Chapter Text
The main force arrived a few days later, and all of us—the Campbells included—were quickly loaded onto carriages then sent on a nearly straight ride to the royal castle with an armed escort.
There were plenty of rumors going on about us around town and the capital both: who we really were; if we had any connection to Sgt. Elwick’s demise; what happened to Rose who’d mysteriously disappeared before dawn; why we were taking so long to return from Initiation when it was long over; why our achievement lists were already so loaded with feats and commendations from the likes of Mr. Burke, Mr. Fiske, and Ms. Kallis on behalf of Galatea & Gabris…
… But we were leaving that to the “Shadow Guard”, the espionage and covert ops branch of the royal army, who wanted to keep the truth under wraps for now.
Our families and our most important servants were there when we arrived. The Claes Family reunion was a bit of a mixed bag as Father and Father were so glad to see Keith I both safe before they started grilling me about my Top-Secret Plan.
“I’m so sorry for betraying your trust, Miss Catarina,” Anne explained, “as soon as I heard the news you were in danger, I couldn’t help but think of it as our only real lead.”
“It’s fine, Anne,” I said, “I would have done the same if I were in your position.”
“You’re too kind, Miss Catarina,” she said.
There was much confusion, much shouting, and much tea and sweets consumed, but in the end, my parents decided that I was still their daughter, Anne still wanted to serve me, and somewhere inside me, there was the Original Catarina Claes.
We were under heavy guard and constant surveillance for about a week. While we feared Nightmare and his allies were still out there, we figured they would lay low to gather their strength while we needed to start making appearances in public, pretend that everything was alright, and give a "show of confidence in our strength and security".
And so, we ended up holding a gigantic ball at the royal castle, ostensibly, to formally celebrate our becoming adventurers and the accolades we’d received.
I was currently in a dressing room, getting my hair done and accessories fixed. Anne insisted that the foundation needed to be perfect, as I was making an “avant-garde” statement wearing the prizes everyone had one from me, albeit magically preserved or remade to be and appear less cheap and fragile.
Observing on the side was House Claes’ newest maid and Anne’s first apprentice: Maria.
“You make it look so effortless and simple, Ms. Shelley,” Maria said.
“Experience and practice, one you will also have in time, Maria,” Anne said as she finished up, adjusting my side pony-tail and accessories until everything was just right. “There, you’re ready to make your reappearance, Miss Catarina.”
“Thank you, Anne,” I said as I admired my reflection. “You’re a miracle worker.”
“Just please try not to embarrass yourself," Anne said. "I know most have come to expect that but tonight, we would all prefer it to be as incident-free as possible."
“I’ll be careful, Anne,” I said as I got up off my seat and smoothed the bottom of my dress. “Let’s go, everyone!”
“Yes, Miss Catarina!" Anne and Maria said as they followed me.
We stepped out into the hall, passing by several other ladies and their maids. There was a fuss at the doors leading back out to the public areas, involving a crowd of several girls our age surrounding someone or something.
“Is something the matter, everyone?” I asked.
Some of them turned around and upon recognizing me, they quickly started congratulating and chatting me up, as usual. I didn’t pay much attention to what they were saying, more focused on the flustered Keith and the smiling Jeord they had been mobbing around.
As the crowd finally dispersed, Jeord smoothly glided over and took my arm. “Catarina!” he said as he glided over to my side and took my arm. “You look beautiful tonight. I see the royal jewelers made good on their word and then some.”
“Thank you, they truly did," I said. "But what happened here, if you don't mind me asking?"
Keith sighed as he joined us. “Jeord and I decided to wait for you together,” he said. “As it turns out, all the single noble girls decided tonight was a great opportunity to put themselves forward as potential fiancees.”
“It seems word of our accomplishments and rapidly rising status in the Guild has made him an even more attractive marriage prospect than ever," Jeord said.
“Anyone promising?” I asked.
