Chapter 41: Desire
As the morning sun pours into the library atrium, Lady Katarina slams her book down on the table. "I want to make Alan and Mary realize their love."
Sienna looks up from her textbook with a start, face contorting in confusion. "What?
Why?"
Katarina's expression hardens. "Because Mary is a wonderful woman, and I cannot bear to see her feeling as I once did."
Sienna raises a brow at Katarina's casual address of Mary, but shakes her head. "Well, from what I can tell from when Alan studies with us…" Sienna glances away, a pained smile parting her lips "…that may be more difficult than you think, Lady Katarina."
At that moment, Maria rounds the corner, holding another book as she drops down into the seat next to Sienna. "What are we talking about, now?"
Katarina blinks, momentarily distracted by the sight of the two sitting side by side. It's not the first she's seen of their new friendship, of course, but… it is something she has yet to adjust to. "You two are studying together?"
They both glance at each other, nodding as they look back to Katarina.
"Yes," Sienna replies first. "Miss Maria has proven quite insightful in my studies."
Maria returns the grin. "Lady Sienna, you are
far too humble." She looks back to Katarina. "
She has been helping
me improve my spellcasting form."
Sienna closes her eyes and makes a dismissive wave of her hand, even as a small grin remains on her face. "Oh, it's nothing.
Anyone can incorporate a Simon-Lautrec Polythaumic Amplifier into their casting routine if they drill it enough!"
Katarina just blinks. "I see…" She does not. "Anyway," Katarina continues, looking between the both of them as she lowers her voice. "Like I said, I want to get Alan and Mary together. Do you two have any ideas?"
Maria flushes, looking at Sienna before glancing back to the brunette. She grimaces. "…I think that might be harder than you think, Lady Katarina."
Sienna opens a single gold eye as her lips pull into a frown. "That is exactly what
I told her as well."
Katarina groans. "But
why?"
The girls once again glance between each other before looking back to Katarina.
"Lady Katarina…" Maria begins, "…don't you think Alan might have feelings for someone else?"
Katarina stiffens in her chair, eyes widening as the
terror of that idea seeps in. She clamps it down, closing her eyes as she shakes her head. "No. Alan wouldn't do that to Mary." She refuses to accept that the fourth prince would take after that other world's version of his brother in
that respect.
She hears Sienna speak next. "Even if he doesn't realize he's doing it, Lady Katarina?"
Katarina scoffs at the idea. "No-one is
that dense."
There is a long, uncomfortable silence at that. Eventually, Katarina opens her eyes to find both light and wind mage staring at her. "What?"
"N-Nothing, Lady Katarina!" Maria assures her, holding up her hands as she forces a smile.
Sienna just glances to the side, grinning sadly at a random bookshelf.
Katarina crosses her arms, pouting. "Well,
hilarity aside, this is something I feel rather strongly about." Her eyes narrow. "I will not abide seeing Lady Hunt in such a state. Will you two help me assist her?"
They both snap back to face her, offering expressions of confidence as they nod their heads.
"Have you tried asking Lady Sophia?" Maria asks. "I know
she's very interested in romance."
It seems so
obvious now that Katarina feels embarrassed that the girl hadn't been her first stop. "No," she replies, glancing away as her cheeks flush, "I hadn't thought of it until now."
"Lady…" Sienna's brow furrows "…You mean the
cursed child?"
Her gold eyes widen as Katarina glares in response.
"Do
not call her that." Katarina's tone is level, but
clearly displeased.
Sienna glances away. "My apologies… I know she is a friend of yours as well…" She shakes her head, looking back at Katarina with a resolute expression. "It is also a stupid prejudice, and I should know better than to believe in stupid prejudices. You are right to call me out for using that term."
Katarina nods in agreement, though her features soften when she looks back at the wind mage. "Assuming you can fix your
language… I'd quite like to introduce you two."
Maria smiles, looking at the brunette. "That sounds like a lovely idea, Lady Katarina!" She gasps, blue eyes sparkling. "We could even introduce her to
all your friends on the council!"
Sienna seems less than enthused at that prospect, offering a weak smile as she glances to Maria. "I believe just Lady Ascart will do for now…"
Both Maria and Katarina share a laugh.
Sienna grips her arm awkwardly as she stands behind Lady Katarina in the Ascart's luxurious dorm.
It's not that she's unfamiliar with the level of accommodations afforded to Sorciér's most influential nobles. She has, after all, seen the interior of
Lady Katarina's dorm before, and
that is practically a small house. Lady Ascart's accommodations are more modest in comparison… even as she struggles to believe this elegantly-furnished parlor can in any way be described as
modest.
It's also not that she genuinely believes any of that nonsense about Lady Ascart being
cursed. Her gaffe at the library aside, she's really only picked up the term from hearing some of Lady Katarina's old followers – her former underlings – use it. Her contrition upon seeing Lady Katarina's reaction had been genuine – she's heard it so often, she's forgotten that it is an
insult.
Sienna is hesitant, rather… because she still does not quite know how to handle the idea that Lady Katarina has
other friends.
Maria is one thing. In an odd way, the two of them were already well-acquainted: Only the
nature of that relationship has changed. The others? Sienna is anxious. What if they do not like her? What if she does not like them? Certainly, she understands that she needn't be friends with
all of Lady Katarina's other friends… but could such a spat not strain her friendship with the brunette herself? Perhaps even drive her to
end it?
She jumps a little as the door to Lady Ascart's room opens. The white-haired girl steps out with clear excitement on her pale features, but trepidation fills her crimson eyes as she sees Sienna.
"O-Oh." Her voice is quiet as she glances down to the floor. "H-Hello…"
Sienna has seen Lady Ascart from a distance, but never quite so close. Here… it is very easy to see why Lady Katarina must be so taken with her. The young woman's porcelain skin and long white hair... Like a doll brought to life, she is a finely-crafted beauty.
It is something she
very much shares with her brother, in Sienna's assessment.
"Sophia, this is my friend, Sienna Nelson." Lady Katarina points to Sienna, and she does her best to wave and smile despite her own anxiety. "She's the firstborn daughter of the Nelson Barony, and a very good friend of mine."
There's a moment of silence, and Lady Katarina elbows her shoulder to remind her to speak.
Right. She is only talking to the daughter of the prime minister.
Definitely no pressure, so she most certainly does
not panic when she executes perhaps the worst curtsy she's ever performed in her life, or try to keep her voice level as she starts her formal introduction. "Hello. I am Lady Sienna Nelson. It is nice to meet you, Lady Ascart."
The white-haired noble falls into a matching routine – complete even with mirroring the horrible, nervous shaking – and the atmosphere seems to lighten a bit as Lady Katarina guides Sienna into a plush sofa across from the one the petite woman takes a seat in.
"Sophia… I come to you with a matter of grave importance," Lady Katarina begins.
Lady Ascart lets out a soft gasp as she looks up from the floor, suddenly looking at Lady Katarina with a vibrant intensity. "What is it, Lady Katarina!?"
Lady Katarina clutches her chest, swooning as though an actress in a play. "It is a matter of the heart…" She closes her eyes, tilting her head back. "Of broken love!"
Sienna just stares at her in utter confusion. What is she
doing?
Somehow, Lady Ascart seems to take it in stride, gasping once more as she sits on the edge of her seat, brushing her long bangs away as she looks at Lady Katarina seriously. Her eyes narrow. "This sounds dire indeed!" She glances to Sienna, only a moment of hesitation creeping into her demeanor as she looks her over. "Is this
your doing, Lady Nelson?"
For a moment, those red eyes seem to
glow.
Sienna holds up her hands, shaking her head. "Ah… No. Not me."
Lady Katarina nods her head, snapping back to her seated position as she holds her nose up high. "My friend speaks the truth!" She pumps a gloved fist. "It is the romance between Alan and Mary I speak of!"
Sienna turns to her friend, finally working up the nerve to ask the obvious question. "Why are you talking like that?"
Lady Katarina opens an eye for a moment as her lips curl into a grin. "Because," she continues in that overwrought, sing-song voice as she strikes yet
another pose, "it is
fun!"
Sienna's jaw falls, and she gapes at Lady Katarina. Then, after another moment of thought, she shrugs. Lady Katarina will do as she pleases. There's no point belaboring it.
Lady Ascart interjects with a thoughtful hum, her snow-white hair catching the afternoon sunlight as she shifts in her seat and brings a hand to her chin. "Those two are
just like the couple in
Romance of Autumn Hearts," she whispers, in the same reverent tone one would use to announce a great insight into the nature of the universe.
