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Chapter Text

I knew I had to be still dreaming. It had been the day of my baptism and the last thing I remembered was that I had stepped into a large and beautifully decorated hall inside the temple. The doors had closed behind Lutz and me as we had been the last to enter. There had been the sound of some gentle chimes and then it was as if I was burdened by some heavy weight on my shoulders that made me drop to the floor. Lutz shouted my name but it had sounded very distant. And then I had lost my consciousness.

Now, I was lying on something I could maybe describe as a seat on a flight in premium economy. It was acceptably soft, my seatbelt was fastened and I could lay back with an acceptable amount of recline. The only strange thing was that my back rest was awfully narrow. I felt like I only had any support on my lower back and between my shoulder blades. But I had to admit that this strange chair was comfortable enough to sleep.

In this dream I slowly opened my eyes to see whether I was really inside an airplane. But my imagination must have run far away as it instead seemed like I was in some kind of office now. The office of an angel to be precise as I could clearly see a tall, handsome figure with incredibly beautiful wings that were even taller than him sitting at a desk and seemingly writing something.

As I blinked several times to get a better impression of my surroundings it seemed that I had garnered the attention of that angel as he now looked at me with a divine smile. Did I die? Was this now the afterlife I should have gotten the first time already? Was a speedrun to death by devouring maybe just my personal purgatory?

I smiled back at the angel and tried to sit up, but my seatbelt was still firmly in place and I could not really see the buckle to release it. Well, then I would just remain like this.

“Hello, Mister (angel). Might this now be the (afterlife)?”, I inquired politely but the angel only shook his head slightly as if he did not know what I had just asked him.

“Hello, little girl. Can you tell me your name? And I am sorry, but I did not understand all the words you have just used, can you maybe explain them to me?” He had now stood up from his chair and walked next to the side of my seat.

“I am Myne, or Urano? Which name counts as your original one, Mister-, ehm, Mister-sent-by-God? But considering that I still seem to be this little girl, I assume 'Myne' would be correct”, I tried to make sense of my whole identity issue that had only worsened over the last two years. He smiled even more divinely now which made me feel at ease.

The dying process without waking up in a body full of heat was surely nice.

But just as I thought about that I could feel that the heat was still inside of me. Was I stuck with that even in the afterlife? Hm.

“Myne, then”, he acknowledged and I nodded. So the last name was the one that counted.

“And I am not sent-by-God, Myne, I am merely a humble priest, serving all the Gods in their temple”, he then corrected my earlier assumption.

Huh. So angels worked as priests then. That also made sense. I nodded to myself as I digested that information.

“Myne, do you know why you are here?”, he continued and I tilted my head slightly.

“I think I know enough to make a guess, Mister Priest. The devouring heat finally got me as I entered the temple?”, I suggested but his smile faltered and the divinity from it lessened drastically.

“You have the devouring, Myne?”, he inquired with a more neutral and guarded expression and I cursed myself for speaking maybe too openly. Did that make me unclean in the afterlife or something?

“Ehm, yes. I apologize?”, I answered through a forced smile but the angel-priest shook his head slightly.

“There is no need to apologize for that, Myne. I just need to confirm something for that. May I touch your shoulder blades, Myne?”, he asked and I raised an eyebrow at him. What a strange question from an angel.

He suddenly tapped my seatbelt with a stick that I had no idea where it had appeared from and it became unfastened.

“Please stand up, Myne”, he said but it did not sound like a suggestion. Well, not like I was going to disobey an angel in his realm.

I wiggled myself to the front of the seat and hopped down from it as elegantly as I could manage. I then turned my back to him since he had asked about my shoulder blades.

“Please be gentle, they are quite sensitive”, I noted and pulled my hair to the side. My shoulder blades had always been strange. Mom, Dad and Tuuli were not so knobby on their backs but since they did not know what caused it they also could not do anything against that.

The only thing they did was rubbing that one spot between them that felt so overwhelmingly good when touched. It was basically heaven on earth. And Tuuli did not seem to react in the same way.

“I will be careful”, the angel-priest confirmed and I could feel the faintest touch from his fingers as he pushed through all the ruffles that Mom had added to my dress around my shoulders so that my knobby back would not draw too much attention.

“Does that hurt?”, he asked as he did something that felt more like an electric shock than a simple touch and I shuddered involuntarily.

“Yeah, a bit”, I confirmed and he mumbled something to himself that I could not understand fully.

“And that”, he asked again, this time he only held one finger to the back of my hand and I could feel another slight shock, but this one was way less intense.

“Not pleasant, but also not hurtful”, I said while looking at his finger. His hand looked like that from a normal person who had access to cosmetics and manicure. Kinda neat that angels did that kind of stuff.

“And if I do that here?”, he asked again and put his finger on a spot roughly ten centimeters below the shoulder blade that he had touched before.

The shock made me jump away from him.

“Ouch!”, I hissed at him as I turned around to also glare at him. He at least seemed apologetic now.

“I am sorry, Myne. I did not intend to hurt you, I just needed to be sure how far ingrown they were”, he said as if that explained anything.

“Ingrown? There is nothing ingrown on my back”, I spoke in confusion which seemed to exasperate him.

“Myne, your wings are terribly ingrown. And also way too large for a child your age. You need surgery, soon.”

I opened my mouth, then closed it again, then opened it again, but I could not say even one word.

“W-w-wings?! Does that mean I am an (angel) as well?”, I finally stammered out but he raised an eyebrow at me. Right, he did not seem to understand the word 'angel'.

“Ehm, does that mean I am a priest? Like you?”, I tried to paraphrase my question and he tilted his head as if in thought.

“You could only become a shrine maiden, not a priest, but the roles do not differ too much in the end. Hm. Would you like that?”, he asked as if he had not been the one proposing just that with his talk about me having wings....

“Ehm, Mister Priest, do priests and shrine maidens get to read books?”, I asked since I might as well try that out. Usually there should be at least some holy text, right?

He raised an eyebrow at me and then smiled.

“Those belonging to the temple may be granted access to the book room, yes”, he confirmed and that sealed the deal for me.

An afterlife with books? Yes, please! Sign me up!

Chapter Text

“Then, yes, that sounds perfect!”, I confirmed and he nodded gently.

“Very well, then let me prepare the paperwork”, he said and went to the shelves that were full of wooden boards. I wondered why he still called it paperwork then.

“Ah, I knew we had some stockpiled in case somebody was offered to or found in the orphanage”, he mumbled and retrieved some parchment before he sat down and dipped a quill into his bottle of ink.

“So you agree that your place of work will be the temple?”, he inquired and I nodded. He seemed to write that down.

“And your primary occupation will be that of a shrine maiden, with the caveat that it will be that of an apprentice shrine maiden until you come of age?”, he then continued and I nodded before I suddenly froze.

“Ehm, I will come of age? Even though I died?”, I begged to clarify and was met with a difficult smile on his face as he put down his quill and sighed.

“Myne, you did not die. You merely collapsed roughly a bell ago and were brought here to recover in my office since we cannot allow strangers to potentially wander through the hallways and I was the only one who was not involved in today's baptisms.”

I just stared at him. What kind of joke was that?

“But-but you have wings? You are some kind of divine being that takes care of the souls after death, right?”, I hastily spat out and was met with disbelief.

“Myne, am I the first person with wings that you have seen? Have you never seen a noble before? Not even from afar? Did your parents or your neighbors not tell you about what differentiates commoners from nobles?”, he asked with clear incredulity but I just shook my head.

“You-you are a noble, Mister Priest? Ehm, Lord Priest?” Nooo! Nooooooo! I had told a noble that I had the devouring and he was currently setting up some paperwork? That had to be that contract that I had been told to avoid, right?! Noooooo!

I took a step back and glanced in the direction of the door but even before he elegantly rose from his chair and took a step to stand between me and the door with folded arms did I know that running would be futile. It was more likely that I would collapse again before I had even made it halfway across the hallway. Not that I even knew where the exit was.

I forced a smile on my face and tried to steady my breathing. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

“Why does that unsettle you so greatly, Myne?”, he asked with a calm voice but I could tell he was now angry at my not very subtle evaluation of my escape route.

“Nobles can have commoners executed for anything they deem offensive, right?”, I tried to make him see my side of this interaction and he seemed to relax at that. Phew. Maybe he was as reasonable as he had seemed so far?

“Fear not, Myne. I do not deem it worth my time to make commoners grovel before me at the threat of death”, he casually remarked and I could feel my forced smile twitch. Cool? But he did not say that he would not kill me if he found me offensive.

“So, may we now return to the paperwork?”, he suggested but it was not like I could refuse.

I took a seat opposite to him and peeked at the text that he was setting up. It was indeed a contract. As he noticed my glances, he looked up to look me in the eyes.

“You can read, Myne?”, he inquired with slight signs of surprise and I nodded.

“Yes. I helped out at the south gate with paperwork”, I confirmed. Lying now seemed like the most stupid idea after I had spilled so much information at the beginning.

“Oho? How convenient”, he noted and set his quill down before he turned the contract around for me to read it easier.

I had not read that wrongly. It stated clearly in the heading that this was a submission contract.

“I am not going to sign that”, I informed him coldly and pushed the parchment away from me.

“You did not even read it fully, Myne”, he commented and pushed it back in front of me. He was right. But what about it?

“Does that matter? Are there any submission contracts that do not lead to me as a slave, mana battery and child bearing machine stowed away in some cellar?”, I inquired sarcastically but it seemed like I had hit a spot as he seemed somehow flustered by my words.

“Incidentally, the one in front of you would be such an exception”, he commented and urged me on to read the terms.

“What is this 'Law for Replenishing Noble Society' that this contract references?”, I asked, more to stall for time than out of honest curiosity.

“It is a law that has been established this spring by the Zent of this country. It states that for the time being, any female commoner with the devouring has to be contracted by the first noble who encounters her. They are to be granted more accommodating terms than usual. Namely, no orders are allowed that constitute fighting or may bring physical harm, no forcing of winter matters before autumn and no more than three plucked feathers each season”, he elaborated stoically but I only understood half of his explanation.

“Plucked feathers? Like, from the wings?”, I asked with confusion but he seemed exasperated.

“They are quite powerful brewing materials, but taking them from somebody else is a harsh taboo that can basically only be broken with those under submission contracts. Hence, why it is currently constrained like this to limit the impact on the devourer's health. But you need not fear. I have no interest in your feathers. I am merely bound by this same law to contract you like this”, he added and while I wanted to believe him I only had his word. What was written in the contract still granted him total control.

“And this seasonal stuff?”, I asked, trying to ask more questions so that he would not pressure me to sign it right now. He raised an eyebrow at me.

“Seasonal? Oh. That.” Were his ear tips blushing right now? What was going on?

“It guarantees your honor remains without stain while you are not of age”, he stated dryly and my jaw dropped.

Yeah. So that part about becoming a child bearing machine was totally considered still in this contract. Just not while I was still underage. What the hell.

“How nice that that is guaranteed while I am underage. After that there will be no such protection, I guess?” It felt so awfully wrong to discuss this as a seven year old child with this... thirty year old?

“Well, there is also a clause in that law that if you are educated enough by the age of ten that you might fit into noble society yourself then you are eligible to become adopted. Thereby you would open yourself to the more consensual path of marriage for replenishing noble society.”

“What kind of law is that?”, I growled and was met with a truly intimidating glare.

“One by the Zent. Speaking out against it means treason. Those who commit treason will be executed alongside their whole houses. Any further questions?”, he inquired with poisonous sweetness and I gulped.

“You only want me to sign because you have to abide by that law?”, I asked for confirmation and he nodded.

“Does that law force you to force me to... you know?”, I then inquired and bit my lip.

“It does not. And I am glad for that”, he added which allowed me to exhale. Could I trust him to keep his word? Was there even any alternative to that?

I glanced up at him.

“Can I get that as a line added to that contract?”, I asked hoping against hope but he shook his head.

“Agreeing to such terms would be in clear violation to that law. I can only offer you my word”, he proposed and I nodded hesitantly.

“Do you get anything out of this then? Or will I then just be a burden you cannot avoid due to that law?”, I inquired with uneasiness to which he responded with a smirk.

“You will help me with supplying this duchy with mana as a blue shrine maiden and with the temple's paperwork. Since you initially agreed to that anyway, I imagine that should be acceptable?”, he asked with a raised eyebrow and I nodded.

To my surprise my signature was not even required. The priest just gave me a needle to prick my own finger with while he signed with some kind of pen.

That was how I learned that his name was Ferdinand.

As soon as my blood landed on the parchment it went up in flames. Strange.

“You seem surprised, but not by the flames”, he commented and I nodded.

“Should I not need to write my name as well before it can be effective?”, I expressed my confusion and he seemed hesitant.

“That is only true for normal magic contracts. A submission contract does not require consent from the submitted party and can therefore be put into effect just with their blood”, he explained dryly.

“But why did you humor all my questions then if all you needed was a drop of blood from me?” I was perplexed by that revelation. Why indeed?

“Submission contracts are barbaric. I do not endorse them. Just because my hand is forced by that law does not mean I need to stoop that low as to force your hand as well. I believe in consent and mutual gain, Myne. Now, let's get some of that devouring heat out of you and set up a meeting with your parents on how to handle this whole situation.”

Bwuh? Was this Ferdinand actually a good guy? Or maybe even a real angel?

Chapter Text

When that little girl had been brought into his office, Ferdinand immediately knew that this was just another of the High Bishop's petty insults. After he had basically forbidden him from participating in any public facing function – no doubt due to the very obvious fact that Ferdinand was highly manaed and omni-elemental and everybody could see that from the size and color of his wings while the ridiculously small and strongly brown wings on the back of the High Bishop clearly showed his own inadequacy – he was now demoted to the role of a babysitter.

Not like that was the girl's fault.

He had instructed the gray priest who had brought her to put her on his reclining seat since he definitely could not allow a foreign woman, even a girl as small as her, to lie in his bed. He could never beat the allegations. Surely, another petty calculation from the High Bishop.

But it quickly became obvious that while the generous cutouts in the back rest were most comfortable for somebody with large wings they were a bit risky for a tiny, wingless girl like her who could fall through if she moved too much. He therefore closed the strap around the hip for her. It was just safer that way.

Ferdinand then turned his attention back to the paperwork on his desk. Since he and the gray priests that he deemed competent enough were basically the only ones managing the whole temple from the administrative side there was always more than enough work to be done.

He had ignored her quiet shuffling as she awoke but he could not ignore the gaze on him. It just set off his danger sense knowing that he was being watched. So that was when he turned his attention away from the board in front of him and to her. He naturally donned his bright socializing smile.

She seemed confused to him as she addressed him as 'Mister' and some strange term. He thought his robes and his wings made it quite obvious that he was a priest, but he considered the possibility that not all commoners were aware at her age yet. Her guess where she was now also was described by an unfamiliar expression. Did she fall too hard during her collapse?

When she offered him two very different names for herself he felt like something was very off about that girl. He was relieved that she was aware that he was a priest even though she did not seem to know the proper word for it yet, so he cleared that up, but he was now even more suspicious.

Why did a girl her age have two names? Why did she refer to herself as 'little girl' and thereby settled on the name that sounded more typical for a commoner?

He wondered how to best approach her. Maybe she would spill her secrets in her slightly disoriented state if he just asked? It was worth a try, so he phrased it with enough plausible deniability.

But her answer sprung a trap on him that he had not expected. He internally cursed at his desire to know everything as he was now trapped by that stupid law that had been in effect for all but three weeks now.

Was that the High Bishop's plot all along? To burden him with some devouring child? Now that she had revealed her status so openly to him he was legally obligated to contract her. Assuming that the High Bishop had been aware of that meant he also could not just get rid of her or make her meet another noble very soon who could take on this burden.

Ferdinand knew in that moment that he had lost.

A commoner at her age with the devouring was bound to have only a minor amount of mana. It would be maybe borderline enough to be compatible with one of the weaker laynobles upon her coming of age. All in all not a reasonable investment of his time and effort. Some treasonous thoughts entered Ferdinand's mind but he breathed them away. He knew he could stomach this insult as well. He had to.

Therefore, he decided to check the status of her wings. If they were as small as he expected they might be ingrown but still salvageable by rubbing in some potions over her skin for a few weeks. But if they were too badly ingrown then she would require surgery.

But his preliminary examination suggested that her wings were not only badly ingrown but also quite large. Judging from her reaction to a slight mana spark he had sent to the middle of her back the feathers there might be tangled and overlaying. Her small frame made the estimation difficult but she could actually be on mednoble levels of mana then.

Another reason to be suspicious then. How could she be still alive then? She even seemed to be firmly aware of the severity of the devouring if untreated as she had blamed her collapse on that.

But just as he was wondering what to do with her he was saved by her own suggestion. Making her a blue shrine maiden could indeed work out. Whether she was allowed to stay one after her coming of age was questionable since this whole law was set into place with the clear goal to get children from devouring commoners, but nobody should be able to complain while she was still underage.

Her interest in books amused him but also reminded him to stay on guard. Why would a commoner know about books? And be so interested in them?

But overall he was glad that he had found an agreement with her for the time being. While he did not have any doubts that he was absolutely capable of forcing this little girl into this law-mandated submission contract with him he did prefer her consenting to it on her own.

The only upside of this contract was that he could indeed order her to answer all his questions truthfully afterwards. If she was a spy or an agent of Chaocipher then he had the tools to keep her under control forced upon him as well.

But she had been so utterly unconcerned so far in answering him that he considered the unlikely possibility that she might just talk without being ordered to. Which would be preferable.

When he tried to confirm the details of her occupation she seemed completely thrown out of the loop by his mentioning of her eventual coming of age.

He was appalled by the misunderstanding she seemed to have based this whole conversation on. Could it truly be explained just by her never seeing somebody with wings before? He was puzzled about why she had been calmer when she had thought she had died than now when she had understood his status.

He sighed as he noticed that she was evaluating to dash out of the room. Binding her with bands of light and pricking her finger for the contract was obviously easy enough, but why was she making it now hard all of a sudden?

At least she was easily convinced to drop her escape plans just by standing in her way with a disapproving expression. Violence inside the temple was always so unsightly.

Ferdinand concluded from her behavior and objections that she had been warned about submission contracts.

That was one surprisingly well informed commoner girl.

He added that to the now quite long list of questions he had for her after this whole legal mess was taken care off. But was it normal for seven year old children, commoners at that without proper education, to read, question and understand the turn of phrases in contracts and laws so easily? He had noticed how he just needed to explain things once and she immediately caught the implications.

He really was not in the mood to discuss those phrases that covered the more depraved things devouring commoners usually had to endure and that were therefore covered – and constrained – in the contract, but she asked about them and he answered. Everybody should know what they were signing.

But as she was awfully close to openly question the law that had been decreed by the Zent himself he had to stop her before she condemned herself. Threatening her felt wrong, but she had to understand that they had to follow the law even if she did not want that.

The whole topic of flower offerings disgusted him and it seemed that Myne felt understandably similar. But he could not write down that he had no interest in forcing her to replenish the noble society. One or two purges less would have done so much more for their numbers anyway....

But he banned all treasonous thoughts and just continued his duty as a law-abiding member of society.

To his surprise it seemed like she already understood how normal magic contracts worked. What kind of commoner was this little girl?

But first, it was his turn to fulfill his side of the contract. Taking 'reasonable' measures to ensure her health. Getting some mana out of her should reduce the burden the devouring was putting on her.

Since today was the day of the summer baptisms the divine instruments were displayed in the chapel. The ceremony had already ended and the hall was empty if one discounted the few gray priests who were cleaning after the children had left.

But just as he walked in the direction of the altar – painfully slow to adapt to Myne's walking speed – with the little girl three steps behind him he was approached by a gray priest.

“High Priest, one of the commoner children has repeatedly asked about the girl in your wake. May I inquire what I should tell him?”, he asked deferentially and Ferdinand noticed how Myne seemed shocked by that.

“I gather he is currently waiting for her? Tell him it will take a little longer today before she can leave. I believe she missed the baptism ceremony and I will now remedy that. Retrieve one of the unregistered medals for me”, he instructed and Myne looked at him.

“While we wait for that I will tell you the origin story of this world, Myne”, he began and he could see how her eyes flitted across the paintings on the walls with each new god or goddess he mentioned. The gray priest had returned in the meanwhile but had not dared to disturb his retelling. Instead he seemed to listen intently as well. All the grays seemed captivated by his voice by now.

As he ended the story he was handed a small box with a needle and a medal. She still did not seem to do well with her own blood but the registration went without problem. Teaching her how to pray could come later when she began her role as an apprentice blue shrine maiden.

“What is your Geduldh, Myne?”, he asked while contemplating which divine instrument he should let her fill. While Leidenschaft was her patron deity it was also a long and not completely safe spear. But he was met with a lack of understanding.

“What is my Goddess of Earth?”, she begged to clarify and Ferdinand sighed silently. Right. A commoner would not know such euphemisms.

“It is a turn of phrase in reference to the story I just told you. Who or what is so important to you that you might act like Ewigeliebe does to protect his Geduldh?”, he clarified and she nodded before she seemed to give it some serious thought.

“Does it have to be only one thing?”, she asked like she was seriously torn between two options.

“Usually, yes”, he commented while waiting for her answer.

“I guess my family still wins over books”, she finally mumbled and Ferdinand nodded. Geduldh's chalice then for the warmth of a home.

He then took a step closer to the altar and removed the chalice from its stand.

“Touch it and let your heat flow into it but stop when it becomes uncomfortable”, he instructed and she seemed willing enough to comply even though he could still see the confusion on her face. A confusion similar to the one he could see on the faces of the grays.

As the chalice lit up she seemed to relax. Growing up without a magic tool was indeed painful and the relief of finally getting rid of the heat was indescribable.

A sudden pang of empathy for his own younger self struck him as he looked at her getting rid of her excess mana.

Chapter Text

He had given her a letter of invitation for three days in the future before he had her sent off to be reunited with the commoner boy who had been waiting for her.

Based on the amount of mana she had donated to Geduldh's chalice as well as on the estimated size of her wings his own disdain at the whole situation had lessened already. She was currently easily as mana-rich as the High Bishop which meant that her mana contributions during the dedication ritual in winter could actually lessen the burden on him.

The first thing he did when he returned to his office however was to honor the duchy laws to report all devouring contracts to the archduke. Sylvester would fall from his chair while reading that I had to take a young girl under my wing....

But Ferdinand knew that there was no avoiding following the law and so he diligently wrote down what happened.

The consequence was that Sylvester immediately invited himself to Ferdinand's meeting with her and her parents. Of course he brought up the very valid constraint that the granting of blue robes had to be allowed by the archduke, but Ferdinand knew that Sylvester was just ever so curious what his little brother had gotten himself into.

He begrudgingly accepted this intrusion but asked him to be discreet about that as he did not intend to startle her too much with that way too high-ranking visitor.

“Ferdinand! To think that you would be the first to report a devouring contract under that just newly established law, haha, you always draw the short stick, right?”, Sylvester roaringly suggested as he entered his office just shortly before the meeting. Ferdinand could feel the tips of his ears blush at that.

“Nice robes, where did you get those?”, Ferdinand commented and gestured to the blue robes that his brother, with wings that stopped shortly above his head and went down to his calves, was wearing.

“A little zantze found them for me”, he noted with a mischievous grin and Ferdinand considered the very real possibility that he had asked Justus of all people for that.

“I see. Well, I am honored that you would deem this humble meeting worth your time”, Ferdinand continued and gestured him to one of the seats at his table.

“So, what is your new protegee like?”, Sylvester inquired more fiercely and Ferdinand granted him his pissed off smile of sheer bliss.

“Her name is Myne. She looks like she is five years old at most despite being seven already. She can read and seems to like that. She is quite sophisticated. Too sophisticated for her age. She has many secrets, I believe. But revealing and evaluating those can wait until I have fixed her up. Her wings are terribly ingrown and I believe they are at least once folded inside her back. Judging from her mana donation she should be at least mednoble level.”

As he finished his appraisal Sylvester looked at him in contemplation.

“Mednoble levels of mana and large wings sounds good. Tell me when you have gotten to her secrets. An uncontracted seven year old devouring child with that much mana should be impossible to be alive.”

Ferdinand nodded at Sylvester words. His aub's wish was his command.

A soft chime of a bell drew both of their attention as the door was thus opened and Myne, in some kind of work uniform, and two adults in quite subpar clothes entered. Oh? So the girl was rich but her parents were poor? Another question to be added to the list.

They introduced themselves while kneeling as Gunther and Effa, her parents, and Ferdinand introduced himself as the High Priest and 'Brother Sylvester' as a 'dear colleague'. Myne seemed to relax at that immediately. So she was already okay with Sylvester, just because I had called him 'dear'?

Ferdinand was relieved that Myne was trusting in his words but it still surprised him. He knew that he had done not much really to justify that. The contract had been forced in the end, even though she had understood that they were both forced into it. Maybe that had resulted in some feelings similar to companionship in her?

Not that Ferdinand intended to complain about that. If she was accepting of her new fate it made everything easier. For both of them.

He then began to explain to her parents the severity of the situation. About the law that they had to abide. That he did not intend to take her from them, but that her new center of life had to be the temple. Her parents seemed understanding enough up to this point when her father seemed to be reaching his limit.

“High Priest, can our daughter commute to the temple?”, he inquired and Ferdinand considered their options.

“That depends on where in the lower city you are living. A commute by carriage to the northern part of the city should be agreeable. However, outright walking through the lower city will not be possible anymore as soon as she had her surgery”, he said while tapping his temple. It was quite unlikely that they were living in the northern part if they were dressed like that.

“Why not, High Priest?”, Gunther pressed through gritted teeth and Ferdinand sighed.

“Her wings will be visible to all after the surgery. Do you think that nobody will be able to tell that she is somehow related to noble society? She will be at risk from kidnapping or worse. I cannot allow that, Gunther, and you should neither.” Ferdinand now glared at her father who shrunk under his gaze. He could feel Sylvester's mischievous grin from the side.

“Dad, can you ask Benno whether he can rent you something? Do not worry about the money for that. I can just sell him some new product or something that will be worth enough for rent for years”, she stated firmly which made her parents stare at her and Ferdinand add another question to his list. So she was selling product ideas to someone in the northern part by the name of Benno?

“So she did not get that wrong? There are really wings at her shoulder blades?”, her mother then asked hesitantly and Ferdinand was glad for the question.

“Indeed. They are most likely at least half her height. At that size no clever folding around her body will lead to hiding their existence. She cannot blend into commoner society anymore.”

“And you have to do that surgery?”, she then asked nervously and Ferdinand nodded with a serious expression.

“They are currently terribly ingrown and are most likely the cause for her overall weak physical constitution. They impact her lung capacity, her stomach volume and hinder her growth in general as her body tries to balance everything under these quite harsh constraints. I would prefer to do the surgery as soon as possible. Preferably even today after the meeting.”

At that her parents' eyes widened but Myne seemed rather excited at that.

“Wait, does that mean I can become healthy after that surgery? It is not just for the wings?!”, she asked with an unexpected eagerness in her eyes.

“Yes, indeed, Myne. As they are right now you are quite limited due to their unnatural position.”

“Mom, Dad! Please arrange something with Benno! Ask Lutz for help! I want to be healthy!”, she exclaimed and her parents seemed unsure how to react.

“Have you done that surgery before?”, her father asked and Ferdinand nodded.

“Twice, actually. It is also quite standard procedure. Ingrown wings happen from time to time even with noble children, so you do not need to fear about complications. Though she will need a few days of recovery sleep afterwards.”

“She needs 'recovery sleep' quite often anyway with all her fevers”, he conceded and hugged his daughter.

“Good, then we will perform the surgery as soon as the meeting is finished”, Ferdinand confirmed before he then led over to the duties of an apprentice blue shrine maiden and what was expected of Myne in her temple life.

When the topic came up that she wanted to keep her workshop he just made another mental note to ask about that later. The description of her 'plant paper' sounded quite intriguing and Sylvester showed interest as well so he did not see the need to deny that yet. Priests may not need income but it seemed she now had to sponsor her parents' rent in the northern part so her case was clearly different.

When everything was discussed they said their goodbyes for the time being with quite extended hugs. Ferdinand had to look away as her mother began to scritch the spot between her shoulder blades during their embrace. It was just a mother and her child. Just a mother and her child. Just a mother and her child.

He tried his hardest to not judge them for their commoner behavior while being unaware of noble social customs. But he made another mental note to educate Myne as soon as possible about the absolute impropriety of having her 'spot' touched like that in front of others.

Chapter Text

“You did not mention in your letter that you planned to do the surgery right after the meeting”, Sylvester noted after her parents had left and Myne was led to a nearby room so that she could be changed into a surgery gown that would conveniently double as a jureve dress as it was a long white dress with bare back.

The gray shrine maiden that Ferdinand had tasked with that had been inappropriately excited about that task which confirmed for Ferdinand once again that his decision to only employ gray priests had always been the right one.

“I did not expect that to be relevant information for the archduke”, Ferdinand retorted and was met with a mischievous grin from his older brother.

“Oh, come on. It is so rare to see that and such a beautiful sight when the wings are spread for the first time. It's the wonder of life, you know”, he argued and Ferdinand just shook his head in exasperation.

“You already saw me do that for Wilfried and Charlotte, did you not? Surely that is enough to last you a lifetime”, Ferdinand tried to convince him to give up, but Sylvester did not agree.

“It sure is different if the one under surgery is your own child, Ferdinand. The worry almost killed me in both cases even though I would trust nobody more with a knife at the back of my children than you. But for somebody that I do not know personally I can just observe. I am hyped!” Sylvester grinned from ear to ear and Ferdinand just shook his head more vehemently.

“Sylvester. This will be a bit different. You might not agree with my methods”, he warned but Sylvester just raised an eyebrow at that.

“Oh? What, do you plan to experiment a bit since you are her master now and all that? Do you not think that is mean considering how much she already seems to trust you?”, he speculated but Ferdinand sighed dramatically in exasperation.

“Sylvester, unlike your children Myne will not be even remotely close in color to me. I will have to dye her before we start. Otherwise my knife will be repelled by her wings and I do not want to use too much force for such a delicate operation, so dyeing is the easiest solution. Especially, since she will be submerged in a low quality jureve afterwards to heal the flesh she is surely missing where her wings are right now. And since I do not really have the time to have her brew her own, I will give her one of my old experimental ones.”

Sylvester frowned heavily at that.

“Your reasoning is sound, but, ewww”, he commented with clear disgust but Ferdinand did not really share society's concerns about the sanctity of one's own colors.

In the end people were all just feystones. And dyeing feystones was nothing immoral.

“Yeah, I thought that your reaction would be something like this”, Ferdinand responded.

“How come that dyeing a little girl in your colors does not concern you, Ferdinand?”, Sylvester asked but Ferdinand shook his head.

“Your phrasing is misleading, Sylvester. I will obviously just use potions. I will even be so kind as to give her the one to knock her out first before I then pour a synchronization potion and liquid mana down her throat so she does not even have to stomach the taste. This is nothing different than dyeing a feystone you wish to use in a brew with only the selected elements you need.”

“So cold”, Sylvester chided but Ferdinand now glared at him.

“Efficient”, he corrected and now it was Sylvester's turn to sigh.

“Well, now that you have already told me what to expect I might as well stay to watch it.”

“Fine, but I will not listen to any complaints from you”, Ferdinand made clear and Sylvester nodded.

Myne was led into his office a short while afterwards. It seemed like the gray shrine maiden had insisted on covering her bare back with a blanket for the short walk across the hallway.

“Welcome back, Myne. I see that you are ready for the surgery”, Ferdinand commented and she took the blanket from her shoulders and tried to fold it, but in the end she just placed it on a chair in a slightly crumbled ball as her arms were too short for a better result.

As her hands were now free, he handed her a vial with a potion that would knock her out for at least a bell, more likely two. It did do nothing in respect to recovery, but it would make it so that she did not feel any pain from the surgery.

“Oh, is that for (anesthesia)?”, she inquired with a curious glance but Ferdinand did not understand her.

“Ehm, I mean, so that I can sleep through the surgery?”, she paraphrased and Ferdinand nodded.

“Indeed, that is exactly what that potion does. How did you know?”, he asked with slight suspicion. From what he had heard commoners only ever had surgery when they tried to save a mother from a bad pregnancy or for amputation. And never with knocking somebody out as that raised the risk of not being able to see whether they were currently killing them with their emergency surgery.

“It's just what one does prior to such a big surgery, right?”, she inquired with a tilted head and Ferdinand made another mental note on his ever growing list of questions.

“It is indeed advisable”, he agreed but also Sylvester seemed suspicious of her answer. But investigating that could wait.

“Well then, cheers to Vantole”, she intoned and downed the potion with one swift move. Ferdinand stared at her brazenness before he began counting.

“..., nine, ten, aaand she is out”, Ferdinand noted and hurried to steady her before she fell to the side.

“Can you hold her like this for a second, Sylvester? Since you intend to watch you might as well help”, he commented and Sylvester did not object.

Ferdinand then took the synchronization potion from his belt and massaged her jaw so that she would ingest it without trouble. He then did the same with his vial full of liquid mana. She did not react in any way. The first potion had been very effective in knocking her out.

“If it is so easy to dye somebody, why do we always use the more violent versions when somebody's mind needs to be read?”, Sylvester inquired as he carried her to the table that Ferdinand intended to operate on.

“By the time her mind now would be clear enough again to be read with any effectiveness the desired information might be worthless already. We usually do not have half a day of leeway during an investigation. And that knock out potion does not come cheap. It would be very wasteful to use it on criminals”, Ferdinand explained and Sylvester grimaced.

“That makes sense. Do you use it for anything else but wing surgery?”, he inquired and Ferdinand shook his head.

“No, that would be too wasteful. Anything else can be treated without it being necessary to be so thoroughly out. I brewed today's potion exclusively for Myne's surgery as well. I usually do not stockpile it.” Sylvester nodded at that.

“Oh, please rotate her on the table, Sylvester. We might need the longer width of the table to accommodate for her full wingspan”, Ferdinand instructed but Sylvester chuckled.

“Overly optimistic, aren't you? That table is six steps wide and only three steps deep. The three steps should be more than enough for such a small girl with mednoble wings”, Sylvester informed him, but Ferdinand shot him a glare.

“Three steps might be too close to her wingspan, Sylvester. I prefer to err on the side of caution or do you want her wings to drip from the edge of the table? What is it with your prior words of watching the miracle of life and all that”, he chided him and Sylvester shot him an amused grin before he complied.

“Okay, okay, please proceed with the surgery then”, he suggested after he had turned Myne around on the table. Her feet were now close to dangling over the edge but Ferdinand was not overly concerned by that as he cast messer and a sharp and tiny knife appeared in his hand. Sylvester kept a proper distance but bowed his head down, seemingly eager to not miss the first incision.

For Ferdinand the real beauty of wing surgery was that it was completely bloodless. The incredibly thick mana that surrounded the wings prevented any blood from flowing out.

Ferdinand then began to work on her right shoulder blade. He did not use much force and instead relied on the sharpness of his mana knife to delicately lay Myne's wing free.

The first feathers showed themselves soon enough and he began to widen the incision instead of deeping it. More feathers peeked through and he dispelled his knife. The feathers that he had revealed were of a pale blue color, something Ferdinand had never seen for a child before. They usually showed their birth season's color in maximum intensity, not in such a pale variety. Was this perhaps a characteristic of those with the devouring?

With his knife dismissed he instead tried to pull her wing out with his bare hands to limit the burden on her body. By keeping the incision as small as possible her recovery should be sped up but unfortunately for him it also made the removal of the wings more difficult.

He dug under her right wing's radius with both of his index fingers and tried to gently move it out of her back. After a part of her wing that was about the length of his own upper arm was laid free he took a quick break to breathe.

“Ferdinand”, Sylvester began but Ferdinand shared his incredulity. Her wing was nowhere near completely out. The feathers they were currently looking at were definitely not her primary feathers yet. However, they looked absolutely ruffled and tangled.

“I know, Sylvester”, he acknowledged. He produced his knife again to widen the cut a bit. There was no way he could get the whole wing out like this without running the risk of hurting it. And the back healed way easier than the wing.

How had all that been fitting into her back? Was there even any space left for the rest of her organs?

With a bit more leeway he maneuvered more of her wing outside and he was relieved when he finally heard a little 'plop' and the whole limb was freed. So terribly, terribly crumbled.

He sighed before he began to untangle her feathers at least slightly and stretch her wing a bit so that the feathers could fall into place. The fact that she was dyed in his colors really helped with that filigree task.

But as he tried to proceed with the untangling of her lowest feathers he saw that they were not folded only once atop of each other, but twice or thrice even.

Even though Sylvester had rotated her in a way that made full use of the width of the table the tips of her feathers now reached its edges.

“Are you serious?”, Sylvester asked with an open mouth and Ferdinand allowed himself to take a step back as he deemed her right wing to be acceptably spread. Was there even anything left in her back now that the wing was out?

“Sylvester, not now”, he shut him up as he began to cast stylo and draw a healing circle across her back that seemed oddly sunken in by now. Without the wing to fill it in.

He added Heilschmerz and Flutrane and Dauerleben for good measure. How could she even have survived like this?

Ferdinand cautiously tapped her right back with his fingers but he could not tell for sure whether what he had done was enough.

“Sylvester, please set up a carriage for her. As soon as the second wing is out, she will need to be transported to my estate. The low quality jureve that I have prepared for her in the temple will not cut it”, he commented absentmindedly as he was inspecting her back once more and while he drew another flesh restoring spell for good measure. Was that enough? Could the spell even restore what was never allowed to grow properly due to being blocked by these massive wings?

“Ehm, sure thing, Ferdinand”, Sylvester confirmed and began to send out an ordonnanz to Karstedt and Lasfam each.

Ferdinand drew another deep breath before he began to work on the other wing. Now that he knew what to expect he made the opening bigger from the beginning and was able to work a bit faster. As he had untangled her left wing as well and spread out on the table he immediately took care of the void in the left side of her back.

The same healing spells and circles that he had applied to her right side were now also cast on her left side. This whole surgery took a lot more mana than expected.

He felt drained as he finally declared her ready for her jureve sleep.

The blanket that she had worn to cover her bare back in the hallway now helped him to rein her wings in as he gently folded them into a more compact volume before he wrapped her in the blanket and carried her in his arms. She did not weigh much but her wings that were clearly larger than her made her cumbersome to balance.

As they were finally about to depart Sylvester dared to break his silence again.

“Am I allowed to say it now, Ferdinand? Those are archduke candidate sized wings. Who is that girl?” Ferdinand noticed that the jovial and mischievous tone from the beginning was nowhere to be seen. Instead he was now Aub Ehrenfest through and through.

“I do not know. I will send out Justus to investigate her background more thoroughly while she sleeps and have her answer all my questions when she wakes up again. I will inform you immediately if I know anything more.”

Sylvester nodded at that.

“In the end she is still under contract with you, so that is already very relieving, but it really begs the question how she got so much mana and could survive without a magic tool until now.”

“Let us continue that discussion after I had a chance to get her answers, Sylvester. She needs a jureve. Now. Otherwise it will be a very irrelevant mystery.”

Her signs of waking up had kept him at her side for the last bell. By now her eyes were fluttering open from time to time and he knew it could not be long anymore.

Instead of the expected three days it had taken her two full weeks, but that much was somehow expected considering the massive void that had to be restored inside her back, now that her wings had been freed.

Lasfam had rejoiced upon his daily visits, but he had tried to stay as discreet as possible and had forbidden him to change the amount of food he bought or similar purchases. While it was still his estate, he knew that Veronica did not want him inside the noble's quarter.

As Myne's wings finally began to twitch he hastily pulled her up from her jureve bath. She seemed disoriented and struggling with the part of the jureve that had submerged her from within, but Ferdinand did not fear for her. Nobody had ever drowned from a jureve.

With a hearty slap on her back from him she spat out the liquid that had made her uncomfortable. And simultaneously she hit his face full force with her right wing.

Argh. What an oversight!

Ferdinand cursed himself. While he had aimed for a point on her lower back that was safe from triggering her flap-reflex, it seemed that he had made an error due to her tiny size. He must have hit her 'spot' with his hand as well.

And as a result he was now drenched in the remainder of the fluid that had clung to her wing. And his cheek hurt on top of that. He wondered shortly when the last time that somebody had actually landed a hit on him had been. He decided immediately that nobody could ever be allowed to know of this.

It came as a relief to him that she was still sufficiently dyed in his colors so that it had only been the physical impact of her flapping and not also the pain from mana repulsion that usually followed direct contact with unfamiliar wings.

Meanwhile, Myne was still coughing.

Ferdinand continued to hold her upright so that she did not sink back into the tub again, but she did not seem to see any need to retract her wing from his face just yet.

Wonderful.

“Myne, please stop spreading your wings”, he grumbled and was met with a loud and surprised “Bwuh?!” as reaction.

“I really have wings now?!”

How had that still been an uncertainty for her? That girl was going to be the end of him.

Chapter Text

I had the most interesting dream. I was in an atelier like the one that my mom in my Urano days had forced me to visit a few times and in front of me was a pottery wheel. A bit of pink clay was already centered on it so I tried my hands at that skill that I never really had any talent for in my old life.

Shaping the clay to my will was oddly strenuous but since I did not have anything else to do I continued. First, I made a little bowl. It was wobbly and with uneven thickness of the walls but I thought it was cute in a way.

As I put it on a shelf nearby I saw that small clumps of more clay were laying around and I figured I might as well make a second piece. A mug maybe. Therefore I collected all the small clumps of clay that lay strewn around on the shelf and on the floor and began kneading them all into one ball that I could then throw into the shape I wanted.

I took several breaks from that as I did not have much stamina even in my dreams but it was oddly satisfying that I could feel how I could knead for longer with each attempt.

When I then threw my little mug I felt pride at my work. It was still a little wobbly, similar to my first bowl, but I felt quite accomplished by my results. As I then removed it from the pottery wheel and put it on the shelf next to the bowl I noticed how there were new clumps of clay for me to collect by now.

With each piece that I made I noticed how I had to take shorter breaks less often and how much more skilled I became. It was nice to work with this cute pink clay.

But just as I went to shelve my latest piece – a quite decent vase, if I may say so myself – I was shook by a heavy cough that basically came out of nowhere. While I tried to bring the vase to the shelf for safe storage I noticed how I lost my dreamy consciousness and instead woke up to a coughing fit and a strong slap on my back that at least seemed to help with the coughing.

The High Priest seemed angry with me for something that I supposedly did with my wings, but I was not sure what he even meant. He had said that this surgery would lay my wings free, but why was he now angry at me? I had done nothing but woken up!

“Myne, retract your wings”, he now demanded more directly. But when I tried to turn around to look him in the eyes I noticed that something blocked me. Like I was bumping into something with my shoulder, but it was not my shoulder. And the only thing I saw was a massive amount of pale blue feathers that blocked my view.

“High Priest?”, I inquired nervously and decided it was best to turn forward again until I knew what was actually going on. Why was I even in this large bath tub? And were that the High Priest's hands that were steadying me so that I did not sink in?

“Myne, hold to the edges of the tub”, he instructed and as soon as I did he removed his hands from my torso before he then seemed to walk around me and appear in front of me.

“Huh? Did you take a shower in your robes?”, I inquired as I saw his soaked clothes but he only smiled at me with his so very divine smile. Maybe this was inappropriate for me to ask?

Without another word he then lifted me out of the tub and made me stand next to it.

“Hold your breath, Myne”, he then instructed and since he still seemed a bit miffed I pinched my nose and closed my mouth but I had not expected to be then engulfed in some big water bubble. The sensation was strange but not really unpleasant, but as it reached my back I could not keep my mouth shut anymore. The tickling was way too intense!

I burst into laughter at the feeling which I immediately regretted as the water then streamed into my mouth as well. But just as I thought I might just drown now the water suddenly disappeared and the tickling stopped as well.

“What was that?”, I inquired trying to catch my breath but as I looked up I saw that the High Priest did not look soaked anymore.

“A cleaning spell. You should not have started laughing midway”, he chided but I pouted.

“Well, that tickled!”, I protested and I could swear that the tips of his ears were turning in color as he scoffed.

“Ah, I apologize. Your wings must still be overly sensitive”, he commented as if that explained anything. He just mentioned my wings again. But should I not feel them then?

“Ehm, High Priest, was the surgery really a success? I have wings now and I am healthy?”, I asked hopefully but he hesitated for the slightest amount of time.

“Even if you are not actively looking at them, you did see the pale blue feathers as you turned around, right? Those are yours. Can you not feel that?”, he asked incredulously but I stared at him with a dropped jaw. No way! These were massive!

I hesitantly turned my head around to look at what was behind me. Those wings seemed to be larger than me!

“Those are mine? They are way too big!”, I protested and he shook his head.

“They are indeed larger than expected, which is why what I anticipated to be necessary for your recovery was off. The surgery and the jureve did a lot for you, but you will have to train diligently over the years of your growth to truly become healthy”, he informed me and I nodded with a difficult smile.

Not like I really expected to be just healed over night. Needing rehabilitation was okay as an outcome.

“Now, can you please retract your wings, Myne? You are taking up way too much space with them”, he instructed once again and I could feel the impatience in his voice.

“How do I do that, High Priest?”, I said while still glancing at the massive bunch of feathers behind me. Even though I was now aware on some level that they were mine it was still difficult to incorporate them into my image of myself.

“How?”, he asked incredulously before he sighed with some annoyance and then gestured to the back of his own neck.

“The muscle to retract your wings is that one here, Myne, try contracting it”, he advised while gliding over his neck with one of his fingers. I tried to visualize which one he meant and traced it on my own neck.

To my surprise, I heard a soft 'flap' as I concentrated on that particular muscle.

“And the other wing as well, Myne. The location is the same, just at the other side of your neck”, he continued and I tried tracing the muscle on my left side of my neck in a similar way. Another soft 'flap' sound seemed to prove my success.

“Woah! Can I do that in front of a mirror?!” I really had wings! Wings that I could control!

“Ehm, High Priest, I do not mean to sound rude, but, I can totally use these to fly, right?”, I inquired excitedly and he smiled at me.

“At some point, yes. It takes a bit of time to learn how to do that. Noble children are usually taught upon entering the Royal Academy at age ten, even though some only just barely manage to do it upon their graduation at fifteen”, he explained and I nodded diligently.

So flying would be a bit out in the future, but holy hell, this was mankind's dream since ancient times! Wohooo!

“Now, Myne, please take a seat, there are three more things we need to cover before I can introduce you to the High Bishop so that he may take your oath as our newest apprentice blue shrine maiden”, he said with his pleasant smile and gestured to two chairs and a small table.

It took me a bit of trial and error to maneuver myself on the chair without squeezing my wings in the process but once I was properly adjusted I noticed just how comfortable these narrow back rests were. So they were made with wings in mind! Neat!

“Please give me your left hand, Myne”, he said and I did while looking at him curiously. Another checkup?

“Bwuh?”, I burst out as he then took my hand in one of his own and was about to put on a ring on my middle finger.

“Wait, wait, wait, this is not what I think it is, right?!”, I immediately retracted my hand which earned me a glare, but, come on, I only knew him for a few days! How could he already put a ring on my finger?!

“Since I am unaware of what you might be assuming, I cannot answer that question, Myne”, he said with a guarded look and eyes narrowed in suspicion. He was obviously not a fan of my refusal, but still, come on! I am seven here!

“Is that an engagement ring, High Priest?”, I asked with a forced smile trying my hardest not to blush at the thought but to my great relief he relaxed his expression and shook his head.

“Engagement stones are always a necklace, Myne. And you are still too young for that anyway. Are engagement rings the practice among commoners? I must say, I have never seen many commoners with rings at their hands for the starbinding ceremony”, he noted with now again narrowed eyes.

Eeeep!

“This is a magic tool that allows you to expend mana for blessings, Myne. See, I wear a similar ring”, he showed me his own left hand at that and I nodded with relief.

“However, the main reason why you will have to wear it is to demonstrate that you have signed a submission contract with me”, he continued and I stared at him.

He had not mentioned that contract ever since we signed it, but that was going to change now? Well, wearing a ring was not too much to ask. He even set me up for a healthy life.

I reached out my hand again and nodded as he then put the ring on me. I let out a shriek as it shrunk to fit me. He had said it was magic, but what?!

“If you find yourself in a situation where somebody questions what you are doing there, just show them the ring and ask for me to be contacted”, he instructed and I nodded once more. So this was like emergency contact information?

“So that was the first thing? What are the other two?”, I asked while looking at the ring. It had a large blue stone at the top and something that looked like a crest with a cool lion engraved into the sides.

“I will need to teach you the prayer poses before you can swear your oath but we can do that later still. The main thing that remains is that I need a few answers from you, Myne”, he noted neutrally and took a large stack of wooden boards from one of the shelves and placed them on the table.

That did not seem like 'a few'. I gulped at how many there were.

“So, Myne, during our first meeting you offered me two different names to choose from before you decided that 'Myne' was correct and 'Urano' was not fitting since you were 'still a little girl'. Care to explain what you meant by that?”, he inquired politely and dipped a quill into a bottle of ink that he had also now put on the table next to the boards.

My whole body froze. All my hopes that he had forgotten my blunder were now banished. My mind raced but I did not arrive at any conclusion on how to react. He had been so nice to me. He had done this surgery and set me up for recovery. And he said I would get access to the book room as a shrine maiden. Would he turn on me if he found me creepy?

“Please do not forget to breathe”, he noted while looking me in the eyes and that somehow made me remember how to in- and exhale while still trying to force a smile on my face. He narrowed his eyes and it felt absolutely cold and calculating. The divine smile was nowhere to be seen.

“Myne, did you sign a magic contract that prevents you from answering my question?”, he suddenly asked but I shook my head.

“No, I only signed one about product rights for a hair cleaning liquid and funding for my workshop in exchange”, I answered truthfully. I did not want him to be mad at me so if I could answer some easier questions for him maybe he would be satisfied already?

He widened his eyes slightly and selected another board from his stack.

“That would be with Benno from the Gilberta Company then?”, he asked and I basically explained my whole history with Benno to the High Priest. How Lutz had gotten an apprenticeship out of that and I became the forewoman of my own small workshop.

He took a few more boards out of his stack as he then dove into the topic of my workshop and the paper making and it seemed our profit margin impressed him greatly.

“How did you arrive at those products, Myne? Those are nothing that you could just happen upon. Putting something based on oil into your hair to clean it is nothing obvious and the process you described for your paper also seems way too detailed to just guess”, he noted while scribbling down some things on his boards.

And once again we circled back to my background as Urano that I really did not wish to disclose.

“I saw those things in my dreams”, I admitted lamely but it was the closest thing to the truth that he might actually accept. But his narrowed eyes told me that that was not the case.

“What else did you see in those dreams?”, he asked with clear disbelief and I feared that he wanted to trap me in some lie.

“A whole different world. One full of books which held all the knowledge of that world”, I allowed myself to wallow in those memories for a moment. My beloved libraries....

“... Did Schlaftraum mess with her mind?...”, he mumbled but I suppressed the urge to inquire what he meant by that. If he was asking himself and not me that was good.

“Myne, were you ever outside the City of Ehrenfest?”, he asked while taking another one of his boards out of the stack. This one was almost the most bottom one.

“I went gathering in the forest close to the south gate and there is this farming village we went to for pig day, but I do not know whether that truly counts because I collapsed and went back to the gate to recover”, I mused but it did not seem like the answer he had wanted.

I was impressed how lenient he was with me even though I did not answer his questions like he wanted me to. He could surely force me by virtue of my submission contract but it seemed like he meant it when he said that he found those barbaric and wanted something based on consent and mutual gain. I gathered my courage and tried to work on that assumption.

“High Priest, can you maybe tell me your worst case assumption about me and we can work from there?”, I suggested, bracing myself for his reaction.

“Since it seems that all your answers so far were honest, even though some of them strangely evasive, we might as well cut to the chase to the most dangerous explanations about your wealth of knowledge, atypical behavior and your true identity”, he acknowledged and I exhaled deeply.

“Are you a spy from another duchy or country? A hidden princess perhaps?”, he suggested with an open and quite disarming smile that made me react with a “Bwuh?” again.

“What? No. Nothing like this. This region is split into duchies? And there are other countries?”, I asked but was now met with an unreadable face.

“Nothing like this?”, he begged for confirmation and I nodded hesitantly.

“My whole ambition is to get books and my political net is as wide as my father working at the south gate and knowing that the guildmaster of the merchant's guild is willing to buy my recipes”, I elaborated with a confused expression.

“Then I truly do not understand why you are so evasive, Myne”, he shook his head in exasperation. But what were the chances that he would not find my whole existence unnatural? He was the High Priest after all. If I did not fit into the expectations of this world's religion then he had to exorcise me, right?

“What if... if you thought I'd be a heretic, High Priest?”, I whispered and looked away from him. Did I doom myself now? Or could I finally avoid his questioning?

“You would be neither the first nor the last of the blues who would not live in accordance with scripture”, he chuckled darkly and I turned my eyes back to look at him incredulously.

He now put his elbows on the table and folded his hands in front of his mouth while looking at me with clear amusement.

“I must admit I did not expect that to be your answer. So, tell me, what kind of heresy did you commit? I promise, I will not get mad at you”, he urged me on and I shuddered at his sudden intensity. He had not shown his emotions so openly anytime before. Was I really safe to answer him? But did I have another choice than to trust him?

I took another deep breath and looked him in the eyes.

“Urano is the name I had while I was living on (earth) or what I described to you as that dream world before. I died at 22 years due to being buried by books after an (earthquake). Which was a shame, really, because I had finally managed to get a job as a librarian but I did not even have my first day yet. But then I – my mind? My soul? My self? - found myself present inside this little girl named Myne about two years ago. But I do not really know her because she died that night. Eaten by this heat. I have her memories – or she has mine? - but she was a sickly child who never left her parent's apartment, so her world was even smaller than it should have been. Ever since that heat has been trying to eat me alive so thanks a lot for letting me touch that chalice, I guess, that took the part that was already overflowing out of me. It's so hard to push it down all the time.” I stopped my rambling and tried to gauge his reaction but by now he was not showing me his amusement anymore. Only his more guarded face. Had I messed up?

“Are you now thoroughly crept out by my unnatural existence?”, I inquired as politely as I could.

“On the contrary, Myne, I find this highly intriguing. I definitely have many more questions now”, he finally concluded with his pleasant smile and I felt a weight drop from my shoulders. I leaned back and sunk into the chair only to be startled by some movement behind my back accompanied by some soft flapping sound.

“Bwuh? What is going on?” I was immediately alert again but it seemed the High Priest was more amused than concerned.

“You leaned back too hard on your 'spot', Myne. It triggers a flap-reflex. You will get used to it over time, I imagine”, he explained and I stared at him in disbelief.

'Spot'? Flap-reflex?

“Ehm, can I get a lecture on all this wing anatomy stuff, High Priest?”, I inquired and he tapped his temple with his finger while thinking about that.

“That might be indeed necessary. I will see to arrange something after you got your robes”, he agreed before he then asked a multitude of questions about my former life and my current life only for me to be finally saved by my rumbling stomach.

“Hm, it is almost second bell by now, we might as well return to the temple, have you learn a proper prayer pose and then arrange for your oath to receive your robes”, he commented.

It seemed like we had talked the whole night.

Chapter Text

“Myne, when I will introduce you to the High Bishop I need you to remain silent unless I address you directly and it would be nice, if you could look a bit sad all the while”, the High Priest said while I was munching on my breakfast. I felt like I had not eaten in days and was currently at my third helping of eggs. I was actually impressed by myself that I could eat so much without feeling overly full by now. He seemed to expect some kind of answer so I gulped down what I had still left in my mouth and nodded.

“Understood, High Priest. I will be an obedient, sad devouring slave”, I confirmed and he frowned slightly before he nodded.

“That is indeed the image you will need to project. I appreciate your understanding”, he confirmed before sipping more from his tea.

If he actually briefed me to play my part instead of just making that my reality I might have really lucked out with him.

He then rang a little bell and some young man with light purple hair and gray robes entered.

“Fran, please inquire with the High Bishop when he has time to be introduced to a new apprentice blue shrine maiden that has already clearance from the archduke but still requires to be sworn in”, he instructed and this guy who seemed to be named Fran knelt quickly and left with a curt “As you wish.”

He returned a short while later with his answer.

“High Priest, the High Bishop has invited you for third bell today”, Fran reported.

“Today already? Well, then breakfast has to stop now, Myne. You have half a bell to learn how to pray and how to kneel”, he declared and rose from his seat.

“Fran, start with teaching her to kneel. Ignore the delicacies of wing position for now”, he then instructed and just stood there while Fran pushed back my seat for me and helped me from my chair without me struggling too much with my wings again.

“The appropriate distance for kneeling is between about here and there”, he advised me and gestured for a spot roughly two meters away from the High Priest.

“Thank you, Fran”, I said while I went to the advised place.

“Now, bend this knee and cross your arms in front of your chest like this”, he explained and demonstrated the flow but it was more difficult than I had expected when I then tried it myself.

“Eeep! I am falling over!”, I exclaimed but instead of having my face and the floor meet I stopped toppling over at roughly 45 degree incline. Judging from the flapping sounds and slight strain on my shoulder blades I guessed that some other flight reflex might have stopped my fall?! Fran now had moved to my side to push me back into an upright position and at least the flapping stopped. Phew.

But it seemed that the High Priest was not overly impressed by my obvious display of inelegance.

“Myne, spreading your wings indoors is considered very bad manners. Please refrain from doing so”, he instructed and massaged his temple.

“I apologize”, I hastily confirmed but he still seemed exasperated with me.

“Don't just apologize, Myne. Retract your wings as well”, he clarified and only after I had turned my head back to check what he meant I noticed that they were wide spread again! Oh, come on! I had to have some spacial awareness of those, right? What did that feel like?

But while I still could not tell without looking where my wings were I remembered his instructions on which muscles to pull in order to retract them. At least now he removed the finger from his temple again.

“If you place your foot a bit more over here, I believe you will have an easier time to balance”, Fran continued his instruction as if my struggle with my wings had not happened at all. Thanks for not making this any more embarrassing than it already was, Fran!

After my fifth try, the High Priest seemed satisfied with my results but I felt already exhausted from what was effectively lunges. I tried to ignore the raised eyebrow as I was catching my breath after this exertion.

“In order to help your prayers reach the gods, both arms and the left knee are raised to the sky”, Fran explained the prayer pose and demonstrated what he meant. What was that strange feeling that I had seen this pose somewhere before?

But it seemed that he had pity with me since he first only asked me to lift my arms.

“Please spread your fingers, do not make a fist”, he instructed after he had been somewhat satisfied with the angles at which I held my arms.

“A bit higher still”, he corrected but as I tried to comply I felt a gush of wind from behind me. From the corner of my eye I noticed that I had now spread my wings fully.

“Bwuh?!”, was all I could get out before the High Priest sighed again.

“That will take longer than till third bell for her to grasp how to coordinate, Fran, you may accept an imperfect posture for her hands today”, he supposed and then glared at me once again. I tried to smile apologetically while I focused on retracting my wings once more. But this right now had been the first time that I had spread them without some kind of reflex. How did I do that?

But even I understood that now was not the time for me to try to control my wings.

