean to imply otherwise.” I replied sheepishly, my face growing hot at the realization I just unintentionally undermined Lady Rozemyne, who was acting as my guest. I should’ve known better than to view the Saint of Ehrenfest and Alexandria, the Avatar of Mestionora, Lord Ferdinand’s and my own savior, by my limited standards. She was the hero of her own story, and I was just a meek side character who up until recently shrank away from my own studies and duties.
And I unwittingly hurt a lot of people.
It was my fault Lord Ferdinand and I needed saving in the first place. That my soon to be adoptive parents did not blame me and send me to the ivory tower proved their magnanimity, at the same time it cemented my guilt. Lady Rozemyne had told me that Lord Ferdinand had forgiven me, and that my actions were the result of trug, a rare herb from Lanzenave. Even so, would she have made the same mistake in my place? Would Lord Ferdinand? My memories from that day were jumbled and hazy, but Ferdinand’s deeply disappointed expression as he pushed me (literally) out of the castle’s replenishment hall that I poisoned remained crystal clear in my mind.
Lady Rozemyne graciously signaled the changing of tea, trying to regain the levity from before and smooth over my embarrassment and bring me out of my dark recollections.
“How are you finding things in the temple?” Lady Rozemyne asked, deftly changing the topic, “The role of high bishop is a big job, And the starbinding ceremony will be here before we know it. As you know, I was Ehrenfest’s high bishop for several years, so if you have questions I’m sure I can be of some assistance.”
Ah, she doesn’t trust me with such an important job. Am I already messing up without even realizing it?
“Do not worry Lady Rozemyne, I have memorized the necessary prayers.”
“That’s all well and good, but I wanted to know more about how you’re doing emotionally. Have you… come to terms with everything that’s happened? Is there anything I can do for you?”
I stared blankly at her for a moment, which she returned with an effervescent smile, eager to get to what she imagined was the heart of the matter. It was funny, though. I had always assumed this question, once asked, would rend me apart and that I would get choked up and teary-eyed, like when I’d come crying to Roswitha. Dear Roswitha who would have chastised me for being unladylike, and unbecoming of a noble… but would have still listened without judgment, and set me back on the right track.
But now, in front of Lady Rozemyne and all her good intentions, I’m not sure I felt anything at all.
Lady Rozemyne, sensing my hesitation, silently proffered an anti-eavesdropping magic tool, and I accepted it. Neither of us bothered to order our retainers to avert their eyes, it was simply a gesture with my comfort in mind. I’m sure Lord Ferdinand would have found it an unfathomable waste of mana, but I was thankful for the unchanging kindness Lady Rozemyne had shown me since Lord Ferdinand first became my teacher.
Now that our conversation was for us alone, Rozemyne continued. “I did want to reiterate that making you the High Bishop does not mean that you were relegated to the temple, or any sort of punishment. In fact, Archduke Candidates used to spend their time in the temple to receive blessings from the gods. It may seem like a lot of hard work now, but it will benefit you as an adult. You might even be able to get your own Grutrissheit!”
“I know, Lady Rozemyne. Rest assured, I will do anything you need me to do . The temple has been no real hardship at all, and thank you for lending me Fran. The temple reforms have been happening even faster than we anticipated, I guess we have Lord Hartmut to thank for that.”
“Ferdinand had mentioned that you’ve been working exceptionally hard recently, but please don’t pick up his habit of overworking! It’s important to take breaks, too. If you need a good book, an advanced copy of the new Royal Academy Love Stories by Lady Ellantura was delivered from Ehrenfest. As usual, her work is of high quality, though in terms of providing her any feedback, I could use another reader’s perspective. One not so close to some of the stories…”
Rozemyne rested her hand on her cheek and stared off into space for a moment, briefly resembling her blue-haired knight.
“I’d be happy to read it.” I said, “I confess I have been reading more, in preparation for joining the Library Committee.”
And as an escape from thinking about… other things. I left it unsaid, but Lady Rozemyne would understand, wouldn’t she?
“You make reading in your free time sound like such a chore, but well, maybe you will enjoy the social atmosphere of the Library Committee. I can’t wait for our annual tea party! It will be much like this, but my dear friend Lady Hannelore will be there. Lord Hildebrand, too. Who knows, maybe you two will make a Royal Academy love story of your own?
I could feel my cheeks flush scarlet. “I’m not sure, now that the royal decree has been revoked, I’m sure Lord Hildebrand would rather find a lady of his own choosing to marry.”
Lady Rozemyne tilted her head in confusion. “The royal decree is still in effect, though.”
Before I knew what was happening, my teacup—despite all my noble training—fell from my hands and shattered on the gazebo’s marble floor.
When Lady Rozemyne and Lord Ferdinand met with the former royals, I had just assumed that the entire decree had been rescinded. Why keep in place a decree that I should become the Aub of a now nonexistent duchy? Why pin Lord Hildebrand and me to an agreement couched so heavily in the past?
Why am I even still here?
Fairseele began to frantically fuss over me, which helped calm my panic. She cast waschen on my stained high bishop robes and checked me over for any injuries or distress.
“Were you scalded at all, my lady?” Fairseele asked. The tea was still quite hot, having only just been changed. While no signals of pain exceeded my shock, I think my legs might have been lightly burned.
“I’m fine.” I said a bit too tersely, and winced a little as I stood up from my chair.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize it would come as such a surprise,” Rozemyne said, coming around the table. She took my hand in hers as she said, “May Heilschmerz’s healing be granted.”
Our anti-eavesdropping magic tools lay forgotten on the table, but Lady Rozemyne seemingly had no qualms about continuing without them.
“Lord Hildebrand may still be your fiancé now, but even I was first engaged to Lord Wilfried. I was about your age, then. Now I’m engaged to Ferdinand. We never know what the future may hold, but in this time of political upheaval a lot of duchies are going to try and make inroads with Alexandria this year. You may rely on Lord Hildebrand to shield you from unwanted suitors.”
“But I have you for that, Lady Rozemyne. And I would be sure to properly turn down my suitors, making sure to consult you and Lord Ferdinand first.”
I’m not like you, I wisely omitted. I would keep my head down in my first year, and cause zero headache reports.
Lady Rozemyne searched my eyes for something I doubted was there.
“At the very least, I hope you can make friends with Lord Hildebrand. I think you two… have a lot in common.”
There seemed to be more she wanted to say, but she became distracted by the bits of my teacup that were about to be discarded.
“The most wonderful idea just occurred to me.” She approached Fairseele. “May I see the teacup?”
Fairseele was about to hand over the remains of the teacup when Lieseleta interjected. “My lady, I must protest. You will no doubt cut your hands.”
Fairseele instead scattered the pieces on the table, so Rozemyne could visually examine the shards. It had split into a handful of sizable pieces. I didn’t know whether that was a lucky turn or a bad break for her purposes.
“Hmm. Yes, these should do. If you’d like, I believe we should be able to repair this teacup, and make it a beautiful work of art in the process. Would that be okay?”
It was generally unheard of for a noble to attempt to repair their possessions. It was seen as a signal that you lacked the funds to easily replace what was broken. But I swore to never inconvenience Lady Rozemyne if I could help it. I nodded my ascent, and we made plans to meet at the new orphanage workshop in three days. Apparently Lady Rozemyne had a lot to prepare for this new repair method.
“Then it seems Dregarnuhr, the Goddess of Time, has woven with extraordinary haste today. May our threads cross in three days’ time.”
With that, Lady Rozemyne and her entourage departed, leaving me with one last sparkling smile that warned me that either Greifechan or Glucklitat would surely smile on us all.