Several weeks later…

In the backdrop of a grand manor that resided high on the top of a hillside, a familiar pigeon zoomed its way through the tall pagodas and braced for landing atop the extended window frame of Hamilton’s bedroom.

The pigeon promptly tapped its beak on the misty glass, followed by the sounds of approaching footsteps. Hamilton, in the middle of assembling his cravat, opened the window. To his absolute delight, the sight of a turquoise seal on smooth, thick parchment made his attention to his attire waned. Untying the bundle, he then sent the messenger bird flying back to base.

His room was still lacking in lamp fire, only illuminated softly by the natural light. On his large armchair, he examined the stack. Hamilton’s heart raced for the first time today. Not only does he worry about his grandmother’s response, he may never know what form of communication she would express it as. Hamilton ran his thumb over the opening and cracked the stamped clay. There were no automatic actions taken.

‘Thus, Grandmother opted for the ordinary.’

Hamilton unfolded the three sectioned paper, and there he saw her answer. Perhaps in this case, her demand.

A large magick code, dyed in the reddest of reds, was written with extreme precision on the center of the page. It was a dual layered circle. The inner smaller circle was much thicker than the outer one, and located only on the northwest and east of the relatively small gap, a bunch of text, foreign to any language spoken by the common populace worldwide, was inscribed in a fanciful, cursive hand. Their parts had a single line, compared to three, respectively. A hypotenuse of a right angled triangle connected the central two sections and the point opposite to it, touching the inner circumference, had a straight line drawn, aligning the point to the center and the hypotenuse.

Its distinctive smell alerted Hamilton that his grandmother used a combination of her blood, fresh of her bone marrow, with a foal of a unicorn. Considering this realization, Hamilton easily deduced that this introductory session was something his grandmother held of utmost importance, hence using this magical concoction with guaranteed properties of fueling and conducting immense volumes of mana for a prolonged period of time.

It was a summoning circle, and Hamilton knew that this was his only chance to appease her to accept the Lady that he fell for.

“I will see to it.”

He stood up. Disregarding the unfinished neckwear, he turned to see the old man Ferase, who emerged out of the opened door at just the right time. They made eye contact and Ferase scanned him from head to toe.

“Good morning, Master Hamilton, shall I escort you to the dressing room? And how did that outfit get into your sleeping quarters?”

Today, Hamilton saw no servants that were present as routined.

“Ferase, what happened to the duo under you?”

“You mean, Fiur and Ginerev, Master? To great misfortune, Sir, this morning they were both reported ill for the day. Shall I gather a swift replacement?”

“No need for that, Ferase. It is much better, truthfully, that you are the only one present.”

“What’s the matter, Master Hamilton?”

“Grandmother has sent her orders.”

For that reveal, Ferase was shocked.

“So…did she disapprove of your relationship to the Lady?”

“...Not…yet. All she sent was this summoning circle.”

He held it out for him.

Picking up the same stench, Ferase furrowed his brows.

“I must get the guest room ready, but before that, we really need to dress you up to the most formal attire.”

“As always, Ferase, you’re not self-aware that your outfit must need a change too.”

“Never bother with the butler, Master, you always come first. Come, let us make haste!”

Grabbing his arm, Ferase led him out towards the hall like a father to a son.

As Hamilton looked over his balding head and longer gray, white hair, he gave in to any resistance and let his closest attendant pull him across with a light smile. The morning white sunlight casted long black shadows over the sparkly, spotless walls.

.

.

.

Within the dressing room, Hamilton had his arms spread out in a T pose as Ferase did his work with the clothes. As he went about to get Hamilton an ironed dark cyan coat with bright golden accents and silver floral patterns, Hamilton remembered another important detail.

“Ferase, I think we overlooked something.”

Frozen in his spot, the attendant asked.

“What is?”

“It’s certain that I am going to don the Kugiran clothing customs, but…wouldn’t it be better and more successful if TianXing does so as well, rather than infuriating Grandmother with her foreign ensemble?”

“...That is a question that requires careful thought, Master. But I do agree with your reasoning.”

“Nicely said, Ferase. However, in this household, do we even keep any high-end feminine make-up coffer sets, or bespoke gowns that’s fit to be proudly presentable to a rank that Grandmother resides upon?”

