A Clockwork Snare, ch.4
Dec. 27th, 2007 04:28 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
runicloreA Clockwork Snare: ch.4
Author: Amber Michelle
Fandom: a very AU VP Lenneth
Words: 5618
Other chapters: [1 - 2 - 3 - 4]
Notes: The first six paragraphs were written in early September. Then classes intervened, and the rest was written very recently. Yay homework. :P
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The day dawned darker in the capitol, obstructed at first by the reach of buildings in their quest for the sky, and then haze from a thousand chimneys. Raeger's curtains had been left open at her request, but the sky was already bright blue when she woke up to birdsong and the scent of breakfast creeping beneath her door. Instead of calling for Maiya as her mother surely would have preferred, she pulled a quilted robe from the armoire and wrapped it tightly closed before venturing downstairs with bare feet. She had to move quickly so the marble tile wouldn't freeze her toes before she reached the dining room.
One would think that so cramped a space - small compared to their estate - would retain the warmth of the day more easily, but she may as well have traipsed outside for all the protection the house walls offered. It was worse up north, but they didn't have to leave their rooms to eat there, either. Here the bedrooms were smaller; Raeger's was easily twenty paces across, and yet seemed tiny with all of her furniture crammed in one place. There was no sitting room, no dressing area - no privacy when the servants entered to clean while she worked. The floor was layered with rugs, and still somehow cold.
Downstairs, the dining room had escaped that fate. She couldn't help a sigh of relief when her feet met carpet again. When the door was firmly closed the fire's merry warmth was soothing and welcome.
"I wish I got to sleep all day."
She glanced at the mantle clock and lifted a brow at her sister. "It's only nine thirty."
"You have no idea when Bertha dragged me out of bed," Elise said sourly. "Because the seamstress has real work to do, she said, like we don't."
Raeger shrugged and took her seat by the window, twitching the curtain aside. The garden was bare; the towering spruce shielded them from the house she knew loomed on the other side of the fence, and juniper crept along the path from the dining room, but the rest was bare and ashen against the vivid sky. "You have all day to do what you wanted to, right?"
Her sister snorted. "Rubee doesn't get up until noon. I'm not even sure the others bother to wake for the daylight."
She choked back a laugh. "I wish I could be that lazy."
Elise scowled. "Why don't you go be irritating at the palace."
"And you were talking about being happy the trip was over?" Raeger let the curtain fall, glancing at the door when it opened to admit Maiya and Sylvie with their breakfast. She raised a brow at Elise. "How long have you been waiting to eat?"
Her sister's pointed silence brought a smile to her face.
She left it at that, not wanting to start a row so early, and poured herself some tea to sip while she waited for their dishes to be arranged. Breakfast was different here; instead of hunks of bread bigger than her splayed hands, they were served a thick, creamy porrige with dried fruit, cream, and sugar ground to a fine powder. Elise stared at her bowl unenthusiastically, but Raeger dumped her little bowl of sugar right over and stirred it in until the brown crystals melted into syrup.
It slid warm down her throat, and the cold was forgotten. She curled her toes into the weave of the rug, flicked the tassled ends back and forth where it ended near the wall. The capitol had its perks.
"Can I go with you?"
She blinked at Elise. "Where?"
"The palace, idiot."
Raeger pursed her lips. There was paperwork to take care of today, but no lectures to attend yet. No reason not to bring her sister along, aside from the obvious disadvantages to her presence, should they meet someone she actually liked. "Ask Mother," she said. "If she's fine with it, so am I."
"Great, thank you~!" Elise sang, and dug into her porridge with a will.
Shaking her head, Raeger went back to nursing her own meal. There wasn't much that could happen - right? At worst, they would meet a few friends, and rub shoulders with men and women she didn't care to know anyway. The hour was too early for any but the studious to roam the wing of the palace they would be visiting. The flirts and songbirds would appear at a more fashionable hour.
The tiles weren't any warmer when she left the sitting room to go upstairs. She skipped every other step and dashed down the hall to the safety of her own room, where a fire had finally been lit and a new brocade dress was laid over a chair, dark almost to being black, like the deep of the lake when one peered between cracks in the ice.
Instead of waiting Raeger pulled her undergarments and petticoats out of their chest on her own, piling them nearer to the fire and covering herself quickly: wool stockings first, over that a linen chemise, and the heavier, ruffled white underskirts. Her layers put weight on her, if her meals didn't; she felt bundled up enough to go outside, though her arms were still bare, and chilled quickly when she moved away from the fire. The corset was too difficult to manage by herself. She pulled her robe back on and settled on the corner of her bed to stare into the fire. Mother must be up and dressing right now - it wouldn't be long before someone was free to help.
Winter seemed at once open with possibilities and also cold and dark, closing in upon her with its walls to squeeze the warmth out. Raeger's heart still was not convinced that she would be staying at the end of the season, forsaking the country manor for city streets. The day began as always here: a tiff with Elise over breakfast and anticipation of signing up for tutoring and lectures. Word from her father had probably arrived with her new dress, or if not, it would soon. Someone would come to tune the harpsicord and oil its strings, while one of them tested the tone to satisfaction. Mother had spoken of installing a small ceramic stove on the patio so they might celebrate Yuletide and the new year outside, watching the snow flutter to the ground while they sipped cider and indulged in cake.
She looked forward to that, even though it would mean her wedding would be close enough to taste on the air. Change was always spoken of at the new year, but rarely did anyone mean it, in her own estimation - Raeger herself certainly failed to meet most resolutions.
Bertha came before the next half hour to finish dressing her and put her hair up, and then Raeger rushed downstairs to get her cloak. "Elise!" she called up the stairwell. "Are you coming, or not?"
The answer was not immediate. She was almost tempted to lumber back up, but her sister appeared at the top of the stairs, still in her stockings and robe, and her frown and the roll of her eyes were answer enough. "If you drop by the library, some Debusseau would be nice."
"Right."
She didn't linger. It wasn't impossible that Lucy would decide Bertha was a perfectly adequate substitute for Raeger in the matter of finalizing her plans. As soon as she found Maiya, they were on their way.
*
Noon came before Raeger's lessons and instructor were arranged and put to paper. She'd left a few other girls waiting for their turn in the reception room, where they sat in their isolated corners, skirts different variations on pink and lace, to sip at the complimentary tea and nibble on tiny, cream-filled pastries. One had a maid as blonde as Lawfer. The others were alone. Maiya's presence at her back, like a ghost whispering in her wake, seemed to draw eyes in every room.
They were leaving the little corridor of offices and turning into the hall that led to the foyer when she heard a voice that tickled her memory. Raeger slowed to listen, ignoring Maiya's questioning glance. "Can you believe it?" The voice was distorted by echoes, but it sounded familiar. "And then she had the gall to demand that he pay for it, like it wasn't her uncoordinated--"
"Raeger!"
The shout came from a corridor they'd just passed. She stopped and peered around the corner.
"It is you! Wait up!" Marie hoisted her skirt up and hurried down the hall, followed by a protesting girl that looked familiar. "I thought you were coming in later!"
Raeger felt a smile split her face. "It is later."
