Chapter Text
A Dormitory in Chaos
“Welcome to the Royal Academy, Lord Melchior. This is the Ehrenfest dormitory,” said one of the knights standing by the door. The twisted visuals of teleportation made Melchior feel unstable. He did his best to hide his discomfort and project confidence.
“And so I have arrived,” he replied. The room looked nearly identical but his parents were gone. A small army of commoner servants had replaced them. They immediately began to pick up his things and move them to his chambers. Zargerecht hurried him off the circle. He was the last student to teleport but there were other things being sent for the general provisioning of the dorm. They moved to a waiting room very similar to those in the castle. Inside his guard knights were there to welcome him including Gerianne who had teleported just before him.
“Greetings everyone, how has the dorm fared in my absence?” They knelt in greeting but before anyone could exchange words, Wilfried appeared in the doorway.
He glanced at Sigsnyr then said, “I’m glad you're finally here, dear brother. We have much to discuss. Please, allow me to accompany you to the common room.”
Melchior and his knights followed behind him suddenly on edge. Wilfried was rarely so formal and generally ignored his retainers as though they didn't exist. Had Sigsnyr done something wrong? He recalled that his lead apprentice guard had finagled his way in early, possibly first. He wouldn't be at liberty if he'd caused anyone harm but there were plenty of taboos to violate.
The halls were so similar to the castle that he barely felt like they’d left. Only when the corridor gave way to a large room with a hearth instead of the turn into the administrative wing of the castle was he pulled from his thoughts.
Kolteruze greeted him with Pepin following behind. They both had shinier hair than normal. “Welcome my Lord. Please come this way. We’ve prepared tea for you to enjoy while you await the preparation of your room.”
“Thank you Kolteruze. Has something occurred in my absence?” Melchior sat in the chair Pepin pulled out for him next to Gerianne. He accepted the warm cup of tea and sweets. Isolde and Flautzeal were conspicuously absent.
“Far too much has occurred in your absence,” Wilfried began. “For starters, your knights are impossible to contain.”
“Did they do something wrong?”
“If they had, it would be easier to manage honestly.” He began to describe the exciting events of the previous days, “Sigsnyr has been taking anyone and everyone out resource gathering. At first it was just the knights but I’m fairly certain every boy in Ehrenfest has been out at least once.”
“Only the boys?” Melchior asked and looked at Sigsnyr. As if to answer his question, a group of girls suddenly swept into the common room. They all wore fanciful and elaborate hairstyles. Most shocking of all was Charlotte. “Charlotte, your hair is straight!” he cried without even greeting her first.
“Welcome, dear brother. Do excuse me for failing to greet you sooner. I had every intention of seeing you the moment you arrived,” she said. Her hair was not only straight and long enough to sweep the top of her skirts, it had been braided into tiny plats forming a loose sort of net which held it away from her face. The ends of the braids were then gathered and rolled into a low swag and adorned with a hair pin.
Wilfried also starred in surprise. “I didn't have faith they would pull it off,” he said.
“I was lacking in faith myself but two days of effort must be rewarded, no? I now understand sister’s struggles to bind her hair with ribbons and the like. Everything tries to slip out,” she explained.
“Lord Melchior, your mouth is hanging open,” Kolteruze mentioned. Melchior restrained his surprise and looked around. There were very few people in the common room besides those who’d just entered. The boys with close cropped hair seemed at ease while anyone else wore their hood indoors. Isolde parted from the group and moved to his side. Her hair looked simpler than normal but was slightly wavier.
Sigsnyr knelt before her. “Lady Charlotte, if you would excuse a mere knight to speak, what a stunning and terrifying vision you present. Would you so graciously direct me to who can explain the magic tools which are no doubt responsible?”
“Oh, Lord Sigsnyr, you flatter me. The attendants and I have simply been experimenting with the new hair styling tools Professor Ottilie brought to train for her new classes.”
“I’ve heard nothing of this,” he muttered.