Fran had done his best and I had given it my utmost but the results I had achieved as the High Priest decided we had to leave were merely passable.

A gray priest stood before the door to the High Bishop's chambers and rung his bell for us as we arrived before he then hastily let us in. I was really grateful for how huge these doors were as I was still not accustomed to how wide I was now.

I knelt as soon as the High Priest stopped walking and only looked at the man in front of me shortly before I looked at the floor in submission. Sad and obedient. Sad and obedient.

“High Bishop, I appreciate Dregarnuhr's fast weaving upon Ordoschnelli's sudden descent”, he began and I understood nothing. Who was weaving and who was descending here? And what did it matter for me becoming a shrine maiden?

“If the lion is already acting as Gebordnung then Leidenschaft's graces should not be withheld”, the High Bishop commented.

Leidenschaft was the God of Fire and summer right? Were they talking about the Gods? Or about the weather?

“As this is the consequence of the Zent's law, the archduke was naturally very lenient with my pleas to find a use for such an unexpected burden”, the High Priest commented in words I could finally understand and I took that as my cue to look even a bit sadder than before.

“But those wings are quite well developed. Surely you can sell her for quite a high price once she comes of age”, he suggested with a tone so nasty that I began to regret my generous breakfast.

“That might be just a cruel joke of nature. When I made her offer her mana to Geduldh's chalice her contribution suggested barely mednoble level. I suppose the Devouring led to an overgrowth for her. Highly troublesome to have a commoner like her be mistaken for somebody of way finer birth”, the High Priest continued his lament and I could hear the High Bishop laugh derisively at that. Was that how nobles usually talked about those with the devouring?

I shuddered at the thought of somebody like the High Bishop being the one to sign with me.

“Be that as it may, she is signed to me and I do not have any use for her. Her mana may therefore be offered to the temple and her time be spent on paperwork”, the High Priest declared.

By now I had knelt for so long that I was about to lose my balance and began to wobble slightly from left to right and back.

“She cannot even kneel for however long is appropriate. Stand, Myne, before you embarrass me further”, he commanded with a disappointed tone and I complied immediately.

Should I apologize? Ah, no, he said to only talk when he asks me to. So, just sadness. Woe is me. Poor, sad, little devouring girl who cannot even kneel.

“Hmph. Indeed a shame. Where will she live? Surely not in any chambers in the noble section”, the High Bishop spat and I suppressed the urge to shake my head.

Poor, sad, obedient little slave girl. God, this was getting annoying. Hopefully, I did not have to interact with him often. The High Priest was way better company!

“I am still trying to find a way to let her commute from the lower city. But with wings that large that will require a carriage”, the High Priest commented as if he was averse to the idea of spending money on carriage rides for me.

“The lower city is indeed the best place for her”, the High Bishop agreed with that nasty tone again, but I was impressed at how well the High Priest played the other man. He had just gotten his approval for my commute.

“Oh, how about I declare her the orphanage director after her oath. She can get the orphanage director chambers, living just barely above those in the orphanage”, he proposed with glee and the High Priest accepted elegantly.

Wait, what?! Why was I now becoming the orphanage director?! I had no experience in managing any orphanages whatsoever! And I was seven as far as the High Bishop was concerned! Was he mad?!

“May we then proceed with ordaining her? The sooner she can work, the better.” The High Priest sounded slightly annoyed by now and I was not sure whether he had sensed my disapproval. Sad, obedient little girl. You hate it. You are forced to this. Be sad!

“Come here, kneel and speak the words after me”, the High Bishop commanded in a displeased tone as if it was beneath him to speak to me.

I looked up to see the altar with all the beautiful artifacts and offerings placed on it and somebody who looked like Santa. If Santa had little cherub wings in the color of cow dung.

Was he like... a handicapped noble? The High Priest and Brother Sylvester had wings of similar relative size like me even though their colors varied slightly, after all. Maybe it was bit mean then to think of cow dung for his color. I should not discriminate for that. Surely he had not chosen that color himself.

The words of the oath were fine for me and I did not even stumble over the names of all the Gods as I still vividly remembered the High Priest's retelling of this world's creation myth where they had all played a part.

After that the High Priest took some blue cloth from the altar and handed it to Fran before the part that I had dreaded most occurred.

Praying in a proper praying pose.

I did my best but the displeasure in the room was palpable.

“A blue shrine maiden that cannot pray properly? Ridiculous. High Priest I do not envy you for that addition to your duties. Please see to it that I will not be bothered by that disgraceful display again”, he commented arrogantly before he basically threw us out of his chambers. But I had my robes!

“Well done. Apart from that prayer pose”, he praised me quietly as we walked through the hallways. He had ordered Fran to quickly drape my new blue robes over the dress I was currently wearing in an empty room on our way, so that I did not stand out so much anymore.

“Ehm, High Priest, about that orphanage director job. Did he mean that?”, I asked cautiously. After all, he had not confirmed my assignment after I had gotten my robes.

“It will be best to work under the assumption that he did”, he answered and I sighed.

While we walked for what felt like an eternity at my awfully slow pace he explained to me how the orphanage operated in general. How there was a hierarchy with unbaptized children at the bottom, apprentices in the middle and adult priests and shrine maidens at the top and that all relied on divine gifts to be fed. That was easy enough to understand.

“Speaking of that, you may employ chefs of your own for that since the orphanage director chambers naturally feature a modest kitchen that may be used for such endeavors”, the High Priest commented and I nodded thoughtfully.

How did one acquire a chef? Maybe Benno knew. Or Frieda. The guildmaster dealt with food, right?

The stairs that we then climbed after we had left the main hallway and went outside for a short time were truly devious.

“High Priest? You said it is bad manners to spread your wings indoors, but why do you bother with taking the steps right now? These stairs are outdoors, correct? Would that also be bad manners?”, I inquired and was met with another of his divine smiles as he turned around to face me.

“It is not bad manners, merely the height of decadence to waste mana on flying such a short distance, Myne. These are not even twenty steps. Surely, anybody can just walk them”, he chided me and I tried to hide my panting from climbing the first five.

His look was very similar to Benno whenever he was about to let his thunder rain down on me for doing something he thought was ridiculous.

I really could not understand why he would not want to fly any chance he got. Just this morning when he brought me from that estate to the temple at superspeed had been so awesome that I just could not wait to repeat that! It had been a bit awkward to basically hug myself to his chest so that my wings would not get too much in the way while he carried us both but the feeling of wind and speed had been so much fun! How much mana could that have been anyway? He had not seemed exhausted or anything.

As Fran opened the doors to the orphanage for us all the people inside instantly lined up and knelt down.

“High Priest, to which circumstances do we owe the honor of your visit?”, one of adult gray priests inquired with a calm voice and looked up at him. I was impressed how graceful he was at that. But he also did not have to maneuver wings at the same time! That ought to be harder than without!

“Sister Myne has joined the temple as an apprentice blue shrine maiden and naturally requires attendants. Those with experience with serving blue priests step forth and line up over there, those with experience serving blue shrine maidens over here”, he ordered with an authoritative tone that made it obvious that he was used to being obeyed. He did not sound particularly unkind right now, but he had seemed a bit kinder this morning when it was just us nevertheless. Hm.

“Just you two? Nobody else here has experience with serving a blue shrine maiden?”, he demanded to know as he frowned at the slim selection.

But, realistically, how many could I need?

“We apologize, High Priest, the other gray shrine maidens that had experience with serving blue shrine maidens have already found employment with other blue priests”, one of the two, the only adult one judging from her tied up hair, explained which seemed to stress her out deeply.

Were they usually treated like the High Bishop had talked about wanting to treat me? No wonder that she was so afraid to even just talk to a noble.

“I see. You two then will become Sister Myne's attendants. And two more of the apprentice gray shrine maidens who have already finished their basic education”, he concluded and let his eyes wander across the room.

“Also spare pickings for those with experience with blue priests”, he commented but I did not really get what he meant. There were easily ten gray priests lined up for his inspection. Even though eight of them noticeably tried to avoid eye contact with him.

Was he really so intimidating to them?

“Just you two then, hm”, he commented and assigned the only two who did not flinch away from him to me.

“Sister Myne is also to become the new orphanage director so your first task as her attendants will be to clean her chambers and write a list of what might be missing”, he instructed my new attendants who seemed surprised at that sudden revelation before he took me back with him.

In his office I then dove into the dullness of administrative paperwork, mana offerings and prayer texts. At least a lot of reading was involved here and the High Priest explained to me every word that I did not understand.

I later learned that he preferred to select ten new attendants at once and then just send those back who could not keep up with his standards. And he had intended to do the same for my attendants but there were not enough shrine maidens for that and the priests with experience who had flinched at his gaze were those he had already rejected once.

Chapter Text

“Myne, according to what your parents reported to me, your family is now living in an apartment on one of the upper levels of the Gilberta Company store. As this is in a part of the lower city that carriages frequently visit, I can agree to your wish to continue living with them for the time being. In that regard, I already sent word of your arrival today at fifth bell”, the High Priest informed me while I tried to memorize the prayer that came before every meal in the temple under Fran's guidance. He himself did not even look up from the paperwork he was working on as he spoke.

“Yes! Thank you, High Priest!”, I exclaimed and almost jumped up from the chair in excitement but Fran's stern gaze stopped me at the last moment.

“But isn't it already almost fifth bell? Why did you only tell me now?”, I asked while wiggling on my chair in anticipation. Fran sighed and pulled my chair back so that I could try to hop off from it.

“Because you would have been distracted for the whole day”, the High Priest commented with a slight grin and considering the sudden jump in my mood I totally had to agree. Mom! Dad! Tuuli! Oh, and Benno as well, I guess.

I could feel the buzz in my whole body upon this glorious reveal. I had wondered whether I really had to sleep in those orphanage director chambers which, while elegant, definitely lacked any sense of 'home' when I had inspected them after lunch.

My new attendants had not been very pleased with that surprise visit since they were in the middle of cleaning it from the ground up.

But the High Priest shortly looked up before he only sighed at me.

“Myne, calm yourself. Your wings are vibrating and exuding mana in the process”, he advised dejectedly and I turned my head around to see what he meant.

He was right. My wings were... shivering? But not only the wings per se but more like each and every single feather? And there was truly some faintly yellow mist that hovered around them. Spooky!

“Wha? How do I make that stop?!”

I almost panicked as I tried to pull the wings in with that one muscle on my neck he had taught me about so far but it only helped while I actively contracted it. As soon as I lessened the tension they were... shivering again.

“Breathe. In. Count to four. Out. Count to four”, he provided in a monotonous voice without even looking up from his paperwork again. I was not sure whether his calmness was meant to calm me down or whether he cared more about his paperwork than my current situation.

But as I tried to follow his advice it seemed indeed quite helpful. As I turned my head around for confirmation I noticed that my wings had returned to a calm state.

“Whew. Is that normal? Does that happen to you, too, High Priest?”, I asked when I decided that I did not need to focus on my breathing anymore.

“It happens to those who are not in full control of their emotions and mana. In that sense it is normal. But no, it does not happen to me, Myne”, he smirked at the last part which made me pout. Okay, okay, he was always in control of his emotions and mana. Understood. Show-off.

“Is that truly the face to show to the person who arranged for your carriage ride home?”, he chided me with a noticeably evil grin and I turned on my own brightest smile in a not very subtle attempt to placate him.

“Of course not! You are the best, High Priest!”

Even though he did not outright acknowledge it, he seemed somewhat pacified by that as he sounded amused while he scoffed.

Fran guided me to the carriage that was already waiting for me, but as soon as I tried to enter I noticed a seemingly insurmountable obstacle.

The door.

At first I thought it would be wide enough for me since I was basically as big as a five year old but I had not accounted for my wings! Even retracted they made me way wider than before. All the doors and hallways in the temple had been wide and spacious but this carriage door? I wondered whether it was even wide enough for Dad.

But taking a step back and trying to enter sideways was also not possible since the steps were super steep already and I was not agile enough to ascend them sideways while trying to maneuver my wings through the door.

Why, oh why was I once again hindered by a stupid door?!

I tried my hardest not to cry but the High Priest had been very firm that I could only go home if I was in a carriage.

Whatever should I do?!

As I stood there pitifully and wailing internally in my own misery, I heard Fran calling out to me.

“Sister Myne, please forgive me”, he said as he reached below my arms to lift me up slightly before he then tilted me just enough so that I could fit through the door.

“Please allow me to accompany you, Sister Myne”, he then begged and I considered the very likely possibility that I would require his help for leaving the carriage once again. He at least was somewhat used to handling winged people. I was not sure how well Benno and Mark fared in that regard. My family was definitely as clueless as me.

“Will you take the carriage home, Fran?” I was not going to let him walk in his robes through the lower city. He would stand out way too much.

“...”

“Because this is my condition for you to accompany me”, I clarified and he agreed with only slightly furrowed brows before he entered as well.

As soon as the door closed the carriage began to move. But sitting was not really an option. The benches in the carriage were not very deep. Even when I tried to sit only on the edge I felt how my wings were squeezed against the walls.

Admittedly, I still had trouble to really 'feel' with them, but this was definitely uncomfortable. Fran noticed my plight and offered me to stabilize me while I just stood in the middle of the carriage which at least did not put too much pressure on my wings.

“Fran, how do nobles survive carriage rides? I am sure the High Priest did not order such a small one as an oversight or something. There must be a trick, right?”

I sighed my worries in Fran's general direction but due to the setup we had arrived at for me to be somewhat comfortable I could not look him in the eyes.

“Nobles usually fold their wings in front of their chests for carriage rides, Sister Myne. It always looks so graceful when they enter and depart that I never considered the possibility that it was an acquired skill. Forgive me, Sister Myne, for not noticing sooner”, he apologized but I just shook my head to wave his worries away.

“Then I will use the rest of today to figure out more about how to operate these wings. Thank you, Fran, for pointing me in the right direction”, I smiled at him even though he as well was not really able to see my face but maybe he could hear it in my voice.

At least the ride from the temple to the Gilberta Company was a short one. Since I had to travel standing and had to deal with all the shaking it was actually quite exhausting. And I also had been awake for almost a full day now considering that I had awoken some time yesterday evening and then spent the whole night answering the High Priest's questions.

When the carriage came to a halt and the door was opened I was welcomed by Mark who was as calm and friendly as usual.

Fran then departed first and gestured me close to the door before he then once again apologized for maneuvering me out of the carriage.

“Welcome, Sister Myne. Please feel invited to enter our humble store”, Mark greeted me with a shocking amount of formality which made me question whatever I might have gotten myself into with these blue robes. But there was no gain in staying on the street so I allowed Mark to usher me in. And Fran joined us.

“Ehm, Fran, did you not promise me that you will take the carriage back to the temple?”, I asked with a raised eyebrow while Mark guided us in graceful hurry to the second floor of the Gilberta Company.

I had never thought of those stairs as narrow but now it felt as if I was brushing the walls with every slightly wobbling step.

“And this is what I shall do. In the morning tomorrow. You cannot stay without attendants, Sister Myne”, he responded and I shook my head.

“My family can take care of me here, Fran. You need to rest, too”, I tried to make him see how unreasonable he was but he did not budge.

“Sister Myne, Master Benno is expecting you already”, Mark said as he opened the door as soon as we arrived at it. Benno was sitting at his desk and was working on some ledgers as he looked up, saw me, widened his eyes and immediately jumped up.

“Myne?!” He seemed torn between multiple things he wanted to say and I just smiled at him apologetically.

“Those wings are way too big, aren't they?”, I addressed the elephant in the room while Benno tried to gather himself.

“Those... they let you enter the lower city with those?”, Benno asked with a difficult frown on his face and I sighed dramatically.

“Only in the parts where I can reasonably go by carriage. Did my parents not tell you that that was the reason why they needed something in the northern part of the city? Oh! By the way! Thank you so much for renting them something, Benno!”, I hastily added my thanks to my explanation and I noticed how he clicked his tongue.

“Well, yeah, they did say something like this. But I thought your wings would be smaller. Way way smaller. These are wings even archnobles would be proud of”, Benno remarked cautiously but I just tilted my head.

“Are you really allowed to be here, Myne?”, he inquired while glancing at Fran and I sighed.

“Benno, the High Priest even arranged for my carriage ride. What is all this about?” I really did not understand why he was so confused.

“Myne, forgive me for being so harsh about this, but you must be worth a fortune if those wings are any indication. Usually, those with the Devouring have tiny wings, Myne, and they are already quite a favored... resource.... And here you are with wings that make it hard for you to pass through the hallways of my store. That you are not locked up somewhere comes as an utter shock and relief to me”, he explained with reluctance and I had trouble to place his words.

“The High Priest is really nice about this whole submission contract thing”, I said quietly and Benno nodded before he finally sat down again.

“That much seems to be true”, he agreed as he leaned back on his chair and took a few deep breaths.

“Okay, okay, I think I have survived the shock of seeing somebody with your wing size in my store in the lower city”, he eventually said as he straightened his back and looked at me eagerly.

“So, now, tell me everything. You are now an apprentice blue shrine maiden, you are allowed to keep your workshop, you will commute from your parents' apartment on the fourth floor to the temple. What else do I need to know? What is your plan? How can I help you with this and how will we turn a nice profit from that?”, he inquired with a glimmer in his eyes that felt way more assuring than his shock moments before.

But it seemed everything that I then told him was something he had already heard from my parents. He seemed utterly deflated as I explained that I was about to do paperwork in the temple and offer my mana. Nothing that really provided any business opportunities.

“Your parents said you wanted to sell me some new invention”, Benno remarked cautiously and I nodded.

“I do, maybe something printing related? Or hm... some recipe? Or how about candles that don't stink up your whole house in winter? Ah, wait, that is for sure no problem if you have money, right?”, I stumbled for a moment over my thoughts. Inventing something on the spot was not so easy.

“Ah, the candles sound good, we can talk about that in the next days, I think. For now I just took the money for their rent from your account, I hope that was okay for you”, he said and I confirmed that immediately.

“That you made that happen in just three days is super impressive, Benno!”, I exclaimed but he raised an eyebrow at me as if I had said something strange.

“You have been gone for more than two weeks, Myne. If not for the regular updates that Lutz requested from the temple we would not have known whether the whole agreement was still on”, he explained and I turned my head to look at Fran.

“I slept for more than two weeks?”, I asked him with confusion and he nodded.

“The High Priest has been monitoring your recovery sleep the whole time and ensured that it progressed as intended. You have awoken sixteen days after your surgery. Today is the seventeenth day”, Fran supplied and my jaw dropped.

Was that also because of these wings? The High Priest had said that my recovery sleep was not as good as he had hoped due to their sheer size. Maybe it also took longer?

“But still. Two weeks is still a super fast time!”, I praised him once again and he laughed weakly at that.

“Consider it a service from your favorite merchant”, he said with a wink.

“So... I take it that you do not have anything to wear, right? I already informed Corinna that you would be dropping by and will be in need of some dresses that accommodate your new wings”, he explained but I was not sure whether that was really the right approach.

“Ehm, Benno, Corinna is such a magnificent seamstress, will her work not be wasted on me? Surely I should be fine with second-hand clothes still, right?”, I hoped against hope to protect the money I had made so far from being spent on just way too fancy clothes.

“Myne, how many clothes worn by nobles with huge cutouts on the backs do you think are available in second-hand stores in the lower city, where commoners tend to shop?”, he inquired with his usual thunder in his eyes like he had done in the past whenever I had asked a foolish question.

Eeeeep!

“Not so many?”, I answered shyly and I was grateful for the desk that now put enough distance between us to shield me from his fury.

“Fool! There are none! Because nobles do not visit the lower city and especially not to sell their old clothes!”, he erupted which made Fran wince.

“Ehm, don't worry, Fran. This is normal”, I quickly clarified and Benno relented almost immediately as well.

“I thank you for arranging a meeting with Corinna, Benno”, I tried to defuse the situation politely so that Fran had a chance to relax.

“By the way, Benno. How do I get chefs? I now have attendants and apparently it is my duty as their lady to provide food for them”, I explained and I saw him raise an eyebrow at my apparently unexpected request.

“I... will find some for you”, he promised with a sigh before he then shooed me away to meet with Corinna.

“Please come in, Myne, Benno already told me to expect you and some rush orders”, Corinna said as soon as Fran opened the door for me.

She at least hid her surprise a bit better than Benno.

“Yep, they are huge”, I simply stated and she just smiled at me in return.

“Good thing then that I did not add any back panels yet to your new dresses”, she said which confused me.

“Your mother already showed me how big your dresses usually are and I made some that should fit you once the back panels are added. Those with the Devouring usually only have small enough wings that simple cutouts are enough to accommodate them, but with those like yours special wrapping techniques need to applied”, Corinna explained and guided me to a stool to sit on while she rang a bell and a helper came almost immediately.

“Could you get Effa and Tuuli for me?”, she inquired and the helper left almost as fast as she had arrived.

“It will be quite important that they know how to handle your new dresses, right?”, she suggested and I nodded hesitantly. That dressing myself was out of the question from now on was a bit disheartening.

“Now to get you out of those robes”, Corinna spoke and shot Fran a glance.

“Sister Myne, I will be waiting outside this room. Please do not hesitate to call for me, if you require anything”, he stated but I was still confused why he refused to just return to the temple.

“You can just take the carriage home, Fran”, I proposed but he shook his head.

“My apologies, Sister Myne, but the High Priest asked me to make sure that you do not encounter any issues”, he said which made me tilt my head in confusion.

“But there are no issues here, Fran. And my family is also here to help me”, I said.

“But there might be issues at a later point”, he stubbornly insisted and I just sighed as he went outside.

When Mom and Tuuli entered the workshop the whole spiel about the sheer size of my wings began anew. I could see Tuuli almost dying from curiosity but my new wardrobe had priority.

At least wing-appropriate clothes were also interesting for both Mom and Tuuli so they helped Corinna with a bright shine in their eyes as she was designing the pattern of my back panels.

It felt a bit exhausting to have so many people focusing on and draping fabric over my back so much, but I definitely needed clothes that I could wear with wings.

“Corinna, do you mind if I stay in your workshop a bit longer?”, I asked after I was dressed back in that white surgery dress with the wide open back. It felt a bit daring to wear but I could not sleep in my blue robes and even if Corinna worked all night for the necessary adjustments it meant I had nothing else to wear for tonight. Fran had just reentered the room to see whether I required anything now that the measurements were taken and the initial fitting was over.

“Sure, but do you not want to see your parents' new apartment?”, Corinna asked back without looking up from the fabric in front of her that she was basting to the rest of my first new dress.

“I'd like to use your mirrors, Corinna. I can barely tell where these wings are and I only know one move with them”, I explained sheepishly and I noticed Mom's and Tuuli's exasperated smiles.

“You cannot tell where they are, Myne? Even though they are so huge?”, Mom asked and I sadly shook my head.

“Which move can you do with them already?”, Tuuli added.

“I can retract them if they are spread, but I need to be told like half the time because I do not even notice when they are.” I sighed and thought back to the High Priest's exasperation with me for that.

“So they spread on their own?”, Tuuli asked with a raised eyebrow before she walked around me to inspect them more closely. I could see her doing so in one of Corinna's mirrors. Mom's face showed a mixture of worry and curiosity as well.

“Apparently, there are a few reflexes at work that make them spread. The High Priest called it 'flap-reflex' and said it is triggered by my 'spot' being hit”, I said and noticed Tuuli's confused reflection.

“Your 'spot'? Ah! You mean this?”, she asked mischievously and scritched that one particular spot between my shoulder blades that made me close my eyes and shudder with bliss. Oh yessss, that felt so good!

“Ehm, oops?”, Tuuli suddenly said and stopped her scritches even though I did not know why.

“Sister Myne, I will be waiting outside the door again”, Fran said quietly as I opened my eyes. Huh? But I was not getting dressed again, why did he choose to leave me alone after he had been so insistent that I do not stay without an attendant?

“Ehm, okay”, I said and tried to gauge what might have caused that reaction. But as soon as I caught a glimpse of my wings in the mirror I was positively distracted.

“They are completely fluffed up now?!”, I exclaimed and tried to touch them, but they were hard to reach with my short arms.

“My, what a sight”, Corinna remarked with an amused grin after she had looked up from her work at my words.

“How do I revert that?”, I asked with slight panic but obviously none of the others would know that.

“Can you slap that spot, Tuuli? Maybe they return to normal with that flap-reflex?”, I added torn between hopefulness and hopelessness.

“Oh, okay, but only a little, I do not want to hurt you”, Tuuli agreed and I heard a loud 'flap' almost as soon as I felt her soft slap.

“Woah!”

“Myne...”

I was relieved that the attempt had been a success but now I really saw for the first time just how big these wings were.

“I see why the High Priest did not want me to spread them indoors”, I mumbled while now both Tuuli and Mom were walking around me to inspect them.

“But they are not fluffed up anymore, right?”, I asked them for their opinion and both nodded.

“No, they are straight again”, Mom confirmed and I sighed in relief.

“At least that....”

“So, you said you can retract them?”, Tuuli asked and stared at my wings with widened eyes.

“Yeah, there is this muscle here”, I said and touched the part of my neck to indicate its location before I contracted it and pulled both wings in. This time I even managed to do that for both sides at the same time.

“Woah! That was so cool!”, Tuuli exclaimed with amazement and I could not help but smile.

“It would be even cooler if I knew how to move them fully – the carriage ride was really bad with those super small doors and narrow benches”, I noted and Mom nodded empathically.

“Shall I have a look whether there might be any obvious differences between your and Tuuli's back? You were always so knobby but that seems to be gone now after your surgery”, Mom proposed and I looked at her in confusion.

“If that is okay for you, Tuuli, you would be shirtless, right?”, I said a bit worried, but Tuuli seemed eager as always to help me out.

“It's only us girls here, no problem!”, she confirmed and I was so thankful once again for her being my big sister.

You should be the one with wings, Tuuli! Since you are the angel here!

So as soon as we stood side by side with our bare backs directed to Mom she began to slowly trace the muscles on our backs.

“Hm, it seems there is a difference here, at this rip, Myne”, Mom proposed and poked the spot she was referring to. I touched it myself and she was right. It felt a bit sinewy. According to all that I had read about human anatomy there should not be any sinews there.

“Hm. But where to pull on that one?”, I mused as I let my fingers follow the sinew up and down as far as I could. I could feel Mom's fingers following that path up in the direction of my shoulder blades and as she pressed slightly on one particular point I could feel an impact on that sinew. Contracting a muscle that I had not even known existed was super strange, but as I concentrated on it I could suddenly feel some sort of release inside my back before I heard the muffled sound of a collision at the same time that I saw my wings extend in a straight line behind my back. Directly into Mom.

“Mom?!”, I shouted and resisted the urge to turn around as I feared I might hurt her like that as she seemed trapped between my wings. But Mom simply dove out underneath and showed me with her roaring laughter that everything was fine.

“Whew, Myne, I guess we should keep a proper distance before you experiment with moving these”, Mom suggested while trying to stifle her laughter.

“Did I hurt you?”, I asked cautiously but Mom shook her head.

“No, I think I am just small enough that I was not hit by a bone, just your super soft feathers”, Mom said and rubbed her cheek on them as if to underline how nice they felt.

“Oh, are they really super soft?!”, Tuuli asked excitedly and came around to rub her own cheek on them as well. I did not really know how to feel about that but it did not feel unpleasant.

“Aww, I want to rub my cheek on them as well!”, I pouted but those wings were now as far out of my reach as possible.

“You are super long now, Myne”, Tuuli observed and I had to agree after one glance in the arrangement of mirrors.

“But at least not as wide anymore. I should fit through the carriage door like this, but I guess I will not be able to turn around and close the door if they are so long”, I mused and Mom took a step back before she spoke again.

“And if you do that retraction move now? How will they fall back from that?”, she asked and I was as unaware of the answer as her.

“Tuuli, can you get out of range? I do not want to hit you if something goes wrong”, I warned and as soon as she went to the side of the room I contracted those neck muscles I had identified.

“Congratulations, you are only a bit long now and not wide”, Mom remarked with a proud smile and I grinned widely in return.

“It would have taken me ages to figure that out alone, thank you Mom and Tuuli!”

“I always knew that you were absolutely special!”, Dad proclaimed as soon as he got over the first shock of seeing my wings.

“We were so worried when the only updates we got were those that said it would take longer than expected and to remain patient”, he confided and I hugged him firmly to make exorbitantly clear that I had missed him as well. He seemed a bit confused at first on where to put his own arms for the return hug in order to not squish my wings, but Dad would not have been Dad if he had not been able to figure that out after just a short period of trial and error.

“I just slept in some kind of potion that helped me recover. But these wings were so massive that I needed to recover more”, I tried to provide as much information as I had and Dad nodded eagerly.

“Yeah, to think that those were inside your back the whole time. No wonder you always had to struggle so much”, Dad said and squeezed me firmly.

We talked about their move into Benno's house and my day at the temple while we ate dinner and a long while after that still.

“Time for bed, Myne”, Tuuli called me out after my head had drooped for the third time in a short while. She was always looking out for me.

As I followed her into our bedroom I could feel how much more fancy our new apartment really was compared to our previous living conditions.

First of all, everything was clean. No cobwebs, no trampled dirt on the floor, nothing. And the sheets were so white, I had even forgotten that that was a possible state for sheets.

But as I tried to sit down, I noticed that I had a problem.

“Ehm. Does anybody how nobles sleep with these wings?”, I voiced my concerns and Tuuli stared at me as if she as well had completely overlooked the problem at hand.

“Sleeping on your back is out, right? How about on your side?”, Tuuli proposed and I let myself fall down sideways to try it out. A faint pressure originating somewhere behind my back made me stand up again.

“No, that's not comfortable at all, despite this bed being so soft”, I said with a sad smile.

“The bed in the orphanage director chambers was quite large but apart from that it seemed like a normal bed...”, I grumbled as I considered the logistics of something as simple as sleeping.

“Then you will have to sleep on your stomach, no?”, Mom chimed in and I sighed.

“Yeah, that seems like it. Good thing we figured out how to make me less wide”, I noted and climbed into a sleeping position on my stomach without squishing my wings in the process. Tuuli snuggled close to me and I put my arm around her. I missed you, Tuuli!

“Hpfhfphph”, was the sound I woke up to as I was shaken awake by Tuuli.

“Myne, your wings”, she grumbled as she was gasping for air and I could feel a certain pull behind my back. As I looked in her direction still super sleepy I noticed that my wings had dropped down and were apparently now suffocating both Tuuli and Dad. Eeeeep?!

I was immediately wide awake and did my new move of pulling my wings behind my back which seemed to allow Dad to breathe properly again. Mom was sleeping on her stomach as well and was therefore the only one apparently not affected by my new, messy sleeping style.

“Come here, Myne”, Dad grumbled sleepily and pulled me over to him. He then lodged my stomach on his stomach which meant that my wings were now more like another blanket for everybody else. At first I thought he might be angry at me, but he was so warm and comfy that I immediately fell asleep again and did not waste any more thoughts on that. And this time everybody was able to sleep till morning.

“Myne, you need to wake up”, Mom said as I slowly opened my eyes. Being awake for so long yesterday had really taken a toll on me. Even though I had to admit that I had expected worse than sleepiness from all my experiences with exhaustion pre-surgery so far. I am really getting stronger! Ehehehe!

“Good morning, Mom”, I said with a smile and tried to roll around in bed. It seemed at some point Dad had sneaked out under me to get ready for work as I was the last one still lying in bed.

“You need to go to the temple for work, right?”, Mom suggested and I was immediately wide awake. Right! I could not risk being late on my second day!

“Come here, Myne, Corinna brought your first new dress over. It seems like she worked super late so that you have something to wear today”, Mom said and began to get me out of my white surgery dress.

“I will wash this for you so that you can wear it tomorrow, okay?” Her motherly love came through in every gesture and especially now.

“You are the best, Mom!”, I said while she then helped me into my new light blue dress that I could wear under my blue robes without issue which she then also helped to put over that dress.

“It is a bit of a shame that your beautiful new dress will not really be visible but you cannot wear those robes directly on your skin or they will get too dirty”, Mom lamented with a quiet sigh and I had to agree that it felt like a waste. I had not yet asked for the price of my new clothes but I knew that somebody as skilled as Corinna was not going to work for cheap.

“Hm, I think I will need your attendant's help to get this sash right. It is just gliding off these robes”, Mom said after her third try.

“Fran is still here? Did he not... return to the temple in the evening?” I was shocked at that sudden reveal.

“Dad has a habit to check whether the door is locked and he saw that he was still standing outside at that point. He invited him for some leftovers from dinner, which he accepted but then he just said he would wait outside again so I told him to at least sit at our kitchen table”, Mom explained with a difficult expression on her face.
Fran....

“Yeah, please ask him, I think he might know how to do that”, I agreed and Mom bade him inside.

And then he froze.

“Sister Myne, what happened to your wings?”, he asked with a barely closed mouth but I just tilted my head in confusion.

“Bwuh?”

“You cannot leave your apartment like this, Sister Myne”, he insisted and I turned around to look at them. However, since they were pulled back again, I could not see the issue.

“They are a bit ruffled, Myne”, Mom commented with a slight chuckle and came over in an attempt to brush them with her fingers.

“Oh, is there a trick to that? Fran, can you perhaps help me here?”, Mom asked but Fran shook his head with a pale expression.

“My apologies, but this would be absolutely inappropriate”, Fran declared and looked away while Mom tried to untangle my feathers and called over Tuuli for more helping hands.

“Yes, Mom?”, Tuuli said as she entered our bedroom before she broke out into laughter at my apparently miserable state.

“Oh gods, Myne, what happened in the half bell since I woke up and left you alone in bed? You did not look so ruffled back then”, she laughed and came over to help Mom.

“Huh, why do they not stay like this? Why do they become tangled again?” Tuuli's words did not really make me optimistic and Fran doing his best to not look at them and instead staring at the wall did not help either.

“Fran, can you not help them out?”, I asked slightly worried about Mom's and Tuuli's rising frustration.

“We should head to temple and have Rosina and Wilma see to your wings, Sister Myne”, Fran spoke in the direction of the wall.

“Maybe he is right”, Mom said with an unsatisfied tone.

“I have a feeling we are just making it worse”, she declared and stopped her attempts of straightening my feathers.

“But, Fran, attaching her sash should be okay for you to help with, right?”, she asked hopefully and Fran finally turned around.

“Yes, that is no issue at all”, he stated and went over to me but I still saw him cringing every time he caught a glimpse of my wings.

The sash was tied in no time at all and we hurriedly ate breakfast before it was time to return by carriage.

I was indeed able to enter it on my own now, but I still required Fran's help to steady me as I was still unable to sit down.

As soon as we entered the temple he immediately brought me into the orphanage director chambers where Rosina and Wilma as well as Nikola and Monica were staring at me with wide eyes. They had not expected me to visit these chambers so early in the morning.

“Sister Myne requires proper wing care”, Fran said before he hurriedly left, most likely to report my return to the High Priest.

Meanwhile all four of my female attendants began to descend unto me while Fritz and Bartz exited the room as well. Wilma sent Monica to get some specialized tools, while Rosina asked me to spread my wings.

“Ehm, Rosina, I do not know how to do that yet”, I said but she just stared at me uncomprehending but still elegantly.

“You do not know how to spread your wings?”, she asked with a polite smile which made me blush. Sorry!

“Can you perhaps trigger my flap-reflex, Rosina?”, I asked and now it was her turn to blush.

“This is usually not done, but considering the dire circumstances you are in I agree that it might be necessary”, she said before she took her spot behind me and gently slapped the spot between my shoulder blades.

I really had to learn that fast! People slapping me was not a good look at all!

The dire circumstances turned out to be absolutely dire as it took them almost half a bell to get me into a presentable state. Half a bell that I should have already spent working on paper work.

“You are late”, the High Priest noted with a slightly displeased tone as I finally entered his chambers.

“I apologize deeply, High Priest. My feathers got ruffled over night which I did not account for in my schedule”, I said with my head hung low.

“...I see.” It did not seem like he wanted to think about it any more than necessary as he focused back on the wooden board in front of him.

“So you require an attendant at home. Employ one, then, if you wish to stay there, as you cannot expect Fran to join you every night. And he is also not suitable for taking care of your wings”, he advised without looking up but I shook my head.

“That is not a very good use of money, High Priest. My Mom and Tuuli would gladly help out if they just knew how. Is there not a way to teach them how to untangle those feathers?”, I inquired and tilted my head. It did not make sense to pay somebody who was trained to work for nobles just because I messed up my feathers in my sleep. That skill ought to be expensive!

He sighed at me before he put his finger to his temple and glanced in my direction.

“Your sister may join the training sessions that your inexperienced attendants are surely receiving currently and over the next days and weeks”, he declared and I smiled at him as wide as I could.

“You are the best, High Priest!”

“...now check these budgets, if you would.” Sigh. At least he was not really mad at me.

Chapter Text

“Did you have a chance to adjust to your wings by now, Myne?”, the High Priest inquired after I had finished my post-lunch mana dedication.

“A bit, but not really. Mom and Tuuli helped figuring them out a bit better but I still find them strange and unpredictable”, I answered which earned me a raised eyebrow.

“The strangeness seems understandable but in which ways are they unpredictable to you?”, the High Priest asked while tapping his temple with a finger.

“Well... why do they fluff up when that spot is scritched?” That still had me baffled. And for the shortest moment it seemed that he was baffled as well. He usually only seemed to switch his facial expressions between stoically neutral and divinely smiling but I was sure I had just seen something different. But it was too short to put a name to it.

“Myne. Do not tell me about that. Never. Just don't”, he demanded and I was surprised by his sudden intensity. Did he not just ask me to tell him about it?

“Ehm, okay? Soooo...?” I really did not know how to answer his question then and he seemed to have realized the same thing at the same time as he sighed quite dramatically.

And then he just said some strange word and pulled a little dove out of his sleeve like he was a frigging magician! He glared at me, most likely because I was staring at him with an open mouth, but how else could I have reacted here? What kind of magic trick was that?!

“Eckhart, please inquire whether that favor we discussed yesterday can be hastened. Even today will be fine”, he spoke seemingly into the little bird that he was poking with a stick before the little bird took flight.

“Noooo! It's going to crash into the window!”, I exclaimed as I saw it heading just straight there. The High Priest however seemed only exasperated at me and sighed just once more.

“It's a magic tool. It does not crash into windows”, he said and I just stared at the window the little bird had just passed through. He could just use magic so casually?! How cool was that?!

“Close your mouth, Myne. It is unsightly. Let us return to the paperwork since we rested long enough”, he declared and ushered me in the direction of the desk that I had been working on since morning. How could he not see what a big deal it was to just conjure some bird?!

But I did not voice any objections since I knew already that it would be futile. However, I could not stop staring as the little bird returned after a short while and landed directly on the High Priest's arm. And he poked it again! Poor birdie!

“Lord Ferdinand, you are invited for fifth bell today and may join for dinner afterwards”, the deep voice of a man resounded that did not fit the little bird at all. So those birds were like voice recordings?

But after I thought it had ended it just repeated its message once again. And once more after that. How strange.

“Myne, return to your chambers. Tell your attendants that you will be leaving to visit the noble's quarter in half a bell”, he said after the bird had disappeared again.

Eeeep?! Why would I need to visit the noble's quarter?!

“High Priest, what will I be doing in the noble's quarter?”, I asked cautiously, Benno's words about devourers being a valuable resource suddenly popping into my mind.

“I arranged for the lecture about wing anatomy that you requested which is clearly more urgently needed than I anticipated”, he commented absentmindedly while already focusing back on the paperwork on his own desk.

Whew. So I did not tick him off enough to just sell me off. He also did not seem like the type for that so far....

When I arrived at my chambers my whole attendants basically panicked at the task. They lamented the lack of time for a proper bath – and the lack of a proper bathtub anyway – and hurriedly began to prepare me. Two of them were messing with my hair, two with my wings and two were trying to educate me as much as possible about interacting with nobles during all that. But the High Priest was going to accompany me, right? So everything should be alright!

As I was led to the gate of the temple that was apparently connected to the noble's quarter I saw the High Priest standing in front of a carriage. It was bigger than the one he had arranged for me yesterday evening and this morning, but its door still seemed rather small.

“Ah, there you are, come, Myne”, he said and gestured me to the carriage.

“Ehm, High Priest, Fran mentioned that there is some kind of folding technique involved for your wings in order to easily use a carriage?”, I asked hesitantly while eyeing his wings. His were even bigger than mine, both relatively speaking and in absolute dimensions, but he did not seem to anticipate any problems with that carriage. And why could we not just fly there? Wasn't ordering a full carriage way more decadent than flying for a short while?

He scrutinized me shortly before he put a finger to his temple again.

“One could call it as such, yes”, he eventually relented and spread his wings to the maximum. Wow! They even sparkled with the sunlight hitting them like that!

He shot me a glare and then demonstrated slowly how to wrap them in front of one's body.

At first, he seemed to pull them up with his arms spread to the side. The wings were now so high actually that he was almost twice as tall as before, before he then maneuvered them one after the other over his shoulders and somehow twisted them so that they ended up in front of his chest. That had to be like four moves condensed in one, right?

I frowned slightly in exasperation and envy as I stared at him. Part of his wings were basically resting on his shoulders now which made his feathers frame his face in a way that made it hard to look away.

How could one guy be so stunningly handsome? And now even with sparkles around his face. Was that just the effect of the wings?

He raised an eyebrow at me that spoke of his disapproval of my reaction and then entered the carriage. I pulled my wings back and followed.

“Myne. How do you intend to sit like this? Did you not want to see the correct way of moving the wings so that you could copy me?”, he asked in exasperation as I stood in the middle of the carriage.

I had fit through the door like this, but I could neither really turn around nor sit down on the bench across of him.

“I am sure, I will be able to do what you did after today's lecture?”, I proposed hesitantly and he sighed.

“I see. Then you will have to stand for the whole ride”, he stated with a somehow distant look in his eyes while the door was closed.

“Ehm. Does Fran not join us?”, I asked as it was really only the two of us now.

“No, we won't need gray priests for our visit since Lady Elvira, the one we are about to meet, has noble attendants to take care of everything”, he explained and I felt how the carriage began to move. However, it was actually quite calm.

“Bwuh? It's not shaking?”, I said and saw out of the corner of my eye how he was raising an eyebrow at me.

“Carriages that enter the noble's quarter are equipped with magic tools that eliminate the shaking”, he noted and I suppressed a jealous frown.

“Being a noble sure sounds nice”, I acknowledged with a sigh and heard him cough.

“It comes with its own set of constraints. Proper noble etiquette being one of the big ones. That reminds me... are you able to give a standard noble greeting?”, he asked with a hint of doubt in his voice and I forced a smile while I turned my head in his direction.

“May I pray for a blessing in appreciation of... this beautiful summer day blessed by Leidenschaft?”, I suggested and was met with a divine smile. Did I guess correctly?!

“If your intention is to insult our host then this greeting will do just fine”, he mocked me and shook his head.

“The correct phrasing is 'May I pray for a blessing in appreciation of this serendipitous meeting ordained by the vibrant summer rays of Leidenschaft, the God of Fire', even though we will need to express our thanks for Dregarnuhr, the Goddess of Time, and her weaving our threads together first”, he instructed and I really, really wished for some pen and paper to write all that down.

The High Priest must have noticed my apprehension as he made me repeat those words over and over again until he was satisfied. How far into the noble's quarter were we even driving? It already felt like ages!

But maybe that was just my impression since I was standing and juggling all those phrases in my head.

“So, show me whether you are able to bless somebody, Myne. Put some of your heat into the ring while you say the blessing”, he said expectantly and I tilted my head at him. Noble greetings involved magic?

But I did as he instructed and put some of my heat into the ring. A huge blue light rained down on the High Priest but instead of him being delighted he seemed almost frustrated.

“Was that bad?”, I asked cautiously and tried to inspect the ring whether it was still okay. The magic tool from the guildmaster had ended up being destroyed when I put my heat into it, after all.

“Just decadent. Do it again, but with less mana. Way less”, he clarified with scrutinizing eyes as I repeated my blessing and only put the tiniest amount of mana into it. A few small lights emerged and rained down on him.

“Good. Remember that amount.”

“I am ever so pleased that Dregarnuhr the Goddess of Time weaved our threads together for this serendipitous meeting ordained by the vibrant summer rays of Leidenschaft, the God of Fire, Lady Elvira”, the High Priest intoned after we had both emerged from the carriage. Him way more gracefully than me.

I was standing to his side and tried my best to hide my nervousness in front of the noble lady that we were apparently visiting.

She was wearing an elaborate dark blue dress that complemented her green hair almost as well as her straw-yellow wings. They went down to her knees and swayed around her with an elegance that not even the High Priest seemed to exude.

I knelt down just as her eyes shifted to me and tried to do my first ever noble greeting that I had just learned so hastily.

“May I pray for a blessing in appreciation of this serendipitous meeting ordained by the vibrant summer rays of Leidenschaft, the God of Fire? I am Myne”, I said and despite speaking a bit too fast to my liking the greeting came out just as I was taught. As I looked up at this Lady Elvira I noticed how she was scrutinizing me. Her eyes were hard while the rest of her face was smiling at me gently.

“You may”, she finally said and I tried to pour that tiny spark of mana into my ring that the High Priest had taught me, but the sudden fear struck me that I had not truly remembered how much that was. I could not mess this up! If none came out that would be super impolite, right?!

“May Lady Elvira be blessed by Leidenschaft, the God of Fire”, I intoned nervously which made several large balls of blue light emerge from my ring and rain down on her. Oooops!

“My, such an enthusiastic blessing”, Elvira commented with a chuckle while I tried to gauge the High Priest's reaction to my blunder. While we had practiced the blessings in the carriage so that I could actively do way smaller ones he still had his divine smile in place so I hopefully had not messed up too badly.

“Please excuse her, Lady Elvira, she got the ring not even two days ago”, he said and I froze.

So I had messed up in front of this noble lady?

“My, Lord Ferdinand, isn't it endearing to be blessed so generously?”, she asked with a playful tone before she gestured us to follow her inside her estate. So she had already forgiven me? Whew.

I rose out of my kneeling position and noticed that we were not alone. Somebody who seemed like an attendant was following her while somebody who seemed like a bodyguard was watching us from a distance as soon as we entered.

We were then led into something that seemed like a room just for drinking tea and were immediately offered seats.

And there I had thought the temple to be impressive. But just this tea room or whatever was just screaming 'money' at me. Money meant influence. And such an important lady would teach me about wing anatomy?

Since I did not want to embarrass the High Priest any further I hoped that being quiet and smiling politely was the right approach right now.

“My, Lord Ferdinand, such an enticing surprise that you wished to meet with me so urgently”, she began as soon as the tea was poured and I noticed how delighted she seemed by the High Priest's presence and the slight wariness her eyes revealed as she glanced at me.

Did the High Priest impose on her by inviting me along? He had called it 'a favor' when he arranged for that, right? Hopefully it did not cost him too dearly.

“There is simply no better Erwachlehren who I could trust with imparting Mestionora's blessings on her since her own Wiegemilch does possess neither mana nor wings”, he said smiling demurely while I understood basically nothing. But I decided that it was wiser to remain silent than to ask him what he had just said. Mestionora was the Goddess of Libraries according to Fran but while I could definitely understand why one would like to talk about libraries in general it felt a bit out of place in the moment.

So I decided to just observe and occupy myself with drinking tea, but as soon as I reached for the tea cup in front of me, the High Priest glared at me. Eeep?! What did I do wrong?

“My, that seems indeed to be the case, Lord Ferdinand, even though it is quite hard to believe considering the sheer size of her wings”, Elvira commented with another elegant chuckle and reached for her own cup.

“Myne, in noble society it is always the host who takes the first sip and the first bite of anything that is offered”, the High Priest noted before he reached out for his own cup and took a sip just as Elvira had finished hers.

“I apologize deeply for my lack of education”, I said and bowed in my seat which earned me even further raised eyebrows but no further comments.

“As you can see, Myne lacks any awareness of proper noble customs, but the most urgent issue, and the reason why I asked for this meeting to be advanced, is her lack of knowledge about her wings. She woke up from her post-surgery jureve not even two days ago but it is already quite troubling to be confronted with her attempts at figuring them out on her own. I would therefore greatly appreciate it, Lady Elvira, if you could provide her with enough guidance today so that she does not embarrass herself and me in association”, he declared and now it was me who raised an eyebrow. I have done something embarrassing?

“My, Lord Ferdinand, how could I ever deny you such a favor”, she giggled politely.

“Might I invite you to a game of gewinnen in the gardens with Eckhart, while we cover the more delicate topics?”, she proposed and the High Priest agreed on the spot.

It seemed the one I had thought to be a bodyguard was actually the High Priest's host while I had my lecture with Lady Elvira. But I could not suppress the feeling of being left alone with a hungry wolf as he went through the door.

Eeeep! What kind of look was that on her face?!

Chapter Text

“So, Myne, now that it is only us ladies here, please do not hesitate to enlighten me about what kind of incident Lord Ferdinand might have just referred to”, Elvira said while she stared over her tea cup and directly into my soul.

Eeeep! Was this really one of the High Priest's 'friends'?!

“Ehm, he did not explain anything so I am not sure whether it is what you are asking about, Lady Elvira, but since he told me to never mention it to him again, it might be just that?”, I scrambled for words almost as much as for ideas. If it was not the fluffing up then I really had no idea what had disturbed him so.

“That sounds like it might be exactly what I am asking about”, Elvira confirmed and put her tea cup down without even making the tiniest noise. But her gaze did not soften at all.

“Well, okay, so, he asked me why I thought my wings were unpredictable and I said that I did not understand why they fluff up when that spot is scritched?”, I reported and I could have sworn that she had just gasped before she giggled with a hand before her mouth and blushing slightly.

“My, that is what you said? Then that explains why you are here today already”, Elvira noted with a polite laughter while I still had no idea what the big deal was.

“Would you mind telling me where and how that scritching occurred, Myne?”, she then asked in a more neutral tone and I tilted my head.

“Yesterday evening I borrowed a room full of mirrors from my seamstress and tried to move those wings a bit more deliberately. And then my sister scritched my spot and those wings just fluffed up completely!”, I summarized the events and Elvira seemed to relax at that as she was chuckling again, seemingly with a bit of relief.

“So it happened in a private space with your sister? But not in the temple, right?”, she asked and I straightened my back. Was this an interrogation?

“Your understanding is correct, Lady Elvira”, I confirmed formally because I had no idea why the mood was shifting so strangely.

“I see. Myne, I assume your parents already taught you about the concept of 'private parts' and 'decency'?”, she then asked and I suppressed a Bwuh?! at the sudden turn in this talk. Don't tell me that 'spot' is a private part?!

“Yes, Lady Elvira. I am aware of those concepts”, I confirmed with a forced smile while Elvira smiled at me in turn.

“That will facilitate things then. Myne, that 'spot' is a very sensitive part of your body as you have already noticed. And that makes it so that it is quite helpful in strengthening intimate bonds. It should therefore not be discussed in polite company”, Elvira explained and reached for her tea cup while I stared at her.

“Intimate as in... (sexual)? No way, please!”, I exclaimed and felt the sudden urge to sink into the ground.

“I am not familiar with the word you just used, Myne”, Elvira said with a slightly raised eyebrow which gave me a second to breathe. If I lost control over my emotions it would just lead to that shivering effect again and I did not care for that right now.

“Lady Elvira, is scritching that spot a... bedroom activity?”, I asked through gritted teeth and tried my hardest to not look into her face. I nevertheless noticed from my side glance her slightly widened eyes as she answered.

“I guess commoners educate their children about that a bit earlier? To answer your question: It can be one. But it is also something that mothers do to bond with their small children and calm them down. Like your mother might have pressed you to her chest when you were little. You already understand that it has a different meaning when a woman does that not with her child, but her husband?”, she asked delicately and I nodded.

Now that I understood that that 'spot' was apparently as sexually connoted as breasts were it made absolute sense why the High Priest had shot me down immediately.

“I thank you ever so much for telling me that, Lady Elvira”, I said as the scene from just a bell ago caused severe horrors inside my mind.

“You must also never allow anybody with mana to touch your wings directly. If somebody who has wings – and it does not matter how small they are – wants to touch yours, Myne, insist on them using mana blocking gloves. The only exception can be a medical checkup, but nothing else, Myne. Your wings are connected directly with the mana organ at your core and you must not allow anybody to reach you there. It is both absolutely improper outside of married couples and will be quite painful”, Elvira continued her lecture and I nodded hesitantly.

How impractical was this life with wings actually? Nobles all had to pay attention to never touch each others' wings?

“Commoners do not pose a risk for your mana, so using them as attendants is usually not an issue even without gloves. But you still should not let a man touch them, Myne. It might give the wrong impression”, Elvira said ominously and I thought back to Fran who had been absolutely flabbergasted at the idea of helping me out with my ruffled feathers.

“And is there any special meaning behind ruffled feathers?”, I asked cautiously and Elvira's chuckle calmed my heart in an instant.

“My, are you perhaps a messy sleeper?”, she mused with a laugh and shook her head slightly as if to shake the thought away.

“It is just very unsightly, Myne, but nothing too bad”, she noted and took another sip. Now that the worst part seemed over I agreed with that idea and reached out for my own cup.

“So, how well can you control your wings already, Myne?”, Elvira inquired after she had rested her eyes on me for a few moments.

“I can retract them and stretch them out behind me”, I reported and was met with a slightly incredulous expression.

“Is that why you have them so tense currently? You are not aware how to return them to a relaxed position?”, she asked and I nodded hesitantly.

“I only know how to get there after they are spread to full width from that flap-reflex, but not without that”, I confirmed and her smile twitched shortly.

“What might you have been doing the last two days then?”, she asked politely and I tilted my head as I thought back to the happenings.

“Well, the High Priest had a lot of questions when I woke up. A lot of a lot of questions. So we talked a lot. Then I learned to kneel and pray so that I could get my robes, we went to the orphanage where the High Priest helped me to choose some attendants, then we did paperwork, had lunch, I dedicated mana to one of the divine instruments, did more paperwork with him, and went home. There I met with my seamstress, played around with my wings a bit in front of her mirrors, talked a lot with my family, slept, woke up, had to get ready for the temple, have my attendants untangle my feathers, did more paperwork and mana dedication, and then I prepared for this visit here”, I retraced the last two days and Elvira blinked at me as I listed every single point.

“You were not given a basic introduction to your wings?”, she asked for clarification and I shook my head slightly.

“The High Priest taught me about that muscle to retract the wings after I had hit him in the face with them from that flap-reflex”, I mused, but that seemed to surprise her for some reason.

“My, how did that exactly happen?”, she asked with a strange glimmer in her eyes and I was not sure whether it had been wise to mention it at all.

“Ehm, when I woke up from that 'recovery sleep' I still had some fluids in my lungs, I guess? And he hit my back to help me get it out”, I speculated but Elvira only giggled.

“That must have hurt quite badly”, she said empathically but I shook my head.

“No, he did not hit so hard. And I still cannot really feel with those wings. I only noticed that there was some kind of obstacle but it was not actually painful”, I said which made her raise an eyebrow before an expression of understanding arose on her face.

“Ah. Lord Ferdinand was surely the one who operated on you. And it was surely his jureve as well. I see. Then it makes sense that it did not hurt you”, she concluded but I did not understand and it seemed to show on my face.

“Remember what I just explained to you, Myne. People with mana are not allowed to touch your wings. But your wing hit his face. The normal reaction would have been quite a painful repelling reaction. But he gave you something for the surgery already to suppress the repelling reaction to him. Otherwise he could not have operated on you safely”, she explained and I nodded.

“But since it was for a medical reason that was okay, right?”, I asked, trying to sort those things more distinctly in my mind.

“Indeed. Still, do not mention these things to other people. They might misunderstand something”, she advised and I nodded. Was noble society super prudish or was that really something on the edge of propriety? Should I ask the High Priest later about that? Ah, no, he would hate that.

I decided to just follow Elvira's advice without second-guessing it.

“But still, it seems like you were not taught anything at all, Myne. We need to remedy that posthaste”, she stated and put her tea cup down before she made a gesture that made her attendant come closer.

“Annegret, please help Myne out of her robes”, she instructed and I almost dropped my own tea cup. Where did all the talk about propriety go in just that one moment?!

“You are obviously wearing a dress under your robes, Myne, so there is no reason to look so shocked. But we need better access to your back so that you can learn to use them”, she said and I followed her gesture to leave my chair and be relieved of my robes by her attendant. Her noble attendant. A noble lady was serving me?!

“As you heard, Annegret, she does not have control over her wings yet, so please be exceedingly careful with unexpected skin contact”, Elvira instructed her attendant and I saw how this Lady Annegret took some long gloves from her belt and donned them.

“But still, like this it will be quite difficult for her”, Elvira mused and scrutinized me.

“Constrict all your muscles in your abdomen, Myne. Hold them for a short moment and then release all tension”, she instructed me and even though I found that quite a strange task I did just that.

“Bwuh?!” was the sound that escaped me as I heard some soft flapping noises from behind me. As I turned my head back to see what might have happened I saw my wings idling on my back instead of being slightly stretched behind me as they had been since the carriage ride.

“So that's how that's done?”, I asked, absolutely impressed by the new trick I had just learned.

“It is a workaround for the time being, but you will learn how to do that naturally over time, I imagine”, Elvira stated while her attendant began to untie my sash.

I was impressed how fast this Lady Annegret worked as I was out of robes in a matter of mere moments.

“Oh, that dress is quite lovely. Didn't you say that you only met with your seamstress yesterday evening?”, Elvira inquired as she stood up to inspect it more closely.

“All but the back panel was already prepared according to the measurements my mom provided”, I explained and tried to ignore her intrigued gaze.

“My, but those tying contraptions are no small feat for a rush job over night. Who is this seamstress, Myne?”, she asked all of a sudden and I was not sure whether Corinna would really appreciate me name-dropping her to such a refined noble lady. But could I really get away with not answering that? Judging from that rather intense gleam in her eyes the answer to that had to be 'no'.

“Corinna of the Gilberta Company is the one who made this dress for me”, I said and Elvira at least seemed satisfied by that.

“It seems we can get away with just opening the dress at your back for full access”, she confirmed and her attendant continued with her skilled hands so that the split and folded back panel of my dress just hung down from my waist.

Elvira had by now donned her own gloves and directed her attendant to put two chairs in the middle of the room without any table nearby.

“Please stand on this chair, Myne”, she said and I obviously complied even though I did not feel comfortable to dirty the nice fabric with my shoes as I stood on top while Elvira sat down on the other chair. We were looking at each other, with my head being slightly above hers.

And then the poking and twisting began.

“Focus here to lift them up slightly”, Elvira said as she poked an area that was close to my kidneys with both of her index fingers at the same time.

“Notice how there is a joint here?”, she said as she crunched part of my wing together slightly and I somehow began to feel how it was being moved there.

“Focus here to pull them in a slight curve”, Elvira said as she poked a spot almost in my armpits.

“Can you feel the range of motion you have in this joint?”, she asked as she pulled my wing in one direction before she pushed it back into its relaxed position. And I had to agree that I had been at some point aware of its limit.

“Focus here to flap them slightly down”, Elvira said and poked an area on my lower back and close to my spine.

