Stahlia, Twelve Years Old, Second Month of 948
I was on top of the world and riding an emotional high. Jacqueline gave me a reproving look, as I had started smiling again. These past few days had been absolutely amazing; three days ago, I had finally managed to overcome my emotional trauma from Asten’s death. While I had etched his face into my memory, I still felt giddy about no longer having to struggle with my guilt every night.
In a way, it was also a victory over the gods who had foisted the skill on me in the first place. Even if I was the one who went and used it, they were the ones who set it in front of me. They’re at least… twenty percent culpable. I had learned with Asten that I couldn’t get away with blaming the gods for everything, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t going to hold them accountable for putting the choice in front of me in the first place.
Still, Jacqueline had a point; I needed to stop grinning. Especially not in the dress I was currently being installed in. This was a black dress designed to be worn to somber events. It was devoid of any embroidery or extra frills. The fact that I actually owned such a piece came as a bit of a surprise. Dresses took time to make, and there were few occasions where such a dress would be needed since funerals were such a private affair in Drakas.
Still, I suppose the mentality that it’s better to have one and not need it than to need it and not have it applies. It’s not like owning it is causing me any harm, and I know my family can afford it. Though the fact that I was still in my growth stage gave me a bit of pause. But knowing Jacqueline it would be easily adjustable.
In any event, the reason I was wearing this dress now was that today was the day of the second prince’s funeral. It was a public procession that would bear his body from the gates of the city, up to the summit of the mountain. To where the Tomb of the Royal Family was located. In all of the city, that tomb was the only structure located higher than the palace. The idea was for the former kings to lay their final resting place at the feet of the gods.
As for my part and why I was getting dressed up, my absence would be seen as a slight on behalf of my father towards the crown. Likewise, if I broke out into a smile while watching the procession or god forbid began giggling, then I was also insulting the royal family. It’s a very… draconian funeral for sure. For once, even if I wanted to use it, [Cold Hearted] would be unable to help me. It couldn’t do anything about the emotions of happiness or joy.
Still, I don’t have to do too much, and I’ll be next to Dominic the whole time, so if I ever feel a smile forming I can just look at him and get rid of it. I wasn’t a member of the procession like Count Francois was, but Dominic and I were expected to be standing with Elienor, Margeritte, and all the rest of the immediate family members who were present in the capital.
That did put me among the Francois family, but the engagement was already established. If I could get away with it, I would have liked to be elsewhere, to start a rumor that things weren’t going well with me and Dominic. That would possibly blunt some of the fallout when we did break off the engagement. But I didn’t have a good enough excuse to get away with that, and Count Francois would certainly realize my motives.
His recent maneuverings and actions taken solely to remind me of my place were a good indicator of that. I honestly have to wonder if he’s realized I’m actively looking for a way out. Or maybe he’s just worried that another house will approach me, and he wants to dissuade me from jumping over to them. “Ackhcheew!”
I broke out into a coughing fit and sneezed as the powder that was being dusted onto my face went down my nose. Due to my age, I didn’t often wear makeup at all. Maybe a small amount of blush. But for this funeral, I was getting the full works applied to me. A waste of time in my opinion, as my skin remained stubbornly pale, to the point that I actually couldn’t tell much of a difference between it and the chosen powder.
Lucy, who was doing my make-up, apologized but I waved her off. This one was my fault for breathing in at the wrong time. Briefly, I considered that Jacqueline probably would have managed something stupid, like counting my breaths and timing the powder application around it. But owing to her missing arm, makeup was one of the few things Jacqueline apparently struggled with now.
“Don’t worry about it Lucy, it wasn’t your fault at all.” I earned a smile for that, and the dark elf thanked me. Life is a lot better when I can give a sincere apology. Just as Lucy was finishing up my makeup, there came a knock at the door. Frieda was the one to answer it; I only just noticed that Jacqueline had left me at some point after getting me into the funeral dress.
