The Ordrin house was in a hectic state following Olivia's revelation of my supposed legitimacy as word was quickly spreading through the servants. My mother wouldn't speak a word after breakfast and only smiled hopefully at me as we were led to one of the guest rooms in the keep and we stood next to the fireplace. The Duchess, Derik, and Olivia were with us waiting while the Duke went to personally fetch Elder Arkin and tell him what was happening.
"Don't worry," Olivia said as she stood next to me.
"But," I had to reason with her, "What if-"
"Trust me," she spoke with such conviction that I was stunned. Had she really received a vision from Lady Alm about my legitimacy during the night we slept next to each other? The Duchess was pacing to calm her nerves, and Derik was giving me an angry look. If Olivia was proven false, then the Count wouldn't sit silent, nor would Lady Alm's temple once Elder Arkin reported back to them. There was also the fear of what Lady Alm might do once Arkin invoked the ritual if I was truly a bastard. As the air in the room worsened, the Duke arrived with a bald man who looked to be in his late fifties.
"Elder Arkin, our Hearth Mother's loyal vassal, greets the Countess of Gauldrin," Arkin said and gave a respectful bow to my mother. He had a calm disposition about him while his voice held a hint of enthusiasm.
"Greetings...Elder," my mother replied and pulled her shawl tighter around her.
"And, you must be Lady Lucina," Arkin addressed and stood before me. He towered above me and I found it hard to look up at him; it was as if he held some otherworldly presence. "I have been appraised of the situation by the Duke and have come to find answers only our Lady may provide. Come, child." He gestured for me to move with him to the edge of the fireplace. "For this ritual, I will need a strand of your hair, child, but it cannot be cut; it must contain the root which holds a part of you so I will need to pluck it. This may hurt, are you ready?"
"...Yes." I had to be brave for my mother.
"Then in three, two, one." Arkin plucked a single strand of my hair and turned towards the fireplace. Logs were already placed inside, but they weren't lit. "Keeper of Hearth, Bestower of Flame and Soil, Binder of Families, your humble vassal beseeches your attention to right a wrong against a child of man." As Akrin spoke his prayer, the logs lit by themselves, and a large fire crackled to life. Everyone's eyes were fixed on the flame and a heavy pressure pressed down on us demanding our gaze. We had Lady Alm's attention. Arkin extended his hand that held my hair and recited, "Doubt has clouded a family's eyes and darkened their hearts. Child Lucina of the Felswore is-" Arkin's voice was silenced as a wave of flame reached out and grabbed the hair from his hand.
"Arkin!?" the Duke called out as the flames intensified and forced him to take a step back. The Duchess, my mother, Derik, and the servants present collapsed to their hands and knees as the pressure forced them down. Olivia kneeled but didn't fall like the others and her face was one of shock and horror at Lady Alm's display of power. Only Arkin and I were spared from falling, in fact, the flames felt pleasantly warm and the pressure on my shoulders lessened.
"This is...as if waiting!?" Arkin breathed out his words of astonishment as I guessed this wasn't normal. The flames in the fireplace suddenly morphed and distorted themselves around the strand of my hair that was now floating in the center of the fire. Two figures took shape, a man and a woman; one was my mother and the other was Charles Felswore. The two figures joined hands over my strand of hair causing it to burn to nothingness. Then, just as suddenly as they burst forth, the flames receded and the immense pressure in the room vanished. The fire was out and all was calm. The Duke quickly ran to his wife's side and helped her to her feet.
"Arkin, didn't you say the flames would gently take the hair after you recited your prayer!? What happened!?" the Duke once more pressed the Elder to speak.
"..." Arkin stared at the burnt logs in the fireplace in silence. His mouth opened but words failed to come out. He turned to me before finally speaking, "It seems...our Hearth Mother was impatient. I believe she wished to resolve this as swiftly as possible for the child."
"Then...!?" my mother spoke with desperation clear in her voice and rose on shaky legs. "My daughter, Lucina, she's...?"
"As a witness to Her declaration, I, Elder Arkin of Wortrest and vassal of our Hearth Mother, pronounce Lady Lucina a true Felswore. Let none find this claim wanting!" Arkin turned to everyone and spoke with a divine authority that seemed to make his voice resound throughout the keep.
"Oh my... Elizabeth!?" the Duchess spoke with reverence but quickly changed her tone when my mother suddenly collapsed to her knees. "Eli-"
"I knew!" my mother cried into her hands, "My daughter...My Lucina! I knew it!" Five years of vindication hit her all at once. As for me...
"Lucina?" Olivia got to her feet and approached me. She still looked unsettled by what just happened and I could tell she was putting on a brave front for me. "See, everything turned out fine."
"...Yeah." Fine. Hearing that word to describe this ordeal felt...wrong? Something gnawed at me and my thoughts; something unpleasant. Aren't I supposed to be happy with this outcome?
"Lucina!" my mother came over and pulled me into a deep hug. She was shaking violently and tears wouldn't stop falling from her face. Her smile was the brightest I had ever seen, so why did I not feel the same? I wouldn't bring up these feelings since I didn't want to spoil my mother's happiness, so I buried them in my heart to rot and fester until I could figure out what they were.