And so on and so on. How was I supposed to remember all that?!

“Lady Elvira, can we take a break and I write that all down?”, I asked after what felt like the twentieth poke.

“My, that might be helpful in your case”, she agreed and returned to the tea table while I climbed down from my chair. The attendant tied up the back of my dress almost immediately now that the need for my bare back was not given at the moment.

I exhaled in appreciation when I was handed a wooden board and ink as soon as I sat down. What a super attentive attendant! She worked fast!

I began my notes by sketching a rough human body shape from the front and back before I then added numbers to the respective spots Elvira had poked me at. I also made a small sketch of my wings and indicated the joints she had taught me just now from where I understood them to be.

And then I added a list on one side where each number of her poking was mapped to a type of movement.

I could feel her scrutinizing gaze on me but she did not interrupt me while I worked. Instead she just elegantly sipped her tea. When she asked me to see my notes as soon as I had finished them the roles were reversed as she was the one now occupied with a task and I was merely drinking tea.

“Impressive. You remembered all of them correctly”, she said as she returned the board to me.

“But your drawings of the human body are really rough”, she noted with a raised eyebrow but I did not know what was so wrong about drawing myself as a chibi. I was tiny after all! Better to have everything readable for me!

“Lady Elvira? Is my understanding correct that the right sequence for folding wings for a carriage ride is 7-4-21-16-1-2-13? The High Priest showed me how he does that today, but I am not sure whether I am not missing something now”, I said while I tried to rotate my wings in my head from all these moves.

Elvira raised an eyebrow and gestured for me to return the board so that she could map the numbers to the movements.

“Folding them in front of you is not an easy combination for a beginner, Myne”, she began while she seemed to be going through the memories of folding her wings for a carriage ride.

“It should be 7-4-21-4-1-2-16-13”, she said and returned the board to me so that I could write that down immediately. I then emptied the rest of my tea and rose from my chair to try that out.

But I failed.

My wings crashed into my shoulders and even though it did not really hurt it was quite obvious that I could not add the next move to them in that sequence. This absolutely felt like those arcade games I had tried out once where you had to get the combo right to make the ultimate attack move. And I failed as miserably today as I had back then. Sigh.

Elvira looked at me almost pitifully.

“Oh my, your wings are indeed on the larger side”, she said with a smile and took that board back out of my hands.

“Instead of move 21 try a sequence of 8-15-1”, she advised and handed it back to me as my personal cheat sheet. So the combo got harder and longer?

But this time I actually, just barely, managed to maneuver my wings over my shoulders. Only for them to then get stuck.

“Why don't they react?”, I asked surprised with my wings outstretched fully in front of me. Elvira seemed surprised as well.

“Can you pull them back?”, she asked but when I tried that it did not work either.

“How strange”, she noted and donned her gloves again as she tried to move my wings on her own.

“Hm, it does not seem like you are locking yourself somewhere. You should be able to move them”, she judged after pulling and pushing on them slightly but that did not really help me at all.

“But I can't”, I noted dejectedly and tried again and again without any different result.

“How much mana do you have left, Myne?”, Elvira suddenly asked and I had absolutely no idea. I checked the box inside me with all that heat and I noticed the pleasant feeling of it not currently overflowing. When I opened the lid to check its contents I felt that it was still at least half full.

“The box is half full?”, I suggested which earned me a raised eyebrow.

“You have a concept of a box for it already?”, she asked and I nodded. Was that a commoner thing or something? Did nobles uses vases in their mind?

“I apologize?”, I vaguely offered but I was met with a difficult frown.

“There is no need for that. Did Lord Ferdinand tell you to use that image?”, she asked neutrally but I shook my head.

“I came up with it myself”, I said and she nodded with her elegant smile returned to her face.

“I see. We will have much to discuss over dinner, I imagine”, she then concluded ominously and I just nodded without really understanding what she was on about.

“Be that as it may, Myne, take a bit of mana out of your box and spread it in the direction of your wings”, she said as if her words should hold any meaning for me.

But I knew it was unwise to disobey a noble, so I turned my attention back inwards and focused on the box and the heat inside. I let a bit of it out and then thought of my pale blue wings and their fluffy feathers and how they could maybe warm up a bit from that heat.

“Try to return them to a resting position on your back, Myne. Getting the folding technique for carriage rides correct will take a bit of practice”, she said and I just complied while I tried to rewind my movement pattern so that they were back on my back. And the wings actually responded again!

“Bwuh? So they were out of heat?”, I wondered aloud and Elvira smiled at me gently.

“Moving them requires mana, more so the bigger they are, so you have to constantly supply them if you intend to keep moving them”, she explained and I nodded while I carefully lifted them back over my shoulders. Whew. Done.

“We should not overexert you today. How about we chat a bit more about how you came into Lord Ferdinand's custody while dinner is being prepared?”, she suggested and the intense look in her eyes made it clear that I was not allowed to decline.

At least I was constantly supplied with a tasty brew of fresh tea whenever my cup ran empty.

Unfortunately, all that tea eventually took its revenge on me when I noticed that I had to use the bathroom. The toilet that I was led to looked notably more like something from my previous life than anything I had encountered so far.

As I opened the lid and glanced inside I saw that it actually went down quite far. So nobles actually had plumbing in this world? How unfair was that, please? No wonder the noble's quarter had smelled so pleasantly clean when we had passed through today. Not comparable to the lower city at all.

Bwuh? Had something just moved?

It was obviously dark down the drain but I could have sworn that I had seen some movement. A rat? Was there a risk that it could climb up?

As I tried to identify it a bit clearer I suddenly noticed some kind of slimy tentacles reaching up!

“Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!”, I shouted and basically fled from the room. Annegret had opened the door upon my scream and she hastily made way as I ran into the hallway.

Only in a blink of an eye later the High Priest and the green haired man who had been his host stood in front of me with quite scary faces. How could they arrive so fast?!

Each of them held a stick in their hands and scanned the whole hallway.

“What happened?”, the High Priest inquired with an authoritative tone and I tried to calm down enough to answer. He could protect me, right?!

“There is a monster!”, I said with tears in my eyes as I gestured in the direction of the bathroom but the High Priest stared at me with disbelief.

“Eckhart”, he just said and the young man at his side immediately entered the bathroom, seemingly to investigate.

Wait. Wasn't that his host? Why did that sound like an order?

Eckhart then returned just a moment later while laughing. He then squatted down in front of me and patted my head with a wide grin.

“The temple is not equipped with that waste disposing slime, hm? Don't be scared, it will not reach”, he said and laughed some more before he rose and returned to the High Priest's side, still chuckling.

But the High Priest just sighed and massaged his temple.

“Myne, please stop embarrassing me”, he then just said without even looking at me.

Chapter Text

“Apologies for having you arrange this meeting so quickly, Eckhart. At any other time I would have just asked Heidemarie, but I did not wish to disturb her during the time when her mana should not be contaminated by strangers”, Ferdinand said after they had sat down in the gazebo of the Linkberg estate's garden.

An attendant brought them tea and a gewinnen board and Ferdinand decided to just take the afternoon as a break from all his duties. Those were rare enough after all with all the paperwork from both the temple and the castle that he was taking care of.

“Think nothing of it, Lord Ferdinand, my mother was more than delighted to receive answers about your mysterious request from yesterday sooner. And I cannot deny feeling similarly”, Eckhart deflected and Ferdinand nodded in appreciation of their support.

He then discreetly handed Eckhart a sound blocking tool. Even though they were in the garden of his trusted people it did not hurt to be a bit cautious.

“This whole matter is truly bothersome”, he admitted without showing such an inclination on his face and placing a gewinnen piece on the board.

“She really just appeared for the commoner's baptism ceremony? Could you rule out that she was guided there just to weigh you down by taking advantage of the new law?”, Eckhart asked with suspicion in his voice but his face as well did not seem to stray from that of somebody who was leisurely playing a match of gewinnen.

“Yes, her backstory does not appear to be fabricated. It seems like a prank from Dregarnuhr where she decided to twist Myne's thread with my own”, Ferdinand mused solemnly and placed another piece on the board.

“What do you expect of mother to teach her?”, Eckhart inquired politely as he set down a new piece as well. The board was filling up nicely by now.

“How to behave with decency. I truly do not wish for her to tell me how she discovers her body”, Ferdinand grumbled and began to play his offensive pattern. Eckhart raised an amused eyebrow at him.

“Ah, ladies' education”, he chuckled and began his own offensive pattern in response.

“This is something that she will need anyway”, Ferdinand noted and clicked his tongue as he saw that Eckhart had stopped three of his next possible moves just with one of his. But there were still several to choose from.

“So you will bring her on track for a life as concubine? Who could even take her? Lord Sylvester?”, Eckhart mused as much over his words as over the sudden change on the gewinnen board. Ferdinand had split his forces to lure him into an opportunistic early attack.

“It is hard to predict where her mana capacity will land at her coming of age, but it currently seems like a match for an archduke. I, however, doubt that Sylvester will be interested in a concubine. If he ever opens himself up for another woman besides Florencia, I doubt he can ignore the political benefits of a proper second wife”, Ferdinand noted and Eckhart frowned slightly in response.

“So Lord Wilfried then? The one Lady Veronica is allegedly raising?” Eckhart's expression grew hard.

“She is one year older than him, so that will be not a good age for a concubine. He will need to marry and impregnate a proper wife soon after his own coming of age”, Ferdinand noted and moved another piece to lure Eckhart into attacking.

“That makes it seem like the only options for her are actually grandfather or you, Lord Ferdinand”, Eckhart said cautiously before he gave in to the temptation and attacked Ferdinand's sacrificial pawn.

“I am just a humble priest. I do not intend to pick flowers or have concubines”, Ferdinand stated firmly before he narrowed his eyes.

“So you arrive at the same conclusion as I. Do you think Bonifatius would be interested?”, he asked and noticed that Eckhart was considering his question sternly.

“This Myne does not seem like a knight so I wonder whether she would be able to hold his interest. And he already has enough children and grandchildren. He is also retired officially already. It might be that he agrees to it since you would be the one asking, but I imagine it quite unlikely”, Eckhart said and Ferdinand allowed himself to frown ever so slightly.

At this rate it might indeed fall to him to honor this stupid law.

But taking a girl under submission contract to bed? How was that any different to how things were in that cesspit of Adalgisa? Where women were drugged out of their mind just to produce more feystones with men they did not want.

Ferdinand was disgusted at the thought. He did not want any woman, and particularly not one who was not even allowed to say 'no'.

“So she needs options outside the duchy. But that means she needs to enter nobility as the bartering of concubines across duchy borders is a quite low-value business”, Ferdinand noted and Eckhart's eyes widened slightly.

“Entering nobility? Are you considering to educate her enough for that adoption route? But don't you then have to become her guardian, thus effectively making her an archduke candidate?” Eckhart stared at Ferdinand who nodded slowly.

“It still hinges on so many things, but it might be the only viable route”, he confirmed but Eckhart shook his head.

“Will she even survive a week after you have made it public that you are her guardian? There is still that viper around”, he commented dryly and Ferdinand clicked his tongue.

“As I said, it still hinges on many things. But investing in her education will not be too big of a gamble. Even if she ends up as a concubine her business ideas will have her interact with nobility anyway if whoever ends up with her is not ridiculously foolish”, he concluded and revealed the trap on the gewinnen board that Eckhart had walked into despite his caution.

The suddenly emerging cry from a little girl upstairs alarmed both of them immediately. They raced to the balcony with wide-spread wings, Eckhart charging ahead and Ferdinand following directly behind his trusted guard knight.

But as they emerged from the landing zone and ran into the hallway they did not see any cause for danger. Myne was somehow scared, but not even the attendant close to her seemed to know what was going on.

As Myne then gestured in the direction of the bathroom, Ferdinand could not even imagine what might have disturbed her so.

Had there been nails on the seat? A mild and almost indiscernible amount of acid in the cleaning liquid? But could such Veronican techniques really be expected here? With their visit being of such short notice?

Eckhart then solved the riddle with a big grin and loud laughter.

The waste disposal slime. Really? Was she not supposed to be an adult stuck in the body of a little girl? Or... no, she had said she had those memories. So she was actually still a little girl? Or not?

He sighed with exasperation and was glad that dinner time soon came.

“High Priest, it seems it is already past sixth bell, can I somehow send my parents a message that I will be late today?”, she inquired quietly and tried to hide in the sleeves of his robe.

Elvira must have been quite intense if she was seeking refuge like this.

“Oh, you will not be late today, Myne. As the temple's gate to the lower city has already closed for today, you will need to stay in your orphanage director chambers tonight”, Ferdinand informed her and noticed her immediate disappointment in that development.

“High Priest, I had these chambers for barely two days. I cannot sleep there. There is no bedding yet, so I will need to go home to my family”, she said and Ferdinand had to commend her for not trying to appeal to his emotions but actually providing an argument based on facts and reason.

“I see. This is indeed unfortunate”, he mused, but the circumstance remained that the gate would be closed already. And he could not reasonably just fly her over. Well, technically, he could, but it would raise way too many questions from the wrong people.

“My, that seems to be quite a conundrum. Lord Ferdinand, shall I have the guest chambers prepared for her? She mentioned ruffling her feathers quite dearly in her sleep, so it might even be used to further her education in those wing related matters”, Elvira proposed and Ferdinand was not sure whether he really could accept it.

It was his oversight after all that had caused this inconvenience. Putting the burden to solve the situation on Elvira somehow sat wrong with him. But before he could decline, it was Myne who brought unnecessary attention to herself again.

“Bwuh? This is way too generous, Lady Elvira! I cannot stay in such a luxurious estate over night! This is way too imposing”, she stumbled from a false feeling of modesty directly into unknowingly accusing Ferdinand of imposing on their hosts.

You fool. Now you will have to stay here, just to make up for this misconception.

“Lady Elvira, your generous offer is indeed beyond any expectation one could hope for. If the circumstances of your estate actually allow for such hastened accommodation, it does indeed seem most wise to accept”, Ferdinand said and he saw Myne's smile faltering.

He wondered whether he had to invoke his authority for her to accept the sudden change in plans but it seemed she was aware enough that they were currently in an estate of nobles so he did not have to remind her of her own standing and the irrelevancy of her opinion on the matter.

“But I really should tell my parents or they will worry about me needlessly”, she begged and Ferdinand could not suppress a sigh as his finger rose to his temple. That was somehow reasonable for such a young girl.

“Lady Elvira, I apologize, but might I borrow a magic letter from you?”, he asked and saw how her attendant immediately retrieved one as soon as Elvira gracefully agreed.

He checked what Myne was writing down, mainly to confirm that no unnecessary information was shared, and he was amused to see her describing it as a sudden chance to learn more about her wings and that she could not ignore such an opportunity even though it pained her to spend the night apart.

“To whom should the letter be sent, Myne? Your mother or your father?”, Ferdinand inquired while she folded the letter closed.

“Can you send it to Benno? Mom cannot really read and Dad is on night shift today, and he also cannot read really well”, she admitted with a rather quiet voice but Ferdinand had to deny her.

“I do not know this Benno, so I cannot send the letter to him. I assume your mother can ask somebody to read the letter for her?”, he asked with a slightly raised eyebrow and Myne nodded hesitantly.

“Yes, I imagine she can just ask Benno then personally”, she said and seemed once again surprised by the simplest of magic. The letter turned into a bird and went through the walls while Myne gasped like a fool.

The arrival of Karstedt just a few moments later at least meant that they could change locations to the dining room and begin to eat.

“Lord Ferdinand, are you aware that your protegee is already applying visualization techniques for her vessel?”, Elvira noted with a knowing smile after the first course had been removed and the second course was about to be plated.

Ferdinand raised an eyebrow at that sudden revelation.

“Myne?”, he addressed her directly but she seemed frozen like a shumil that had been spotted by a riesefalke.

“Yes, High Priest?”, she managed to say with forced innocence as she let her eyes flicker from one person to the next as if she was looking for support that nobody was going to offer. While Elvira was looking at her expectantly, Karstedt and Eckhart were scrutinizing her with rather outwardly harsh glares while Cornelius, who had been called to join them as soon as Karstedt had arrived, seemed the most surprised.

But it was quite obvious to Ferdinand that she had not understood what Elvira had said at all. He suppressed a sigh and phrased his question with more details.

“Myne, you have an image which you use to keep that heat inside you contained?”, he asked and he noticed how she was glancing in Elvira's direction with a look that spoke of feeling hurt and betrayed. What kind of reaction was that? Had Elvira promised her to keep that a secret or something? But that was just unlikely.

“Yes, I do. I apologize?”, she answered with a face that spoke of guilt but Ferdinand did not know what could have caused that. Applying mana compression was unusual at her age but nothing forbidden. It just begged a few more questions. And Karstedt was actually the first to raise one.

“Who taught you that, Myne?”, he asked with a hard glare. Ferdinand could understand that he was curious about something like this since he had only informed Sylvester about the most important details concerning Myne's case yet. Karstedt as the Knight Commander might have still been out of the loop. And maybe it was even for the best to omit all that otherworldly stuff.

But he still could tell that Myne was almost wilting under the sudden pressure of the dinner turning into an unexpected interrogation.

“My, Karstedt, you are scaring her”, Elvira interjected and shot her own husband a glare who raised an eyebrow in turn and leaned back into his chair with a bit more relaxed expression.

“Myne, nobody is angry, my dear husband is just curious”, she explained and Ferdinand noticed how Myne relaxed at that as well and tilted her head hesitantly.

Had that not been obvious to her? Elvira already seemed to have a good grip on her.

“Nobody taught me that, Lord Karstedt”, she eventually answered with a slightly squeeking voice and he noticed how even her feathers were tensing up.

Such a long way before she could pass as a noble with her emotions being so obvious.

“I just had to stuff the heat into something so that it could not eat me and a box seemed most natural for this”, she continued her explanations while flitting her eyes between everybody in attendance. She seemed intimidated by the apparent lack in reaction but Ferdinand could understand that.

He as well had a hard time imagining such a young girl already compressing her mana.

“Might somebody please say something? I feel like I am derailing your pleasant dinner talk like this”, she said and was now staring intently at Ferdinand who sighed and decided to save her from the situation.

“Myne, you may relax. It is simply exceedingly rare and dangerous for children, who usually lack the mental fortitude due to their age, to already compress their mana like you are apparently doing. As Lady Elvira said, nobody is angry”, he assured her and he noticed how some of the tension left her body.

“That comes as a relief”, Myne said but she still eyed everybody cautiously. Maybe meeting so many nobles two days after her jureve was a bit much.

“Did you come close? To being eaten by the heat?”, Cornelius inquired rather nonchalantly and Ferdinand sent him a chastising glare for being so indiscreet about such a personal topic.

“Uhu. A few times. Or several times. I do not even know how many times it was in the end. But that's now over since the High Priest allows me to get rid of that heat by praying to the divine instruments, he is really the best!”, she ended rather cheerfully after the gloomy start. Ferdinand could see that Karstedt's face had twitched ever so slightly at her words and he himself would have preferred it if the last part had been left unsaid.

“Ah, Ferdinand some castle scholar wished for me to relay his findings to you. Apparently most submission contracts are held by several giebes and the only one who seemed to fit what you were looking for is the head of house Bernett”, Karstedt informed him while Ferdinand immediately went through everything he knew about that house.

“A laynoble house does not come as a surprise, I suppose”, he mused.

“Their house was close to extinction, correct? Did they have to stray from their former neutrality to survive in the meantime?”, he asked as he noticed how outdated his information on such minor affairs such as laynoble allegiances was by now.

“Apparently they were able to maintain their neutral stance and instead kept their house afloat with the support of a rich merchant. Which was part of the contract they signed in exchange for some more accommodating terms than typical”, Karstedt supplied and Ferdinand fell back into thought.

Agreeing to accommodating terms in exchange for money made it reasonable to assume that this Lord Henrik of house Bernett was not of the exploitative kind. Meeting with him could be worthwhile to draw from his experience with such a situation.

As he looked up he noticed how Myne was wiggling in a quite uncertain way on her chair. She was aware that she should not speak without being spoken to in this situation but it was obvious that she wanted to ask something. With a raised eyebrow he addressed her.

“Yes, Myne? You wish to say something?”, he offered her to speak and her widened eyes and hastily conjured forced smile spoke of how busted she must have felt in that moment.

“High Priest, Lord Karstedt, were you talking about the guildmaster of the merchant's guild and his granddaughter Frieda right now?”, she asked and looked between Karstedt and him with cautious eyes.

“I am not aware of the name of the girl, but the rich merchant I mentioned is indeed the guildmaster. So you know those?”, Karstedt inquired back with that slightly hardened stare of his and Myne froze in her seat again.

Did she just say 'Eeep!'?

Ferdinand was not sure whether he had imagined things, but he could have sworn that Myne had just made such a noise.

A long way ahead, indeed.

“The guildmaster saved my life by letting me buy one of the magic tools he had acquired for his granddaughter”, Myne explained cautiously but Ferdinand was confused now.

“Myne, when we first met it seemed like I was the first person with wings you ever saw. But how is that possible if you were acquainted with another Devouring girl already?”, he asked but he noticed, based on Myne's reaction, that he might have to ease up on his tone more.

“Frieda has wings as well? But we bathed together, there were none”, she proposed which made Elvira cough and everybody else politely avert their gaze as to not acknowledge the improper remark she just made. Why would she bring attention to the topic of taking a bath? An activity that required undressing after all!

“They might be working with potions then or are still waiting for her surgery”, Elvira noted to solve the situation hastily.

“There are potions to make the wings hatch?”, she asked and Ferdinand could only barely suppress the chuckle at her choice of words. Hatching was definitely wrong. But it still somehow fit. Weirdly enough.

“Yes, children are usually massaged with potions until the wings emerge. Only for very large wings or neglected children is a surgery really necessary. Most wings appear naturally”, she explained calmly and Myne nodded.

Having her stay over night was not the worst idea to infuse her with as much knowledge as possible on all these wing related matters.

He agreed to send a carriage at third bell the next day so that Myne could return to the temple when he himself excused himself after dinner and just used his wings to fly back.

Chapter Text

To think that Lord Ferdinand would end up with a Devouring girl. And one so extraordinary at that.

Elvira had been more than curious about Eckhart's relayed inquiry from Lord Ferdinand about a favor of 'ladies' education' for a new blue robe. Usually the families who sponsored those they sent to the temple had taken care of the minimum expected of the blues and the grays took on the burden of finishing the rest – or not, leading to even more depravity and rotten morals in the temple.

But apparently it had fallen to Lord Ferdinand to overcome the issue for this particular blue robe.

That she was in fact his involuntarily acquired Devouring girl who he had just put into the temple to put her to good use for the duchy had not been one of the options she had thought of before.

For a commoner she had been even already quite polite. Her initial blessing was out of proportion for somebody of her standing, but if the size of her wings was any indicator it might have just been a symptom of an overabundance of mana. A rare windfall in this country that was rather suffering from a severe mana shortage.

It had been a bit worrying that Lord Ferdinand had not explained more than the absolute minimum to her about her wings but she could understand why that had made him uncomfortable. This Myne lacked so much knowledge that it could easily be mistaken for a severe lack of shame instead.

To Elvira's great pleasure Myne also lacked any awareness of when talking about nothing turned into information gathering about Lord Ferdinand's pastime activities.

She had barely interacted with him for a few days and yet she was already such a generous source.

Elvira chuckled internally at the carelessness with which she revealed his favorite brew of tea, the way how he held a pen, the composition of his attendants. Everything. It was only fair compensation for teaching her about her wings, Elvira mused happily as she guided the girl from one point of her interest to the next.

When dinner came around Elvira then had the pleasure to observe Lord Ferdinand in an as relaxed atmosphere as one could hope for in the current days. That Karstedt had invited himself to the dinner as well did not come as a surprise really, since he as well held Lord Ferdinand in high regard but she would not have minded to just share dinner with Lord Ferdinand, and his newest acquisition, alone.

Cornelius had been forced to join more by Eckhart's fervor for his lord than his own curiosity, but it seemed he as well was surprised at the little girl with those pale blue wings that were bigger than her and still so clumsily operated.

That he asked her something as personal as her experiences close to death had been rather inappropriate but it might have even served as a firm reminder to not overdo mana compression. Even though Elvira was firmly aware that her youngest son was not overly ambitious in any way yet.

Not wanting to serve as an archducal retainer and keeping your grades low to achieve that is a horrible, if yet understandable, approach, Cornelius.

Elvira wondered whether Myne could maybe serve as source to raise his competitive spirits. She was younger, weaker and a commoner but she could already read and write superbly and had a generous mana capacity to boot. If he let himself be outshone by her it would be an utter disgrace.

How long might it take to educate her enough for Cornelius to see her as some kind of threat? Her mentioning already compressing her mana before her baptism had already had an effect....

“Myne, while bathing you may submerge your wings in water, but pay close attention to not get any soaps on them. Those have rather strong traces of mana in them and you do not want to have those seep into your core. Your wings are your body's manifestation of your own mana so you must not allow for it to be tainted, understood?”, Elvira advised before she handed the girl over to her own attendant.

Myne seemed apprehensive at that even though Elvira did not understand why.

“Yes, Myne? Is there something that was not clear from my words?”, she asked and that little girl's face made quite obvious that she did not want to say anything and really wanted to say something at the same time.

“You mention soaps, Lady Elvira, but you do not by chance also have rinsham, do you?”, she then asked hesitantly and Elvira tilted her head at the question.

“Annegret, do you know what she might be referring to?”, she asked but her attendant only shook her head slightly.

“It appears that we are not in possession of what you call 'rinsham', Myne. What kind of soap might that be?”, she then asked curiously and Myne's eyes seemed to flicker with eagerness to elaborate.

“It's a hair cleaning liquid, Lady Elvira. It makes the hair soft, shiny and stops the head from itching”, she explained and Elvira took a moment to take in the sight of the girl in front of her.

Her hair is indeed quite well taken care of. Especially for a commoner.

“May I touch your hair to feel the effect you claim from this product?”, she asked and Myne released the beautiful hairpin that seemed to tie up her hair in a half-bun and shook her head to make it all fall down.

As Elvira reached out to feel it she could not believe the sensation at her fingertips.

“This is the result of just that one product?”, she asked mesmerized and Myne nodded with pride. That is more than just the pride of a little girl in her beautiful hair.

“Rinsham is amazing compared to soap. I sold the production method to the Gilberta Company and they sell it in multiple variations with different smells. That's the apfelsige one, isn't it just amazing?”, Myne beamed at her and Elvira allowed herself to focus on her smell as discreetly as possible.

Amazing indeed. So this Gilberta Company did not only have a skilled seamstress but also mingled in cosmetics?

Elvira made a mental note to hand that girl a letter of invitation for that Gilberta Company before she would leave at the next morning.

While the girl was bathed by her own attendant she invited Eckhart for a short discussion. But what he then shared with her under sound blockers made her rather worried.

“So he has no interest in keeping her after her coming of age? I thought with wings like hers he might have finally found a match and they seem to get along well enough”, Elvira noted with a difficult frown on her face.

“This will be most likely the only time that those blue robes will be helpful to ward of any outside pressure. And I can totally understand him. I do not fancy a second wife or a mistress either”, Eckhart noted which made Elvira glare at him.

“While it is obviously too early still for your second starbinding, since Heidemarie has just recently given birth to your first child, you would be wise to acknowledge that a second and maybe even a third wife will be in your future, Eckhart”, she chided him but he just responded with a smirk.

“We will see where Dregarnuhr will spin her threads”, he merely said, underlining that he had no intention to think of that.

“But that means he will need to find somebody to take over her contract? Aub Ehrenfest will surely decline since he favors Lady Florencia so much, Lord Wilfried is too young actually and who else remains then even as an option for such huge wings? Father-in-law?”, she raised her concerns and Eckhart only shrugged.

“Most likely somebody outside the duchy”, he then said but Elvira shook her head vehemently as if to throw the thought away.

“Ehrenfest will have to give away somebody with such a mana capacity just because nobody will be willing or capable to take her in? What nonsense”, she grumbled but her eldest son just shrugged again.

“If she was a proper wife to be wed out, the archduke could definitely bargain for some archnobles marrying into Ehrenfest in return”, Eckhart suggested with a conspiratorial smirk and Elvira's eyes widened.

“Oh? Oh. She will need quite a bit of education for that, but it is not outside the realm of possibilities. Indeed”, she agreed and smiled at the fun project that had just popped up in front of her and that should be way more interesting than just another tea party with grumbling Leisegangs.

Chapter Text

“Oh? An invitation from Lord Henrik in ten days' time?”, her grandfather said as he read the board a courier had just brought. That made even Frieda look up from the pile of coins she had been counting up to that point.

“Is that not exceedingly rare to come from him, grandfather? Usually you contact him when my bracelet starts to change color and then he arranges for a meeting, no?”, Frieda asked and went over to his desk.

“Maybe he wishes to check on how your wings are faring by now? They are out for a few weeks now thanks to his potions, but he has only received measurements but not seen them yet in person. He must assume correctly that your skin has finally healed over where they broke through”, her grandfather mused and Frieda smiled uncomfortably. Even though the wounds had been caused by mana effectively they had still taken quite some time to heal.

It was of course expected that he had an interest in her wings since their compatibility hinged on their wingspan matching, but it was still such a sheer physical characteristic that she hoped it was more than just that. She had preferred it if he might wish to talk about some investment options, just like that Italian restaurant that she had managed to get a piece of in its current early development stage since Benno was overwhelmed with Myne's other endeavors. He had started it as a way to spite them and Leise somehow, but it had been Leise's well advanced cooking skills that had made him open about a cooperation instead.

It however had come as a bit of a surprise, and disappointment, that Myne and her family had chosen to even move into the Gilberta company's house. Nothing could make clearer than that that she was absolutely unwilling to part with Benno.

A pity. Truly. But at least that restaurant was an opening to latch onto their businesses. Their flourishing businesses.

“I see. You might be right. I shall wear a dress with easy access to my back then”, she confirmed with her smile back in place and returned to counting the pile of money.

But she could not suppress the slight shiver in her feathers.

While the wings were something to get accustomed to they were at least useful in speeding up the passing through of the gate into the noble's quarter.

Even though they always had a letter of invitation in the past the noble guards had always eyed them critically and made them wait seemingly for nothing as they were forced to change from a commoner carriage to a noble carriage and so on.

But her mainly pink wings with random white feathers sprinkled in that went down from her shoulders to her waist seemed to change that. The guards still eyed them critically, but they were through at least half a bell faster.

As they arrived at Lord Henrik's estate only a short ride after passing through the gate – a clear sign of her lord's rather low status – they were welcomed by the usual attendant and led into a waiting room.

Strange. Was that also an effect from the wings? The attendant did not say more than was absolutely necessary. How atypical.

“Miss Frieda, Mister Gustav, Lord Henrik will be with you shortly”, she then said and excused herself with graceful haste which made Frieda exchange a raised eyebrow with her grandfather. But they knew they could not speak openly right now. And it was best to not question noble behavior anyway.

As another attendant then announced her lord's arrival she and her grandfather quickly went down to kneel and exchange their greetings. But as Frieda looked up she saw the usually so calm face to be rather fearful.

What was going on?

“Ah, Miss Frieda, Mister Gustav, thank you for following this invitation. I apologize for the change in schedule on short notice, but another guest will participate in today's meeting. It is of utmost importance that my house establishes positive rapport with him, so I urge you to not deviate from your politest manners. Which, I am sure, will pose no issue to you”, he declared with the slightest signs of doubts in his voice and Frieda felt his uncertainty spread to her.

Why was he inviting us for such an important meeting then? Are we not just some side affair for his house? Who was this man?

But she hid all her questions behind her polite smile and rose from her kneeling position. Only then did he even seem to notice that her wings had come through.

“Ah, those are indeed quite beautiful, Miss Frieda. Winter wings are indeed always the most intriguing”, he commented shortly before they then went not to the typical dining hall but to the meeting room that her grandfather usually entered while she had to endure that noble bath.

There, already chatting away jovially with the lady of the house, Lady Juliane, was the most handsome man she had ever seen in her life. With wings that were even bigger than him and of sheer white. Lord Henrik was overzealous in warning us. Of course this man had to be important. Not even archnobles had such gigantic wings! Just what was he doing in a laynoble's house?

Her gaze fell to the man who was almost hiding in the shadow next to the door. Yep. That was a man with archnoble wings. So that man had even brought a guard knight.

As the handsome man's friendly gaze drifted away from his host and instead fell upon her she immediately knelt and waited to be introduced by Lord Henrik so that she could offer first time greetings.

Lord Ferdinand? Who was that? Never heard that name before.... But he was powerful and important, no doubt.

“Oh, her wings have emerged since spring, I see”, he commented over her head and her mind raced for whatever reason somebody like him could have enough interest in her to be informed about the status of her wings.

“Indeed, Lord Ferdinand. The potions finally did their work and her wings emerged roughly six weeks ago. I can show you the report they sent me, if you wish”, Lord Henrik immediately offered and shot one of his attendants a slightly panicked look.

“Ah, that will not be necessary. Why do we not take a seat and discuss the whole matter more leisurely”, he suggested, but Frieda knew that even his suggestions were best to be considered as orders instead.

And without surprise, Lord Henrik followed his suggestion and invited everybody to a table with several seats.

It was really a good thing that grandfather had equipped the house with wing-appropriate furniture already so that sitting down here is not an issue for me at all.

“In your inquiry for this meeting you wrote you wished to discuss the contract I have with Mister Gustav and Miss Frieda, Lord Ferdinand?”, Lord Henrik began as the tea was served and the demonstrative sip was taken. The presumably archnoble attendant behind Lord Ferdinand had still conducted extensive poison checks on the dishes before they had even finished sitting down, but kept in the background otherwise.

“Indeed, it appears that you are currently the only noble with a young Devouring girl under contract in the whole noble's quarter so I truly appreciate that you could honor my request”, Lord Ferdinand said while Frieda tried not to interpret too much into his words.

Why was he looking for young Devouring girls? He was not going to push for taking over my contract, right? Grandfather had worked so hard to find somebody who agreed to all our terms, it could not all just be overthrown by some random noble, right?

“Naturally, Lord Ferdinand. Do you wish to see the contract we signed?”, he suggested with a stressed smile and this Lord Ferdinand nodded peacefully.

He is scary with this calm demeanor. Can't he see how much pressure he is putting on everybody? He has to. That has to be his intention.

“I noticed that she is not yet wearing a ring, Lord Henrik. What might be the reason for that?”, he asked and Frieda shot her grandfather an inquiring look.

He could not be referring to a noble's ring, so is he asking about a submission ring? But we signed a concubine contract?

Her grandfather seemed to grow slightly uncomfortable but remained silent. They both knew that they should not talk unless spoken to directly.

“She is signed with me as a future concubine, Lord Ferdinand. As such, I opted to provide her with a bracelet that relieves her of overflowing mana and did not see the need for a ring. As you can see from the contract the relationship is transactional, not that of one-sided submission”, he explained and Frieda held her breath as this noble with a way too peaceful smile read their contract.

“Is this perchance the original?”, he then asked with slight confusion in his voice which was a question that made not only Frieda but quite obviously everybody from their side concerned.

“Yes, Lord Ferdinand. This is the original that has been signed by all parties”, Lord Henrik confirmed as he nervously began to sip from his tea.

“You did not sign a magic contract?”, he then asked for clarification and Frieda saw how Lord Henrik became more stone-faced than she had ever seen before.

Is this really a friendly visit?

“No, Lord Ferdinand. As we did not seem it worth the cost as all parties were in agreement and the nature of the contract made it binding enough already”, he explained which made this Lord Ferdinand raise an eyebrow. It might have been a curious gesture or an amused one, but Frieda could feel her heartbeat increasing steadily.

That's why living in the Lower City was way preferable to living in the noble's quarter for as long as possible. Nobles might be profitable but they are way too powerful and unpredictable.

“Lord Henrik, I am sure you are aware of the Zent's law about the 'replenishment of noble society'. But did you consider the consequences for Miss Frieda, who is by now presenting her wings to the world and still living in the Lower City?”, he asked but this question seemed to surprise her lord.

Her grandfather seemed also surprised, but it seemed more like he was not aware of that law to begin with, same as her.

“Lord Ferdinand, I am not sure what you might be implying here. As you can see Miss Frieda is actively under contract with me, the conditions granted to her are even over-fulfilling its stipulations and the agreement that concerns her life after her coming of age seems very in line with the will of that law as well”, Lord Henrik noted cautiously and Lord Ferdinand took a slow sip from his tea.

“I was not questioning your compliance with that law, Lord Henrik. I was trying to alert you of a weakness. Anybody with enough malicious intent can claim the girl as uncontracted, force her into a submission contract and render your whole agreement naught, Lord Henrik. You are leaving yourself wide open to have her stolen from you by not having signed a magic contract yet”, he explained and eyed all of them coolly.

“If cost is the prohibiting factor I can provide you with a submission contract for her. You may reference your original agreement as well, but it will be safest for her if you claim her fully as your property even if such a public notion might conflict with your own view on those things”, he advised and Frieda shot her grandfather an inquiring look.

Was he right? Or was that a trap? Was he such a 'somebody with enough malicious intent'?

“That is indeed a very generous offer accompanying quite insightful advice, Lord Ferdinand”, Lord Henrik acknowledged without accepting it directly.

So even though he wanted to build good rapport with that man he was hesitant? So Lord Henrik was indeed no fool. The offer was too good, nobody had to give away anything for free.

“How might I ever be able to repay you for such a favor, Lord Ferdinand?”, he then asked rather bluntly, but it was the question that was currently running through everybody's mind.

Lord Ferdinand smiled at that.

He still projected the image of a generous friend, but nobody knew him. It had to be a trap.

“I'd like you to share your experience with raising a Devouring commoner into somebody acceptable for noble society with me. And I'd like Miss Frieda to share her own learnings and understandings on that topic as well”, he made a dramatic pause that everybody just seemed to use to throw out the impression that he had just asked for their help effectively.

Why was this of any value to him? And it was not like grandfather could not stomach the cost of a magic contract if it really meant warding off another threat, but being warned at all was maybe already worth more than we could offer in turn.

“Dregarnuhr twisted my thread with a stray one and Gebordnung demands that this twisting cannot be undone”, he continued in the euphemistic way nobles liked to speak when they did not want to be pinned down to their words.

“I see, that must be quite a trial from Glucklitat then. It will of course be a pleasure to share all the experience I have with that. I imagine you wish for them to meet so that Miss Frieda might become Erwachlehren to that stray thread?”, Lord Henrik apparently agreed with the exchange of favors, but Frieda was not perfectly sure whether she had understood them correctly.

Her grandfather seemed concerned as well.

“There is no need for such a concerned look, Mister Gustav. If you do not wish to change your contract to one that is irrefutably covered by the Zent's law you naturally do not have to. I am merely offering that as a sign of my goodwill. Besides that, apparently the girls are already acquainted. The exchange of knowledge is likely to occur either way. It will be merely more efficient to have her and Myne meet in noble atmosphere so that they can socialize under scrutinizing eyes to improve the quality of the training”, he added and Frieda and her grandfather exchanged the same surprised look.

Myne?! She had signed with this big-shot who was now looking for help in educating her?! Could nobles never just say directly what they wanted....

The post-meeting discussion seemed to be even more critical than the meeting itself. After they had agreed to meet with this Lord Ferdinand three days from now, in the temple at third bell for some unfathomable reason, he had excused himself and left Lord Henrik's estate much to everybody's relief.

“Lord Henrik, at the potential risk of appearing ignorant, but who exactly was this man?”, her grandfather asked, now that he was allowed to speak more openly again.

“That man is Aub Ehrenfest's brother and currently Ehrenfest's High Priest. He is a man who is not participating in the political sphere but still not somebody one should treat lightly. I appreciate your ready acceptance of his terms.”

“And that law that was referenced multiple times?”, her grandfather added hesitantly as a question that Lady Juliane answered in Lord Henrik's stead.

“The first noble who becomes aware of an uncontracted Devouring girl has to force her into a submission contract with him. Then there are a few stipulations on the minimum level of care the Devouring girl has to be given until her coming of age and that she has to be tasked with replenishing noble society after her coming of age”, Lady Juliane summarized for her grandfather while Frieda's thoughts raced.

Myne had declared that she'd rather die than become some noble's slave. But apparently that man had forced her into a submission contract. Was he really looking for help for educating her to noble standards? Or rather for somebody who would convince her to accept her new fate? How would he react when he learned of the strength of Myne's conviction?

But Frieda knew that it did not really matter now. They could only hope for the best with somebody with such prestigious connections.

“Should we be concerned that this meeting will happen at the temple?”, her grandfather then asked cautiously and Lord Henrik hesitated noticeably before he answered.

Was something wrong with the temple?

“No, but we will need to make sure that Miss Frieda will not leave our side”, he eventually declared while Lady Juliane frowned at that slightly.

Her grandfather had since then clued her in about what the temple was dealing in besides serving the gods. Frieda could not claim to be totally surprised, but she was still slightly disgusted.

And Myne was signed with somebody high up there? That could not end well. And now I am drawn into this as well.

She tried to push the dread away as she tried to think when that could have even happened. It must have been quite recent, most likely after their move into the Gilberta company's house.

Maybe actually almost immediately before the invitation from Lord Henrik had been sent?

Poor Myne.

Despite what her grandfather had told her about the filth in the temple the building itself was as clean as she remembered it from her own baptism. The gray priest who was guiding them into a waiting room was polite and friendly and they also did not have to wait beyond their agreed upon meeting time.

As they were then invited into the High Priest's office Frieda was shocked at the sight. Only the harsh glare from her grandfather reminded her of the necessity to greet the nobles first before she could stare at Myne and her sheer excessive wings.

Myne herself seemed even happy to see her, even though she quickly seemed to focus on the paperwork in front of her while they were busying themselves with a magic contract that Lord Ferdinand did indeed provide for the occasion.

Neither her grandfather nor Frieda herself could find actual fault in the contract apart from the fact that it was indeed a submission contract. But our agreement was always only built on trust once I had entered the noble's quarter. Trust and the promise of money being exchanged. It was just way more explicit like this.

She sighed and nodded before she reached for a pen but was just given a needle.

Right. Submission. That does not require consent, just blood.

She poked her finger and stamped the contract with it while Lord Henrik took the High Priest's pen to sign it properly before it went up in flames.

“Are you familiar with the recipe to brew a suitable ring, Lord Henrik?”, Lord Ferdinand then asked and Lord Henrik nodded.

“Yes, as it was part of some optional classes I took for the scholar curriculum”, he said and Lord Ferdinand nodded at that.

“Frieda, why don't you head over to Myne and talk a bit with her, while we discuss a few more things”, he said and activated a blue barrier around his desk after she was basically shooed away. The moment she passed through that barrier she could not hear even one word from them anymore. Did he drop the 'Miss' because I was now officially Lord Henrik's property? Or just because we were in his realm in the temple here?

She smiled at her friend as she pushed the thought away.

“Hi Myne, how are you?”, she asked, unsure whether she should actually talk about all that Devouring and contract stuff.

“Hi Frieda! So you made your contract official with magic? Feels strange, hm?”, she instead asked a question back.

So bad, hm?

“Yes, Lord Ferdinand was so kind as to inform us of that vulnerability in our normal contract. It would be a waste to lose our agreement with Lord Henrik”, Frieda said and nodded in his direction. If it was indeed a kindness and not a trap we just could not see.

“And you really have wings! Yours are pink though – is that a hair color thing?”, Myne asked with clear enthusiasm and Frieda tilted her head with a smile.

“Oh, you are one to speak! Where did you even hide those? Your wings are just massive! And no, it's apparently a birth season thing. Before puberty children have wings in the color of their birth season. For you it's summer, for me it's winter”, Frieda explained, surprised that Myne was still unaware of such a simple fact.

“Huh? Really? Then that means Lord Cornelius is a spring child? But he also has green hair, I really thought I had it figured out”, she pouted while Frieda racked her brain who this 'Lord Cornelius' could be. She has been in contact with a noble child already? Why?

“And I did not hide them. They were ingrown in my back. The High Priest freed them by surgery. I guess you had one as well? You did not even have a bumpy back when we were bathing”, she said while Frieda tried not to stare too surprised at her friend.

She had surgery? This Lord Ferdinand was skilled enough as a doctor to perform this surgery that only very few even dared to try? Lord Henrik had pushed for potions all the way because he was too afraid to go the surgery route despite my wings being kind of late to emerge on their own.

“No, we just rubbed some potions on my shoulder blades until they basically plopped out”, Frieda noted and Myne's eyes widened drastically.

“They can plop out?!”, she exclaimed so loudly that one of the gray priests scoffed at her to remain calm.

“Sorry, but, like a pimple?”, she then asked and Frieda could not suppress an honest laugh at that.

“No. More like when somebody breaks a bone in the most nasty fashion”, she chuckled and Myne paled.

“Eeeep?! They broke through your skin?! Did that not hurt?!”, she exclaimed with a hushed voice and Frieda gritted her teeth as she nodded.

“Absolutely. It took roughly four weeks to heal”, she confirmed and Myne winced at the thought.

“But the surgery must not have been easy either, right?”, she commiserated but Myne tilted her head slightly.

“I was knocked out for the procedure and woke up in some kind of healing bath afterwards, totally free of pain and with massive wings”, she reported and now it was Frieda's turn to stare.

“I must admit to feeling a bit jealous”, she said with a wink and Myne now chuckled.

“The High Priest is really considerate with this whole thing”, she noted and gestured to her robes.

“Working as a blue shrine maiden is also not so bad, you know. I can get rid of that pesky heat and I already did paperwork beforehand anyway. I can still live with my family in the Lower City and work on my dream. If you don't look at the fine print, it is actually quite an optimal solution”, she said and Frieda smiled while trying to not show her sadness.

Yeah, if you do not look at the fine print you seem to have at least a life as you wished for until your coming of age. That's a few years more than you'd have if you stuck to your original plan of dying around now, no?

“Yeah, it all hinges on the noble who you sign up with, no?”, Frieda agreed and looked at Lord Henrik who was currently sweating alongside her grandfather while he seemed to explain something to this Lord Ferdinand.

The archduke's brother, hm? But why was he in the temple? He could not be an outcast for lack of mana. Not with those wings.

Chapter Text

“Myne, how do you even do that?”, Tuuli chuckled as she looked at her little sister who had somehow managed to ruffle her feathers even worse than usual this night.

“Bwuh?”, Myne responded with a sleepy face which was utterly adorable to Tuuli.

“That's Dad's fault. He pulled me into that (bear) hug and tousled them by rubbing his cheeks all over”, she complained but their dad's loud laughter made her stop that.

“Hahaha, no that's your fault for being all fluffy! How could I not cuddle you all over, Myne?”, their dad jested and Tuuli had to agree in a way if not for the quite obvious effect on her workload from that.

“But Daaaaaaad, look at how ruffled her feathers are. Now I will have no time to rub my own face all over and have to work super fast on getting her presentable or that Fran guy will be grumpy all morning for having to see her like this”, Tuuli grumbled herself as she readied her crocheting hook and went to work while Myne had breakfast in bed already to save on time.

Tuuli worked as diligently as she could with all the tricks she had learned on her days off when she had instead accompanied Myne to the temple and been taught by her attendants there how to deal with noble feathers but both Myne and their dad had really worked their hardest to mess them up. She sighed in exasperation before she leaned over Myne's shoulder and whispered into her ear with a conspiratorial tone.

“I need you to fluff up, Myne, or I won't get them ready in time”, she threatened and Myne immediately lit up at the prospect.

“Ehehehehe, well, if it is absolutely necessary how dare I protest, my dear Tuuli?”, she chuckled and it was quite obvious that she was more than eager for that.

Tuuli let her fingers run over that spot between her shoulder blades that made Myne purr with bliss and her feathers fluff up so much that a third of the tangles just solved themselves like this already.

“Apologies for being so unprofessional”, Tuuli chuckled and scritched her little sister's spot a bit longer just because she knew that she liked it so.

“No, no, it's alright, it's Dad's fault after all”, she agreed and leaned back into the scritch.

“Well, if it's my fault then I want to do some scritching as well”, their dad chimed in, but their mom was faster and took over scritching duty while Tuuli worked on unruffling the mess further.

“Your attendants in the temple can claim their tools superior all they want, but they cannot convince me that a crocheting hook is not the best tool for this”, Tuuli exclaimed while Myne was just purring happily from their mom's scritching while their dad was pouting as he was getting ready for work.

“You are really good at that, Tuuli”, Rosina praised her as she looked at her cleaning up the mess that Myne had somehow made during her inspection of the orphanage.

Since Myne had become its director, not by choice but rather by bullying, she had tried to help the orphans there, who were hungry and rather dirty, but she also had to make it seem as if it was just an undesired side effect, so together with Lutz the three of them had derived a plan.

First, Myne had announced an inspection. Everybody had to clean up the place for that. Tuuli had seen the benefit of that directly. A clean place also required clean children, so there was a clear incentive for them to do that. Or rather they were almost forced to that.

Then, Myne had declared that the orphans should learn more about the gods, dedicating a week to each subordinate. And the first one was Cuococalura, the God of Cooking.

So she had instructed her attendant Wilma and her apprentice chef Ella to teach the orphans how to cook things from scratch.

Once the orphans had learned that they could actually eat the food afterwards they had been all very, very dedicated to learning more about worshiping Cuococalura.

The week afterwards it was Vulcanift, God of Smithing. And Vulcanift-week was all about setting up a workshop in the orphanage with Lutz helping and Benno beaming with joy at the news that they were basically getting a workforce for free.

Then there was Bluanfah-week. Everybody had worked on the garden of the orphanage to sow some fast growing seeds that could be harvested soon. As they understood that what sprouted there was meant to be eaten their eagerness was increased once again.

Tuuli could only smile at the growing plumpness of the children and their returning vigor as they were now at the end of Greifechan-week where they had tried to honor Greifechan by making as much paper as possible in just one week.

And Myne had decided that the workshop needed a proper inspection after just this Greifechan-week.

But why did she think it necessary to crawl into every little nook and cranny to get the last piece of ripped paper for her own personal scrap notebook? Why could she not for once think about how her wings would look after that?

Tuuli's exasperation however was only short-lived as she quickly brought Myne's wings back into an acceptable state.

“Myne, really, it is like you just need a full time wingcare attendant just to be somewhat presentable at all times”, Tuuli complained as she was waving her little sister goodbye for the day inside that High Priest's office where she was occupying herself with paperwork for the rest of the day. That at least should not ruffle any more of her feathers.

Working for a free education on her days off was all fine and dandy, but half a day off here and there was still necessary just to help their mom out. Myne did not really get days off, either, so currently all the work rested on their mom's shoulders.

The High Priest however looked up at her words and gazed directly into her eyes. Something he only rarely did.

“Myne, your sister is not wrong about her assessment. Your temple attendants are skilled, no doubt, but they have other tasks to attend to as well, so taking in a full time wingcare attendant will be indeed a wise move. You cannot just get them in order once in the morning and then just hope for the best”, he noted and Tuuli was not sure whether she really was meant to be still part of this discussion.

“Yeah, but as I told you, that skill is too expensive for me to hire somebody full time. Those people are educated to serve nobles, right? They charge an arm and a leg, I am sure”, Myne objected and Tuuli had to agree. Anything that a noble might want was immediately triple the price, just for the privilege.

“Your sister is already doing quite a good job after only a few weeks of part-time training and wingcare is quite personal anyway, so why do you not hire her and have her change careers?”, he suggested as if Tuuli was not even in the room anymore.

She scoffed to make him aware of that oversight but he just raised an eyebrow at her.

“Yes?”, he prompted and Tuuli froze. He usually did not speak to her or even acknowledge her presence! She immediately regretted having actively tried to draw in the attention of a noble and now having succeeded.

“I am under contract with a sewing workshop, High Priest. I cannot just change careers so easily”, she dared to object.

“As far as I am aware commoners usually sign a contract for a few years when they start their apprenticeship? Surely you can just pay to be let go early”, he suggested with a disinterested tone as he scribbled something on a wooden board.

“High Priest, please do not be so mean to Tuuli”, Myne objected and she had to admit that she was a bit jealous how brave Myne was to defend her like this from the harsh judgment of a noble.

“I am not being mean, Myne, I am providing an outside perspective. You do not need to employ anybody. You can also start to be way more considerate of your wings so that it becomes manageable as a minor responsibility of one of your grays”, he commented and Tuuli had to work hard to not start laughing at Myne's pouting face.

As that was rather unlikely, maybe I should give it a bit more thought.

“Mom, can we talk?”, Tuuli asked as she was helping her to cook dinner while Myne was occupied with getting measured by Corinna for getting something they called 'ceremonial robes' but which could be most easily be described as 'utterly fancy and ridiculously expensive noble clothing'.

“Oh? Of course, what's bothering you?”, Mom asked as she immobilized the rigar with a hefty thump.

“Something the High Priest said today”, Tuuli began, unsure how her mother would actually react to the idea.

“Oh? What happened? Please don't say he retracted his permission for you to learn from her gray shrine maidens how to handle those feathers in the morning”, her mom started but Tuuli shook her head.

“No, he didn't do that. More like the opposite. He said I was good at it and should do that full time. As Myne's personal wingcare attendant or something”, Tuuli admitted quietly, almost drowning out her voice by the furious chopping noises emerging from the knife in her hands.

“Isn't Myne always complaining about how stingy he is with praise? That sounds like quite the praise to me. Congratulations, Tuuli! You impressed a noble!”, her mom lauded and Tuuli could feel her cheeks heating up at that.

“Yeah, that felt nice”, she agreed and focused a bit more on her chopping again.

Can I really ask Mom whether she sees me in that role? And maybe even ask about my lehange contract?

“...you are considering it, right? Being her wingcare attendant?”, her mom then interrupted the silence and hummed as she washed the mehren for today's soup.

“...hm... maybe”, Tuuli admitted thoughtfully and focused intensely on her hands.

“You are really good at that. You get her presentable in lightning speed, you know. And I know you love touching her wings, don't lie”, she then chuckled, causing Tuuli to blush even further.

“Well, yeah, but she is just so fluffy! You love touching them as well, right? How could anybody ever resist?”, she asked and her mother laughed at that.

“Nobody could ever resist. They are indeed supremely fluffy”, her mother agreed and they both shared the laugh at Myne's expense.

“But full time, hm? That would mean breaking your lehange contract?” Her mother became thoughtful at that.

“If you do that there is no turning back. You would never be considered for a leherl position if you leave your first lehange contract unfulfilled”, her mother mused and Tuuli's heart became heavy.

At which point have I started actually wishing for that to be possible?

“But, you are basically ordered away by a noble, all things considered. Maybe the High Priest would be willing to sign a board where he just asks for you to be released from your contract? It will be a bit of a shock for the forewoman of your workshop, but she will survive that, I am sure. And nobody questions noble caprice. Especially not for a lehange after her first year”, she continued her musing and Tuuli turned away from her chopping board and instead stared at her mother.

“Are you serious? But... but I cannot just ask the High Priest for that. He is a noble after all”, Tuuli raised her last concern but her mother just shrugged.

“He has been exceedingly lenient with Myne so far. Even if he refuses to sign such a board, I really doubt that he would hold that against you. Especially considering the fact that he was the one to propose it”, her mother reasoned but Tuuli remained uncertain.

It took her more than a week to gather enough courage to ask the High Priest whether he could help her get out of her lehange contract by writing such a board. He had looked up at her from his paperwork with an unreadable face while Myne had just stared at her with horror, but then, he had just taken an empty wooden board and scribbled something on it before he put his seal on it.

“Here. Take that to your forewoman. You are permitted to be on temple grounds whenever Myne is here. You are permitted and expected to be trained by her attendants for a wingcare attendant route. You are expected to keep Myne presentable at all times”, he listed his expectations without a hint of emotion in his voice and while Tuuli tried to contain herself it seemed that Myne had failed at that. As she was squealing quite joyfully right now.

Just as her mother had predicted her now former forewoman was neither happy nor destroyed by losing one of her lehanges like this. If anything she seemed concerned about Tuuli, but Tuuli was quite certain that a future at Myne's side was nothing she would regret.

Chapter Text

Damuel really hoped that his fiancee would understand that his recent visits to the temple were really just for chaperoning his brother's future mistress to ensure that she was indeed not subject to any depravity that was said to incur at this place.

But Damuel had not noticed any of that supposed depravity which at least did not seem to center around the 'High Priest'.

Instead he was confronted with the utter ridiculousness that was Lord Ferdinand's Devouring girl and the reason why Henrik's future mistress was even visiting the temple.

It was framed as socializing experience in an almost noble ambiance for both of them and while Damuel could see the wisdom in that, he was just flabbergasted at the topics they discussed. And the sheer sums of money that seemed to mean nothing to them.

And that was after the sheer ridiculousness of that wingspan. If not for the apparent telltale sign of a Devourer's pale wings it would have been absolutely unbelievable that this 'Myne' was born as a commoner.

But that was not even the full reason why he would never forget his first visit.

The girls had been meeting in Lord Ferdinand's office so that they could not fall back into commoner behavior but had to interact under very scrutinizing eyes and even had to join him for lunch. Damuel was not sure whether he should have been truly glad to be invited to the table as well as he could think of a few more relaxing activities than eating with the archduke's little brother and former Knight Commander.

But standing at the side of the room and just growing hungrier had also not really been an option. So he had relented and joined them.

“Lord Damuel, I am aware that you are primarily here to chaperon in your brother's stead, but I am sure it must be a quite tiring task given the dullness of my office and the endlessness of their discussions. If you are agreeable, you might join in the paperwork, for proper reimbursement of your time, of course”, Lord Ferdinand suggested after their lunch and as the girls went back to their discussion. Apparently something about a restaurant.

“While I appreciate the offer, Lord Ferdinand, I am not sure I understand your intention”, he had deflected but one of the gray priests had already seemed to prepare a desk for him at that point.

Ehm? Excuse me?

“You can just keep an eye on them the same way I do, Lord Damuel. While I am sure it may count as guard duty practice your time can be used more efficiently”, Lord Ferdinand stated dryly and one of the gray priests began to instruct him on the calculations he should double-check.

Sigh. Refusing the archduke's brother was obviously not even an option.

But Damuel had to agree that focusing on those problems was more entertaining than chaperoning two little girls. He was just about to correct one mixed up line of a budget as a growled “Stop.” emerged from Lord Ferdinand's position. Damuel immediately stiffened, produced his schtappe and looked around, ready to attack or defend.

But instead of anything particularly noteworthy Lord Ferdinand was glaring at the two girls who were currently... messing around with their wings?

Damuel's face twisted as he stared at the girls, each with a small feather of their own in their hands. No way. Had they plucked them themselves? Were they mad?! What were they even trying to do?!

“Myne, never do that again. Frieda, was your wing related education not already declared complete? Why are you joining in this absolute inappropriateness?”, he grumbled and Damuel was glad that his anger was not directed at him. But he absolutely had to agree.

“Were you just about to exchange feathers?”, Damuel asked trying to make sense of the situation and judging from their busted faces that seemed to have been exactly the case.

“My apologies, High Priest, I thought it was neat, like (blood brothers) but with feathers”, Myne said and shrunk into her seat with apparent shame. What was that word?