After poking her head outside, Frieda came back inside and addressed me, “Lady Stahlia, Lord Dominic is here. How should I answer him?”
I pushed back the urge to sigh, “Please tell him that I will be out shortly.” Frieda gave a small curtsy and returned to the door. Lucy applied just a little bit more make-up and pronounced me ready. I feel like a children’s coloring book… One thing was for certain, I had decided I was not a fan of high amounts of make-up. This was my first experience with it, and while I could acknowledge that I didn’t look half bad, I felt gross having so much crap caked onto my face.
Exiting the room, I was met by Dominic, who was dressed in a black suit of sorts, though like my dress it lacked ornamentation. Upon seeing me, he nodded, “Stahlia, while it may not be appropriate given the occasion, you look nice in the dress… I think I prefer your face without make-up though.”
Alright then. I mean, I agree with you. But you don’t say that! Thankfully, my plan was working. As soon as Dominic opened his mouth, I lost my earlier giddiness. Reaching out my hand to take his arm, I was careful to keep an even face, “Shall we go then?”
Dominic received my hand and escorted me out of my room and then out into the courtyard, where I met Elienor and Margeritte. Sanatori, the wife of Dominic’s oldest brother was also present. The brother in question, Nietzsche, was absent. Since he managed the family’s domain I had actually yet to meet him. Also absent was Dominic’s other older brother, Fredrick. He would be serving in the procession as a member of the Royal Order of Knights.
The two women and Elienor were both dressed similarly to me. Although Margeritte’s did have a few bits of somber décor in the form of black embroidery that caused the dress to shimmer slightly as she moved. We still had a few hours before the start of the procession, which would apparently be filled with a somber meal and a toast to the prince’s memory. Not that I have any memories of this prince; I never even met him.
As far as members of the Royal Family were concerned, I had met only two. The Third Prince had come to my home village, in order to approve my engagement. Thinking about that, why the hell would he do that? Even if he’s friends with my father. I’ll have to think about asking when I have my interview… or maybe not. Digging into the personal affairs of Royalty is probably not the best idea. I had also met the king at one point, though only briefly. I would presumably see him again at this year’s school entrance ceremony.
Dominic guided me to a seat at the table that had been installed in the yard and helped me into a chair. I was sure it was the lingering charm talking, but a small part of me was pleased with the gesture. I pushed that feeling to the deepest, furthest, and darkest corner of my being as I could. Looking out over the table, the food was simpler than normal, plainer. What would normally be a spread with several dishes ranging from moderately fancy to truly fancy, was today a simple affair of a light soup and bread.
It still tasted excellent, but given what I had become accustomed to eating, there was just something off about it. I suppose the point is to show solidarity or something. Not that it matters much, and it’s good we aren’t fasting. No longer vomiting every night, I had recently become something of a food snob. I was having Jacqueline manage my diet to avoid becoming fat, but I had been indulging myself to some degree. That would be something to watch out for, getting a reputation as a glutton would be bad for my social plans. But for now, I want to celebrate a little.
We ate mostly in silence, this was after all a funeral of sorts. A few small words were said here and there, but overall nothing much of substance. In general, all of the women complimented each other’s appearances, or someone asked for an item from one of the servants. Even with such a simple spread, the meal was still multiple courses and so I was forced to deal with the awkward semi-silence for almost the full two hours. Finally, the incredibly awkward meal ended, and Margeritte suggested that we move to the gates of the estate. The funeral procession would begin to pass us by in only a few more minutes.
Dominic reached out before I had a chance to move and gripped my hand, the suddenness of the action caused me to wince slightly though it didn’t actually hurt. He glanced over at me with a raised eyebrow, “Something the matter, Stahlia?”
I gave him a long stare, wondering if he had even noticed how abrupt he had been. No, he probably didn’t. Shaking my head I replied in an even tone, “No, nothing is the matter… should we go?”