“Hmm…”

Ferase stopped in his tracks as he continued to recall his memories.

In Hamilton’s case, all he could do was to quickly buy all those items and they both knew that keeping the matriarch waiting was never the best action. For the days that he and the Lady spent brainstorming and rehearsing their lines of introductory and conversation, they missed aesthetic presentation. Hamilton breathed a sigh of exasperation. Was he starting to feel the effects of getting older as well? He was edging near his forties, after all.

As his thoughts wander off to his future retired life with TianXing, the now jolly Ferase grabbed his lord by the shoulders, bringing him back to the present.

“Excellent news, Master! I think we have just the right one for Lady Xu!”

“R-really?”

“In regards to the cosmetics, I can just personally visit the Merisal’s downtown and purchase their most premium product in the afternoon with the help of Gauin.”

“Does that flower gardener really know her stuff? I always saw her in the compost and dirt.”

“She still has her youth, Master. I assure you that.”

“Then that’s better! Do as you wish, Ferase, while I must message TianXing in haste time.”

“Safe travels then, Master. I trust you know the carriage by now.” Ferase cautioned as he finally tied Hamilton his salt white frilly cravat.

“Haha, I am no longer a child, dear Ferase.”

“Surely.” Ferase scurried towards the door.

“One more thing, Ferase.”

“Yes?”

“I remember never keeping any of Clementine’s gowns, nor do the female servants have their own proper ball garbs, so what is this dress you speak of?”

Eyeing him mischievously, Ferase remained silent.

“You will be surprised tonight, Master Hamilton.”

The gentleman looked on with a little gripe.

.

.

.

That night, within the primary guest room, Hamilton watched on as his servants reordered all the furniture. The fluffy grand sofas were shoved to the edges, and one remained centered, now polished back to its birth. In front of it, there was a table with a special artifact. The piece was made of numerous shimmering bronze helixes that converged in unison to hold up a large marquise crystalline lattice.

The stone shone ambient rays of blue-green light, refracted off its countless faces of varying areas. It was a pleasant sight to just gaze blindly at, but for this occasion, it serves immense purpose. Taking the role of final conduit and converter, Hamilton spent a fortune to buy this one of a kind relic. It has helped him with countless emergency engagements with friends and foes alike. Yet now, it served as the bridge between his grandmother and himself. This was never routine practice. She constantly preached about face to face communication in reality, especially those deemed worthy of her respect. More than anything, she loved the Kiefrurpez by heart and soul…

‘This is nerve-wrecking!’

Ran his internal thoughts. Leaning on a pillar, he glanced at the sight of the servants leaving their finished duties, before turning over to his pocket where the inscription circle kept his fears aflame. Just as he sighed, the door had a knock.

“Master, your lady is waiting!” He heard the butler’s muttered voice.

“Hmph!”

Toughening up his inner man, Hamilton swiftly opened the double doors at such gallant grace and made good on his photographic memory to remember her appearance of tonight.

He zoned out.

“...”

His eyes widened and a low breath emerged from the gaping mouth.

“TianXing…”

She wore a deep blue gown and white accents and gold patterns. Red ribbons and a black corset perfectly fitted her slender torso. Her silky, glistening black hair was tied into something familiar for Anglo women her age with minimal makeup that showed her natural facial beauty. An alluring sight to witness. For Hamilton personally, he felt a sense of nostalgia upon closer observation, to which he shrugged it off.

Feeling her future husband’s expression, she bashfully asked, “How…how do I look, Hamilton?”

“It’sss…It’s something special, my dear! Truly, I-I have never recalled witnessing you wearing Anglo attire.”

“So…” She waited for the true answer.

“Ehrmmphopho, this presentation of beauty and fashion is certainly up my alley. It’s surely my background that makes myself favor gowns over robes. And I love both…It fits you.”

“...Ha, hahahahaha!”

“W-what’s the matter, TianXing?”

In the middle of her deep laughter, she hastily wiped tears of joy.

“I would say the same, Hamilton. Your response is just as rare.”

Taken aback, Hamilton held his ego.

“Your confidence strikes me that you are a veteran of multiple partners, when the only one I see is only, only me!” He grinned.

“I called that hypocrisy served on a golden platter. Mine’s speculation, meanwhile, your’s truly already has 2 ripe children.” Her face showed a similar grin as well. So ensued their half-hour long banter, full of insults and loving affection.

Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.

Hamilton continued along, deciding this was perfect to ignore what is to come for them next.

They finally stopped once Ferase stepped in to separate their like minded hivemind. Luckily, the planned meeting was just minutes away and the couple took their respective seats on the red fur sofa. Hamilton was on the right, with foreseeable sweat and TianXing, on the left, stared with child-like joy at the demonstration of the illogical, the display of mysticism and the drama of clashing principles. Opposite to them, Ferase began the ritual of Magick.

His feeble, mellow voice became a low bellow as he sang an unintelligible language. One that TianXing decided was the most alien. With the Magick circle handed to him, Ferase gently caressed the surface of the paper before placing its center of mass at the tip of the glowing crystalline lattice. The paper remained stable. Not long after, as if some otherworldly force played with its creases, the paper folds in on itself, covering the surface tip of the gem and the foal’s dried blood, gaining a rise of volume, flowed large amounts down and into the crystal, dying the glowing center a light scarlet.

White dust-like particles orbited haphazardly around the reddening lattice. They slowly grew in speed and number as the chant reached the highest tone. What followed afterwards was a massive blast of wind from the center.

While TianXing covered her face in fright, Hamilton watched on. Consecutive blasts came next and a beam of hair-thin ‘black’ light shot vertically, high up into the black sky, phasing past the multiple floors and roof whilst doing so.

Hundreds of new beams of light emerged from its reflective faces. They bent in awkward ways and without any surface to incident from. Some strayed away and others joined. This is part of the process. Within milliseconds, the end product was formed.

Appearing before the tensed couple, was a three dimensional projection consisting of different layers of yellow, cyan and magenta rays. The space of the guest room was covered in an illusion, giving off the sight of shiny, tiled floors and a gold-encrusted cabinet which stood beside an occupied lavish velvet armchair.

In their eyes, it was as if the ghost of the Matriarch appeared in front of them but that was far from the truth. The beige gown, those puffy upper sleeves as wide as her deflated body and that maroon corset she still wears despite her age; the white of accumulated lead in her now-coarse skin, split by deep wrinkles; the turns and folds of her tied thread-like gray white hair; and the sparkling shine of her faded ocean blue irises, were all just as detailed as the real person and Hamilton knew this. In particular, TianXing was stunned.

Realizing this would have happened, Hamilton grasped her hand tightly, which thankfully worked. After all, first impressions are vital for getting her blessing.

Ferase swiftly shuffled off to the side and Hamilton made eye contact with the Matriarch, his beloved grandmother. Gulping a mouthful, he began.

“Matriarch…Your grandson greets you for your acknowledgement.”

He placed his hand out.

Gracefully, the old lady raised her palm.

“So, this is the girl whom you spoke of so dearly?”

A coarse, clear voice sounded.

“...Yes, Matriarch.”

“Hamilton, the manner in which you continually address me from my family calling, I truly dislike it. Nonetheless, I applaud your deduction. The fact that you go about your way to have an affair with some stranger across the ocean is the taboo of the finest etiquette. Considering you are watching this from the artifact, I am now much more furious in person.”

She then paused and scanned around her room.

“Now that you are aware of your crimes, yet still have the guts to ask me for my blessing. It’s natural that you no longer have the right to address me as your grandmother! As such, this is the way we will be talking right now.”

“...”

“Yes, even Cherillys and Evin refused to stand by on duty. Something that they persisted even in my most troublesome days…You played them very well, child.”

“...How…H-How much has this news spread amongst the nobility?”

“I am the only one here, in this very room. Aside from your close friends, a handful others and myself, there is very little currently. Though, that may be otherwise tomorrow. Overall, you did a disservice to my name when that time comes, Hamilton. I am disappointed.”

Her face continued with that monotonous expression, staring blades into his heart.

“Again, Matriarch, my statement remains unchanged. My love for this woman rivals yours for family, and I want all the pleasantries that I can offer in the world to her, starting firstly on the name as my wife.”

His face was unwavering with resolve.

“I repeat my offer, Hamilton. You can keep her as your second partner, and continue to keep good relations with the Arsenaults. Or, leave her and the Sinae Dynasty. Perhaps, too much work away from home has ruled you rebellious, stubborn and short-sighted. I will hasten your position as head and send in a delegate as a proxy for your ongoing venture.”