"Then tell me, great sage," Lady Katarina pleads, opening her eyes as she claps her hands together in a pleading hold, "what is their path to happiness?"
Sienna quietly decides that it actually
is a bit amusing to watch.
The pale-haired girl makes a sweeping motion with her arms, palms glowing as she summons a soft breeze. She clasps them together in front of her chest, closing her eyes as the soft winds cause her white hair and green dress to billow dramatically. "You must find a way to make them admit their love to one another, noble heroine. You must make them both see what they cannot on their own. Only then, can their love be repaired!"
As the glow disappears from Lady Ascart's palms, the two friends hold their poses for a moment longer… then erupt into laughter. Sienna feels a bit awkward as she tries to laugh along. In truth, she feels a bit like she's intruding.
Still, neither one of them seems to mind as they relax back into their seats, offering big smiles to both each other and to her.
"Sorry," Lady Katarina giggles. "We do a lot of stuff like this usually… but it was also
so funny to see how you were reacting!"
Lady Ascart holds a hand to her mouth as her crimson eyes crinkle with amusement. "We got a bit carried away!"
Sienna is not too pleased at the laugh at her expense… but she does notice that Lady Ascart seems much more relaxed around her now. Was that Lady Katarina's intention all along?
"Oh, I'm being a terrible host," Lady Ascart finally says, shaking her head as she forces her laughter to halt. "In truth… I am very happy to meet you, Sienna!"
Lady Ascart says her name
very casually, but Sienna decides to go along with it, mirroring the action as much as her own status will allow. "It is good to meet you as well, Lady Sophia."
Lady Sophia seems to take a shine to that, squealing softly at the noble calling her by her first name. Not that Sienna is high enough in social status to drop her
title as Lady Katarina does, but… still. It's surprisingly endearing.
"Lady Katarina has told me
all about you," Lady Sophia says, suddenly very interested in the fellow wind mage. "You're a bit of a bookworm too, yes?"
Sienna flushes at that. "Mostly
non-fiction… but I do dabble from time to time." It had been hard not to, given how little she could do at the estate. Or
afford outside it. "Still…" she glances away "…I've focused on my research since arriving at the academy."
"I understand. Still… if you're interested…" she flashes a wide smile at Sienna "…you're more than welcome to join our next book meet-up!"
Despite herself, Sienna finds herself hesitantly returning the expression.
"As for you, Lady Katarina…" Lady Sophia looks back to the Lady Katarina "…I did mean what I said earlier. You need to show them that they
both want the best for each other!" Her smile falls a bit. "Sorry I can't be of more help."
Lady Katarina shakes her head. "Not at all, Sophia! Your advice is very helpful!" She lingers on the question for a bit, bringing a finger to her chin. "Still… How can I get them to
see it?"
Then, in a decision that Sienna fears she may come to regret, she raises her hand above her head. "Pardon… but I think
I have an idea?"
"You want me to join your study group?"
Katarina nods at Mary, offering the lady a large grin as she stands at the threshold of her dormitory room. "At first it was just Sienna and I, but then we had a falling out and I ended up studying with Alan, but now Sienna is back studying with me and also Maria too which caught me off guard but I'm happy about, and I think Sophia's going to be coming to this next one as well so I'd really like–" A bit too late, Katarina catches herself, cheeks flushing as she catches her breath. "Ah… Pardon me. What I mean to say is that the practical examinations are coming up soon. Does it not seem like a good time to brush up on our fundamentals?"
Mary shifts in the doorway, offering a small grin at Katarina's inadvertent rant before her lips fall into a hesitant frown. "I do not know, Lady Katarina." She crosses her arms, looking to the side. "I am not sure I am wanted there…"
"
I want you there!"
Mary snaps back to Katarina, cheeks aglow.
Katarina feels a rush of embarrassment, but she pushes through it, shaking her head. "It is
my study group, is it not?" She grins, swinging a gloved hand out to her side before gesturing at herself and tilting up her nose. "
I would like you to join. That is all that matters!"
Mary stares at her for another moment before erupting in a grin of her own, laughing softly as she reaches out an arm to steady herself against the doorframe. "Lady Katarina… You are quite the jester, you know?"
Katarina's smile weakens, but she shakes her head. "No, it's true! Besides, Maria, Sienna, and Sophia all know you are coming." She shifts a hand to her hip, holding the other at her side. "You have already met two of them, and the third is who suggested I invite you!"
Mary looks up at her, a hesitant expression again crossing her features as her mirth fades. "It is not
them I am anxious about…"
Katarina suppresses a frown looks down at her dress, watching the blue, white, and cyan fabric ripple as she taps her boot against the hallway floor. How can she break this deadlock? Mary
must be present for Sienna's plan to have any chance of success! For her own good, she cannot
allow her to decline. Yet it is not as though she can
force her to attend, either.
She looks up, eyes narrowing. At the very least, she will make her circumstances
extremely clear.
Katarina steps forward, grasping the peach skin of the Mary's ungloved hand. The woman looks up with a gasp, turning to face her. "Lady Katarina?"
"Listen to me, Mary." Katarina leans forward until her face is all that's reflected in Mary's auburn gaze. "You must have more confidence in yourself. You are the fiancée of a prince: A future
royal. Do you think you stand beside me by mere
chance?" She squeezes the lady's hand, eliciting a soft gasp. "You are here because you
deserve to be."
For a moment, Mary just stares at her, mouth agape. Then she smiles. "A-Alright, Lady Katarina." She nods her head. "If
you insist."
The library of the eastern building, despite its grand size and well-stocked shelves, is largely spurned by the students of the academy in favor of its larger, more centrally-located sibling. Sienna has been here several times before, but each time she's found no more than a handful of students wandering the aisles and the several large study rooms empty.
This, of course, makes it a perfect place for them to bring Alan and Mary.
Of course, Lady Sophia's participation isn't something Sienna originally anticipated, nor is Prince Gerald's. Still, the towering, octagonal study room has more than enough room to accommodate them all – and space to spare at that.
Katarina lets out a small gasp as she steps past the oaken doors into the large room, her boots clacking against the white marble floor as she looks up at the towering shelves of books. "This has been here the whole time?" She turns to Sienna, raising a brow. "Why haven't we been studying
here, Sienna?"
Sienna gestures at one of the shelves. "Most of these books have copies in the central library as well. The only reason you would come all the way here is if there was not a copy, or if you wanted quiet or privacy."
She knew the latter desire well: It was
exactly what she wanted while she had been…
estranged from Lady Katarina, after all.
Her fiancé, Prince Gerald, follows closely behind, putting a hand on her shoulder as he too takes in the sight. He glances toward the large window on the wall at the opposite side of the room, raising a brow at the cast-iron grid and floral pattern overlaying it before turning his gaze to the dark oak paneling lining the walls. "Quite an expensive room to see so few visitors." He smirks, seeming to find the contrast amusing.
Prince Alan and Lady Hunt file in shortly afterward, the auburn-haired woman tugging on Alan's purple coat as his eyes dart straight to Lady Katarina.
"Alan," Lady Hunt says, gesturing to the octagonal table ringed by eight red chairs. "Would you mind sitting next to me?"
"Oh, sure, yeah." Despite Lady Hunt's pull, Prince Alan's eyes don't leave the brunette. "Anywhere is fine by me."
Lady Hunt hides her frown with a flick of her fan, bringing the yellow implement before her lips even as her auburn eyes shine with irritation. It's only for a moment before she lowers it though, grinning with inauthentic cheer. "Certainly, Alan!" Her heels clack against the marble floor as she turns to the table.
Lady Sophia files in second-to-last, heading up the rear with an unfamiliar black-haired and green-eyed maid holding an assortment of bags. Sienna raises an eyebrow at the latter figure: Given the uniform, she's
definitely one of the Claes', but she's always seen Katarina with a different servant.
Lady Katarina seems to take interest in a different aspect of the situation. "Eh? I mean… Pardon?" She tilts her head at Lady Ascart. "Nicol isn't coming, Sophia?"
Sienna's frown deepens at that. Lady Katarina expected
another tag-along? There are too many already!
Lady Sophia just offers her a grin as she shakes her head. "I asked him, but…" her smile weakens as her crimson eyes glance away "…he still feels guilty for causing you to faint yesterday."
The luminous blush that covers the brunette's cheeks at that remark does not escape Sienna's notice. Nor that of Lady Katarina's fiancé.
Prince Gerald chuckles, though it holds absolutely no mirth. "I know my
friend has trouble expressing himself around women. I would imagine
that is what you are referring to, Katarina?" His blond brow twitches as his voice drops in tone. "It was nothing more, I'm sure…"
Lady Katarina gives him an odd look, but Lady Sophia just grins.