"According to Bertha, maybe." Marie dropped her skirts and caughter her in a hug. "How are you? I'm so sorry we didn't get to stop by on the way-- you know how my father is, he's such a slave-driver--"
She hugged her friend tightly and then stepped back, glancing at the other new face. "You would've hated it anyway-- Lucy, well. You know how she gets when she's trying to impress someone." Who was it - Olivia, Amelia? Someone they both knew, obviously, with the tight-lipped smile she was getting. "Um--"
"Cecilia," the dark-headed girl said with a nod. "From the Gallery."
"Oh!" Raeger plastered a smile onto her face. "It's been over a year, hasn't it? You must be doing well."
The girl shrugged her thin shoulders and turned to Marie. "I'll see if we can get it fixed without having to start over. Expect a note some time this week."
She watched as Marie made the appropriate good-byes. When Cecilia disappeared around a turn, Raeger turned back to her friend. "I'm supposed to know her?"
Marie smirked. "We met her at the last Yuletide party, I think." She started down the hall in the direction Raeger had been heading. "Don't mind her attitude. She's making my wedding dress, and there hasn't been a day when she has been anything but snippy. Last night someone at the store ruined the train, and she was here to let me know there'd be a delay."
"That's... unlucky." She glanced back to make sure Maiya was following. "I hope it won't take very long to fix."
"I'd rather have the extra time," her friend said, lips pursing a moment in imitation of her seamstress. "Anyway. Where were you headed? I know we weren't supposed to meet until lunch, but..."
"Library," she said with a sigh. "For Elise. The longer we're here, the better, though." Marie murmured her agreement and they lapsed into silence.
There was no warmth to be had in the library as she'd hoped; the air was frigid, moreso than the corridors, which had the advantage of being small and walled-in. Maiya settled a cloak over Raeger's shoulders, and Marie pulled her own on with a strangled curse. The air was musty with the smell of damp wood pulp and dust. Oil lamps gleamed beside every shelf, esconced in thick, fluted glass and turned down low, so they glowed bronze until someone approached to brighten them up.
"Do we know where we're going?" Marie whispered.
Raeger nodded. "Unless they changed things around again. Third floor, by the balcony."
Her friend snorted. "She did that on purpose."
She grinned and pulled the other along, nodding to the librarian behind the counter. It was doubtful Elise had been in the library more than once or twice. If the brat knew anything existed past the first few shelves, she'd eat her cloak.
The stairs were cramped and the wood creaked under their combined weight. Raeger held her skirts close so the brocade wouldn't snag. It gleamed a deep river-blue, so out of place among the bland shades of wooden shelves and leather-bound books that she felt gaudy. They'd be easy to find if they got lost, between her blues and Marie's crimson crepe. She was crazy to wear it in this weather.
On the third landing she glanced at the shelves to get her bearings and, memory confirmed, led the others into the stacks, feeling as if they were entering some dark, gothic ruin with a vampire waiting at the end. They passed a maid in a dark aisle refilling oil lamps, but their destination was deserted, and the lamp perfectly willing to work when she turned it up. Raeger held her cloak closed and scanned the shelves.
Marie raised an eyebrow and said softly, "This is a little advanced for a thirteen-year-old. What is she looking for?"
"Debusseau." A draft tickled the hair at the nape of her neck, and Raeger shivered. "She liked my anthology, and now she wants more." She spotted a row of the man's books and chewed on her lip. What Elise had liked about it was a mystery to her, so she picked the one that looked most promising: 'The Problem of Physicality.'
Her friend peered over her shoulder to look at the table of contents. "Let me know how this goes. If she gets it, I want her to explain it to me."
Raeger giggled. "No you don't. She's insufferable when she thinks she's teaching you something. Come on," she said, snapping the book closed and moving on.
"Did you get through any of that epic?" Marie asked after a few minutes.
"No." Her mouth twisted. "I figured out what it was about, but my notes just weren't enough."
The other hmmmed. "Father's were better, but I think I'll have to wait until I get to Villnore before I'll have enough time to sit down with it.
"Do they have libraries in Villnore?"
Marie jabbed her in the ribs. "Be nice."
They didn't speak again until they were well away from the library, following a winding hallway around the palace gardens to the chamber they'd arranged to use for lunch. Maiya carried the book in a satchel slung over her shoulder, but Raeger couldn't bring herself to relinquish the cloak. How could her maid stand walking around in just her wool uniform? It didn't look particularly thick or layered.
"Anyway," she started again, thinking back to their last topic, "I'm not sure the library will be enough. It isn't just the letters or words. I can barely understand how some of the sentences are constructed."
"There's a solution for that - at least, there is for you," Marie said. "They have a new student doing research in the literature department. He's supposed to be brilliant, and he read right off the page I took it in to test him. You'll be living in the city from now on, won't you?"
Raeger looked away and sighed. "Yes."
"So take advantage of it. He'll give lessons. I already asked."
Her eyebrows shot up. "Will you--?"
Marie shook her head. "Father won't hear of it. I'd only have a couple of weeks."
"I'd feel kind of bad taking it when you can't, though..."
"Don't be stupid." Marie's tone softened the words. "I expect you to take notes and send copies to me, understand? The highway had better be packed with couriers all the way to Villnore."
Raeger bit her lip. "Every day?"
"Absolutely." Marie grinned. "Lunch first, and then we'll see if he's around today, shall we?"
*
It was well past five when they left the cozy little parlor they'd reserved for the slice of the academic wing that housed the literature department. The offices were set close together, the doors no more than ten paces apart, all firmly shut against the late hour. One of them belonged to Marie's father - his name caught her eye on a polished plaque, but there was no light glowing beneath the door or any other sign of life. Several times they heard muffled conversation, but Marie didn't give any of them a second glance, and Raeger was left nibbling at her lip when the passed the last door.
"Where--?"
"The student lounges are farther down, over here," Marie waved her hand. "He stays late to do his studying. I had a hard time at first, getting here too early to catch him."
"You're kidding." Raeger had no intention of burning the midnight oil, no matter how good this person might be. "Is he a vampire, or something?"
Marie laughed. "Maybe he is-- or maybe the real students are just that dedicated."
Raeger snorted. As if they weren't real, paying, hard-working students? She knew her time at the keys back home far eclipsed that of her sister, and the only books her father read diligently were on tactics. It was unconfirmed, at the moment, that Lucy read at all.
The corridor ended with an unassuming door that Marie opened with absolutely no hesitation, pulling Raeger through by the hand the way she would a child. It clicked shut on its own, but they were already across the colorful woven carpet. The room was split-level, the bottom occupied with old chairs and over-stuffed cushions, their worn upholstery fraying at the corners and wood legs scuffed. The rug was newer, looking very much like the one in their dining room at the manor, which Bertha claimed was shipped from Flenceburg as a wedding present. Red, with gold scrolls and leaves - it looked grand enough for the part.
The upper level was crowded with bookshelves and compartments cluttered with scrolls. A small group of students in dark robes huddled at a table by the fireplace, but Marie led her to the other corner, where a lone man sat at the end of a long table, examining sheets of parchment that looked singed at the edges. How could that have happened without damaging the pages? They looked thin and slightly oily, almost transparent.