“It is not neat, Myne. Whatever you intended to do, gifting somebody a feather is a very serious courting gesture. As you are both just seven years old this is absolutely inappropriate. I told you to keep your feathers, didn't I. So keep them on your wings”, he ordered and she immediately stiffened.

Was that just from his authoritative tone or a side effect of her submission contract with him? They had seemed quite relaxed in their conduct, at least if one considered the fact that her lord was Lord Ferdinand. Poor girl. Quite a harsh mentor.

Frieda looked at Damuel with an equally apologetic smile, but he did not know how to solve the issue at hand. What was Henrik's stance on Frieda's feathers? Did he use some for brewing? Anyway, he surely did not want her to gift some to others.

“Frieda, the same applies to you. Keep your feathers to yourself”, he chastised her and she nodded immediately. He shot Lord Ferdinand a careful glance, unsure whether he should call the meeting between the girls to an early end or allow the scene to be brushed over.

The disapproving click of Lord Ferdinand's tongue made him straighten his back.

“Fran, retrieve two small leather bags”, he said and one of the gray priests immediately departed.

“High Priest, ehm, what do I do with this feather now? You say I should keep it myself but I have no use for it? Do you want it perchance? You said they can be used for something called brewing?”, she then offered as if it was not one of the most personal items one could think to gift somebody else.

Raising a commoner without such awareness must be a real pain.

And Lord Ferdinand seemed utterly displeased by her suggestion as well.

“Put it in the leather bag once Fran returns and I may safekeep it for your later use, Myne. They are yours.”

That did not sound like the one who was said to ditter the whole of Dunkelfelger for rare brewing ingredients. Or maybe the one line he drew where the feathers of others?

Damuel was glad that the message had been clear at that point.

And he was glad about the quite generous compensation he had received for helping out for just half a day with the temple's paperwork.

He should not have been surprised that Lord Ferdinand's Devourer was the one who was tasked with restoring the Earth after the trombe extermination that he was ordered to participate in.

As the sparse selection of the Knight Order assembled in front of the noble's gate of the temple, Damuel bowed in front of Lord Ferdinand, who was in full plate armor, the same as any other knight. He saw that the girl was wearing her ceremonial robes and that her wings were apparently wrapped in mana blocking leather.

Right, she is still young, barely baptized. She could not fly on her own yet so she has to be carried and that runs the risk of touching her wings.

There was also one of Lord Ferdinand's temple attendants at the ready with the divine instrument that was required for the healing ceremony. But since he was a commoner, no special accommodation was necessary for him.

And as luck would have it, Lord Karstedt assigned carrying Fran to Damuel.

As if flying a distance of unknown length was not already exhausting enough before a fight!

Lord Ferdinand of course did not seem bothered in the slightest by having to carry his Devourer to the battlefield, but Damuel knew that they were worlds apart in basically every metric that was relevant here.

It was however quite surprising for Damuel that this Myne seemed already rather familiar with Lord Karstedt as well as she did not even flinch in his admittedly sometimes intimidating presence.

On the one hand, Lord Ferdinand had to search for somebody who would want to take her on as a mistress since he had told Henrik that he did not intend to do that himself. So maybe he had already approached Lord Karstedt for that? The Knight Commander had three wives already, well, currently only two again, but still.... On the other hand, with wings of her size her dating pool was bound to be slim. Maybe Lord Ferdinand was really checking all his options.

The trombe was gigantic. Damuel had heard stories about them, but he had never expected the sheer force of this feyplant that was stealing the mana from the duchy. Ha! But we will slay you!

The group of knights landed on a nearby clearing for a short strategic meeting, where he sat down the gray priest with the divine instrument and Lord Ferdinand sat down Myne and freed her wings, now that no further transport was necessary for a while.

“Myne, wait here. Karstedt, assign guards to her. She has to be in top condition for the healing ritual”, Lord Ferdinand commanded sternly and both Myne and Lord Karstedt nodded.

“Damuel, Shikza, your task”, he immediately declared and Damuel had to suppress a frown. He had looked forward to finally using a darkness weapon and now he was merely tasked with guarding Lord Ferdinand's property.

Well, nothing to do about that. Orders are orders.

Shikza on the other hand did not seem to accept his task without complaining about it at length as soon as the Knight Order began the extermination and left their spot.

Damuel tried to ignore his rambling by explaining to Myne what darkness weapons were and how they were using them to exterminate the trombe, but Shikza did not like to be ignored.

“Damuel, you are pathetic. Why are you all buddy-buddy with that disgusting commoner scum. Trying to get into the High Priest's good graces or what?”, he scoffed and Damuel suppressed the urge to shoot a 'he is still the archduke's brother, retreating from the political stage does not change that' back and instead smiled at him politely.

“There is not much else to do right now, don't you agree? The trombe has driven any stray feybeast away for a very far distance anyway and as long as nobody bleeds onto the ground nothing will happen”, Damuel commented and was met with a raised eyebrow from Shikza.

“Using that commoner for entertainment, huh?”, Shikza acknowledged and seemed to scrutinize the girl.

What's with that look?

“I heard that commoners are so out of reach of the Gods that even their birth blessings are so minor that their juvenile feathers are pale, seems to be true then, when I look at that”, he said with a mocking tone and Damuel's smile twitched slightly.

“Yeah, pale feathers are typical for children with the Devouring”, he commented and hoped to turn the discussion into something academic maybe.

“I wonder whether Devourers' feathers also feel differently or whether it is just the color that is lacking. Come here and turn your back to me. Let me pick a few samples”, he then ordered Myne with a very nasty grin.

The heck?

Chapter Text

Eeeep! What was up with that creepy knight?!

I stared at the one who was not Damuel and really hoped he had just been joking, but he made a face that clearly said that he was serious.

“My apologies, but I was told to not let anybody touch them”, I dared to object, Lady Elvira's words still resounding in my ears.

“You think those robes give you any right to talk back to a noble, commoner scum? You are duchy property so you will obey your betters or I will make you wish you did so from the start”, he told me with an angry smile that underlined his threats. Damuel seemed like he wanted to say something but was at the same loss for words as I was.

I tried to take a step from him as he took one in my direction but I stepped on the hem of my robes and landed unpleasantly on my bum which definitely squished and ruffled more than just a few feathers. They could not break from that, right? Tuuli would be so angry once we returned!

“Ha, better, even though you can hardly call that kneeling, commoner scum”, he laughed derisively and took a step closer but Damuel intercepted him.

“Shikza, her feathers are still hers”, he tried to defuse the situation and I was surprised that he actually stood in for me. Seems like the guildmaster really made a good choice of the family that Frieda will join. Lord Damuel was a real knight in shiny armor!

But before I could even express my gratitude I saw my knight in shiny armor be kicked to the side.

Eeeep?! Weren't they colleagues?!

“Such nonsense. Commoners are merely granted to use what we nobles provide to begin with”, he snickered and was now almost in reach.

Beyond his derision was something worse still. I had no doubt that he had no scruple to hurt me if I objected, but really, what was up with this improper demand?!

“Shikza, she is under contract. And the Zent's law protects her”, Damuel said while clearly coughing from the kick he had suffered for me.

Was that true? Did that stupid law that had even brought me in this situation protect me in some way?

“You are right, there is that limit on feathers to be plucked, I will keep it to only three then, Damuel”, he acknowledged with glee and clear mockery and I shook my head desperately as he reached out over my head.

That was the whole protection?! Screw this useless law!

I turned around, stood up and tried to run away, but he stood on the hem of my robes before I could even take my first step.

“Ah, finally you present them to me. Took you long enough, commoner scum”, he said and then there was the most disgusting feeling in the world as he touched my feathers.

It felt absolutely violating. I wanted to throw up, I wanted to kick him where it hurt, I wanted to scream, to shout. And most of all I wanted that to end. I need to get away from him!

I did not know what he was currently doing with my feathers, if I had to guess he was rubbing one between his fingers but I did not want to spend any extra thoughts on that.

I pulled at my robes to flee but I was not strong enough to tear them away.

“Please stop!”, I pleaded but was only met with laughter.

Move away, move away, move away! Think, how to get away?! If I only knew how to fly...

That Shikza could fly as well to follow me perhaps but he could not pin me as easily in the air of that I was sure. But flying had seemed so complex. The knights had all been constantly flapping, even though not nearly often enough as any bird would have to.

Wait. Was flying just magic bullshit and not related at all to physics? Like how those telephone-birds could just fly through walls because they were magic?

I knew I did not have anything to lose. If moving those wings was just something everybody found cool to do, maybe being convinced it looked cool was the real trick to flying?

Well, what was cooler than the Superman pose?!

I raised my arms into the air, balled my fingers into fists and put my whole will to get away from Shikza into my wings.

SUPERMYNE! TO THE SKIES!

A sharp ripping noise, followed by confused screams told me that my assumptions had been true and I had just destroyed my very expensive ceremonial robes. But that was a problem for future me. Present me needed to get away from this Shikza guy.

“High Priest! Help!”, I wailed as I came into reach of him and basically rammed into his body as I was not really sure how to stop my neck-breaking speed. I tried to cling to his waist but he immediately pushed me away and held me at my wrist. As I looked up he seemed confused and angry.

Wait, how did Superman look when he just hovered? T-pose? Arms crossed in front of him? The latter, right?

I tried to fold my arms, which was only possible as the High Priest released my wrist but he still glared at me.

“Myne, what are you doing here? Why are you shouting for help? Since when are you able to fly?”, he demanded to know in a tone seeping with authority and the quite apparent displeasure at being disobeyed, since he had ordered me to wait at the side lines.

Hovering, I tried to calm down enough for a comprehensive report, but she sheer shock and disgust was still occupying my mind rendering me silent.

“Lord Ferdinand, the trombe has been confirmed to be eradicated”, came Lord Karstedt's firm voice before he joined in the glaring.

“Why is the shrine maiden flying, Lord Ferdinand?”, he asked with a scrutinizing tone and I was not sure why that was the thing to get angry about.

“Because I needed to get my feathers away from Lord Shikza”, I dared to report and both of their gazes hardened even further.

“Elaborate”, the High Priest ordered clearly unamused while I could see both Lord Damuel and Lord Shikza slowly approaching us in the sky.

If I wanted to get a word in, I had to hurry.

“Lord Shikza pinned me by stepping on my robes, touched my feathers and said he wanted to pluck some. Lord Damuel tried to make him stop but couldn't. It was so disgusting, I did not want that, but I couldn't run. So I tried flying away and that worked at least. Please stop him”, I begged with now tears in my eyes and looked into unreadable faces.

As Lord Shikza and Lord Damuel came into range, I wanted to hide behind the High Priest but it seemed delicate maneuvering was something I still had to think about. Maybe that was more like swimming? Just little hand waves to change my position slightly?
I tried that but I noticed how I suddenly dropped down and began to fall freely!

Even though that seemed to trigger my flap-reflex at least it did exactly nothing to keep me in the skies. That just seemed to slightly slow my fall?! Eeep?! How useless!

But before I could change back into my Supermyne position I already came to a halt as I fell into a net that seemed to have come out of nowhere.

“Let's continue this discussion back on the ground”, came the High Priest's annoyed voice and only then did I see that the net somehow belonged to him.

We then landed in a controlled fashion in the middle of that huge crater of wasteland that the trombe had created. This had been such a lively forest just a short time ago and now it was all dead? The thought made me sad but the expression on everybody's faces was scarier still. Will I be punished for leaving the waiting area? Or for letting anybody touch my wings despite being instructed to not let that happen? Nobles did not care much for reasons of commoners after all, right?

“Damuel, report”, Lord Karstedt ordered and I held my breath.

“We were observing the extermination of the trombe when Lord Shikza suddenly expressed interest in Sister Myne and the characteristics of feathers as they occur in Devourers. Sister Myne refused his advances, I stepped in to protect her but was unfortunately overwhelmed by Lord Shikza. I reminded him that she was both under contract and under protection of the Zent's law, but that only made him agree to not pluck more than three of her feathers. As Sister Myne tried to get away from him, he stepped on her robes and began to inspect her feathers by touch. Shortly after that Sister Myne emerged to the skies with high speed while I tried to hold back Lord Shikza from following her”, Lord Damuel reported and I felt immense gratitude for him at least having tried to protect me.

“Shikza, report.” Lord Karstedt had only acknowledged Damuel's report with a curt nod. Was that standard protocol right now? Or did he not believe Damuel?

“Damuel's report is correct, but I really do not see the issue. That is a commoner and she has to do as her betters say. Besides, I did not even pluck one feather. That she left her designated waiting area is her own doing and flying without supervision or schtappe is clearly not my fault as well. As Damuel said, he held me back as she took flight. Everybody has been acting outside of their standing and now seems to blame me for that somehow”, he lamented and I just stared at him.

That was his defense? That it all just did not matter?

“I see”, came the cold acknowledgment from the High Priest.

“Myne, show Shikza your ring”, he then ordered and even though I did not understand why that was relevant I did as instructed.

Lord Shikza did not seem to understand either as he looked at it before he suddenly paled.

“As Damuel reminded you, she is under contract. She only has to do as I say and has to ignore those below me if they are in conflict with my instructions”, he noted and I gathered at least from that that he was not really angry at me.

“Do not think that there will not be any consequences for messing with my property that I am lending to the duchy as an apprentice blue shrine maiden with the explicit permission of the archduke”, he then added with a growl before he addressed the rest of the knights who had gathered by now. Was that my cue to act as the 'sad, little devouring slave' again? That could not hurt, right?

I let my head hang a little and waddled closer to the High Priest to show my obedience and allegiance to him.

“As everybody should already be aware, the Zent has decreed a law this spring that protects female commoners with the Devouring so that they may reach adulthood unharmed and enforces that every noble who encounters such an unspoken for commoner signs a submission contract with her. Making use of their mana before their coming of age is obviously encouraged as well, hence why the one who had to sign with me is working at the temple to donate her mana there. I am aghast that I even need to state all this, when I already clearly marked her with my crest and that law has been in effect for half a year now. It is beyond my comprehension why anybody would deem it acceptable to mess with her here.”

The knights seemed to be struck by his words more than I expected. But uh. I really did not need that reminder about this stupid law. Currently, all was fine, but what really were the expectations once I came of age? Would he find it offensive if I asked for a copy of the law and the contract to search for a loophole?

Somebody seemed to have picked up Fran from the waiting area as well as he now came close to us, with Flutrane's staff in hand. As he handed it to me, the High Priest gave a few more words to prop me up before I then began my incantation.

The ground looked really barren currently. Geduldh was definitely suffering.

I tried to ignore the stares as I opened my trusty box and let all the heat flow into Flutrane's staff alongside my prayers and hopes of healing.

The wind seemed to rush around me, but it was a warm wind, one that despite its strength did not seem to tangle my feathers at all even though I could hear them being rustled by it.

“You may stop, Myne”, were the words of the High Priest that made me open my eyes and look at the lush green that had sprouted out of seemingly nowhere. Magic really was neat.

“The Goddess of Water worked really hard”, I said, impressed by the results but it seemed the High Priest wanted to object. Even though he did not in the end.

Fran retrieved the divine instrument from my hands and I could feel a weight fall from my shoulders. I had practiced that prayer beforehand, obviously, but performing it in front of all those knights had been daring nevertheless.

The eyes of those knights had changed from curiosity and derision to hunger and disappointment. I was not sure whether I like that better.

I also heard several murmurs along the lines of “too bad she is already under contract” and “should fetch a huge price once she comes of age” and I did my best to suppress the shudder those words caused in me. The High Priest looked at me with strange eyes, almost as if he pitied me, but he did not say anything.

Fran brought me the leather blanket I had used on my way here, but now that I had unlocked flying I did not see why I should not fly back on my own instead of ending in that strange princess carry of the High Priest again.

“High Priest, may I fly back on my own?”, I asked hopefully but he shook his head sternly.

“You will need to train flying for some time longer before I will allow you flying such a long distance. Or did you already forget that you fell to the ground and I needed to catch you? You must be low on mana now as well. I will carry you, no discussion”, he said and I nodded. With so many onlookers I could do nothing but obey immediately.

And so I let Fran cover my wings again.

I was not sure what the High Priest really meant with 'low on mana' though. Had I used so much during the healing ritual? My wings currently felt like they actually had some weight, was that related? It could not be the leather cover since that had not been the case on our flight here. Hm. Could he tell that I held them maybe a bit lower than usual? Or had he just guessed that from the ritual?

“I apologize, Myne. When I asked Karstedt to assign knights to you, I wanted to keep you protected, not subjected to... such a violation. He crossed more than one line there that should never be crossed.”

He seemed actually hurt by that. More than maybe even me.

“It's not your fault, High Priest. I know how much you are doing to help me. Do not take the blame for somebody else”, I said but he shook his head.

“I should have considered more how deep-rooted the hate for commoners is in so many nobles. So deep that they even ignore the law”, he grumbled and I frowned.

“That law... do you perchance have it available for me to read? And a copy of our contract?”, I dared to ask, hoping that he maybe was more agreeable right now than at any other point in the near future.

“I should be able to procure those, although it might take a few weeks. But if you are looking for a loophole I can spare both of us the effort. There is none”, he claimed and I gritted my teeth.

“I still want to see for myself”, I mumbled and I could see him nodding.

“Understandable. But you will be disappointed.”

Chapter Text

“How are you doing that?”, the High Priest asked as he was supervising my flight training together with Eckhart in the garden of Lady Elvira's estate. Lady Elvira was technically supervising as well, but her eyes were clearly on the High Priest and not on me. But it puts her in a good mood so I should not point that out to anybody.

I was hovering barely a meter above ground and was thereby roughly at eye level with those two.

“The same way you do that, no? Magic?”, I suggested and tried to change my location slightly. I had by now learned that the swimming image had failed me because I had only tried to maneuver with my arms but had forgotten to add a little paddling with my feet to it as I switched my mental image away from 'Supermyne' to 'swimmer'.

He scoffed at my answer.

“You would do well to not grow too cheeky, Myne. What do you even know about magic?”, he asked but despite his words he seemed amused. Eckhart chuckled at our exchange and walked around me to observe my apparent technique.

“Magic is magic. If you knew how it works you call it physics”, I answered but I had to admit that that sounded cheeky even in my own head, so I hastily added a bit more explanation.

“High Priest, you are not flapping as often as a bird, correct? Why do you think that is? Because of magic, no? So, why then flap at all? Just fly like a (super hero)!”, I exclaimed and switched into my Supermyne position and zoomed through the garden just barely above the trees. Eckhart started flying as well, a net already in hand to prevent the worst should I make a mistake.

My wings were still in their resting position. Or, not fully, as I made them a bit more aerodynamic, but, in principle they did do nothing for my flight.

“It seems you have more control when you are flying fast”, the High Priest observed from my patterns and I halted into my hovering position with folded arms.

“I have a strong mental image for that. Small movements on the other hand feel a bit clumsy, I admit, because I cannot really visualize that the way I do the fast flying or the hovering”, I noted and he raised an eyebrow at me.

“You have two different mental images for flying?”, he asked and rose up to me with two strong flaps that would never be enough for a bird.

“Yeah, I mean, it's not about the wings, right? It's just about magic. Otherwise people like Lord Damuel would also not be able to fly. Not to sound mean, but those are too small to provide enough (uplift). I think even ours might be borderline too small for that”, I said and was met with quite obvious disbelief.

“You consider our wings too small? I see that your frame of reference is completely off”, he smirked and I just noticed by now that he had not flapped at all since he hovered in front of me. With folded arms.

“Ehehehe, are you copying me, High Priest?”, I tried to tease him and was met with a raised eyebrow.

“The thing you do with your arms appears rather inelegant, to put it lightly, but your way to hover is indeed agreeable.”

We then landed back in the garden.

“My, seeing your new way to hover was indeed quite impressive, Lord Ferdinand”, Lady Elvira praised and I could have sworn he blushed ever so slightly. Oh? He was actually susceptible to kind words himself?

“Myne, I believe you are secure enough in flying to use it if the need arrives, but for the time being do not fly alone. Ask me before you decide to fly somewhere. Understood?”, he confirmed with me and I nodded immediately.

Yeah, flying around would make me really stand out. And somebody who can cast a safety net is also nice to have.

Chapter Text

“High Priest, why is that nasty knight now a blue priest? He is still scary and I hate running into him in the hallways. It took weeks before I got rid of the dirty feeling where he touched my feathers”, I complained with my hand grabbing one of the sound blocking tools that the High Priest seemed to love so much and I was met with an exasperated sigh.

“Because he was deemed unfit to stay in noble society, so his schtappe was sealed and he had to return to the temple where he had been raised anyway”, he explained as if it was obvious but then it seemed that he noticed that it was in no way obvious to me.

“He dared to mess with you, who is considered my property by virtue of your submission contract, which was considered a huge affront since I put you into the service of the duchy making you effectively duchy property”, he commented rather stoically and I gritted my teeth.

“Commoners are really worth nothing, huh”, I said and he frowned but did not object my assertion.

“He actually got lucky that I did not press further charges since he could also have been put under trial for treason for that. Attacking you could be understood similarly to attacking an ivory building in a sense. Not in an absolutely conclusive way but I could have raised the question of this possible interpretation”, he said while I stared at him. Somehow his explanation only made more questions arise, not less.

“Attacking an ivory building is treason?”, I asked and his eyes widened.

“Yes. Only the archduke and those of his family can build them, they are therefore considered an extension of his rule and goodwill and attacking them is effectively the same as attacking the archduke”, he provided immediately and stared at me with clear surprise.

“Even every commoner should be firmly aware of that fact, Myne. Why are you not?”, he asked but I just shrugged as elegantly as I could.

“I guess it never came up?”, I suggested and he sighed in exasperation.

“Be that as it may, you need not fear Brother Shikza. He may glare at you, but he is now firmly aware that he must not mess with you and he will keep his hands to himself. The High Bishop is also on bad terms with him since he left the temple at the first chance he got instead of showing loyalty to him by declining the offer. He has no friends here”, the High Priest summarized and I nodded.

“Now, let us head over to perform the Dedication Ritual”, he declared and I did not object. It was somehow forbidden to have breakfast beforehand, so I was very eager to get over with it so that I could eat something.

“You will need to genuflect like this, Myne, and try to have your feathers get as much contact to the carpet as possible”, the High Priest said as it was only the two of us now with that big chalice and an awful lot of small chalices in front of us on the altar.

He demonstrated the genuflecting position and he really spread out his wings on the carpet in front of him in the direction of the altar.

How to do that? That's basically like stretching them out above me?

As I tried to copy his position I noticed how I accidentally brushed over the heel of his foot with my wings.

Never have I seen somebody move so quickly.

Was he secretly a ninja? He had seemed strong during that trombe extermination, but that he was also so fast!

He was now standing with quite some distance away from me and stared at me with a difficult frown.

“Myne, you need to pay more attention”, he chided me and I sent him an apologetic smile from my still genuflecting position, his face half blocked from my sight by my own wings.

“I apologize, High Priest. I did not mean to touch you with them. This is a rather difficult move for me”, I tried to excuse the mishap and he seemed to exhale at that slowly.

“You will then have to get into position first and only get out of it after I have risen”, he said and I agreed immediately.

He then taught me the prayer and we filled several of the small chalices with mana. And then, as instructed, I waited for him to rise first, but just as I was about to arrange my wings back into my standard configuration and stop genuflecting I heard the door behind me open and the quick shuffle of the High Priest who seemed to now stand between me and the door.

“Oh, I see you have her praying quite diligently”, the voice of the High Bishop rang through the room and I immediately fell into my 'sad little devouring slave'-persona.

Which, in this case, meant I remained in my genuflecting position even further with my wings spread out very vulnerably.

“As is the natural course of things since I intend for her mana to be used fully for the duchy, High Bishop”, the High Priest acknowledged in a bored voice and the High Bishop chuckled darkly.

“Indeed, indeed. It seems at least her praying pose improved by now. I also heard that her kneeling was somewhat acceptable”, he commented as if the place in front of the altar with me basically sprawled out on the ground was the perfect location for a nice chat about useless, little me.

“She takes well enough to being educated and the gray priests work hard to have her presentable”, the High Priest said as if he was still annoyed by my sheer existence.

“I heard about her vast mana capacity over that trombe incident, High Priest”, he now said and I could hear the snark in his voice. Eeep? Was this bad?

“Indeed, a pleasant surprise. It seems her mana capacity was overshadowed by her lack of mana control and so she hid it in plain sight”, he commented with a slightly annoyed sigh and was acknowledged by snickering.

But ehm. How much longer was I expected to just stay like this? The carpet was nice and all, but my knees were about to start hurting.

“I do not envy you for that troublesome task of making the most of her. In that regard, High Priest, I wish for her to fill several more chalices”, he said and I heard faint clinking noises that appeared muffled by some kind of bag.

“I did not hear of any chalices being added to the ritual, High Bishop”, the High Priest objected, but the High Bishop just scoffed at him.

“Oh? Did I not just tell you?”

“I see. They will be filled over the next days then as today's ritual has already ended. I hope that will be acceptable”, he said politely and the High Bishop chuckled.

“Oh, but of course. It is not a matter of urgency, it may take a few days. Just see that she does it”, he ordered before he left.

As the door closed I took the angry clicking of the tongue as my sign to finally rise.

“My apologies. It seems the ritual got extended on its first day already”, he said and smiled at me uncomfortably, but I just shook my head.

“I don't mind. I do not need my mana anyway. Whether I dump it into those chalices or into the divine instruments does not make any difference to me. Just the skipped breakfast is a bit annoying”, I said as I double-checked that my wings were resting on my back in their comfortable configuration. Yep, all done.

“I see. In that case you should maybe instruct your chefs to prepare some snacks for after the ritual so you do not need to wait for lunch all morning then”, he advised and I had to agree with his insight. Maybe Ella still had some of those cookies? But cookies for breakfast? Ehm. Well, maybe. As a treat.

As I was to head out, I noticed that the High Priest still seemed like he wanted to say something so I looked at him expectantly.

“Myne, I finally received the document you wished to read in its original form. You may come to my office after lunch to read it and we may discuss any questions you may have”, he suggested and I racked my brain what he might have been referring to.

Oh, could it be? He finally got hold of a copy of that law from my contract?

Chapter Text

"Myne, what's wrong? You seem somehow gloomy since yesterday. Is it because you miss Mom and Dad with this stupid blizzard?", Tuuli asked and hugged me before she began her shift as my wingcare attendant. She was spending the winter with me in the temple and it truly felt like she was my lifeline to human warmth in this spread-out plane of loneliness and cold.

Declaring her as on and off duty had been the compromise I had reached with my temple attendants who had been flabbergasted at the idea of my personal wingcare attendant hugging me, even though they all knew that she was my sister.

I sighed as I hugged her back with a big squeeze.

"Oh, you are becoming stronger, Myne, that was a really firm hug", Tuuli praised me and I could not suppress a smirk at that. My body was really improving ever since I had that wing surgery. They were their own pain in a way, but it seemed they had been an even bigger burden on my body when they were still ingrown.

"Ehehehe, you think so too?", I chuckled with glee before I remembered my discussion with the High Priest yesterday which had made me so gloomy that naturally Tuuli had to notice it.

"The High Priest could finally get me the original bulletin for that law and we went over it together", I summarized and saw the signs of recognition in Tuuli's eyes.

"Oh, the one that forced him to force you into that contract?", she asked before she lowered her voice even though we were alone in my chambers right now. My male attendants decidedly did not enter my chambers before my morning routine of untangling my feathers was finished and my female attendants only helped out if I had messed up enough over night that even Tuuli struggled with fixing them. Otherwise, they did not mind granting us some bonding time that they then spent on different tasks instead.

"Was it true? Was he forced to do that?", Tuuli asked quietly and I nodded.

"Yes, he would have faced quite dire consequences otherwise. Having more nobles seems like their highest priority right now. And using Devouring commoners to achieve that did only invoke opposition due to snobby status concerns and not due to the commoners not having any say in their own futures", I grumbled as I remembered his blank retelling of the discussions that had apparently taken place before that law had been finalized. How could they see nothing wrong with telling girls and women to just bear children for them without any right to refuse?

"But apparently, that is just another Waterday in this country. I guess I can be really glad that the High Priest is not interested in making me his mistress at all. At least for now that means I just have to do my shrine maiden job. But apparently it will become an issue upon my coming of age", I tried to keep the bile at bay while Tuuli began to work on my feathers. She had noticed by now that this would take a bit longer than just a few words and decided to listen to me while working.

“They regulated that so massively, it's disgusting. If there is neither pregnancy nor a child after two years it is deemed an insufficient match and the contract falls to the respective archduke who then has to find a match that is willing and capable to provide offspring”, I told her and I noticed how Tuuli's careful hands had stopped her work on my back.

“So you could only gain two more years by that?”, she asked hesitantly but I shook my head.

“Not even that. If somebody accuses us of not even trying they will apparently read my mind to check that. Like, what is wrong with them? Can they not just leave me alone?”, I spat and Tuuli hugged me from behind, no doubt with her face full of feathers right now.

“So, basically, being a mistress is just a glorified breeding sow. No doubt. All those protections in the law also all boil down to not risking fertility. Just because I have the Devouring does not make me not human!”, I glared at my drawer since it was the only thing in my line of sight while Tuuli squeezed me once more for good measure and resumed her filigree work.

“Nobles really are scary”, she said solemnly and I tried to calm down again. I had already almost lost control over my mana yesterday. The High Priest had not been overly amused at that even though he had been quite understanding. The topic had not been comfortable for him either.

“So, what will happen after you come of age? The High Priest cannot protect you anymore and some match will have to be found?”, she asked and pulled with a bit too much force on one of my feathers which made me wince.

“Apparently noble match-making is made by comparing wing size. And he said there will be no suitable match for me in Ehrenfest, who would be looking for a mistress at that point. One too old, one too young, one too loyal to his wife and him, completely disinterested. He said it is very likely that I will have to leave this duchy”, I sighed and let my head sink.

“I don't want to move away to live as somebody's child bearer in a place where I do not even know anybody. Death might be nicer than that. So, the High Priest is currently looking in the only at least somewhat agreeable solution for me. Adopting me.”

Tuuli did not say anything at first. Of course, my adoption by a noble would mean losing my family in a way. But it also meant something at least resembling a self-determined life.

“He would adopt you?”, Tuuli then asked hesitantly.

“He said so at least. But it apparently depends on a few things he has to clear up first with him being a priest and all that. And I would need to be able to blend into noble society well enough at age ten to attend their school. That's apparently why those lessons with Lady Elvira have grown only more intense with each visit. And why I am now expected to learn that instrument. He truly thinks I have the potential to achieve that milestone.”

When he had said that it almost felt like he was praising me. Which he did so rarely so it really meant a lot. And to think that he had been working on a somewhat nicer future for me basically from the start. The High Priest was really the best.

“Does adoption mean we cannot see each other any more?”, Tuuli then asked but I shook my head.

“No, I could still invite you over for tea behind closed doors or something. And aren't you forgetting that you are my full time wingcare attendant? If you just stay that you will basically live with me, just like you currently do over the winter”, I said, but I was unsure whether I should drop the rest of the stipulations for that adoption route on her as well or keep quiet about that.

“You think I would be good enough even when you would not be considered a commoner anymore?”, she asked and I nodded with insistence.

“You are the best when it comes to my wings! I don't know how you do it but you are like super skilled!”, I confirmed immediately and I knew she was smiling that wide, happy smile of hers right now.

But Tuuli noticed that I was still keeping something from her.

“That is not all, right? Nobles just don't adopt commoners if they don't have to”, she noted suspiciously and I gritted my teeth as I was basically busted. Not only skilled but also smart. Of course.

“The whole adoption will only be conditional on whether I can graduate that school with an engagement. Only then will the adoption be actually fully acknowledged. They definitely did not forget about this whole 'replenishing noble society' part as they included that option. A wife is more valuable than a mistress, so it was more like an investment option. Not a consideration for commoners”, I stated glumly again and Tuuli clicked her tongue.

“Do nobles do that? Marry commoners if the wing size matches? Like, is that even an option?”, Tuuli grumbled and I shared her doubt.

“I asked the High Priest the same. Apparently nobles have up to three wives. And the third is often one for the heart, where status does not really matter. And with my business ideas I could be valuable enough for those with my wingspan that they could consider it”, I said.

That was actually the best possible outcome. Somebody who saw anything but my child bearing capabilities as my value. I did not mind the idea of children... after all Mom was currently pregnant again and so full of joy I might not even mind sharing that experience, but... on my terms. Not as an expectation enforced by some slave contract.

“Hm. But even with a proper starbinding you will end up somewhere else?”, she asked sadly and I nodded.

“Yeah, but noble wives are apparently okay to bring their personnel with them. So I could employ Mom as my seamstress and maybe Dad as a guard or something. If they were open to moving with me”, I said but I was not sure whether that was actually fair to them. They had their own lives as well after all. And I would be still stuck in the noble's quarter of wherever I might end up.

“High Priest, may we talk?”, I asked, hoping that he could give me one of those sound blocking tools again, but instead he led me in the direction of a piece of wall behind his bed. Ehm?

“Yes, that may be advisable”, he agreed and then just casually produced the greatest magic effect since he had opened that gate to the noble's quarter with those magic circles!

A hidden room?! His own secret base?! How cool was that?!

“Woah! Can I have one too?!”, I asked but only earned myself a glare from him. Guess that means 'no'. Rude!

“Is this about the new products that your workshop is creating? Fran told me that they are apparently some kind of games?”, he opened and I tilted my head at the unexpected topic.

“Bwuh? This was not what I wanted to talk about, but we may talk about that as well”, I said and reported the current endeavors of the Myne workshop. How printing had to rest over the winter as we were out of paper after having successfully printed our first batch of picture book bibles just before winter had started.

“Stop right there, Myne, what exactly do you mean by 'batch'?”, he asked and it seemed he had been rather unaware what printing exactly did. As I cleared that up he seemed quite taken aback.

“High Priest? Is anything wrong with that?”, I asked and he exhaled slowly and apparently under great concentration.

“It should not be an issue with picture book bibles, Myne, but do not spread printing for anything an adult might be interested in. I will need to set something up so that a noble of adequate standing can claim printing as their achievement or you will be crushed by the vested interests of nobles who copy books by hand for a living”, he explained and I quickly drew in my breath. Aw, come on. Really? Entrust this whole budding industry into noble hands who could just do whatever they wanted without caring for the commoners who worked in it?

“I know I do not have any say in this anyway with me being your property and all...”, I mumbled but was interrupted by a flick to my forehead.

“Fool. Tell me your concerns. You know that that is just the image we have to project in order to keep you out of anybody's interest, right?”, he grumbled while I rubbed the spot he had just flicked. Ouch.

“Nobles will not care about commoners, right? Workplace safety, working hours, reasonable deadlines – those are all things they will not care about. Handing that over will be dooming printing”, I voiced my fears and was met with a difficult frown from him.

“Ah. You originally wanted to talk more about your contract, I see”, he said without acknowledging my questions but instead seeing right through me.

“You said you still needed to clear up a few things before you could make any promises that you could adopt me”, I began cautiously and he nodded.

“If I don't then you will end up with a big target on your back and quite some powerful enemies, Myne. This has to be planned carefully”, he said and I frowned at those details. Powerful enemies? Yeah, makes sense that nobles don't like to share their status with commoners.

“And if that does not work out? I don't want to end up as a mistress. Frieda might be okay with that agreement, but Lord Henrik also sees her for more than just bearing children. His reliance on the guildmaster's money is a good shield for her. And he is actually kind, you know. They searched quite long for him. But how well can you search outside the duchy? I don't want to go somewhere alone and be completely at their mercy. I somehow really doubt that I will get lucky a second time with somebody as kind as you, High Priest”, I admitted and tried to hold back my tears. Crying was really not a good look.

“...as kind as me?”, he asked as he stared at me somehow frozen. But what about that was difficult to understand?

“There is a backup option... it will be less desirable, but there is an eccentric with enough status who might be willing to adopt you. But his reputation is somewhat... lacking. It will impact your chances negatively at securing an engagement during your time at the Royal Academy. But would you like to meet him? He is also the one I wanted to introduce as the representative of your printing endeavors. Even though that will have to wait until summer as he will be busy till then.”

A noble with a 'lacking' reputation? But the High Priest trusted him enough to consider him a backup option should his own scheming not work out? Could such a noble even exist?

I nodded hesitantly, uncertain whether that was truly wise. But it had to be better than ending up as a mistress.

Chapter Text

“Lord Ferdinand, are you still absolutely required to participate in Spring Prayer? The archduke inquires about your availability for an urgent matter”, Karstedt's voice sounded from the bird on the High Priest's arm and he stared at it for a moment before he sighed in exasperation.

“Do you believe you can handle the rest yourself? I will leave Fran with you and you still have Rosina, and the only task left will be just delivering the small chalices to Illgner and Griebel”, he proposed and I nodded hesitantly.

“That will mean I have to ride in the carriage with them, correct? Since you do not want me to fly alone”, I noted with a sigh and he smiled apologetically. The best part about performing Spring Prayer had been flying from village to village in the Central District, if you asked me. Even though all those smiling faces had been nice as well.

“I am sure you can manage. I will prepare a book from my estate upon your return as apology for you having to endure the ride back, how does that sound?”, he proposed and that did indeed improve my mood.

A book from the High Priest's personal stash? A rare treat indeed!

The carriage came to such a sudden halt that it triggered my flap-reflex from falling over. Only for the carriage to be way too small to actually accommodate my spread out wings so I basically rammed them into the walls of the carriage.

Ouch!

At least I had not hit Rosina or Fran with them, who were sitting opposite to me. While Fran had done his best to avoid my wings, Rosina had done her best to catch me. So I was by now basically in her arms.

“What is going on?”, I asked while I retracted my wings back into the folded position in front of my chest and Fran took a look outside the window to his side as curses and shouting sounded from where the carriage in front of us must have been driving.

Bandits? But could that be? Was that not supposed to be utterly foolish for them?

“We are under attack from feybeasts”, Fran reported as he hastily pulled his head back into the carriage and stared at me with a pale face.

“What? Why?”, I asked as my eyes flitted from Rosina to Fran and back.

“They might be sensing the small chalices in our possession, but the roads are usually cleared from feybeasts in preparation of spring prayer to prevent something like this”, Fran mused with as much composure as he still seemed capable of while he worked with some kind of wooden box that he suddenly threw out of the window after he had hit it with some other thing in his hand.

As I dared to peek outside as well, all I could see was some red beam of light that seemed to emerge into the sky before a loud scream distracted me and made Fran pull me away from the window.

“We must do something! They are hurting!”, I shouted in his face but he just shook his head in sadness.

“There is nothing we can do, Sister Myne. We can only pray to Ordoschnelli to make our call for help be noticed soon, to Schutzaria to make this carriage her divine shield and to Steifebrise to hasten the Knight Order to arrive”, Fran noted dejectedly while the sound of hissing was now added to the cacophony outside. That sounded like at least three different beasts! The carriage drivers were just doing their job, why where they at risk?!

I felt the mana surge inside me from my wish to protect them. And I could really only pray? Could Schutzaria hear me just like Flutrane had back at healing the land after the trombe had destroyed it? I could at least give it a try.

“O Goddess of Wind Schutzaria, protector of all and the twelve Goddesses who serve by her side! Please hear my prayer and lend me your divine strength. Grant me your shield of wind, so that I might blow away those who mean to cause ill!”, I shouted and I could feel a huge chunk of mana being drawn from me. My wings felt almost heavy right now. But the hissing sound was noticeably gone.

Did it work?

I stared at Fran who cautiously put his head outside and then exhaled with relief as he looked back at me.

“We are inside a yellow dome now. And the feybeasts are outside”, he reported with an expression of disbelief on his face.

“O Ordoschnelli and Steifebrise of the Goddess of Wind Schutzaria's exalted twelve, make those who can help us aware of our signal and provide them with swiftness so that they may arrive fast”, I then prayed, since the Gods seemed indeed receptive to asking for their help. This time yellow lights emerged from my ring through the ceiling of the carriage.

Bwuh? Why was that so much mana as well? Was that such a big thing to ask?

“Sister Myne, please do not overexert yourself”, Fran advised as his eyes followed the yellow lights. I had to agree with him. I felt worse than after half a day of Spring Prayer ceremonies without a potion right now.

But the High Priest was the one who carried them. There were none in reach. Not that I really fancied their vile taste but they would have provided some relief. I sighed as I tried to ignore how heavy my wings were growing. Is this what being tired from spending too much mana feels if I do not counter it with potions as disgusting as they were?

I could still feel the occasional drain on my mana that somehow seemed to coincide with subdued hissing noises. Where they attacking the dome and I had to pay for each of their hits?

There was a headache pulling on my attention but I knew I could not allow myself to get distracted. The shield was obviously something Schutzaria had granted me and if I did not focus on it she might retract the favor.

“It's been so long already”, I mumbled more to myself than to Fran or Rosina who were by now both observing the outside through the windows but still insisted that we should not leave the relative safety of the carriage before help arrived.

“Knights are approaching!”, Fran suddenly shouted and I was immediately wide awake. Praise be to the Gods! Help was there! Due to the space constraints inside the carriage I could not enter a prayer pose, so I had to make do with slightly raising my arms. Which felt already strenuous enough.

What followed then were several agitated shouts and even more hissing over the course of several minutes before a distant shout could be heard.

“Dispel the shield and let us in. The fetzes are slain”, came the authoritative voice of a man who sounded like he was used to being obeyed. I eyed Fran carefully who nodded slightly.

“They are knights who wear capes that mark them as those of Ehrenfest. It will be best to not resist their commands”, he advised and I eased the concentration I had put into the shield.

Only a moment later I could hear the voice of the man from directly in front of our carriage.

“Depart and report what has happened here”, he demanded and Fran opened the door to the carriage and left first, Rosina second. I noticed how I had difficulties to still walk properly, but I tried my best to steady my gait and emerged last, with a helping hand from both Rosina and Fran.

The man in front of us stared at me with narrowed eyes and a hardened gaze.

“State your names and business”, he ordered and we all knelt down. Was this one of those situations where I should hold my wings up? Or lower them as much as possible to show deference?

I shot a quick glance to Fran who seemed to catch my intention and subtly tilted his head down. So cowering it was.

But it was harder than usual. My wings felt as if they were infused with lead. Even just arranging them from being folded in front of my chest to resting on my back took more effort than I ever remembered before.

As I then knelt down with Fran and Rosina behind me and the knight with the ever increasing scrutinizing gaze in front of me, I had to work hard to not just rest them on the ground as I spread them out in deference. I was tired. So, so tired.

“I thank you ever so much for saving us from these feybeasts, milord. I am Myne, apprentice blue shrine maiden from Ehrenfest temple, with my attendants Fran and Rosina. My cook Hugo is kneeling in front of your knight to your right, milord. We are currently performing Spring Prayer and, after having already finished the villages among the Central District, are now on our way to deliver small chalices to Illgner”, I said while looking at the ground since I felt like toppling to the side without a fix anchor for my eyes.

“Aren't blue priests usually traveling in pairs?”, he asked with clear suspicion in his voice as two other knights walked around us and seemed to inspect the carriages for any hidden passengers or goods.

“The one I have been traveling with had some urgent business to attend to and has left me to finish the rest of the tour yesterday, milord”, I explained while fighting against the headache that was clawing for my attention.

“How convenient. You also seem rather unusual for a blue shrine maiden, Sister Myne”, he noted and took a step in my direction.

Bwuh? Because I was so young? Could we not please stop this strange discussion and focus on whether all the carriage drivers were still well?

“Why would somebody with your wingspan ever end up in the temple, Sister Myne? And you wear a noble's ring. Was that magic shield your doing? It appeared rather unusual to be cast in Ehrenfest”, he noted without even trying anymore to hide his concern and suspicion.

“The shield was Schutzaria's, milord. It was the first time I have seen it myself”, I began but the exhaustion was daring to take its toll on me as I noticed how I began to waver in my kneeling position and my wings were awfully close to being smudged in the dirt.

“Milord, I am aware of the impoliteness, but may I be allowed to rise? I feel like I am on the verge of collapsing into the dirt otherwise”, I said while still focusing on that one little stone on the ground that had served as my anchor.

“You may. I would not want you to try avoid answering my questions by feigning to collapse”, he noted and I tried to ignore the accusation. He was a noble and I a commoner at the end of the day, after all. Objections could not help me.

“Your magnanimity is kindly appreciated, milord”, I said as I slowly rose to my feet and retracted my wings into a position that did not require constant focus to keep them in place.

“So, where are you from, Sister Myne? Frenbeltag, Old Werkestock, Ahrensbach?”, he asked and I looked up at his face because I did not understand what he wanted from me.

“I am from the City of Ehrenfest, milord. The southern part of the Lower City to be precise, I am unaware of where the places you mentioned might lie”, I answered and his eyes narrowed even further.

“Never have I been told a more obvious lie, Sister Myne”, he said and made a gesture to the other knights who seemed to be under his command.

He thought I was lying? Just why did the High Priest have to attend this urgent matter? With him here the whole thing would have been cleared up with just a few words....

“For one, Sister Myne, how could somebody from the Lower City ever come into possession of a ring nobles receive upon baptism and be wearing blue robes?”, he noted darkly and produced that wand that the High Priest and Lady Elvira sometimes produced. Was he going to send one of the birds? Wait! That was actually the solution here!

“The High Priest gave both to me, milord. May I ask you to send him one of those birds so that he can clear up this misunderstanding?”, I proposed and suppressed the urge to massage my temples just like the High Priest tended to do to deal with his headaches.

But the knight in front of me just scoffed.

“Those birds cannot fly to blue priests, Sister Myne. You seem to confuse them with proper nobles who seem to be your usual entourage”, he mocked as if he had trapped me in a contradiction. Another gesture and the knights produced their wands as well and came closer still.

“I am unsure how to respond, milord, but the High Priest receives and sends them regularly. Please, just look at this ring and contact him, he said it would work like this”, I pleaded and held my left hand out in his direction.

The knight scoffed at the notion again but at least did as I had bade. He took my hand with his own gloved one and inspected my ring. And then... he froze for a second.

“What is the name of the one you refer to as High Priest, Sister Myne?”, he asked cautiously and I closed my eyes as a sudden pang of pain shot through my head. How long would this need to continue?

“Those outside the temple refer to him as 'Lord Ferdinand', milord”, I said. I had even asked him whether he wanted me to refer to him by the name that Lady Elvira always used, but he preferred his title in the temple apparently.

As I opened my eyes again I could see how he was now scrutinizing me differently. He had also let go of my hand as I now noticed. Bwuh? Did he know him?

“...why is this ring blue and not red? And the wingspan? Impossible...”, he mumbled to himself before he actually heeded my request and conjured one of those birds with clear hesitation.

“Lord Ferdinand, this is Flisslich, Knight Commander of Illgner, I need to verify the identity of an apparent apprentice blue shrine maiden named 'Myne' who asked for you to be contacted and is wearing a ring with your crest”, he said in an overly neutral tone before he sent the bird on its merry way.

“I really hope you did not steal that ring anywhere, because you just made this a duchy-wide affair by asking for the archduke's little brother to be involved”, he noted and shot me a curious glance. The rest of the knights were still standing around us dangerously.

The archduke's little brother? Was he really thinking about the High Priest here? I mean, yeah, he had books, but, not much else. If he was such a high-ranking noble shouldn't he be living in the castle?

“My apologies, milord, but I only know him as High Priest. Might there be two people by the same name perhaps?”, I offered as an explanation and really hoped that the one he had now contacted was not angry about that disturbance.

“No, there is only one by that name. The Lord Ferdinand entered the temple after the former archduke's death and when his brother Lord Sylvester became Aub Ehrenfest”, one of the other knights now chimed in and I saw just in the time the raised eyebrow he shot his apparent commander, before I decided to focus on breathing and not collapsing again.

Sylvester... I had heard the name before. Oh Gods, please no! That could not be true! But... I had never seen this Brother Sylvester ever since. Had he joined that meeting to approve me entering the temple with blue robes and nobody told me that he was the archduke all along?

“My apologies again, milord, but is Aub Ehrenfest still rather young, with wings that stop shortly above his head and go down to his calves, and has long purple hair that he wears tied up?”, I asked trying to not sound overly defeated but I knew that I failed spectacularly at that right now. It seemed this 'Lord Flisslich' did not want to answer as he clicked his tongue at first.

“One might describe Aub Ehrenfest's appearance like this, Sister Myne”, he said reluctantly and I sighed involuntarily.

So Brother Sylvester had secretly been the archduke. And the High Priest was his little brother. Lady Elvira was no normal noble either, right?

“I thank you ever so much for the answer, milord”, I acknowledged defeated as finally a little bird arrived with an answer.

“This is Ferdinand speaking. I appreciate that you followed her request of contacting me, Lord Flisslich. Myne is indeed a Devouring commoner under contract with me, as indicated by the ring she is wearing. She is serving the duchy as an apprentice blue shrine maiden and is currently tasked with delivering the last of the small chalices for this year's Spring Prayer to Illgner and Griebel after I had to leave her alone just yesterday to attend to some urgent different matter. Send me a message back with her report.”

The High Priest sounded almost disinterested in his tone but I could tell the small signs of concern. Smart of him to ask for my report and not that of an unknown knight.

Even though this knight seemed quite unwilling to actually comply with the command he just shook his head, produced another bird and told me to speak into its beak that then opened as if to start recording.

“High Priest, we were attacked by feybeasts on our way to Illgner. I prayed to Schutzaria who helped out with a shield, Fran made some red light with a box and some knights helped out to defeat the beasts. I don't know yet whether there were any fatalities among the drivers as I was then interrogated and did not have the chance yet to check up on them. I feel like I could collapse every moment and my wings are really heavy”, I reported whatever came to my mind and I saw a difficult frown on the face in front of me. Sleep would be so nice now.

“The drivers are not severely wounded as they were only fighting a pack of fetzes. Sister Myne was interrogated upon appearing suspicious due to her atypical appearance for a blue shrine maiden. We will guard her and the small chalices on their way to Giebe Illgner's estate”, he added to the report before he sent the little bird off and then ordered everyone back into the carriages so that we could continue on our way.

Maneuvering my wings back into a position that would allow me to ride the carriage was however beyond exhausting. I could see how tempted Rosina was to just help me moving them with her bare hands, and while that should have been acceptable in principle it must have been utterly impolite to do that where others could see it. In the end, the High Priest's bird arrived before I had managed to fold my wings back.

“I see. I thank you for protecting those doing their duty for Spring Prayer, Lord Flisslich. May I ask you to provide Myne with an as high quality rejuvenation potion as you can spare? I will of course reimburse you properly for that”, he merely said and I was surprised how fast he was obeyed as a vial with a green liquid was then handed to me almost immediately.

I drank it and the heaviness subsided ever so slightly. Enough at least so that I could fold my wings in front of me and continue Spring Prayer.

The High Priest later explained to me that it was the giebe's responsibility to secure the roads enough for the priests' carriages to pass through without being at risk from feybeasts. But Illgner was currently suffering from many nobles leaving to other provinces and they had to cut too many corners to truly secure all roads.

That at least explained why everybody had then been so apologetic upon delivering the small chalices.

Chapter Text

Today was the day I was going to meet the one who would claim printing and paper making as his own endeavors. He was hand selected by the High Priest so he should be more like Lord Damuel or Lord Henrik and less like Brother Shikza, but I was still nervous.

The man, with wings as large as Lady Elvira or Eckhart, just rose out of his kneeling position as I entered the High Priest's office for the meeting. The selection of gray priests was rather small, only Zahm and Fran seemed planned to stay and I gulped as the man with gray hair and a sleepy face turned around to muster me quite openly while it was my turn to kneel down.

“Myne, this is Justus”, the High Priest merely introduced and I burned that name into my mind.

I did not even need Fran's subtle gesture to know that this meeting as well was with those above me so I needed to put my wings as flat to the ground as possible without touching it. Come to think of it, why was I even taught to kneel in any other way. Was there even a case when I had to kneel but not show absolute submission?

He at least did not make me wait when I asked about being allowed to bless him. In a way he even seemed awfully eager for that so I did not hesitate with starting the exchange of those way too long noble greetings which he returned without letting on that my presence could be annoying to him.

So far, so good. Even though he now activated an area wide sound blocking tool. Hopefully just because he wants to talk about the industries without being overheard.

“It is my utmost pleasure to be finally able to meet with the one who ended up under contract with Lord Ferdinand. Not having to rely on Eckhart anymore for information is indeed a relief”, he continued and I tried my hardest to keep the smile that had been drilled onto my face from twitching. He had been gathering information on me? Eeep!

“The pleasure is mutual, Lord Justus. The High Priest informed me that you might be interested in spearheading printing and papermaking in my stead and I truly appreciate your willingness to face the vested interests where I am unable to”, I responded and his smile widened into something so amused it was honestly quite scary.

This was a man the High Priest trusted, right?

“Yes, yes, those industries you are setting up, you thought up the products yourself?”, Lord Justus asked curiously and I shot an awkward glance to the High Priest who just sighed as he looked up from his paperwork. He did not seem to intend to join the discussion at all.

“Myne, you may humor him with all the answers he seeks about your endeavors in the Lower City and the orphanage. His curiosity may appear intimidating to you but he is trustworthy”, he declared before he demonstratively focused back on working. I knew that he was still keeping half an eye and ear on us, but it nevertheless felt like being left alone with some kind of predator.

“My apologies, Lord Justus. Yes, I developed the plant paper together with my friend Lutz and the printing press with my smiths, Johann and Zack, and my carpenter Ingo, but the ideas are all mine. There is also Benno, who is the head of the plant paper guild and the printing guild. He acts as my business guardian in the lower city and has taught me how to negotiate for maximum profit for my ideas”, I summarized and the eagerness in his eyes only increased.

Eeeep! High Priest, please look up from your paperwork! Is this guy going to eat me alive?!

I felt my feathers begin to shiver before I noticed the shift in mood in the room. At least that made the High Priest look up as well if only to sigh with exasperation.

“Breathe. Count to four. Breathe. Count to four”, he offered as calm guidance as he shot an admonishing glare at Lord Justus who immediately stopped to lean on the table between us and instead decided to sit properly in his chair.

“Scale down your intensity, Justus. She just turned eight and has too much mana for her own good. Don't make her waste it by shivering it away”, he then scolded that noble instead of me which really helped me to calm down as well.

“I see. That has to be indeed quite a bit of mana. And I heard you are compressing it already?”, he suggested with a wink and I nodded hesitantly while still focusing on my breathing.

“So, what is the image you came up with? The Royal Academy teaches several approaches but I am curious what a commoner might use. You must use quite a few things for compressing stuff in your day-to-day life, right?”, he asked and I tilted my head in confusion. Was this now small talk to smooth over that moment of embarrassment for me? Maybe he was really a nice guy. And he did not seem to have any issue with me being a commoner. He seemed just curious.

“Well, it is a bit more complex, but I'll try to describe it. At first I just stuffed everything into my box, like you stuff a blanket you do not need in summer into some box, but that only helped for a short while, so I had to work harder. So, just like you might fold your clothes to make them fit into a dresser, I folded that heat after I had stuffed it in. But that also only really helped for a short while. Are you familiar with juicing weights, Lord Justus? They are so heavy, that only my dad can really use them, but I imagined them crashing down on that folded heat and that made that heat really really flat! But I was still close to succumbing to that overflowing heat if I had not encountered the High Priest who allows me to use the divine instruments to get rid of it”, I recounted and I noticed way too late that not only Lord Justus had listened with rapt attention but the High Priest as well. Eeeep! Why are they both staring at me like this now?!

“A three-step process? I have never heard of somebody being so daring”, Lord Justus finally noted with an acknowledging whistle, while the High Priest had closed his eyes and seemed occupied with some very intense thoughts before he hastily reached to his belt to drink one of his potions. The very same that he had by now told me to always keep with me in case I spent too much mana.

Bwuh? What had he done?

“Milord, is everything alright?”, Lord Justus inquired and I shot him a glance at his slip of the tongue. 'Milord'? He was a servant to the High Priest? From the time before he became a priest? It made sense that the archduke's brother had noble servants if even Lady Elvira had some, but that they were still in contact? Hm.

Lord Justus seemed to have noticed my suspicion and smiled at me conspiratorially.

“The effect is... impressive”, he finally said but I was at a loss what he could actually mean.

“Myne, did you tell anybody else about this?”, he then asked sternly but I was still confused.

“About how I stuff heat into a box? No. Nobody before Lord Justus ever cared to ask and it is not so interesting as to share it unprompted with anybody”, I said and tilted my head. Was that really what he wanted to talk about?

“It requires some mental fortitude, but this compression method is quite excellent, Myne. And valuable. Forgive me for actually enforcing the contract, Myne, but I will have to order you to not share this information further”, he said and scrutinized me with clear reluctance.

Eeep! He wants to make my life depend on not sharing that again? About stuffing heat into a box?

It was objectively not a difficult order. This time right now had been the first time I ever talked about it anyway. And he was cashing in favors with his friends and acquaintances for me all the time it seemed. So I just did what was right and nodded.

“Okay. No hard feelings”, I promised and for some reason that made him click his tongue before he spoke again.

“Myne, this is an order. Do not reveal your mana compression method to anybody I do not explicitly exclude from this order”, he said calmly and I noticed how my ring began to glow and grow hot. Was that normal? Was that why he made me wear it? Do I have to actively submit to his order to make it stop?

“Understood, High Priest. I will not tell anybody”, I agreed and the light and warmth stopped at that.

“Justus, same to you. Keep her compression method secret. You may apply it for yourself, but do not share it with anybody”, he then ordered and I could have sworn that Lord Justus' eyes were shortly lighting up with sheer bliss at being ordered around.

Was he nostalgic or something?

“As you wish, milord”, he acknowledged with a straightened back and I suppressed the questions that were burning on my tongue. Like what kind of relationship did those two even have?

The whole discussion about mana compression had somehow derailed the whole meeting so far. I had steered back to the topic at hand by inviting Lord Justus to a tour through the orphanage workshop and I was glad that the High Priest had decided to join us as he seemed like the only one who could actually keep him in check.

I was surprised to see that Lord Justus actually wanted hands on experience in the workshop, leading to some ripped paper, some pulp that had to be thrown back after he had done his worst with the suketa and also some of the ripped paper being wasted on over-inked and under-inked printing trials. I wondered whether his own wingcare attendant would chide him as sternly as Tuuli would do to me whenever I came back with feathers as tousled as his right now.

But all in all it was an acceptable cost for making Lord Justus understand where the difficulties lay and that my skilled workers should not be hastened and could not absolutely easily be replaced.

And despite being a noble, and one with a sheer immeasurable amount of curiosity, he seemed agreeable enough and open for the concept that things cost money and money had to be earned before it could be spent.

Lord Justus seemed to be equally invested in this arrangement as he then handed me a board of invitation for Benno to meet with him in five days as the head of the printing and paper making guilds, respectively.

I was about to head to the carriage that was already waiting for me as the High Priest instead invited me for a short talk into his hidden room again. What did he want to talk about?

“High Priest? The gates from the temple to the Lower City close in a quarter of a bell, so...”, I began but he looked at me with a difficult frown.

“What is your opinion of Justus, Myne?”, he asked directly instead of his usual roundabout way and I furrowed my brow as I tried to answer that as politely as possible. I could not talk badly about a noble, and one he trusted.