“I-I can’-”

“Hamilton! Choose wisely and all ends well.”

“...”

There was silence before his reply came.

“Are you that cruel, Matriarch?”

With this, as if a meteor came falling in, Ferase felt his heart collapsing. Even TianXing knew doing this much, sacrificing as much for her, was heading too far. In her experience with such people, she instinctively knew that the Matriarch, called his grandmother, was a dangerous woman. More so than she could ever grow to become.

Yet, there came no response from the Matriarch.

In haste, TianXing tried to diffuse the hostility.

“Hamilton, I get it that you are steadfast for this proposal, but…maybe this is for the better!”

“No! No, it is not.” Hamilton turned to her. “You deserve this title, TianXing.”

“I could not care less.”

Interrupting the couple, the Matriarch told them curtly.

“...W-”

“Hamilton, the way you are acting up reminds me of a man in his teens. A bachelor deep in first love. What did this witch do to make you like this?”

“I-it’s simple, Matriarch. I find life fulfilling in her presence.”

“You are no ordinary man, Hamilton. You are to be the future Head of the Kiefrurpez, so gather your senses.”

“The only reason Father needs the Arsenaults is for their power as a military family. Aren’t we too deep into the practice for us to still be reliant on them? Besides, I think that having TianXing into the family would help us by a large margin in regards to commerce and politics. She’s a talented woman and I’m no dog, hot under the sun.”

“...”

“Hamilton…”

Ferase could only watch on as his Master did his act.

However, once Hamilton spoke his piece, the Matriarch was silent. He felt a change in her atmosphere.

“Matri…grandmother…”

“Hamilton, I read your letters.”

“...”

“Would you mind introducing the girl? It is courtesy for the basis of acquaintanceship.”

The Matriarch looked away for a miniscule second, hiding her intentions.

With her words, Hamilton brightened up like the rising sun.

“Surely!”

Grabbing her hand, he gestured to the image of the Matriarch.

“TianXing, please meet my grandmother. The Kiefrurpez Matriarch, the Dowager of the Ocean Blue, her greatness, Raines Norman von Kiefrurpez.”

Steading herself, TianXing bowed respectfully.

“It is my dearest honor to be recognized by your grandson, Madam Matriarch. My family name is He, first name, TianXing, and, I pray for your prosperous wellbeing and happiness.”

There it was. Her first steps of her own volition.

“...Young lady.”

“Yes, Madam Matriarch.”

“Due to our circumstances, I will state it clearly that I have ill will towards you and your relationship. But, that does not deny the fact that you are what he described you to be. Especially as a foreigner who has never stepped into our sphere. Your English is as refined as a native.”

“...Thank you, Madam Matriarch.”

Facing back at Hamilton, she said her parting words for the night.

“Grandmother.”

“Your actions moved a part of me, grandson. It’s also refreshing to see that side of you, albeit its misfortunes.”

“...”

“But, while I am against this, I am not the only factor. Your father will see to it…The final verdict, and this news has not reached him yet.”

The hope he had quickly fell as it rose earlier.

“...I-”

“Since you are my beloved grandson, I will give you one piece of advice. Your father is still my son.”

“...”

“Lady He, I apologize for our short, genuine introduction, but I must depart from this meeting very soon. Hamilton, take that as you will. I now bid you three farewells and a good night.”

The next instant, the light beams that made her diminished into nothingness. What was left was the empty space of the guest room. It was the end of Ferase’s use of the supernatural.

He then approached the artifact and inspected it for any damages.

“How’s it, Ferase?”

Hamilton asked, getting from the sofa. Continuing to fiddle with the device, he asked.

“...Master, to which do you want my opinion?”

“On Father.” He blurted with his voice full of worry.

With a slight contemplation, there came his answer.

“All we can do is wait and prepare for the worst. Provoking him throughout will only detriment our current chances.”

“...”

“Is there anything else you need, Master Hamilton?”

“Ferase, thank you.”

Placing the device to the side, he got up and adjusted his proud white gloves.

“It’s near bedtime, Hamilton. Lady Xu. Shall I prepare a late night snack for the occasion?”

“Hamilton, that face does not suit you. Just…trust in your grandmother that she is on your side now.”