Dominic watched me for a moment, looking like he wanted to say something, but he simply exhaled through his nose and merely nodded. Leading me by my still tightly gripped hand, we moved to the entrance gates of the Estate. There were of course no chairs, but thankfully we wouldn’t be standing here for very long. Most probably the whole affair would be over in only thirty minutes, and from there we would head to the noble gathering at the school.
I had thought that the gathering being held at the school was a bit odd. After considering it though, the fact that the King, the remaining princes, and the high-ranking faction members would be occupied at the palace with the more private funeral, it made sense to have those uninvolved nobles not gather at the palace. I craned my neck to look down the street in the direction the procession would come from, but I wasn’t able to spot them just yet.
Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Dominic looking at me with a complicated expression on his face, but I paid it no mind; his concerns were none of mine, and I intended to be through with this engagement before the end of the school year, one way or another. It seemed that things were conspiring to force me to rely heavily on Count Francois, thus becoming stuck with this lot. Especially after the cardinal’s proposal. Subconsciously, I tightened my hand, only noticing when Dominic winced. Of course, I hurriedly loosened my grip, I might dislike him but intentionally causing pain was not something I intended, “Sorry, Dominic. The circumstances have led me to some troubling thoughts.”
He gave me a funny look, “I imagine so… you must be thinking of Rosial’s funeral. I understand completely… Still, that was remarkable strength, you’ve gotten a lot stronger after fighting those goblins huh.”
His statement wasn’t a question, but rather a sort of a pensive statement. No shit I’ve gotten stronger, I know you were told how many goblins I killed. As a reincarnation yourself you should understand shit like experience and level differences, so don’t act surprised when I’ve gotten a bit stronger after something like that! I frowned and was about to make a retort when I was thankfully cut off by the sound of drums and rhythmic footfalls.
Turning to look back down the street, I could now see knights on a formation of drummer boys, young squires of the Royal Order of Knights. Each was dressed in an immaculate black pressed military dress uniform. Based on the slight shimmer, I could guess it was some kind of silk. Probably extremely expensive as well.
They were keeping a slow rhythm, at least as far as a marching cadence was concerned. The noise carried though, due to how many of them were matching the rhythm. Five rows of twenty boys, each in step with their own beat. The ability to keep such perfect step and rhythm with each other at their age, no more than fifteen, caused me to briefly direct thoughts of disappointment towards my own knight squire.
Coming up behind them was an honor guard of standard-bearers, each holding a banner decorated with the Moon over the Sun situated above three swords that formed the crest of Drakas. Five columns of three standard bearers marched past, in time to the beat of the drums. Following up behind them came two columns of five mounted knights. While the standard-bearers were dressed in silvery mythril armor, these mounted knights were covered in what at first I thought was gold. It took me a moment to make the connection that their armor was composed of plates of orichalcum.
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I had known about the existence of the metal but had never actually seen it. Unlike mythril, which was common enough to be used as a building material, albeit an expensive one, orichalcum was rarely encountered and commanded a hefty price. Not to the same degree as my needed potion ingredient, but enough that most small countries would only have a few pieces of it. I had thought that the parade seemed a bit small in scale, but it seemed for the nobles, the king had decided to go with quality vs quantity. The lower city would likely be swarmed with soldiers in a massive parade by comparison.
After the mounted knights in golden armor came a carriage that was positively jaw-dropping. I honestly had no idea what it was made of, but the intricate carvings set into the rich wood, gold and silver metal reliefs, and glossy finish gave the impression that it must have been worth millions of drak. Behind this carriage was an even more extravagant one, this without a covered top. Though considering the occupants, I was certain that there must be a magical shield of some sort.
As one group, all of us kneeled. Standing stoic in the front of the open-top carriage was of course King Drakas himself. Besides him but a little ways behind were the first and third princes. I fixed the face of the first prince in my mind, letting my [Eidetic Memory] record it. I had seen pictures of him that were quite detailed, but nothing beat the real thing. Having memorized his face, I broke my gaze from the first, and took a moment to observe the third prince; because of my engagement being recognized by him, any changes to it would require his consent as a matter of honor.