He looked up. "Welcome back, Miss Marie. Have you come to take me up on my offer?"
"I haven't." She stepped aside and pulled Raeger forward. "I was hoping she could accept in my place - the one I mentioned at the shop. It looks much better, by the way."
He plucked at his sleeve, breathing a short laugh. "It helps when the seamstress does the fitting, and not her half-blind father." The man rose and bowed, very correctly. His hand was starkly pale, resting on the dark brown of his coat, and his face contrasted with hair almost too black to be real. "A pleasure to meet you, Miss--?"
"Etherell," Raeger said, trying not to fidget. His eyes remained on her face, but she couldn't help feeling he was looking her up and down, taking in the value of her dress or whatever someone like this would look for in a student. She'd had so many tutors in it just for the gold, and not even worth half the fee they asked.
His eyebrow quirked. "I know the name. Mine is Judas. I'm here from the Arkadian temple in eastern Villnore to research ancient languages. I would be happy to extend my offer to you, for a small fee - if your family doesn't object to my origin, that is."
Raeger shook her head, glancing at Marie, who looked back with a shrug. "I don't see why they should..."
Judas folded his paper back into its folio carefully. "Opinions are somewhat inconsistent," he explained. "The faculty doesn't seem to mind, as half of them are from out of country. Many of the students, on the other hand..."
"Nobody said academia makes you any smarter," Marie said, peering at the students near the fireplace.
"And your fee?" Raeger asked.
He blinked. "Ah-- five silver a week. Lessons can be conducted here, or in the place of your choice."
What he asked was standard - low, in fact, for someone of his specialty, though Raeger was no expert. Her friend's father would have demanded more, if she hadn't already had access to his journals for free. "You know the language from downriver?"
"Amenti?" He waited for her nod. "Very well. I'm told you have a manuscript...?"
"Part of one," Marie confirmed. "Salvaged from a tomb in the valley beyond the pyramids."
Raeger rubbed her arms and glanced longingly at the fire while they talked. A window behind the shelves revealed the dark sky and a sliver of moon mottled by the dust on the glass panes and the brush of a tree branch. She turned to ask for her cloak, and found empty space where her maid should have been. "Maiya," she said, turning fully, and then louder, "Maiya?"
There was a pause, and then soft, thumping steps on the stairs, and Maiya's head appeared. She bowed as soon as she reached the landing. "I am sorry. I--" Her voice seemed to catch and die when she straightened and saw the group. "I-- the door--" She quickly averted her eyes.
"It's alright, Maiya," Raeger said, following her line of sight to Judas, and then back. "I only wanted my cloak. It's a bit cold."
The maid unfolded the cloak for her without a word and rested it on her shoulders, practically running back to the stairs as soon as she was assured nothing else required her attention. Raeger watched until she disappeared, hugging it closed and grateful for the quilted lining. Here she'd thought the maid was unflappable, at least in public. Perhaps it wasn't just Lawfer that bothered her, but men in general. They knew nothing of Yamato custom. Maybe they kept their women separate from the men? She'd have to ask.
"Sometimes I forget she's even with us," Marie murmured.
"I wouldn't dare, if I were you."
Raeger turned back to Judas. "Why do you say that? She's perfectly nice."
"That isn't what I mean." He pushed hair from his eyes, running his fingers back. It moved like the finest silk fringe, every strand falling back into place. Though he faced the fire, she could see his eyes move to her. "You must know her kind are never safe if left by themselves."
She made a noncommital sound, but Marie came to her rescue. "Well it won't be a problem if Maiya has to trail poor Raeger everywhere she goes. I don't know what her mother is thinking. Servants aren't even allowed in the practice rooms, so what's the point?"
"You have to ask?" Raeger grimaced. "She thinks I'll fall into bed with the first man I run into if I'm not supervised."
She felt Marie's stare. "...Really."
"I don't know. Ask her at dinner. I'm curious."
Her friend snickered. Judas's mouth twitched. "Am I hired, or shall I introduce you to one of the others? The maid can stay - I would never protest the company of an attractive woman, much less two."
Raeger rolled her eyes. "Right." A finger poked her ribs and she slapped Marie's hand away. "Yes, you're hired. Here, afternoons, and wages at the end of every week."
"Agreed."
Arrangements were made quickly, though with a few snags; common practice had tutors mailing the household directly for payment, and she couldn't have that if this was to be kept from Lucy. Perhaps that was unnecessary effort on her part, but Mother had insisted, the night before, that she try for a female music instructor if possible. Her paranoia was already evident in Maiya's orders to follow her everywhere. What did she expect - that Raeger would be seduced by anyone of remotely marriagable age? That Lawfer would suspect her purity simply for sharing her classes with someone of the opposite gender?
For the first time, she wondered what the woman's life was like before she married into the house. She'd never met her step-family. They were minor, looking to rise by marrying their daughter to someone more important than they, at least so far as Mother herself had characterized them. But there were no stories about her childhood, no hints as to whether Raeger and Elise might have aunts, uncles, or cousins they'd never meet. Duty this, duty that - maybe she was born from the ether by duty, and there was no family at all.
They left reluctantly - Marie because she wanted to discuss the manuscript, Raeger because she wanted to avoid questioning. She felt the man's eyes on her back until they left the room. They were so dark - the set of his eyebrows when he looked at her last left her stomach feeling fluttery.
"Nice-looking, isn't he?" Marie said conversationally, when they'd left the corridor.
Raeger tossed her hair back. "We're as good as married already."
"Oh, it doesn't matter." Her friend batted the comment away as if it were an annoying fly. "Men get to look - why not us? That's all it is."
She swallowed hard, looked back to make sure Maiya was close behind, as she should be. "Even so." Had Marie even mentioned it? Neither of them had, come to think of it - and why speak of engagements to someone they didn't know? Of course he was unaware.
Would it matter? Or would he feel entitled to look anyway?
I don't care, she told herself firmly. He can look all he wants, as long as he keeps those hands to himself. They were so pale - he was, his face too, not just his hands - that she could swear he'd never seen a day outside the library. They looked to slender - artistic, innocent - to be caught where they didn't bel--
"Oh!" She bit her lip, refusing to return Marie's questioning look, or respond to her laugh when she figured it out. Bad thoughts, bad thoughts-- "Not a word."
Her friend giggled, and Raeger groaned. No more of that. If it came up at the table somehow - and she'd just kill Marie if it did, best friend or not! - she wouldn't give it a second thought.
Her resolve lasted all the way home and through dinner, which was thankfully free of any mention of her extra lessons, and until Marie was escorted home. Raeger sought the sanctuary of her own room as soon as she left. The fire was lit and waiting, neither Maiya nor Bertha present for a change.
Having her winter arranged should have been a relief. She stuffed her feet into a pair of sheepskin slippers and struggled out of her dress so she could curl up in her robe without breaking her ribcage in half. The chair by the fire was already warmed, like it was waiting for her, and she sank into it with a sigh, feet pulled up under the hem of her robe.