“You would know if you spent even ten consecutive minutes in the dorm. You arrived earlier than your appointment time and promptly disappeared. Since the moment you returned, you’ve filled every second of your day with hunting. You even dragged Lady Zipporah into your scheme. I’m fairly certain you're sleeping but I can't even be sure when and where you're taking your meals!” Wilfried maintained an increasingly intense smile. He turned to Melchior. “Contain your knights before the other duchies begin complaining that we're emptying the Royal Academy of all its resources!”
Melchior nodded but Charlotte felt the need to disagree. “Surely everyone is gathering intensely before the start of classes. It isn't so strange for the knights to get enthusiastic.”
“It’s the attendants who are ‘enthusiastic’,” one of Wilfried's knights quipped.
“Half the dorm has been driven into the wilderness to escape their reign of terror,” said another boy huddled around a cup of tea with his hood up. Melchior recognized him as one of his fellow first years. Apparently he’d been updated on the situation already.
“Lord Wilfried, gentlemen of Ehrenfest, you make it sound as though we have impressed you all into hard labor. We merely wish to show you all the wonders of the new tools and techniques,” Bertilde said. Her own hair was bouncy and shone like a sunset in a clear sky.
Sigsnyr appeared at her side. “I am terribly curious about these new tools. Might I trouble you to show me.”
She smiled, her eyes lingered on his long hair currently tied behind his head with a simple sting. “Absolutely, Lord Sigsnyr. It would be my absolute pleasure.” She made to guide him away but Zipporah spoke up.
“Sigsnyr, your lord has just arrived.”
“Goodness me, you could not leave your duty and come by yourself,” Bertilde said more to Melchior than his knight. They both held their entreating gazes on Melchior’s face.
“If you are curious, I’m sure the attendants would be delighted at the opportunity to practice more men’s styles,” Charlotte said.
“You should hide while you can,” Wilfried warned.
Melchior looked back and forth between them and his retinue. Kolteruze looked unfazed while Pepin looked a bit nervous. It was unclear if this was because of the gaggle of knights in armor or the predatory gazes of the girls. “You have some time before your room is prepared. Why not take a look,” Nikolaus said with a shrug. His hair wasn't particularly shiny. Perhaps it was too short to draw their interest.
“I must hear the reports of my retainers. After that we may impose upon you for a demonstration,” Melchior answered.
Bertilde’s expression brightened even more. “We shall await your arrival,” she promised.
The reports were even more surprising. Isolde shared what she knew about the new dormitory supervisor. Ottilie was chosen quickly but another professor in the attendant track was retiring soon and willing to pass a few of her classes on to the Ehrenfest dormitory supervisor to establish relations between them and her home dutchy. It was one of the smaller ones near the bottom of the ranks. She was responsible for classes about hairstyling and cosmetics more generally.
Bertilde had installed herself as Ottilie’s assistant and immediately began roping in anyone she could to practice on. For days now, the girls were helping each other set and reset their hair between studying and meals. The female knights were gathering for their comrades to facilitate more practice and secure assistance for future important events.
On the other side of things, Wilfried had led his guard knights on a couple of hunts but was largely remaining in the dorm to study. He was determined to beat Ortwin of Kostenlos if not dethrone Rozemyne as first in class. As if to make up for Wilfried's lack of adventures, Sigsnyr was leading anyone with a pulse on gathering and hunting missions. After the first day of being coerced into having their hair played with, the boys began to flee into the forest. At first it was the knights and those who needed help completing the gathering for their classes. As early as this morning even the feeblest scholars were braving the wilds. “Not a hair was harmed on any head by the beasts of the forest,” Sigsnyr vowed. Zipporah was largely to thank for this. Her skill at coordinating groups combined with Sigsnyr’s raw attack power allowed them to protect almost any collection of frail students. “Scholars are surprisingly good shots when you tell them exactly where to stab,” she claimed.