As the combined group moves toward the table, Sienna hovers by the doors, waiting for the one student that has yet to arrive. She doesn't have to wait long, as Miss Maria soon dives out from behind a bookshelf with her picnic basket swinging from her arm as she hustles to the private room's doors. She pants lightly as she comes to a stop before Sienna, wiping her arm against her forehead as she offers the noblewoman a gentle smile. "Sorry, I'm late. Getting here took a bit longer than I anticipated…"
Sienna nods, lowering her voice as she whispers to Miss Maria. "I hope your portions hold up. We have one more guest than I anticipated."
Her smile weakens, but she nods. "I made extras for Lady Katarina. There should be enough… I think."
"Maria, Sienna!" Lady Katarina's voice calls out from behind them. "Come join us!"
"We'll have to improvise, but try and follow the plan," Sienna whispers.
Maria nods, and the two pink-clad women move toward the table to do exactly that.
Katarina notices the way Sienna keeps shifting in her seat to look at the others surrounding her. The flaxen blonde's gold eyes keep darting between herself and the twin princes sitting at Katarina's sides. Katarina can only guess Sienna feels a bit intimidated. After all, a good portion of the royal family currently occupies this room. Now is an excellent time for introductions!
"Gerald, Alan, Mary" she turns toward each of them, before pointing across the table, "this is Lady Sienna Nelson, firstborn of the Nelson Barony and a long-time friend of mine."
The latter two make polite introductions. The former waits for last. When the time comes for Gerald to speak, a devious grin splits his lips. "Hello again, Lady Nelson. When we last met, I believe you thought me an attempted murderer?"
The girl goes pale as a bedsheet, and Katarina does not fare much better. She forgot that Sienna placed herself between her and Gerald the day she'd returned through time!
Before she has time to concoct an explanation or excuse, the third prince's smile lightens, and his red cape flutters as he lifts a halting hand. "Please. I do not hold it against you." He turns to Katarina, grinning. "Rather… I think I understand more and more why it's so easy to get caught in her fantasies."
Katarina blushes. The rest of the table just stares at the three of them with bewildered expressions, having absolutely no idea how to follow the conversation they just had.
"Yeah, I'm not going to even try to unpack
that," Alan sighs, leaning back in his chair.
"So," Maria coughs out. "Prince Alan… Isn't it nice to have your fiancée on the council with you now?" She turns to the copper-haired noblewoman sitting at Alan's side, offering her a gentle grin. "It really makes a difference to have someone you care about so close at hand, right?"
Alan's blue eyes blink as he glances to Mary, lifting a finger to his chin as he seems to consider it. "It's been fine, I guess? Mary's always been very kind to me." He drops his hand, dark scarf shifting around his neck as he shrugs. "I don't know, Maria. Is there some reason you're asking?"
The golden blonde shrinks beneath the fourth prince's ensuing gaze. In spite of her many talents… it is oddly heartening to realize Maria is
terrible at deception.
"I quite enjoy the time we spend together, Alan!" Mary turns to him with a grin, clasping her hands before her chest. "I have no regrets about taking Lady Katarina's generous invitation!"
Alan nods, returning her smile. "Yeah… You're always there for me, Mary. You're like the sister I never had." Then, he turns away.
Katarina grimaces as she sinks into her chair, but the woman does not explode as Katarina expects, instead flashing a radiant smile even as her auburn eyes fill with despair.
"Mary…" Katarina says almost automatically.
Six pairs of eyes snap to her the moment the words leave her lips.
"…you truly a-are a gem of a woman," she stammers, trying to complete her sentence. "I think Prince Alan is quite lucky to have you at his side."
The woman's expression lightens slightly as she nods, but the despair does not leave her eyes.
Meanwhile, Gerald looks at her, then back to Mary, a dark suspicion forming in his azure gaze. "You do
admire her quite a lot, Katarina." He raises a brow, as though expecting her to admit something.
Katarina just tilts her head. "Have you not heard of her reputation? She has perfect etiquette. It is not an exaggeration to call her the perfect noblewoman." She bashes her hair as she glances at a random bookshelf and her voice drops to a whisper. "Of
course I admire her."
An uncomfortable silence descends on the room. In that interim, something on the shelf she's looking at
sparkles. She blinks, narrowing her eyes to get a better look.
Her face whips to face Gerald as he places his hand on his shoulder, squeezing it gently as he offers a false smile. "So,
my fiancée, what would you like to study? After all," he gestures to everyone seated at the table, and to the maid standing at its side, "that is why we are all here, isn't it? To
study?"
There's a quiet murmur of approvals, so Katarina turns to her secondary personal maid. "Isabel, can you check back in an hour or two? I will let you know if we need your assistance then."
Her braid flings outwards as she dips her head in a bow. "O-Of course, My Lady."
She makes her way to the front of the private study room, closing the large oak doors as she exits.
"Now," Katarina sighs, looking back to her study mates. "Practical exams are coming up, and I'd quite like to do well." She pauses, thinking back on her last life. "I believe we should brush up on ancient script and applied magic theory…"
The tension lessens as the seven spend more time with one another. While Sienna still seems high-strung, both she and Sophia seem to take a shine to Mary the more they speak.
"You have such striking hair, Lady Hunt!" Sophia looks over her shoulder at the noblewoman at her side, crimson eyes sparkling as looks it over. "It reminds me of the heroine in
Siren of the Sixth Sea!"
Mary flushes, looking up from the book in front of her as she glances at the white-haired girl and tilts her head in confusion. "You…
like my hair?"
Sophia nods quickly, though her smile weakens as she processes the girl's words. "Are you…
ashamed of it, Lady Hunt?"
Her auburn eyes glance away from her, an uncertain expression crossing her lips. "My sisters always told me it reminded them of my mother…"
Sophia gasps. "I bet she's really beautiful too!"
Mary looks down at her lap. "She is dead."
Tension once again fills the room, and Katarina once again feels her heart twist. "Mary–"
"I have only ever seen my birth mother in portraits," Sienna interjects. Her golden eyes look at Mary with sympathy. "I am told I resemble her as well."
Mary blinks, looking up at Sienna. She seems shocked at the commonality, but then her expression morphs to something warmer. "I am sorry to hear that, Lady Sienna." She offers a weak smile. "I am sure she was a wonderful woman."
Sienna nods, though she looks away at the lady's casual address.
Sophia places a hand on her shoulder. "You shouldn't be ashamed of yourself, Lady Mary." She closes her eyes, beaming at the lady. "I think you're quite stunning!"
Her cheeks flush, and her lips form an awkward smile as she looks back to her textbook. "You both are too kind."
"It is… difficult to lose someone you care about." Maria's expression lowers. "Or for them to leave you behind…"
Mary looks back up, looking to the commoner sitting at Sophia's side. She offers a weak smile. "Indeed."
Alan tugs his collar, coughing as his eyes glance to the side. "Well… Perhaps we should move on to the next chapter of the textbook?" He looks back to the material on the table, frowning. "It's not difficult to decipher the ancient script in the example here, but I'm stumped what that passage actually
means…"
"Actually," Sienna declares, suddenly rising from her chair. "I need to step out for a moment."
Maria stares at her for a moment. Then, her eyes widen as she too jumps to her feet. "Ah! Yes! I too need to step out!" She steps out from the chair, pushing it back in as she takes a step to Sienna's side. "We will be back!"
Sophia gives them a knowing look, and nods at the two them before the two file out of the ornate doors.
Katarina just turns back to the shelf she looked at earlier: She swears she sees it
sparkle again.
"This isn't working," Sienna sighs, cradling her forehead in her palm as she shakes her head.
Miss Maria clasps her hands in front of her skirt as she looks down at the white marble beneath them. "Are we distracting them from each other?"
"Well, yes," Sienna admits, "but I don't think it matters. Prince Alan is
distracted enough by Lady Katarina already."
The golden blonde looks back up at her, blinking blue eyes as she brings a finger to her chin. Her brows furrow. "Lady Sophia and Lady Katarina know what we're doing, right?"
Sienna nods, dropping her hand to her side. "Yes. Lady Ascart was there when I explained it, and Lady Katarina was the one who wanted to get them together in the first place."
The commoner's lips purse. "I don't think we can force Prince Alan and Lady Mary to get along with each other if they don't want to."
Sienna shakes her head, groaning. "You are right, Miss Maria, but…" she glances to the side, looking at the large doors separating them from the study room "…I do not want to disappoint Lady Katarina."