For how little she'd actually done, it felt like a terribly long day. Her breakfast with Elise might've happened an eternity ago. All of the waiting and walking were to blame, she decided, as her time with Marie felt too short in comparison. They wouldn't have much time; lessons would get in the way, wedding preparations, parties, family obligations. Marie had several friends in the capitol, and though they were also well-disposed toward Raeger, she had to 'cultivate connections' in the palace, whatever that meant.
Lawfer had expressed an interest in seeing her as well, perhaps for the same reason. She couldn't imagine why. He was well-connected, yes, but what would she have in common with anybody he knew? He as much as admitted he didn't have many friends outside of knights and mercenaries. She only needed one guess as to how Lucy would react to a lunch appointment with that Arngrim fellow, or one of his other friends. Even the woman - Cecile, Celia, Clara? - would have her frowning. After all, she could hear Mother saying, 'female mercenary' is just another way of saying 'whore.' I won't have my daughter associating with such filth.
Maybe she could meet them later. After the wedding - there would certainly be time and opportunity. It sounded like Celia had a good head on her shoulders. She was smart enough to get out of her god-given feminine duty - again, as Mother called it.
Raeger turned her hands over, looked at the thin stretch of her wrists, and sighed.
She'd never hold a sword - or a bow, or a spear, or even a frying pan. It even looked like she was made for her role - for playing instruments, shuffling papers, doing her hair. Bertha was right - she was scrawny. Like a sparrow. At least she wasn't as fat as the pigeons carpeting the market.
There was a knock, and Elise let herself in without waiting for an answer. She hurried over and huddled on the floor next to the chair, shivering. Two layers of nightgowns peeked from under the purple sleeves of her robe.
"So?" she said. "Did you get it?"
"There was a lot to choose from," Raeger replied, and tilted her chin to the desk. "On the chair, under my cloak."
Her sister nodded, but showed no indication of rising. "Alaina mentioned him in a letter. I can't go over there without at least looking at a book."
"You could do more than just look," she said with small smile. "Reading might make you smarter."
"Oh shut up." Elise stuck her lower lip out. "I'd rather read than pound on the keys, but Mother wouldn't let me go until I'd been at it for two hours."
Raeger shrugged. "That's a standard practice period. It isn't so bad once you get used to it."
"Says the person who would eat music for breakfast if she could." Elise rested her head against Raeger's legs. "A drunk monkey pounding his head on the keyboard would sound better than I do, anyway."
"Even you aren't that bad," she said, patting her sister's head.
"Oh, thank you so very much." Elise kicked the chair leg. "While you were doing gods know what with Marie, I was here listening to Mother be irritated over you being late."
Raeger sighed sharply. "I wasn't that late. And Marie was with me."
"What could go wrong?" Elise asked the ceiling with exaggerated innocence.
"Nothing." Raeger nudged her with a foot. "I was setting up some extra lessons."
"For what?" The brat perked up. "With who?"
"Does it matter?"
A grin split her sister's face, showing too many teeth. "I don't know," she said, drawing her words out. "Does it matter?" She paused. "Does it involve a man?"
Raeger kicked at her a little harder, but she rolled away. "No."
Elise giggled, her curls tangled and hanging in her face, glinting bright gold in the firelight. She fingered the ends of her hair, still caught up in the twist Bertha made that morning, and wished hers was as vivid. It didn't really matter, but everyone wanted to look nice. Her reflection in the window across the room was pale and washed out. She didn't even have gorgeous dark hair to provide any contrast.
Her sister flopped back, onto the floor, wiggling her feet as close to the grate as she dared. "So, you're taking extra lessons." She ticked it off on one finger. "You're not telling Mother - or you would've mentioned it." Another finger curled. "Probably because she won't like the tutor, which can only mean one thing." And another finger, and she hmmmed contemplatively, watching from the corners of her eyes. "Better not let Lawfer find out you're cheating on him."
Raeger threw a pillow at her. "I am not--"
Elise snickered. "You're so easy." She made a face when met with a glare. "Fine. Then what do I get for keeping my mouth shut?"
"What?"
She was on her feet before Raeger could unfold from the chair. "You heard me! I want-- hmmm." Elise twirled a lock of hair around her finger. "I'm not sure. But you owe me something for keeping this secret."
Raeger scowled. "I don't owe you anything."
"You will if she asks where your allowance is going, or why you're at the palace late. If you waste your money on paying this tutor, how are you going to eat? Taking food will look suspicious."
"Leave it to you to bring this back to food," Raeger said.
Elise shrugged. "Whatever you say. But when you come asking me to cover for you, don't think I won't ask for something back."
"Brat," Raeger muttered. She'd starve before asking Elise for money, or anything else. "Go to bed."
Elise stuck her tongue out and flounced to the door. "You'll eat your words."
Raeger ignored the sing-song warning and left the fire for bed. The sheets were ice cold, but she gritted her teeth, rubbing her feet together for warmth until they absorbed some of her body heat and became tolerable. It was a little early for bed, but she could do her thinking under the covers as well as out. She wasn't about to admit that Elise was right, that she'd brought up an issue that hadn't crossed her mind until now. How stupid of her not to think of it. She'd be at the palace all day - accomodations weren't free, even for peers.
Maybe Marie--? But whatever arrangement they made would only last for two weeks, or maybe three. Thyen she'd be on her own, and while she wasn't doing anything wrong, something told her it wasn't an issue she wanted to bring up with Lawfer unless absolutely necessary. What would he think of her sneaking around behind her mother's back? Raeger sighed.
She'd think about it tomorrow, or maybe the next day - plenty of time to come up with a plan, bribe Bertha - with what? - to keep Elise quiet, and maybe get Maiya to help. Somehow. Stupid, stupid, stupid--
Raeger fell asleep, and dreamed of walking down the aisle in a shroud.
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AHHHH, I am so unsatisfied with Marie. But this is the first time I've attempted writing her. I'll attempt to fix that, since she'll show up at least a few more times before she disappears with her faceless husband. During finals I procrastinated a bit by brainstorming her history, and how she and Raeger developed their interest in mythology. It's probably enough for a ficbit, or at least a series of drabble-sized fragments, so I'll try to do something with it before she shows up again.
Honestly, while I know exactly what I'm going to do with the plot, I don't have every chapter outlined. There are going to be areas where I have to make it up as I go along. It feels like this is one of those chapters. >_>; I wasn't sure how to bring Marie and Judas in until I did it. (He looks so... innocent. Insignificant, even! Ha.)
I'm still debating whether I should make a big deal about her wedding or not - ironically, Marie's marriage is more important to Raeger than her own. If you have a preference, make it known. I'm totally open to suggestions.
Author: Amber Michelle
Fandom: a very AU VP Lenneth
Words: 5618
Other chapters: [1 - 2 - 3 - 4]
Notes: The first six paragraphs were written in early September. Then classes intervened, and the rest was written very recently. Yay homework. :P
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The day dawned darker in the capitol, obstructed at first by the reach of buildings in their quest for the sky, and then haze from a thousand chimneys. Raeger's curtains had been left open at her request, but the sky was already bright blue when she woke up to birdsong and the scent of breakfast creeping beneath her door. Instead of calling for Maiya as her mother surely would have preferred, she pulled a quilted robe from the armoire and wrapped it tightly closed before venturing downstairs with bare feet. She had to move quickly so the marble tile wouldn't freeze her toes before she reached the dining room.