Since both Wilfried and Charlotte were busy, it seemed they’d yet to be informed of a strange problem. The dorm was overflowing with ingredients. “I was hunting largely because Lord Bonifiatus charged me to fill the larders with meat,” Sigsnyr admitted while scratching his neck nervously. “I was relying on a scholar to keep track of how much space was yet to fill. Unfortunately, he vastly underestimated how much could be gathered from a few faebeasts.” At first they took only the choicest cuts but when Zipporah joined, she insisted they properly butcher each animal. Now there was not only more meat then they could store but also an abundance of bones and sinew, over a dozen large hides, and a large but as yet uncounted quantity of small hides.
“We can store most of it outside since it's so cold but we have to figure out what to do with it,” Kolteruze noted. He and Pepin had been in the dorms most of the time to welcome the incoming students each day. Charlotte asked them to oversee the welcoming duties after they offered their assistance and made the obligatory pilgrimage through the salon chair. The second reason for the empty common room was that the gatherers were now obligated to help process the newly acquired materials. They were chopping and drying and sorting in the brewing room.
“We may have gone too far,” Zipporah admitted.
Flautzeal joined them around this time.
“Where have you been?” Isolde asked.
“Welcome, Lord Melchior. I was resting after an excursion and fell asleep. I beg your forgiveness for failing to greet you. I might ask why no one came to wake me?”
“That isn't anyone's job. You have an attendant do you not?” Sigsnyr replied.
“I think everyone was too busy, Flautzeal. Please join us. Do you have anything to report?” Melchior asked. He was still trying to process all the information just placed before him. He couldn't have been prepared to hear about this new account.
“I went to meet some musician friends. They mentioned that Prince Hildebrand and King Consort Anastasius had a rather public disagreement.”
“What could cause such a scene?” Isolde questioned. “And how did you find out?”
“A member of my quartet is from Dunkelfelger. Apparently it's the talk of their dormitory that Lady Hannalore and Aub Alexandria went on a hunt together. The details weren't shared with me but some students reported seeing a dragon fly into the air in the forest behind Dunkelfelger’s dorm. The royals responded to the disturbance.”
“Both of them?”
“Yes. His majesty reportedly said he could not trust the prince to oversee matters concerning the Aub. Prince Hildebrand responded by declaring he would never again make the mistake of blindly following authority figures or something. It was quite the row,” he said with a yawn.
“So much has happened in such little time,” Melchior marveled. Life at the Royal Academy seemed beautifully intense.
“You will no doubt need time to digest it. Perhaps we should visit the attendants while you consider things,” Pepin offered.
“I don't think I want to go in there,” Nikolaus said.
Sigsnyr stood before him, “We will need you to guard Lord Melchior,” he said. “You should bring at least one attendant as well.”
Melchior looked at his two apprentice attendants. Kolteruze looked at Pepin who nodded and moved to help Melchior from his chair. Flautzeal and Isolde also followed along with the knights.
Bertilde’s Followers
One of the larger meeting rooms had been commandeered as a practice space for the attendants. Matters of the bath had to be conducted in private. In most instances hair fell under this rule but a tacit agreement was in place to allow more people to observe and operate the magic tools. The whole room was suffused with a strange smell, like burning but Melchior couldn't identify what.
Charlotte sat in the corner watching the bustle of attendants. Most of them were girls but there were a few boys. Melchior greeted her when he entered. “Welcome, dear brother.” Charlotte announced. Many eyes snapped to Melchior and his retinue. Nikolaus and Zipporah stood guard while Sigsnyr press ganged a mednoble into explaining things to him. She looked very nervous as she explained in a halting manner. Bertilde walked over to greet them. Professor Ottilie was presently giving a demonstration.
“Welcome Lord Melchior. Would you do us the honor of allowing us to practice? We have several tools only useful for men's hair that have seen very little use thus far.” She gestured towards a vanity bench someone had selfless donated to their efforts.
“Perhaps you’d like to observe Sigsnyr first, Lord Melchior,” Pepin said. Melchior nodded. This wasn't any less overwhelming than the information he just received. Bertilde gracefully blocked him as he made to walk over to Charlotte so they could discuss the problems he’d been made aware of.