"I don't either," Miss Maria agrees.
Sienna begins to pace, bringing her head down in thought as her shoes clack against the floor. There has to be another way of going about this. Some way that—
Her blood runs cold as she hears faint shouts of panic from behind the study room doors.
The commoner and noblewoman look up at each other for one moment with wide eyes, then both rush towards the doors, hesitating only for a moment at the bright green light now pouring out from underneath them.
Sienna and Miss Maria throw open the doors, with the wind mage summoning every bit of her pitiful mana to her fingertips as she looks straight into the blinding light and prepares to do whatever she can against
whatever this is.
The light disappears, and a single book falls from the air, landing atop the table at the center of the study room.
Sienna and Miss Maria cautiously survey the now-desolate study room, only extinguishing their glowing palms as they look back at each other.
"That book did something," Sienna says. It is an
obvious conclusion, but one she feels compelled to state.
Miss Maria glances to the red-leathered tome sitting at the center of the table. Her trepidation is obvious – and shared by Sienna herself. Five people sat in this room. Now it is only her and Miss Maria. Should they even approach the book? Should one of them leave to get help?
The twin mages jump as they hear the doors to the room open behind them, both raising glowing palms once more as they ready to defend themselves.
The green eyes of Lady Katarina's maid widen, and she staggers backward. "P-Pardon?!"
Glowing palms extinguish once more as the two breathe a sigh of relief.
The two pink-clad girls quickly explain the situation to the maid, asking her to find the closest student council or faculty member and relay what is happening. The raven-haired woman nods, shaking her head before rushing back out the large doors.
Unfortunately, this simply returns them to the dilemma of what to do about the book.
"We can wait until she returns with assistance?" Sienna offers.
Miss Maria shakes her head. She clutches the pink fabric of her dress above her heart, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath before they open with newfound determination. "I'm going to open it."
Before Sienna can try and talk her out of it, the light mage makes her way toward the tome sitting at the center of the table. She hesitates for a moment, but realizes the light mage has a point: They are dealing with unknown magic. Waiting puts Lady Katarina – puts
everyone who sat with them at that table – at risk. There is really only one option.
She strides forward, shaking her head as she rushes in front of the golden blonde. "Please, Miss Maria. Let
me risk it."
Without waiting for her response, Sienna scoops the book up from the table and examines the cover. At first touch, it does not
feel magical. Rather, it simply feels new – with not a single sign of wear on the red cover.
Even as the title written in ancient script
strongly suggests otherwise.
"
A Tale by the Name of Desire?" Miss Maria repeats, looking over Sienna's shoulder as she raises a finger to her chin.
The cover simply shows what appears to be a stylized, circular illustration of a wave of water colliding with a sea of stars. The title – in flawless, flowing ancient script – sits above.
Sienna glances back at the girl behind her shoulder. "You may want to stand back, Miss Maria. I am going to open it."
The girl shakes her head, her expression determined. "I am with you, Lady Sienna."
It is more comforting to hear than Sienna would expect… but it doesn't stop her fingers from shaking as she opens the cover.
Nothing happens: The book opens, like normal.
Like it didn't just eat five people.
Her lips purse as she thumbs past the blank cover page, finding another page written in ancient script.
"When one's desire is fulfilled…" Sienna begins, finding her throat dry as her eyes crawl across the page her.
"…those captured may be saved," Miss Maria completes for her, a similar hesitation in her voice.
Steadying herself, Sienna flips to the first chapter.
———— ⟡ ————
Katarina blinked open her eyes to find herself in an elegant parlor. Soft light poured through the window at her side, illuminating the dark oak fireplace. A picture of an elegant manor hung above the clock sitting on the mantle, standing out in front of the elegant tan wallpaper.
Katarina did not recognize any of it.
Her lips pursed as she looked down at her lap, finding a book opened wide in her arms. Suddenly, her memories came rushing back: The book she'd pulled from the library shelf; the sparkling green light that poured out of it as it rose from her hands and pulled her very being into its pages. Fear shot through her heart as she let go of the tome, dropping the accursed thing on the floor as she scrambled up on the yellow sofa and hugged it protectively.
"Lady Katarina…?" a soft voice asked.
Katarina whipped her head to her side, finding Sophia looking at her with wide red eyes. She relaxed a bit, a smile crawling across her lips. "Sophia!" Without thinking, she pulled the girl into a tight embrace, easily wrapping her arms around Sophia's thin shoulders. "You're okay!"
The pale-skinned girl eagerly returned her affection, but it did not stop a hint of confusion from seeping into her tone. "Of course I am…?"
Katarina pulled back, just as confused by Sophia's reaction as Sophia was by her own. "How did we get out of the library?" she asked, frowning. "The last thing I remember was getting sucked in by that strange book…"
Sophia brushed a strand of her white hair from her face as she shifted on the couch cushion. "Library?" She blinked. "Lady Katarina, it is summer break."
The eyes of the ducal daughter went wide, a lance of fear shooting through her heart. She had traveled through time again?
But this time, she didn't even die!
Wait… if this was summer break… then had she made it past the end of the year? Or had she returned to the prior summer break? She looked up from Sophia, surveying the room as her frown deepened. Was this Ascart Manor? She'd never been here before. Certainly not last summer.
Her thoughts were interrupted by the woman placing her hand on her shoulder, looking at her with wide eyes as she made a request. "Lady Katarina… Can we please keep reading together?"
The ducal daughter found her will to deny her crumble beneath the beautiful girl's pleading expression. What features
the Ascarts had – brother and sister alike were both infused with this perfect, doll-like beauty. "V-Very well," she replied, trying to hide her blush. She'd just have to think of what to do about her current circumstances while she spent time with Sophia.
———— ⟡ ————
"They're trapped in the book," Sienna states. Again, it is
obvious, but the sheer
impossibility of it makes her want to state it out loud as though to test her own sanity. Even by the standards of
magic… this is almost incomprehensible.
Miss Maria nods, seeming lost in thought as she stares at the moving illustrations on the page. "Is this a world the book created, or just an illusion?"
Neither possibility appeals to Sienna as she turns her eyes back to the ancient script now narrating her friend's life.
———— ⟡ ————
Sophia was clearly in a fey mood as Katarina read aloud to her. She clung tightly to Katarina, pressing her body against her own as warm breath brushed against her ear.
Katarina, ever the refined lady, found it hard not to stammer her words as her eyes stumbled and tripped across the book's pages. Especially
as the paragraphs began to wax lyrical about the heroine's astounding beauty – her silk skin and soft, gentle hair.
Sophia always had a fragrance like a new book: A clean, crisp scent that made one imagine fresh ink on a page. It was practically overwhelming now, with her body so close.
"Turn the page." Though Sophia whispered, her voice was loud in Katarina's ear.
Katarina had forgotten to keep reading. How could she remember
to keep reading? This was too much. Feeling Sophia's gentle hands on her back… feeling her warmth on her side… Just too much. Too much!
Yet as she clapped the book shut in her hands, feeling her body grow warmer and warmer as she made a move to rise to her feet, the lady at her side gently pressed her back down.
"Lady Katarina," Sophia's red eyes sparkled with an unfamiliar intensity
. "Do you want to leave me?"
Katarina's will to sit up from the couch died immediately. So, the noblewoman shook her head.
Sophia smiled in turn. "Good… I'm glad, Lady Katarina…" She closed her eyes, pulling Katarina even closer to her on the couch as her snow-white hair draped over the brunette's head.
"S-Sophia," Katarina managed to choke, shaking her head as the girl's fragrance enveloped her. "W-Where is this? When
is this?" The lady was sure
something was wrong
here, now. That certainty was the only thing keeping her from succumbing to whatever this overwhelming feeling
was. "I'm so confused. What is going on?
"
In lieu of a response, Sophia crawled atop her, making her fall back into the soft cushions of the couch as her red eyes filled with happiness.
A tense moment passed as the pale girl lay on her chest. "Lady Katarina," Sophia whispered, pressing a soft hand to her cheek. "Your eyes are so beautiful…"
Lady Katarina Claes, who thought herself a lady of noble breeding and etiquette, nonetheless reacted quite profusely. Her cheeks reddened as they burnt from beautiful girl's soft touch.
Sophia then crawled forward still, her soft, gentle hair flowing down her shoulders with the warmth of each breath. She leaned in close, bringing her face just inches from the brunette's own.
"Katarina." She spoke without title; her voice husky. "I lo–"
———— ⟡ ————
The book slams shut as it's pulled from Sienna's grip. The wind mage blinks, rousing from her focus as she turns to glare at the interloper.