One would think that so cramped a space - small compared to their estate - would retain the warmth of the day more easily, but she may as well have traipsed outside for all the protection the house walls offered. It was worse up north, but they didn't have to leave their rooms to eat there, either. Here the bedrooms were smaller; Raeger's was easily twenty paces across, and yet seemed tiny with all of her furniture crammed in one place. There was no sitting room, no dressing area - no privacy when the servants entered to clean while she worked. The floor was layered with rugs, and still somehow cold.
Downstairs, the dining room had escaped that fate. She couldn't help a sigh of relief when her feet met carpet again. When the door was firmly closed the fire's merry warmth was soothing and welcome.
"I wish I got to sleep all day."
She glanced at the mantle clock and lifted a brow at her sister. "It's only nine thirty."
"You have no idea when Bertha dragged me out of bed," Elise said sourly. "Because the seamstress has real work to do, she said, like we don't."
Raeger shrugged and took her seat by the window, twitching the curtain aside. The garden was bare; the towering spruce shielded them from the house she knew loomed on the other side of the fence, and juniper crept along the path from the dining room, but the rest was bare and ashen against the vivid sky. "You have all day to do what you wanted to, right?"
Her sister snorted. "Rubee doesn't get up until noon. I'm not even sure the others bother to wake for the daylight."
She choked back a laugh. "I wish I could be that lazy."
Elise scowled. "Why don't you go be irritating at the palace."
"And you were talking about being happy the trip was over?" Raeger let the curtain fall, glancing at the door when it opened to admit Maiya and Sylvie with their breakfast. She raised a brow at Elise. "How long have you been waiting to eat?"
Her sister's pointed silence brought a smile to her face.
She left it at that, not wanting to start a row so early, and poured herself some tea to sip while she waited for their dishes to be arranged. Breakfast was different here; instead of hunks of bread bigger than her splayed hands, they were served a thick, creamy porrige with dried fruit, cream, and sugar ground to a fine powder. Elise stared at her bowl unenthusiastically, but Raeger dumped her little bowl of sugar right over and stirred it in until the brown crystals melted into syrup.
It slid warm down her throat, and the cold was forgotten. She curled her toes into the weave of the rug, flicked the tassled ends back and forth where it ended near the wall. The capitol had its perks.
"Can I go with you?"
She blinked at Elise. "Where?"
"The palace, idiot."
Raeger pursed her lips. There was paperwork to take care of today, but no lectures to attend yet. No reason not to bring her sister along, aside from the obvious disadvantages to her presence, should they meet someone she actually liked. "Ask Mother," she said. "If she's fine with it, so am I."
"Great, thank you~!" Elise sang, and dug into her porridge with a will.
Shaking her head, Raeger went back to nursing her own meal. There wasn't much that could happen - right? At worst, they would meet a few friends, and rub shoulders with men and women she didn't care to know anyway. The hour was too early for any but the studious to roam the wing of the palace they would be visiting. The flirts and songbirds would appear at a more fashionable hour.
The tiles weren't any warmer when she left the sitting room to go upstairs. She skipped every other step and dashed down the hall to the safety of her own room, where a fire had finally been lit and a new brocade dress was laid over a chair, dark almost to being black, like the deep of the lake when one peered between cracks in the ice.
Instead of waiting Raeger pulled her undergarments and petticoats out of their chest on her own, piling them nearer to the fire and covering herself quickly: wool stockings first, over that a linen chemise, and the heavier, ruffled white underskirts. Her layers put weight on her, if her meals didn't; she felt bundled up enough to go outside, though her arms were still bare, and chilled quickly when she moved away from the fire. The corset was too difficult to manage by herself. She pulled her robe back on and settled on the corner of her bed to stare into the fire. Mother must be up and dressing right now - it wouldn't be long before someone was free to help.
Winter seemed at once open with possibilities and also cold and dark, closing in upon her with its walls to squeeze the warmth out. Raeger's heart still was not convinced that she would be staying at the end of the season, forsaking the country manor for city streets. The day began as always here: a tiff with Elise over breakfast and anticipation of signing up for tutoring and lectures. Word from her father had probably arrived with her new dress, or if not, it would soon. Someone would come to tune the harpsicord and oil its strings, while one of them tested the tone to satisfaction. Mother had spoken of installing a small ceramic stove on the patio so they might celebrate Yuletide and the new year outside, watching the snow flutter to the ground while they sipped cider and indulged in cake.
She looked forward to that, even though it would mean her wedding would be close enough to taste on the air. Change was always spoken of at the new year, but rarely did anyone mean it, in her own estimation - Raeger herself certainly failed to meet most resolutions.
Bertha came before the next half hour to finish dressing her and put her hair up, and then Raeger rushed downstairs to get her cloak. "Elise!" she called up the stairwell. "Are you coming, or not?"
The answer was not immediate. She was almost tempted to lumber back up, but her sister appeared at the top of the stairs, still in her stockings and robe, and her frown and the roll of her eyes were answer enough. "If you drop by the library, some Debusseau would be nice."
"Right."
She didn't linger. It wasn't impossible that Lucy would decide Bertha was a perfectly adequate substitute for Raeger in the matter of finalizing her plans. As soon as she found Maiya, they were on their way.
*
Noon came before Raeger's lessons and instructor were arranged and put to paper. She'd left a few other girls waiting for their turn in the reception room, where they sat in their isolated corners, skirts different variations on pink and lace, to sip at the complimentary tea and nibble on tiny, cream-filled pastries. One had a maid as blonde as Lawfer. The others were alone. Maiya's presence at her back, like a ghost whispering in her wake, seemed to draw eyes in every room.
They were leaving the little corridor of offices and turning into the hall that led to the foyer when she heard a voice that tickled her memory. Raeger slowed to listen, ignoring Maiya's questioning glance. "Can you believe it?" The voice was distorted by echoes, but it sounded familiar. "And then she had the gall to demand that he pay for it, like it wasn't her uncoordinated--"
"Raeger!"
The shout came from a corridor they'd just passed. She stopped and peered around the corner.
"It is you! Wait up!" Marie hoisted her skirt up and hurried down the hall, followed by a protesting girl that looked familiar. "I thought you were coming in later!"
Raeger felt a smile split her face. "It is later."
"According to Bertha, maybe." Marie dropped her skirts and caughter her in a hug. "How are you? I'm so sorry we didn't get to stop by on the way-- you know how my father is, he's such a slave-driver--"
She hugged her friend tightly and then stepped back, glancing at the other new face. "You would've hated it anyway-- Lucy, well. You know how she gets when she's trying to impress someone." Who was it - Olivia, Amelia? Someone they both knew, obviously, with the tight-lipped smile she was getting. "Um--"
"Cecilia," the dark-headed girl said with a nod. "From the Gallery."
"Oh!" Raeger plastered a smile onto her face. "It's been over a year, hasn't it? You must be doing well."
The girl shrugged her thin shoulders and turned to Marie. "I'll see if we can get it fixed without having to start over. Expect a note some time this week."