“No, no one,” Keith said, shaking his head. “I believe I’ll continue waiting a while longer, especially with adventuring due to take up so much of my time.”
“You really should reconsider, Keith,” Jeord said. “It’s quite strange for a duke’s son to go so long without even solid rumors of a future engagement.”
I chuckled. “At least he’s not the strangest one in the family, though, right?” I joked.
“You say that like your case is a bad thing,” Jeord said, smiling.
Keith groaned. “Let’s go greet the guests, everyone; wouldn’t want to go beyond ‘fashionably late’.”
“Let’s,” I said.
We started going around the ballroom, zeroing in on all the usual Who’s Who of the nobility and occasionally, Sorcier’s business world. (The two often intersected but not always.) Unsurprisingly, we ran into the Ascart’s doing the same thing; after we finished chatter with the latest batch of important guests, Lord and Lady Ascart suggested Nicol and Sophia go with us.
“Are you sure?” I said. “You all look rather happy together.”
“We are,” Lord Ascart said, “but to counter, Lady Claes, this event is all about you and your party, so it only feels right that you’re all together than scattered about the venue. Besides, I’ve got certain parties that wish to use this as an opportunity to discuss delicate matters face-to-face,” he said as his voice lowered a notch.
Translation: he was expecting discreet, secret updates about the dark magic situation that no one, not even us, could risk overhearing.
“Fair point, Lord Ascart,” I said before we bade them farewell and took Sophia and Nicol with us.
“So, how has your evening been?” I asked as we searched for the next names and faces on our list.
“Busy standing to the side of the constant stream of faces as usual,” Sophia said, chuckling. “If it’s not people dying for a chance to catch Father’s ear without an appointment, it’s ladies or their relatives trying to convince Big Brother an engagement is worthwhile.”
“Hah, what a coincidence!” I said. “The same thing happened to Keith earlier.”
“It was quite entertaining,” Jeord said.
“Especially if you chose to be unhelpful,” Keith grumbled under his breath.
“Enough, you two,” Nicol said quietly.
The two of them stopped.
“You know, with all this engagement talk, I just realized something,” I said.
“What is it?" Sophia asked.
“Since half of our party are already engaged with each other, why don't we pair up the remaining half?"
Except for Jeord who said it was an "excellent proposal!", everyone balked.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
"Don't get me wrong, Catarina, I like Keith's company but only in short doses," Sophia said. "I don't think I can manage to be with him constantly and forced to accompany him to public events and the like. Not to mention it will make certain things awkward...”
“Like?”
“It’ll take too long to explain,” Sophia said.
“Um, and if I may comment, Miss Catarina?” Maria said.
“Yes?” I asked.
“Regardless of how the nobility will see a marriage with a commoner, I wish to marry for love as Mother had,” Maria said, blushing.
“I see,” I said, nodding. “Sorry if I made you all uncomfortable.”
We quickly decided to end all engagement talk there and continued to mingle. As we came near the band, we saw Alan looking unwell and Mary putting a soothing, enchanted hand on his back.
“What happened to you, Alan?” Jeord asked.
“I’m starting to remember how much I hate these parties,” Alan grumbled.
“And I’m hoping that some music will help soothe him,” Mary said. “We’ve got plenty more faces to see on our list. Oh, and speaking of lists--” she said as she looked at me.
“Second in line on my dance card,” I said, smiling as I pulled it out of my pocket and showed her name neatly written beneath Jeord’s.
Mary beamed then turned her attention back to Alan.
“Excuse me, Lady Hunt?” Maria asked.
“You’d like a try at curing Alan?” Mary said. “Then be my guest.”
Mary stepped away, Maria put a glowing hand on Alan’s chest. After a short while, he seemed to better but not completely “I’m sorry, it doesn’t seem to be just a physical illness...” Maria said.
“Want to join us, then?” I asked. “Safety in numbers and someone else can talk up the guests when he gets tired.”