“He seems very competent and showed quick understanding of the processes inside the workshop. I imagine he will be reasonable enough as the representative of those industries in noble circles. Even though I imagine Benno will be shocked when I give him this invitation tonight”, I summarized but it did not seem like I had answered his question in the way he wanted. I tilted my head as I tried to understand what he had actually asked.

“I see. Justus is indeed adequately skilled for the task at hand. What I wanted to know however, is what you think of him personally”, he said and I clicked my tongue on my search for words.

“He is quite... intense. He is indeed intimidating, even though it did not seem malicious. His sense of humor might be lost on me, however”, I said as I let the interactions of today pass through my mind again.

“So, if my own preparations do not turn out successfully, would you rather I search for somebody outside Ehrenfest who could take over your contract or that Justus adopts you so that you may search for an engagement at the Royal Academy?”, he asked and seemed to search my eyes for the answer.

“Do I have to decide that now?”, I asked back as I could not say either way. Maybe he could actually arrange something outside Ehrenfest with some old friend or such? Justus was definitely more the 'weird uncle' type instead of a father. What was the safer choice?

“No, we have roughly two more years time before that has to be decided finally. I am merely evaluating options”, he said with a face carved from stone and I nodded.

“He is okay as a backup, I think. But all things considered I'd really really prefer to become adopted by you, High Priest. You do a really good job at protecting and educating me already”, I said and his facade seemed to get cracks.

“I'd be a terrible father, Myne”, he said quietly but I shook my head and stood from my chair to offer him a hug with opened arms while he just stared at me like I was some kind of feybeast perhaps.

“What are you doing?”, he asked cautiously without moving from his chair in any way.

“I know nobles don't like touching, so instead of jumping at you to squeeze you into a hug, I am merely offering one. You may accept it by opening your arms as well”, I explained but he only shook his head with an apprehensive expression on his face.

Instead of accepting my hug with open arms he reached only one hand out to me and patted me on my head. Unexpected, but not bad either.

I smiled at him widely before he shooed me out of his hidden room so that I could still return home today.

“Myne! What is the meaning of this?!”, Benno shouted after I handed him the letter of invitation from Lord Justus.

“I told you how we had to stick to picture book bibles for the time being because the vested interest for anything an adult might want to buy as book are nobles?”, I proposed and he nodded with gritted teeth and widened eyes.

“Don't tell me this Lord Justus is one of those vested interests! Did we not agree to heed the High Priest's warning and not mess with forces we cannot deal with?”, Benno let his relentless indoor thunder rain down on me together with this fist on my head.

The High Priest's head pat had been way nicer than this! Rude!

“No, Benno! He is the one who will deal with them instead of us. He wants to head both the papermaking and printing industries in noble society and he has the High Priest's seal of approval. He also seemed to understand quickly why the opinion of our workers was important when I showed him around today!”, I objected angrily and Benno snorted as he pointed at something behind me.

“Are you trying to intimidate me by fluffing yourself up? Trying to appear bigger or something? That's more adorable than intimidating, you know”, he remarked and I looked around to see what he meant. Apparently I had been spreading my wings as I started to rage. Oops.

I exhaled deeply and consciously ordered my wings to rest again.

“But Myne, that seal is one of a very high-ranking archnoble house. This Lord Justus has connections. Maybe even up to the archduke”, he warned me and I was not sure whether my smiling face still held.

“Benno, I am not sure how to say this without making you hit my head again, but...”, I began and I saw the flicker of anger already in his eyes even though I knew I could not keep that particular piece of information any longer from him.

“You remember the High Priest? The one you met once to talk about my workshop and how large a percentage of the profits should go to the temple in exchange for me setting up a workshop in the orphanage?”, I suggested and I saw his apprehensive face at that. But no hitting yet. At least. Would I stay so lucky? Unlikely.

“Yeah? The one you are signed with, who has been so unnaturally accommodating to you?”, he proposed and I nodded.

“So, his actual name is Lord Ferdinand. And he is apparently the archduke's little brother. I don't know what made him enter the temple, but, ehm, I imagine you are right that, since Lord Justus seems like maybe a former servant of the High Priest, he will also have connections up to the archduke”, I admitted.

But instead of the expected thunder it seemed that Benno was close to crying now.

“Benno?”, I asked cautiously since he had not reacted any further for a few moments.

“How long were you aware of that?”, he asked with only a whisper and I tried to smile at him apologetically instead of showing him all the guilt I felt.

“End of Spring Prayer”, I said and he sighed so dramatically, I was not sure whether he was not actually crying.

“That's been weeks in the past, Myne. Months even”, he noted with some pain in his voice.

“I am not even sure whether I am supposed to know that either, Benno. I only learned that by chance when I got interrogated by some nobles and had to ask for his help”, I explained and he seemed to straighten his back at least a bit at that.

“That must have been intense”, he commiserated.

“It was. I tried to not think about that. It's scary that everybody is secretly so high-ranking”, I said and Benno shuddered at that.

“Everybody? Who else?”, he asked cautiously but I just shook my head.

Revealing the status of the High Priest was something every noble already seemed to know so it was most likely not something super secret. But that the archduke had visited the temple for a meeting with some commoners dressed in blue robes? That should maybe not be spread.

“Right, right, maybe better if I don't know”, he acknowledged as he sank back into his chair.

“Myne, we will need to visit the castle together with Justus to finalize all the decisions concerning your industries. As they will be quite impactful the archduke has to be involved”, the High Priest began after I had followed his invitation into his hidden room.

I nodded, even though I was not sure whether I liked that. The castle would be full of nobles. Many of those were surely similar to Brother Shikza. I shuddered at the thought.

“You will need to stay at my side the whole time and you should wear your best dress and not your robes, because those will just draw the wrong kind of attention. Unless I give a sign to behave otherwise you will also need to keep up your 'sad, little devouring slave' act. I know it is demeaning, but it is a measure to keep you safe, so please just comply with it”, he continued and I gritted my teeth as I nodded.

“High Priest, I am full aware that you could just make that my reality instead of having me play that part. I am very grateful to you for that and I do not mind to help you help me”, I confirmed and a grim expression was now on his face.

“There is however one thing I need to inform you about in advance, Myne. It concerns the archduke”, he said and I widened my eyes and could feel my smile become twitchy.

“You mean that he is actually Brother Sylvester? I will not mention that to anybody”, I immediately promised as I saw him raising a curious eyebrow.

“You knew? Since when? Who told you?”, he then asked and scrutinized me rather harshly.

“The knights in Illgner said you were the archduke's little brother and called Aub Ehrenfest Lord Sylvester at one point. I asked them what he looked like and it matched Brother Sylvester quite well”, I admitted and he shook his head in exasperation.

“Serves him right to be figured out by a barely baptized girl...”, he mumbled with an amused grin and then looked at me as he told me to not mention that to anybody.

Huh? This was less severe information than that stuffing heat into boxes stuff? Since he did not order me to keep quiet about it, just... well, told me to?

I somehow had expected that we could just fly to the castle, but it seemed a carriage ride was the appropriate means of transportation instead. But as the gray priests began to load three large boxes with products from my workshop into the carriage I began to understand where the need might have come from.

The High Priest had also chosen to wear more typical noble clothes and if I had not known already that he was the archduke's brother, I should have known at this point at the latest that something was up. Those were some really fine clothes. My own were not bad, but I obviously did not have so much money to waste on them as the High Priest apparently had.

We did not talk much during the ride, so I instead used that time to dive into my 'sad little devouring slave' persona, which mainly meant trying not to talk or think too much and keeping any emotion that was remotely distinct from sadness or dejection out of my face.

I got really lucky that I only had to do that so rarely. Ugh. Cowering so much was exhausting.

“Greetings, Norbert. Please have somebody carry those three boxes to where my meeting with the archduke will be held”, the High Priest said after he departed from the carriage as the last one and I just stood there feeling completely out of place.

Lord Justus was already waiting for us behind this man who was apparently called Norbert – and quite obviously also a high-ranking noble – and for some unfathomable reason, Eckhart was standing beside him and then walked over to stand behind the High Priest like a bodyguard.

Wait. Could that actually be? The archduke was likely to have a bodyguard, right? And his little brother might have one as well. Wait, was that the reason why Eckhart was always so deferential in his interactions with the High Priest? Because the High Priest is his boss actually in some kind of way?!

I added the sadness about being kept completely out of the loop over such things to my face and hid the outrage behind my facade. It would not do to appear as anything but meek and obedient.

The High Priest was at least nice enough to slow down his usually quite fast steps enough for me to walk in his wake without having to run. And he made it seem quite deliberate at that.

We encountered a few people in the hallways, but none of them dared to approach the High Priest it seemed. Even though a lot of them dared to stare at him and me. And snicker.

Ignore them, Myne. You are a sad, little slave. You have no opinion of this. You are just here because you were told to.

“Ferdinand, I heard there was a workshop established inside the temple. Is what you brought to me its products?”, the archduke asked with a heavy voice that projected only minor interest into our offerings.

Was that really the same guy who had snuck into my pre-surgery meeting and was even there when I entered the narcosis?

But of course, I did not say anything. The whole room was full of nobles. And more than half were scrutinizing us way too openly as if they wondered why I was even here. Ugh. And I was even only kneeling here while everybody was allowed to stand again. Like some furniture or whatever.

“Indeed, Aub Ehrenfest. Before you lie the first two of a projected set of five picture book bibles that are meant to provide children with affordable learning material to strengthen their reading skills as well as their knowledge of the gods. The set of karuta next to it is a game that serves a similar purpose and builds on the competitive spirit of young children. These playing cards can be either used for leisurely games for adults or early math education for children. This board over here is for a game called 'reversi', which is intriguing for its seeming simplicity”, the High Priest described every single one of our products but the archduke only nodded ever so slightly at each and every one of them.

“Lord Justus, those have been developed upon your initiative?”, he then inquired and it seemed that several of the nobles in the room perked up at that.

So this was how it is going to be played? Okay. Sad, little devouring slave, you just worked as your lords told you to.

“Indeed, Aub Ehrenfest. As Lord Ferdinand informed me that with the reduction in blue priests an overhead of gray priests was burdening the orphanage I derived a plan to turn those unused resources into a benefit for the duchy and made them set up a printing and a papermaking workshop. Those picture book bibles serve as a proof-of-concept. Both books have been printed with 100 pieces each, which are all identical and could be produced in less than a week.” Justus' words made more than one of the nobles look at him with clear disbelief.

“Is this because you skip the whole step of applying a cover to them?”, Aub Ehrenfest asked skeptically and I worked really hard to not shout at him that they obviously had a cover.

Those nobles. Just because it was not made of leather but paper as well did not mean it had no cover.... Grr.

“Indeed, Aub Ehrenfest. By applying only a minimal cover, both costs and time are reduced drastically. The customer is thereby free to order a cover from their favorite workshop instead, thereby distributing the workload to several workshops and allowing for a degree of individualization.”

Nobody needs those fancy covers. Books are for reading after all.

But a short side glance from the High Priest made me stop thinking about those things and instead made me return to my sad persona.

They continued discussing the workshops, the industries and how fast and profitable they could be expanded for a while before the archduke finally seemed utterly bored by the whole discussion.

“I need to exchange a few words with my brother about his acquisition. Everybody but Karstedt, leave”, he ordered and a murmur went through the room before they all departed.

Of course Lady Elvira's oddly grumpy, oddly calm husband was actually the archduke's bodyguard. It would have been really surprising at this point if he was just some random, normal noble.

As soon as the door closed and a sound blocking tool was activated the atmosphere shifted completely.

“A board game? Play it with me, Ferdinand”, Aub Ehrenfest said with a jovial tone that made the High Priest chuckle in return. The archduke had really been faking his whole mood?!

“Why don't you play against Myne? Rise, Myne, and demolish him in his first game just like you did with me”, he dared me with a mischievous tone that I could not really place.

“High Priest, my apologies”, I began as I rose but he looked at me curiously.

“Ah, right. Myne, you may drop your act. Show Aub Ehrenfest what's so special about your products”, he said and I sighed.

I was not really trying to keep up that sad devouring slave act right now. The whole situation was just confusing!

“So you let yourself be beaten by a little girl during your first match, huh?”, Aub Ehrenfest inquired from the High Priest who just shot him a mocking grin back.

“That girl is devious. She has no pity with beginners. Feel free to challenge her”, the High Priest teased and that was exactly what the frigging archduke then did!

And under the very watchful eyes of the High Priest I then had to demolish the frigging archduke in a game of reversi.

Does he want me to die from sheer stress?!

“Hey Myne, you gotta work on your emotional control there”, the archduke then chided me all out of a sudden and I felt my previously slightly shivering wings stiffen in panic.

“Sylvester, she is eight, a commoner and you are the archduke. Do you want to win because you scare her to death? What am I going to write in that report to the Zent then? 'My apologies, I lost a valuable Devourer with archduke candidate sized wings because Aub Ehrenfest teased her too hard?'”, he grumbled but I could not really follow their discussion.

Eeeeep?

“Myne, relax. Resume the flow of mana through your wings. Breathe”, the High Priest began and focusing on his voice actually seemed to do the trick as I could feel the panic subsiding at that. I looked up from the board and into some strangely worried face from Aub Ehrenfest.

“But, teasing aside, you really need to work on that, Myne. If people can read you too easily you will just end as a victim in their games”, he advised and turned several of my stones with his move.

“Heh, and now I win”, I said without thinking as I claimed the last corner of the board and turned even more back into my color.

I looked up in shock again as it became clear that I had actually demolished the frigging archduke.

“Very good, Myne”, the High Priest praised with a wide grin and then began to show the archduke one possible way to use the playing cards.

It was strange to meet with the archduke like this. But it was even stranger to see the High Priest enjoy himself so much as he did by seeing the frigging archduke being demolished in each and every game.

They were really brothers, no doubt. Only brothers could be so petty and competitive. I sighed while I hoped the meeting could come to an end soon.

Chapter Text

It was impressive how fast the archduke could switch back to his unimpressed or even bored persona as soon as the meeting came to an end. I, personally, needed a few short moments more before I was back in my 'sad, little devouring slave' mood and the sound blocking tool was deactivated so that all the other nobles could be called in again.

The High Priest was then dismissed with just a few words and Eckhart and Lord Justus seemed to join as the High Priest's entourage while I waddled sadly in his wake.

So now Lord Justus was the official head of printing, hm? I glanced in his direction and immediately regretted it as I almost missed my cue to stop walking in consequence.

Huh? Were we not just on our way out? What was up with the sudden shift in mood and the outright silence in this hallway?

That the High Priest then knelt, with his wings up, told me that the one he intended to greet was roughly of his own status, but still higher. Maybe another brother of the archduke? Should I dare to look up and check? Better not. Eyes down, wings down.

Whoever it was I decided that it could not hurt to kneel as well, with my wings as close to the ground as possible without touching it. If anybody thought I was overly submissive I could just hint to the fact that I signed a frigging contract for that.

“My, Ferdinand, how rare to meet you in the castle”, a grandmotherly voice said before lengthy noble greetings were exchanged. And I did not miss that she had made him wait before she accepted his blessing.

Who is that?

“Lady Veronica, as I have dedicated my life to the Gods, I am merely following Dregarnuhr's divine guidance wherever she deems it worthwhile to pull my thread”, the High Priest responded elegantly. I could even hear the deep smile in his voice.

“And Dregarnuhr deemed it worthwhile to pull on your future mistress' thread as well?”, she mocked me but I remained cowering and continued looking at the ground.

“Aub Ehrenfest demanded to see the one I had to contract in compliance with the Zent's law for himself, you may inquire with him on the extent of Dregarnuhr's divine guidance”, the High Priest deflected.

“My, if my dear son is curious about your newest possession I must admit I suddenly feel the same”, she said with a mischievous tone that made me shiver ever so slightly.

She was the archduke's mother? But not the High Priest's as it seemed? Was he then the son of a second wife? Or a third?

“You may speak to greet me, girl”, she demanded and I immediately complied.

“Lady Veronica, may I pray for a blessing in appreciation of this serendipitous meeting ordained by the vibrant summer rays of Leidenschaft, the God of Fire? I am Myne”, I immediately began and waited for her to grant me permission. And waited. And waited. I knew I had said the words perfectly and the High Priest had explained to me that some people liked to make others wait just to show how far above they felt themselves about the other, but this was getting ridiculous. Aub Ehrenfest had been rather nice if I overlooked his somewhat boyish behavior when he dropped his facade, but that side did not seem to come from his mother.

Nobody in the hallway said a word while we all waited that I was allowed to continue.

What a stupid display of power. I was contracted to be submissive. What could she get from making that even more obvious?

“You may.” Her words were so silent that I almost missed them before I immediately rose and began to speak said blessing.

“May Lady Veronica be blessed by Leidenschaft, the God of Fire”, I said and paid attention to only include the slightest amount of mana for that. I could hear a small huff as a blue light became visible out of the corner of my eye.

“My, it seems at least praying already works well enough for her after a year in the temple”, she commented but I did not understand what exactly was not working well enough for me. The High Priest also did not acknowledge it in any way.

As I was now allowed to look at her I had to correct my initial assumption that she was the grandmotherly type. She was definitely more an old hag, luring people into a false sense of security and then eating them alive, just like in the stories. But I tried to not let my thoughts show. The only part that added something pleasant to her appearance were her wings that were almost as large, relatively speaking, as mine or the High Priest's.

“How does she fare in that ladies' education, Ferdinand? With two visits per week to the Linkberg's lady of the house you must be quite invested in raising her into acceptable company”, she continued and my smile twitched ever so slightly, while the High Priest was still smiling peacefully at her.

“According to the reports I receive she progresses steadily. I do not pry for the details and instead trust Lady Elvira in covering which she deems necessary for her to not fall short”, he answered and this Lady Veronica laughed mockingly.

“My, in that case let me offer you my help and see for myself how far she has already progressed on her way to your mistress”, she 'offered' and I was quite sure that I'd really rather not.

“That you would deem such an endeavor worth your time, Lady Veronica, honors me deeply, but I intend for her to spend all her time on the temple's paperwork instead as the more worthwhile approach”, he suggested but that hag shook her head slightly before she tilted her head back a bit to look down on both of us. Ugh.

“Cancel her next visit to the Linkberg's estate then and send her to the castle instead. No time for work will be lost in that case”, she 'suggested' but it was quite obviously an order.

“In that case, I shall arrange it as such”, he agreed with a calm voice while I was glad that I was not expected to speak.

“A small tea party three days from now at fifth bell then”, she said and left without any further farewell.

How screwed am I? A tea party with the archduke's mother?!

“Justus, please join us in a bell in my office to discuss a bit more about the workshop”, the High Priest suggested peacefully as he climbed into the carriage and I followed after him.

It was impressive how unreadable his face was even though he was outwardly smiling so serenely.

Back at the temple I had barely enough time to change into my blue robes again before the meeting with Lord Justus was about to happen. As I went into the High Priest's office, Lord Justus was already there and it seemed like he had brought a large box with him.

I wondered what was up with that.

The High Priest gestured to me with a nod to enter his hidden room with them both and I was soon aware of what was inside this box.

Poisons. And devices with which poisons could be administered. Lord Justus, who are you?!

I stared at him as he emptied the box and put everything on the table, while the High Priest seemed contemplative.

“Do you think a speed course will be enough for her to survive the meeting with Veronica? I'd rather somebody accompany her, but with the topic that she claimed to be discussing it cannot be me”, he mused and Justus nodded eagerly at his words.

“How about Gudrun then, milord?”, he proposed but the High Priest did not seem amused by that.

“I'd really rather not, Justus”, he noted but Lord Justus just shrugged the comment away. I was not sure I really followed their discussion here.

But that also did not seem really important as he then began to give me a very extensive overview on the most common poisons and how to avoid them.

My head was close to being overloaded when the High Priest noticed how late it had become.

“You will have to stay in the temple tonight, Myne, as the gate to the Lower City closed already. My apologies. I will send a letter to your mother, if you want”, he offered and guided me out of his hidden room so that I could head to dinner in my chambers.

In situations like these I was glad for Tuuli always staying in reach as that at least meant that I did not have to eat alone anymore. I declared her off duty for the time being and shared Ella's fabulous cooking with her.

She seemed a bit sad at not returning home tonight but after having spent a whole winter in the temple she as well had grown accustomed to this place.

I hugged her good night and promised her that I would not ruffle my feathers too much. A promise we both knew I could not keep. And which she immediately pointed out on the next morning.

“Good morning, Myne, this is Heidemarie”, the High Priest said as soon as I reported for duty in his office after my harspiel lesson with Rosina. And once again I am here wondering why, of all things, did angel-like nobles have to play something so similar to a harp? The gods had to be messing with me at some point....

The lady that he had just introduced was accompanied by Eckhart and smiling at me politely. I immediately began my noble greetings and she allowed me to bless her without making me wait.

“Heidemarie is Eckhart's wife and is returning to work a bit earlier from her maternity leave so that she can accompany you to your meeting with Lady Veronica, Myne”, he said and I nodded.

So that was his choice instead of this ominous 'Gudrun' that Lord Justus had suggested?

“I thank you ever so much, Lady Heidemarie, and apologize for apparently having caused you ending such an important time earlier”, I said, but it was Eckhart who winked at me as if it did not really matter much, while Lady Heidemarie still remained rather silent.

“Think nothing of it, Myne. I offered Lord Ferdinand to help out in this case”, she said and let her eyes wander across the grays in the office. I followed her example but I only saw the familiar faces of those in the High Priest's service.

Still, instead of tackling yet another chunk of paperwork, the High Priest invited us all back into his hidden room where my lectures on 'avoiding to die by poison' continued.

Apparently, Lady Heidemarie was quite skilled at this topic as well. Was this like a skill every noble had? Were they just constantly trying to poison each other and avoiding suffering from it? Hopefully not?

The carriage ride to the castle was once again quite long from the temple and I was really glad that Lady Heidemarie was accompanying me.

Officially, she was there to make sure that I did not offend Lady Veronica, but even Lady Veronica must have known, as soon as she had seen her, that she was there as my shield in a way.

And just like three days ago in the hallway did Lady Veronica make me wait for the greeting to proceed. It was really, utterly strange that she felt the need to bully a commoner like me in such a petty way, but I was not so foolish as to comment on it.

As I was finally allowed to rise and invited to sit at the table, a cup of tea was placed immediately in front of me. I had not seen when it had been prepared and I could not be sure that it was from the same brew as was now poured into Lady Veronica's cup.

Was she really going to poison me? As the very first thing of this meeting?! Eeep!

Lord Justus, Lady Heidemarie and the High Priest had of course been quite convincing when they taught me how to prevent being poisoned, but such an obvious attempt? Did she think I would not dare to be 'rude' enough to point it out and drink from it even though it was so suspicious?

Wait, was I even allowed to say something as a 'sad, little devouring slave'?

I shot a glance at Lady Heidemarie but her face was unreadable. How to proceed? Better ignore the cup for now.

“So, what have you learned in your year of tutelage under that bastard so far?”, Lady Veronica asked me without any further introduction and my eyes widened in shock at the word she had used for the High Priest.

A bastard? Like in the literal sense of an illegitimate child? Was that why he was in the temple?

I hoped that I recovered quickly enough but her slightly raised eyebrow told me she was not amused by my reaction speed.

“I was taught how to control my wings and the implications that come from having and using them, Lady Veronica. I was also taught how to behave so as to not offend somebody of as high birth as you, Lady Veronica. I apologize in advance should you deem me still bereft of Erwachlehren's graces”, I explained and I saw a smirk on her face.

“My, the wings, those must be confusing for a commoner for sure. Does it hurt when that bastard plucks your feathers? You must be so grateful to the Zent's law that limits that to only thrice per season. Does he pluck them all at once or one per month?”, she asked with a chatty tone as if she had not just asked something so taboo that it could only even be considered to be done to those who were basically somebody's property.

“My apologies, Lady Veronica, but the High Priest does not pluck any of my feathers. He deems them as belonging to me”, I answered but the sharp glare in her eyes told me that she had wanted me to trash-talk him.

But I can't do that! The High Priest has always been so kind!

“I see. Of course you cannot go against his orders to lie about that”, she acknowledged and took a sip from her cup. Her first sip actually. She had definitely tested me with waiting for that for so long. But I was still absolutely certain to not drink that tea in front of me.

I smiled at her uncomfortably so that I did not have to deny that claim. She put her cup down with a small sigh.

“I imagine Lady Elvira is already taking over your winter education so that you turn out to the High Priest's expectations?”, she suggested and ate from a small plate full of treats where none was offered to me.

She is so uptight that she does not even see how bad her manners are right now. But well... since she asks such disgusting questions I maybe should not expect anything.

I shot Lady Heidemarie a side glance but her facade was so strong I could only maybe see the slightest hint of anger. Or maybe that was just my imagination.

“Lady Veronica, I am just so early in my summer. Winter talk will happen closer to my autumn, I was told.”

How does one politely say 'I am frigging eight years old, you hag! What is wrong with you?!' again?

She smiled at me with satisfaction as I answered but I was not sure why.

“Ah, the Zent's law. Of course he has to abide it. You must be so glad for that”, she chuckled as if she had made a superb jest, but I just stared at her with disbelief that I quickly tried to turn into a sad and dejected expression to not deviate too much from my act. Can she please just stop talking about the High Priest as if he was a pedophile? That was so jucky. Ugh.

“You seem startled by my remark”, she noted and I immediately straightened my back and felt my wings stiffen as well. No! Stupid wings! Don't show my stress!

Her eyes said clearly “Busted!”, but I really, really did not want to talk about him like this.

“My apologies for my inappropriate reaction, Lady Veronica. I try to avoid thinking too much about my life after my coming of age”, I said, hoping to hide the truth in plain sight.

“Ah, I see. You are indeed in a quite unfortunate situation”, she agreed and took another sip from her tea while her eyes went to my own cup. Which I still ignored.

“Even though one could argue that this is still quite the jump in status for you, no? Becoming a noble's mistress, even somebody as undesirable as that bastard, is still an improvement over life as a commoner”, she noted and I looked down sadly at my hands.

What kind of game was she playing here?

“I imagine you are aware that he is the only match for you? You might be wise to come to terms with that rather soon, I imagine”, she then advised, but it did not seem to come from a place of empathy. No, this was poor schadenfreude.

“He told me that there are no options, indeed. Apparently one is too young to be interested in me as a mistress, one is too dedicated to his wife and one is too old. That leaves only the High Priest as an adequate match for my unusual wingspan”, I admitted quietly and hoped that if I looked a bit sadder and despairing she might finally be satisfied with this strange tea party.

“Oh? That bastard even dared to consider those three? But you are just perfect for him. A commoner and a bastard. You do not even have the means to disobey or run from him like the last lady who even dared to consider him decided to do in the end. Ha, truly, a commoner mistress suits that bastard exactly right. Dregarnuhr must have woven exceedingly well for you to have ended up tied to him like this”, she praised but I understood quite directly that she was not praying in earnest here. I merely tilted my head and still looked down.

“It is as you say, Lady Veronica. I do not have the means to disobey him”, I acknowledged dejectedly and she chuckled once again. There was something cruel in her smile. She was definitely scary.

“Oh, is something wrong with the tea? You have not touched it yet, I believe”, she asked innocently but we both knew it was poisoned or at least staged to appear that way.

“My, I must have gotten distracted from our enticing discussion, Lady Veronica”, I tried to deflect but she was now looking at me quite expectantly.

“It must have gotten cold, Myne. At this point you must apologize for it having come to that and ask for a new cup to be provided”, Lady Heidemarie suddenly spoke up and instructed me quietly, but for everybody to hear, as if I had made a faux-pas and she taught me how to solve it.

Thank you! Now I have a reason to ask for a different cup!

“My utmost apologies, Lady Veronica. Might I ask for a cup of fresh tea as I have missed the chance to savor the cup your attendant so graciously prepared while it was at its optimum temperature”, I apologized in a way that I hoped even Lady Elvira would approve and Lady Veronica nodded to her attendant to comply with that.

My tea now was in a new cup and from the same brew that Lady Veronica was drinking from.

But actually she should not have bothered with that as she dismissed me after just two more sentences being exchanged.

“It is time for you to return to the temple”, she noted coldly and did not even deem me worth enough to be given some words of farewell.

If I never had to see that hag again it would be too soon still.

Chapter Text

Today had been the first day of winter socializing and if there was one tender mercy in Veronica having driven him to the temple then it was that Ferdinand did not have to participate in that.

He was, of course, still participating in socializing in general. But those were smaller circles, selected tea parties and hunting games where he showed his support for Sylvester and connected a few threads that were promising to help Ehrenfest prosper as good as was possible under Veronica's disastrous influence.

Ferdinand was sitting in his office, checking Myne's latest report on her orphanage workshop endeavors as an ordonnanz arrived.

By now seventh bell had already rung so its sheer arrival was already telling enough of the severity of its content.

“Ferdinand. I need you in the castle. Now. You will need to stay at least for a week, more likely even two”, came Sylvester's rather calm voice. Another sign that something is amiss. Where is his usual cheerfulness when he invites me for a late night drink?

Ferdinand wondered whether it was something during the socializing itself or whether it had anything to do with the winter baptisms and debuts.

It has been Wilfried's debut today.

Ferdinand had a really bad feeling about the whole thing.

As he arrived at the castle, he was immediately let into the Aub's office where Sylvester was still sitting at his desk. The bottle of vize on his desk and Karstedt being the sole retainer in the room did not come as a surprise really, but that his brother was still working on a huge pile of wooden boards in front of him certainly did.

And the whole mood was eerie.

Sylvester waved his attempt at kneeling away and invited him to sit with him where Ferdinand waited patiently for an explanation. Which only came after a deep, long sigh.

“Wilfried failed his debut. My mother then tried to blame Florencia for it as if I had not entrusted her with raising Wilfried after she had insisted on taking him from Florencia”, he summarized neutrally and Ferdinand acknowledged his words with a grim nod.

“How bad is it?”, he asked while already calculating several different ways how this could impact Ehrenfest. This was a heavy blow to the archducal family, especially since Wilfried had already been declared heir at his baptism in spring. Something I had warned you against doing, dear brother.

“Bad. Wilfried did not just embarrass himself. He failed his debut. When it came time for him to play the harspiel he was way worse than even that poor laynoble girl who had to go first. Everybody was mortified as he basically played the first practice song that most children manage to play two weeks after starting their education. And then he even made a mistake there. I swear, Florencia was so close to crushing me in front of the whole noble society at that point and I would have deserved that for not being aware of my own son's state.” Sylvester was obviously beyond the point of denial and hurting deeply.

“I imagine the fallout was quite ugly. Your mother did not take well to being made to take the blame, correct?”, Ferdinand asked and took one of the cups of vize that Sylvester had now offered him.

“Absolutely not. I had to miss lunch and the gifting ceremony had to be postponed until just before dinner. The whole Great Hall was a mess. And ever since dinner I am sitting here trying to work out the consequences and I just cannot. I need your help, Ferdinand”, he begged and Ferdinand tilted his head in understanding.

“So, where is your mother currently?”, Ferdinand asked, hoping for something along the lines of 'Ivory Tower' or 'up the towering stairway' but he knew both were unrealistic outcomes considering Sylvester's soft side for her and her crime being technically not even one.

“In her side building. Packing her things for her retirement in one of the provinces”, Sylvester supplied and eyed his brother with a pained expression.

Retirement is not going to stop that trombe.

Ferdinand clicked his tongue, unsure whether Sylvester would be susceptible to his warnings, but he had to raise his concerns.

“Your mother will feel spited by you from that. Merely sending her off and leaving her to her devices will make her raise her faction against you, Sylvester”, he warned and Sylvester emptied his cup in one long drawn out gulp.

“I know”, he admitted and filled his cup anew.

“That's why I made her sign a magic contract. One that enforced her withdrawal from the political sphere. I will call it 'retirement' officially, but it is an exile”, he said and turned the cup in his hand.

“And she accepted that?”, Ferdinand asked with clear suspicion but his brother nodded.

“I did not give her a chance. Going against the archduke's orders is treason after all. And after she tried to blame Florencia while she was the one who stole our son from us I did not have another choice either. I cannot trust her anymore”, he admitted dejectedly and Ferdinand released the breath he had been holding.

After all her talk about how a child of the archduke has to perform above anyone else I really did not expect such a neglect from her. A shame that it has to hurt Sylvester and Florencia too.

“Where do you intend to exile her to?”, he asked and Sylvester pointed to a few wooden boards.

“I was thinking about Dahldolf. Or Joisontak. She seems to be at least somewhat welcome there but they are irrelevant on any scale”, he suggested without any conviction.

“Not Joisontak. Unless you want her to stir up a whole mess with the family of Karstedt's late third wife. She will technically not act against the contract by stirring some old flames but it will give her power over you again”, Ferdinand noted and saw how Karstedt gritted his teeth at the mention of his family drama. But this was not the time to spare some feelings. This was the time for damage control.

“Dahldolf on the other hand... she was unable to protect that disgrace of a second son from being sent back to the temple so she might actually feel inclined to stay away from the giebe and his wife and instead just decide to live peacefully in the countryside. Ha, as if”, Ferdinand muttered the last part and he saw how much it hurt his brother but the possibility was not really small after all.

“What do you suggest instead? I cannot imprison her for what she has done, it is no crime. And if it was, I am guilty of it as well”, he acknowledged sadly and Ferdinand suppressed the urge to agree with his words.

He was indeed a fool to not even check on the education of his son and to have trusted Veronica on this completely.

He kept quiet and began to consider some options.

“It would be easier if we could actually attach a real crime to her. One of the many she undoubtedly committed and was just skilled enough to not be allowed to be tracked to her”, he began and Sylvester gritted his teeth. That was not the first time they were discussing this.

“Are you going to suggest investigating that Spring Prayer incident again?”, Sylvester sounded annoyed but so was Ferdinand by his brother's stubbornness.

“That might have been an option three seasons ago, but by now nothing will come from it. If you had allowed me to gather evidence against her instead of having me cover up the incident quickly that might have worked. But alas it is by now official that Brother Shikza very unfortunately lost the mana inside the chalices meant for Haldenzel during an alleged feybeast attack. And the mana which had been 'spilled' on the road led almost to the extinction of the whole nearby village full of hardworking tax payers as it was suffering from a very drastic and spontaneous increase in its local feybeast population from all that misplaced mana.”

“You paint such an easy picture, Ferdinand, but the very same happened just a day later in Illgner as well. Was that also my mother's plot? Was she somehow able to win Myne over into her faction when you only allow her to socialize with the Linkbergs and Bernetts?”

Ferdinand scoffed at his brother's refusal of the obvious truth.

“That was the clear sign of a local giebe suffering from his nobles fleeing from his duchy to greener pastures. And those were mere fetzes. Not a supposed schnewind as was claimed in Haldenzel. They take pride in culling all their beasts. They might have maybe missed something like a fetze as well, but not something thrice its size and ten time more devious. Unfortunately, by the time the mana had already seeped into the road some schneluft had actually evolved into a schnewind, serving as the perfect cover”, Ferdinand grumbled with a click of his tongue while Sylvester sighed at that.

“We had that discussion already, Ferdinand. Nothing of that was really damning. I could not have convicted my own mother just on those alleged crimes.”

Ferdinand was exasperated at his brother as he had hoped that he had now finally seen the light about Veronica's true character.

The obvious solution to just claim some evidence and convict her without justice on his side was apparently not very obvious to him. And might never be.

“I see”, he merely said and waited for his brother to continue talking but instead he just refilled their vize cups.

So despite the call for help what my brother truly wanted was to commiserate tonight?

Ferdinand accepted the refilled cup without hesitation. His brother had at least finally done the right thing and distanced himself from his mother. That was worth a toast.

“You know, you could always seal away her schtappe”, Ferdinand suggested after the cups had been emptied and refilled in silence twice since.

“You think that will be really so easy?”, Sylvester asked back after a moment of uncomfortable silence.

“You do not have to make it public. After she retired to a nice estate in Dahldolf's country side, make a short trip to Frenbeltag, visit your sister, oh, and maybe tell them that you will not take as many chalices from them as last year again”, Ferdinand suggested and grumbled the last part into his cup.

Is that the vize speaking out of me? Or my frustration at Sylvester being so weak when it comes to family?

“For this year I already accepted them again. The temple is now quite afloat mana-wise, no? All thanks to your generous donation of your Devourer's efforts”, he smirked. The first positive emotion in a while now.

“Are you trying to pull that trick from last year again as well? Letting the High Bishop put fifteen chalices up there and letting me do the same? I was not impressed, to say the least”, Ferdinand noted with a smirk of his own but Sylvester widened his eyes and he grew stern immediately.

“Ferdinand, I did not pull such a trick. Despite my words right now, I know that we are barely scraping by still, so I accepted the fifteen chalices that I gave you and no more. Are you telling me the temple filled fifteen additional chalices last year that the High Bishop somehow acquired and then distributed elsewhere?”, he asked and Ferdinand straightened his back and wings at the implications.

Sylvester is not to blame? Then where did these chalices come from?

“They were not the spare ones from Ehrenfest temple if that is what you are wondering, Sylvester. I check those routinely and their numbers always added up”, Ferdinand noted and Sylvester's feathers began to shiver slightly, exuding a fine mist of mana.

And he is right to be angry. How does the High Bishop dare to steal Ehrenfest's mana and give it to some other duchy?

But in contrast to his brother, Ferdinand kept his emotions under enough control to not shiver away his mana into the air.

“Investigate that for me, Ferdinand. Seems like I will need a new High Bishop quite soon as well”, he said and stared at his cup thoughtfully.

“If you are thinking about asking me to become that, I decline. I do not care for performing all the ceremonies. I have enough to do with all the paperwork and who would do that if I was not High Priest anymore? You would just be asking me to fill both roles and I do not have the time for that. Even I need sleep, as I was reminded of just recently”, Ferdinand scoffed and smiled at the memory of the harsh glares that Myne had shot him after he had pulled two all-nighters in a row to finish some experiment that unfortunately failed.

“Oh, who dared to do that?”, he asked with a short laugh and shook his head.

“Myne did. My attendants tried to voice similar opinions in the past but they have learned to keep quiet for a while now. That girl on the other hand...”, Ferdinand mumbled the last part again but Sylvester obviously did not miss such an opportunity to tease him.

“You are so lenient with her. To think you let her talk to you like that”, he chuckled and Ferdinand sighed.

“She is a hard worker and fast learner. Different to so many others she is actually offering – and succeeding – to pick up my work where she is able to in order to allow for me to rest, you know. And her resilience in this whole very unfortunate situation is impressive. She is fighting hard to make the best out of it. And I respect that”, he declared and Sylvester's eyes grew distant.

“I had really hoped that I could say something like this about Wilfried at some point as well”, he quietly admitted and took another deep gulp of vize.

“Did you already decide on what will become of him?”, Ferdinand asked.

A debut as utterly failed as Sylvester had described would make any normal child a servant in an instant. But the archduke's child? With the corresponding wingspan? Wilfried would never be allowed to forget his heritage. And his failure.

“... there are already two people with his wingspan in the temple, no?”, Sylvester suggested half-jokingly and Ferdinand sighed.

“His mana contributions will of course be accepted gladly”, Ferdinand acknowledged. That was indeed quite fortunate for Wilfried that he was not the first discarded noble there with noteworthy wings.

“And maybe... he could be the High Bishop?”, Sylvester continued and Ferdinand gritted his teeth slightly.

“If this is your wish as the archduke...”, Ferdinand noted and Sylvester sighed in response.

“It cannot be so hard, right? Even my incompetent uncle did it. It is mainly ceremonies, no? Do you think it impossible for a child to do that?”, he asked and Ferdinand put a finger to his temple to fight off his impeding headache.

“No, it is in the realm of possibilities. But I am afraid of the vastness of his lack of education, Sylvester”, Ferdinand admitted and now it was Sylvester who gritted his teeth at the implications.

“He is a bright child. I am sure he can be rectified enough. You already have experience with teaching a child from scratch, no?”, Sylvester suggested and Ferdinand knew that the decision was already made in his head.

“I see. We will come to that as soon as the position of High Bishop is open then”, he confirmed and gulped down his own cup of vize to hide the bitter taste in his mouth at the outlook of this undesirable task.

Do I give off such fatherly vibes or something? Maybe I should make Myne do that? She is good with handling all those orphans to make her products, after all.

Untangling the mess that Veronica's sudden departure left behind in the castle was indeed a task for more than one week. And with Veronica's mana contributions to the foundation stopping from one day to the next Ferdinand had to jump in even more than in the past.

He wondered how bad they might have fared that winter if not for Myne's compression technique. After he had evaluated it for several weeks, and proven its effectiveness even for adults, he had shared it with Sylvester, Florencia, Eckhart, Heidemarie, Karstedt, Elvira and Bonifatius for the small cost of a nationwide contract of silence. While the change in wing size was not immediately obvious to the naked eye, Ferdinand could tell that every single one of them had earned themselves at least a hand's breadth. And they were all adults.

I am half tempted to share the technique with a few children to see its effectiveness then.

The dedication ritual was already happening, when Ferdinand had a chance to return to the temple for at least a short visit. The High Bishop had taken care of the administrative stuff, fully aware that the hand that had shielded him was now quite out of reach and power, so he actually did his job.

Ferdinand knew that Myne hated the winter in the temple as she was unable to see her family regularly, especially her little brother that had been born in spring and that seemed to inspire even more children-related developments. The red ink that she had claimed was very important for baby books had been one of those.

Justus had not once stopped her in her endeavors. If anything he had spurred her on with his never-ending questions that made her come up with even more new ideas that were only limited by the size of her workshop and the time of her craftsmen.

To think that the number of orphans is now 'too low' for our needs. Truly ironic.

“Myne, how is your temple stay this winter so far? I hope my sudden absence did not cause any issues from overreaching blues?”, he asked while thinking how easily more than half of them could be tempted to let their frustrations out on her.

“No, it's fine. Having Tuuli at my side makes it all bearable and the other blue priests just ignore me. But the High Bishop summoned me once last week”, she reported and he saw not only her twitchy facade but also her twitchy wings.

She still has to work on not showing her emotions so openly.

“What did he want to talk to you about? I had hoped that he would not be too interested in meeting with a commoner like you”, he said and Myne gritted her teeth.

“He told me that, since you are away, that I have to take over your share of chalices as well. That means at least one more week of skipping breakfast.... But well, I will manage, so no worries”, she immediately clarified but Ferdinand narrowed his eyes at her words.

He had told the High Bishop that he was still contributing his share this winter, just maybe at a different time since he was so busy. In fact, apart from checking up on the temple and the most urgent paperwork, he was here with the express purpose to fill a few chalices.

So what was he making Myne fill?

A grin emerged on his face that seemed to startle Myne but he just told her that she was doing a good job and promised her another book from his own library as consolation for having to step in for him.

It's so easy to make her happy. And she does not even seem to understand that all those books are actually part of her education anyway.

“Sylvester, the High Bishop's mysterious chalices entered Ehrenfest through Ahrensbach's border gate. And your mother signed for those boxes. She claimed that they were her own orders and therefore exempt from closer inspection”, Ferdinand reported in another private meeting and showed him all the evidence he had gathered.

Veronica's sudden move to Dahldolf had put the High Bishop on edge but he had been so used to Veronica cleaning up after him that he did a lackluster job all on himself.

The evidence was more than just incriminating.

“She abetted the theft of Ehrenfest's mana, Sylvester. And the High Bishop executed it”, Ferdinand repeated in even clearer words as his brother seemed frozen at the proof in front of him.

“I see. That is... rather unfortunate”, Sylvester commented sadly and looked at Karstedt.

“Can we spare the knights to arrest her so close before the Lord of Winter hunt?”, he asked with a glum expression while Karstedt remained stone-faced.

“Before the hunt will be easier than afterwards, depending on the losses we will suffer”, Karstedt judged and Sylvester nodded.

“Then see to it that it will be done tonight already. Send her to the Ivory Tower with schtappe sealing bracelets. The High Bishop's crimes are even more severe, so nothing will save my uncle from his execution. Have his mind read to gather more insight on his other crimes. I don't need to be present for any of that. A report will suffice.”

“As you wish”, Karstedt confirmed and sent out a slew of ordonnanzes while Ferdinand eyed his brother cautiously. There was no shiver in his feathers tonight. Tonight at least, he was acting with conviction.

Chapter Text

“Myne, there will be a few changes in the temple”, the High Priest said after he rather spontaneously had invited himself for a meeting with just a bell of advance notice. While my attendants had panicked from that I did not mind in particular. After all, I had read every single book in the temple's book room by now and I had even read the High Priest's book that he had brought me as an apology for having the dedication ritual extended due to his absence twice already.

There was not much for me to do but play reversi with Tuuli, playing the harspiel and doing paperwork. A meeting with the High Priest was a welcome distraction. He had not spent much time in the temple over the winter so far.

“A boy will be ordained today as blue priest and inaugurated as new High Bishop in two weeks. The former High Bishop has been convicted of stealing mana from the duchy and has therefore been removed”, the High Priest said and I simply nodded. I had kept my distance from him anyway so if he was now gone I did not mind in particular. Even though the 'removed' sounded rather ominous.

“Oh, okay”, I simply said and noticed the difficult smile on his face. It was rare for him to be so open with his emotions.

“This boy, Wilfried, is unfortunately very uneducated. I want you to teach him everything he needs to know for his High Bishop duties. Fran will prepare what will be necessary, but you are good at raising people it seems, so the task of making him presentable will fall to you”, he declared but I did not understand why such a child was then even considered for the position of High Bishop.

“My apologies, High Priest, but why are you not the natural choice for High Bishop if that boy is apparently still quite lacking?”, I dared to ask and was met with a smirk.

“Because I refused the honor”, he answered which made me raise an eyebrow despite my attempts to keep a facade going just as Elvira always drilled me on.

“I will be visiting the temple less often as well in the future”, he then declared and I could not deny the feeling of sadness at that. He was the only one who actually talked to me here apart from the grays but they were always trying to serve me. That somehow did not count in my eyes. There was, of course, also Tuuli, but I tried to respect her in her role as my professional wingcare attendant and only interact with her as sisters while she was off-duty. I sighed as I now reproduced his difficult smile from the beginning.

“Don't look so sad, Myne. This is because I will return to noble society which is a very important requirement for me to push your adoption forward”, he then stated and I blinked in surprise.

“Bwuh?”, was all I could respond and he put his finger on his temple to massage it.

“The powerful enemy I had feared to startle by acting more openly is now gone. That means I can actively start to lay the groundwork for your adoption and work a bit more in the open. Unfortunately, everything will depend on an evaluation of your education before your first year at the Royal Academy is about to begin, so that will be still almost two years till then. The most difficult task will be to secure adequate noble retainers who are willing to work for you”, he noted but I tilted my head. Retainers?

“Is that so important? Do all nobles have some? If so, how does that work out when even retainers need retainers”, I asked, surprised that he expected me to somehow have nobles working for me.

“Myne, you are aware that Aub Ehrenfest is my brother, correct?”, he said but I did not get the implication from that. So far it seemed that the High Priest was not really the beneficiary of nepotism, so what difference did that make?

“Yes, but apart from those knights in Illgner who seemed quite troubled to bother you I did not notice any effect from that so far”, I said and he narrowed his eyes slightly before he nodded.

“Because I had withdrawn myself from the political stage. Technically, and as soon as I return to noble society also practically, I am part of the archducal family. And, should the adoption go through, you will be as well, Myne”, he spelled it out and I stared at him.

“Ehm, will that make me like a princess?”, I asked since I lacked a better word for it. The High Priest shot me a difficult look before he sighed.

“I hope you will avoid the attention of the Royal Family so to not end up as one. But I actually doubt that they would consider marrying a commoner who just gets adopted up. You would be a so called archduke candidate, Myne. But do not worry about that. It will just mean that you will receive the most valuable education, increasing your value and your courting options in consequence. Remember, you are aiming for third wife. The first one deals with interduchy politics, the second with innerduchy politics and the third is the least powerful but also the most free”, he explained and I gulped at the sudden jump in status I would have to suffer.

“So I would have to marry somebody like Lord Sylvester?”, I asked and he raised an eyebrow at me as if he was surprised that that had not been obvious so far.

“Naturally, with your wingspan and mana capacity. Maybe there are some demoted archduke candidates who are now only archnobles you could also match with, but those will be from greater duchies as well. The most likely courting options for you will be fellow archduke candidates. But they will definitely judge you even further if you do not have at least a minimum retinue”, he circled back to the initial issue and I nodded even though I still felt overwhelmed.

“How do I get retainers then? Should I just pay more to make it worth their while?”, I asked, wondering how expensive noble retainers – that were servants right? - usually were.

“Maybe that will work up to mednobles, but you will not win over archnobles with money. And even mednobles will be tricky. Most likely you could get a few laynobles like this. But that will reflect poorly on you if you exclusively employ laynobles”, he mused and I gritted my teeth.

“But a few will be okay?”, I asked and he looked at me expectantly.

“Oh? Do you have somebody in mind?”

“Lord Damuel was a nice guy who did not look down on me, so maybe we could ask him?”, I proposed and he chuckled.

“A layknight? Well, I suppose he might indeed be open to work for you just for money and he is from a neutral faction. He could be a good start to get you accustomed to living with retainers even before you are officially an archduke candidate”, he agreed.

“I will lay a bit of groundwork and see whether I can get him for you”, he promised with an optimistic smile and I nodded enthusiastically.

Nobles who do not look down on commoners are so exceedingly rare that I should maybe just collect the handful who are agreeable regardless of status.

Since that new boy, Wilfried, was going to be the new High Bishop I had to go to his chambers to teach him. I had Fritz and Rosina at my side but it still felt quite daring. The High Priest had said that this Wilfried had a noble upbringing so far and I was quite afraid what that meant for his personality.

As I entered his chambers and knelt I only was able to shoot him a short look. If not for his hair color I might have thought he was a miniature version of Lord Sylvester. Even up to his wingspan, but his wings were of a very intense green and not that almost white of the archduke.

I was just about to dive into the lengthy noble greetings and give him a blessing, when I already heard him running up to me.

What?!

I looked up to see him just a hand's breadth away from my face.

“Woah! You are so pretty! Why are your wings so pale? Are you actually of age already even though you are so tiny?!”, he asked rather bluntly and I put my everything into remaining calm. The High Priest had said that Wilfried did not have noble authority over me, but even the not-noble blue priests were somehow ranked above commoner me. And this boy was about to be the new High Bishop after all. If he did not exceed my rank right now he was about to do that in just two weeks.

But if I should have gone with my 'sad, little devouring slave' act the High Priest would have told me, no? Was this just a symptom of what he had called 'uneducated'?

“Brother Wilfried, I was told the paleness of my feathers is due to the Devouring. And I am eight years old as of last summer”, I answered the more appropriate part of his comments and ignored the rest. A quick glance to his gray priest attendants revealed that they seemed taken aback as well from his words.

“Huh? Devouring? So you are a commoner?”, he asked while he had still not told me to rise from my kneeling. It did not feel like a demonstration of power, more like an oversight from him, but it was still annoying.

“Indeed, Brother Wilfried. The High Priest has taken me under his wing as the one who I have signed a contract with, hence, why I offer my mana and time to the temple as an apprentice blue shrine maiden”, I tried to respond as elegantly as possible and I could see him out of the corner of my eye nodding to himself as he digested this information.

“Ah, so you are that bastard's future mistress”, he summarized cheerfully and I could feel my wings stiffen in just that one instant.

“Sister Myne, please compose yourself”, came Rosina's whispered remark and I could hear the shiver in my feathers from my sudden rage just as well.

“Huh? Did I say something wrong?”, he asked innocently but I did not look up at him for I knew I would crush him in that moment. Instead I decided to do those breathing exercises the High Priest always reminded me of, while Wilfried now asked his gray priests whether he had done something wrong. An uncomfortable scoff followed before one actually spoke up to answer his question.

“It appears unnecessarily rude to call the High Priest 'bastard', Brother Wilfried. It also appears uncalled for to assume the nature of their contract, especially such a delicate one”, his attendant elaborated quietly while I was still kneeling and seething.

“Oh? Grandmother always called him like this so I thought everybody did”, Wilfried said.

His grandmother had called the High Priest 'bastard'? No way. Is this Lady Veronica's grandson perchance? So the similarity to Lord Sylvester was not some coincidence? Was this the archduke's son? Why was he in the temple? Had he failed like Brother Shikza?

“Sorry, Myne, I did not want to be rude. And isn't that super uncomfortable to remain kneeling all the while?”, he asked and I could not really remain angry at such an obvious fool.

Uneducated? That was a very euphemistic way to put it.

“Thank you for allowing me to rise”, I said and stopped kneeling.

“Oh? You were waiting for me to say something? Sorry”, he added and I sighed under my breath.

And I had to teach him? Poor me.

“I was told you will be inaugurated as High Bishop in two weeks, Brother Wilfried. Might we then begin immediately with the preparation of the upcoming ceremonies you will have to officiate? The next one will be the winter coming of age ceremony, followed by the commoner spring baptisms and then spring prayer”, I tried to switch to a more professional topic and at least he seemed agreeable to that.

“Sure, sounds cool. How do commoner baptisms even work? They don't have colors to announce, right?”, he asked and I gestured Fritz to hand him the corresponding wooden board with the description.

“It might be easiest if you shortly read the flow for yourself and then we can go over it in more detail”, I suggested and observed how the board changed hands but Wilfried just tilted his head.

“No, tell me. I can't read that”, he said and now it was my turn to tilt my head.

“You can't read? But you are already baptized, no?”, I asked and he smiled at me widely.

“Well, I obviously started to learn that already. I know five of the letters by heart and another five if I have enough time to identify them. Also a few of the numbers”, he declared proudly but I was rather baffled.

“Would you like to play some games with the children in the orphanage instead of talking about the ceremonies?”, I suggested, already trying to estimate who of the children were maybe bad enough at reading right now to not steamroll him in a game of karuta. But I knew that all of them could read by now.

“Huh? Sounds great! And way more fun than some ceremonies!”, he immediately agreed and so we changed locations.

And even though I selected only the ten karuta that Wilfried claimed to know for the first game, he lost by a wide margin. Similar results then appeared for the playing cards.

But he was competitive enough that he asked for rematches and when Wilma read from the picture book bibles he actually listened with rapt attention and was adequately impressed by the illustrations.

This is going to be a long way....

But at least, when I asked him after our return from the orphanage what he remembered from the story Wilma had read he could retell almost everything.

So at least he was not stupid? Just actually uneducated? Thanks, High Priest.... I want a book as compensation for this!

Chapter Text

The next time I met with the High Priest he actually brought me three books. And to make things even better they were introductions to magic! So far all the other books I had been allowed to read had been about mundane topics, or boring ones like how taxes were actually derived, but now it seemed that he really did not hold back anymore with what he gave me. I wondered whether that was due to this powerful enemy not bothering him anymore.

But it was also completely beyond me to even question the blessings of being granted to read those books! The High Priest was simply the best!

And even though I still saw him rather rarely in the temple now he did not change his behavior towards me when we did meet. He asked me about the High Bishop and I reported my progress with him and then he checked my paperwork of the last days only to tell me I did a good job.

Ehehehe. Only Fran got similar words of praise from him. And still less than me. Ehehehehehe.

To my great delight, Wilfried was also less of a pain than I had feared at the beginning. He had quickly understood that the High Priest was a respectable part of the temple and he was so happy with all the progress he had made with these 'boring letters' that he had actually started to appreciate books.

Turn into a fellow bookworm, Wilfried! It's the only way to salvation! Ehehehe!

I watched over his shoulder as he wrote down a sentence from my picture book bible onto the stone slate I had given him when I noticed something out of the corner of my eye. Something that had not been here yesterday.

What is this gift from the Gods that is currently resting on the altar in Wilfried's chambers?!

I gulped since the shape revealed its obvious purpose and even though those the High Priest allowed me to read were usually decorated similarly on the outside this one here was basically clad in gemstones. Or, more likely, feystones. My latest book had introduced me to the concept of those and I had identified them as the gemstones inside the divine instruments. It did make sense that those employed magic stones after all.

But all those thoughts were irrelevant considering the fact that Wilfried had a book inside his chambers and on the altar. I could feel my heartbeat increasing and my mouth salivating.

“Sister Myne? Is everything alright? You are shivering mana”, Wilfried commented and pointed at the wing that peeked forward from behind my shoulder and whose feathers were indeed shivering with excitement right now.

“Ohohoho, my apologies”, I tried to hide my embarrassment and focus on my breathing but Wilfried raised an eyebrow at me as if I was a fool. That's rich coming from him.

“I am just curious about the book that is lying on the altar right now. It is not an offering to the gods, no?”, I asked and hoped that he would not tell me that I would never be able to read it just like those fruits on the lower steps were never meant to be eaten by mortals. I was not sure whether I could stay strong and not borrow their reading material then.... Even though I knew that I definitely should not.

“Oh? No. That's the High Bishop's bible. But when I tried reading it I just got a really big headache. Those picture books are way better. I just put it there because I think it looks nice there”, Wilfried then declared and I widened my eyes.

“High Bishop, does that mean that you are in possession of a book that you have no intentions to read?”, I asked working my hardest to not show my surprise and desperation too obviously, but even Wilfried was able to read my desires here.

“Huh? Yes. Do you want to read it? I can lend it to you”, he then offered and set my heart aflutter just like this. And he seemed to notice that as well as he stared at me quite openly.

“Ehm, Sister Myne? Why are you hovering?”, he asked and I looked down to my feet to confirm that I was indeed not connected to the ground anymore.

It was quite apparent that not only my heart had been set aflutter but somehow my wings as well. Eeep!

I willed all the mana that was currently extruding from my wings to stop and stay inside my body and I immediately fell down back on my feet. That was embarrassing. I was supposed to be the cool, mature teacher here!

“Too much mana? My apologies, I am aware that it is improper to fly inside a building”, I immediately acknowledged my faux-pas and was glad that my attendants pretended to look the other way. And his as well.

“Huh? But that's super cool that you can fly already! You are only eight, right?”, he asked as if I had not made a super embarrassing mistake right now.

“Thank you for your kind words, High Bishop. Although I am not allowed yet to fly unsupervised”, I commented and he tilted his head as he spread out his deeply green wings tentatively as if he as well was trying to fly. I flinched internally since the High Priest had scolded me so often when I had done that involuntarily and here he was doing that deliberately.

I shot a panicked look to his attendants who at least reacted immediately.

“High Bishop, please do not spread your wings inside buildings. Somebody of your considerable wingspan would restrict everybody's movements otherwise”, he advised and Wilfried complied, albeit looking a bit deflated. I tried to change the topic back to something more interesting. His bible.

“High Bishop, I would feel immensely honored to be allowed to read in your bible as I am sure it is a fount of knowledge worthy of Mestionora's praise as well as it is a monument of Kunstzeal's blessings that had to be bestowed on its creator”, I therefore declared and saw him struggling with my words.

“It's beautiful and I think the texts will be super cool”, I supplied quietly as if it was our shared secret and he smiled at me widely.

“If you can even read that! I swear even though all those words somehow exist, they do not make any sense to me!”, he stated without any shame or self-awareness before he instructed one of his grays to bring the book to our shared table.