She watched as Marie made the appropriate good-byes. When Cecilia disappeared around a turn, Raeger turned back to her friend. "I'm supposed to know her?"
Marie smirked. "We met her at the last Yuletide party, I think." She started down the hall in the direction Raeger had been heading. "Don't mind her attitude. She's making my wedding dress, and there hasn't been a day when she has been anything but snippy. Last night someone at the store ruined the train, and she was here to let me know there'd be a delay."
"That's... unlucky." She glanced back to make sure Maiya was following. "I hope it won't take very long to fix."
"I'd rather have the extra time," her friend said, lips pursing a moment in imitation of her seamstress. "Anyway. Where were you headed? I know we weren't supposed to meet until lunch, but..."
"Library," she said with a sigh. "For Elise. The longer we're here, the better, though." Marie murmured her agreement and they lapsed into silence.
There was no warmth to be had in the library as she'd hoped; the air was frigid, moreso than the corridors, which had the advantage of being small and walled-in. Maiya settled a cloak over Raeger's shoulders, and Marie pulled her own on with a strangled curse. The air was musty with the smell of damp wood pulp and dust. Oil lamps gleamed beside every shelf, esconced in thick, fluted glass and turned down low, so they glowed bronze until someone approached to brighten them up.
"Do we know where we're going?" Marie whispered.
Raeger nodded. "Unless they changed things around again. Third floor, by the balcony."
Her friend snorted. "She did that on purpose."
She grinned and pulled the other along, nodding to the librarian behind the counter. It was doubtful Elise had been in the library more than once or twice. If the brat knew anything existed past the first few shelves, she'd eat her cloak.
The stairs were cramped and the wood creaked under their combined weight. Raeger held her skirts close so the brocade wouldn't snag. It gleamed a deep river-blue, so out of place among the bland shades of wooden shelves and leather-bound books that she felt gaudy. They'd be easy to find if they got lost, between her blues and Marie's crimson crepe. She was crazy to wear it in this weather.
On the third landing she glanced at the shelves to get her bearings and, memory confirmed, led the others into the stacks, feeling as if they were entering some dark, gothic ruin with a vampire waiting at the end. They passed a maid in a dark aisle refilling oil lamps, but their destination was deserted, and the lamp perfectly willing to work when she turned it up. Raeger held her cloak closed and scanned the shelves.
Marie raised an eyebrow and said softly, "This is a little advanced for a thirteen-year-old. What is she looking for?"
"Debusseau." A draft tickled the hair at the nape of her neck, and Raeger shivered. "She liked my anthology, and now she wants more." She spotted a row of the man's books and chewed on her lip. What Elise had liked about it was a mystery to her, so she picked the one that looked most promising: 'The Problem of Physicality.'
Her friend peered over her shoulder to look at the table of contents. "Let me know how this goes. If she gets it, I want her to explain it to me."
Raeger giggled. "No you don't. She's insufferable when she thinks she's teaching you something. Come on," she said, snapping the book closed and moving on.
"Did you get through any of that epic?" Marie asked after a few minutes.
"No." Her mouth twisted. "I figured out what it was about, but my notes just weren't enough."
The other hmmmed. "Father's were better, but I think I'll have to wait until I get to Villnore before I'll have enough time to sit down with it.
"Do they have libraries in Villnore?"
Marie jabbed her in the ribs. "Be nice."
They didn't speak again until they were well away from the library, following a winding hallway around the palace gardens to the chamber they'd arranged to use for lunch. Maiya carried the book in a satchel slung over her shoulder, but Raeger couldn't bring herself to relinquish the cloak. How could her maid stand walking around in just her wool uniform? It didn't look particularly thick or layered.
"Anyway," she started again, thinking back to their last topic, "I'm not sure the library will be enough. It isn't just the letters or words. I can barely understand how some of the sentences are constructed."
"There's a solution for that - at least, there is for you," Marie said. "They have a new student doing research in the literature department. He's supposed to be brilliant, and he read right off the page I took it in to test him. You'll be living in the city from now on, won't you?"
Raeger looked away and sighed. "Yes."
"So take advantage of it. He'll give lessons. I already asked."
Her eyebrows shot up. "Will you--?"
Marie shook her head. "Father won't hear of it. I'd only have a couple of weeks."
"I'd feel kind of bad taking it when you can't, though..."
"Don't be stupid." Marie's tone softened the words. "I expect you to take notes and send copies to me, understand? The highway had better be packed with couriers all the way to Villnore."
Raeger bit her lip. "Every day?"
"Absolutely." Marie grinned. "Lunch first, and then we'll see if he's around today, shall we?"
*
It was well past five when they left the cozy little parlor they'd reserved for the slice of the academic wing that housed the literature department. The offices were set close together, the doors no more than ten paces apart, all firmly shut against the late hour. One of them belonged to Marie's father - his name caught her eye on a polished plaque, but there was no light glowing beneath the door or any other sign of life. Several times they heard muffled conversation, but Marie didn't give any of them a second glance, and Raeger was left nibbling at her lip when the passed the last door.
"Where--?"
"The student lounges are farther down, over here," Marie waved her hand. "He stays late to do his studying. I had a hard time at first, getting here too early to catch him."
"You're kidding." Raeger had no intention of burning the midnight oil, no matter how good this person might be. "Is he a vampire, or something?"
Marie laughed. "Maybe he is-- or maybe the real students are just that dedicated."
Raeger snorted. As if they weren't real, paying, hard-working students? She knew her time at the keys back home far eclipsed that of her sister, and the only books her father read diligently were on tactics. It was unconfirmed, at the moment, that Lucy read at all.
The corridor ended with an unassuming door that Marie opened with absolutely no hesitation, pulling Raeger through by the hand the way she would a child. It clicked shut on its own, but they were already across the colorful woven carpet. The room was split-level, the bottom occupied with old chairs and over-stuffed cushions, their worn upholstery fraying at the corners and wood legs scuffed. The rug was newer, looking very much like the one in their dining room at the manor, which Bertha claimed was shipped from Flenceburg as a wedding present. Red, with gold scrolls and leaves - it looked grand enough for the part.
The upper level was crowded with bookshelves and compartments cluttered with scrolls. A small group of students in dark robes huddled at a table by the fireplace, but Marie led her to the other corner, where a lone man sat at the end of a long table, examining sheets of parchment that looked singed at the edges. How could that have happened without damaging the pages? They looked thin and slightly oily, almost transparent.
He looked up. "Welcome back, Miss Marie. Have you come to take me up on my offer?"
"I haven't." She stepped aside and pulled Raeger forward. "I was hoping she could accept in my place - the one I mentioned at the shop. It looks much better, by the way."
He plucked at his sleeve, breathing a short laugh. "It helps when the seamstress does the fitting, and not her half-blind father." The man rose and bowed, very correctly. His hand was starkly pale, resting on the dark brown of his coat, and his face contrasted with hair almost too black to be real. "A pleasure to meet you, Miss--?"
"Etherell," Raeger said, trying not to fidget. His eyes remained on her face, but she couldn't help feeling he was looking her up and down, taking in the value of her dress or whatever someone like this would look for in a student. She'd had so many tutors in it just for the gold, and not even worth half the fee they asked.