The light mage blushes, hugging the book ever-more tightly against her chest as she looks at Sienna with wide blue eyes.
Her expression explains all Sienna needs to know.
"Ah. It is like
that, is it?"
Miss Maria's face reddens further, and she looks away as she nods.
Sienna sighs, rolling her head back as she nurses her forehead. She'd suspected as much – as did several rumors.
Lady Sophia had been the greater surprise, to be honest.
"Well... I think the only way to get them all out is to let at least
one of them fulfill their heart's desire." Sienna frowns, gesturing to the side as she faces the commoner once more. "If not Lady Sophia, then Prince Alan, Prince Gerald, Lady Mary, or Lady Katarina."
Miss Maria perks up at that, whipping her head to face Sienna as she nods. "Can we choose Lady Mary, then?"
Sienna points at the book the mage cradles so tightly, frowning. "I doubt that
thing is going to let us 'choose' anything."
Miss Maria mirrors the expression, looking down at the book in her hands. Then, her blue eyes widen as she looks back up at Sienna. "I think I know what this is, Lady Sienna." Her voice darkens as she removes one hand from the book and places a finger to her chin, looking intently at the book's cover as she examines it in her other hand. "Do you remember hearing a rumor about a magic book that craves the desires of humans?"
Sienna blinks, her eyes widening. "I do. It was supposedly one of the pre-Sorciéran artifacts that were tied to the academy…" she pauses, trying to recall more. "One of the… school's seven mysteries?" She had thought all that nonsense to be junk, to be honest: It had all the characteristics of a ghost story meant to scare the poor, impressionable first-year students. When that second-year nobleman had told her the stories during a particularly slow lunch period, she had assumed him to be mocking her. Now… she is not as convinced. She blinks, leering at the tome in Miss Maria's hands. "That thing looks pristine, though. Not old at all."
Miss Maria seems to come to a similar conclusion; her blue eyes deep with thought as she stares at the book's condition. "It looks new… because it feeds off human desires."
Sienna's eyes widen, and she yanks the tome from the commoner, looking it over herself as a sense of panic fills her chest. "So, they really
are in danger?"
The light mage leans back, startled, but hesitantly shakes her head. "I don't think so? That's all I heard…" she looks back up to the ceiling, thinking. "Perhaps it's more of a symbiotic relationship? The book traps them, but gives them their fantasies to feed its hunger, and lets them out when it's full…?"
Sienna is less than convinced, sharing a nervous glance. "Or perhaps we are on a time limit, Miss Maria."
Miss Maria clutches the maroon ribbon around her collar, tugging it nervously as Sienna's anxiety becomes mirrored in her own. "Let's open it, then…"
———— ⟡ ————
When Katarina again opened her eyes, she found herself on a balcony of the royal palace, overlooking the dim lights of the capital beneath a beautiful sea of stars.
Katarina remembered this place. She had been here once, when she was younger and still thought Gerald loved her the same way she loved him.
The one thing the lady did not understand was why she was here now
.
She had just been with Sophia, trying to keep her wits about her as her senses launched into overdrive. While Katarina was grateful for the opportunity to clear her head and let those strange sensations fade, she did not understand how it was possible for her to have gone from that room to this balcony in such a short period of time. Was she losing her memory? Had she become untethered from time completely? Both of those explanations sounded preposterous, but if that was not what was happening… what was?
"The view is beautiful from here."
Katarina spun on her heel, coming face to face with the blue eyes and blond hair of Prince Gerald – her fiancé. She sighed in relief, clutching her dress as she stepped toward him. "I am so glad to see you, Gerald."
His handsome features shined in the starlight. "As am I, my darling."
Katarina hesitated, blinking at him. At that moment, she realized that the fabric clenched in her gloved hand was not the familiar blue-cyan-and-white gown she normally wore, but the same star-studded gown she'd worn at the academy ball. She looked down at herself, blinking at the pattern, before looking back up to the prince.
He was wearing a different outfit as well, now: The gold royal sigil on his brooch as always, but atop a dapper gray shirt and blue tie, with a gold-trimmed white suit that had a matching white rose pinned to its lapel.
He looked absolutely stunning.
Katarina let out an awkward laugh as blood rushed to her cheeks, but shook it off as she remembered her circumstances. "Gerald, listen to me: Something is wrong." She pointed to herself, shaking her head. "I'm not supposed to be here."
The prince tilted his head in confusion, his blue eyes shining with the same strange light Katarina had seen in Sophia's red. "Why wouldn't you be here?" He extended his hand to her, the soft skin almost pearlescent in the moonlight. "You are my fiancée."
She shook her head, pushing his hand away. "That's not the issue! I opened some book
and now…" she clutched herself, turning back to look over the balcony's edge. "Nothing makes sense."
Katarina heard his quiet footfalls behind her, the prince's perfect smile falling as he leaned over the stone baluster and took a place at her side. A soft breeze carried through the air, ruffling his blond hair as he turned to her.
"I cannot make up for how I've treated you, Katarina." He closed his eyes, shaking his head with a soft chuckle. "Even once I'd realized you'd changed… I thought myself smart for thinking I'd simply commit the same sins my grandfather once did. The only thing that prevented me from dooming myself before I even realized what I'd be giving up was a lack of opportunity!" He looked back out to the capital, face settling into a deep frown. "They call me perfect
; say I'm a genius
…" He shook his head, wincing as his eyes shut. "I still haven't any
idea how to handle feeling this way about you, Katarina."
The lady blinked not sure how to respond. It wasn't really an answer to what she'd said… but it also felt deeply vulnerable and personal
in a way she'd hardly seen from Gerald.
"Gerald…" she spared him a glance, looking up from the baluster "…I don't know how to feel about you." She glanced away, clutching the cosmic fabric of her dress. "I still want
to love you, but…"
Her voice trailed off. How could she ever encapsulate all the things she wanted to say?
"You used to smother me, but now you are distant. I grow to enjoy your company, and you seem to outgrow mine." He laughed again, slamming his fist into the stone. "It is a perfect torture. Truly, I could not have designed a better punishment myself."
Katarina looked down to the ground, so very far beneath them. "Am I… torture
for you, Gerald?"
"No." The response was as immediate as it was forceful. "My torment is entirely self-inflicted. Had I treated you with understanding
instead of irritation
…" his voice trailed off.
Almost on impulse, she placed her hand on his back. His head snapped up in surprise, though a gentle smile returned to his lips as he looked back at her.
She was having more trouble distinguishing the false smiles from the real ones, these days. Yet she somehow knew
this one was real.
"You are very beautiful when you smile, you know."
It was her thoughts, but his voice that said it. She was confused for a moment, until she realized her own lips had curled upwards.
Before she had time to protest, he extended an arm of his own, wrapping it around her back as he swept her from her feet.
"Sometimes…" he admitted with his face so very close to hers"…I think about how much I'd like to make you deliciously
uncomfortable when you wear it."
A shiver trembled down her spine as he said it. This was everything she had ever wanted to hear from the royal – the man she had loved for so long.
But… at that moment… her smile fell as she realized why
there was something wrong with this place.
"This is not real."
It couldn't be. For him to have such love in his eyes as he stared at her… To have a voice so husky with want
… Even if this was a different Gerald from the one who'd killed her… it just couldn't be true.
No-one would love her
that way.
As if to confirm her suspicions, the prince gave no response to her accusation.
She pushed free of his grip and grabbed him by the shoulders, panic rising in her chest. "Did you hear me, Gerald? This is not real!
"
He stared at her, tilting his head once more. "Katarina… Why are you shaking me?"
Her eyes narrowed. "Prince Gerald, are you listening?"
He nodded. "Of course, Katarina."
She looked him directly in the eyes as she spoke with clear intonation. "That book
did something to all of us! This is not real!"
He blinked at her. "Your eyes are so beautiful, Katarina."
She screamed as she shook him once more.
———— ⟡ ————
Sienna closes the book shut, offering a frown as she glances at Miss Maria. "He's bespelled."
Miss Maria nods, mirroring her concern. "They all are. The magic of the book is preventing them from realizing anything is wrong."
Sienna raises a brow at that, shaking her head as she glances to the empty chairs arranged around the private study room's central table. "Not Lady Katarina. She seems
acutely aware."
Miss Maria hums at that, bringing her hand to her chin. "You are right, Lady Sienna. I wonder why…?"
Sienna blinks, a flash of inspiration coming to her as she notices only Lady Katarina's seat is pushed back. "Katarina said that
she opened the book." She turns back to Miss Maria, bringing a finger to her chin. "Maybe that makes her special, somehow?"
