Agathe sat on an old sofa, it was a gift from her elder sister Sophie. The sofa was made from Leilan wood, it had a natural dark color, the upholstery had been replaced with a vivid amethyst color. The sofa looked incredible in the small library. Her sister knew Agathe loved to spend time in the library, she brought the sofa on her first visit after she had married.

She was reading a book, “The Levi Hegemony Expansion”, it was a rare book, one you could seldom find in the Vanian Domain. The book was written by Derik Finlh, he was a historian from the hegemony. The book was written 200 years after the foundation on the hegemony, her father began collecting books when he married. The library was made for her mother, she and her were the ones who really spent a lot of time reading.

She had left her father and Sir Kiernan discussing the details of what they should do, they would wait for the high council orders, but they had to begin preparing, after they ate at the studio, she went straight to the library.

She had read the book before; it had been incredible for her to read history from a completely different perspective than what she knew. She had born in relative peace, the regular skirmishes between the Domain and the Hegemony, always caught her attention, and her father would talk about them, but she even tough she understood lives were lost each time, and parts of the border had been exchanged between both nations, she had never lost anyone she knew fighting against the Hegemony.

She knew Margrave Reitzmelt, he was almost 80, and remained as the head of his house, his son had died defending the Domain. Her father had been friends with him, the Margrave had a younger daughter, Lady Zarina who married General Henry Lioness. He was a career soldier, and had been a Captain, when the Hegemony attack occurred. He was stationed at Reitzmelt Rise, after the Hegemony forces had been repelled, the fortress was reinforced by the army, both by the Margrave in particular.

Agathe liked the Margrave a lot, he was like a grandfather for her. He always asked her father to bring her along, whenever he visited the Margrave states. He was a loud person, even though he was old, his voice filled the space whenever he spoke, he was taller than her father but had always been thin.

People tended to forget the heavy loss the Margrave carried, yet, he had not let anyone take on his burden as Margrave, but his lost son. War, it had taken something precious for him, yet he still had and easy smile, would she be able to do that? She had to do something, she looked at the book in her hands, she had taken it to remember. She needed to do something.

“Hi sis, I thought you would be with dad, trying to make sense of the early couriers” her sister Lucille entered the library yawning, she was wearing a gorgeous red dress “What happened? you look pale”

“Hi Luci” she wondered how someone who looked so oblivious to her surroundings and who cared little for, well, almost anything other than gossips and boys, manage to read peoples mood to quickly, did it come with being a gossip? “Something really big is happening”

Her sister, sat next to her on the sofa, looking a bit drowsy still, “Tell me what it is, you are usually not this somber”

“There was an attack on Vanian borders by the hegemony” her sister drowsy face paled “We are reinforcing our defenses and sending troops to relief to border”. Her sister had long and curly hair, it cascades from her head until half her back, rose blonde, her dreamy hazel eyes were locked on Agathe.

“This is not one of the regular skirmishes then?” her sister Lucille could pass for an airhead on a regular day, she was sharp, the problem Agathe found was that she only cared about frivolous things.

“Dad believes this will lead to war”, her sister face was troubled, yet she remained perfectly still, as a Lady should while sitting. She had to give it to Lucille, of her sisters, she had the more lady like posture and manners.

“What do you think?” Lucille asked her, this made Agathe smile. Lucille was 4 years older than her; they were the younger sisters. Sophie was 10 years older than her, and Margaux was 7.

Lucille and she were very different, yet they tended to be together, Lucille dragged her to every meet with other young Ladies and told her the gossips she managed to grasp. Agathe liked to discuss those with Lucille, since the gossips always ended with politics. Lucille was easy going but always counted on Agathe’s opinion on important things, and even though Lucille was older, she valued her counsel, and likewise on the rare cases Lucille offered an opinion Agathe listened.

“I also think this will lead to war, at least a conflict like 40 years back, when Margrave Reitzmelt son died” her sister eyes went teary for a moment, then she inhaled and once more stood Lady Lucille, they all cared for the Reitzmelt.

“You are trying to figure out a way to do something?” Her sister’s eyes once more locked on hers. Her sister had their father’s eyes, they looked at her expectantly, exactly like her father did with her, seizing her somehow.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

“I am, but I do not know what we could do, father and the lords are mobilizing the Domain forces, I don’t know what we could do as Ladies” She confessed her frustration to her sister. She had no experience nor knowledge about what the best military position could be, her father was also checking on their food supplies, which was her first idea, but could not see any way they could provide something extra; they were Ladies.

“Now, do not let mom ever hear you say something like that” Her sister gave her a pinch on the hand, “We are Ladies, and there is nothing a Lady can’t do, remember”. Agathe looked at her red hand were her sister had pinched it, that was not lady like, yet she was smiling at her as if she had done nothing. “You think of something else, and tell me what you have in mind, do not worry if you are not certain in how to accomplish what you think, leave that to your older sister. You just put that brilliant mind of yours to think on what else needed to be done”.