“Please come this way if you wish to watch how our process works.” They were shepherded into the gleeful embrace of chattering girls. The mednoble girl was rescued by a sixth year who brought Sigsnyr over to a bench. She quickly hid behind the attendants currently surrounding Ottilie. One of the few boys came over to attend Sigsnyr.
The young knight sat very still despite his excitement while the younger boy removed his hair tie and placed it into his hands. He ran his fingers through the dark silver locks and paused. The attendant consulted a few wooden boards and a collection of illustrations but returned still looking stumped. “There aren't many styles for men with very long hair and they're all very simple,” he said, looking disappointed that he wouldn't get to employ any of the more eccentric gadgets.
“You needn't do a men's style. I’m just going to change it later anyway,” Sigsnyr offered. The boy's face took on the same delighted sharpness as Bertilde’s. Since it wouldn’t be proper to touch the girls’ hair, he hadn't had a chance to play with most of the tools. After consulting the materials again he began in earnest.
“Your hair is so clean already,” he noted.
“Sigsnyr and I just stepped out of a waschen not too long ago,” Zipporah explained. Melchior only then noticed that most of his retainers had been captured. Only Nikolaus and Pepin remained at liberty. A small collection of girls were diligently separating Zipporah’s hair into smaller chunks.
Sigsnyr asked his attendant what each tool did as it was brought over. Most were normal combs or clips. One was cast from a metal and bent into waves. A small bluestone furnace squatting nearby to receive it. “Be very careful. We don't want to disturb Heilshmerz today,” called Ottilie from within the throng. An older girl came to assist just in case. The combination of the hot metal and hair gave off a distinctive smell. The burning thing was hair it seemed.
After watching tight waves pressed magically into Sigsnyr's hair, Melchior was forced into his own bench. It seemed Zipporah’s hair was complete. Her short green locks were set into so many tight little coils. It now held close to her head and shook amusingly with her every move, somewhat detracting from her intimidating guard knight aura. “That looks cool, Zipporah,” Melchior complimented. She blushed and whispered her thanks.
Pepin stood behind him and followed the instructions of a disappointed fellow student. He placed a stiff cloth over Melchior's shoulders followed by an absorbent one. “First wash the hair. We are using waschen to reduce the need for water and drying. Try to only encompass the hair if you can.” Pepin noted that he didn't yet have his schtappe so the tutor cast the cleaning spell for him. He also cleaned the tools. Pepin then began combing Melchior's hair. It wasn't all that tangled since Haldis had just set it before he left. Melchior noticed that Pepin was more gentle than either Haldis or Zargerecht.
Once the tangles were marshaled, his hair was separated much like Zipporah’s. Another tool whose purpose was to create a fine mist was employed to wet hair hair in sections. “Could you not simply use freshly washed hair?” Pepin asked. Someone assured him you could but noted that the tool gave greater control. A collection of cloth strips appeared. Each was cut from a larger piece and had tiny finished edges. Melchior thought about Isolde stitching and wondered how long it took to fell so many strips. They were wound around his hair and tied neatly into bows. It took a couple of tries for Pepin to get the method down but the process went steadily after that.
Sigsnyr finished at some point in the middle of Melchior's turn. His hair was now pulled into a half up style. Three neat braids collected the hair on the crown of his head and met over a silver sea of rippling waves. He seemed to be adorned with polished steel, spun into fine threads. To his disappointment, no one would lend him a hairpin.
He joined Zipporah by the wall. After looking at her thoughtfully, he changed his posture to match her. As he mimicked her pose, relaxed but vigilant, he took on an air more like the female knights. It hadn't occurred to Melchior that there was much difference until he saw Sigsnyr stand in this new way. He still retained some of his boyishness and lacked the harsh markers of manliness in general. This combined with his new hairstyle made him the very picture of a female guard knight. Only his pants gave him away.
“Lord Melchior, are we not simply the most beautiful knights you've ever laid eyes upon?” he cooed. His voice had only the slightest uptick but using the polite form unique to noble women erased all its usual masculine edge. Zipporah put her hand to her head and shook her bouncy coils.