Miss Maria gasps; the ribbon tied to the back of her golden hair shaking as she looks up at Sienna and nods. "That would make sense! Maybe the original 'reader' is immune to that part of the book's magic?"
Sienna frowns. "Still… I am worried what will happen if I open it again." She looks to the book in her hand. "Lady Katarina seems to be working herself into a blind panic… I do not want to subject her to that further."
Maria looks at her with similar concern. "Perhaps the next fantasy will be better?"
Sienna swallows dryly, looking back to the tome in her hands. "I suppose there is only one way to tell…"
———— ⟡ ————
When Katarina opened her eyes once more, she wasted no time trying to find a way out of this horrendous illusion. She sat up from the comfortable cushions she was laying on, immediately looking around for an exit.
Instead, she saw the faces of all her friends smiling back at her.
"Alan? Gerald? Sophia?" She pointed to each of them as she called their names, and each of them returned her gesture with a smile.
Her fear at least temporarily allayed, Katarina took a closer look at the room around her. She didn't quite recognize this place, but it reminded her of one of the manor's paintings: It was a beautiful seaside villa, with a patio open to the crystal blue sea and with columns carved of light marble.
A sense of calm washed over her as she closed her eyes and listened to the distant crashing of waves. Perhaps this world – though false – was not bad enough that she needed to rush from it. Would anyone blame her for lingering just a while?
"Shall I feed you more grapes?" Gerald asked, and Katarina suddenly noticed the fruit in his hand – as well as the light summer outfit hugging his figure.
She waved a hand dismissively, closing her eyes as she reclined back into her bed. "You shall."
To her satisfaction, when she next opened her mouth, the prince did exactly that. A smile curled her lips as she savored the perfect taste. Then, as the cherry on top, she felt Alan's hands grasp her shoulders and knead into them as the fourth prince gave her a massage.
No. She did not need to rush at all. She could stay here for a good while.
Her contentment was only broken as she realized who was missing. She lurched up from the soft massage bed. "Where is Mary?"
"She is down at the beach!" Sophia responded, flashing a grin. The snow-white Ascart was wearing a similarly airy skirt – one also
quite easy on the eyes.
But, she needed to focus. Alan was fine – a glance to her side confirmed that – but she at least needed to check up on Mary before she did anything else. So, she nodded as she leaned up from her bed. "I will go talk to her."
Before she had the chance to get her footing, the cushioned fabric beneath her lifted up from the ground, and she was carried up into the air with it. The twin royals smiled up at from her sides, blue eyes shining at her. "Please, allow us, Lady Katarina!"
She laughed… though a sudden hesitation tugged at her chest. "That is… not necessary."
In a similarly abrupt motion, they lowered her back to the ground, bowing to her right after they did. "Of course, Lady Katarina."
The feeling in her chest intensified. This was definitely
not right.
"E-Excuse me," she stammered, quickly making her leave from the villa.
She hiked up the skirt of her summer dress as her sandals sunk into the warm, clear sand with each footfall. The spot of yellow on the horizon quickly resolved into Mary's figure, and the girl looked up to her with a wide smile as she dipped her head respectfully. "Hello, Lady Katarina."
Katarina sighed; feeling relieved to see the girl was here after all. "Are you alright Mary? I saw Alan, but…" she pursed her lips as she glanced over her shoulder back to the blue-roofed villa she'd fled from "…he was acting strange."
The girl dipped her head again, still smiling. "I am fine, Lady Katarina. Even better now that you are here!"
Katarina smiled at that, cheeks reddening a bit as she got a better look at the lady's beach wear. To say that the airy yellow summer dress looked flattering on her would be a similar level of understatement to saying the sun looked bright: The girl was positively radiant
.
Still, she shook her head and forced her eyes back to Mary's. She needed to remain focused. "Mary… Can you try and help me find a way out of here?"
Mary smiled, nodding her head. "Of course, Lady Katarina! Anything for you!"
Katarina's chest tightened, though she tried to ignore the sudden surge of anxiety these displays had begun to spark. It could have just been coincidence, after all. So, she nodded. "I know you're smart. Do you know anything about illusionary worlds? Any magic to dispel them?" She felt like Maria or Sienna would definitely
know, but the two blondes – thankfully – appeared to have avoided being trapped here.
Mary raised a finger to her chin, still smiling even as her eyes rolled back and her brows furrowed in thought. After a moment, her gaze returned to her, and she shook her head. "I'm sorry, Lady Katarina: I cannot remember anything like that." She tilted her head. "Why would you want to leave here, anyway? Isn't this world just perfect for you?"
Katarina's eyes narrowed. The sounds of the beach seemed to fade as she realized she could no longer ignore the anxiety growing in her stomach. "Fine. Then let's say that I am done with that request: What would you
like to do now, Mary?"
The woman's auburn eyes creased with glee. "Whatever you would like to do, Lady Katarina!"
Katarina swallowed, feeling the sun on her skin fade as her worst fears seemed to be confirmed. "You just did what I
wanted." She pointed to herself before pointing back to the noblewoman, trying to force a grin. "Now it is your turn: What would you
like to do, Mary?"
The woman's auburn eyes creased with glee. "Whatever you would like to do, Lady Katarina!"
The false smile fell from Katarina's lips as she stepped back from the smiling woman, fear lancing her heart as she raised her arm defensively. "T-Then answer me this: Are you real?
"
"Of course, Lady Katarina!" The woman smiled as she closed her eyes and tilted her head. "You were so kind to me yesterday evening… I truly cannot thank you enough, Lady Katarina!"
Katarina did not relax, instead swallowing dryly. "So you at least remember that was
yesterday?"
Mary's auburn eyes opened, her grinning expression otherwise not shifting an inch. "Yes!"
"Do you remember before that?" Katarina swallowed anxiously, feeling her composure teetering on a knife's edge. "When you were angry at me?"
Mary brought a finger to her chin, thinking about it momentarily before shaking her head. "I cannot remember ever feeling anything but a desire to please you, Lady Katarina!"
A chill ran down Katarina's spine. "You mean you are being prevented
from desiring anything but to please me..."
As if to confirm her suspicion, the lady did not respond: The thoughts her words should
have inspired never even crossed her mind. She heard them, but could not react: Could not even think
of reacting.
If this was truly Mary… She was now a puppet, made to dance for her.
"N-No…" Katarina hunched over, gripping her forehead as the world seemed to fade around her. "This is not
what I desire…"
———— ⟡ ————
The book glows as it leaps from Sienna's hands and shuts itself. Both mages reel back in surprise, but the tome loses its sparkle as falls harmlessly back into Sienna's grip.
"I think… the book got that one
wrong?" Miss Maria says eventually, offering Sienna an uncertain frown. "It thought Lady Katarina desired to be doted on and served by her friends… but when she realized
why they were acting that way…"
"…She rejected the fantasy entirely." Sienna nods, looking back down at the red leather cover of this accursed book. She is heartened to have proof that Katarina respects her friends' free will and right to make their own decisions… but part of her wonders if both she and Maria would have been included in that hedonistic fantasy as well, had they not left the room before the book could capture them.
A glance at the slight blush of the commoner at her side makes her realize that Miss Maria may not be as opposed to the thought as she is.
Sienna shakes her head, regaining her focus as she glares at the enchanted book in her hands. "Should we really keep trying? This
awful thing is putting Lady Katarina through the wringer…" What is taking Isabel so long, anyway? Sienna feels like help should have arrived by now…
Miss Maria looks at her with a sad expression, nodding her head. "The only way out is to fulfill one of their desires." She clasps her hands before her skirt, wringing her hands as her blue eyes dart down to the floor. "I do not like seeing Lady Katarina go through this either…"
Sienna closes her eyes and lets out a sigh. "Hopefully, this one will be the last…" Then, re-opening her eyes and steadying herself, she opens the book once more.
———— ⟡ ————
A sense of resigned dread descended on the noble lady as she opened her eyes once more to find herself in an unfamiliar place. Grand red curtains draped behind the stage she stood atop, the audience of the recital hall entranced by the soft, gentle melody emanating from the piano beside her.
Alan sat at its front, his usual outfit swapped for a black vest over a white shirt with a black bowtie and matching black pants. His eyes were closed as his hands danced across the keys, only briefly opening to glance at the sheet music sitting before him as he flipped the page.
In other circumstances, Katarina would find this flattering. The noble lady would relish the thought of being atop the stage at his side; sharing the center of attention of the many eyes of the audience and – most likely – a target of many girls' misguided envy. Yet these were no other circumstance: They were a falsehood; an illusion.