“We’d love to, Catarina,” Mary said. “Right, Alan?”
“Right,” Alan muttered, looking at me as he quietly muttered, “Thanks.”
With all eight members of our party plus Anne walking together, it was little wonder that Granny saw us and walked up to greet us. “And I take it this is the new student I’ve heard so much about?” she asked as she eyed Maria.
“I am, Ms. Silvia,” Maria said as she curtsied. “I look forward to being under your tutelage.”
Granny chuckled. “I’ll let the formalities slide as you’re on duty right now but outside of these events, call me Granny, won’t you?”
“I will, Ms. Silvia,” Maria said.
“Thank you,” Granny said before she turned back to us. “Quite the party you’ve got here, Lady Claes—and enough heads to form a company, too!”
“We’re already beginning to register as one, Granny,” I said.
“Oh?” she asked, perking up. “Do tell.”
"We're still a democratic group but legally I'm the owner and head since our headquarters is a spare room in Manor Claes," I said. "Our manager, Mrs. Campbell, said it'd be easier than filing as a collective, and I didn’t want to force her to do unnecessary paperwork.”
Granny chuckled. “If only all company heads were as compassionate as you, Lady Claes. Have you decided on a name for it yet?”
“Yes,” I said, nodding. “If everything goes as planned, we’ll be the ‘Fortune Lover’ Adventuring Company.”
Granny nodded. “I’m not saying it’s a bad name but it is quite unusual, as far as companies go,” she said. “Any particular significance behind it?”
“It’ll take all night to explain and we’ve got plenty more people to talk to, sorry,” I said.
Granny chuckled. “Well, I suppose I don’t need to know everything about my students,” she said, winking. “Don’t let me keep you kids.”
We said goodbye to Granny and continued with our greetings and conversations until we found ourselves at the buffet table. There was the usual attractive spread of the most finely crafted sweets in all of Sorcier but it was a waiter carrying expensive fruit juice that caught my attention.
I flagged him down and got glasses for all of us, Maria carrying my “spare” glass.
“You’ll propose a toast, Catarina?” Jeord said. “I’d be happy to but I never took you for the type.”
“You could say there’s a part of me that wants to try being a little more formal,” I said.
“To what do we toast, then?” Nicol asked.
“What else?" I chuckled. "To our new lives as adventurers!"
“To our new lives as adventurers!" we said. Anne stepped in to block Maria from view so we could all clink glasses and take sips without any unnecessary trouble.
I sampled the extensive, delicious spread until a familiar call came out: the dancing was about to begin. As a group—no, an adventuring company—we headed off to the center of the hall. Everyone began to pair up or looked for the partners on their dance cards, me and Jeord prepared, in particular, to be the centers of attention as the Third Prince and his fiancee.
Or so the public would see, anyway.
“I’m still going to be your last dance?” Jeord asked as he took my hand.
"Of course. Still going to be her first dance?" I whispered.
Jeord sighed. "What prince would I be if I break my word to my fiancee…?" he said.
I chuckled before I started channeling my magic—not Earth, not the one leftover from Nightmare's invasion, but Lady Claes'. It felt strange to continue to still see through my eyes but quickly lose control of my body, stranger still to see and feel someone else take over for you, even if we had rehearsed this several times before in private.
Lady Claes giggled as she suddenly clung tightly and possessively on Jeord’s arm, as she had on their first meeting. “Shall we, Prince Jeord?”
Jeord suppressed a sigh and put on a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Let’s, Lady Claes.”
The band started playing, debuted a new, “original” composition by Prince Alan Stuart with the help of his brother, Prince Jeord, and his friends. After much deliberation and arguments, it was called, “Fortune’s Smile”.
“Really?” Jeord said as everyone began to dance. “This one?”
“It’s a lovely piece,” Lady Claes replied. “And you could say it’s quite fitting to play at the of start something new.”
It really was.