“Must you mock the shield maiden?” she groaned. A sixth year shivered and whispered something about it happening again.
“Of what mockery do you speak? Only the truth issues for my lips, dear friend. I cannot see myself but I’m certain to look heartbreaking at any time and you looked very fetching in those curls,” he insisted. It was clear they'd spent a lot of time together or at least that Sigsnyr paid close attention to Zipporah's mannerisms. His performance was less a female knight and more a recreation of Zipporah specifically.
“That is enough teasing,” Melchior commanded. It was true that Zipporah looked nice in the new hairstyle but she was obviously uncomfortable being praised in this manner. Sigsnyr seemed ready to launch into a fresh defense but stopped.
“Yes, of course. Lord Melchior,” he said gently.
“Speak normally,” Zipporah chided. He wrinkled his nose.
Pepin was nearly finished tying all the strips into Melchior's hair at this point. He inquired about the next steps.
“Next you allow it to dry. Once it's completely dry, remove the cloths and brush or comb as desired.”
“How long does the drying step last?” Pepin asked.
“As the cloths are… incompatible with the hair drying magic tool, it can take as long as three bells.”
“Three bells!” Melchior cried. “I have to sit here until after dinner?” The tutoring attendant quailed.
“Lord Melchior cannot miss two meals nor can he stride around the common room like this,” Pepin chastised. The boy paled further. He hadn't considered this problem when choosing a style. He'd been distracted with thoughts about things he’d yet to try and how to make the youngest Archduke Candidate even more adorable.
He knelt, “I have failed as an attendant. I did not consider the waiting period when selecting a style. Please accept my apologies, Lord Melchior. We will prepare your hair in a different fashion so you may enjoy your first day in the dormitory without worry.”
How long had he been sitting already and wasn't lunch nearly upon them? Both thoughts of having everything taken out without ever getting to see the results or sitting for an equally long time and missing his meal in the process were untenable. But he couldn't walk around with his hair half done. It was barely acceptable to be seen like this in the first place even with the experimental atmosphere. He would have to cower in his room and eat by himself when he’d finally been reunited with his siblings or never know what all this effort was even for.
The kneeling attendant looked like his life was ending, like he could see his future employment prospects dissolve in smoke. He was so pale and shaking so nervously that Melchior felt bad for getting angry. He took several deep breaths.
“It has become the fashion in the dormitory to wear one's hood even at meals. You might employ your own while your hair dries,” Charlotte said as she elegantly arrived to mediate. She looked curiously at his hair. The technique was used to create curls, something Charlotte would never need so she was also excited to see the results. Plus, proper convention had fled Ehrenfest Dormitory the moment Bertilde mustered her troops.
“I shall do as you say sister. In future we will inquire after the entire process before beginning it,” he said and immediately regretted it when he realized it sounded like a critique of Pepin.
“You are absolutely correct, Lord Melchior. The fault lies also with me,” Pepin said. He adjusted Melchior’s cloak to sit on both shoulders and pulled up his hood. They began to make their way toward the dining room for lunch when Gerianne squeaked. She was entangled in some contraption and wouldn't be able to follow.
“Worry not, Gerianne, we will save you a seat,” Sigsnyr promised. She reluctantly settled back into place. Melchior couldn't fathom how her hair would emerge.
They found many students assembled in the dining room. Many wore hoods and looked at Melchior with the empathy of comrades and Sigsnyr first with mild interest then veiled disgust. This annoyed Melchior. He couldn’t identify the reason for their rudeness but thought they seemed ungrateful for Sigsnyr’s tireless efforts in accompanying them on hunts. He caught Theodore's eye briefly but the young knight made no move to approach him. He seemed completely unfazed by whatever plagued the other boys.
“Pepin, can you retrieve a brooch from my room?” Pepin followed the tilt of his head and nodded. He gestured to Kolteruze who rose from his seat near Melchior's and replaced him.