Unfortunately… this illusion did not seem to be one she could escape or free them from.
She closed her eyes, leaning against the piano even as her touch dampened its beautiful melody. She could hardly care about the extravagant dress she now wore or the eyes of the crowd upon her. They weren't real. None of this was.
She did not understand what drove these scenarios. Sophia acting… strange, Gerald acting remorseful, that pampered villa on the beach, and now… Alan playing his music. Was the book trying to please her? Was it trying to lull her into a false sense of security so she would not resist its temptations? That had to be the case: There was no possibility that any
of the things she had seen would be things her friends would actually
want to do out of their own will.
Her fists tightened. How dare
it. Her friends were not toys
. They were not to be made playthings
for anyone – herself included. If they wished these things out of genuine desire, that would be one thing, but to force
them to act in ways it thought would please her? To hollow them out and make them puppets?
It was unforgivable
.
Yet her fists relaxed as tears teased the edge of her eyes. How could she fight it? Even as she seemed to be immune to whatever magic had bespelled them, she did not know how to stop it.
She was surprised, then, to hear the recital doors thrown open as another lady's shout echoed through the hall.
"Alan Stuart!"
The piano's tone stumbled to a halt as Alan missed his marks. Katarina opened her eyes and looked to the fourth prince just in time to see his own expression morph from irritation to confusion.
"Mary?"
At the top of the recital hall, her figure silhouetted by the bright white sunlight now pouring in through the open doors, the copper-haired woman stood in defiance. Her auburn eyes narrowed as she surveyed the hall, barely glancing at the assorted spectators except to spare Katarina a single nod. Then, her gaze darted to Alan.
Mary closed her eyes, took a deep breath in… and exhaled out. Auburn eyes opened once more, now filled with determination. "Alan," she yelled, unfurling her fan as she strode down the central aisle, "we need to talk."
Alan looked to her, blue eyes filling with confusion at her uncharacteristic tone. "Mary?" He blinked, stepping up from his bench as he gestured at the now-silent piano. "I'm kind of in the middle of something, can't you wait?"
Mary raised the fan to her face, hiding the frown that erupted across her lips. "No. I will not wait any longer." Her heels thumped against the red carpeted floor as her yellow dress rippled with each step she took. "Do you remember what you told me at my personal garden all those years ago, Alan?"
The fourth prince blinked, frown deepening. "Mary, this is not
the–"
"Do you remember?
"
The crowd's eyes swept between the two of them as they neared, a few figures leaning to whisper to one another as a low murmurs began to carry across the hall.
Alan's cheeks reddened at the hushed chatter, but he nodded. "Well, yeah… I said I thought it was pretty incredible." A nervous chuckle escaped his lips as he rubbed the back of his head and glanced away. "You really have a green thumb, you know? Even now…"
Mary's severe expression did not abate. "That's right. You told me I was special, Alan. You said that you thought I had a wonderful talent." The fragile assortment of wood and paper in her hand cracked as she tightened her grip. "Do you know how important
that was to me?"
Alan blinked, his smile falling and eyes widening as he finally seemed to realize his fiancée's distress. "Mary…?"
"It does not matter. Not anymore. Not now that I am going to do what I should have long, long
ago." She stopped at the foot of the stage, grunting as she threw the fan to the ground and then lifted her arms to the stage's threshold. Her face creased with exertion as she tried to pull herself up onto the raised platform.
Thinking quickly, Katarina hiked up her skirt and rushed to her side, offering the woman a gloved hand that Mary quickly took as the brunette hefted her onto the stage. The woman once again spared Katarina a small smile and a nod before returning her gaze to Alan, any trace of mirth immediately disappearing from her features.
Her heels clacked loud against the hard wood of the stage as she walked toward him – slowly now – with no fan to hide her clear displeasure.
Alan winced one of his eyes shut, clearly prepared for a condemnation. He held up his palm in a pleading gesture. "Mary… Please don't hate me. I-I didn't choose your engagement." His eyes fell. "I know you resent me. Just… don't hate
me."
Mary stopped mere inches from him, her face just a small gap from his. "You are beyond
dense, Prince Alan. So, let me put this in terms even you
will understand."
She reached out her arms, grabbed his face, and pulled him forwards.
Blue eyes went wide as her lips touched his.
Hushed gasps resounded through the crowd as Katarina mirrored their response. Her hand clutched the pink fabric of the dress over her heart, feeling both warmth and envy as the two locked lips.
Mary held the position for only a moment – only long enough for her point to be made clear. Then, she released him, her own face reddening as she averted her eyes. "I love you, Alan." Her voice was quiet now, carrying none of the fury it held mere moments ago. "I understand if you do not feel the same way, but…" she looked back at him, sharing a gentle smile "…for some reason, I finally have the courage to make you know.
"
Alan did not fare much better than the woman before him. In fact, the red that enveloped his face was actually more
luminous. "Mary…" He swallowed dryly, looking her over as if seeing her for the first time. "That is… really how you feel?"
Mary nodded. "If you do not feel the same… It will hurt, but it will be better than this torture
, because that hurt will fade
." Her smile dropped. "I cannot bear to go on like this any longer. It is eating me away to watch you drift from me." She spared a glance to Katarina, expression softening. "Even if… I think I may understand why
you are now."
Katarina blinked, not quite understanding that last part. Did Mary mean their friendship?
Regardless, the lady did not linger, turning back to her love as she raised her hand and caressed his cheek. "Just please… Tell me if you feel the same way."
The fourth prince was stock still, blue eyes wide as his lips trembled. He seemed to finally see
the woman in front of him – his eyes glancing across her as anxiety and trepidation filled his gaze. "I have long thought of you as a sister or friend, Mary…"
The woman's expression fell.
"…but maybe that's because I was afraid to love you."
Mary blinked, looking back up as hope reignited in her eyes.
The fourth prince ran a hand through his silver hair; his face still beet red as he glanced aside. "I… never thought someone as talented as you could like me, Mary. Not me, the second-rate prince…"
Mary tugged at his cheek, drawing his eyes back to her as she shook her head. "You dunce
." Her tone was light as tears began to flow down her cheeks. "I want you
, Alan."
He nodded, swallowing once more as he lowered a hand to her back and pressed her closer. "I… don't know if I can love you the way you want." He paused. "But I want to try being your fiancé."
"That is all I ask, Alan."
The two pressed lips together once more as the recital hall seemed to fade away.
Katarina wiped something from her eye.
———— ⟡ ————
Sienna recoils as the book begins to shake in her grip. She drops it immediately, extending a protective arm across Miss Maria as the two take several steps back.
The book careens to the floor, only to take on a luminous glow and halt just above the white marble. It lifts back into the air, pages turning as it begins to pour fourth an ever-more-luminous green light.
"D-Did it work?" Miss Maria asks behind her. "Was their desire fulfilled?"
"I do not know," Sienna responds, glancing over her shoulder at the golden blonde, "but I think we should take a few more steps back."
Miss Maria nods in agreement, and two quickly find their backs pressed against one of the ornate oak bookshelves.
The hair on the back of Sienna's neck stands up as she
feels the powerful magic build: A spell dissolving in a controlled but violent nature. The green light pouring from the fluttering pages grows more and more painful to look at, and she moves her hand above her head to shield hegr one open eye.
Then, with a thunderous clap, five figures erupt from the book's pages; crying out as they land on the hard marble floor.
The enchanted book loses its glow as it gently drifts down to rest on the center of the table.
After a moment's pause, both light and wind mage rush towards their groaning friend. "Lady Katarina!"
Katarina rubs her forehead as she sits up from the hard marble. She winces as her back straightens, only for her eyes to go wide as she surveys her surroundings. She blinks, craning her head around the private study room and the figures groaning at her sides, before looking back to the two blondes. "Is this… real?"
In spite of herself, Sienna finds herself grinning. "You are alright now, Lady Katarina."
Miss Maria mirrors the expression. "We saw everything. You're safe now."
Lady Katarina sighs in relief as her eyes roll back in her head, and the both of them have to grab her arms to keep her from fainting back onto the floor. Instead, they help the woman to her feet. She sways as she struggles to regain her balance, rubbing her back before glaring at the book sitting atop their study table. Her lips curl into a snarl. "I am going to
burn that thing."
A hand drops on her shoulder, Prince Gerald leveling a similarly dark look at the tome. He lifts his other hand, opening his now-glowing palm as a small flame dances above his fingertips. "That makes
two of us, Katarina."
When their eyes cross, however, both their faces redden, and the prince's flame extinguishes as they shuffle away from one another.
"So…
grapes?" There's a teasing tone to Prince Gerald's voice.
