Life continued like that for several years. Mother and I were left almost entirely alone by the men of the Halcrofts. Taele and mother seemed to slowly become closer and closer. Similarly Penelope and I became nearly inseparable.
When I turned 4 mom decided it was time for me to move into my own room. Our mothers would allow us to have sleepovers in each other’s rooms quite often. We would talk about goofy things well into the night.
With Mathis’s and mom’s help we constantly trained my skills. Meditation and First Aid were worked on diligently. Anytime someone got even a minor injury I would be called to exhaust my entire mana supply on First Aid on them. Meditation was far easier to level since I just spent an hour or so meditating after dinner each night.
My days fell into a routine. In the mornings until lunch Penelope and I would play together. If we were playing a game I would almost always win since I had a pretty significant stat advantage over Penelope. I did my best to let her win sometimes. Thus we tended to play in ways that one couldn’t win.
After lunch was tutoring with Mathis and we learned a bit of everything. First came reading and writing in all 4 languages I now knew. Etiquette was a constant backbone every day, learning to carry ourselves like nobles was a ton of work. We needed to learn to speak properly, walk properly, dance properly, and just generally be proper. It was annoying, but I was confident that if I didn’t learn how to be a noble now I would never generate the skills required. When we got to numbers I had to pretend to learn it slowly. I mean I understood math that very likely didn’t exist in this world which would likely reveal my little secret. So I ‘learned’ it slowly, but still far faster than an average child, even an average noble child, would.
History was interesting. The most amazing thing I learned was that this world was created, and everyone knew it. Like there were contemporary historical records of the creation of this world. It was about ten thousand years ago and people just suddenly came into existence. All the different sentient species were placed in different places with structures already made for them. History texts on each of the species' patron gods were in the structures and all the people already knew their native language and basic skills.
Just like that civilization began. It was almost like what was done to Earth but in reverse. It led me to thinking this world might be Earth, but the five differently colored moons made that seem very unlikely.
Ysara’s patron deities were Umbra the goddess of the moons and darkness and Lux the goddess of light and the sun. They were a duality of sorts. Some species had more patron deities, but others like humans only had one; Urkan the god of nobility and strength.
Although each species had patron deities that didn’t mean they only worshiped those, people were allowed to revere the entire pantheon. Often choosing a deity based on their profession, like Mikal the goddess of fire and forging was technically a dwarven goddess, but many smiths of all species worshiped her. In that vein many nobles of different species worshiped Urkan at least a little since his tenets made the noblesse oblige quite clear.
Mathis had ensured I knew the noblesse oblige by memory. Which given I had been in medical school wasn’t terribly difficult.
Conduct yourself with nobility in all things.
Power should only ever be wielded for the people.
Protect the weak, check the strong.
Bring prosperity to those under your charge; forsake greed.
Honor your people as they are your power.
They were certainly nice enough tenets to live by I suppose, although I got the feeling some people took it more seriously than others. I am quite confident Halcroft wasn’t forsaking greed or protecting the weak when he abducted my mother and I.
It was also around this time that I was finally allowed to drop my Learning Languages skill. I was offered the choice between Pretty and Cute. They wanted me to have an appearance skill. Which I had to admit I wasn’t entirely against, but I still hated it. I wanted to take Insight of Deception, but for obvious reasons Halcroft wouldn’t allow it.
I begrudgingly decided on Pretty, and training in that skill became a part of my daily routine. After that instead of Farva helping me get ready I did it myself with her teaching me. Making myself pretty, getting my hair just right, being sure my clothes matched, and just generally being sure my appearance was up to snuff helped me level the skill.
*Pretty
Prerequisite: Enjoy making yourself pretty.
Type: Species, Appearance
Passive
Skill cost: 1 mana regen/level
Despite your reluctance you do actually like making yourself pretty. Maybe you should just stop pretending and embrace it. Makes you 1% more pretty each level. How you become pretty is based on your own personal ideal of prettiness and your baseline body. Additionally you learn appearance skills (system and nonsystem) 1% faster per level.*
The system seemed to be sassing me with this skill description. I did have to admit that I liked being pretty. That said I was still a very practical person and I just wasn’t crazy about taking one of my skill slots on a skill like this.