To my surprise, I felt as if our eyes had met. No, I didn’t feel it. He was definitely watching me, the way he suddenly looked straight ahead once I looked at him is basically proof of that. No… there’s probably not a major reason for it. Considering our upcoming meeting and the reasons that called for it; it only makes sense that he would take a moment to look at me given the chance. He hasn’t actually seen me since I was eight after all.
Following up behind the middle carriage was a third covered carriage. In this one, though I couldn’t see them, rode Count Francois and the five dukes. Count Francois was uniquely placed being so high up in the Third Prince’s faction, though I didn’t envy him being surrounded by dukes all the same. The first carriage had been bearing the body of the late second prince; now that he was dead, it would be the only time he was ahead of his father.
Bringing up the rear of the procession was a perfect mirror of the front, complete with four more mounted knights wearing orichalcum armor. The sheer display of wealth I had just witnessed was mind-boggling. I thought I had grown used to money, as my family was fairly affluent. However, thanks to my memory, I was able to somewhat estimate the value of everything I had just witnessed, and the figure made my head spin.
Once the procession had gotten far enough away for the sound of drums to have faded, Margeritte called everyone together and bid her own maid get a carriage ready for us to take to the Royal Academy. It would be the first time I was back there since leaving for my early winter break. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit nostalgic. Though I wish I could go on my own carriage. Being paraded around on Dominic’s arm is a bit… no it’s very irritating.
★★★★★★
I entered into the same large assembly hall in which the School Social would take place arm in arm with Dominic. Spread out in front of me were hundreds of nobles, all of them dressed in somber blacks and grays. Those who had been members of the second prince’s faction were showing their solidarity with a single red flower pressed into their lapels or around their wrist in a corsage. Once I got a close enough look at one, I recognized it as a Blood Rose. The same flower that had acted as my first and so far only clue about Rosial.
It grew only on battlefields where the ground had run thick with blood. Are… are they subtly calling for blood to be shed, for war? I recalled my theory behind the second prince’s death. This… this doesn’t bode well. Sure, the kingdom needs to prepare for the war with the hell kings, but declaring war on another nation wouldn’t help with that… if the war was in fifty years I could see it. But it’s in three, we’ll be caught with our pants down.
I resolved myself to speak with the third prince at our meeting and try and figure out the king’s intentions. Especially since if it does come to war, there’s a nonzero chance I’ll get drafted or pressed to join the war effort. Especially after I demonstrated Anti-Army magic… Goblins were one thing, but snuffing out the lives of hundreds or thousands of humans… I would definitely need to turn off empathy to do that and would probably wind up stuck with remorse off all over again.
Though it was a gathering of nobles, there was no food being served, and there was nobody dancing. The music being played was sad and mournful, perfectly matching the atmosphere. It wasn’t a ball or a gala. No, this was a veritable pit of vipers. The adults were moving amongst each other quietly, sounding out how rivals and allies might act in the vacuum created by the death of a contender to the throne.
The kids were not exempted from this either, as I saw Edith was being approached by members of both the third and first prince’s factions. Well, Dominic noticed which faction they belonged to. I hadn’t paid much attention to faction politics until very recently, so there was a surprising amount I didn’t know about the baron and count houses. For once, I might actually have felt genuinely grateful towards him. If only he would be less smug about it.
Dominic had almost immediately taken a condescending tone when I asked about one of the boys who had approached Edith, “What, you don’t know? That would be Lord Dewrin, the first son of Count Handalore. That house is a member of the first prince’s faction. If they approach you just dodge the questions. Honestly, it is a good thing that I am with you tonight if you do not know the factions.” I could only grit my teeth, every time he answered a question in that manner. The answers were useful, so I was sure to pay attention. But keeping the irritation off my face is getting difficult…
I gave Edith a silent, slight nod. She returned it with a minuscule smile that would only be noticeable if you happened to be looking for it. I did want to support my friend, but given the circumstances, I wouldn’t be able to approach her. Still, she’s a lot better at politics than a novice like me. I’m sure she’ll be able to manage. Now, what’s this problem approaching me? It looks like trouble.