Melchior was offered a high backed chair at one end of the table. There were enough chairs around for his entire retinue. Wilfried already sat at the head of this table while Charlotte’s retainers prepared her place at a different one. Isolde appeared next to him with Theodore.
“You wanted to speak with him,” she said. Theodore began to kneel but Melchior stopped him.
“Stop, stop, don't draw attention. I won't be able to handle it if you start another chain of requests,” he whispered. They glanced toward Wilfried who was talking quietly with his retainers.
Theodore nodded and began formally, “Lord Melchior, have you come to a decision?”
“I have, I will accept your service here at the Royal Academy. I hope you will assist my other knights in their duty,” Melchior replied quietly. A few other apprentice knights shot glances his way. Pepin returned and placed the brooch in Theodore's hand. It was slightly too large to disappear as he clutched it.
“I will do my utmost to protect you,” he promised. His voice was firm despite the complicated look on his face. Pepin helped him secure it around his registration brooch. He slipped the ornament he’d been using into a pouch on his belt.
Gerianne arrived looking shockingly similar to before. The only detectable changes were the luster of her white hair and the fact that it was a bit wavyer. She slipped into a chair next to Melchior's.
Zargerecht came down to serve him for lunch. He also announced that Melchior's room was prepared and that he would give Melchior's apprentice retainers a tour after lunch. They all chatted about the exciting happenings of the past few days. Inevitably the conversation turned to the over abundance of food and supplies.
“The brewing ingredients we can process for easier storage,” Isolde began. “The smoking house thing you made behind the dorms is unsightly but preserving the meat with it will allow it to last longer and provide additional flavor. The true problem is all of the bones you insist are valuable and the many skins.”
One of Wilfried's scholars heard this and inquired after their discussion. “If Rozemyne were here she’d invent some new recipe that only uses bones. I think she said once that they go in soup or something.”
“That's brilliant Wilfried. We could ask her,” Melchior said. They were at the Royal Academy. His sister was just an ordonnanz away.
“You can send it and you can pay for the subsequent information. Her recipes are always expensive,” Wilfried said.
Kolteruze was the closest person with a schtappe. He produced the familiar white bird and held it before Melchior. “Consider well what you wish to say. Lady Rozemyne may be your sister but she is also the Aub of another duchy,” he cautioned.
Zargerecht interrupted. “I believe it would be poor form to have your first contact after so long occur in this manner. I recommend you wait until after the Fellowship Gathering or perhaps write a letter in greeting to inform her of your arrival.”
If he waited until two days from now to even open discussion, the provisions would have to sit outside in the snow for at least a week. He was told it was the only place big enough to store them. “I will write a letter. We should move food quickly while it is at its best.”
“I will prepare a magic letter once we return to your chambers,” Isolde said and it was agreed.
The Beginning of a Rampage
His room looked very similar to his room in the castle if a bit smaller. Zargerecht led Kolteruze, Pepin, and Flautzeal into the retainers room while he sat at his desk to pen his letter. Isolde had to send the prepared paper after learning that not even the girls in an Archduke Candidate’s service were allowed on the boy's floor.
Melchior began with a formal greeting and expressed his hopes that she was well. He felt it was redundant to inform her of his arrival but added it anyway for formating sake. With all that out of the way, he could launch into his offer to trade ingredients for recipe ideas. He told her about Lord Bonifiatus’s request. Rozemyne could understand better than anyone how his involvement often ended in overzealousness. He also noted that they were prepared to deliver it so Alexandria wouldn't need to do extra work. The letter closed with a renewal of his good wishes and a promise to invite her to tea at another time.
After reading through it a few times and finding it acceptable, he lightly creased the edge of the paper. It took a tiny bit of mana, formed into a bird, and disappeared through the wall.
“You didn't have anyone check,” Nikolaus noted.
“It's just to Rozemyne. She would forgive any mistakes.”
Sigsnyr shook his head. “It's always best to get another opinion,” he said. He didn't expect a response but they saw a bird shoot into the retainers room. Zargerecht rushed out just as it was repeating its message for the last time.