Growing up as a girl had made it very obvious that I liked being a girl. Every time I considered it, it just became more and more obvious to me. I now understood why I had never really been attached to being a guy, I was a girl. I just never really thought about it enough to figure it out before. Either that or gender identity was something innate in this body. That was just a chicken and egg problem though, not really worth thinking about. Suffice to say I embraced being Alea and at this point wouldn’t go back to my old body. Well… skipping puberty would be nice, but I didn’t think that was an option.
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When I turned 7 Penelope began to train in combat. Apparently all nobles were trained to defend themselves. I requested to also be trained and it ended up taking nearly a week for Halcroft to decide it was an acceptable idea.
So our mornings became training and our afternoons education. I took to the sword far better than Penelope, and I didn’t think it was just the difference between our stats. At this point she had gotten to level 18 and she was able to get to level 5 as a baby so it wasn’t like the difference between our physical stats was massive. Especially because she was going for a more balanced build than I was.
She eventually decided to pick up the spear and she took to that weapon like a fish to water. When Halcroft saw she had talent in the spear he hired a master of the elven spear style. It was a beautiful style twirling and lunging to create space, deflect blows, and dodge. It was like the style was made for Penelope and she quickly became my equal in fighting.
I took up a two-handed sword style based on the elven claymores. Long curved swords called Sukeshi. Mine was quite a bit smaller than a traditional claymore and was only a practice blade, so its craftsmanship was fairly poor. It seemed somewhat similar to the katanas of Japan, there were even some drawing strike techniques. I couldn’t say how similar it was since I never studied fighting on Earth.
When we started to train in combat I began to notice our mother’s would sneak off together. I wasn’t sure exactly what they were doing together, maybe more spying using Taele’s espionage based classes. They had become very close friends, I think Taele needed mom’s company just as much as mom needed her support after father died.
I just had to hope that they didn’t get themselves into trouble. I already lost one parent, I really didn’t want to lose another.
However in the next few years they became even closer to the point I began to suspect they were up to something very different during their alone time.
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When I was 8 Dylan who I had very little contact with was preparing to leave for the capital. He would be attending a noble only university. They kept commoners out since they were almost never worth the time to train. They just didn’t have the advantages nobles got, and by the time they were in their late teens nobles were many years ahead of commoners.
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There were separate commoner schools for the gifted that were well supported by King Burtherion, the king of Hakan. I felt it was rather wise of the king to help the commoners as much as he did. Of course if Hakan could instigate public education we would all be better off for it. However it just wasn’t possible.
Since it was likely the last time Penelope would see her brother in years we were all sitting out under the gazebo. Servants were attending us. “How has your combat training been going?” Dylan asked. It was obvious he was forcing the conversation, trying to be as pleasant as he could be. Penelope still idolized her older brother despite them almost never seeing each other. I was confident I had spent more time with Penelope than any of the men of the Halcroft family spent with her combined.
“Master Isuld has been teaching me to use my body as a fulcrum. The way he spins his spear around him is so pretty, I can’t wait to do it myself!” Penelope had been so excited since she moved past just the basics of spear training.
Dylan actually seemed interested for the first time in the rather awkward conversation. “Oh? Maybe I should watch your next session.”
Penelope’s genuine smile made my heart hurt a little. She so desperately wanted her big brother’s praise she would do almost anything. However to me it was painfully obvious he just didn’t care about her, or me for that matter.
Dylan’s eyes fell on me and he sneered. “I could probably teach our little princess something about the sword while I was at it.” I just barely stopped myself from rolling my eyes, we practiced entirely different styles. He used a short shield and shield, completely different from the Sukeshi. He could no more teach me something about swords than I could him. If our stats were closer we could spare, but neither of us could learn the other’s style without starting from the ground up.
Instead of responding sarcastically I tried to be diplomatic. “I would not wish to attempt to learn another style so early into my training.”
He was about to say something when a maid stepped up with new freshly brewed tea. I could smell the fruity aroma on the air and nearly let out a contented sigh. This was the good stuff, Halcroft may be an ass, but he was entirely truthful about us being treated like the princesses we were. We had Farva permanently assigned to serve us, but truthfully we could and did have others serving us all day long. It had taken a lot of time, but I had grown quite accustomed to the treatment.