A boy, a little younger than Dominic by appearance, was clearly approaching us. Based on the style and quality of his mourning garb, he was from an affluent household, but I had honestly never seen him before. As the youth closed the distance, Dominic squeezed my hand and whispered, “That would be trouble. Lord Ferris von Febligi. Don’t answer him and let me do the talking.” I wanted to retort at that last bit but honestly, it also sounded like a great idea.
Febligi, the Ducal family in charge of the western region, and leader of the first prince’s faction. What would they want, approaching me and Dominic…? I didn’t actually need to ask myself that, there were two possibilities. The first, was to try and extract information from Dominic, the son of Count Francois, about the future movements of the third prince faction. The second, and in my mind more likely, was to probe me.
I can assume that the Febligi have an information network at least comparable to the Claurence’s network. If that’s the case, they’ll know about what happened in Ris. Considering the political shakeup, it wouldn’t be unthinkable if they want to, “Lady Stahlia I presume? An honor to make your acquaintance. I am Ferris von Febligi, third son of Duke Febligi.”
…Right. After all, the third prince’s faction is pretty open about their intentions. As much as I genuinely would rather leave this to Dominic, now that I had been personally addressed, I was required to respond. I had an option and an opportunity though. Since my engagement was public knowledge, Ferris would know about it. He would also know that I was standing right next to my fiancé. The fact that Dominic would be ignored could only mean that this conversation was meant to probe me about the engagement. How I responded would subtly indicate to everyone my intentions.
If I gave a straight answer and introduced myself, then I would be signaling that I was dissatisfied with the engagement and willing to negotiate. On the other hand, if I deflected the conversation to Dominic, it would be signaling that I had no intentions of maneuvering on my own. The downside is that Dominic is right next to me, so he’ll know how I answer right away…
Stalling for a bit of time to try and figure out how to proceed, I looked Ferris over. He was much shorter than Dominic, even slightly shorter than me. His hair was the blonde so common in Drakas, but unlike the blue of most people, his eyes were a striking amber. If not for the slight overbite, he would have been cute in a little brother sort of way. I was torn on how to answer, I could feel the gazes of a lot of interested parties on me. Making a subtle announcement here would do wonders for getting out of the engagement.
But on the other hand, it would besmirch the honor of the third prince. If only there was a way I could get away with it, but I honestly can’t think of one… unless… that might work actually. I put on a smile and delayed. I was able to think pretty quickly when I needed to thanks to my high intelligence stat, and my entire deliberation had spanned only one or two seconds. Now I deliberately waited. A full ten seconds.
This was long enough to signal to a few parties that I was planning to break off the engagement, but at the same time short enough that I could play it off as mere surprise at the fact Ferris had ignored Dominic. Once my time was up, I half bowed my head instead of a full curtsy. This was slightly disrespectful since Ferris’ Ducal house outranked both my own father’s barony and the counts’ titles.
“…A pleasure indeed, Lord Ferris. I am Stahlia von Ris, the first daughter of Baron von Ris. This is my fiancé, Dominic von Francois, third son of Count von Francois.” Dominic stepped forward and bowed, while his head was down he shot me an irritated look at being made to wait so long.
“I am her fiancé, Dominic von Francois. To what do I owe the pleasure?” By omitting Ferris’ title and name, Dominic was also being a bit rude. It could be interpreted by the peanut gallery that we were both asking him to leave.
Ferris ignored Dominic splendidly, an action that was incredibly rude, especially compounded with previously not introducing himself to him before me. Instead, Ferris addressed me directly again, “Lady Stahlia, do you not think you could do better with a different house?”