I willed my body to stay calm and my mana to flow steadily as it was coming into my reach one step at a time. But as Wilfried then opened the book my whole body froze. It was empty?!

“See? 'Aspiritication' that's not even a word, right?”, he declared and pointed at some spot on the empty page.

“I think that is a term of the ancient language that means 'aspiration', High Bishop”, I commented hesitantly and bit my lower lip in disappointment. If it was written in the ancient language it made sense why it only caused headaches for Wilfried, but still... I did not see anything.

“High Bishop, unfortunately, this page appears empty for me”, I said sadly and his eyes widened at my words.

“Huh? Really? Is that why I had to register at the key to the bible? Can only I read it now?”, he asked impressed but it was Fran who saved the day and my reading pleasure.

“High Bishop, if I may. You are indeed the final authority on who can read this book, but you may simply declare that Sister Myne is allowed to read it as well. In the past several people were granted those permissions”, Fran explained and Wilfried nodded as if he understood.

“Ah, it's a magic tool then. So cool! I definitely want it back then after you have read it, Sister Myne! But sure, 'Bible', Sister Myne is allowed to read you”, he declared and at his words a miracle happened and text appeared for me to read.

“Praise be to the Gods!”

“Myne, in order to spare you the discomfort of the carriage and also to prevent something like the incident with the fetzes to repeat itself while I cannot accompany you, I have arranged for somebody from the Knight Order to guard you during Spring Prayer”, the High Priest explained and gestured to Lord Damuel who was standing next to him.

“Do not outspeed him, Myne. He has to have a chance to catch you should something happen mid-flight, after all”, he then instructed me and I nodded with conviction.

Woohoo! I was allowed to fly for Spring Prayer!

“I thank you ever so much for accompanying me, Lord Damuel”, I said and he nodded with a slight frown.

“You may also consider it as a form of trial run whether the arrangement of him possibly becoming your retainer upon your adoption will work out”, he then stated openly in front of him and my eyes widened at these news.

He was really working hard for me! The High Priest was just the best!

“However, since you are still only a commoner blue shrine maiden, Myne, and he is a noble, he cannot act as such yet. Please keep that in mind”, he then continued but I was not sure what exactly that meant. And that was apparently written on my face as he frowned at me slightly.

“I do not mind that, High Priest. Lord Damuel has not once lorded his status over me and I do not intend to do that should the roles be reversed in the future, so that should not be an issue?”, I said but he only reacted with a difficult smile.

“Did Elvira not already start with those advanced lessons that apply for the future?”, he asked and I sighed before I stiffened my wings and fluffed up my feathers a bit to not send out those 'cowering' vibes anymore.

“Lady Elvira indeed incorporated Anwachs and Erwachlehren in such a way that should Greifechan smile on me the lion would not need to seek Verbergen's intervention”, I stated with a slightly hardened tone, telling him that I was working hard on that archduke candidate level etiquette lessons so that Aub Ehrenfest and he had no need to worry.

Ugh. Those euphemisms were always so annoying. It took thrice as many words and then everything was ambiguous anyway.

“Very good”, he confirmed and smiled at me more openly. Lord Damuel seemed surprised at my sudden change in demeanor but what should I do when the High Priest asked so openly?

“You may then return to heeding Gebordnung under Dregarnuhr's current spinning of your thread”, he noted and I made my wings a bit smaller again, stopped straightening my back and was just glad that he did not expect more euphemisms for now as I was allowed to still be the commoner that I actually felt like.

I knew that it was a great fortune to be hopefully adopted by him, but the jump in status would not only be difficult for me to handle. Everybody around me was surely going to question it as well.

“Thank you, Lord Damuel”, I said as we landed in front of a side building of Giebe Groschel's estate.

We had already spent more than the last week on performing Spring Prayer in the central district and now the only task that remained was delivering the small chalices to some of the giebes.

“My pleasure, Sister Myne. I must admit being greeted by so thankful and sincerely cheering villagers day after day made this task more rewarding than I had expected, and the skills of your chefs were also a pleasant surprise”, he said and I hoped that did not mean that the High Priest had originally forced him into this arrangement. I knew that he definitely had enough status to just do that to a laynoble like Damuel, after all.

“I am glad that this task has turned out to not just be a burden for you, Lord Damuel”, I said and saw his small smile that relieved me at least a bit. And also good to know that the food is agreeable with a noble palate. That means the italian restaurant could maybe also draw some in in the long run!

“It was mainly my wife who had reservations of me doing something for the temple, Sister Myne. Its reputation is a bit... ah”, he trailed off and I had an inkling what he was referring to.

“You can tell her that the new High Bishop is a barely eight year old boy, Lord Damuel. He does not condone any of those old, ehm, customs. It is indeed rather peaceful and pious”, I tried to reassure him but his smile froze.

“You are also only eight years old, Sister Myne. Something like this should not be on your mind”, he noted hesitantly but I just shook my head.

“It's all over the paperwork anyway. And therefore I can assure you that nothing of this whole flower business has been handled since the High Bishop has changed”, I confirmed and he sighed.

“I see.”

“May this mana be used to bring Flutrane's healing to Geduldh also in Groschel, Giebe Groschel”, I said as I handed over the small chalices that had arrived with the carriages that also brought my attendants.

The man in front of me was smiling peacefully and took the chalices with the proper respect, but there was no doubt that he was a true and proper archnoble. His wings were almost as big as Elvira's. And he scrutinized both me and Damuel who was standing just two steps behind me.

“May Geduldh be restored by her sister's efforts”, he agreed as he took the small chalices but his eyes lingered on me. I was not sure whether they were predatory, mocking or just curious. Last year, apart from that apology from Giebe Illgner about the fetze incident, I had been properly ignored and had just been guided to their side buildings where we all could sleep. But Giebe Groschel was way more invested it seemed.

Hopefully, he just really likes Spring Prayer?

“Why do you not join us for dinner tonight, Sister Myne?”, he then spoke an unprecedented invitation that I was aware I could not refuse.

“It would be my pleasure, Giebe Groschel”, I therefore agreed immediately even though I was not looking forward to that in the slightest.

Rosina had worked her hardest to make me as good-looking as possible with the amenities she had available right now. My green dress was as beautiful as anything that Corinna had sewn for me and even though I had spent a lot of the day flying my feathers were not a complete mess.

I had argued for Tuuli being allowed to accompany me for Spring Prayer but the High Priest had denied that. It might have been an option if she had already been of age, but as it were it was impossible. I sighed as Rosina went to work to untangle me before she went over to braid my hair anew and place one of my dearest hair pins into it. By now the creation of new ones was merely a side business for Tuuli, but that made them even more one-of-a-kind for me and this one sported the divine color of spring so beautifully I had to show it off.

Rosina then accompanied me at the appropriate time to the main building and also Damuel followed behind. Even though I was neither at risk of flying nor of encountering some fetzes, he still tagged along. Just as a guard knight would. He is definitely taking this whole potential retainer thing serious. That's relieving.

I should have known that it was going to be a room full of nobles.

I donned my politest facade and knelt down as I began the customary greetings to all those in attendance. If I had to make a guess then that was his wife, his daughter and at least two attendants and two knights who were now scrutinizing my every move. But I knew that I by now excelled at those cowering greetings. Elvira would be proud.

To my dismay they also seemed to like to play the waiting game to make the commoner in the room remember her place.

This was growing old quite fast.

But at least they allowed me to rise and complete the greetings with a blessing way earlier than Lady Veronica had decided to draw this out in the past. I tried to not let any displeasure show on my face and waited for their introductions. Apparently, only his first wife and his daughter Brunhilde were actually participating in this dinner, the rest were personnel to be ignored.

“Lord Damuel, please take a seat as well”, Giebe Groschel then invited him to the table and I was not sure whether I should say something. Technically, he is on guard duty after all. But is that public knowledge?

“My apologies, Giebe Groschel, but I am tasked with serving as guard knight for Sister Myne, I therefore prefer standing”, he noted professionally and I was impressed that he dared to say something. There was this whole archnoble versus laynoble thing currently ongoing after all.

“Oh, do not worry, the dining hall is guarded as you can see”, he said and smiled at him invitingly. I was really tempted to say something, but it was just not my place. So I continued smiling as Damuel was pressured into taking a seat at the table as well. At least he took one directly next to me.

The small talk over dinner was mainly about Spring Prayer and also a bit about the new High Bishop. I got the impression that Wilfried entering the temple was a big topic of gossip for them so I tried to keep it as professional and positive as possible.

The food however, while high quality and rather varied, was slightly disappointing taste-wise. But I did not comment on it. Instead, I praised what deserved praise and ignored anything else.

I was about to sigh as soon as the dessert was cleared but it seemed that the actual evening activities were just about to begin.

“Brunhilde, my dear, I'd really like to listen to that song that you have now accomplished to learn”, her mother suggested cheerfully and I just continued smiling politely and nodded along everybody else.

Well, if such an elegant archnoble girl with those beautiful, yellow wings was about to play that could not hurt. So far I had only heard Rosina and Wilma play. And both had been quite outstanding.

And Lady Brunhilde was not bad at playing the harspiel. But I got the impression that it was maybe not her favorite instrument. Judging from her skill I guessed that she maybe preferred another instrument and only spent as much practice time on the harspiel as she was instructed to do.

“That was lovely, my dear. I could feel Kunstzeal's blessings in the room”, her mother praised and then shot me a look.

Eeeep?! What do you want from me, lady?!

“It was indeed a beautiful piece in honor of Flutrane, an apt choice for Spring Prayer”, I agreed immediately, but it seemed that I had misinterpreted the glance as I now saw the slightest signs of mocking in her eyes.

“Sister Myne, did you perchance learn to play the harspiel as well, already? Oh, my apologies, given your background that is rather unlikely”, Giebe Groschel mused and seemed to share his wife's slightly mocking expression but I just tilted my head politely.

“Learning to play the harspiel has indeed been part of my lessons, Giebe Groschel. My, after Lady Brunhilde has offered a demonstration of her skills, may I be allowed to do the same?”, I proposed even though I'd really rather not. But I had gotten the message between the lines by now. They wanted to judge me for not being able to play the harspiel so I had to prove them wrong.

Nobles....

I suppressed the sigh and instead smiled hopefully at my host whose own smile widened in turn.

“Oh, but of course. So honoring Kunstzeal is now part of the duties of blue shrine maidens?”, he suggested and I nodded politely.

“Please use Brunhilde's harspiel, it should be tuned already to harmony”, he then said and I did not even get the few moments of respite from having Rosina fetch mine from the carriage.

As I settled into the chair and positioned the instrument in my lap I tentatively let my fingers wander over the strings and hummed a small tune. But as soon as I saw all those eyes on me, I stopped and straightened my back.

The song I chose was from a children's movie, but with the right lyrics nobody was the wiser that it was not also a song dedicated to all the spring goddesses. I had included all twelve subordinates into the lyrics and was glad that I did not mess up even one of them. With Verfuhremeer's passage being rather calm and undulating and Verdrenna's passage being stormy and almost angry and all the other goddesses being somewhere in between that temperament-wise I had to admit that Rosina had truly outdone herself with composing it.

But as I finished the last stanza and looked back at my audience everybody seemed rather stunned.

But why?

“Sister Myne..., please indulge my curiosity”, Giebe Groschel began and I stiffened involuntarily at his hard and scrutinizing gaze that seemed to stare into my soul.

“But of course, Giebe Groschel, what might interest you about somebody as insignificant as me?”, I responded but he did not show any reaction.

“As you seem blessed by Kunstzeal and Erwachlehren while Dregarnuhr even seems to twist your thread under Schutzaria's divine protection might the lion have been bestowed Seheweit's guidance that sees Sterrat not placing your star in Efflorelume's reach?”, he asked and I narrowed my eyes shortly. If I had understood the High Priest correctly then it was still too early to make it fully public that he intended to adopt me. He still selected who was in the know. And yet, here Giebe Groschel asked me whether I was perhaps not set up to become a mistress because I had apparently passed some secret test of knowledge and harspiel skills and was accompanied by a guard? I sighed inwardly but did not allow my smile to falter.

“Might Ordoschnelli be involved so as to not stray unduly from Gebordnung's path?”, I asked back, basically telling him to send the High Priest an ordonnanz. Even though I knew by now that it was bad manners to send one after sixth bell. Giebe Groschel smirked at me, most likely being aware of this as well.

“But of course, Sister Myne. Lord Damuel, if you would be so kind?”, he suggested and I saw him flinch ever so slightly at the outlook of having to bother the archduke's little brother at this late bell. But he then gave in without a discussion and conjured one of those birds.

“Lord Ferdinand, this is Damuel. My apologies for disturbing you this late. We are currently in Groschel and the giebe has invited Sister Myne to socializing. However, an impasse seemed to have been reached at the question of how far Gebordnung should be heeded over Seheweit. Sister Myne seeks you to become Anhaltung in that regard”, he said and sent the bird away while I continued my polite smiling and everybody else seemed to do the same.

As the bird returned, even though it landed on Damuel's arm, it was addressing me at first.

“Myne, you may prioritize Seheweit over Gebordnung and act above your current standing. Giebe Groschel, you may tell her to return to Gebordnung's path at any point in time, but do not involve Verdraeos without consulting me first. I also expect Verbergen to embrace Ordoschnelli”, his voice resounded and I exhaled slowly as I changed my demeanor to what Elvira had taught me over the last few weeks. I was glad that he had clarified that Giebe Groschel was not to punish me for what counted, technically, as disrespect and the worst he could do was order me back to act as a commoner. And he was even supposed to keep his silence then.

Thus, with the harspiel still on my lap, I hardened my facade and allowed my wings to take a bit more space and be a bit more intimidating. That had at least been Elvira's words for how it looked. I, myself, was not so sure that those pieces of fluff could ever be intimidating.

“My, my, my”, the giebe's wife commented as she scrutinized me a bit harder and I smiled at her with that slightly mocking smile that should express a feeling of superiority without appearing arrogant.

“Quite a difference. So you are not just some devouring slave, hm?”, the giebe remarked provocatively and I narrowed my eyes at him. It felt so daring, but I knew that should this adoption go through I was above a mere giebe, even an archnoble one.

“My, Giebe Groschel, as somebody as blessed by Mestionora as you, I am surprised what kind of mischief Grammatur seems to play with you currently. Just because I am bound to follow on Gebordnung's path as outlined in the Zent's law does not imply that Dregarnuhr cannot pull my thread in another direction in accordance to the lion's will”, I remarked and hoped my increased heartbeat was not too obvious. Telling an archnoble to mind his phrasing and reminding him that there was more than the slave-route available for my future was definitely something that fell under 'acting above my current station'.

Lady Brunhilde seemed quite surprised at the bluntness hidden behind those euphemisms as she put her hand on her cheek and stared at me with slightly widened eyes. I smiled at her as if I was fully in control of the situation and hoped that nobody called my bluff. The biggest risk were my wings once again as they were so prone to betray my true feelings in such situations still but I focused exceedingly hard on keeping my mana flow under control as I waited for their response.

“Who taught you how to dance so fluently with Grammaratur?”, the giebe asked and I tilted my head in what I hoped was elegant understanding. Calm down, Myne! You can do this! It's like a test run! If everything goes right, then you will have to do that everyday!

“My, Lady Elvira bestowed Erwachlehren's blessings on me”, I responded and blinked slowly as if I was utterly confident in my words. Nobody can see my heartbeat, right?

“Oh, Lady Elvira? That might then explain those results”, his wife chuckled and I just continued my polite smile as if I was above her rather objectifying commentary.

“But still... Dregarnuhr will twist quite some threads before it comes to that, I imagine”, Giebe Groschel commented and raised a mocking eyebrow at me.

“Return to Gebordnung's path, Sister Myne”, he declared and I released the tension in my wings and shoulders as well as easing my facade.

“My apologies, should any of my words have displeased you, Giebe Groschel”, I declared immediately, firmly aware that I did not have any status to protect myself apart from this whole 'property of the archduke's little brother' thing. But to my great relief he did not seem to seek retribution for anything I said by now demonstrating his power over me. Apart from that intensifying mocking smirk.

“Oh, no, it was quite an enlightening performance, Sister Myne. I imagine you would prefer to return to the side building for priests now? Since you will continue Spring Prayer tomorrow morning already?”, he suggested but it might have been more honest to say he threw me out.

I smiled demurely and said my farewells and tried to not show my uneasiness over the happenings of the whole evening on my face.

“How did you learn to socialize on that level so fast, Sister Myne?”, Damuel asked me as he guarded me on my way back to the side building but I just shrugged and sighed silently. Now that the immediate pressure was gone I really just wanted to go to bed.

“Excellent teachers?”, I offered as explanation and he raised an eyebrow at me.

“I see. This might truly work out then. You would not expect me to follow you into another duchy, right?”, he asked and I tilted my head at the sudden change in topic. Bwuh?

“Oh? No, of course not, Lord Damuel. The High Priest said that male retainers rarely follow a woman marrying out anyway?”, I said and could feel my heartbeat increasing once again.

Is he actually considering to become my retainer?!

“Then I only have to convince my wife, Sister Myne”, he declared with a smirk and I grinned at him like a fool.

Really?! He does not mind to serve under me even?! That means I did well today, right?!

Chapter Text

I was surprised to see Lord Damuel and another knight I did not know join the monthly priests' meeting. They were not offered a seat but instead took their place standing a few steps behind the High Priest. But even though I shot Lord Damuel a quizzical look he seemed to ignore me and instead just stood there very professionally.

The other blue priests, and even Wilfried, seemed equally surprised by those guests but all apart from Wilfried had their facades roughly in check. Wilfried however was ogling the knights quite obviously until his head attendant remarked on that discreetly.

Poor boy, he still has much to learn.

And after Wilfried had then opened the meeting those knights seemed indeed to already be the first topic as the High Priest began to speak.

“Dear brothers and sisters, as you might have already noticed a few changes happened in the temple since winter. That Brother Wilfried has been inaugurated as High Bishop might have been the most prominent change, however, some of you might also be aware that I have returned to noble society. I will, of course, continue my duties as High Priest, but I cannot be constantly in the temple anymore. Despite this, we currently have two apprentice blues among us with considerable wingspans that would hurt the duchy and the temple to lose. While I, personally, am sure that Angriff will only be honored in prayer and not in action inside the temple, the archduke still felt slight uneasiness at having them in such a vulnerable position if I am not available due to other duties. Hence, in his endless magnanimity he assigned a knight each to them. Lord Maximilian has been assigned to Brother Wilfried, while Lord Damuel has been assigned to Sister Myne. You may ignore their presence henceforth as they should not impact the life inside the temple at all”, he ended his little speech and I noticed more than just a few raised eyebrows.

Nevertheless, Damuel now took position behind me and this Lord Maximilian stood behind Wilfried who beamed with pride at unexpectedly having acquired a guard knight.

But if he was really Aub Ehrenfest's son then he might have grown up with one anyway.

However, I quickly noticed that I was beaming with almost equal pride as the realization sunk in that Damuel had indeed convinced his wife and was now my retainer in all but name!

A day later the High Priest invited me for a personal meeting, but as I arrived at his chambers I saw immediately that he had brought somebody new once again.

“Myne, this is Angelica, as it is quite likely that she will soon enter the temple as a fellow apprentice blue shrine maiden, I'd like you to become acquainted already”, the High Priest said after we had exchanged our seasonal greetings and general introductions, but I really was not sure what was actually going on right now.

Is this not a job for the High Bishop?

The young lady in front of me was like a seraph out of a bible from my former life. Her features were soft and pleasing to the eye and her wings rested beside her in sheer elegance. They were also not small or particularly dark like those of all the other blue priests. And they were definitely bigger than Damuel's who seemed slightly flustered by her presence as well. At least their deep blue color would fit well with blue robes.

But still... something is off here.

“Welcome, Angelica, would you like to receive a little tour first?”, I offered since I had no idea what I should actually do with her. She was older than me after all. Picking up Wilfried was one thing. But this Angelica?

“Ah, let Fran do that, Myne”, the High Priest then said and even though he had just told me to become acquainted with her did he now send her away already. I tilted my head and looked at him quizzically while Angelica departed with Fran.

“High Priest, I am utterly confused”, I admitted and I saw Damuel flinch slightly at my open words but whatever should I do here? I could not do tasks that were not properly communicated. The High Priest smirked at me before he gestured me to sit down which I immediately complied with.

“First of all, Myne, please start addressing me by my name instead of my function in the temple. You may call me 'Ferdinand' if it is inside the temple or in front of Elvira for instance, but you should add honorifics for now in front of nobles you do not know well”, he instructed and I nodded slowly.

That makes sense. If we really end up with him adopting me, it would be strange to still call him 'High Priest' then.

“Understood, Ferdinand”, I tested the word in my mouth but I immediately knew it would take some getting used to it. He seemed also slightly surprised by me saying his name, but then just nodded.

“Myne, Angelica is in the somewhat unique situation that she has been baptized as a noble and has received her schtappe but is at risk of being excluded from noble society due to failing her classes”, he said and I saw Damuel shake his head in disbelief.

“How unfortunate for her”, I said, unsure how this should be of any value for me but he raised an eyebrow as if I should have already understood all the implications.

“Myne, if you save her from the temple she will be an excellent choice as a retainer for you”, he noted but I bit my lower lip as I tried to understand his reasoning.

“I want a failed noble as my retainer?”, I asked and he narrowed his eyes in disapproval.

“You want to save a failing medknight from being discarded into the temple so that her never-ending gratitude serves as the foundation of her loyalty to you, Myne”, he explained in very clear words and I finally understood.

“Oh! That's super smart!”, I praised and earned myself a scoff from him and Damuel.

“Thank you, even though it is rather not so subtle scheming on my part. But that is why I invited her to become familiar with the temple while the archduke conference is currently ongoing and no classes are held. Her parents see this as a welcome attempt to scare her into studying, while I want you to actually make her study for her classes. You may receive several study notes from Eckhart at your next visit to Elvira, and Damuel can surely fill in the gaps in her knowledge as somebody who also took the knight course. You have roughly three weeks for the first results, from there we will see how fruitful this endeavor will be”, he elaborated and I nodded at the appropriate points even though it still sounded daring.

She was what, four or five years older than me? And I was expected to teach her? But well, if it meant getting a mednoble retainer I could surely put in some work. The more prestigious my retainers the better my chances at being taken seriously and escaping this undesirable fate as a mistress to who-knew-whom.

“Angelica, you can read, correct?”, I asked in exasperation after I had given her my picture book bibles and told her to just copy all the names of the Gods out of it onto a wooden board. But despite her opening the book to the first page and taking a pen into her hand, she then just seemed to freeze in her tracks. She put her pen down and placed her hand on her cheek in an absolutely divine display of... what actually?

I sighed.

“You need all the names for this divine protection class, correct?”, I asked her and she smiled at me widely.

“Yes, Sister Myne!”, she immediately confirmed and I saw that also Damuel was plagued with his own feelings of exasperation.

“And why do you want to pass this class?”, I asked, trying to lure out a bit of motivation out of her. But instead I was just met with a repetition of that divine... head tilt.

Is there even anything between her ears? And I really want her as my retainer?

“Angelica, what do you want in general? What brings you joy?”, I asked and was sure that her answer was definitely not books.

“I like training, Sister Myne. And hunting”, she immediately declared with the most angelic face that put my own facade under the hardest test.

“Okay, how about this – you can train for a quarter of a bell with Lord Damuel for every five new Gods you find in these books? But I want them listed including their domain”, I proposed and I could see the cogs in her brain turning at that.

“Training is an option in the temple?”, she asked with clear eagerness in her eyes and I suppressed a sigh at that.

“But of course, Angelica. Moving around after studying intensely is very important to remember things long term”, I declared and I saw her pick up her pen at that.

I shot Damuel an apologizing glance but he just sighed and shook his head while Angelica scribbled with fervor and presented me her first wooden board with the first five gods and their domains listed on them. There was not even one spelling mistake.

“Then you have earned your reward, Angelica”, I said and instructed Rosina to tell my chefs to make Damuel's favorite dessert for dinner while he was still in earshot.

If my observation has been correct then Damuel has a sweet tooth. Ehehehe.

“Ferdinand? May we speak in private?”, I proposed a week after I had started my tutoring attempts with Angelica and he approved my request with a difficult smile as he halted his paperwork and led me into his hidden room.

“Is this about Angelica?”, he asked and I nodded hesitantly but was not sure whether I was really allowed to talk about it.

“It is also about your order from last year. To not talk to anybody about how I stuff the heat into that box”, I proposed and I saw his expression harden.

Yeah, makes sense. He was super tense about that topic after all.

“Oh? How is that related?”, he asked, but he did not seem angry. Just guarded.

“Angelica is super hard to motivate. All she cares about is fighting, fighting strength and getting more mana to increase said fighting strength. And I thought... maybe I could offer her that as a reward?”, I proposed hesitantly and I saw him raising his finger to his temple. But he did not outright refuse me. There was hope.

“The reason I ordered you to not tell anybody was so that you would not involuntarily strengthen those who oppose me or you, so propping up your retainers is in principle fine with me”, he said but it was obvious that he was not convinced. I looked at him expectantly.

“But?”, I asked as he remained quiet for longer than I could stomach.

“But I would need to swear her to silence to not share it with anybody by a countrywide magic contract and those are excessively expensive”, he said and I gulped. If even he as the archduke's little brother thinks they are expensive, we are definitely talking about large golds here. Multiple.

He tapped his temple as he seemed to calculate a few things.

“You may promise it to her as a reward if she is still a student at the Royal Academy two winters from now”, he then proposed and added a “we can make it a joined session for all your retainers at that point and make it worth the costs”.

“You are the best, Hi- Ferdinand”, I exclaimed and he just sighed at me with another difficult smile.

To say Angelica was motivated by that outlook to learn my – as I had learned by now was called – compression technique was an understatement. As the archduke conference had ended so had her temporary stay in the temple, but Ferdinand informed me just a few days later that she had now passed three of her classes and was actually on a good track to pass the other ones as well.

I smiled at him widely and definitely delighted in those news. On the one hand I was just super proud of Angelica for her achievements. And on the other hand I was super glad that I did not have to tutor her about all those knightly strategies, which I myself barely understood and had to rely heavily on Damuel for, anymore.

And indeed, to everybody's delight, Angelica passed her third year around the middle of summer, but still had begun to spend her Earthdays in the temple. Officially, so that she could stay properly 'motivated' with the outlook of what could happen if she failed next year, but actually because Ferdinand's plan had been successful.

Everlasting gratitude as base for loyalty sure feels nice. But also... Angelica, please start thinking for yourself a bit! I am firmly aware that you let me decide just about everything now!

Chapter Text

“Milord, I received a message from the temple that Sister Myne is asking for a meeting with you. She proposed two days in the future from now, indicating that it seems rather urgent. How do you wish to answer?”, Justus inquired when Ferdinand visited his chambers for a quick bath before he was about to dine with Sylvester after a full day of winter socializing and dealing with insufferable requests from the former Veronica faction that he suspected were mostly raised just to annoy him.

He had to admit that he had not seen Myne for a full two weeks now and it was more than likely that she had run out of reading material once again.

But usually she does not send meeting requests just to ask for a new book.

“Send her an answer that I will visit her at second bell tomorrow and clear my schedule to accommodate that”, Ferdinand said and Justus responded with a knowing smirk.

But with Myne the chances of it being just running out of reading material or something overly important are usually quite equal. A quick check-in with her will not hurt.

As he flew over from his estate to the temple the gray that was manning the gate merely nodded as he arrived. No doubt since he had announced his visit beforehand. And he was still the High Priest after all. Even though he did not live at the temple anymore.

Fran emerged from a nearby waiting room and accompanied him to Myne's chambers.

Her kneeling and greeting were excellent by now. He could tell that she had practiced it a lot and he could not deny feeling a bit proud of her as she gracefully rose and invited him for breakfast.

Ah, an oversight. Second bell is time for breakfast in the temple. She must have assumed I wanted to eat with her.

They talked for a bit while they ate but she only reported her progress with teaching Wilfried and Angelica respectively and of her own studies. Nothing that would have demanded his immediate attention. But since she had included her progress on Angelica it reminded him that he had not even talked to her since Angelica left for the Royal Academy.

Is she perhaps feeling lonely? She loathes the winter in the temple apart from her family after all.

Ferdinand shot a glance to Damuel who was currently guarding the door but just seemed eager to have some breakfast as well.

Nothing safety relevant then. Damuel would be more on edge if one of the blues or Wilfried had acted out.

“Ferdinand, is there perhaps a chance to talk privately with you?”, she asked as he thought that she might have really just wanted to see him. But the seriousness with which she kept her facade in place told him that it might be wise to honor her request.

“Of course, Myne. Let us switch to my chambers for that kind of discussion”, he said and invited her into his hidden room as soon as they had arrived there.

“So? What kind of discussion requires such discretion?”, he asked and Myne smiled at him shyly.

She looks like she wants to ask for a book. But why then so secretly?

“I think I stumbled upon a secret bookshelf in the temple's book room. But I could not find the key to open it”, she then reported and he scoffed that it was such a random topic.

Maybe she is really just lonely.

He squatted down and patted her head. Unsurprisingly, she leaned into the gesture almost immediately.

Yes, seems like it. That's why she wanted the hidden room.

“Oh? Like the locked bookshelf of the former High Bishop? Where he stored all those letters?”, he asked and continued patting her head, but she shook it slightly.

“No, or maybe yes. You know how I always have the orphanage focus on one subordinate per week? Well, last week was 'Mestionora week' and so they spent a lot of time reading books, and some cleaned the book room and so on. And then we all prayed in front of the Mestionora statue that is inside the bookroom. And well, did you know that she is holding a book? It's super cool in my mind and I volunteered to clean it – yes, I know, blues don't do that, but it's a book! - and I found out that you can actually open her book! And there is a keyhole! Does that not mean that there might be a secret bookshelf available that opens if you put the right key in that keyhole?!”, she reported enthusiastically and Ferdinand froze shortly.

Myne noticed that he had stopped to pat her head and looked at him quite quizzically.

“Which keys did you try out so far?”, he asked with an inviting smile as he recovered enough of his composure and rose from his squatting position. He took a step back to consider the possibilities.

Mestionora's book is a representation of the Grutrissheit, after all. But could something relating to that book really be stored inside Ehrenfest's temple book room? Ehrenfest is not so old after all. Sylvester is just the seventh generation to rule it. Maybe Myne is right and it is just some secret bookshelf. Even though retrieving some long lost books might not be high priority, it is still interesting.

“The temple book room key, the locked High Bishop shelf key, the key to the chapel. Those are all I tried. Fran provided me with two of them and Wilfried let me borrow the third since he does not use that locked bookshelf anyway. Do you have any more keys as the High Priest?”, she asked hopefully but he thoughtfully shook his head.

There is still the key to the High Bishop's bible. But anything else is just individual keys. Could that be it?

“No, unless you want to try out the key for the repentance chamber and the one to the lower city gate”, he mused and she tilted her head in contemplation.

“Well, may I?”, she asked and he chuckled.

What a strange mystery.

“Okay. You can show me that keyhole then and we can try them out. I have them at my belt after all”, he agreed and he could see the sheer eagerness in her eyes.

“You are the best, Ferdinand!”, she exclaimed and he did not miss the small blessing that emerged from her ring at that.

She definitely needs a schtappe. This is not just about courting options for her, but also about mana control.

“Incidentally, Myne. Who is aware of this?”, he asked as they were inside the book room now and she looked at him quizzically.

“Basically everyone who is with us right now. Fran, because I asked him for the keys and Damuel because, well, he is with me all the time as my guard knight, no?”, she stated and Ferdinand nodded.

If this is something important it will still be manageable then.

He locked eyes with Damuel and then Fran and ordered them to not talk about this. Myne nodded along. She had shown to be discreet about this anyway already.

“So, you got to push here and then twist here and then you can shift the cover over here”, she explained and demonstrated how to open Mestionora's book and indeed, a keyhole was there. And quite some feystones.

“Here, the keys you wanted to try”, he said and handed her his key ring. None of them were magical so he doubted that any would open this lock. It obviously required a magical key. So her now occuring disappointment as she tried them was not overly surprising.

“That's so sad. So none fit? And there I thought there could be some more books in here”, she lamented sadly and he smirked at her.

“I will send some over from my estate”, he promised and she immediately turned around with a wide grin.

“You are the best, Ferdinand!”, she exclaimed once again and went into a prayer pose of all things....

But Ferdinand wanted to try out one more key. But not when any potential witnesses were there with him. So he invited himself for some afternoon tea with the High Bishop for three days in the future before he left to return to the annoying task that was winter socializing.

Convincing Wilfried to lend the bible – and more importantly the key – to him had been way too easy. While it was convenient right now, he was not sure what that meant in the long term.

That will depend on whether this feystone key will actually open whatever is locked by Mestionora's statue, I'd wager.

Wilfried had granted him the reading privileges some time in the past already to help out Myne translate a few passages, so he now spent a bit of time with reading the bible till it was well past seventh bell and the risk of encountering somebody in the hallways who would dare to question his passing by was reduced to the minimum.

As he entered the bookroom he made sure to lock the door as soon as he had passed through. While there was the barrier still in place anyway, it did not mean he had to risk being stumbled upon by a gray priest.

Ferdinand reproduced the pattern with which Myne had laid free the keyhole three days ago and then inserted the High Bishop's bible key.

It clicked into place.

He blinked once before he turned the key, holding his breath.

The statue sliding away was somewhat unsurprising. The iridescent barrier that it revealed was also not completely unexpected given the circumstances.

But as Ferdinand dared to step through it he did not encounter a secret bookshelf as Myne had hoped. What he saw in front of him was a foundation. Ehrenfest's foundation.

Ferdinand noticed the second entrance to the room he was currently in. No doubt the official path, the one that was secured by any means possible.

But the temple apparently has a shortcut to it. And it is only secured by requiring a registration to the bookroom and the High Bishop's key? This is bad.

Ferdinand left the foundation and closed the door behind him again.

He knew that he had to inform Sylvester immediately, but it was also the middle of the night. Questions would be asked. Questions he would not like to answer to anybody but Sylvester.

Ferdinand decided to sleep in the temple that night to not ruffle any feathers and returned to the castle upon second bell the next morning.

“Aub Ehrenfest, might I be given the honor to talk to you for a short moment in private?”, Ferdinand asked as he went into the Aub's Office. Even Sylvester could not avoid working overtime during winter socializing. If he wanted anything to be done he had to do it outside of socializing hours.

And Sylvester seemed very eager to find an excuse to skip working on that particular piece of paperwork in front of him right now.

He ordered everybody outside, but Ferdinand did not even want Karstedt in the room with him. After a short consideration he voiced his concerns.

“As this concerns highly confidential information that only the aub should know, may I ask you to order Karstedt to face the wall?”, he asked and Sylvester, who had shown mere curiosity so far was now actually quite concerned and pressed a sound blocking tool into Ferdinand's hand.

“Karstedt, please face the wall”, he ordered and Ferdinand was glad that Karstedt did not object to that.

“What have you discovered?”, Sylvester asked sternly and Ferdinand handed the key to the High Bishop's bible over to him.

“A path to the foundation of Ehrenfest”, he revealed and saw his brother paling at that.

“Are you serious?”, he asked quietly and Ferdinand only nodded.

“Myne told me about a strange keyhole she had discovered in the temple's book room. She was hoping for a secret bookshelf and asked me for some of my keys. None of them fit since it was obviously something that required a feystone key, but I did not tell her that. What you hold in your hand right now is however the key to the High Bishop's bible. And it fit that keyhole perfectly, as I verified last night as I then visited the foundation”, he reported as Sylvester's eyes widened with every sentence.

“Just like that?”, he asked incredulously and Ferdinand narrowed his eyes as he nodded.

“No further security measures were in place.”

“That is a glaring weakness. We must act immediately!”, Sylvester proclaimed but Ferdinand clicked his tongue.

“I'd advise against that Sylvester. Right now the only ones who have access to this room are those who are ordained as priests. And there is only three with any noteworthy mana, and only one with a schtappe. Furthermore, you are currently holding the only key. Nobody suspects a thing about the importance of that place. Installing guards and other security measures will only raise suspicion”, Ferdinand noted but his brother only bit his lip as if unsure of his words.

“I cannot just do nothing, Ferdinand”, Sylvester declared and Ferdinand sighed.

“Of course not. We definitely need to set up a contract of silence, countrywide would be preferable, and swear Myne, Damuel, Fran and me to silence about the keyhole in Mestionora's statue”, he proposed and now it was Sylvester's turn to narrow his eyes.

“I will come to the temple this afternoon then. Officially to socialize a bit with Wilfried, and unofficially I will have the ones you mentioned sign this contract.”

Ferdinand was glad for his brother's reasonableness. There was just one more thing he had by now decided to be necessary.

Ferdinand had read through his Grutrissheit many times already but never had there been a mention of the High Bishop's bible key opening a second path to the foundation. He knew that he had focused on grasping all the magic circles when he had received Mestionora's wisdom and now he wondered whether this information was maybe inside the part that he had ignored back then.

“Sylvester, I would also like you to invite me to join the interduchy tournament this year. I need to visit the Royal Academy library to see whether anything about this is mentioned there.”

To his great relief Sylvester agreed immediately. He did not seem completely convinced yet that they should only do so few things as countermeasures and Ferdinand could understand him there. That was why he was intent to complete his Grutrissheit now.

What kind of critical information am I still missing?

Chapter Text

Ferdinand could not suppress a smirk when he saw Angelica immediately straightening her back as soon as she spotted him at the Royal Academy. No doubt her bad conscience was peeking through. He had not joined the interduchy tournament in the past since he had not wanted to startle Veronica and her faction with his still quite open support he received from Dunkelfelger. And last year, when she had finally fallen from grace he had been just too busy with cleaning everything up that her imprisonment had caused that he had not even considered spending a few days at the Royal Academy grounds.

But this year he needed to be here. He could only hope that Erwaermen would not be too disgruntled and just provided the wisdom he sought.

However, even though he by now knew from reading in his Grutrissheit how to properly activate the magic circle that transformed Erwaermen into humanoid form he noticed instantly that there was no circle in the sky to begin with. Which meant that he most likely had to visit the large shrines again.

With only Justus, Eckhart and Heidemarie in tow he left the dormitory via the backdoor before anybody – especially Sylvester – could complain about that and swore them to silence before they even took flight.

“Today never happened. Nothing happens today. We are just taking a stroll on academy grounds”, he instructed and all three immediately yielded to his will. He did not actually expect any of them to spill his secrets even without that measure in place but he could not risk to act carelessly when the whole Sovereignty was still looking for the Grutrissheit.

Ferdinand still remembered the location of the large shrines so it was not difficult to locate them again. As soon as he entered the first he changed into a prayer pose.

“O Goddess of Light, Versprechredi, ruler of the endless skies, please hear my prayer and activate your part of the magic circle that allows Erwaermen to be returned to human form”, he prayed and he saw how, at the place where he had once received the tablet that had strengthened his schtappe now a small golden feather – barely bigger than a down – appeared.

Is this normal? Has anybody else ever entered the large shrines after they had received their tablets? The mana expenditure for praying is also rather sustainable.

He touched the feather with his schtappe but instead of it merging into his divine will he felt it merging into his wings somehow before he was removed from the shrine.

One down, six to go.

A glance to the sky revealed that his prayer had been heard and the first part of the magic circle had been drawn.

It then took him all morning to visit the other shrines and they all offered him a small feather that merged into his wings. Fortunately, they were all hidden under his own and he had to actively pull them apart to make his newest rainbow addition visible which came as a relief as he did not intend to find any reasonable explanation for this.

And all this is merely the preparation.

While the first day of the interduchy tournament was supposedly in full action, he then led them all to the Royal Academy library. While he noticed the eagerness in Justus' eyes only intensifying he did not ask. Which pleased Ferdinand since he did not have to shut him up then.

As they arrived through generally empty hallways with only some stray students hurrying to the ditter field he felt oddly optimistic. However, his mood dampened when the only one to greet him was Professor Solange and none of the other librarians he remembered; not even the shumils were there. But in a way that also made everything easier.

Even though this means that they all just died. Those librarians from Werkestock never stood a chance.

After some short small talk with Professor Solange he excused himself for the second floor and remained unaccompanied, ordering his retainers to stay on the first floor of the library. While, under normal conditions, he would now need to perform some rituals on academy grounds that involved the offering of mana, he was aware that supplying mana through Mestionora's book was also accepted in exceptional cases.

Since he had cursed so excessively about how to activate this damned magic circle while he was still a student those parts of Mestionora's wisdom had interested him so much that he had not spilled anything there. Which came in handy right now.

O Mestionora, of the Goddess of Wind Schutzaria's exalted twelve, hear my prayer and allow me to receive the rest of your wisdom.

And it seemed that his silent prayer had been heard as he was suddenly inside a huge room that appeared to be the laboratory of his dreams. Cages full of feybeasts, greenhouses full of feyplants, desks with magic tools for brewing and bookshelves full of the knowledge of his ancestors but also with space for his own findings to be added and even a big chair with a narrow backrest where a little girl with dark blue hair and pale blue wings seemed to be lost in reading a giant tome.

Ferdinand knew that this was not reality but merely the golden shumil's test of his character but he did not mind to for once just bask in the pleasantness that such a strong representation of his ideal life provided.

I am so selfish that none of this involves Ehrenfest in particular. But well, dreaming is one thing and acting another. This whole undertaking is about securing Ehrenfest's foundation after all.

Ferdinand smiled politely as the golden shumil hopped in his direction and told him to follow.

Seems like Erwaermen is inclined to welcome me.

And indeed, as he passed through the doors he was greeted not by a tree but a man-like creature with three pairs of wings that spanned almost half of the Garden of Beginning.

Ferdinand knelt in front of him before he dared to speak.

“I thank you ever so much to allow me back in after I have left so rudely in the past. I have now come back to ask to be bestowed with Mestionora's wisdom that I was too foolish to appreciate when I was still a child”, he spoke and he could feel the mana in the air thickening.

I definitely have his attention right now.

“Quinta, you dare?!”, Erwaermen grumbled back but Ferdinand did not cower more than he had felt was necessary in the beginning.

“I dare indeed for I need to receive this wisdom in order to protect my duchy”, he declared and the thin mist of mana turned to crushing.

“I see that you are still the same fool. What knowledge could you seek that protects a duchy while the whole country's foundation is running dry?”, he thundered and Ferdinand noticed how he had now trouble breathing. But he was not sure whether that was due to Erwaermen's oppressing mana or his own shock at those words.

“How is that possible? The Royal Family, despite not having their own Book of Mestionora right now, should still supply the whole country. They claim as such after all”, he dared to object, but as he looked up at Erwaermen he noticed that his wings were now so spread out that they spanned over the whole diameter.

“The country's foundation is undyed and running dry. The gates are starving from this mana drought. Nobody has been supplying it for a long while now. At this rate the whole country will return to white sand and everything will be lost!”, Erwaermen shouted and Ferdinand shared the feeling of this just anger.

“You are here to complete your Book of Mestionora? So be it! You are an arrogant and rude fool, but this time you took the proper route and I see you even earned the approval of all Seven. Be Zent then! Mestionora, if you please?”, he proclaimed and Ferdinand did not miss the divine sparkle from the ceiling as he cast his Grutrissheit in preparation for it to be filled. He could not allow himself to get distracted by anything. Not by his unwillingness and the sheer impossibility of him actually becoming Zent and not by trying to argue about that with Erwaermen. Absorbing all of that wisdom now might be his last try – he could not allow himself to spill anything again.

To say it was torture would have been an understatement. All that knowledge that was currently sinking into him and that he was not yet allowed to look at if he wanted to acquire all of it was tempting him to stray from his conviction. Ferdinand emptied his mind and watched what felt like a painfully slow transfer and he wondered whether that was perhaps Mestionora's punishment for him since he had spilled so much in the past.

But he quickly pushed also that thought away as he suffered the teasing sensation of knowledge and wisdom he had to be patient for or all could be lost.

Eventually, his torture was over and he sighed in relief at being allowed to follow his need for knowledge as he opened his book to check how much he had spilled this time.

“Better”, Erwaermen gruntled and Ferdinand noticed that the crushing had stopped.

“So now, be Zent!”, he demanded and made Ferdinand look up from his book – he had not noticed one gap yet.

“Erwaermen, you demand the impossible. I do not stand in front of you with any backing. The country has just recently suffered a huge civil war and purge. If I now become Zent I will be dead in less than a season and will have doomed at least my duchy in the process”, Ferdinand tried to reason, but instead of understanding only the crushing appeared again.

“QUINTA!”, Erwaermen thundered and Ferdinand tasted blood before he coughed some up.

He is serious. Really serious.

“Dye the foundation, you fool!”, were the last words he heard before he felt the characteristic sensation of being teleported.

As he stood in front of the country's foundation his heart sank. It was indeed almost empty.

Erwaermen is right. I am a fool. How can I protect Ehrenfest if the whole country perishes? What is Trauerqual even doing then apart from ordering purges and forcing devourers into submission contracts?!

But he pushed his anger away for he was firmly aware that he could not usurp him. Even if he now dyed the foundation. But in the end those things could be handled separately. The best way to ensure Ehrenfest's continued existence for now was to supply the country with his mana.

“Grutrissheit”, he chanted and pressed the appearing book directly at the foundation. He gasped as he felt the pull on his mana. In direct contact it was even more obvious how close to everybody's demise they had been.

But it was strenuous to keep up the flow of mana just through his schtappe so he did what he had been taught only as a last resort in the archduke candidate course. He spread his wings and hugged them against the foundation as if he wanted to warm it.

It was a mixture of pain and bliss that felt as if the tips of his feathers were singed by having to endure such a rapid conduction of mana. With his one free hand he took one of his rejuvenation potions and emptied it with even greater thirst than that of the foundation sucking up his mana. And then a second. And then a third.

He knew he should not drink another one or he would overdose on them but it seemed that despite him giving his everything, it was not enough.

But I am not giving my everything yet. I can do more than just offer the mana that is circulating inside me.

He retracted his wings so that they were not embracing the foundation anymore. To his great relief they were undamaged.

Which was convenient since that meant he still had that avenue available to himself.

Feathers bloom from the mana organ after all. They are inherently objects of mana. Feeding them to the foundation should lead to results.

With his one hand still pressing the Grutrissheit against the foundation he used his other, free hand to pluck his own feathers. It was a revolting sensation even though he tried to confine his efforts to only smaller ones, but each one hurt more than the one before.

In the end it took him five feathers that he poked into the foundation and that became quickly absorbed into it before he felt the pull on his mana lessen.

The foundation was dyed, but it seemed that he had not been able to supply more than maybe ten percent to it.

He knew he had to return here in the future, but for now, he had bought the whole country some more time.

But just as he considered slumping down on the ground and just resting for a bit, was he teleported out and back in the library. Judging from the light coming in, the day was almost over. He had missed the whole first day of the interduchy tournament.

As he stumbled down the stairs he was greeted by his retainers with great worry but he did not elaborate and just urged them to return to the dormitory with him.

“Ferdinand, are you alright?”, his brother asked before he could even greet him.

“Sylvester, may I have a moment?”, Ferdinand asked back without answering and despite his brother being for all he was aware way above him as the archduke he humored his request immediately.

“Of course”, he said, with his archduke persona firmly in place as he led him into a meeting room.

“Please let Karstedt face the wall”, he said and Sylvester did not even raise an eyebrow at that and just complied as he pressed a sound blocking tool into his hands.

Of course, he thinks this is 'just' about the second path to Ehrenfest's foundation. He is in for a surprise.

“Sylvester, my apologies, but I am unable to supply Ehrenfest with mana from today on”, Ferdinand began and his brother paled at that no doubt unexpected revelation.

“Why? What happened today? You look like you dittered the whole of Dunkelfelger today, twice maybe”, Sylvester noted with a cautious glance at him and Ferdinand sighed.

“Nobody can ever know of what I tell you, Sylvester. If you do then the next purge will befall Ehrenfest soon after”, he warned ominously and he saw his brother gulp before he nodded.

“Understood. I will not say one word”, he confirmed and Ferdinand allowed himself one more long breath before he continued.

“As you know, you cannot be registered at two foundations at the same time. And today, I dyed the country's foundation as it was unclaimed and close to drying out”, Ferdinand stated and saw Sylvester's eyes widen, before he jumped from his seat and knelt in front of him.

You fool. I am not Zent. And I will not be Zent.

“Rise, Sylvester, this does not change anything between us. Nobody would accept me as Zent, we would just start another civil war and when I eventually die in that one everything will be doomed again. I would have kept it secret even from you if not for the quite obvious fact that my registration at Ehrenfest's replenishment hall has by now run out”, Ferdinand noted and urged his brother to stop his foolishness, which took longer than it should have.

“Ferdinand, you dyed the foundation of this country. That is the one criterion for determining who is Zent”, Sylvester tried to correct him but Ferdinand only shook his head.

“It will have no political implications so please stop this nonsense and rise. I am Aub Ehrenfest's little brother just as yesterday. Nothing else may become known”, he declared and Sylvester obliged, albeit with signs of displeasure.

“While I see the wisdom in preventing the country's foundation from drying out, this now puts Ehrenfest in quite dire straits”, he noted after he had sat down again.

“With Wilfried in the temple, mother in the Ivory Tower and you now also out of consideration, this leaves only Florencia, Bonifatius and me”, he sighed.

“Without that compression technique I think we might have already been doomed at this point now”, Sylvester noted while Ferdinand put a finger to his temple.

“You could have Charlotte start dedicating by now. She already had her baptism and learning how to move her mana might not be out of the question”, Ferdinand supposed. He as well had started mana dedication as early as remembered entering Ehrenfest castle after all.

“I wonder how much help she can already be. She is just a season beyond her baptism”, Sylvester mumbled.

“If you think she might still be lacking the mana, I could offer that Myne dyes some feystones routinely that Charlotte can then offer in the Replenishment Hall”, he proposed and Sylvester shot him a cautious but thoughtful glance.

“A huge strain for a small child. But everybody has to step up in a situation of need, I suppose”, Sylvester agreed reluctantly.

“As soon as Myne becomes adopted by me, she can dedicate her mana directly as a fellow archduke candidate of Ehrenfest”, he noted and he noticed the tears rising up in Sylvester's eyes.

“You would just give up all her mana for the duchy?”, he asked, apparently moved emotionally by the offer.

Who does he think I am? Of course it will be used for Ehrenfest's benefit.

“But of course, Sylvester. And I doubt that she would mind. Invite her to visit the castle's book room each time after mana dedication and you will see her begging for the privilege”, he jested and was able to draw a smile out of Sylvester in turn.

“Ehrenfest does not deserve you, brother”, he said but Ferdinand just shook his head to wave the thought away.

“And did you find answers about this second path to Ehrenfest's foundation as you originally intended?”, Sylvester asked after he had recovered enough to return to his original worries.

“Not yet, but let me check, grutrissheit”, he chanted and Sylvester threw himself on the ground almost immediately again.

“Fool, I told you I dyed the country's foundation, right? The book is essential for that”, he chided his brother who was once again pale before he focused back at the posed question and read the relevant part that had appeared before him.

“The temple book room seems to be the designated backup path in cases when an aub dies before telling their heir how to access the foundation correctly”, Ferdinand reported and Sylvester flinched at those news.

“Is that not exceedingly risky?”, he asked and Ferdinand sighed.

“With the current state of the temples? Yes and No”, he merely acknowledged and closed the book.

At least nothing that requires immediate intervention. In stark contrast to the state of this country.

“Sylvester, do you have any gold dust I could borrow from you? I am low on mana and should definitely not drink any more potions today to create some on my own”, he therefore proposed and Sylvester scoffed at the unexpected question.

“Of course, what do you need it for?”, he asked and Ferdinand smirked at him.

“Just a little entwickeln”, he said with a conspiratorial grin.

That night, a mysterious seven-sided ivory block, not much bigger than an adult man, appeared in front of Anhaltung's shrine. It would be days before the routinely patrolling Sovereignty Knight Order would notice the strange new addition on Academy grounds.

It would take another few bells before they had noticed the inscription on it. And another few bells before they had found somebody fluent enough in the ancient language to then finally decipher the message on this construct.

As of now only two of the seven sides bore any letters. The other five sides were still smooth.

The first side spoke of a warning. The second of a potential solution.

The foundation is running dry.

Start praying.

Chapter Text

Trauerqual did his best to not stare unduly at his head scholar while he delivered his report. But what he had just said did not make any sense.

“And this is beyond any doubt?”, he asked and his head scholar confirmed that immediately.

“The seven-sided structure's material appears to be indistinguishable from any other ivory building. While the exact point in time when it appeared cannot be made out, it cannot be older than a week since that was when the last patrol covered the area around Anhaltung's shrine. I will inspect it personally as soon as you dismiss me, my Zent”, he elaborated and Trauerqual merely nodded.

Impossible. A new ivory building on Royal Academy grounds? And then it is just some kind of pillar?

“Please do. Creating any new ivory buildings on academy grounds requires both the possession of the foundation and the Grutrissheit. It therefore surely cannot be what it appears to be”, he declared but he could not deny the feeling of uneasiness at the back of his mind.

Has Sigiswald stumbled upon the Grutrissheit and stolen the foundation from me? He would never, would he?

As soon as his head scholar headed to the Royal Academy grounds, Trauerqual himself headed to his chambers, where he dismissed every single one of his retainers and took the fake tooth out of his mouth that was in fact the key to the foundation.

His feathers were shivering slightly with the doubt of his son that gnawed at him.

But surely Sigiswald would not announce his takeover like this. He could just make it public that he found the Grutrissheit. He knows that I would yield the throne to him in that case.

Still, he hurried through the safety mechanisms as fast as he dared and arrived at the miracle that was this country's foundation. And it was still pulsing in his own colors, dyed by his own mana.

He sighed a long breath of relief as he hugged himself against the foundation, feeling grounded by the reassurance that he was still registered at it.

This pillar then has to be something else. It cannot be the consequence of some strange entwickeln.

Relichion was woken up abruptly by one of his gray priests. That he had found it necessary to even shake his shoulder spoke volumes of the severity of the perceived threat.

What is going on? Is somebody after my life? My position?

While he was obviously aware that any position in the temple always came with the quite large stain of belonging to the temple his position as the Sovereignty temple's High Bishop was, after all, still the most prestigious and powerful of them all. There had been attempts on his life in the past and he was not fool enough to think there could not be any further.

But then again my attendant does look rather restrained. Hm.

“Honorable High Bishop, please excuse the urgency, but you have received an immediate summons. An escort of knights from the Sovereignty Knight Order is currently waiting in front of your chambers. They did not state the reason, just the immediacy of their order”, he reported and Relichion knew he had to be as pale as his gray in front of him.

Is this another purge? Have they come for me now?!

“Dress me then!”, he instructed and his attendant complied immediately. In the few moments that it took him he was also filled in that he had barely rested for one bell since he had gone to sleep.

He fluffed up his feathers to the maximum before he gestured his gray to open the door and face his escort.

Six knights looked at him with unreadable faces. With rather palely colored wings down to their knees they were quite obviously all exceedingly mana-rich archknights. He decided that it would be best to kneel.

“How may the Sovereignty temple's High Bishop help you, milords?”, he asked but they merely opened their formation as if they invited him into their middle. He gulped as discreetly as possible and took a step forward.

“You will be told when we arrive at our destination, High Bishop.”

This sounds ominous and dangerous. But causing a scene will not help here.

And thus he merely followed along through teleporters and hallways. At some point he noticed that he was at the Royal Academy but then they quickly departed the building and told him to sit on some fabric that they then spanned between them to carry him along as they set to the skies, over dark forests.

This seems quite a lot of effort if this is somehow an execution. They would have also restrained me, no?

Relichion decided to just entrust his safety into the hands of the Gods since there was not much else for him to do at this point.

As they eventually landed he noticed that they were in front of a small shrine. The sigil identified it as Anhaltung's and he was immediately relieved that this whole secret midnight endeavor might actually have some religious background. He sighed and went into a prayer pose to honor Her.

Not that that will do anything but keep up images, but if the Sovereignty High Bishop does not even pray when he stands before a shrine, who will take me serious in my religious authority?

“Praise be to the Gods!”, he intoned with practiced routine and struck a perfect prayer pose.

Yes, that should be enough to establish my piety here. Now, they will hopefully tell me what all this is actually about.

“Ah, High Bishop, thank you for arriving here in such haste”, somebody behind him spoke and he turned around gracefully only to see that he had been addressed by the Zent's head scholar. He immediately knelt and exchanged proper greetings.

“Rise, High Bishop. Everybody agreed that you were the one who is most versed in the ancient language which these inscriptions apparently are. Please translate them for me”, he instructed and Relichion felt himself paling again.

I am here for my skills in... ancient language?

He took a step that he hoped was not as hesitant as he felt in the direction of the block that the scholar had pointed at.

“Indeed. This is the ancient language. This word here means 'foundation'”, he noted and gestured at the most prominent part of the inscription.

Whew. At least one of those words makes sense. My skills may be the best in the whole Sovereignty, but they are still not good.

The Zent's head scholar narrowed his eyes at him but did not say anything.

“The other words I need some time to consider possible interpretations. Ah, but here is also a second inscription? This word here means 'pray'”, he offered and was once again glad that another common word from the religious texts was part of it.

This would have been quite embarrassing otherwise.

“So the first side talks about something referring to a foundation and the second to praying?”, the Zent's head scholar asked for confirmation and Relichion nodded immediately.

Maybe I should pray to Anhaltung for the rest? That will at least look like I am really giving it my all here.

“O Anhaltung, Goddess of Advice who serves under the Goddess of Light, hear my words! Guide me in understanding the message you sent to us undeserving mortals!”, he prayed loudly and with another perfect prayer pose.

“High Bishop, what do you mean by this? You think this message is from the Goddess Herself?”, he asked and Relichion shot him a firm glare, asserting his superiority in all things divine over a mere scholar.

“Of course. It appeared directly in front of Her own shrine and talks about the foundation and praying. Surely, the Goddess must be tired of the Grutrissheit-less state of this country and offers Her help like this”, Relichion proclaimed and he felt the atmosphere thickening at his words.

“Ah, Her guidance just struck me! That second message can be roughly translated as 'Start praying.' - praise be to Anhaltung!”, he ended his thought in another prayer.

I am on a roll here. They are going to be so impressed!

“Aub Dunkelfelger, an anonymous message has arrived for you, claiming highest urgency and the requirement for utmost secrecy. Judging from the path this message traveled it has to have come from somewhere in the Sovereignty and from someone with a vast net among the whole noble society of them”, Werdekraf's head scholar reported as soon as he woke and made him narrow his eyes.

“So it is from none of our knights for they have different paths?”, he inquired and his head scholar nodded.

“Give it to me then”, he demanded. Even though he often received letters from fools who wanted to lull him in, those rarely came from the Sovereignty. Was this perhaps Magdalena's doing here? Trying to be discreet, but remembering her origins for a change?

Is Dunkelfelger the Zent's sword or actually the protector of the country's foundation?

Anhaltung's divine guidance appeared in front of Her shrine at Royal Academy grounds, warning us all that the foundation is running dry. She advises to start praying, but Dunkelfelger considers ditter a form of prayer as well, correct?

