Chapter Text
'Today marks 93 days’ Jenna thinks to herself. The longest she has ever been away from her other half. Yesterday also marked the longest she has ever been away from him. The day before that as well. She hopes tomorrow won't be the same, but already knows it is a fool's hope. She hopes anyway. It’s the only thing she does these days. It’s now been three months since Jenna last saw her twin brother Leon. And she misses him so much it hurts.
She is sitting in the parlour, absentmindedly brushing her brown hair. Trying desperately not to think about how she might never see Leon again. If he simply was away, she wouldn’t be in this constant, exhausting state of worry. But he is out in the wilderness, risking his life every day. She forces herself to think of something else.
Her lessons are finished, at least for today. Her performance was lacklustre for the most part, as is usual these days. Her performance has been lacklustre ever since the day Leon left. Her tutor in etiquette, Lady Grandster, is still pleased with her. Etiquette has always been her strongest subject. Structured systems with rules and regulations just make sense to her.
This carries over to math too, but her mathematical accomplishments are always marred by the fact that Leon is better at it than her. It’s utterly unfair how good he is at math. She used to think that she was bad at math. Then one day they joined Nicks, their brother who is two years older than them, in his math lessons. Only then did she understand that she was great at math. It was also then she understood just how great Leon is at the subject.
Some of her own mathematical greatness did come from her brother. Leon always took the time to help her with math. He himself didn’t need any help. He just gets it. He understands the mathematical concepts so quickly even their teacher, Miss Melinda, has trouble keeping up. Had trouble keeping up. Leon left, after all, and isn’t there to impress Miss Melinda anymore. Miss Melinda says Jenna’s work is still excellent. Taking the advanced women’s math exam at the end of the very first semester at the academy is still the goal. Even if Leon isn’t there to take it with her.
The other instructors, unfortunately, are not so pleased with her performance as of late. Her results in politics, history, philosophy, and astronomy have all fallen. She can tell that her instructors are fed up with her, and that they don’t understand. She used to be great at all subjects, why isn’t she anymore? But it was Jenna and Leon that were good students. Leon is gone now. Now there is no one besides her she can bounce her ideas off. No Leon that she can explain complex star navigation to. Or to practice her arguments against. Or to prove wrong by digging up some trite trivia from a dusty old tome. Now it’s just Jenna. And just Jenna isn’t as great as Jenna and Leon. Worse, there might never be a Jenna and Leon ever again.
She had taken him for granted. It’s something she thinks about often, these days. But there was simply no way for her to not take him for granted. He was her twin. They have spent their entire lives together so far. They took the same lessons, even though Leon is a boy. They spent most of their free time together too. Leon dragging her along from one adventure to the next, Jenna holding him back to prevent one disaster or another. She thinks back to that time when they were ten and Leon wanted to pilot an airship. He roped her in, as he always did, and they snuck aboard a parked airship. By the time she had found an instruction manual, Leon had already taken off and started a portside spin by experimenting with the levers and buttons. They managed to land the ship eventually. She has always wondered if someone noticed that they landed in the docking-port to the left of where the ship was supposed to be.
Despite his impulsivity and sense of adventure, Leon has always been there for Jenna. One time he ran all the way to the local bakery because she wanted a cake. When they were eight years old, she hurt her foot while they were out playing in the fields. He carried her on his back the entire way home. For their tenth birthday he got the local woodcarver to make a beautiful chess set for her. She still feels a little bad about her own gift to him that same birthday, a simple handcrafted charm for good fortune. She hopes the charm works, as he still wore it on the day of his departure three months ago.
Jenna’s thoughts are interrupted by a set of footfalls. Someone is approaching the parlour. Her mother, by the sounds of it. Fathers’ mistress Luce, and the woman he loves. A somewhat depressingly common situation in the Holfort kingdom. One of Jenna’s earliest wishes as a child was that her mother and father should be married for real, just like in the fairy tales. A distant dream for most nobles. One must marry for the sake of the family.
The door to the parlour opens.
"Sitting alone by yourself once again, Jenna? I know you get tired of me asking this, but are you ok?”
“I’m no worse than I was before. I simply see no reason to be anywhere else right now.” Jenna’s voice is even as always, hiding her melancholy from the world. Or trying to hide it, at least. Her mother sees right through her. She makes her way over to the sofa Jenna is sitting in and sits down beside her daughter.
“Listen, Jenna. I know you are sad that Leon had to leave. We all are. But sitting here, doing nothing but thinking isn’t helping you or anyone.”
“It’s not the fact that he left that troubles me, mother. It’s that he might not come back.”
Her mother pauses for a moment, before answering.
“You must believe in Leon, dear. You know better than anyone how reliable he is.”