His eyebrow quirked. "I know the name. Mine is Judas. I'm here from the Arkadian temple in eastern Villnore to research ancient languages. I would be happy to extend my offer to you, for a small fee - if your family doesn't object to my origin, that is."
Raeger shook her head, glancing at Marie, who looked back with a shrug. "I don't see why they should..."
Judas folded his paper back into its folio carefully. "Opinions are somewhat inconsistent," he explained. "The faculty doesn't seem to mind, as half of them are from out of country. Many of the students, on the other hand..."
"Nobody said academia makes you any smarter," Marie said, peering at the students near the fireplace.
"And your fee?" Raeger asked.
He blinked. "Ah-- five silver a week. Lessons can be conducted here, or in the place of your choice."
What he asked was standard - low, in fact, for someone of his specialty, though Raeger was no expert. Her friend's father would have demanded more, if she hadn't already had access to his journals for free. "You know the language from downriver?"
"Amenti?" He waited for her nod. "Very well. I'm told you have a manuscript...?"
"Part of one," Marie confirmed. "Salvaged from a tomb in the valley beyond the pyramids."
Raeger rubbed her arms and glanced longingly at the fire while they talked. A window behind the shelves revealed the dark sky and a sliver of moon mottled by the dust on the glass panes and the brush of a tree branch. She turned to ask for her cloak, and found empty space where her maid should have been. "Maiya," she said, turning fully, and then louder, "Maiya?"
There was a pause, and then soft, thumping steps on the stairs, and Maiya's head appeared. She bowed as soon as she reached the landing. "I am sorry. I--" Her voice seemed to catch and die when she straightened and saw the group. "I-- the door--" She quickly averted her eyes.
"It's alright, Maiya," Raeger said, following her line of sight to Judas, and then back. "I only wanted my cloak. It's a bit cold."
The maid unfolded the cloak for her without a word and rested it on her shoulders, practically running back to the stairs as soon as she was assured nothing else required her attention. Raeger watched until she disappeared, hugging it closed and grateful for the quilted lining. Here she'd thought the maid was unflappable, at least in public. Perhaps it wasn't just Lawfer that bothered her, but men in general. They knew nothing of Yamato custom. Maybe they kept their women separate from the men? She'd have to ask.
"Sometimes I forget she's even with us," Marie murmured.
"I wouldn't dare, if I were you."
Raeger turned back to Judas. "Why do you say that? She's perfectly nice."
"That isn't what I mean." He pushed hair from his eyes, running his fingers back. It moved like the finest silk fringe, every strand falling back into place. Though he faced the fire, she could see his eyes move to her. "You must know her kind are never safe if left by themselves."
She made a noncommital sound, but Marie came to her rescue. "Well it won't be a problem if Maiya has to trail poor Raeger everywhere she goes. I don't know what her mother is thinking. Servants aren't even allowed in the practice rooms, so what's the point?"
"You have to ask?" Raeger grimaced. "She thinks I'll fall into bed with the first man I run into if I'm not supervised."
She felt Marie's stare. "...Really."
"I don't know. Ask her at dinner. I'm curious."
Her friend snickered. Judas's mouth twitched. "Am I hired, or shall I introduce you to one of the others? The maid can stay - I would never protest the company of an attractive woman, much less two."
Raeger rolled her eyes. "Right." A finger poked her ribs and she slapped Marie's hand away. "Yes, you're hired. Here, afternoons, and wages at the end of every week."
"Agreed."
Arrangements were made quickly, though with a few snags; common practice had tutors mailing the household directly for payment, and she couldn't have that if this was to be kept from Lucy. Perhaps that was unnecessary effort on her part, but Mother had insisted, the night before, that she try for a female music instructor if possible. Her paranoia was already evident in Maiya's orders to follow her everywhere. What did she expect - that Raeger would be seduced by anyone of remotely marriagable age? That Lawfer would suspect her purity simply for sharing her classes with someone of the opposite gender?
For the first time, she wondered what the woman's life was like before she married into the house. She'd never met her step-family. They were minor, looking to rise by marrying their daughter to someone more important than they, at least so far as Mother herself had characterized them. But there were no stories about her childhood, no hints as to whether Raeger and Elise might have aunts, uncles, or cousins they'd never meet. Duty this, duty that - maybe she was born from the ether by duty, and there was no family at all.
They left reluctantly - Marie because she wanted to discuss the manuscript, Raeger because she wanted to avoid questioning. She felt the man's eyes on her back until they left the room. They were so dark - the set of his eyebrows when he looked at her last left her stomach feeling fluttery.
"Nice-looking, isn't he?" Marie said conversationally, when they'd left the corridor.
Raeger tossed her hair back. "We're as good as married already."
"Oh, it doesn't matter." Her friend batted the comment away as if it were an annoying fly. "Men get to look - why not us? That's all it is."
She swallowed hard, looked back to make sure Maiya was close behind, as she should be. "Even so." Had Marie even mentioned it? Neither of them had, come to think of it - and why speak of engagements to someone they didn't know? Of course he was unaware.
Would it matter? Or would he feel entitled to look anyway?
I don't care, she told herself firmly. He can look all he wants, as long as he keeps those hands to himself. They were so pale - he was, his face too, not just his hands - that she could swear he'd never seen a day outside the library. They looked to slender - artistic, innocent - to be caught where they didn't bel--
"Oh!" She bit her lip, refusing to return Marie's questioning look, or respond to her laugh when she figured it out. Bad thoughts, bad thoughts-- "Not a word."
Her friend giggled, and Raeger groaned. No more of that. If it came up at the table somehow - and she'd just kill Marie if it did, best friend or not! - she wouldn't give it a second thought.
Her resolve lasted all the way home and through dinner, which was thankfully free of any mention of her extra lessons, and until Marie was escorted home. Raeger sought the sanctuary of her own room as soon as she left. The fire was lit and waiting, neither Maiya nor Bertha present for a change.
Having her winter arranged should have been a relief. She stuffed her feet into a pair of sheepskin slippers and struggled out of her dress so she could curl up in her robe without breaking her ribcage in half. The chair by the fire was already warmed, like it was waiting for her, and she sank into it with a sigh, feet pulled up under the hem of her robe.
For how little she'd actually done, it felt like a terribly long day. Her breakfast with Elise might've happened an eternity ago. All of the waiting and walking were to blame, she decided, as her time with Marie felt too short in comparison. They wouldn't have much time; lessons would get in the way, wedding preparations, parties, family obligations. Marie had several friends in the capitol, and though they were also well-disposed toward Raeger, she had to 'cultivate connections' in the palace, whatever that meant.
Lawfer had expressed an interest in seeing her as well, perhaps for the same reason. She couldn't imagine why. He was well-connected, yes, but what would she have in common with anybody he knew? He as much as admitted he didn't have many friends outside of knights and mercenaries. She only needed one guess as to how Lucy would react to a lunch appointment with that Arngrim fellow, or one of his other friends. Even the woman - Cecile, Celia, Clara? - would have her frowning. After all, she could hear Mother saying, 'female mercenary' is just another way of saying 'whore.' I won't have my daughter associating with such filth.