This is not from Magdalena. She would never send a request for treason.

“Prepare the water mirror room. I need to speak with the Zent.”

“An emergency archduke conference just a few weeks before the usual one? What can be so important?”, Aub Drewanchel asked as soon as those news reached him.

“Apparently, this is on Dunkelfelger's insistence. Aub Dunkelfelger visited the Sovereignty thrice over the last week, apparently for meeting with the Zent and also to visit something on Academy grounds”, one of his scholars, who was in charge of his Sovereignty-focused information network, summarized.

“This stinks. What does he know that we don't? Distribute the tasks so that the usual preparations will not be impacted too much. Hopefully it will not take longer than two or three days”, Aub Drewanchel stated and tallied a list in his mind who should accompany him for this emergency archduke conference.

Why does Werdekraf know something that I do not? Something so utterly important it justifies an emergency archduke conference?

Ferdinand smirked as Sylvester told him about the emergency archduke conference. Of course he was going to accompany his brother for that in the role of his minister.

So they found my little pillar and actually decided to act on it and not cover it up? Maybe the Royal Family is not as cowardly as I thought.

But as he noticed the timing, he sighed. On the one hand, it was good to be able to directly see the effects of his next little trick, but on the other hand it meant he had to act out of the Ehrenfest dormitory and not out of his own chambers.

But well, then I just need to register a hidden room in one of the dormitory chambers. It could be worse.

The atmosphere at the opening event was tense. It seemed that most archdukes had opted against bringing their first wives, who were most likely taking over the lead in preparing for the regular archduke conference, and had instead only brought a knight and a scholar each. That Ferdinand was allowed to take the position that usually fell to Sylvester's head scholar was a huge honor and he immediately felt at least the eyes of Aub Dunkelfelger and Aub Drewanchel on him.

He had met them shortly on the second day of the interduchy tournament, but back then they had been mainly nostalgic. But right now they seemed interested in him personally.

There is no way they can know that I took over the foundation. So why are they so concerned with me?

The whispers suddenly died down and it became immediately obvious that this was due to Trauerqual having entered the room and now heading towards the stage. His expression was stern and tired.

My message must have caused quite the panic it seems.

“Welcome to this emergency archduke conference. I appreciate that you all could heed my summons. About two weeks ago, a new ivory structure appeared on Academy grounds and communicated two rather ominous messages which I deemed necessary to share and discuss immediately with all of you”, Trauerqual stated and Ferdinand was indeed impressed that he was not covering it up. The stir that had rippled through the audience at the mention of a new ivory structure had been quite telling of the impact.

“On a seven-sided ivory structure, located almost directly in front of Anhaltung's shrine, the following two messages were inscribed in the ancient language. 'The foundation is running dry' and 'Start praying'.”

Even though it was obvious that the apparent Zent was not yet finished with speaking the audience was already in an uproar at those news.

Understandable. The foundation running dry is the death of the whole country.

“Now, please calm down. I can assure you that the foundation is still dyed by me and was at about two thirds full when that structure was discovered. By now it is at three quarters. The country is not at risk”, he declared firmly and Ferdinand was glad that he had trained his facade so thoroughly in the past.

That he is even allowing his duchy's foundation to fall to two thirds.... What are they even doing with all their mana?

“If the foundation is still firmly in your possession, Zent Trauerqual, then how could an ivory structure appear? And one with such ominous messages”, Aub Drewanchel asked the question that seemed to be on everybody's mind and Ferdinand was quite curious about their theories.

It's obvious, no?

“The current theory, which is also supported by the Sovereignty temple's High Bishop, is a manifestation of Anhaltung's divine guidance in the mortal realm”, Trauerqual stated and the hall once again erupted with disbelief.

“You'd rely on a High Bishop's opinion for this, Zent Trauerqual? Especially, when the first message is apparently false?”, Aub Immerdink dared to ask and earned himself a harsh glare.

Fools, all of them.

“Relichion is the authority on theological matters and trained in deciphering the ancient language, Aub Immerdink. My own scholars agreed with the reasoning he proposed”, Trauerqual noted sternly which made Aub Immerdink shut up but the murmurs did not die down.

“Lord Ferdinand, what is your opinion on this? As Ehrenfest's High Priest you should be well versed in those matters as well”, came the thundering voice of Werdekraf that put him on the spot.

Ah, what an astute observation.

“The bible speaks of many such instances where the Gods directly interfered with the mortal realm in the past, Aub Dunkelfelger, so the possibility might be there if the scripture is to be taken literal. Whether this mysterious structure is such an occasion I dare not say. I have just heard of its existence and it seems indeed rather unprecedented”, he said and felt the derision rising among the other aubs at his words.

Of course, they do not respect the divine. And look down on those in the temple.

“Maybe you should then inspect it personally to form a more firm opinion on this?”, Werdekraf demanded more than he asked and Ferdinand had to fight hard against his rising grin.

“If it is agreeable with the Zent, I would not object to see this mystery with my own eyes”, he proposed and thought to himself how he indeed agreed with his own reasoning here. But he kept up his act and waited for an official order.

“Loyalitat, take five knights and escort him there. Another opinion of somebody who is both a member of the clergy and noble society might indeed be valuable”, Trauerqual ordered and nodded to his vice-commander.

My, how proactive.

He had to work hard to stay serious when he saw that somebody in ceremonial High Bishop robes as well as four blue shrine maidens and two further blue priests were praying in front of his seven-sided pillar.

Well, I did not mean it like this, but that surely counts as 'Start praying'.

As he and his escort eventually landed, he tried to keep some distance to the priests but he could not actually read his inscription from so far away.

Hm, seems like the contrast of an ivory inscription on an ivory surface is not that good. Well, they still found it.

“High Bishop, if I may shortly disturb your prayers and inspect the pillar”, he suggested gently but was met with some kind of resistance.

Oh? He dares to shoot a noble such a glare?

“Only those ordained as the God's apostles shall dare to come close to Anhaltung's divine gift to us undeserving mortals”, he proclaimed and Ferdinand nodded politely.

“As I am ordained as such as Ehrenfest's High Priest, I assume you have no further objections?”, he commented and with a grumbling noise the High Bishop called their prayer circle to a halt and gave way to him.

“Your understanding is appreciated, High Bishop”, he acknowledged and began to study the pillar. Ferdinand made a bit of a show for his escort and the priests as he indeed studied it quite excessively, even though it was so obviously not that much different from just any other ivory building that had been made with an entwickeln.

And such was his final report.

“The messages are indeed 'The foundation is running dry' and 'Start praying' just as the Sovereignty's High Bishop suggested, Zent Trauerqual. The structure appears to be made not dissimilar to any structure made by entwickeln but since it is written that the whole country was initially created by the Gods I do not see any reason why they also could not create such a structure without the need of a mortal as a medium”, Ferdinand reported demurely as he returned to the meeting.

“So you support their claim?”, he asked directly and Ferdinand tilted his head in polite understanding.

“I dare not speak in absolutes, Zent Trauerqual, for I do not wish to utter accidental blasphemy, but I agree that it seems rather like the influence of the divine realm. It might indeed be Anhaltung's efforts that brought a warning to the mortal realm. Was it perhaps the first time that the Sovereignty's foundation was at only two thirds full of mana? In that case it might just be that some kind of ancient warning was automatically triggered”, Ferdinand suggested and was amused by Trauerqual's slight signs of embarrassment.

This was obviously not the first time that he had let his duchy's foundation run so low. But will he admit that for the sake of solving this mystery? Or will he lie?

“This might indeed then be the case, Lord Ferdinand”, Trauerqual lied without another sign of discomfort and dismissed him from his reporting duty.

Well, then please keep the peace and prevent another civil war here, Trauerqual, if that is what you intend to do, while I prevent the doom of this country.

That night, another message appeared.

When Geduldh is reclaimed from Ewigeliebe's grasp, healing and change will be brought.

It did not actually have to happen on the Night of Flutrane for all that Ferdinand cared. But it definitely fit his agenda.

As expected everybody was set in a frenzy. The prospect of healing was promising of course, but they all feared for change. Especially with not even one full day of preparation time as the Night of Flutrane was the next one.

Claudio had been ever so curious about his sister's current project as she had called it. And this winter, over carefully socializing with Lord Ferdinand's retainer Lord Justus, who was presiding over the slowly budding industries that produced quite reasonably priced learning materials which in the long term might actually raise all of Ehrenfest's students' grades, he had managed to get himself a visit from this project.

To think that it requires such an amount of scheming to orchestrate a meeting with a commoner blue shrine maiden just to not appear suspicious.

He had even signaled some interest in supporting those industries in Haldenzel just to make a visit from the girl who allegedly managed the printing and paper making workshop on temple grounds more likely. Claudio was therefore more than just a bit curious what kind of girl was now visiting for Spring Prayer.

And he was astounded that the girl was already able and allowed to fly. Albeit under supervision as he noticed the knight flying behind her, but still. According to Elvira this girl was only going to turn ten in the upcoming summer. And here she was, bracing the cold winter winds of Haldenzel on her own wings.

Her carriage with her attendants had already arrived a bell ago so they could handle the transfer of the small chalices as soon as she landed but Claudio could not help himself but stare at the girl with wings that might even grow bigger than those of the archduke with age.
Ah, I got lost in thought while she is waiting for me to allow her to rise.

“Please rise, Sister Myne. Please feel invited to join tonight's Spring Prayer festivities. I'd like to learn more about this workshop you manage for Lord Justus”, he suggested and he was impressed by his sister's teachings. This commoner, with not even three years of training, rose elegantly from her kneeling position, tilted her head cautiously but with a hint of curiosity and a shy, demure smile that hid her eagerly burning eyes quite marvelously.

“It would be my pleasure, Giebe Haldenzel”, she therefore responded without the slightest hint of displeasure or discomfort.

Not even normal blues are that well-trained. She puts them all to shame.

“Oh, these Spring Prayer festivities are together with Haldenzel's commoners?”, she inquired at dinner merely moments after he had his attendant guide her to his table. His wife was as curious as him, so it had not been too difficult to convince her to allow this commoner blue shrine maiden at their table.

There are also all those hints that Elvira dropped. If I interpreted them correctly that means this Sister Myne might end up as an archduke candidate under Lord Ferdinand's wing and name. A bit of investment into cordial relations cannot hurt.

“Indeed, Sister Myne. As you see how cold it still is even though spring has already begun and tonight is even already the Night of Flutrane, it might not surprise you that in Haldenzel everyone spends the winter together in this building that spans quite spaciously underground”, he explained generously and she once again responded with such grace that he almost thought it impossible for her to be a commoner. But her pale wings at her age clearly stated her Devouring condition and Elvira would not have lied about all the effort she had spent on educating Lord Ferdinand's devourer anyway.

They chatted about those industries in which she was involved and as she roughly suggested the profit margins of her workshop's products his smile almost froze.

Is this girl not only rich in mana but also in money? Maybe Haldenzel could really profit from becoming part of those industries.

To his amusement she did not give in at any point and revealed any trade critical secrets even though he knew that he technically had all the power in their current discussion. And she knew it as well since she made all the right submissive gestures that would be expected of somebody in her position, but she fought to protect her workshop's secrets quite formidably.

Claudio was amused to see her humming along to the song that was currently performed by the hunters of Haldenzel. Nobles were rarely so expressive but it seemed this particular part was just festive enough to go beyond her quite strong facade. Lord Damuel, the knight who quite obviously was there as her guard knight, seemed torn between telling her to stop and not daring to say something.

They seem to have an interesting relationship. Is he hoping for a retainer position with her should she rise in status? Not a bad ploy for a layknight like him.

“Oh, you are aware of the lyrics, Sister Myne?”, he then asked as she began to quietly sing along and he noticed the slight shiver that spread through her wings as if she felt busted by his words.

“My, how embarrassing. The text is the same as those lines Geduldh's subordinates say during one of those stories in scripture. I was not aware that it was a song, but as soon as I noticed I got caught up in it. My apologies”, she quickly tried to resume her polite and demure facade but Claudio was intrigued. He had thought this particular song something uniquely Haldenzel.

“The subordinates of Geduldh speak those lines, Sister Myne?”, he asked for clarification and she nodded while her eyes still lingered on the stage.

“It marks the beginning of spring under Verdrenna's unrelenting efforts. Is there a reason why there are only men on the stage, Giebe Haldenzel?”, she asked with a slightly raised eyebrow and to Claudio's amusement it was Lord Damuel who flinched at her slowly fading submissiveness.

She has to feel like she is an expert on that topic if she drops her commoner act like this.

“The hunters pray for a successful hunt of all those feybeasts that pester Haldenzel”, he supplied but she tilted her head in graceful confusion.

“But that's Leidenschaft's domain. Do they actually receive Verdrenna's blessings like this?”, she asked as if there could be any quantifiable way to answer this question.

Now it was his turn to raise an eyebrow at her.

“The hunters sometimes claim that they do”, he merely supplied but he was amused by her naive way of thinking.

“Shall we test whether the women might be more successful in receiving those blessings, Sister Myne?”, he asked with a slight smirk and noticed her widened eyes with a quite fearful expression.

“My utmost apologies, Giebe Haldenzel. I did in no way mean to imply that any of Haldenzel's cherished traditions might be flawed”, she immediately said with all those signs of submission on her again but Claudio did not relent.

“You may act more in accordance with what my sister Elvira taught you, Sister Myne”, he offered graciously and was surprised at the immediate effect his words had.

She sat straighter, and with a presence that was emitting strength even more than grace. She then looked him straight into the eyes before she raised an eyebrow again.

“Let me become Ordoschnelli first before I leave Gebordnung's path to let my own thread be pulled in Dregarnuhr's more playful twisting: Verdraeos is subordinate to the God of Darkness”, she stated as an artful disclaimer that any punishment for her acting not as a commoner had to go through at least Lord Ferdinand and maybe even the archduke.

To think that she dares to use those as her shield. But that just makes it more obvious that she is set up for being adopted and to attend the Royal Academy next winter.

Claudio smirked at her.

“Oh, please do not worry. The submissiveness just gets tiring at some point”, he commented and she nodded.

“Then yes, Giebe Haldenzel. Please do test these prayers being offered by women. It should please the spring goddesses even more. Especially tonight when Flutrane is at her strongest and the twelve goddesses who serve at her side all reside next to her”, she said as if it was not just some scripture but an actual instruction manual that she had read.

She might even be the first blue with true piety then. Quite intriguing.

The ladies in Haldenzel were not necessarily amused by his sudden inquiry for them to sing and play the harspiel but his wife went first, inviting other ladies to the stage who then invited others and so on.

“You should join them too, Sister Myne”, he suggested and she only hesitated shortly before she climbed the stage. Claudio noticed how Lord Damuel rose from his seat and followed after her to remain close by.

Yes, this is definitely retainer behavior. A former commoner archduke candidate might be a lady with a huge stain on her reputation, but for a layknight it's still a jump in status to be allowed to serve one.

Sister Myne decided to just pray, in a genuflecting position and with her wings completely pressed to the ivory structure of the stage. Claudio was not sure whether he had ever seen somebody actually praying like this. The blues usually did not even have wings large enough to allow for this and he had never seen anybody pious enough for more than a quick prayer over the food anyway.

He watched on, curious, whether any quantifiable blessings would now emerge. He severely doubted it.

It is however quite nice to listen to all the women singing and playing. Maybe we should indeed add that on a more regular basis.

The song was about to reach its climax but Sister Myne had still not risen out of her genuflecting position. But as if on cue she suddenly jumped up into a praying pose and shouted “Praise be to the Gods” when a huge magic circle rose from the stage and covered everything in green light.

More than one lady had fainted on stage. It quickly turned out to just be the expenditure of too much mana, which aligned with the huge magic circle that had floated through the hall, but nobody knew what had just happened.

Not even Sister Myne.

She however seemed utterly tired and he granted her to leave for her guest chambers in the main estate that he had originally prepared for her as a gesture of respect for Lord Ferdinand.

That night, the sky rumbled with thunder and lightning. Claudio had intended to spend a bit of time to marvel at the pink moon but it was hidden behind dark clouds and his own attendant urged him back into the building almost as soon as he had opened the door.

On the next morning he received several reports.

The first was about Sister Myne who had apparently slept quite badly, most likely afraid of all the thundering.

The second was about the arrival of spring to Haldenzel.

Of true spring.

When he asked Sister Myne about that as she finally emerged from her chambers still looking exceedingly tired she just let her eyes wander about the area surrounding them and smiled.

“Seems like Verdrenna worked really hard to melt all that snow, praise be to the Gods!”

At her words a small green light emerged from her ring and rose the sky.

She really means that. But the Goddess herself? The one from scripture? This is rather unlikely.

But he shelved his questions and allowed her to spend the day in Haldenzel resting since the night had not brought much relief to her.

When she continued on for Spring Prayer on the next morning he gifted her a feyfruit as farewell whose worth was beyond measure.

But the blenrus are finally sprouting again. And I cannot shake the thought that this is Sister Myne's doing.

“Aub Ehrenfest, an urgent report from Giebe Haldenzel and an urgent report from Giebe Kirnberger have arrived”, one of Sylvester's scholars said and handed him both letters.

What is going on? Ferdinand warned me that something would happen over the Night of Flutrane, but what is this?

He gestured for Ferdinand to join him in one of the meeting rooms and read the letters to him with a sound blocking tool between them.

“True spring has come to Haldenzel at Sister Myne's suggestions to improve one part of the Spring Prayer festivities. The blenrus trees are sprouting and all snow has been melted. The exact mechanisms are not yet clear, even though Sister Myne suggests it is merely Her Divinity Verdrenna's doing.”

But to Sylvester's utmost confusion Ferdinand did not seem to have expected such a report.

“She did what?”, he merely asked with exasperation and raised his fingers to his temples in order to massage them.

“There is some description of the magic circle that appeared on stage as all women and your protegee sang some kind of prayer song. At least as far as Giebe Haldenzel could reconstruct it”, Sylvester commented and handed his brother the sheet with the circle while he continued reading the rest of the letter. He could not suppress the smirk that was rising on his face.

Giebe Haldenzel really thinks it is important to include in his most urgent and important report that Myne has slept badly due to the thunderstorm and will stay a day longer in Haldenzel to recover fully before she continues Spring Prayer to Herzfeld?

He shot his brother an inquiring look who stopped the study of the circle with a raised eyebrow.

“Anything else mentioned in that report, Sylvester?”, he asked sternly and Sylvester was not sure whether he was really allowed to tease him as his little brother or whether he should answer his inquiry as the one who held their country's foundation and was therefore, technically, above them all.

He decided to do the first.

“Apparently, Myne had a bad night”, he began and the sudden shift in atmosphere was palpable.

So even Ferdinand still shows some emotions in his feathers. Hearing something like this puts him fully on edge? My, how cute.

“Why?”, he asked and Sylvester did not dare to tease him further since his little brother already seemed eager to leave the room to head back to Ehrenfest.

“No sleep due to being afraid of Verdrenna's thunderstorm. He invited her to stay a day longer for recovery”, Sylvester therefore explained and he felt the tension leave both his brother's body as well as the room.

“That girl is going to be the end of me...”, he mumbled before he gestured to the second letter from Giebe Kirnberger.

As he read this one, Sylvester shook his head slightly in exasperation.

“Really? That was your 'healing and change'? Making the gates sparkle with divine splendor?”, Sylvester asked amused but Ferdinand only seemed half amused.

“I supplied the gates with mana so that they will stay strong in protecting the garden, Sylvester. On that note, I also closed the one in Ahrensbach”, he said, starting quite sternly and ending rather jovially.

“Ehm, Ferdinand, don't you think people will start to question whether somebody might have found the Grutrissheit if you act so openly?”, he dared to ask but now he was met with his brother's conspiratorial grin again.

“Whatever could you mean, Sylvester? Obviously the Gods are merely rewarding all that newfound piety and act to strengthen the country. Everybody is praying so fervently, don't you think the Gods might have been moved by that? And Zent Trauerqual is still so firmly claiming that he has the foundation. Surely, anything inexplicable that happens must be some kind of divine intervention, no?”, Ferdinand noted cheerfully and Sylvester could not hold back his laughter.

“You! 'Start praying.' You don't care about their piety, just about your cover story!”, he exclaimed between bouts of laughter and his little brother did not even have the decency to blush.

Trauerqual did not like the reports that were given on the morning of the third, and what he had hoped to be the last, day of this emergency archduke conference.

At first it had seemed that they had been successful at reining in the chaos that the former High Priest's breach in confidentiality had caused by informing Dunkelfelger of this development, just a day after he had learned about the structure's existence himself.

The leak had been dealt with immediately, but the damage had been achieved already. Aub Dunkelfelger had insisted on learning all the details and only after three meetings, one of them to inspect the pillar with his own eyes, and the promise to make this knowledge public immediately had he stopped talking like there might actually be a difference between being 'the Zent's sword' and 'protecting the continued existence of the country'.

If only I had the Grutrissheit. Then I do not need to struggle so much. Why do I even need to rely on some High Bishop to read some words in the ancient language? Why does none of my scholars have this skill that even seems to be somewhat familiar for Aub Dunkelfelger?

But when the next message had appeared over night, as reported by the High Bishop again as he began his morning prayers at this new structure, the whole congregation was set into a very difficult mood. A few scholars from Drewanchel volunteered to help Relichion with his translation and this time, it was way faster.

I should ask Aub Drewanchel for one of them. Their knowledge seems to be valuable.

But it grew even worse on the next day.

The report from Aub Ehrenfest that apparently some kind of spring miracle had melted the snow in one of his provinces that only turned green shortly over summer usually was almost amusingly inconsequential in comparison.

Every single archduke whose duchy had a country gate, forwarded their reports that they had changed from their rather dim state to a divine sparkle. And Aub Ahrensbach even reported that his formerly open country gate was now closed as well.

That irritated more than just him. Some, because they feared for the lack of trade now. Some, because they had profited from sugar. Some, merely because they liked the sugar. And everybody else because the signs were clear that this was not just some strange coincidence.

Somebody was doing things that only he as the Zent should be able to do. Or rather, as a Zent with Grutrissheit should be able to do.

But when Trauerqual went once again back to the foundation to see whether it might have been stolen he still found it dyed in his own mana.

Nobody took the foundation. So this only leaves one interpretation. The Gods are helping out while we suffer without their book.

But the realization left behind a strange aftertaste in his mouth. After all, would they not take great offense from the state of their temples?

But as he suggested that the archdukes might focus on cleaning up those dens of sin and corruption even one bit, he was met with great resistance. Too much to actually overcome on such short notice without the appropriate groundwork.

But he at least ordered the construction of a small altar in his chambers and began to incorporate some prayers in his daily routine.

'Start praying' is a quite straight forward instruction after all.

Chapter Text

“Welcome back, Myne, how was Spring Prayer?”, Ferdinand asked me as I entered his High Priest chambers to report back. But while he definitely seemed happy to see me there was some strange air about him. On the one hand there was definitely some well-disguised exhaustion ongoing within him, but on the other hand there was something that reminded me of... the time I had openly told him about my spot being scritched.

Eeep! Have I embarrassed him?!

“Thank you, Ferdinand. Spring Prayer was successful. And it seems that Haldenzel is indeed interested in joining the printing industry”, I reported and hoped that my own uneasiness did not show on my face. I knew that I was not allowed really to show any emotions anymore and I had worked really hard on that.

“Oh? That is relieving to hear. Justus was not sure whether that was just a front to arrange for you visiting there personally”, he said and gestured with his head in the direction of his hidden room.

Eeep!

“Would you mind to join me for a short moment, Myne?”, he asked and while I was not sure what I could have done that had embarrassed him I was obviously going to find out now.

“Your reporting is still somewhat lacking, Myne, if you think that your printing industry trumps news about some apparent miracle that happened in Haldenzel and seems to be related to you”, he noted with an eyebrow raised in amusement but I tilted my head as I tried to understand why that should have been cause for embarrassment.

“Did Giebe Haldenzel complain to you? He seemed nice enough and Lady Elvira said her brother was trustworthy so I thought acting like a noble around him when he asked me to do that was okay...”, I mumbled a preemptive apology because I could not think of anything else. I wanted Ferdinand to be proud of me, not embarrassed. Had Giebe Haldenzel really been so mean to betray me like this?

“Myne, he did not complain. He sent words of praise and gratefulness for you apparently bringing true spring to Haldenzel”, he said and smiled at me as he patted my head. I rubbed against his pleasant touch to prolong it. He was still not a hugger so head pats where the greatest physical gestures he made and I soaked them all up.

“I only told him to have the women sing and pray since it seemed they were trying to mirror one of the stories in the High Bishop's bible but all of Geduldh's subordinates had been replaced by men. That does not make much sense, no?”, I suggested and earned myself even more of those head pats.

“Just that? But I was told that you also went up on that stage. What did you do there?”, he asked and retracted his hand. I sighed at the sudden loss of his touch.

“While I knew the lyrics I did not know the melody by heart and even though I think I am quite good at playing the harspiel, I need a bit of practice time for such a new song anyway, so I could not actually join in the music. But Giebe Haldenzel had told me to join on stage and I did not dare to object. So, I skipped the whole singing and mumbled the lyrics as a prayer. When I changed from genuflecting to standing prayer pose and ended the prayer alongside the other women everything turned green and my wings grew really heavy like last year over spring prayer when I had to ask Schutzaria for her shield against those fetzes”, I reported and he looked at me but simultaneously seemed to look right through me.

“I went to bed early but could not sleep because it was so loud all night. The next morning I learned that was because Verdrenna worked super hard, but well. Giebe Haldenzel was however quite nice and offered me to stay a day longer in his estate. Oh! And when I then departed he gave me some fruit! He said it is a very good brewing ingredient and really rare. Do you perhaps want it? With that disclaimer I would be afraid to even cut into it”, I finished my report and it seemed that Ferdinand had returned to the present again.

“He gifted you a blenrus fruit?”, he asked with slightly widened eyes and I nodded. Now that he had said that name it sounded familiar.

“Is it a good fruit?”, I asked because I was still confused by this whole discussion.

“It is a most valuable ingredient for very powerful rejuvenation potions”, he commented and I nodded immediately.

“Then you shall have it, Ferdinand! You look like you need some! Even though sleep is obviously also important, but I bet you worked hard for everybody's sake again and forgot to take proper care of yourself in the meantime. Please brew something nice and rejuvenating from this fruit then”, I proposed and he smirked at me before he patted my head once more.

“It's nice to know that you are looking out for me, Myne”, he acknowledged and later sent me three more books as 'thanks' for the blenrus.

This was an arrangement I could definitely live with!

I did not spend much more time in the temple that day since I was more than just eager to return home after almost three weeks on the road. Doing the Central District and the northern part of Ehrenfest, while beneficial to the printing industry as it seemed, had taking so awfully long. And I had barely spent ten nights or something at home after winter had ended before I had to leave for Spring Prayer this year.

As soon as I left my carriage I was welcomed by Mark who hurried me into the building's side entrance as usual but even though I just wanted to meet with Tuuli, Mom and my sweet Kamil did he lead me to Benno first.

Meh, yes, business is important and I am aware that you want to know everything that could happen with Haldenzel now, but come on, Benno. My family should come first, no?

I grumbled in my thoughts but did not dare to object. For all his sometimes annoying tendencies, Benno was still my biggest supporter and guardian in all business things. He deserved to receive my report as soon as possible even though I did not really like that.

“Welcome back, Myne”, he said and looked up from the mess that was currently on his desk in the form of multiple sheets of paper and several wooden boards.

Eeep! Verdrenna?!

I felt his indoor thunder descending as soon as our eyes met. He had hit me only once since I had my surgery, but that did not mean that he could not make me flinch anymore.

“I am sorry! I am sorry! What did I even do?!”, I asked and tried to protect my head with both my arms and my wings which caused a gust of wind that messed up his papers.

“Myne! Not indoors!”, Benno shouted and I hastily tucked my wings back and lowered my arms.

“Just five days ago I received an inquiry from Lord Justus, our noble industry guardian, how many picture book bibles I had ready to sell in two weeks and how many I could have ready for the day of the starbinding ceremony in summer. Because he wants to spread those products and for me to hold a sale in the frigging castle in summer, Myne!”, he shouted the last part and I paled at the outlook.

“Eeeep! Why is he pushing for that now?! I thought we only do that next year, with some proper archducal backing”, I panicked at the scenario almost as much as Benno apparently did.

“Great demand for the divine, he said. People will fight over the privilege to buy those books, he said”, Benno lamented and I felt the need to hug him, but there was a table still between us.

“So, we got to print as many books as we can?”, I asked in hopes that I had understood him correctly and he merely sighed.

“It's not like I hate the profit this whole thing could bring, but... what if Lord Justus is wrong about this? If we waste too much paper on this it will throw us back at least half a year”, he mumbled dejectedly and I shot a look to Mark who smiled peacefully in contrast.

“But Benno, everybody loves books. There is not a chance that those won't sell. And it is not like we could argue against Justus here”, I remarked and he stared at me with disbelief but I merely shrugged.

“We will just have to deal with the whims of nobles, Benno. Just remember when Lady Elvira suddenly recommended rinsham to all her friends and you needed to set up a new workshop in just a few weeks to keep up with that demand”, I commented and he narrowed his eyes.

“And whose fault was that?”, he mocked, but I raised an eyebrow at him.

“It's not like I could have lied to her, Benno. And you got quite some nice profit from my involuntary advertising there”, I said which just made him sigh again.

“Is this what happened here as well? Some free advertising from you?”, he asked but I knew I was innocent.

“Nope. I was just a diligent blue shrine maiden in the last months. Don't blame everything those nobles do on me, please”, I noted and he shook his head.

“Yeah, sorry. Seems like a habit by now. So I will just let him sell all my books and make the workshops print as many as possible till summer then”, he summarized before he sent me up to meet with my family again.

“Oh, and Benno? Haldenzel is likely to join in printing”, I said before I hurried up the stairs to fall into Mom's arms for my long awaited hug.

“Myne, Corinna asked for you to visit her in the next days to get some new measurements for your summer dress. Since you will turn ten at that point you need longer skirts”, Mom informed me at dinner after I had spend the rest of the day just with hugging all of them to the point of annoyance until Dad returned home from work and dinner started.

Mom's cooking is always hitting the spot just right.

“Oh, okay. Seems so wasteful though to order such high quality dresses that I can only wear for a season”, I grumbled and Tuuli patted my back in her skilled way that did not ruffle any of my feathers.

“Growing older is nice, no? But it comes at a price”, Tuuli commiserated since she had to update her wardrobe last year already.

“But as soon as that adoption goes through in autumn, I will need new dresses anyway, because I cannot wear anything that might be acceptable for a commoner after that”, I said and poked at the soup.

It was not really about the dresses anyway. While that was a waste of money in my eyes it just made it so awfully clear that I would have to say goodbye to my family in less than half a year.

Stupid law. Stupid contract.

“Myne, it will be just like a leherl position, right?”, Dad said to cheer me up but I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes.

“I don't want to!”, I dared to voice my feelings and Dad pulled me into one of his bear hugs that usually made Tuuli flinch from the work she now had to do on my feathers. But she did not chide him for once. Instead she rose from her seat as well and joined in the hug. Mom still had Kamil on her lap as she stood up as well and joined with one arm swept around Kamil and one swept around me.

I felt their warmth and something inside of me melted.

“Myne, we were already given three more years than we ever expected to share with you”, Mom said with her forehead resting on my neck where I then felt hot tears falling. My own followed soon afterwards.

“But...!”, I dared to object but now it was Dad who intensified his hug, making it hard to breathe.

“No but, Myne! And you are not out of this world, right?! You can hire us or invite us for tea or whatever nobles do for a meetup! You said so yourself!”, he reminded me firmly and I nodded.

“Yes, Ferdinand said he did not have any problem with that”, I agreed quietly as I tried to stop my tears at the outlook of still being able to see them.

“And don't even think you will ever get rid of me, Myne”, Tuuli informed me mischievously and I giggled at her words.

“You threw yourself into this noble world alongside me, Tuuli. You are my hero”, I declared only for Dad to now glare at me.

“Myne, what about your Dad? Shouldn't I be your hero?!”, he demanded to know and I could not suppress a laughter at his words.

“Of course you are my hero, Dad! You always protected me!”, I confirmed before he would go off on a tangent and he nodded with enthusiasm.

“And I will do so in the future as well! No daughter of mine will have a bad future!”, he declared and I was glad about his feelings as much as I was about his words.

“It will hurt a bit to see both of my daughters less regularly”, Mom chimed in as our discussion had calmed down again and I bit my lip to prevent more tears from rising.

“But I know you both will be safe. The way you smile when you tell us about that noble who is going to adopt you tells me everything I need to know”, Mom said and I nodded without more words.

“He better keep you safe.... or I will hand his ass to him personally!”, Dad swore and made Mom sigh.

“Gunther... please do not attack a noble”, she begged and he shot her a glare.

“Only if I find him lacking, okay?”

I chuckled.

Good thing then, that Ferdinand is not lacking. Dad can be proud of him as well.

“Myne, today I'd like you to socialize a bit with Cornelius. Please act as if the adoption already went through and treat Cornelius as if he was of a similar rank”, Elvira instructed me the next time I went over to her estate and I confirmed my understanding politely.

“As you wish, Lady Elvira. Where might I find Lord Cornelius then for this socializing to happen?”, I inquired.

“He is in his chambers, reviewing his study materials”, she said but I politely tilted my head to imply a slight hesitation.

“Lady Elvira, my utmost apologies, but could you send an attendant to retrieve him from his chambers to perhaps meet in this wonderful tea party room or perhaps in the garden? I would not wish to enter the chambers of a young lord given our unengaged status”, I noted and I saw her nod as if I had passed a hidden test.

The days when she expected me to not question her instructions were long gone apparently. I know she does that to remind me that nobles are ever-scheming, but it is nevertheless exhausting.

“Oh, but of course, Lady Myne”, Elvira agreed with a polite chuckle and sent for her son to visit us.

“Lady Myne, I heard the most peculiar rumor”, Cornelius said under the watchful eyes of his mother after we had exchanged lengthy noble greetings and the first round of pleasantries. I was not even sure whether her scrutinizing was just of my socializing or of his as well. The atmosphere was definitely a bit tense due to her presence.

“Oh? What kind of melodies might Ordoschnelli have brought to your ears?”, I inquired back and took a sip from my tea.

I knew that Cornelius was not very big on socializing or really anything else. Apparently he liked the training with the Knight Order, but apart from that he seemed rather without interests. My own attempts at converting him into a bookworm had failed as well.

“Lady Angelica claimed that she only began to pass her classes thanks to your tutoring that she received in the temple”, Cornelius noted with a sly grin that surprised me so much that I shot it right back. Which resulted in a note that Elvira made on her diptych.

Did I mess up? Or was this a positive note? Argh! I need to ignore her!

“My, how embarrassing. So Verbergen pulled his shroud away from Erwachlehren's endeavors?”, I commented and confirmed his assumption in the roundabout way that nobles seemed to prefer. To my surprise that seemed to send a spark of liveliness through him.

“But how? You do not even attend the Royal Academy yourself and it does not seem like you are set to take the knight course”, he commented with curiosity that caused another note taking movement from Elvira.

Is this really about me? Or maybe about her son?

“The theoretical material that Lady Angelica struggled with was not so complex that it was impossible to teach with your brother Lord Eckhart's and Lord Ferdinand's study notes as well as Lord Damuel's unrelenting efforts in teaching strategies under the utilization of gewinnen”, I summarized and I noticed his interest increasing.

“Teaching strategies by playing gewinnen?”, he asked, intrigued and only a few moments later a gewinnen board appeared on our table brought to us by a very attentive attendant.

“Yes, you see, for instance, 'Forsente's lure' can be explained when you set up the board like this....”

Elvira seemed a bit disappointed that all we did was talk about strategies and gewinnen after that, but while I knew that gewinnen was usually considered male socializing I did not really see the harm in it. Surely, since I was going to court males at the Royal Academy, playing gewinnen with them should be an option to spend some time without breaching any barriers of decency. And Cornelius also seemed to have fun like this.

Chapter Text

“Hartmut, my mother wishes to invite you for a small tea party next Earthday at fifth bell”, Cornelius said and I raised my eyebrow at him at the unexpected request. My own mother met quite often with Lady Elvira since they were in the same faction and had a lot to coordinate in that regard, but so far I had only exchanged polite greetings in public meetings and ever so rarely went over for dinner. And never had the invitation been to me directly. Always just as my mother's son.

What might she be plotting? Cornelius looks like he does not even wish for me to agree to that meeting. Well, too bad. For him.

I donned my brightest smile and tried to sparkle as much as possible as I immediately confirmed my attendance. Which made him groan.

Cornelius, Cornelius, you make this all the more exciting here.

“Just to make that clear from the beginning, this meeting is not exclusively with my mother”, he tried to lead me astray, but his displeasure at having to invite me made me just even more eager to go to this meeting.

We might be more than acquaintances, Cornelius, but you surely do not assume that I just spare your feelings for anything, right?

My smile widened even a little bit more as I nodded in polite understanding.

Maybe the person he does not want me to meet is not his mother but that other guest? Oh! No! Can it be?! Am I going to meet Lord Ferdinand's devourer that everybody knew by now is tutored by Lady Elvira?! Only some of the land-owning giebes have really met her so far! But, oh, all those rumors.... After she had allegedly caused that 'miracle of Haldenzel' more than one had started to cheekily call her 'Ehrenfest's Little Flutrane'.

“This does not pose any issue, Cornelius. I love to make new acquaintances, I am quite sure any tea party that your mother hosts will be quite lovely”, I confirmed once again and I could see his flinching under his facade.

“My mother will be delighted at those news”, Cornelius agreed through gritted teeth and I could not wait for Earthday to arrive.

“...sure hope that you do not mind ending up in some book...”, Cornelius mumbling gave me pause, but he left before I could ask him to elaborate.

I landed in front of Lady Elvira and Cornelius and indeed also in front of a girl that might have been nine years old at this point with wings that put even Lord Sylvester's failed son to shame.

Such pale blue wings. She has to be that devourer. Oh, definitely cute enough for a mistress once she has grown up.

I made her wait to rise from her kneeling just to see whether she would complain at some point but it was only the harsh glare from Lady Elvira that eventually made me relent prematurely.

Too bad, that girl is really good at kneeling and keeping her calm for that.

As we went inside for some tea as stated in the invitation I was even a bit impressed at that girl's calm demeanor and peaceful smile. Cornelius had suspiciously excused himself for some studying, but I could not believe that for even one moment. He had fled. But I could not fathom why. As I focused back on that girl I had to do a double-take.

Did she just fly the hand's breadth she needed to sit gracefully on her chair? But I did not see any flapping from her. Did I just imagine that?

“Thank you for following my invitation today, Lord Hartmut. As you might have already deduced I intend for you and Miss Myne to socialize today. Miss Myne is expected to meet with many nobles in the near future and I wish for her to gain a bit more experience under my tutelage, Lord Hartmut”, she noted gracefully and I smiled at her widely.

“Oh, Miss Myne? So she is indeed a commoner with a case of the Devouring just as her pale wings suggest?”, I shot back to demonstrate my profound knowledge about that condition and was met with polite understanding.

“Indeed. Albeit for today's exercise I'd like both of you to socialize on the level of an archduke candidate and approach this meeting as if you were evaluating the possibility of courtship”, Lady Elvira suggested and I pressed my lips into a thin smile.

I knew it! Lord Ferdinand is planning to adopt this girl! And with how that Zent's law is phrased she then has to secure an engagement until her graduation. And we are going to practice now? Lady Elvira you are indeed quite daring, haha.

“Oh, how intriguing. I heard so many things about you, Lady Myne, and I am ever so curious how many of those might be true”, I began and put special emphasis on the honorific. I could not actually take her serious in this current situation but I played along both because it seemed like an easy way to secure a future favor with Lady Elvira and also because I thought I might get some rumors confirmed like this.

She tilted her head quite adorably and eased the tension in her feathers ever so slightly as if to accommodate the softened atmosphere in the room.

Oh, Lady Elvira is really a skilled teacher. One might even forget for a moment that this Myne is actually a commoner.

“You flatter me, Lord Hartmut. I hope Ordoschnelli only spread pleasant melodies, maybe even some about Cuococalura's blessings that my chefs were able to achieve?”, she suggested politely and took a demonstrative bite out of some kind of sweet on the table that she then washed down with her demonstrative sip of tea.

Those look rather boring. But well, why not play along for a bit.

“I have never seen such squares before, Lady Myne. What might they be? Are they a common treat with your family?”, I asked and I was amused to see that she did not even twitch at my first attempt at provocation. She only smiled a bit more intently as if to encourage me to actually eat the strange thing.

“Those are cookies, Lord Hartmut, and I invented the recipe for them. There are also some with tea leaves available which might fit more to the taste of men”, she noted and gestured to a slightly more brown selection of those squares and bit into one of those as well.

I sampled one of those she had claimed to be more palatable for men and I had to agree. Those were quite delicious. Before I even noticed it I had finished the whole cookie and reached for one of the other kind to compare.

They were sweeter and with a more direct flavor profile but I could not immediately declare a favorite. They were both quite excellent.

“These are indeed agreeable, Lady Myne, how might they be made?”, I inquired more politely this time but I did not miss her slightly narrowed eyes while she kept her smile firmly in place.

“My, Lord Hartmut, you will surely understand that I cannot simply reveal such valuable information”, she noted with a polite giggle and I widened my smile.

Lady Elvira definitely did not raise her into cowering in the face of a challenge. Intriguing.

“And how valuable would you estimate this information?”, I asked quite bluntly and she tilted her head in polite understanding as she bit into another of those cookies.

“One small gold for the recipe if you intend to use it for personal use, two large gold if you intend to monopolize it, even though that would not limit my own chefs in still producing them for my own personal use”, she proposed and I quickly calculated the value in my head. A steep price, but not unreasonable. Oho.

“And if I bought the recipe for personal use and then commercialized them?”, I asked her with a slightly mocking grin and was curious for her answer at my even more obvious provocation.

“My, Lord Hartmut, surely my first impression of you as being somebody who values the establishment of trust over some mere gold was not unjustified. A magic contract is not worth the costs at this point and even if you tried to claim them as your own invention, at least Lady Elvira and Lord Ferdinand are firmly aware that they are mine. You would only disgrace yourself over such a petty sum and I do not believe you could be such a fool since Lady Elvira does not tend to surround herself with fools”, she reasoned and I chuckled at that.

She is not wrong. Indeed intriguing.

“I'd be inclined to buy it for personal use then, Lady Myne”, I said and she nodded politely before she gestured to one of the attendants in the room.

“Please retrieve a copy for Lord Hartmut to take home”, she instructed without any signs of concern of technically using Lady Elvira's attendants right now.

Had she anticipated such a possibility and prepared the recipe to be available for me just in case?

She just did not have the air of a commoner. But as I asked her when she had been taken into a noble household she politely rejected the notion and merely referred to lessons twice a week with Lady Elvira and spending the rest of her days in the temple. That she specified it as 'days' told me that she spent the nights somewhere else.

But that seemed like such a strange notion. Surely, Lord Ferdinand would not let her out of his reach. Not if he considered her his property and especially not if he actually saw her as worthy of being adopted by him.

“Lady Myne, does that imply that you do not spend your nights in the temple?”, I asked and for the first time I saw a slight emotional reaction in her feathers. It seemed positive and excited. My curiosity was definitely piqued.

“My, how observant, Lord Hartmut. I still live with my family”, she admitted with a small, more sincere, smile and I could not suppress a raised eyebrow.

Her commoner family? In the lower city? She is not only allowed to spend time in the temple but also in the lower city?

A scoff from Lady Elvira made me turn my attention to her and I saw her subtly shaking her head.

Ah, too bad. She is not keen on my attempts at information gathering here.

“So, what does one do in the temple, Lady Myne?”, I continued my subtle interrogation about all those rumors that at least this time did not get interrupted by Lady Elvira even though this could hardly be called an attempt at evaluating any chance for courtship anymore.

“Oh, there are so many books to be read, Lord Hartmut!”, she began and only by subtle maneuvering did she eventually reveal that she was also leading a whole printing and paper making workshop in the temple that was operated by all those orphans.

Say what. All those picture book bibles that my mother had insisted on buying and me reading them come from her? This is not just about her mana and wings then. Of course, Lord Ferdinand is a skillful schemer and not known to be especially merciful or compassionate, but I begin to understand how he might see a huge return on investment in this girl.

“Lady Myne, you have been talking so much about Greifechan's influence on your life, but there are other spring goddesses who seem to favor you as well, are there not?”, I asked after a while since she had not yet said anything about that 'miracle of Haldenzel'. Out of the corner of my eye I saw Lady Elvira taking notes quite furiously on one of those wax boards that my father had also taken a liking to.

Maybe I should get one as well then.

“My apologies, Lord Hartmut, but given how I am just slowly easing into my summer, Bluanfah's dance is still a bit out of my perception”, she admitted and I was glad that I had just put the tea cup to my lips and not yet taken a sip. I might have inhaled the liquid instead.

Argh, what an oversight. There was this whole 'pretension of courtship' theme in the room ever since Lady Elvira had introduced us.

“Oh, but of course, Lady Myne, I was actually referring to your closeness to Verdrenna”, I immediately clarified and saw slight signs of displeasure on Lady Elvira's face as she closed her note-taking device.

Is this something she considers secret? Surely not. Giebe Haldenzel made it quite public after all.

“Verdrenna? Are you referring to Her work in Haldenzel? This was as much my doing as it was that of all the other noble ladies on stage with me, Lord Hartmut. I am not special in any kind that I could claim some unique connection to Her Divinity”, she said demurely and it almost seemed as if she was sincerely pious.

I guess you can tell a commoner child anything and they will believe it. Even something as ridiculous as the Gods actually existing.

I wondered whether she had been told the same ominous advice recently to 'start praying' for the proliferation of the country or whether she had just been raised into an actually proper blue shrine maiden at this point.

But it was absolutely obvious that she was not just some mana pawn in the hands of the archduke or Lord Ferdinand. I shot a glance to Lady Elvira and just decided that I dared to be blunt.

“Lady Myne, if I may. There are quite convincing rumors floating around that you will attend the Royal Academy as Lord Ferdinand's adopted daughter next winter. But why bother with that? Whether you become a mistress or a wife does not change anything for your life”, I proposed and was met with a harsh glare and some intimidatingly fluffed up feathers.

Oh. So there are topics that draw her out of her defenses. Interesting.

“Lord Hartmut, you may not. But I will give you some things to consider so that you may arrive at your own conclusions. Why bother with anything if you will climb the towering stairway after all. Why not rot in some cellar while waiting for it?”, she proposed and I felt her anger before she suddenly calmed down and tilted her head.

“A lady has to keep her mysteries, but surely the question why those you proposed are quite different situations does not come as one, Lord Hartmut”, she stated and I nodded politely.

Quite some ambition to not end up in some cellar, huh? What a breath of fresh air in this stale duchy.

“Lady Elvira, I feel like Dregarnuhr is twisting my thread also in your direction today. Might you be inclined to spare a short moment to honor that notion?”, I asked after this Myne had said her farewells already and had left. Back to the temple.

“Oho, but of course, Lord Hartmut”, Lady Elvira agreed without hesitation and had her attendant set up a sound blocking tool quite to my surprise.

“I wished to congratulate you on your efforts on educating this Lady Myne, Lady Elvira”, I said with a smirk while she continued to look at me expectantly.

“My, what kind words”, she merely said and urged me wordlessly to continue.

“She should indeed not face many issues if she were to socialize on a level that would be expected of an archduke candidate of her age”, I commented and Lady Elvira nodded politely.

“Indeed, she should not”, she agreed without any further confirmation of the adoption actually happening. But nobody invested so much time and effort into a mere mistress.

“I imagine, somebody in her position might have a difficult time to find retainers”, I mused and saw her smiling at me widely.

“I might imagine the same, Lord Hartmut”, she said without giving even the smallest confirmation for me to act upon.

“So, I imagine, she still has an open scholar position in her retinue, should the need for a retinue ever appear?”, I continued my 'musing' but she just nodded gleefully.

“Lady Elvira, please inform Lord Ferdinand that I am interested in said hypothetical position.”

“Are you mad, Hartmut?”, asked Cornelius the next time we were alone and pressed a sound blocking tool into my hand. It was not the first time that he had asked me that particular question but I was not aware of having done anything that might be considered outrageous from his perspective.

“Ah, you heard about that. I am at a loss for words why you did not buy the recipe for those cookies already, Cornelius. But don't fret, my dear friend, if you ask nicely, I will invite you to share some with me”, I offered with mocking generosity to lure him out of his accusation and to reveal what he was even accusing me of.

To my great delight I saw his visage twitching at my words. I chuckled at his loss of control.

“You asked to be taken into the retinue of a girl who is currently still a commoner?”, he pressed through his teeth and I only acknowledged that with a serene smile.

“I did. Of course I did. The mad one is you for not already having orchestrated that for yourself despite having so formidable access to that opportunity”, I chided him but he did not seem to catch on. The confusion was plainly written on his face. An utter disgrace for a boy of his standing.

“Opportunity? Serving a former commoner, even if she ends up adopted by Lord Ferdinand, is a huge stain on one's reputation, Hartmut. And Lord Ferdinand has no real backing, no own faction and he is not going to build one to oppose his brother for all I know. So that girl will have no faction either. She has no future in Ehrenfest, Hartmut. You do not make any sense”, he said and I could not understand how he did not see the obvious consequence when he had already thought of all the implications of serving this Myne after her adoption.

“Cornelius, were you always this dense? Everybody is firmly aware that she has no future in Ehrenfest. She is going to marry out. And male retainers are not expected to follow their lady in that case. If it's a good duchy like Drewanchel, or even a calm one like Gaussbuttel, I will make a case to stay at her side and get out of this backwater. Let's face it, Cornelius, Aub Ehrenfest is not going to allow archnobles to marry out in the near future. Not with the shortage of mana and nobles. If you want to leave, this Myne is your way out.

And if she ends up marrying somehow into a worse duchy, or fails to get an engagement, well, I did my best and served as an archducal retainer when so few volunteered and will simply not follow along with her – as is normal for male retainers of a lady. And if that makes me undesirable to serve the archducal family in the future then that is a sacrifice I am willing to make”, I concluded cheerfully while I could see the truth of my words dawning on Cornelius.

“Are you serious?”, he asked but I did not see how he could still doubt my reasoning and conviction.

“Just a bit more than five years, Cornelius. She seemed smart enough to keep up with conversations and from what I could gather not just from our discussion but also from my efforts in the castle and nobles quarter I think she is the actual driving force behind Lord Justus' recent industriousness. Becoming her retainer could even be fun. And it's not like I fear a commoner, not even when I have to pretend that she is my lady”, I said and he smiled at me uncomfortably.

“She definitely has Lord Ferdinand's backing, Hartmut. For all it's worth, you do not want him as an enemy, so you should not treat her lightly in this”, Cornelius warned me but I sighed and shook my head.

“Did I say that I intend to do a bad job? Of course I will do excellent work. I am just saying that guiding a former commoner will be far easier than guiding somebody as ruined by Veronica as that disgrace Wilfried. This Myne learned to act like a proper noble in three years and even saved that disgrace of Angelica from failing her classes. Seems like a hard worker, and she wants to end up in a nice duchy in a powerful position as well anyway. I say she is worth the wager.”

Cornelius scoffed at my words but then he grew quiet as if in thought.

“I mean, she is nice enough. And mother would stop pestering me to 'show some ambition' in that case, I guess”, he mused and I grinned at him.

“Why not join me in becoming her retainer, Cornelius?”, I suggested and now he grinned at me as he nodded.

“Head knight and head scholar? Sounds good”, he agreed and I was glad to have confirmed at least one coworker that I knew I could trust. Angelica was an easily guided airhead and was obviously set up to join her retinue with how much in Myne's debt she already was at this point.

I was also quite sure that that laynoble Damuel was set to become her retainer. Nobody would have endured temple duty for more than a year otherwise.

What I however could not anticipate was who was going to become her attendant. Female retainers were expected to follow their lady upon marrying out after all. Damuel's wife might be an option but she was also only a laynoble. Not a good choice.

Hm. The archnoble girls will all want to serve Lady Charlotte. She has high chances to become the next archduchess, after all. But even the mednoble girls might be unwilling to tie themselves to Myne.

But I postponed those musings. Lord Ferdinand was surely scheming in the background as well to get her some retainers as soon as the adoption went through. He would not allow his protegee to end up without any attendants at the Royal Academy.

“Head knight and head scholar it is”, I confirmed and was very curious about the future for a change.

Chapter Text

“Ferdinand, are you sure?”, I asked as he told me that I had not only somehow convinced Cornelius, who I had honestly given up on winning as a retainer, but also Hartmut to enter my retinue.

Ferdinand tilted his head and frowned slightly.

“I am. Elvira approached me for both of them on different occasions. It appears as if you won Hartmut over first and he then convinced Cornelius. The boys consider themselves something like friends.”

“But- but he thinks I am a filthy commoner, Ferdinand”, I mumbled and let both my head and my wings droop sadly. But he only raised an eyebrow at me with slight disappointment.

“Myne, don't show your emotions so openly. We might be in my office in the temple right now, but such open display of emotions should be kept to a hidden room. You should be firmly aware of that by now”, he chided me and despite feeling like I should let my wings droop even lower did I straighten my back and enhanced the mana flow into my wings to stiffen them in a more energetic way.

“My apologies, Ferdinand”, I immediately corrected my behavior. If everything worked out then I would not be allowed such mistakes in the very near future already.

“Better”, he acknowledged and softened his expression.

“Hartmut clearly has his own agenda that he wishes to accomplish by entering your service but I deem the positives to outweigh the negatives. Especially since Elvira does not share your impression that he considers you somehow filthy, Myne. But two archnobles in your retinue at the Royal Academy will make you appear more desirable. People will stop to wonder what you could have offered them to not act on their pride as archnobles and shun you. It strengthens your position quite drastically”, Ferdinand noted and I smiled at him even though I was not convinced.

“He did not take me serious in that roleplay at all, Ferdinand. Will this really change once the tentative adoption is confirmed? Will I not weaken my position with retainers who do not respect me?”, I asked him and I noticed the small signs of a frown on his face.

Seems like he agrees but does not want to say it.

“He still cannot allow himself to do a bad job as a retainer, Myne. So he cannot be disrespectful to you in public. And if he is that in private, Myne, then please tell me and I will set him straight about what it means to be an archducal retainer”, he promised with a smile so bright I flinched involuntarily.

Eeeep!

“Concerning Cornelius, Elvira assumes that he just wants to avoid serving any of the other archducal children and he sees five years in your service as the easy way out. While this means that he might not be the most motivated guard knight, I do not see any reason why he should deliberately do a bad job. From my understanding you are also quite well-acquainted already so you only need to stop him from slacking off too much. A rather common challenge for everybody with retainers”, he commented and I nodded.

“It just feels so strange when I compare them to Damuel. He seems to like his job and is working hard all the time”, I said, well aware that Damuel could hear my praise right now.

“Handling them will be a good challenge, Myne. I am absolutely certain that you can do that.”

After the autumn baptisms it became quite obvious how close my adoption really was. Ferdinand told me to stay home as much as possible in the two weeks before I was about to never enter the lower city as a commoner again, basically only visiting the temple when I needed to dump some mana.

And it felt like most of that time was spent in Dad's strong hugs. Tuuli chided him only rarely for that over the two weeks even though she grumbled every morning and evening when she set my feathers straight again.

But I soaked up each and every moment of Dad's firm embraces. And I could not even say whether it was Dad who was crying more during those or me.

“Tuuli, do you know anything I can do to cheer Dad up?”, I asked her when it was just us two. Since her place of work was at my side it meant we were alone any time both Mom and Dad had to leave for work at the same time.

She reached out to wrap her arms around my neck and drew me close.

“He is trying to get a lifetime of hugs from you, Myne. While I will be able to sneak some in when I am 'off duty' and nobody else might be looking, he will have no such chance. Mom might be allowed in a room with you without disapproving eyes, but once your adoption goes through he is not your dad anymore, right? And an adult man cannot be alone with such a young noble lady such as you”, she explained wistfully and I felt the weight of this decision even harder at those very clear words.

“So the only thing you can do, Myne, is to live your life to the fullest. To enjoy it by striving for your goals; by not ending up in some basement. Show Dad your happiness, Myne”, Tuuli suggested and I bawled at those words.

“This is all not fair”, I complained and let my forehead rest against hers as she squeezed me once more.

“It isn't, Myne. It truly isn't. But you are my adorable little sister who will create a world full of books, right? And at some point you will just pick me up in a hug and we fly to some nice meadow and have a picnic and just laugh about how strange life can be, no? And then, we will tell Dad all about that and we will laugh about how jealous he will be and how happy he will be that we are happy. Right?”

“Tuuli!”

She really is my angel. I do not deserve her.

Ferdinand had sent a big carriage for the day that my whole family was scheduled to sign my adoption contract to him. Tuuli sat next to me, mainly to protect my feathers from Dad's onslaught of hugs as we took the short ride to the temple.

The atmosphere was strange. We could all feel that a separation was about to happen and we all were unsure just how permanent it had to be.

“Mom, will you raise Kamil into a bookworm? I already made Benno promise to gift you all the children's books that I will publish in the future! Kamil can also ask for the others, but so far those seem to be stuffy romance novels for noble tastes, so I am not sure whether he will like those”, I rambled and Mom smiled at me.

“I will give it my best, Myne. Even though it seems quite daring to have another child who is as obsessed with books as you”, she giggled and I felt myself blushing a bit.

“And will you tell him each and every day that his big sister loves him?”, I begged only to be hit by Tuuli's elbow.

“Ey, Mom needs to tell him daily that his big sisters love him! I as well will see him so much less now!”, Tuuli commented with an adorable pout and I sighed heavily.

“You can still withdraw from that role, Tuuli. You do not have to become so entangled in all that noble business”, I offered but she just sighed heavily as well and looked at me rather disdainfully.

“Absolutely not. How will I protect my little sister then? You will stay within my reach, and don't you dare to suggest something else”, she stated and I worked hard to keep my tears at bay. At least for now.

“Okay. Sorry, Tuuli”, I mumbled quietly and saw Dad nodding heavily.

“I am counting on you, Tuuli”, he said and seemed to hold himself together only barely.

Fran guided us to Ferdinand's office and I sat next to my family for what I expected to be the last time. At least like this. As equals.

Ferdinand smiled at me encouragingly as he went over the details of the adoption contract. He had already written most of it down and gave it to me to read it to my parents.

Even though I had taught all of them to read and write by now, the terms were still quite complex as they had to cover so many legal things.

“So, to summarize, this contract will make Ferdinand my adoptive father as soon we all sign it, giving him full control over my life as far as parents go. The contract will only be acknowledged tentatively by noble society if I manage to pass the examination next week and it will only be fully acknowledged by noble society if I graduate by having fulfilled that requirement from that law, namely having secured a proper engagement. By signing this you basically give Ferdinand your full support in his decisions concerning me, even though that's more a formality at this point since noble society does not really care for support from commoners to begin with.”

Ferdinand showed me a difficult smile but did not object.