“Oh Melchior! You're finally here. How exciting. I would be delighted to accept your gift and have many ideas for how to utilize your new found bounty. Please deliver it to our forest entrance when you have a chance,” the final sentence was punctuated by the tell-tale rustle of panicked attendants. His own attendants looked peeved.
“Lord Melchior, what did you say? Why did you send the letter without having it checked over?” Zargerecht asked. He spoke as calmly as always but his bloodless face betrayed him. “Kolteruze and Flautzeal, go organize the ingredients to be gifted. Take Zipporah with you. Collect enough porters to carry it to Alexandria’s dormitory. They will have to march in the snow so instruct them to dress warmly.”
Melchior's face also drained. “We can use my highbeast. It must be terribly cold,” he offered.
“You need not concern yourself with the comfort of servants,” Zargerecht corrected.
“I think you’re also underestimating how much there is to move,” Kolteruze added. Pepin returned from the retainers room with warm layers to bundle him up.
Sigsnyr spoke up in support. “Actually, I think he could manage it. It isn't a long flight. Even if he uses his utility-beast at its largest size it won't be overly taxing.”
“Utility-beast?” Kolteruze asked and furrowed his brows. Zargerecht similarly frowned.
“It would be best if fewer people from other duchies saw it,” he said.
“Could it be stranger than Lady Rozemyne's highbeast?” Theodore countered. He looked deeply amused by the entire situation.
“I designed it after sister’s Pandabus. It is my Lion-pandabus,” Melchior declared.
“I've seen your highbeast before. It looks like a lion no? It didn't resemble a drivable highbeast at all,” Kolteruze said, still confused.
“I have two.” His newer retainers all looked either puzzled or amused.
“Lord Melchior will also stew in guilt if his actions forced so many to march several miles through the freezing outdoors,” Pepin steered the conversation forward. All eyes fell on Melchior. He already seemed wracked with guilt despite nothing having occurred yet. Zargerecht had tried endlessly to teach Melchior to worry more about etiquette and less about the affairs of those beneath him yet he still couldn't bring himself to make this a teaching moment. Years of attending children still hadn’t innured him to adorable fretting.
“Very well. We will take your older guards. The rest will remain as they’ve yet to begin the knights course. Kolteruze and Flautzeal will also accompany us to provide support. We will still require porters to load your utility-beast.” He summoned the ordonnanz. “Tell her you will arrive within a bell and apologize for imposing upon her valuable time.”
Theodore was the only person who seemed delighted without reservation. Everyone else moved with both haste and trepidation. As Melchior hustled towards the knights’ training area and the back of the dorms, he heard Wilfried’s bellowing laugh. “I feel like I did warn you. What errands has she got you running already?”
Melchior explained their situation and pointed out that he had no time for idle chatter. “It’s kind of fun to see someone else get blown about for a change,” he watched Melchior hasten off with a smile on his face.
Sigsnyr hadn't quite conveyed just how large their problem was. The training area had been filled with tables. Half dead faebeasts were in the process of being butchered. Melchior did his best not to hurl while Pepin quickly guided him to a relatively clean corner where he could observe veritable mountains of materials being set aside behind name plates. A knight student was even standing guard.
There was a large stack for Sigsnyr and a larger one for Zipporah. Theodore also had a small collection along with several other knights. “It became easier to butcher whatever came in and sort the materials after,” he explained. Sigsnyr and Zipporah went to speak with the beleaguered looking scholar they’d left in charge of the operation. According to the spoils sharing system they were entitled to a portion of almost everything but naturally couldn't attend to processing every stray zantze. Nor would anyone want them to waste time in the dorms they could spend protecting others.
The smoker turned out to be a makeshift shack hastily constructed in an inconspicuous corner behind the dormitory. Sigsnyr proudly declared that he'd personally built it with leftover
nails and a tree they feeled. It was relatively close to the servants door and on the way to a garbage disposal area. Mana-eating slime would consume things whole but not everything could fit down a garbage chute or was garbage enough to destroy in that way. Noble's were never expected to come here but we're currently coming by occasionally to check on the meat.