I gave the maid a gentle smile when she placed the tea in front of me. However when she placed the same type of tea in front of Dylan he just looked annoyed. “How many times must I tell you I drink only black tea?” He asked accusingly at the confused maid. “If you can’t do your job correctly, find someone that can.” He waved her away and she bowed then immediately left, her face red.
I felt for the newer maid, but she should know this by now. I resolved to be sure she had the support she needed to learn the job properly. Also to talk with her personally to ensure she actually wanted the help. “Where were we?” Dylan asked before clearly answering his own question. “Right, training, I would offer to spare but with my stat advantage there wouldn’t be much point.” He wasn’t being condescending when he said that, it was simply a fact.
So I was forced to agree with him, it would be a complete waste of both our time. Now how to word this? I had found taking on the haughty princess persona to be the best when dealing with the men of the Halcrofts. They seemed to like it for whatever reason. “I wouldn’t want to waste either of our time. Once I gain a class I’ll be sure to take you up on that offer though.”
That seemed to placate him. “Yes, although by that time I will still be at the academy.” He paused considering something. “It is good you have each other to train with, without having someone else without a class it is almost impossible to learn a martial art without skills.”
I glanced over at Penelope with a smile and nudged her. This was by far the kindest Dylan had ever been. I had heard he was hard on the serverants coupled with his lack of interest in Penelope had soured me on him, but maybe there was more to him. “Yeah, without Pen I wouldn’t be half the swordswoman I am.” I reached out and squeezed her hand and she squeezed back.
Penelope ginned and blushed having me and her brother together being cordial was clearly doing wonders for her mood. “Well the same is true for me. Master Isuld said I am one of the most promising young students he's ever trained.” That sent a little pang through my heart. Halcroft had sent an adventurer that used a Sukeshi to us to help me learn the basics. That was back when I was just starting, but since then I hadn’t had a dedicated teacher. I hoped the half elven adventurer, Garen, would return soon to take me to the next step in my training. I had very well and truly mastered the basics by now.
The same maid returned, walking carefully up the few stairs of the gazebo. She looked very nervous and I saw her shaking a bit. She should have asked for someone else to serve us until she calmed down. I needed to help this poor girl.
She laid down the platter full of various sweets. Then she turned to Dylan with a saucer and tea in hand. She caught her foot on something and began to topple toward him. Through what must be a fairly high agility stat she immediately pivoted her body so the tea would not spill onto Dylan.
Then she crashed into Dylan falling onto his lap while hitting the table and nudging it so our tea spilled and the sweets scattered. It wasn’t the worst outcome for what had been a stress induced accident. I stood immediately, but Dylan had already quite literally thrown the maid off him and she smashed into one of the posts of the gazebo with a sickening crack.
“Stupid wench!” He roared. I began to move toward the maid to shield her and check if she was alright. Before I could get there Dylan was up and moving so much faster than I could ever manage. He had at least two classes and tons of stats to bolster his movement. Despite being a prodigy I was still among the weakest people in the entire manor.
To my horror he pulled his hand back to slap the still dazed maid. “Stop it!” Penelope yelled much too late. As Dylan’s hand moved it blurred, my vitality was not nearly high enough to track the movement. I heard a snap and Dame Riza, Taele’s personal guard, was just suddenly standing there in front of me. Dylan’s forearm was in her hand held firmly.
“I believe that is quite enough, master Dylan.” Riza’s voice was cold as ice. I was there beside the maid and much to my relief she was groaning, a good signing she hadn’t broken something badly. Groaning meant two things, she wasn’t screaming and she probably didn’t have a severe concussion. Both those were good indications.
“Unhand me!” Dylan glared up at Riza and she immediately let go of him. “A knight devoted to my family putting hands on me! My grandfather will hear of this.” He sneered, his tone entirely petty.
Riza for her part glared back, still ice cold, not a hint of concern at his words. “You can rest assured I will tell my lord myself. And to be clear, master Dylan, I am sworn to Duke Gabriel Halcroft, not to his family.” She knelt down so she was eye to eye with Dylan. “If he orders it I would kill this girl just as easily as I would kill you.” Dylan’s eyes went wide and he looked away spluttering something under his breath. “However my lord is beneath such unbecoming behavior.” She stood relaxing.