***
Once things had calmed down, Elizabeth was forced to remain bedridden as the fatigue and stress of the past five years all left her body at once causing her to collapse, again. But with the help of Nancy and Arkin, her life was never in jeopardy and would return to normal after two full days of rest as enforced by Duchess Alice. The first thing Elizabeth did when she woke up was write a letter to her husband explaining what happened and that Lucina was his legitimate daughter as pronounced by Lady Alm. She didn't know what kind of response to expect, but she held a new vigor that Alice said she hadn't seen in five years. As for Lucina, she seemed rather melancholic about things.
"Lucina!" Things except for Olivia. As the days passed, Olivia would show Lucina around Castle Wortrest and, in general, did her best to be the best friend she could for the girl. Lucina, in turn, would often seek out Olivia when they weren't together; like today when Lucina approached the knight's training field to find Olivia practicing her swordsmanship. Unlike her usual attire, when she trained Olivia wore brown pants and a white, loose-fitting, short-sleeved shirt, and she had her hair up in a high ponytail. "Is it already late?" she asked and took a glance at the sun's position.
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"No, I just wanted to watch you train." Lucina was finally able to show a warm smile, much to Olivia's satisfaction. "And...Mary said you might need this, so..." Lucina sheepishly held out a wet towel so Olivia could wipe her sweat away. Olivia cocked an amused eyebrow and looked behind Lucina to see Mary and a few other maids giggling to themselves as they watched how innocent Lucina was when around her.
"I see Mary's troubling you with her work," Olivia joked as she took the towel and wiped her face.
"It's no trouble at all!" Lucina responded and looked anxious. "I-I like spending time with you, and since I was already on my way-... And..." Lucina's words trailed off and her gaze fell to the ground. "You've helped me so much that I want to be there for you, too." Whenever she was with Olivia, Lucina would feel as if the day was brighter. The assurance that her voice carried, the elegance of how she held herself, and the care she showed all touched Lucina making her want to do her best to repay all she had received.
"...Thank you, Lucina." Olivia gave her friend a bright smile as she also felt a warmth in her heart at the sincerity in Lucina's words. "I'll join you after I finish these sets of swings."
"Okay!" Lucina instantly perked up and ran over to a tree that sat at the edge of the field and offered plenty of shade to enjoy while waiting.
"Here you go, Lady Lucina." Mary, expecting this, placed down a blanket so Lucina wouldn't be sitting in the dirt and grass.
"Thank you, Mary." Lucina took her seat and leaned back against the tree to enjoy watching Olivia train. Despite only being five years old, Olivia's control of a sword was rather stunning. The Ordrin family came from a long lineage of Aurister knights so her father was extremely proud of her incredible growth and handling of weapons. The Duke had even authorized Olivia to start practicing with real swords so she could get used to the weight from an early age; he trusted her budding talent that much.
"Thanks for waiting," Olivia called when she finished and wiped herself down with the towel.
"Are you sure you don't want to take a seat?" Lucina asked as Olivia didn't sit down and instead started stretching when she got to the blanket.
"If I do, I'll cramp up later," Olivia explained as she continued her stretches, "Staying nimble is the key to a good workout."
"But, doesn't your aura prevent that?" Within the world existed two kinds of supernatural powers: magic and aura. Magisters used magic granted to them by the gods Lady Alm and Lord Sen to perform spells and rituals, while Auristers used aura granted to them by the goddess Lady Muz to supernaturally enhance their physical abilities. Magic affected the world around the user, while aura affected the user directly. There was some overlap like how life magic can heal a user and how some Auristers could solidify their aura and throw it at an enemy, but for the most part they were categorized as two separate powers.
"Just because it stops me from cramping, doesn't mean I should get complacent!" Olivia proudly declared.
"But..." Lucina seemed rather dejected.
"...Such a greedy girl, you've become," Olivia said with a smile, "But, I suppose I only have myself to blame for indulging you so much." Every Aurister's aura had a physical appearance that reflected the user and would manifest when used. The Duke's aura caused whatever weapon he held to be sheathed in lightning that arced towards his opponent. Olivia's aura caused glowing white flower petals to flutter out of her hair and move in an unfelt wind with her body's movements. "Is this what you wanted?"
"It's so pretty!" Lucina loved seeing Olivia's aura. She loved the way the aura danced around Olivia and flowed with unnatural grace whenever she moved.
"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself." But, what Lucina loved most of all was seeing Olivia smiling through the petals that gently floated around her while the sun peaked through the tree they were under which bathed her in a warm glow that was softened by the occasional shadow. "Though, I guess this helps me, too, since using my aura will help me grow and maintain it."
"Is it like a muscle?" Lucina asked as she poked a petal that fluted close to her only for the petal to disperse in a small flash of light.
"Hmm, I guess you could relate it to a muscle," Olivia mused and tapped her chin in thought. "Something like that..." Her eyes wandered back to the training field and to the other knights who were all practicing and her hand moved to cover her mouth.
"Huh?" One of the knights looked up from his practice and noticed Olivia watching. "Oh, the young Lady's watching!"
