Mina awoke and squinted from the brightness of the light. She groggily took in her surroundings. I'm…no longer on the floor…
She blinked a few times, then continued to squint as she sat up. How've I come to be…
The realization struck her, and she smiled, hugging her scarf to her face. He's recovered fully then. I'm so relieved. She rolled out of the chair onto her bare feet. She'd begun the habit of remaining barefoot while in her workshop in the course of her attempts to undo at least some part of her long years of manners tutoring in the hopes that one day…
It's a foolish wish. I should be content with the time I've been given. Mina shuffled over to the stairs and started down, the metal feeling dreadfully cold despite the ever-present warmth of Onyxfell.
Carl was sitting up in his reclining chair.
Perhaps today shall be the last time I'll see him if he's to return to his family. Yes, I'll ensure that he does once I've managed to show him that his time spent with me has amounted to something.
Until then, I'd best make the most of what little time remains.
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"This is delicious, Carl," Mina said. She took another big bite of the savory, spiced meat which seemed to give her a sensation of comfort beyond what was typical for a meal.
"Thought we should prep for your race with the same energy we had when we got into town," Carl said. "Plus these pork shanks are so freaking good." He took an enthusiastic bite of his own.
Mina felt again the same warmth and peacefulness she'd felt in increasing quantities during the time she'd spent with him. "It's nice that we share a similar preference for foods." She smiled, and it was a full, happy smile, as were all of her smiles now.
She no longer needed to feign niceties and pleasantries.
She was free now, despite attempts by her fears to convince her to the contrary.
Carl grinned back at her. "Wanna split one of those big salads?"
"I'd love to," Mina said, smiling even more widely when he began scooping part of the salad onto her plate in a manner that neither of her true parents would have have considered.
Today was the happiest day of her life.
I'd like for it to never end.
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"Carl, would you pass me the spanner near your foot, please?" Mina called back from the floor near the driver's door of her new steamcar.
"Sure," Carl said. There was a sliding sound, and the spanner hung down just in front of her moments later.
"Thank you," she said with a certain cheerfulness she'd always lacked while improving her previous steamcar alone in the castle stables.
She no longer felt alone.
For a short while longer, at the least.
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"You just do your best, sweetie. I'll be proud of you no matter what."
It required every component of her manners training not to erupt into tears.
She'd never had someone claim to be proud of her.
Carl rubbed her back while she embraced him, and she felt that she'd like to spend an eternity in that manner.
She couldn't, however.
"I'll dedicate my victory speech to you," Mina said as she pulled away, finding it difficult to speak as she was nearly overcome by her emotions.
"I'm gonna look forward to that then," Carl said with a sincere smile that showed no signs of the irony she'd have expected were the statement to be uttered by one of her sisters or her mother. He patted her gently on the helmet, the act calling to mind how he affectionately tousled her hair at times.
Times she wished could continue, though she knew they would not.
He was not truly her family, after all.
Mina drove forward a short ways, then came to a stop as she looked in each direction prior to entering the race track.
Her eyes felt hot as she began her first lap. She'd inquired about Carl's home and family, if only to imagine what it might be like if she could have lived among them. He'd spoken of all manner of thing she had no conception of, but it was still simple enough.
Sammy sounded as though she was quite athletic and interested in her social intrigues. Perhaps if they'd been sisters, Mina might have tutored her on various topics as she grew older? Perhaps this basketball game, whatever it might be, would be something she might be able to spectate and cheer her younger, caring sister on in? Not too often, naturally, as she wouldn't wish to become a bother, but perhaps just occasionally…
Bobby was perhaps more like Mina herself? She'd imagined they might sit together enjoying a quiet day of relaxation, perhaps reading by a fireplace. Perhaps she enjoyed tinkering with mechanics as well, and they might collaborate in some manner of project? If she enjoyed games, perhaps they might play together? Surely not with much regularity, as it seemed that she was quite busy, but perhaps every few weeks?
Then there was Annie. Carl's insistence that she was the best only caused Mina to grow more hesitant. She could imagine having a pair of younger sisters she loved dearly, perhaps each of them behaving in a manner slightly similar to Carl himself, but she wasn't quite capable of imagining having a mother.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
She'd recognized Carl as behaving in a fatherly manner by instinct. The overbearing manner in which he was always considering her safety before all else, the manner in which he looked at her with fondness rather than lasciviousness…
The manner in which he hugged her tightly, as though shielding her from all manner of evil and harm.
Her own father had shown inklings of such behavior from time to time when she'd been younger, so she at least had some reference point.
Mina glanced once more at the folded piece of paper set in the small slot she'd designed into the space next to the steering wheel in order to hold documents. Perhaps… She steered slowly around another curve in the track, and Carl came into view, now seated in one of his reclining chairs.
She smiled and waved to him. Before she could stare further at the paper, she reached out and snatched it up, folding it once more before tucking it into the top of her shirt. I'll consider it at a later time. I've no notion of how something written on a paper would enable me to speak with someone from another world, but I feel that if it's Carl, anything might be possible.