This was where the Lion-pandabus was summoned. Melchior focused on expanding it without adding seats. As only his fellow clergy, head attendant, and Sigsnyr had ever seen it, it caused quite a stir. Zargerecht looked ruffled by their reactions.
“It's disconcerting to see a lion depicted thus,” Zipporah noted.
“It's the tiny legs,” Pepin agreed. They still bravely entered to check it out. The servants were similarly frightened at first. When the side opened they jumped in surprise. But they were well accustomed to serving nobles and gamefully stepped forward to load the supplies. The choicest cuts had already been taken down stairs. A selection was brought back out to offer to Alexandria the First so it didn't seem like Ehrenfest was passing along scraps.
Crates of meat and bones were packed in neatly. Sigsnyr added a few choice materials as well. When asked if he wanted to keep them he noted that he had plenty of stuff. Midway through the process, Zargerecht instructed Kolteruze to fly ahead and look for the entrance to Alexandria’s dorm. He nodded but turned to reenter the building instead.
He returned just as the packing finished with Philine in tow. She examined the “lion” with a smile. “Lady Philine has agreed to direct us to the stated entrance. She has business there as well,” Kolteruze announced. Philine summoned her drivable shumil and several servants and her attendant added boxes.
“I must deliver some books and manuscripts. Lady Charlotte has also charged me with safely delivering her gifts,” Philine said. “Would you like me to transport yours as well?”
Melchior shook his head. It wasn't ready yet but he couldn't just say that. “I will deliver it myself at another time. Thank you for your generous offer.”
His guards and followers sorted themselves into those going and remaining. Theodore continued to look delighted. “I get to do some actual guard duty,” he beamed. By contrast, Nikolaus looked particularly disappointed. Pepin stood close by to console him. Rather than summon his own highbeast, Kolteruze slipped into the passenger seat.
“What is this strap thing?” he asked before Melchior had a chance to explain. He was shown how to use it and instructed to remain seated at all times. Once he was situated, Melchior made a small opening and stuck his hand out. Dedryck looked so disturbed by the mouth opening that he’d decided not to use that method in future. Zargerecht looked equally unhappy about this signaling technique but the knights were mostly unfazed. They rose into the sky. A crate shifted slightly on take off but nothing seemed dangerously fugitive.
Flying over the wintery Academy finally drove home that he was somewhere new. This was the very first time Melchior had left his home duchy. All the castle's and estates were made to look similar but the Royal Academy had a very different style. Despite being the color of snow, the ivory buildings cut a majestic form into the landscape. The separated buildings were connected by walkways with massive clear windows that were much larger than the one leading to the Northern Building back home. There was a massive bell tower and an impossibly giant domed building. Everything was on a larger scale than Melchior could have imagined. The forests stretched out into the frosty distance as light snow softy fell over them. He could see other buildings peeking out from the woods.
Their flight wasn't long at all. Alexandria’s dormitory was south of Ehrenfest's just like the duchy was. It was much larger as well and had similar domes to the main building. It also had many balconies which wouldn't get much use in Winter but would allow nobles a panoramic view of nature. A message bird descended ahead of them sparking some knights to open an imposing set of double doors. His party landed softly as some attendants cleared away the snow in a small circle around the entrance.
“We cannot enter another duchy’s dormitory. If you attempt to go inside you will be forgiven the first time but subsequent attempts may be seen as harassment or an act of aggression,” Kolteruze warned. He gestured for Melchior to let him out and began clearing their own circle of snow. Melchior questioned this only long enough to remember he would need to kneel in greeting. Then he felt grateful for the attendants' forethought.
Zargerecht approached his highbeast and, after a moment of confusion, set a faestone on its nose. “This will preserve it while you walk away,” he explained. Melchior nodded and moved to the head of their group. He almost removed his hood along with everyone else but remembered his embarrassing predicament. Would it be more rude to keep his hood on or display his half completed hair routine. He turned to ask Zargerecht, but his sister arrived at that moment.