Lux  (29.10.9978 AS)

It was already afternoon when Clair’s training session ended. Now she was sitting one of the many rooms used to receive guests. Clair glared bored towards the portraits of her ancestors on the wall. ‘Nice now comes the best part of the day! Having to endure a fatso and his high and mighty son’  

Despite her young age, Clair had been on countless meetings like this one. Most of them followed the same shame.  The noble would introduce his son’s sometimes even his daughter’s assets to Clair in the hope that she might fall for them. Of course Clair has to reject them without hurting their pride.

That’s one of the reasons why Clair didn’t get rid of her fiancé yet.  Ever since she was engaged, she had a point to flat out reject most of the nobles that approached with the intention of marrying her to their offspring.

Clair was brought back from her thoughts as the door of the room opened. A young blonde maid introduced the arrival of Duke Archival and his daughter Helen.

Clair tilted her head.  ‘Wasn’t he supposed to come with his son? Never mind, this way it’ll be less troublesome.’ Claire smiled at the two people entering the room.

In front of Clair was standing a well build, blonde man, wearing a tunic showing off his pair of big white wings.  Next to him was a young blonde girl not older than Clair hiding behind her father’s legs.

“Your highness, it’s a pleasure to meet you!”  The man bowed in an exaggerated manner.

“There is no need to hide.”  He said while smiling to his daughter, that was still holding onto his legs. After a few seconds the young girl finally found the courage to speak up for herself.  “Good... Good afternoon your highness” the girl said while bowing in front of Clair.

 “If your highness or her guests do need anything please don’t hold back to ask” The young blonde maid bowed slightly with a smiling face and left the room.

“Please take your seats.” Clair pointed at the sofa next to her. The tea is served she said with a forced smile.  

The young girl happily took a cup of tea and ate started to eat the cookies, while her father just watched her doing so with a dead expression.

‘Poor girl, he’ll probably scold her after the meeting.’  Clair thought, feeling for the first time pity for one of her guests.

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“Your highness, please excuse Helen’s rude behavior.” The Duke bowed slowly. “Awww, come on Gabe, drop the act, no one can hear us here.” The young girl said as her body slowly started to change to the one of a grown woman.

“I’ve already made sure no one hears or see what happens in this room for the next few hours.” The woman said while still chewing on the cookies. “Or at least until we finish our business here.”  She finally swallowed the cookie.  

“I missed those cookies soo much.  Even after 10’000 years they haven’t changed the receipt, they still taste like my grandma did them!”  The Helles hugged the plate with the cookie, like a precious treasure.

“You should try one too Gabe.”  She gave one cookie towards Gabe, who was glaring at Helles as dumbfounded as the shocked Clair.

‘Are they here to assassinate me? Is it really how it ends? – No! This can’t be how it ends! – I have to live! –I haven’t even met my prince yet! –If this really is how it ends, then Bella will learn a new side of me! –Yeah! I will show her, what it means to defy me! –I’ll have to haunt her for an eternity! –That doesn’t even sound bad! Muaahahaha I’m such an evil genius!’

Clair looked at the Helles cramming cookies in her mouth and was once again reminded of her situation.  “IDON’TKNOWWHATYOUWANTFROMME,BUTYOUSHOULDKNOWTHATHARMINGMEWON’TGETYOUANYTHINGEXCEPTTHEWRATHOFMYPARENTSANDUNDENYABLEDEATH!” Clair screamed once again like a machine gun, while taking a fighting position.

“Isn’t my descendant a cute one?”  Helles pointed towards Clair and started laughing merrily.

Gabe once again bowed. “I’m sorry your highness, but it seems like you misunderstood our intentions. We didn’t come here to harm your highness; no we came here following her holiness Bella’s orders.”  

“Wh... Where do you know her?”  Clair asked not letting her ward down.

“We were the Reiter from her sister in law her holiness Alexa, may she rest in peace. After her death, we decided to revenge her and ended up as Bella’s Reiter.” Gabriel gave her and short explanation of his story.

“There is no need to be so formal with this brat.”  Helles said as she continued to munch on her cookies. “As much as it pains me to say, but she seems to be ages behind that Tristan boy.” Helles looked slightly disillusioned.

“I don’t even know what I expected from a sheltered hussy like her.” Gabe looked uneasy between the girl and Helles.

“What do you mean by that?”  He asked for reasoning, since he knew he couldn’t stop Helles once she started with her rant.  

“I mean that the first thing he did when he met us is trying to save his friends, even knowing he had no chance.  And what does she do? She dares to threaten us with the wrath of some nobodies!  How can I be satisfied with my descendant if she doesn’t have enough spines to fight for herself?” Helles explained.

“Well... I... –If you put it like that... I guess... Even I can’t deny your reasoning.”  Gabe gave Clair the dumbfounded Clair a pitiful smile.

“Look, she’s so frightened of us, she can’t even speak! I wish I was allowed to teach her stuff, but Bella just ordered us to just babysit her, because she doesn’t have any friends. If you ask me, totally deserved. Who’d want to hang out with a spoiled brat like her?”

“Excuse me?!”  Claire screamed towards Helles. “Who’re you to say such mean things to me?”

“I’m Helles Licht and your future best friend!”  Helles winked at the baffled.