“I also know how reckless he can be. It’s been 93 days without a word from him, mother. I would know, I counted every single one.”
“I know it has been a long time, but such is the life of an adventurer, Jenna. Trust in your mother, Leon will return. You will see him again”
A shrill voice speaks from the door “You should not make such promises when they clearly can’t be kept”
Jenna is filled with loathing at the sound of that voice. In the doorframe stands Zola, the matriarch of house Bartfort. A detestable person, in Jenna’s opinion. She is responsible for Leon leaving. Her husband, Jenna’s father, stands behind her. Jenna can see that he grits his teeth at the words his wife spoke.
They make their way into the parlour and sit down. Jenna’s father now sits next to her mother, while Zola sits across the table in a luxurious chair.
“The girl is correct, Balcus. It has been three months now, without a single word. The coward has gotten himself killed”
“My brother is many things, but he has never acted in a cowardly manner”
Even as Jenna seethes on the inside, her voice is steady and even, her posture perfect.
“He ran away from a perfectly good marriage. He acted cowardly the last time any of us saw him. He probably died a coward's death”
Jenna’s resentment for Zola grows larger with each word she speaks. Zola was trying to sell off her beloved brother to some bottom feeder of a woman over three times his age. It’s no wonder he gambled his life for independence and freedom.
“Lady Zola, adventuring is a noble pursuit. Or do you mean to imply that the very foundation of our great kingdom is an unworthy and cowardly act?”
The mask of polite conversation fits Jenna like a velvet glove. This is her arena. She isn’t sure why she finds it so much easier to answer Zola’s barbs than her mother’s genuine worry. In this, her twin is her opposite. Leon is much better at handling emotions, both his own and others. But at the same time, he can often be impulsive or impolite in conversation. He doesn't quite have the patience and self-control that Jenna herself possesses.
“Do not put words in my mouth, child. He may not have gone adventuring at all, and simply ran away from home. In that case, Colin should take the boy’s place in the marriage, since Leon has proven to be so unreliable”
A look of disgust passes over Balcus’ face, and Jenna’s mothers composure falters as tears start to gather in her eyes. Jenna herself is calm and poised. Looking at her one would think they were talking about the weather, and not the precise subject that had her filled with such sadness and melancholy mere moments before.
“My lady, there is simply no reason to suspect that he has done so. My brother is the born adventurer, bold and brave and a tad reckless. I am sure-”
The conversation is interrupted as Colin, Jenna's younger brother, bursts into the room, frantically calling for everyone's attention.
“Everyone, come outside! Come on, fast!”
Just as fast as he entered, Colin was running back the way he came. Jenna and the others rise and make their way outside. Colin is pointing at the sky, shouting for everyone to look up. Even before she does, Jenna can see a truly massive shadow down on the ground.
‘An airship? It must be flying quite high for it to cast a shadow that large.’
And then she looks up. She cannot help but let out a gasp. Above them all is a truly massive airship. Its shape is triangular and alien, nothing like she has ever seen before. The ship consists of three spike-like bodies aligned towards the front, the largest spike in the centre. On the underside of the ship, there are two pods the size of normal airships. The entire construction is coloured almost pitch black. Jenna is paralyzed by the sight, filled with both awe and terror. Lady Zola stands frozen in terror, and Jenna’s parents hold on to each other as if this is their last moments together.
They can only stare as the airship moves over the estate. Jenna thinks that the alien airship must be well over a thousand meters long.
Suddenly, a rope drops down in front of the group. A figure slides down the rope. As the figure descends, Jenna’s terror is replaced with elation and joy. She can recognize that face, especially that arrogant grin, anywhere. Her twin brother is alive. And he is finally home!
She starts running toward him just as he lands and catches him in a crushing hug. Leon seemed to be expecting her because he hugs her back without hesitation. His arms feel firmer than when he last hugged her, three months ago. Jenna’s eyes start to water.
“You’re finally back. I missed you so much.” Her words feel inadequate. She isn’t quite able to express the depth of her emotions. Her eloquence seems to have fled her. She has faith that her brother will understand her anyways; he always does.
“Sorry for the wait. I missed you too, you know.”
“Could you not have sent a letter? I worried myself half to death here.” Jenna’s voice echoes the relief and joy within her, even as she is trying to reprimand him.
“Sorry I made you worry. There aren't a lot of mailmen out in the wilderness, you know.” Leon replies, his voice apologetic and a bit regretful. “I can buy you a gift if you want one. I have recently acquired a fortune that's just waiting to be spent.”
“Any gift?”
“Within reason. I know better than to give you free reign, dearest sister.”
Jenna gives a light chuckle, before replying: “Then, brother mine, will you stay home a while and tell me of your adventures? All I really want right now is to spend time with you”