She took a breath and let it out. No, I must center myself. Carl spoke of being proud of me, but I won't let that be an empty claim. I will triumph.
If I were truly Carl's daughter, I'd not allow anything to prevent my victory.
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"One!" shouted the commentator.
Mina stretched her fingers and wrapped them around the steering wheel.
"TWO!" shouted the crowd.
Mina took a deep breath and focused.
"THREE!"
Mina pressed the go pedal slightly. She hadn't fully tested her new steamcar's capacity for speed as of yet, but she'd had sufficient time chasing Carl earlier that day to verify that it was indeed quite speedy.
Perhaps even more so than her previous steamcar, though she was hesitant to test its full capabilities at such a critical time in case she was unable to retain control.
She held to no particular strategy as the race began. Her mind was focused solely on driving to the utmost of her ability.
The steamcars ahead of her began to turn around the first curve, and she accelerated a small amount as she took the turn more tightly, managing to cut past one of her competitors.
One of her subjects, if she was to become a true Queen of Racing.
She spied an opening between the cars ahead of her and accelerated once more on the next turn, wedging her way between them with the trust she had in her steamcar's design and manufacture, Ir'alith's enchantments, and, reluctantly, Vol's ability to disable the machine which would once more cause her steamcar to…
Mina shook her head. She had no time for such thoughts.
A Queen of Racing mustn't possess fear of the very steamcar she drove!
She sped forward out of the turn and past the steamcars on either side of her, not sparing them another look. A long, straight section was next, and she maintained her position for the time being.
Thoughts raced through her mind.
Too many thoughts.
She had no need of many of them.
Her sole focus was the track ahead.
Her track.
Another curve loomed, and she positioned herself along the outside, accelerating sharply as she exited and managing to slide past several other vehicles.
The first lap was complete, but there were still more scoundrels ahead who sought her throne. She advanced a bit more and glanced to her sides. From what she'd seen of those who drove upon her tracks, they possessed strange abilities which required some caution until she'd slipped past them all.
The driver to her right was standing up out of her steamcar, her spear poised to strike.
She intended to rebel openly?
How insolent!
Mina spun her steering wheel, ramming her own steamcar into the other. It was a tactical ambush, just as she'd learned from General Gabriel. She grinned as she accelerated once more after discomfiting the other driver.
A curve was approaching, and she'd caught sight of another gap in the defenses of the rebellion. She again employed the same maneuver she'd accidentally discovered that morning while in pursuit of Carl, turning abruptly as she accelerated even further. The wheels of her car slid as they spun according to her will, and she swung around the curve at the very edge of her track, narrowly passing a group of fools asleep on their guard shift.
If they sought to rebel upon her track—to challenge a Queen of Racing—should they not at least grant her the dignity of providing their attention when she drew near?
She was nearing the leader of the rebels now, the one she'd always known she would need to defeat to ascend her throne. His steamcar vanished, then reappeared beneath another steamcar as he thrust upwards with his spear, launching the second driver into the air.
The remaining steamcars swerved to the sides to dodge, but Mina seized the opportunity, skimming past them under the airborne steamcar even as it spun in the air above her.
A Queen of Racing was still a queen, and so she mustn't show fear to her subjects. It was a lesson she'd learned at great cost from Mister Compton.
Mina turned her head slightly to the right to look at Emma's husband as they approached a curve, acknowledging his presence.
His eyes narrowed as he looked back at her.
He was outmatched.
She took the curve a little later than she had the previous ones, cutting the wheel sharply and accelerating. Unlike the previous occasions, however, she no longer had anyone to prevent her from continuing to drive as speedily as she desired.
She pressed the go pedal down farther, then even farther. She again spun her wheel as she approached another curve, sliding her car as she'd done the previous time. She had free reign of her track now, and she utilized it fully, feeling an intense rush as she realized that she was already nearly a half lap ahead of her next closest competitor.
No, she mustn't think of that.
A Queen of Racing needn't bother with those behind her.
She had only herself, her steamcar, and her track.
A bright flash drew her gaze briefly to her steamcar's center mirror, but it was too distant to be of any relevance. She sped forward, completing another lap, her fifth.
How strange, she mused. Should there not be more of her subjects on her track, awaiting her grace as she deigned to pass them by?
She glanced in her mirror once more.
The oddly shaped white steamcar she'd passed during the first lap was behind her and seemed to be shortening the distance between them.
How impertinent!
She accelerated out of the curve she'd exited, speeding along and completing her sixth lap at a pace which surely…
The white steamcar still pursued her! What manner of fiend could this be?!
She gnashed her teeth. How was this other steamcar keeping pace with her? She took the next curve, and the answer became apparent.
Due to the track's size, she still hesitated to test the limits of her steamcar's speed as it would certainly put her at risk of driving outside the boundaries of the road, which was unthinkable. The white steamcar was approximately the same speed as hers given that limitation, but its steering seemed to be entirely without flaws. It managed each curve to perfection, turning at precisely the same point in each case and accelerating just as perfectly, which permitted it to retain more speed following each curve.
The white steamcar shot around the curve and passed Mina by, though she was unable to see its driver through the darkened glass of its cabin.