Her sister Lucille stood up and hugged her, they both held in it for a second. The hugged had managed to calm Agathe. “I have to get something to eat, don’t you dare stay here until something comes up, go to the garden, or just outside, you need inspiration” her sister gifted her, the most radiant smile she had, one that Agathe was sure, was a mix of practice and her sister natural beauty, now Agathe was certain her sister would catch whomever she deemed worthy as her future brother in law.

“Thank you Luci, I’ll tell you once, I think of something” Agathe replied to her sister, with more confidence than before, after all their mother was the one who always told them, there was nothing a Lady could not do, and Agathe was a Lady as well.

Agathe looked at the book on her hands an returned it to a shelf. She left the small library and went straight towards the garden. Her mother had made the garden completely, she was dedicated to it, as well as the family vineyards.

The garden was just behind the main entrance, a big wooden structure called pergola dominated the center of it, some spread chairs and small tables where protected in the cool shade the manor provided as well as the pergola covered with grapevines. She remembered when her mother started it and was “simple” now it looked grand.

Agathe sat on a wooden chair on the garden, the hollow moons month marked the end of spring, a warm breeze rustled her hair, she was squinting her eyes looking at the vineyards, thinking about, well, war.

“It is there anything troubling you miss Agathe?”, Agathe was spacing out when she heard Mrs. Muller kind and gentle voice “You are usually at the library, at this hour, getting Mr. Schneider all work up about something, or being dragged by miss Lucille, although it is still a bit early for miss Lucille”

“I don’t bother Mr. Schneider” Agathe wanted to protest but Mrs. Muller just raised one eye brow a bit and she had to give in “Not that much, and I don’t spend that much time on the library” it was true that she like the place but she spend her time there leisurely.

“Oh, really. Where were you before coming here to ponder?” Mrs. Muller asked her with a gentle smile on her face. She was almost 50 but had a healthy red color on her cheeks all the time, her blonde hair always kept on a small bun, she had a robust build, which was surely Mr. Muller cooking fault. She had worked here before Agathe was born, and she liked and cared a lot for Mrs. Muller. Mr. Schneider was her father administrator and main assistant along with Sir Kiernan, in the same way, her mother had Mrs. Muller and Mr. Wagner, the wine master as her seconds in command.

“I did come from the library” Agathe voice was almost a whisper “I am sorry Mrs. Muller; I am just troubled by the morning couriers”

“Dire and cursed news, war never brings anything good” Mrs. Muller face turned serious in a moment “Blessed your family dear, for allowing everyone on my kids to have a good job by working in the state and not needing to join the army”

Mrs. Muller had 5 children, the 3 oldest work on the vineyard, the 4th worked with Mr. Schneider and little Mary, who helped her mom, and would be a maid for the manor. “Do you have any family in the army Mrs. Muller?” She asked curious.

“Thankfully no my dear, but my dear husband was orphaned when those rats attacked Margrave Reitzmelt lands” Mrs. Muller face turned a bit pale “He was 6 then, his fathers were on the defense of Reitzmelt rise, the Margrave’s son had as many children as they could fit in some wagons leave the place before the attack” Agathe face paled as well, she had never known Mr. Muller was a was orphan. “By your grandfather’s grace, he picked some of the kids who managed to reach to the Margrave’s states and brought them here as apprentices, for that alone we would be grateful for your family miss Agathe, but you all are kind to us” Mrs. Muller somber face changed once more into her rosy cheeks and smile.

“I am very sorry Mrs. Muller; I never knew Mr. Muller had gone through something so awful” Agathe said sincerely.

“It is in the past my dear, any orphan has it hard, the Vanian military cares a lot for them. They try to get them to a home, an provide them food and shelter, but there so much they can spend there. Your father has allowed Mr. Muller to send the food that is about to go bad on the manor to them.”

“I did not know that, were does he send the food?” Agathe was surprised and intrigued.

“Your grandfather built a house for the kids that came from the Reitzmelt lands, it is still used to house orphans, but it is kept by the military and donations from your family” Mrs. Muller told her.

“Do you know what they need Mrs. Muller?” Agathe asked with an idea forming in her mind,

“They have little my dear, anything is welcomed, there’s just 4 children there. Lovely kids” Mrs. Muller answer her eying Agathe curiously, “You are not referring to the children, here right?”

“Yes, and no, Mrs. Muller. I was thinking more about the consequences of war, and convincing other Ladies, of what we could do, to aid” Agathe replied. Mrs. Muller face lit up immediately.

“Come dear, what you need to do, is talk to Mr. Muller” Mrs. Muller face was glowing now, and Agathe shared her smile. She could do something now, and more importantly she would get Lucille to have their peers to help.