Katarina wrings her hands together, jewelry clinking as she sways back and forth. She does not look him in the eye. "I have no idea what you're talking about,
Prince."
Sophia shields her eyes beneath her hair as she rises to full stature, looking very pointedly in a direction entirely away from the lady. "I… think I am feeling unwell today, Lady Katarina…" she forces a weak cough. "P-Perhaps we can study together some other time…"
Sienna and Miss Maria glance to each other upon hearing that. Miss Maria sports a particularly uncomfortable grimace.
Prince Gerald just looks at Lady Ascart without comprehension, tilting his head. He opens his mouth to ask a question, but one glance at the increasingly reddening brunette seems to make the desire for any clarification die on his lips.
"Mary… did you really mean that?"
All eyes suddenly turn to the other engaged pair, the two simply looking in each other's eyes as they make no move to lift from the floor.
Lady Mary averts her gaze, biting her lip as she turns almost as red as Lady Katarina. "That book… it made me feel
so…" she shifts on the floor, clutching her yellow dress. "Did you mean what you said too?"
"Yes." Prince Alan replies with surprisingly little hesitation. "If that's how you really feel about me… then I want to be a good fiancé for you, Mary." He rolls his head against the marble, chuckling sadly as he flops on his back and stares up at the ceiling. "I don't understand it, but… I want to."
The brief, heartwarming exchange is interrupted by the sound of the oak doors to the study room flying open. To Sienna's surprise, as she turns her head to see the figure that now stands in a combat stance, her foot held high after a kick, it's…
"Anne!?" Lady Katarina cries.
The maid blinks her brown eyes, falling back into a reserved posture as she clasps her hands above her apron and bows. "Forgive me, My Lady, but Miss Dean said you were in danger."
Lady Katarina forces a laugh, even as her expression remains distressed. "I was? You see, this book…" she gestures to the table, only to do a double-take as she realizes the red-leathered tome is no longer present at its center. "What!?"
All eyes follow to match her. Where that book of desire sat atop the octagonal table just a minute ago, now only empty air remains.
"No, that's…" Lady Katarina looks at the empty space, before turning to back to her maid "…it was right there!" She gestures at the empty space frantically, as if
that will bring the book back somehow.
The short-haired servant's eyes narrow in skepticism, though it seems to wane as all the members of the room exhibit a similar disbelief at its sudden disappearance.
There is not much time for further questions, however, as a moment later a large assemblage of academy faculty and a few guards round a bookshelf in the main room behind her, led by one
very out-of-breath black-haired maid.
Maria and Sienna do the majority of the explaining. Katarina has some trouble following it. Apparently, the book that trapped them is a pre-Sorciéran artifact called
A Tale by the Name of Desire? Which is also meant to show those trapped in it their deepest desires? Katarina is not sure that's right: It had to be
her desires they were seeing. None of her friends would ever act that way normally, she's certain.
As to the potential
implications of accepting that explanation of events… she neatly tucks them away in the recesses of her mind. The whole thing had been a confusing mess. It was best not to dwell on them too closely. She must not have been as immune to the book's magic as she thought.
Both her maids stand at her side, a distressed Isabel and a skeptical, yet clearly worried, Anne. In spite of their attention and questions, however, her closest and most personal companion seems increasingly interested in listening to the recounting of events that Sienna and Maria are giving as testimony to one of the guards. Katarina's even caught Anne
smirking a few times.
Katarina does not understand that. What about
that ordeal is a laughing matter?
Still… She's in no mood to pry. Even if she's certain that the guards and staff mulling about the room will be asking for
her testimony soon. After all, from what she's overheard,
she was the only one present in all the fantasies that played out.
Katarina never paid much mind to the rumors of mysterious pre-Sorciéran artifacts lying around the academy – the so-called school's seven mysteries. She thinks she might pay the matter more mind now. Gods willing, she'll never encounter any of the
other six.
A familiar voice carries above the chatter of the now-packed study room. "Ah, good! You're all safe!"
Katarina turns to see the student council president standing in the doorway; silver eyes filled with…
something.
She barely hears the soft gasp that emerges from Isabel's lips.
The red-haired boy turns to a guard, who in turn looks to his superior. A gray-haired man nods back, and the council president is let through. Nicol follows after him, immediately locking eyes with Sophia and rushing toward her even as his face remains stoic.
Katarina is a little surprised when Sirius walks up to her. "Are you alright, Lady Katarina? I heard from the faculty that you gave everyone quite a scare."
She nods, brows furrowing in confusion even as she returns his polite smile. "I'm fine now. I told my maid to get help… " She turns to gesture toward Isabel, except the maid is gone. Glancing around the room, Katarina realizes she cannot see her
anywhere.
Sirius seems to interpret the gesture as referring to Anne, however, and politely nods his head at her trusted companion before looking back to Katarina. "Unfortunately, as you can imagine, this is almost certainly going to cause a
lot of paperwork."
Katarina sighs, her thoughts of the missing maid disappearing under the mountain of administration that is sure to ensue.
Why had she wanted to get on the council again? "But practical exams are just around the corner," she whines.
The redhead nods, offering a sympathetic smile. "Perhaps you can study in the council chamber instead?" He glances around the now-bustling private study room. "I doubt the Ministry of Magic is going to turn up anything, given the track record of this artifact, but I can't imagine they won't
try and capture this book of yours. This entire library is probably going to be cordoned off for
weeks."
Katarina also doubts she'll ever wish to return to
here to study. She sighs, nodding her head. "It might come to that." Even if she doesn't, she's sure there'll be a pile of paperwork to go through almost the height of Sirius's at the end of this all.
"I don't think I've made you my tea, yet?" Lord Sirius taps a finger to his chin. "Perhaps I ought to." Then, dropping his finger, he shakes his head sadly. "I think all of us are going to be in for a few very long nights."
Katarina sighs. Some days, she wishes things had never become so
complicated.
"I-I'd like to request a transfer back to Claes Manor, L-Lady Anne."
Anne can hear the crickets chirping through the building's thin walls as Anne blinks at the black-haired woman standing across from her, normally stoic features twisting in confusion as Miss Dean looks at her with a pleading green gaze. "What brought this on?"
Miss Dean glances down at her hands, wringing them before her apron. "I… no l-longer feel I can serve Lady Katarina effectively after the events of today." She swallows, laughing nervously. "S-She was e-endangered on my watch…" she shakes her head, still not looking her in the eye "…I must take responsibility."
Anne's frown deepens. The woman is a
terrible liar. Still… She's not sure what she can say. "Well… I do not control personnel assignments. That would be the purview of the head maid, Joana."
And Joana had stuck her with this girl to begin with, so Anne doubts she will reconsider now.
Still… news of these events
would be making their way back to Claes Manor soon enough. If Isabel were to say such words to Duchess Claes…
No. She would not just be reassigned. She would be dismissed from her position; perhaps even ruined beyond that. Duchess Claes is not the sort of woman to normally engage in such matters of petty spite, but if a scapegoat were to so eagerly present herself and accept all blame…
"You cannot say that. It is not your fault." If anything, it is hers. She should not have let her junior watch over Katarina that day – even if finding ways to maintain her fitness without arousing suspicion is proving quite the time-consuming endeavor.
Isabel shakes her head, glancing around the plain hall leading to the servants' quarters as
fear fills her green eyes. "L-Lady Anne, I
cannot stay here!"
Anne's brown eyes narrow. "There is something you are not telling me."
Isabel's green eyes sink back to the wooden floor. She says nothing, but that is answer enough all on its own.
Anne sighs. "We all have our secrets, I suppose." She has consulted with one of Sorciér's most wanted criminals to endure a brutal regimen of combat training, after all, and she doubts whatever Isabel is worrying over is as damning as
that. "But you can't leave. What would Lady Katarina think?"
Isabel looks up; blinking as she nervously grabs her own braid. "…I know."
Anne's tone softens as she shakes her head. "If you will not tell me what has caused you to be so certain you must leave, will you tell me if there is any way you can stay?"
"I… I think so." She hesitates before nodding. "I just need to stay out of the way, L-Lady Anne…"
So, I have completely exhausted my buffer and I have some vacations coming up. I'll try and keep you all posted in the author's notes if there are going to be any interruptions, but hopefully I can rebuild enough of a buffer to maintain the 1/week cadence over those periods. If not... oh well.
As for this chapter... Whoo, boy that was a long one. For those of you who haven't watched the anime, the Book of Desire is an invention of that continuity. I... repurposed it slightly here. Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Things are really starting to kick into gear now, huh?