"She is?" Other knights glanced over to confirm. "No slacking! Show her the skill of the Azure Hawks!"
"Yes, sir!" The knights became extremely motivated seeing Olivia watch them with such great interest and intensified their training.
"...If only they knew," Mary gave a defeated sigh and touched her cheek. What the knights couldn't see was the perverted smile Olivia was hiding with her hand as she gazed at the glistening muscles of the few knights who were shirtless during training.
"...Like a muscle." There were two definitive facts Lucina had learned about Olivia during her stay in Wortrest: Olivia would sometimes say weird things that made no sense, and she got weirdly obsessed when it came to muscles.
"My Lady, you're drooling again," Mary said as she walked over, pulled out a handkerchief, and wiped the sides of Olivia's mouth.
"Ahem!" Olivia quickly turned away from the knights and cleared her throat.
"..." Lucina looked at her scrawny, malnourished arms in defeat. While she was now getting properly fed, including extra meals and snacks Nancy recommended she eat, there was still a long way to go before she would get to a healthy weight and she wouldn't look as skinny. "Are...muscles that good?"
"Of course they are!" Olivia turned to Lucina with such gusto that Lucina jumped in surprise. "Proper muscles are a sign of dedication and responsibility! A well-defined muscle is the cornerstone of handsomeness! Not even aura can just give you muscles, they must be earned making them that much more appealing!" She gripped the air in front of her and struck a heroic pose. Mary couldn't bear to look at Olivia and averted her gaze in second-hand embarrassment.
"So, bigger muscles are better?" Lucina fished for an answer.
"...No." But, Olivia's answer surprised Lucina.
"But, don't you love muscles?" The bluntness of the question caused Olivia to blush.
"Well, defined muscles." Seeing Lucina's confused expression, Olivia explained, "I don't really like someone who looks like they inflated themselves with air and could pop if poked with a pin. I mean lean muscles that keep the body's natural form while accenting it with the definition muscles bring. Like, look over there!" Olivia knelt down next to Lucina and pointed to one of the shirtless knights. "See how his abs glisten in the sun and catch the light in such a way that shows off the beauty of the human body!? Or, that one over there whose back ripples with energy with every draw of the bow!?" Lucina had no idea what Olivia was getting on about but was just happy that it looked like she was enjoying herself.
"My Lady, please spare Lady Lucina from your more...eccentric tastes," Mary pleaded nervously. "I don't want to explain to the Countess, should Lady Lucina pick up on your habits."
"It'll be fine, Mary. It's not like it's anything bad."
"I'll also be informing the Duchess, should such a thing occur."
"..." Olivia fell silent. Then, abruptly, she looked at Lucina and gave a thumbs up while saying, "Remember Lucina, muscles aren't everything; it's the personality that counts."
"That's not what you said, earlier," Lucina pointed out.
"That's what we're rolling with." The smile on Olivia's face was pleading with Lucina to let it slide and Lucina wondered how many times something's happened for the Duchess to be in the know about Olivia's eccentric tastes and for it to cause Olivia such fear.
"Okay." Lucina decided to humor Olivia's earnest request.
"Good," Olivia said as she laid down and rested her head on Lucina's lap. "Now, since I indulged you with my aura, it's your turn to indulge me with a pillow while I take a quick break."
"...Okay," Lucina said with a shy smile. Since Lucina always asked to see Olivia's aura while she trained, Olivia would quickly get tired and need a quick nap. Well, she didn't really need it. Olivia just liked seeing Lucina's flustered face as payback.
"Is my hair uncomfortable?" Olivia asked when she realized she still had it up in a ponytail.
"No," Lucina quietly reassured as her fingers unconsciously started stroking some loose hair off Olivia's face.
"...Does it suit me?" Olivia asked after being lost in thought. There was a somberness in her eyes as she looked up at Lucina. "Having a ponytail versus letting my hair down?"
"Doesn't it depend on what you're doing?" Lucina answered and continued to play with Olivia's hair.
"I mean, what makes me look more attractive as a woman?"
"Aren't we both five?"
"...Never mind," Olivia answered with a chuckle and shut her eyes. Lucina watched Olivia's breathing mellow out as she drifted off into her nap.
"To be honest," Lucina whispered as she watched the shadows from the tree dance across Olivia's face, "I think you look pretty no matter how you do your hair."
"...?" Olivia opened her eyes and stared into Lucina's. Against the sun that peaked through the leaves of the tree, Lucina's head was silhouetted in a halo of light. Her hair fell down her shoulders freely and seemed to envelop Olivia. Her eyes were filled with longing as they looked down at her.
"My Lady!?" Suddenly, Becky came out of the keep and yelled as she ran towards the group.
"Becky, what's going on?" Olivia sat up and was on full alert seeing how stressed Becky was and Lucina started fidgeting anxiously.
"You and Lady Lucina are to come inside, at once," Becky explained when she caught her breath. "Count Felswore is here!"
"!?!" Everyone looked to Lucina whose entire body froze. Lucina didn't freeze out of fear however, but instead, the ugly feelings she felt earlier forced themselves up from her heart and gripped her whole body like a vise.