TianXing leaned close to his side.

“Alright…Dear Ferase, I leave the food to your choosing. Entertain us with your finest!”

Once he left, the both of them stayed behind.

Eventually, they will leave for their bedrooms but for now, this place was a good resting spot. No servants will come until dawn so it was a time for themselves.

Slouched across the sofa, TianXing looked over her lover’s icy blue eyes. His arms spread wide on the head, giving her a lax smile.

“I love your dress. It fits you.”

Blushing meekly, she thanked him.

“Ferase came running across the hallway to my dressing room, covered in cobwebs and dust, and I had quite the good laugh out of it. Apparently, he told that he got this in the attic, reasoning his dirty state.”

“No wonder it felt antique. I am having deja vu.”

“You're wrong, Hamilton. You surely saw this piece before, at the youngest of ages in estimation.”

Getting closer to his face and towards an ear, she whispered.

“It’s your late mother’s possession.”

With that revelation, he springed up like a tensed spring. His ears glowed a bright tomato red.

“What do you think now, dear?” She teased.

“That saying…the one that said sons have wives that take after their own mothers. I cannot deny that no longer.”

Looking back at her, he blankly said, “What about tonight?”

“W-what…”

“This is the longest time that I have gone without a lady of similar age begging me to sleep with them.”

“Ahhhh…” A soft high-pitched shriek sounded.

‘Adorable!!!’ raced his thoughts.

“So, do you want to stop the record?”

“H-hamilton, how do you say such stuff with that degree of impassiveness?”

“You’re the girl who's been obsessed about her brother for twenty-no, thirty years, so I’m not sure whether you have the right to accuse me?”

“A dog in the heat.” she muttered.

“Pardon, lady? Did I hear that right?”

“Nope, it's just your delusion.”

Tonight was another unsuccessful attempt.

---

“But those days are no longer what they used to be…”

Once the frail, bony TianXing took that honey water, the coarse voice she had smoothed out and the frequency of her coughs decreased significantly.

As the carriage continued to rattled up and down the now busy streets of DongBu, her narration resumed and ReZhui, who’s eyes stared out blankly into the bustling streets beyond, felt a sickening sensation in his gut, reminiscent of that encounter with Mr Sun, the Mayor of Luo ChengShi. He knew that this was the calm before the storm, or even, the storm was already approaching ever so slowly. In regards to Mr Xu, ReZhui dared not to look his way. Just the atmosphere alone suggested that his snake-like eyes might have gone feral for prey.

“That was the first and last time that Hamilton and I communicated with his grandmother. We assumed that the Kiefrurpez back at their homeland had already decided to cut ties with us and deemed Hamilton an exiled bastard son of his father. But that never came immediately. There were signs that less and less letters were sent back and from the main headquarters.”

“...”

“This building tension soon met its breaking point 2 years after we met with his grandmother. In that time, we slowly set up a secret, relatively successful private business, unaffiliated with the Kiefrurpez and White Ink’s branding in the Meso Unity through the use of trusted proxies. The idea was that if this conflict soon lead to the danger of our newly formed family, we would flee there under new identities and start anew.”

“...Family?”

YaoMing finally spoke.

“Just one month after that meeting, I found out I was pregnant with new life and several months later, out came you, Eddisson. Our only gem and the fourth of Hamilton’s children.”

Her skeletal fingers amateurly rubbed his dirtied, unkempt hair. The boy in referenced, never made a sound, returning silence as he soaked the story kept away from him for so long. All of those struggles that muddled his sense of identity. All of those experiences that tore their mother-child relationship apart. All of those thoughts of pessimism, guilt and hopelessness. This was how it all began and Eddisson did not know what to feel about this but listen through it.

“We choose your surname to be He, in hopes that you will never feel under the pressures of the Kiefrurpez and their way of kinship. But I digress.”

“Mother…”

Pausing in shock, she hastily attended to him. His eyes had a small spark in them.

“I-if…if I were to be accepted into the main family, I am certain that…my father must have…thought up a name of a similar nature.”

“...”

“If so, what was it?”

“...”

After a long pause, she finally answered.

“We…we have thought of and agreed on one. If that’s the ideal case, then your name would have been-”

“...”

“XueSen Eddi von Kiefrurpez.”