Ok, I had only ever seen Riza be kind and unassuming, holy fucking shit was she scary. I put her down in my list of people to never cross. I ignored Riza and Dylan and returned my concern to the maid activating my first aid skill. The skill didn’t ping on any injuries as being life threatening, but her right arm had been broken. It must have been where she hit the post. First aid didn’t tell me about more minor injuries or illness, only injuries that were a risk to life or limb, which apparently translated to life threatening or debilitating.
I glanced up to see the post in question had been bent outward and splintered to some extent. I knelt down to the maid looking into her eyes, keeping my expression as soft as I could. “Your arm is broken, would you allow me to examine it to see how badly?”
Before she could say anything I felt someone sweep past me then someone else following after them. I glanced up to see Dylan storming off toward the manor with Penelope in tow. “Wait brother!” She called after him. Penelope would be heartbroken later because there was no chance Dylan was going to handle any of this well. I made a mental note to check on her right after dealing with this.
“Princess?” The maid asked. “I’ll be fi-”
I shook my head. “No, you won’t.” She began to move but I put my hands on my shoulders to stop her. “Don’t move, until I confirm the injury you could be making it worse.” I said gently.
Riza loomed over us watching everything I did intently. “I wouldn’t…” The maid began looking worried between myself and Riza.
“The sooner I check your arm the sooner we can get this all cleared up.” I was confident this sight was quite odd from the outside observer, an 8 year old caring for a fully grown woman.
“Yes… princess…” She said and situated herself so she could show her right arm to me. It being summer her maid uniform left her arms bare, so I could easily see where she had impacted the post. I ran my hand softly along the injury checking for anything terribly obvious. Other than a red mark on the skin that was obviously going to bruise badly I didn’t see anything.
“I’m going to check your arm more thoroughly, tell me when you feel pain.” I began to tap on part of the arm I was fairly confident wasn’t broken. Then moved upwards until she gasped slightly.
“That hurts…” She mumbled. I continue the process from the other side getting an idea for where the break was exactly. It was a far smaller break than I had expected. My best guess was this was a stable fracture, obviously without imagining technology I wouldn’t be able to be sure. The bone was broken, but it was still lined up correctly and wasn’t a significant risk to injuring her more.
“She needs a light, earth, or water healer. Accelerating the healing by a few weeks should be more than enough to deal with this.” I pronounced.
The maid gave me a strange look, but Riza was gazing at me curiously. “How do you know?” She asked.
I glanced up at her debating how much to reveal. I decided leaning on my well known copious reading habit would be sufficient. “A combination of my first aid skill and techniques I have learned. This is what is very likely something called a stable fracture, thus any magical healing that increases regeneration rate will be sufficient. I fear I am currently incapable of such, however my mother has a small supply of potions that will do just fine. Of course if someone were willing to carry her to town that would be cheaper and better for her. She is stable enough that moving her will not cause too much damage.”
Riza considered my words before kneeling down and scooping the maid into her arms. “Then I will take her into town.” Her words were stern, broaching no argument to the contrary. There was the kind Riza again, just after she threatened the death of two people. Yikes, that just made her more scary.
I stood and got out of her way. “Just be sure her right arm moves as little as possible. If anything else than to make the trip less excruciating for her.”
Riza bowed her head. “As you say, princess.” Just like that both were gone, she ran, somehow keeping her burden stable. She wasn’t moving nearly as fast as I knew she could, but there was no chance I could catch up even if I wanted to.
I turned to consider the scene, spilled food and tea lying all over, the gazebo was damaged and would require repair, and a failed attempt at mending fences before Dylan left for academy. I huffed then turned toward the manor, intent on finding and comforting Penelope.
A few weeks later Dylan left for academy without seriously speaking to his sister. They had exchanged farewells of course, but nothing more. I dealt with the emotional aftermath of Dylan taking some of his rage out on his sister, nothing physical, but he was clearly going to grow into quite an abusive asshole.
The maid never returned to the manor.