Maybe she could meet them later. After the wedding - there would certainly be time and opportunity. It sounded like Celia had a good head on her shoulders. She was smart enough to get out of her god-given feminine duty - again, as Mother called it.
Raeger turned her hands over, looked at the thin stretch of her wrists, and sighed.
She'd never hold a sword - or a bow, or a spear, or even a frying pan. It even looked like she was made for her role - for playing instruments, shuffling papers, doing her hair. Bertha was right - she was scrawny. Like a sparrow. At least she wasn't as fat as the pigeons carpeting the market.
There was a knock, and Elise let herself in without waiting for an answer. She hurried over and huddled on the floor next to the chair, shivering. Two layers of nightgowns peeked from under the purple sleeves of her robe.
"So?" she said. "Did you get it?"
"There was a lot to choose from," Raeger replied, and tilted her chin to the desk. "On the chair, under my cloak."
Her sister nodded, but showed no indication of rising. "Alaina mentioned him in a letter. I can't go over there without at least looking at a book."
"You could do more than just look," she said with small smile. "Reading might make you smarter."
"Oh shut up." Elise stuck her lower lip out. "I'd rather read than pound on the keys, but Mother wouldn't let me go until I'd been at it for two hours."
Raeger shrugged. "That's a standard practice period. It isn't so bad once you get used to it."
"Says the person who would eat music for breakfast if she could." Elise rested her head against Raeger's legs. "A drunk monkey pounding his head on the keyboard would sound better than I do, anyway."
"Even you aren't that bad," she said, patting her sister's head.
"Oh, thank you so very much." Elise kicked the chair leg. "While you were doing gods know what with Marie, I was here listening to Mother be irritated over you being late."
Raeger sighed sharply. "I wasn't that late. And Marie was with me."
"What could go wrong?" Elise asked the ceiling with exaggerated innocence.
"Nothing." Raeger nudged her with a foot. "I was setting up some extra lessons."
"For what?" The brat perked up. "With who?"
"Does it matter?"
A grin split her sister's face, showing too many teeth. "I don't know," she said, drawing her words out. "Does it matter?" She paused. "Does it involve a man?"
Raeger kicked at her a little harder, but she rolled away. "No."
Elise giggled, her curls tangled and hanging in her face, glinting bright gold in the firelight. She fingered the ends of her hair, still caught up in the twist Bertha made that morning, and wished hers was as vivid. It didn't really matter, but everyone wanted to look nice. Her reflection in the window across the room was pale and washed out. She didn't even have gorgeous dark hair to provide any contrast.
Her sister flopped back, onto the floor, wiggling her feet as close to the grate as she dared. "So, you're taking extra lessons." She ticked it off on one finger. "You're not telling Mother - or you would've mentioned it." Another finger curled. "Probably because she won't like the tutor, which can only mean one thing." And another finger, and she hmmmed contemplatively, watching from the corners of her eyes. "Better not let Lawfer find out you're cheating on him."
Raeger threw a pillow at her. "I am not--"
Elise snickered. "You're so easy." She made a face when met with a glare. "Fine. Then what do I get for keeping my mouth shut?"
"What?"
She was on her feet before Raeger could unfold from the chair. "You heard me! I want-- hmmm." Elise twirled a lock of hair around her finger. "I'm not sure. But you owe me something for keeping this secret."
Raeger scowled. "I don't owe you anything."
"You will if she asks where your allowance is going, or why you're at the palace late. If you waste your money on paying this tutor, how are you going to eat? Taking food will look suspicious."
"Leave it to you to bring this back to food," Raeger said.
Elise shrugged. "Whatever you say. But when you come asking me to cover for you, don't think I won't ask for something back."
"Brat," Raeger muttered. She'd starve before asking Elise for money, or anything else. "Go to bed."
Elise stuck her tongue out and flounced to the door. "You'll eat your words."
Raeger ignored the sing-song warning and left the fire for bed. The sheets were ice cold, but she gritted her teeth, rubbing her feet together for warmth until they absorbed some of her body heat and became tolerable. It was a little early for bed, but she could do her thinking under the covers as well as out. She wasn't about to admit that Elise was right, that she'd brought up an issue that hadn't crossed her mind until now. How stupid of her not to think of it. She'd be at the palace all day - accomodations weren't free, even for peers.
Maybe Marie--? But whatever arrangement they made would only last for two weeks, or maybe three. Thyen she'd be on her own, and while she wasn't doing anything wrong, something told her it wasn't an issue she wanted to bring up with Lawfer unless absolutely necessary. What would he think of her sneaking around behind her mother's back? Raeger sighed.
She'd think about it tomorrow, or maybe the next day - plenty of time to come up with a plan, bribe Bertha - with what? - to keep Elise quiet, and maybe get Maiya to help. Somehow. Stupid, stupid, stupid--
Raeger fell asleep, and dreamed of walking down the aisle in a shroud.
..........................................................
AHHHH, I am so unsatisfied with Marie. But this is the first time I've attempted writing her. I'll attempt to fix that, since she'll show up at least a few more times before she disappears with her faceless husband. During finals I procrastinated a bit by brainstorming her history, and how she and Raeger developed their interest in mythology. It's probably enough for a ficbit, or at least a series of drabble-sized fragments, so I'll try to do something with it before she shows up again.
Honestly, while I know exactly what I'm going to do with the plot, I don't have every chapter outlined. There are going to be areas where I have to make it up as I go along. It feels like this is one of those chapters. >_>; I wasn't sure how to bring Marie and Judas in until I did it. (He looks so... innocent. Insignificant, even! Ha.)
I'm still debating whether I should make a big deal about her wedding or not - ironically, Marie's marriage is more important to Raeger than her own. If you have a preference, make it known. I'm totally open to suggestions.
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Date: 2007-12-28 05:27 pm (UTC)(Tangent: this made me wonder if it would make a difference to anyone else reading the story; eg. would Judas' nature turn out to be a surprise for them-- if it was already mentioned in, say, the synopsis? Which then made me wonder, 'if this was a novel, what should its synopsis be' and then. Yeah. I lost my train of thought.)
I think the stuff you 'made up' turned out well, as it so often does for unplanned stuff. GJ, you. u_u ♥ I don't have much constructive to add to this chapter-- I noticed no grammar/spelling errors this time, and the pacing keeps me hooked. :D I like the subtle way Judas was introduced, though, and while it didn't linger on description (except the moments when Raeger can't help but notice what he looks like) I imagine we'll see plenty of him in chapters to come. Fufufu. >_>
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Date: 2007-12-28 10:35 pm (UTC)Oh Judas~~ I can't wait to write him. Though I'm also looking forward to Jelanda. XD I wanted her to appear too, but that's too much for one chapter. She needs her own chapter, and maybe some buffer in between. :P
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Date: 2007-12-29 11:31 am (UTC)This should be fun, and YES, I was actually surprised Jelanda wasn't in this one. u_u I look forward to seeing Her Brattiness debut, because you always write her entertainingly (without beating me over the head with 'SEE THE SPUNKY PRINCESS CHARACTER BE SPUNKY WHEE').