That proposition left me genuinely stunned. I had figured out the purpose of Ferris’ approaching me. But to see it actually stated so bluntly, in front of so many people… it was baffling. The Western regions are the center of the military, and the Febligi have a reputation for being soldiers more so than nobles, but this… this is an astonishing lack of tact. Now how on earth should I answer that…? Besides the number of eyes we had attracted previously, it now felt like nearly the whole room was watching this power play between the third sons of the two remaining princes’ factions.
Well, the upfrontedness is nice… if there weren’t so many observers I might actually have taken him up on that, but if I say anything now… “I do apologize, Lord Ferris. While my engagement is not one of my own volition, I have no complaints. Besides, even if I had thoughts such as those, I could not act without the permission of the third prince.”
There, hopefully by name dropping the third prince, he’ll take the hint and stop putting me in a position like this. Besides me and through my hand, I could feel Dominic shaking slightly. A barely contained rage, it felt like he was about to explode. It really would suck if he blew up on a duke’s son… at least while I’m still attached to his house, “Lord Ferris, if you will excuse me, I shall be taking my leave.” I pulled Dominic away by the arm.
“Stahlia, what were you thinking!?” Once we had gotten away, Dominic turned to me with such a question. His face was hard, and if I had to put my finger on it, a bit hurt.
Raising my eyebrow, I answered, “Defusing the situation. You were about to snap at him, were you not?”
Dominic momentarily looked shocked, then he dropped a bombshell of his own on me “Stahlia, do you… do you not want to marry me…?”
What? I mean, yea exactly. But what did I say that let you figure it out…? …Ah… It was the part about needing the prince’s permission, wasn’t it? Considering that Dominic had arrived at the conclusion himself, I saw no harm in being truthful now. I shook my head, “It is not about whether I want to or not. Our engagement was arranged, if I had to answer whether or not I was happy with that… well, I am not unhappy.”
Dominic was about to say something, when he caught sight of another young nobleman approaching us. He set his face in preparation for another politically charged conversation, “...I see.”
★★★★★★
Rupert von Drakas, Twenty Years Old, Second Month of 948
Riding in a Carriage for his Brother’s Funeral
Stahlia von Ris huh. For the umpteenth time since receiving that report three months ago, I muttered the name of that girl in my mind. The demons seemed to have plans for her, and I had my own agents working to figure out what those were. But I was up against the Kingdom’s order of shadows in a game of espionage. To say I was on the backfoot would be the understatement of the millennia.
The only saving grace for me was that I was fairly certain Five, or rather, the Fifth Hell King didn’t know that I wasn’t truly under his dominion. Each of the Seven Kings of Sin could enthrall those who were guilty of that sin. Fortunately, I was not guilty of Wrath. I couldn’t be. Nor could I be guilty of any other sin. One of the few perks of my own curse, I had been born without the ability to feel. Logic dictated that a good ruler needed empathy for his subjects, as such I had stepped away from the race for the throne.
But the present situation did not call for a good ruler. They called for a strong ruler. A ruler who could bear the curse of doing what needed to be done. So I had struck a pact with the King of Wrath, all while acting angered. Then, I had done what only I could do, what needed to be done. Killing my brother on the orders of Five, propelling myself towards the throne. I had been working behind the scenes in more ways than just spying though.
As our carriage passed by the Francois’ Estate, I saw Stahlia for the first time in three years. I thought it was a shame you survived when I arranged for you to be sent to Sitri. I was sure that Five had seen through my plan when the clerk was assassinated. But the blade never fell on my neck. Now, I find out that you are most likely the Champion of Winter. I have to wonder what in the world the demons’ king wants with you.
She was gripping her fiancé’s arm a bit tightly, I raised an eyebrow in surprise. From the reports I had received, Stahlia should have already disabled her emotions. The cursed champion has overcome? Suddenly, her gaze, which had been fixed on my brother, turned to me. I fixed my gaze forward. It was time to re-evaluate my plans, and I began turning over dozens of new scenarios, new possibilities in my head. This kingdom may yet survive.