“Indeed. But while noble society might not care too much, I'd like to make sure that Myne's place in Ventuchte's weave is kept accurate. And it will mean much to me if you can entrust your daughter into my hands”, he commented and I was surprised about his admission.

He is so sweet and caring under his facade.

Mom was the first to sign.

“It means a lot to me as well, Lord Ferdinand, that you would consider our opinion on this relevant even though you are not technically required to do that”, she said with teary eyes and signed her name before she took the needle and added her blood to it.

“Come Kamil, let's support your big sister on her path to find a good future”, she suggested encouragingly and helped him write his own name. Since he was just two and a half years old it was more like Kamil grabbing the pen, while Mom guided it over the parchment.

“Very good, Kamil. You will know how to read and write in no time”, she praised him and I felt the tears welling up in my own eyes. Kamil soon was crying as well even though that was from the needle pricking his finger for his blood.

“May Heilschmerz' healing be granted”, came the murmured chant from Ferdinand at that point and a small green light flew to Kamil's finger and he stopped crying.

“Good boy”, he praised and I felt Dad's hand running along my lower back since he seemed to not want to mess up my feathers right now.

“You already gave us more time with our Myne than we ever expected, Lord Ferdinand. I will entrust her into your care so that she stays safe till the end”, Dad declared and signed his name as well.

“I have no doubts that he will be a good father, Myne. Of course, he cannot be Dad and Mom, but with the challenges ahead of you, I am sure he will be excellent support”, Tuuli declared and signed the contract as well.

“Just because you will not be my family officially anymore does not mean I will ever forget you or even stop meeting you. We might see each other less often, but this contract cannot cut our threads. The weave just gets more intricate. I love you all so much”, I cried as I signed the contract with Ferdinand's magic pen that spared me the hassle of pricking my finger for blood.

“Your trust in me comes as a great honor. I promise to not disappoint you all”, Ferdinand then declared as he signed his own name and the contract went up in flames.

“I can still include everyone in my prayers, right?”, I asked nobody in particular but it was Ferdinand who answered.

“But of course. Praying comes from the heart after all”, he suggested kindly and I poured my heart out into words of prayer just as I poured out my mana into my ring. And despite my spot currently not being scritched in the slightest, did I notice how all my feathers were fluffing up more with each and every word.

Is this what Lady Elvira meant with those fluffed up feathers helping to build intimate bonds? So my wings mirror what my heart desires?

“O mighty King and Queen of the endless skies, ye mighty God of Darkness and Goddess of Light; O mighty Eternal Five who rule the mortal realm, ye mighty Goddess of Water Flutrane, God of Fire Leidenschaft, Goddess of Wind Schutzaria, Goddess of Earth Geduldh, God of Life Ewigeliebe; I ask that ye hear my prayers and grant thy blessings. I offer thee my heart, my prayers, my gratitude, and ask for thy holy protection. Grant all those I love the power to strive toward their goals, the power to deflect malice, the power to heal their pain, and the power to endure trials and tribulations.”

As I let my eyes wander across the room I saw many golden lights swirling in the air and raining down on all those currently in the room with me. Some of those lights however also went outside. Well, there are many people I love, after all.

Dad seemed less tired, even though it was still just after work for him. Mom seemed more hopeful and energetic.

“Myne, what kind of prayer was that?”, Ferdinand asked, but I did not know the answer to that.

“A heartfelt one, Ferdinand. Please accept my blessing as well”, I proposed and he smiled at me. We both had not missed that the golden lights had rained down on him as well.

“I did. It was a rather pleasant sensation. Thank you, Myne”, he commented and then I hugged Mom, Kamil, Tuuli and Dad for a very long time before we finally agreed that more hugging would just delay the inevitable.

“We love you, Myne”, Mom said as she kissed me goodbye and handed me Kamil so that I could rub my cheeks against his for the last time in a long while.

“My beloved Myne, my sweet, sweet daughter”, Dad said and pulled me into a final hug that made it rather difficult to breathe, but I did not object.

“You must protect her at all costs, Lord Ferdinand”, he then demanded from Ferdinand without releasing me from his hug.

“I will, Gunther. And now, please allow her to breathe”, he commented with a smirk that made Dad grumble but indeed lessen his force.

“I'll come at you if you don't!”, he emphasized and I buried my head one last time in Dad's chest.

“It's okay, Dad. He is always looking out for me”, I assured him and was answered with a grunt.

“I will invite you for tea as soon as I can even though it might be spring already! I promise!”

I was still crying as they left and Tuuli steadied me with a hug of her own. Her goodbyes had been shorter since she was still technically part of their family, but she was obviously shaken as well.

“Sorry for being so unprofessional”, she mumbled but I shook my head. I did not mind at all. It took quite some time in her embrace until my feathers had calmed down and were not fluffed up anymore. But I still did not mind. We were going to support each other even more from now on after all.

“Ferdinand, there is something I wanted to ask you”, I admitted quietly after my parents had left and I had somewhat recovered. I shot a glance to Tuuli who nodded encouragingly and I knew that Ferdinand had seen that as well.

“What might that be, Myne? Is something still not clear to you?”, he asked and nodded in the direction of his hidden room with a questioning glance.

But I did not mind for Tuuli to see that. I would need to discuss it with her anyway to sort my thoughts.

“What do you want me to call you after the adoption is official even for nobles, Ferdinand?”, I asked shyly but did not look into his eyes. It was not like I could not imagine it to call him 'Dad', but I did not want to overwrite Dad like this. I wanted to keep them separate.

“Suggest something, even though I would not like to be called 'dear adoptive father' as it is rather clunky”, he said with a gentle smile on his face. At that, I looked up at him.

“You are really the best... Papa?”, I tested the word I had used for my long dead father from my Urano days. It had always felt as if he had spread his wings over me as my guardian angel. And Ferdinand was definitely filling that role ever since we met. For better or worse, I did not even remember much more about Urano's Papa at this point anyway.

“Papa?”, he asked for confirmation and I noticed how the tips of his ears turned slightly pink. Is he embarrassed by my suggestion?

I merely looked at him hopefully until he nodded and patted my head.

“In private then. In public just continue calling me by my name, Myne”, he declared and I did not resist the urge to hug him anymore. Even though I felt him freezing from that move.

“My apologies, Papa”, I said as I released him from my embrace and he resumed an unfrozen state.

“Myne.... Please hug your sister, not me. It is too risky to have you so close to my wings. You know that, right?”, he asked but I felt his leniency in those words. It was quite obviously a very not noble thing to do and he only chided me so lightly. And he had still called Tuuli my 'sister'. My heart melted from his consideration.

“Understood, Papa.” And I sent him a very wide smile which seemed to embarrass him still a bit more.

Chapter Text

The castle was overwhelming once again. The last time, which had only been my second time, I had to keep my 'sad, little devouring slave'-act up, but now I had to act with the poise of an archduke candidate. Even though it was still premature to treat me like this it was merely a week till my examination and Ferdinand had argued that it would help me to settle into the correct mindset.

“Myne, this is Rihyarda. She will be your attendant this week as a favor from the archduke for me, so I expect you to treat her accordingly”, Ferdinand said as he introduced me to an elderly lady who eyed me quite curiously but not disdainfully.

“Welcome to the castle, Lady Myne. Lord Ferdinand noted that you are already employing a wingcare attendant?”, she asked and I nodded.

“My wingcare attendant Tuuli will arrive alongside my luggage in roughly half a bell by carriage. For now we just flew over, Rihyarda”, I explained and saw her smile at me gently before she shot Ferdinand a chastising glare.

“My, you can fly already despite not even being at the Royal Academy? That is indeed quite the achievement, Lady Myne. Ferdinand, my boy, you let her arrive here on her own two wings? That's way too risky!”, she switched from praising me to chiding him almost instantly and I saw what I had never expected to see.

Ferdinand flinching.

Eeeep! Somebody who could make Ferdinand flich exists?!

“Now, milady, let me guide you to your guest chambers, to give you a bath and a change of clothes. Lady Elvira prepared a few options and you may choose something to settle in better”, Rihyarda then declared and basically abducted me from Ferdinand who only smiled uncomfortably but did not object to any of this.

So that means I can trust her, right?

By the time I had finished my bath, Tuuli had already arrived and went to work immediately.

“Girl, what kind of tool is that?”, Rihyarda asked Tuuli as she untangled my feathers. Since she worked on my backside I was unsure what she might be referring to.

This is the first noble outside of Ferdinand who has ever addressed Tuuli directly. Not even Justus had bothered with her. But he had also not seen her work on my wings as that was a rather private affair after all.

“Lady Rihyarda, it is called a crocheting hook. Its original purpose is similar to needles for knitting, but it requires a different technique that allows a wider degree of freedom”, Tuuli commented with a higher pitch than usual but she still managed to answer that grandmotherly lady.

“Oh? That sounds intriguing with how you then use it for your lady's wings, girl”, Rihyarda commented and I heard her thinly veiled request to be gifted one even though Tuuli seemed to mistake it as just honest praise.

“My, Tuuli, please arrange for one to be sent to Rihyarda from the Gilberta Company”, I proposed but I felt Tuuli's eager hands freeze at those words.

“Myne, how? I have no way to communicate with the lower city from the castle”, she whispered but it was clear that Rihyarda had overheard her as she now chuckled.

“Girl, never drop honorifics with your lady. Lady Myne, such tasks will have to be handled by your castle attendants as what your wingcare attendant just said is absolutely correct. She cannot arrange for buying something from a merchant from here. While I appreciate your consideration for my interest, Lady Myne, it is not anything that requires urgent attention. You may think on what you might want to do after your examination next week”, she suggested and I nodded slowly.

But she had definitely asked for one? And offering a used one had been out anyway. Should I have just ignored her? That somehow feels wrong. This week acclimating to noble life might be indeed just what I need to truly settle in.

While I contemplated the right course of action and made sure to make a mental note to later ask Ferdinand about what would have been correct, Rihyarda had by now laid out several very similar dresses on a bed for me to choose from. Currently I was still in my new, super soft and super white undergarments.

And I knew a challenge when I saw one. Elvira had spent a lot of time trying to hammer the current trends into my head but it felt still quite daring to be confronted with such a choice directly.

“Those ribbons are from last year's trends, no?”, I suggested and gestured to the dress on the right which made Rihyarda agree.

“Yes, Lady Myne, it would indeed not be my first choice either”, she said but that still left me with two dresses to choose from. But their only difference was the embroidery at their trim. One was waves, the other circles.

Well, it's an autumn dress, so circles will be better. They are a bit like Schutzaria's shield after all.

And with that being my only guidance I confidently pointed to the dress on the left which brought me an acknowledging nod.

“A fine choice, Lady Myne. Lady Florencia has just established the trend to choose a more divinely inspired embroidery and it seems you are already up to date with this. You must have studied very hard”, she praised me causing me to blush slightly.

Eeep! Why is this even harder to stomach than all that dismissiveness from the nobles in the past?!

“Lady Elvira will be pleased to hear that her endeavors under Erwachlehren's guidance have born fruit”, I tried to deflect her praise.

“I will then express such a notion when we meet with her over tea today”, Rihyarda agreed and I froze shortly.

I have a meeting with Elvira today?

As it turned out the meeting with Elvira was actually just a pre-meeting to my meeting with the frigging First Wife of the archduke and their frigging daughter.

From the minor things that Wilfried had mentioned over the almost two last years I had all but confirmed that he was Aub Ehrenfest's son by blood who had indeed somehow fallen from grace and ended up in the temple as High Bishop. But he had never mentioned having grown up with siblings. Was this Lady Charlotte then perhaps adopted at a later point?

I knelt for my first time greetings and was immediately told to rise. So this is meant as a friendly meeting? Refreshing.

I was glad to see that Elvira was also part of the small tea party which came as quite a relief since that meant I had somebody who could save me if I messed up too much, which, judging from the expressions I currently saw seemed to have already occurred.

Bwuh? But I have done this so many times. Surely they had not actually expected my feathers to touch the ground for the greeting? Nobody had ever complained with how low they have been like just a moment ago.

I placed a hand on my cheek and tilted my head as I addressed the room with a demure smile.

“My, may Anhaltung's divine guidance be bestowed upon me?”, I suggested and Elvira smirked at me slightly.

“Lady Myne, you appeared a bit intimidated right now. While Lady Florencia is no doubt a worthy recipient of your respects there is no need for such cowering”, Elvira suggested and I felt my feathers stiffen involuntarily at my faux-pas of having fallen back into my commoner socializing. I willed them back into a soft and fluffy state to signal being approachable as soon as possible again.

Argh! What an oversight. I should behave like an archduke candidate so while I of course had to kneel for the archduke's first wife, I did not have basically lie on the ground for her.

“I appreciate your guiding words, Lady Elvira. Lady Florencia, Lady Charlotte please excuse my overeagerness in showing proper respect”, I said and was glad that I did not have to repeat the kneeling. Even though I knew that Elvira would make me do that later today. Several times. I was at least glad that I was not as weak as I was upon my baptism so that I could do those lunges more easily and without breaking into a sweat after just a handful.

“My, Lady Myne, for a short moment I felt like a Queen”, Lady Florencia chuckled politely and took her demonstrative sip from her tea.

“Indeed, only the Royal Family would expect such deference from an archduke candidate”, Elvira agreed with an amused tone and I worked hard to keep my blush at bay. Controlling my emotions had been one of the many things Elvira had spent untold amounts of time in educating me.

“Lady Myne, is it true that you are the actual creator of those picture book bibles? Wilfried mentioned how he had learned to read and remember the Gods so exceedingly fast with their help and how much he liked them. I was surprised to learn that they were made in a workshop in the temple under your care”, Lady Charlotte began with an adorable smile on her face and I was sure I was close to melting from the cuteness overload. This girl was a literal angel with her blond curls and her wide and sincere smile right now.

“While I had indeed the creative lead in those, Lady Charlotte, the industries are actually handled by Lord Justus”, I provided the official cover story as I was not sure when I was allowed to actually take credit for that. But the chances were high it had to be after me entering noble society officially. Even though everybody was role-playing with me so generously already.

“My, is that so?”, she inquired once more but I merely tilted my head and reached out for my own tea. Even in friendly atmosphere nobles always had to be assumed to be gathering information.

“Giebe Haldenzel had quite some praising words for you, Lady Myne”, Lady Florencia then continued and gestured for one of her attendants to put some wooden boards in front of her.

This lady looks oddly familiar. That smile, that grace. Almost like an older version of Angelica.

“Thank you, Maxine”, Lady Florencia noted and then gestured for me to read those boards.

“He asked quite specifically for you to visit for the Harvest Festival this year since the taxes from their province, which are proportional to their harvest, should be thrice their usual amount and he wanted for you to reap this reward since you bestowed it on them with your true spring miracle after all”, Lady Florencia suggested but I once again felt like the wrong recipient.

“My, how considerate of him. However, I am not sure whether I can even participate in this year's Harvest Festival. Hopefully, I will be occupied with my debut preparations so this visit might fall to somebody else then”, I explained and was met with an understanding smile from her.

“So the relationships between the blue robes is that relaxed that there won't be any argument over the collected taxes?”, Lady Florencia with sudden interest. Even though said sudden interest was merely a faint glimmer in her eyes. Her wings were calmly resting behind her and I could not even see more than some attentive tension in them.

She is definitely somebody I should strive to imitate.

“The High Bishop is really good at finding compromises for everybody”, I praised, hoping to not having to dive too deep into the reasons why finding compromises was even necessary but the sincere smile on Lady Florencia's face told me that it might already have been the right answer.

“My, how reassuring”, she noted before we switched the topic to some other pleasantries.

As it came the day of my examination I was bathed and trimmed to the maximum. It seemed Lady Florencia had deemed it necessary to lend me Maxine for the early morning preparations as well while Tuuli was made to redo my feathers three times to bring them to their peak optics.

I almost felt like I could take a nap at second bell. All that buzzing around me was exhausting.

But as the brooch was added to my ocher cape I felt, for the first time, actually like a proper noble girl. Somehow wearing the colors of Ehrenfest felt nice and comforting. And the brooch had one of those cool lions that also adorned the ring that Ferdinand had given me.

I knew that this ring was actually meant to demonstrate that I was just his Devourer, but to me it felt more personal. He had once admitted after all that he had brewed it especially for me. And just for that reason it made me smile.

If one does not count the wings, this ring is his first gift to me. From my Papa.

I tried to grow accustomed to calling him that since I very much did not want to keep us on a first name basis all the time.

As soon as I had the displeasure to experience teleportation did I swear to minimize this experience as much as possible. Ferdinand gave me his arm to steady me as he noticed my nausea but it took me a few moments of just focusing on my breathing to stop the world from twisting.

“Thank you, Papa”, I mumbled but he made some exasperated noise that soon got overshadowed from the archduke's rather unrestrained laughter. I had not noticed him before since everything had been so revolting.

“My, Ferdinand, that was cute!”, he commented and earned himself one of Ferdinand's brightest smiles that I was very glad had not been directed at me.

“Fool. Myne, it's neither official yet, nor are we in a what I would consider private situation”, he chastised me and I tried to hide my discomfort behind some bright smile myself.

It seemed the only professional one in this whole situation was Tuuli who did her best to become one with the background. But I had been told to bring a wingcare attendant with me, so she unfortunately had to endure all those big shots acting unprofessional right now.

“Aub Ehrenfest, I was not aware that you would accompany us today for my examination”, I noted after I had knelt down and risen again but he only smirked at me.

“Apparently, nobody ever considered the possibility of Devourers with potential archduke candidate status so I am here to answer some questions. Don't worry, Myne. The law is quite straightforward. They don't have a leg to stand on”, he tried to assure me and I nodded.

Not like I could do anything about that anyway.

Ferdinand then guided me through the hallways with his own retainers in tow even though I was not yet allowed to bring my own with me. It felt strange to go somewhere so rather alone.

We entered what appeared to be an office room that was so tidy, I feared even just a tiny speck of dust could mar its pristine condition already. And it seemed there was already somebody expecting us.

“Lord Ferdinand, please order her to honesty for the interview”, did the lady in front of me demand just after the initial greetings had been exchanged. Judging from her wingspan she was quite obviously a highly manaed archnoble but despite the wings usually giving everybody a rather fluffy appearance, this lady in particular with her sharp features reminded me more of a hawk. Or a vulture. I did not think it had actually something to do with her older age, but it definitely felt as if she was disapproving of me before the interview had even begun.

“Of course, Professor Fraularm. Myne, this is an order. You are not allowed to lie to her.”

At his words my ring grew hot and I immediately reacted to make that stop.

“Understood, Ferdinand.”

The lady nodded with something I might have called a sharp frown if not for the sheer unlikeliness that a noble would show such an open expression on her face.

“Your cooperation is appreciated, Lord Ferdinand. I will then proceed as planned”, she declared and I stiffened my back to await her questions. But the first thing she did then was to dismiss Ferdinand.

Eeep?

“Please fluff up your feathers”, this Professor Fraularm instructed coldly just as Ferdinand had left. I kept my composure but internally I was aghast.

Is this not a super private thing to ask? Okay, we were only girls right now in the room, but still.... Is that not at least like asking me to undress?

“My apologies, Professor Fraularm, but I was taught to only do that in the confinements of my own chambers, preferably in a hidden room and not in front of strangers”, I dared to object and earned myself a harsh glare and a disdainful smirk.

“Those who are unable to fluff up from stimulation of their spot are generally unable to receive Entrinduge's blessings. It is a medical necessity to confirm that you are capable of that otherwise it does not make any sense for you to even tentatively enter noble society. If you cannot reach your spot with your own hands there are also wooden scratchers available”, she commented stoically and gestured to something that looked like a back scratcher.

Eeep! First they drill it into me how utterly inappropriate that is for others to see and then they want to watch?! What's up with noble society?!

I sighed and tried to reach my spot with my own arms, but my wings were absolutely in the way. And I knew I was just messing up my feathers if I tried harder. So I tried one of the wooden tools to reach my spot, but my arms still felt a bit too short. I barely managed to graze it and in response my feathers only fluffed up a minimum amount which resulted in a disgruntled 'Hmpf.' from that professor.

Eeep! She is not going to fail me just because my arms are so short, right?!

“Professor Fraularm, may I ask my sister and wingcare attendant to scritch my spot?”, I proposed while trying my hardest to reach that spot between my shoulder blades. Apparently, I was pitiable enough as she sighed and made a dismissive gesture with her hand that made me drop my attempts and nodded to Tuuli who had stood at one of the walls and immediately hurried to me to scritch my spot for me.

Awwww, yes! Sheer bliss! I let myself fall into the sensation with closed eyes until Tuuli suddenly stopped.

“Attendant, measure the angle between her feathers”, Professor Fraularm directed and gestured to some geometry devices made of wood that Tuuli seemed to put into my wings to see how far they were spread open.

“Almost to the maximum of the scale then”, she remarked after Tuuli had apparently tried out all of those and I wondered whether that was something good or something bad.

“Next up: Flap-reflex”, she declared and had Tuuli slap my spot to have my wings spring open.

Then she made Tuuli measure my wingspan, the length of my longest feathers, and so many other dimensions. I honestly felt like a horse that was evaluated for its worth and not like a girl evaluated for her fit into noble society.

It continued on for some while before the evaluation of my wings seemed to be finally over with her demand to fold them in front of me as I would for a carriage ride.

Another note seemed to be added to a wooden board then.

“When and how did your wings emerge?”, she then began with some kind of interview and I described how Ferdinand had determined their ingrown state and had immediately arranged for my surgery.

“You had your surgery after your baptism? With this wingspan?”, she asked for clarification and I immediately nodded.

“Yes, Professor Fraularm. Apparently the ingrown condition was so bad that I had to recover for sixteen days in a jureve afterwards”, I commented and she raised an eyebrow at me.

“Quite the investment of such a high quality jureve”, she commented dismissively but I just stayed polite and did not say anything in response.

If she says so? Who am I to judge that?

I had to admit that I did not expect a math quiz afterwards. Or a quiz on the names of the Gods. Even including the subordinate Gods. Or a quiz about the latest history of Yurgenschmidt. Some of those questions got exceedingly hard but in the end I thought I had managed all of them.

Even though at least two of my answers were only from what I had read in some book as not even Ferdinand's elaborate tutoring had covered that. And two others were only something I had learned while tutoring Angelica all the time.

Is she trying to ask so hard questions to make me give up? To find a reason for me to fail?

I could not shake the suspicion that she did not want me in noble society.

“Acceptable. You may take your wingcare attendant and enter the room opposite of this one”, she then declared with quite narrowed eyes as she arranged the stack of wooden boards with all her notes into a box labeled with my name.

She has not once called be by my name.

As I left the room with Tuuli two steps behind me did I notice just how well guarded the hallway currently was. Somebody who claimed to be an attendant guided me across and opened the door for me for which I was thankful since I knew I was not allowed to touch one as an archduke candidate.

Inside the room was something that looked like a tea party that already had a few girls participating together with two adult women. One of them was clearly another professor who now looked up at me. While the other seemed to be even more important than just a mere professor. As she saw me entering there was the slightest smirk on her face.

Eeeep! Have they been waiting for me?!

Chapter Text

Ferdinand had expected some summons to be questioned about his reasoning to adopt Myne into Ehrenfest's archducal family, but he had at most thought that one of Trauerqual's retainers would ask him a few things.

That he was now kneeling in front of Trauerqual himself, on behalf of just a commoner adoption, had been far out of his calculation. And he had even invited Sylvester along.

But even more than his disdain for this rather disproportionate committee was his disdain for Trauerqual's third wife, Magdalena, who, for some reason, sat next to her husband. This reeked of her urging Trauerqual for some pettiness.

And yet, he showed both of them the expected respect. He kept his wings composed and his feathers fluffy while paying attention to keep those rainbow-colored ones covered as usual. If he had wanted to oppose Trauerqual openly he would have done that during the emergency archduke conference in spring after all.

“Aub Ehrenfest, since you forwarded this adoption request formally for consideration, I must assume that you are in favor of raising a commoner born girl with the Devouring to the status of an archduke candidate of Ehrenfest”, Trauerqual noted after the initial greetings had been exchanged. While it might have been appropriate to address the higher ranking archduke first, Ferdinand still felt slighted by being absolutely ignored for his brother.

“Indeed, Zent Trauerqual. I support my brother's request to raise the one he contracted in compliance with the 'Law for the Replenishment of Noble Society' in status to an archduke candidate.” Sylvester's voice was as firm and calm as his feathers.

Ferdinand however noticed the disapproval among Trauerqual's and Magdalena's retainers at those words. Still, he kept his peaceful smile in place and said nothing. It was not his place after all.

“And why might you be so inclined, Aub Ehrenfest? Is Ehrenfest in such dire need for archduke candidates that cannot even be relieved by adopting some promising archnoble children?”, he mused, while Ferdinand was in a way amused that Trauerqual questioned the application of a law he himself had decreed.

He was never truly raised for the position. And it shows.

“Zent Trauerqual, what Ehrenfest actually needs over the next years is more mednobles and archnobles, not one mana-rich archduke candidate. I am in favor of this development since I can barter her off at a higher value if she is a proper noble with a schtappe and an archduke candidate education. In the meantime, I intend to make use of her so that she can supply Ehrenfest's foundation till my own children are old enough for that burden”, Sylvester explained with his archduke persona firmly in place. And a bit of the steel that had crept into his voice had also apparently crept into his feathers.

Ferdinand was once again impressed how well he could present the reasons they had agreed upon upfront. And with practiced conviction.

Just a useful tool to be sold at a high value. Just like the law envisions. He cannot deny that.

“You intend to trade her into another duchy, Aub Ehrenfest?”, Trauerqual noted apparently surprised.

“Indeed. There is nobody in Ehrenfest who would be interested in her and also has the adequate wingspan to ensure Entrinduge's blessings”, Sylvester remarked and Ferdinand did not miss the spark in Magdalena's eyes at that remark.

“Oh? There is none, Aub Ehrenfest? Does she outspan even you and your brother then?”, Magdalena inquired with a polite tilt of her head while Sylvester shook his head.

“She might be a match just from her wingspan for me, my brother or my elderly uncle perhaps. But as I mentioned nobody voiced any interest in her so marrying her out as a proper bride is the most lucrative path for Ehrenfest”, he confirmed politely but it seemed Magdalena was not satisfied by that.

“My, Lord Ferdinand, is that true? Or are you propping up your aub's decision even though you might feel inclined to just see her walk Efflorelume's path for you?”, she asked. Ferdinand tried to ignore the petty indecency of her inquiring so directly about any potential mistress for him.

“It is indeed true, Queen Magdalena, I have no interest in her. The wingspan potentially matching does not change that I am still Ehrenfest's High Priest. As such, there is no place for any such concepts to begin with”, he tried to diffuse the situation and Magdalena chuckled politely.

“I am sure, Aub Ehrenfest could find somebody else to take that position so that you can participate in the replenishment of our noble society. Surely the shortage of nobles of adequate mana is felt in Ehrenfest most dearly as well despite its neutral stance during the civil war”, she noted almost accusatory. Ferdinand brightened his smile to the maximum.

“My, Queen Magdalena, I must admit to feeling a bit surprised that such a notion comes from you. Surely you are the person who is most aware of the dread that the outlook of a future at my side might bring. Surely you do not begrudge that Devouring girl her chance to find a more suitable partner than me”, he suggested with his brightest smile.

At that Magdalena actually laughed. She even allowed some of her feathers to swing a bit from the chuckling motion.

After all, Magdalena herself had fought against such a fate with a knife at Trauerqual's throat. And everybody in the room seemed firmly aware of that.

“I see your reasoning, Aub Ehrenfest, but this request to raise a commoner to archduke candidate status still seems quite daring”, Trauerqual noted and Ferdinand lessened the intensity of his smile the tiniest bit even though he still felt utterly displeased with this whole interrogation.

“It follows both the intent and the letter of your law, Zent Trauerqual. I must therefore refuse the notion of it being daring”, Sylvester stood firmer than Ferdinand had seen him in the past.

That confidence suits him. Did he find it him to stand his ground against Trauerqual because he knows that I hold the foundation in truth? I'd like to see more of that.

“I find it almost blasphemous from you, Aub Ehrenfest, that you would suggest a girl born as a commoner to receive the names of the Supreme Couple over the course of her proposed education”, he then voiced his displeasure and Ferdinand sighed inwardly at that.

What an inconvenient time for him to find his piety.

“While I can understand said notion, Zent Trauerqual, I can firmly state that this particular commoner should be considered worthy of such an honor. It was her after all who, with her heartfelt prayer to Verdrenna, brought true spring to my northernmost province that usually only turns green for a short time in summer. The harvest there has tripled this year, Zent Trauerqual. I am sure you remember my report of said miracle at the emergency archduke conference after the night of Flutrane?”, Sylvester suggested and Ferdinand felt immensely proud of his brother right now. Not even the slightest shiver was in his feathers. He was quite obviously willing to fight for Myne becoming adopted by Ferdinand.

If all it took for Sylvester to act like a true archduke was to know that I hold the foundation and the Book of Mestionora, I should have spared myself all that suffering under Veronica and done this earlier.

“How can that be the feat of a commoner girl with the Devouring, Aub Ehrenfest? Lord Ferdinand, you sent her out into the provinces while you were at the Royal Academy as your brother's minister for the emergency archduke conference?”, Trauerqual asked skeptically and Ferdinand lessened the tension in his feathers intentionally to show how unconcerned he was by the question.

“Such is the duty expected of blue shrine maidens over Spring Prayer, Zent Trauerqual. If I remember correctly her route consisted of the central district of Ehrenfest to be supplied with Geduldh's chalice directly as well as delivering small chalices to Ehrenfest's northern provinces. I interrogated her personally about said 'miracle' upon my return and her report suggested that her heartfelt prayers were heard by several of the Spring Goddesses who were most powerful on said Night of Flutrane. If I had to judge Ehrenfest's blue robes for their piety, I'd wager that Myne is among the most pious, if not the most pious. She will be absolutely able to grasp the importance of being bestowed the names of the God of Darkness and Goddess of Light”, Ferdinand confirmed and was glad to see slight signs of apprehension on the faces in front of him.

“That is quite some high praise, Lord Ferdinand”, came Magdalena's amused remark that Ferdinand acknowledged with a gentle smile.

“My standards are high, yet Myne exceeds them routinely. There is no embellishment in my words, merely the truth. Ehrenfest should not be denied this opportunity to maximize her value just based on assumptions that she might not be worthy of said increase in status.”

“My, you truly assume her to succeed despite only receiving three years of education while every other noble child has ten and then not even all of them are deemed worthy of the education of the archduke candidate course? I am suddenly inclined to observe her etiquette examination personally”, Magdalena proposed with a smirk.

Ferdinand felt the pettiness behind her words but there was nothing he could do to stop her. Myne had been trained to interact even with Royalty after all. Even though it had been based on the assumption that the second prince might remotely interact with her. And not the Third Queen.

“Please do, Queen Magdalena. I am quite certain that she will exceed your expectations”, Ferdinand therefore commented and Magdalena only waited for a short nod from her husband before she excused herself and left for the commoner examinations that were currently still ongoing.

“If she passes even by Magdalena's judgment, this Myne may enter the Royal Academy as your tentatively adopted daughter, Lord Ferdinand”, Trauerqual said before he narrowed his eyes at both Ferdinand and Sylvester.

“But she will only receive the names of the Supreme Couple in case that she graduates with a proper engagement. Such an honor cannot be bestowed on a mere commoner after all and cannot be revoked unlike a schtappe”, he declared. While Ferdinand wanted to grit his teeth at another thing hinging on Myne securing a proper engagement he only smiled and nodded politely.

“We appreciate your judgment, Zent Trauerqual”, Sylvester confirmed and they were dismissed soon after.

“Poor Myne. Now she has to deal with your ex, while we can only wait for her to pass”, Sylvester mumbled after they had returned to Ehrenfest's dormitory and entered one of the meeting rooms with a sound blocker between them.

“I truly did not expect her to be here today. But I also did not expect Trauerqual to lead the questioning himself. Should I count it as a good sign that he is now such a strong defender against assumed blasphemy?”, Ferdinand asked with a smirk and Sylvester only shook his head while laughing.

“I'd say yes. He never seemed very pious before. I think he might have really started praying.”

“You are really daring since spring, Sylvester”, Ferdinand noted with a chuckle which seemed to exasperate his brother.

“What other options do I actually have with my own brother being the Zent hidden by Verbergen's shroud for everybody but me?”, Sylvester protested.

“Well, I approve of that change. And don't call me Zent.”

Chapter Text

The whole thing reeked of some underlying plot. Magdalena could not fathom why Ferdinand of all people had been applying for the adoption of his Devouring girl. When her head scholar had reported to her roughly three years ago that Ferdinand had been one of the first to contract a Devouring girl under the new law – mostly because she knew how much Magdalena loved to hear gossip about him that did not come from Dunkelfelger directly and their ditter-tainted glasses – she had felt a bit of pity for that girl who had to suffer his ice on the daily before she could eventually escape him by being given to some of Ehrenfest's lay- or mednobles depending on her wingspan.

But today he had way less of that ice around him. When he had spoken of that girl, praised her even, he had seemed somewhat proud actually. But then it made even less sense for him to give her away.

He is still single and a girl who matches his wingspan and cannot even refuse him is such an opportunity for him. And if he then does not even despise her it just does not make any sense. Unless the whispers that he is still oppressed in Ehrenfest are true. But even when I gave him the chance to back down, he refused the opportunity. What is going on?

And so, Magdalena changed location to the room that had been chosen for Professor Primevere's etiquette evaluation. However, it seemed that none of the girls who were rather nervously looking up from their tea as she entered seemed to be that 'Myne'.

Professor Primevere rose from her seat, knelt, and greeted her according to proper protocol and the four girls at her table tried to imitate her the best they could. Since three of those were set to become laynobles and one had been applied to be considered as a mednoble student, Magdalena did not judge them too harshly for their overwhelming cowering. She rarely met with laynobles to begin with, but whenever she did they usually did not show much more composure than those girls.

“Queen Magdalena, what might have led to the honor of welcoming you today?”, Primevere took the lead of the discussion as a good host and Magdalena smiled at her gently.

“My, it is the first year that any applications have been made and I wished to see the fruits of the Zent's law for myself”, she noted and let her eyes wander across the girls. All of them had exceedingly pale wings that were all big enough that they should be able to fly in their third year at the latest.

So they have to be under contract for longer than the three years of the law. Such large wings require the mana to be drained at age three at the latest.

“My, Professor Primevere, what might you have been discussing when I entered?”, Magdalena asked to signal that she was intent to join the tea party, not redirect it to her.

“We were discussing the apparent differences across duchies in shumil husbandry, Queen Magdalena”, Primevere readily supplied and each of the girls then summarized their experiences for her. That was at least until it was the last girl's turn to speak. She sported pale green wings and fierce, red eyes. Magdalena did not even need to check the color of her cape to identify her as a Dunkelfelgerian as said girl began to speak about wolfaniel husbandry instead.

Magdalena allowed herself a refined chuckle and indulged her in an anecdote from her own time as a little Dunkelfelger girl. But despite her origins the girl was frozen from the sudden attention on her.

Fortunately, before the atmosphere was strained by too much silence, Primevere's attendant informed them of the last Devouring girl that begged entry into the room.

This has to be Myne then. So she is late?

Of course, Primevere allowed her to enter as the host of the tea party and in walked a girl that was so very different from the frightened girls already at the table. Her step spoke of confidence, the tension in her wings spoke of control, and her smile showed nothing.

Ah, I should have expected a perfected noble smile from Ferdinand's Devouring girl. He has perfected the fine art himself and apparently did not shy away from teaching her the same. Impressive.

“I am Myne, tentative archduke candidate from Ehrenfest, and I am honored that Dregarnuhr, the Goddess of Time, decided to weave our threads together today, Queen Magdalena, Professor Primevere. May her weaving be tight and draw Greifechan's attention”, she spoke as she had been informed by the attendant of who her betters were currently.

It is no small feat to press her wings so close to the ground without touching it in consequence. She has excellent control over them. And not even the slightest sign of pride that many other children of her age and wingspan might show when they are expected to submit so openly.

As Magdalena was not keen on some power play she allowed her to rise rather directly which seemed to cause a reaction that even transcended her otherwise firm facade.

Oh, is she usually subject to that rather basic display of power by forcing her to continue kneeling?

“My, did something surprise you, Lady Myne?”, Magdalena inquired and was met with another polite smile even though it was so good that she might have even mistaken it for a genuine one.

“My apologies, I merely wondered for a short moment whether you might be under the divine protection of Gebordnung, the Goddess of Order, or Wiegemilch, the Goddess of Mercy, for it seems your affinity to the light element is rather well established”, this Myne praised her in a roundabout way for not lording her own status over her.

Maybe that is to be expected for a backwater duchy such as Ehrenfest. Wings as large as hers have to be reminding their nobles of their own inadequacy. To think that a bit of politeness already leads to such praise. And she is quite knowledgeable of the Gods.

“Lady Myne, we were discussing shumil husbandry across duchies and already spoke about the circumstance that wolfaniels are preferred over shumils in Dunkelfelger. How might that be in Ehrenfest?”, Primevere tried to integrate her into the discussion.

“My, wolfaniels are really kept as pets in Dunkelfelger? I heard how sought they are for their guarding capabilities, but it is impressive that you can keep some as pets at our age”, Myne acknowledged and smiled at the Dunkelfelger girl.

So she is already aware of the duchies' colors. Or maybe at least those of the greater duchies?

“From what I learned, Ehrenfest favors the husbandry of shumils as well. Even though pets are not allowed inside the temple I learned from one of my guard knights about the apparently quite widespread pastime of sewing the most adorable clothes for those cuties”, she continued, revealing to all in attendance her temple background.

Is she unaware of its bad reputation or trying to capitalize on the recent changes that made people start praying?

The other girls definitely seemed to pity her right now.

“My, you were not allowed to keep even some shumils, Lady Myne?”, the girl from Drewanchel inquired hesitantly but Myne only tilted her head as if she did not mind that too much.

“The temple simply has no space for them and the orphans would not understand why they were not meant for eating. But you do not need to worry about me, instead of pets I was allowed to read plenty of books. Which might be your favorite one, Lady Lisa?”, she kept the conversation going without even missing a beat.

So she already has guards and steady access to books. Ehrenfest has really invested in her. She also has no issue with working with those attendants here.

While the girls were by now talking about books Magdalena gestured her own attendant, Melitta, over.

“Why was this Myne late? Do you have the first part of her evaluation results?”, Magdalena inquired with an activated sound blocking tool and her lips hidden behind her tea cup.

Myne shot her an attentive glance but wisely decided to not mention their side discussion. Magdalena knew that she was rather rude right now, but nobody could object to her doing that. And she was glad that also this Myne understood that.

“Apparently, Professor Fraularm tested her very thoroughly. The flexibility of her feathers is apparently outstanding even for a Devouring girl, suggesting high degrees of compatibility with a wide range of lords and high fertility. And she was able to answer questions that are only covered in third year classes”, Melitta summarized.

Magdalena took a deep sip from her tea to cover for her surprise.

So Ferdinand has her drilled to the maximum? He is not taking any chances. It is actually impressive how composed she is after what must have been a hell of an education.

“Grace is a very important characteristic for a noble lady”, Primevere began as she urged the girls to rise from their seats. Myne seemed to notice how the Devouring girl from Gaussbuttel struggled to leave her chair elegantly and also how Primevere noticed that in turn. Amusingly, Myne placed her hand on her cheek and tilted her head slightly, causing one of the attendants to draw her chair back for her and offer her a hand to descend elegantly.

Indeed very graceful. And appropriate for the situation. A laynoble girl might be forgiven, but for somebody like her who is aiming for an archduke candidate status it might have been unforgivable already.

Magdalena stood up as well, curious about this next part.

They stopped at one side of the room and were in front of a small carriage. Magdalena noticed immediately how two of the girls grew uncomfortable with that, but to her great surprise, Myne seemed perfectly calm. She wondered whether that was just her superb facade or real confidence.

The door is so small that even I have to concentrate hard to pass through elegantly.

“Lady Myne, please demonstrate how to enter a carriage with grace”, Primevere instructed her to go first and she discreetly checked her surroundings and took a few steps away from everybody else before she began to spread her wings.

Those are not archduke candidate wings! Those are royal wings!

Magdalena hid her surprise and gestured once again for Melitta to activate her sound blocking tool.

“What is her wing-factor?”, she asked and Melitta quickly glanced at some wooden board before she answered.

“1.5, and 1.7 if adjusted for her smaller size”, she supplied and Magdalena was not sure whether that girl then was even a match in Ehrenfest for anybody but Ferdinand.

1.7 – that's madness. Even I am only at 1.6. She has to squeeze her feathers together all the time just to not drag them through the dirt with such a wingspan. And this is a Devouring girl Ferdinand is giving up? Is he not more likely to wish to dissect her instead?

All the while, Myne elegantly folded her wings in front of her and passed through the thin door frame without looking out of place. It seemed as if it she had done that a thousand times already.

“Thank you, Lady Myne, this is indeed the way it is done for somebody of your wingspan”, Primevere acknowledged and then told the other girls to do it as well.

But with wings as small as theirs it is not difficult in the slightest. They do not even come close to having to control their wings in such nuanced ways.

“Now, as the final part of this evaluation, I wish to confirm the control you have over your mana. As in all things, if you cannot control your mana, you cannot control your actions. For this particular exercise, the Sovereignty temple provided the shield of Schutzaria. You may familiarize yourself with it shortly as I will then ask you to supply exactly one small stone of mana to it with closed eyes”, Primevere stated and the door to an adjacent room was opened.

The man that now entered had seen a sudden increase in status over the last seasons, but Magdalena was still not sure whether he actually deserved any particular praise. While he knew at least a bit of the ancient language it seemed that somebody with a proper noble education as Ferdinand had been able to decipher the mysterious inscriptions way faster when he had inspected that pillar of divine messages over the emergency archduke conference.

However, Relichion had effectively refused to hand over the divine instrument to anybody and had insisted on holding it the whole time. He had not minded the donation of mana that the instrument was to receive but he had seemed rather unappreciative that that was about to come from commoners at that point.

Now, he held Schutzaria's shield with gloved hands and waited.

The girl from Gaussbuttel was first. She offered three small stones of mana to the shield before she declared to be ready for the test. With closed eyes she began to fill the shield again.

She stopped quite some time after that small stone has lit up. But at least she did not offer to few mana. And she stopped before a second stone lit up.

Magdalena also noticed how that girl now seemed rather drained.

Relichion said that one small stone is something that his blues usually offer. So now that she had spent a total of almost five she might actually be at her limit.

The other girls did not perform much better or much worse. They all placed their hand on the shield and offered more than one stone, but less than two in the end.

Then, it was Myne's turn. In contrast to all the other girls, she knelt in front of Relichion and the divine instrument.

“May I pray for a blessing in appreciation of Schutzaria, the Goddess of Wind, on this auspicious autumn day?”, she asked much to anybody's surprise.

“You may”, Relichion allowed with a smug face and a straightened back as a small yellow light settled into him.

“Thank you, High Bishop, for offering the chance to offer our mana to Schutzaria today”, she continued with a polite smile and then struck a perfect prayer pose.

Seems like the part about her being a very dedicated blue shrine maiden is the truth.

She touched the big feystone in the middle and sent her mana in until the partially charged small stone changed color. Then, she immediately declared to be ready to be tested.

Has she just reset the shield so that she can provide the exact amount from memory?

“O Goddess of Wind Schutzaria, and the twelve Goddesses who serve by her side, accept my donation so that you may shield your sister Geduldh strongly from Ewigeliebe”, she then prayed.

Magdalena was not even surprised anymore as she removed her hand as soon as the first small stone changed its color.

This is far from the first time that she has done that.

“Why don't we drink another cup of tea, Lady Myne”, Magdalena suggested even though she knew that the girl was in no position to refuse. And it was quite obvious that Myne was aware of that as well.

Primevere meanwhile went over her farewells with the other girls. But Magdalena did not care too much about lay- and mednobles. Not, when such a pious girl was in front of her and quite literally up for taking.

Even though it is unthinkable that anybody of our Royal Family would take her on as third wife. But Myne might actually be mistress material for us. And how likely is it for her to actually find a suitable match at the Royal Academy? Those with enough mana to match her cannot simply forfeit the political gains of a honorable third wife of proper noble blood. Even if Myne is allowed to study as a noble she might still end up on the path of a mistress. And then, we should not hesitate to take her. After all, Ferdinand stated more than once that he does not want her for that. Even though I still don't see why.

“Myne, Aub Ehrenfest reported that you were the reason for a particular miracle in one of his provinces this spring”, Magdalena began when the other girls had left already. Relichion had also taken it upon himself to return the divine instrument to its proper storage location.

Myne tilted her head in an almost adorable way before she shook it slightly.

“There was just some discrepancy between their local traditions and the text in the High Bishop's bible, Queen Magdalena. When they changed their praises and prayers to match those, Verdrenna seemed able to hear them again and worked hard for their sake”, she explained politely even though it did not make much sense to Magdalena.

“You assume the literal Goddess Verdrenna to be the cause of this particular miracle?”, Magdalena inquired and Myne nodded.

“There are many things that are accepted as the work of Gods that happen after praying to them and offering mana, no? I do not believe it to be that different from asking Flutrane to strengthen Geduldh in Spring Prayer after winter or healing the land with Flutrane's and her subordinates' might after a trombe extermination”, she judged.

“I am aware of Spring Prayer, but what might this healing contain?”, Magdalena noted as she thought about the inscription on the pillar.

Healing and change. I thought that means we will have to wait for something to occur on the Night of Flutrane but this can also be achieved with prayer? Is that the meaning of 'Start praying'?

“A trombe is a calamity that leaves behind a huge crater of destroyed and manaless land, Queen Magdalena. The healing ritual by the temple is executed in such a case with Flutrane's staff at its center to allow Geduldh to recover immediately. The brown and sad terrain grows back with life as it is infused with mana and the prayer for healing reaches the Goddesses”, Myne explained and Magdalena's curiosity was definitely piqued. A smile rose to her face.

“My, Melitta, please inquire with Relichion that he may prepare Flutrane's staff for the demonstration of such a ritual”, Magdalena instructed one of her attendants who immediately departed while Myne's eyes widened slightly. Even though she had just confirmed that the ritual was nothing that required any special preparation.

“Queen Magdalena, might I ask you to send an ordonnanz to Lord Ferdinand to ask for his approval of me using my mana like this? I was instructed to only spend it for the benefit of Ehrenfest, which might not be the case for your request”, this Myne dared to interject but Magdalena only continued smiling at her.

That is indeed rather typical for Ferdinand. To secure this girl as a mana source with a command that limits her mana dedication to his own duchy.

“My, then we will simply do that at Ehrenfest's gathering spot, Lady Myne”, she suggested and rose from her seat. The little girl seemed shortly taken aback at this point, judging from the slight shiver in her feathers that she could not fully suppress, but immediately followed afterwards. But even though she did not subtly ask for an attendant's help this time, she jumped down gracefully once again.

How did she do that? Does she not require an attendant to help her out of her chair? I could have sworn she had shortly hovered out of it, but that does not make any sense. She did not flap at all.

“As you wish, Queen Magdalena. Dedicating mana to the spot that provides all Ehrenfest students with resources they require for their education is indeed to the benefit of Ehrenfest”, she confirmed but it was clear that she was slightly anxious about that.

“Is anything amiss, Myne?”, she asked as they walked through the hallways surrounded by her retainers and a few additional knights of the Sovereignty Knight Order since the Royal Academy was not as empty as usually in autumn.

“Oh, please think nothing of it, Queen Magdalena, I am simply not used to walk anywhere without my personal guard knights anymore, not that I would not place my utmost trust in those currently with us”, she answered with slight signs of uneasiness but Magdalena attributed that mainly to the arguably stressful situation she had just put that girl in.

She had mentioned her guards during the tea party but she seems really used to retainers already. Ferdinand seems to have her prepared quite well indeed for a jump in status from commoner to archduke candidate. He is obviously still not one to take any risks.

They encountered Relichion in his office just as the ordonnanz from her attendant had stated and while he seemed not overly happy to hand over a divine instrument it seemed at least that he was relieved as Myne took it into her hands with the proper respect he expected.

As they finally departed the building Magdalena gestured for some of the knights to spread out a carrying sheet for her, before she wondered just how well prepared this Myne already was.

“Myne, I assume flying to Ehrenfest's gathering spot will not pose any issue for you?”, she suggested and spread her own wings tentatively to let the wind stream through her feathers.

“It does not, Queen Magdalena, even though I must ask to be assigned somebody who will supervise my flight as I am not allowed to fly on my own yet”, she noted.

“Loyalitat, please prepare a net and keep an eye on her flight”, Magdalena instructed the man who immediately produced his schtappe and transformed it into a net.

“Very well, allowing a child without a schtappe to fly on their own does indeed seem unnecessarily risky”, she agreed and flapped twice to take flight.

But Magdalena did not hear any flapping from the girl behind her.

Did she lie about being able to fly? Is carrying Flutrane's staff too heavy of a burden for her perhaps?

She turned around to look at the girl, only to see her actually flying behind her. Seeing somebody fly without flapping felt as eerie as looking somebody in the eye who did not blink.

What kind of flying style is this? Is this how priests and shrine maiden are taught to fly if their wings are actually large enough? Is it some long forgotten divine technique?

Magdalena decided against saying anything and merely led her group to the spot in question.

Visiting foreign gathering spots was always a bit daring since there were many traps from former ditter matches still hidden that only those of the duchies truly knew, but Magdalena did not feel overly concerned by that. She trusted her knights. They were the best of the country after all.

Ehrenfest's gathering spot seemed in a rather pitiful state. Even for a backwater middle duchy it was rather sparse. Myne did not seem bothered by the speed of flight the group had chosen even though she grabbed the staff rather dearly as if she feared she might drop it.

She is still a bit on the smaller side. One might mistake her for nine years old if not for those skirts.

“Myne, please demonstrate this healing ritual that you spoke of. I'd like to observe it”, Magdalena commented and wondered whether she could truly see the divine machinations that Myne swore by.

“As you wish”, the girl complied and descended to roughly the center of the gathering spot. With a quick gesture Magdalena ordered Loyalitat and another knight to guard her during that ritual as they were still in the middle of a forest and some feybeasts might be lurking in the desolate bushes.

“Thank you for your service”, Myne acknowledged them as they stood just two steps away from her and she calmly placed Flutrane's staff on the ground while steading it with both hands.

“I will spread my wings, so please take care to avoid them”, she then warned and closed her eyes as the knights nodded their understanding.

Magdalena looked on with eagerness to not miss any detail.

“O Goddess of Water Flutrane, bringer of healing and change. O twelve goddesses who serve by her side. Please hear my prayer and lend me your divine strength. Grant me the power to heal your sister, the Goddess of Earth Geduldh, who has been wounded by those who serve evil. I shall offer this divine note to thee, casting ripples of the highest order. May you fill the world with your royal color to mine own heart’s content.”

Magdalena was surprised that this prayer attributed the damage to 'those who serve evil' but she did not disagree that it was an apt phrasing if the usual case was the healing after a trombe had ravaged the land.

The wind that was rising around Myne, who had indeed spread out her wings to the maximum, seemed more like Schutzaria's doing to Magdalena but she held her breath to see what else might happen.

What is this giant magic circle?!

The ground lit up with a vast network of sigils and connecting lines, revealing a highly complex magic circle that was currently supplied by Myne and the mana she pushed into it through Flutrane's staff.

She exchanged a quick glance with her own head knight who only nodded with wide eyes. It did not seem like an offensive magic circle, but it definitely appeared old, and powerful.

The change in scenery was even more surprising. Just like Myne had claimed did the ground recover from this ritual, but that it did so firmly constrained by the ocher barrier was worth a critical thought or two.

The grass grew until suddenly the whole magic circle seemed to lift off and rise.

Myne opened her eyes at that point and seemed totally surprised by the sight as well, but nevertheless continued to pour her mana into it.

And the higher the circle moved, the higher the plants grew, until Myne suddenly began to tremble and dropped Flutrane's staff to the ground. The circle faded away in just that moment as well and the plants stopped growing.

“Melitta, attend to her. Make sure she did not overexpend her mana right now. The mana cost must have been immense”, Magdalena quickly ordered her attendant to work as she tried to push the slight feelings of regret far away.

Myne had spoken so casually of this ritual that I did not expect her to not know her limits.... But in the end she is still a girl without even a schtappe. I should have kept a closer eye on her condition here.

Melitta quickly donned her mana blocking gloves and descended to the girl who was by now kneeling on the ground as if utterly exhausted. With a quick gesture of Magdalena's head the rest of their group descended as well.

“..., I apologize for the unsightly display”, Myne mumbled under quite obvious physical stress with both hands firmly on the ground to steady herself.

“At my belt is a rejuvenation potion, milady, can you help me drink it? The one with the green cap, not the gray cap”, she instructed Melitta who did not question that and searched her belt for the vial.

So Ferdinand even supplies her with rejuvenation potions? If they are suitable for her mana capacity then she is carrying quite the expensive brew at her belt.

Once again, Magdalena was confused about their relationship and his scheme in making her a noble just to then have her marry out.

Is this really just so that Ehrenfest can trade her against mere mednobles in turn? This seems like such a backwater move.... But they are arguably exactly that.

Melitta took a sniff from the vial to confirm its contents and actually frowned at that.

“Lady Myne, are you sure this is suitable for consumption?”, she inquired cautiously but Myne seemed quite at her limit to stay conscious.

“Yes, milady. Please help me drink it”, she asked once again and Melitta complied even though she did not seem very in favor of the idea.

However, the girl reacted quite as expected as she ingested it. She even sighed in relief as the effect seemed to take place and removed her hands from the ground before she slowly stood up.

“Lady Myne, what was this magic circle right now?”, Magdalena asked as the girl seemed able to converse again but she only shook her head with a polite smile.

“My apologies, Queen Magdalena, I do not know that. It seemed similar to the magic circle I saw over Spring Prayer, but my studies have not progressed to such intricate magic circle design yet”, she said.

While Magdalena wanted to ask more, it was quite obvious that Myne was at her limits despite the rejuvenation potion.

Moving so much mana, even if it gets replenished, is indeed draining.

“Are you still able to fly, Lady Myne?”, she asked but did not expect a positive answer.

“If we fly a bit slower, yes, Queen Magdalena”, she actually said.

Impressive. Just how used is she to moving mana all the time? Such a valuable resource and instead of locking her up and making her a mistress, Ehrenfest is giving her away. Are they mad? Or is this an intricate plan that will make Ferdinand once again defend his moniker of 'Lord of Evil'?

As they returned to the main building, she instructed her attendant to inform Ferdinand that he may retrieve his Devouring girl and to provide a report for him of her 'healing' Ehrenfest's gathering spot, leading to her current exhaustion. She wanted to make sure that nobody thought that they had stolen some of her mana or taken undue advantage of her.

But after the meeting had ended and Myne had been guided away by two of her knights to be reunited with Ferdinand, Magdalena was still not sure what to think about all that she had seen today. As her performance had indeed been without fault, she had sent Trauerqual her assessment that Myne was to be allowed to be tentatively adopted. They were signing the contracts about now, she mused.

Is Ferdinand and Ehrenfest perhaps investing in this Myne to learn from her piety and hope to do more tests once she has a Divine Will? Or do they truly expect her to woo one of the adolescent boys with a comparable wingspan for how unlikely it actually is. Archduke candidates and archnobles of such caliber rarely have any wife slots to waste after all.

She was lost in those thoughts as she was suddenly alerted by her head knight to stop, that somebody was around the corner. Her head scholar gestured to her ears and so she channeled mana into them to enhance her hearing.

Are there actually fools who do not use sound blockers for critical discussions?

“...did I pass?”, was the shy and quiet voice of Myne who was now quite firmly set up as Ferdinand's adopted daughter on the condition that she could secure a proper engagement up to her graduation.

Oh? Interesting.

Magdalena gestured all of her retainers to remain quiet and standing, while she hoped that the discussion could go on even further.

“Myne, later”, came the hissed answer from Ferdinand who seemed firmly aware that they were in a situation where they could be overheard.

Disappointing. But to be expected.

“Understood, Papa.”

Magdalena could not believe her ears and judging from the sudden surprise written on the faces of her retainers they could neither.

“Fool. This is not private at all. Later...”, were the last quietly hissed words before they apparently turned around another corner and were truly out of reach to be overheard by them.

Papa? That girl was calling him 'Papa' already? She actually, truly, sees him as a father figure? Is that why he does not want her as his mistress? Because he cares for her like for a daughter? Did this Myne thaw his ice? Is that even possible?

Magdalena had even more to think about now.

Chapter Text

As soon as I returned from the Royal Academy with the greatest smile I could have plastered on my face from now being officially adopted by Ferdinand I was greeted by four quite familiar faces and one I could not place at all. The closeness with which this lady stood to Damuel however allowed for an easy guess that she was his wife.

“Ah, very good, everybody could make it in time”, Ferdinand said next to me and gestured all of us to follow him into a meeting room, while Lord Sylvester, who was now technically my tentative uncle excused himself almost immediately.

“Myne has passed her evaluation as expected and has been officially adopted by me, hence, making it necessary for her to take on retainers”, Ferdinand announced. Damuel smiled at me proudly, while Angelica smiled at me... with that absolutely mindless smile that was however still very pleasant. Cornelius seemed like he had not actually expected me to pass and Hartmut... he smiled at me serenely but it somehow unsettled me deeply which Ferdinand immediately picked up on.

“Myne, I am under the impression that you already met a few times with Hartmut in preparation for his role as your head scholar, but please do not hesitate to come to me should you require any input on how to handle scholars since he will be your first”, he commented just as if he had intended to say something like this for just any scholar and not just this one here in particular.

Hartmut seemed to have gotten the message as well as he shot a glance to Ferdinand before he nodded politely. And he was still smiling serenely.

“Apart from those four you already know, Myne, I'd like to introduce you to Bernadette. She will be your attendant outside the temple and is actually Damuel's wife so I do not foresee any issues”, he commented. Having an attendant I could trust rather unconditionally was important after all. And her ties to Damuel, who was already quite some pillar for me, made that possible.

But that means she is a laynoble as well. And I do not see any other attendants introduced to me. Will that really be okay? Just one layattendant? Did Ferdinand not say that that was bad for my chances to convince people of me being worthy of a proper marriage?

The only disappointment was that Ferdinand refused to really celebrate my adoption already. He insisted that still a lot had to be achieved till my debut and that he would arrange for an adequate celebration only after that. So I had to get all my celebratory hugs from Tuuli for the time being. And a few head pats when nobody was looking from Ferdinand, since he was not actually mean enough to deny me any kind of acknowledgement for passing this insane test! But still... delayed gratification was not my favorite thing.

“Myne, I'd like you to accompany me to one of the provinces today”, Ferdinand said a few days later after I had started to move from the temple into his estate. I was surprised to learn that he as well had a layattendant and that that building was where he had initially brought me after my surgery for recovery.

Lasfam's presence however had helped Bernadette to settle in. She had seemed rather intimidated at first – by Ferdinand, his retainers and especially by Hartmut. I had noticed at more than one occasion that Hartmut had actively ordered her around even though she was clearly meant as my attendant and not his.

“Oh, okay, Ferdinand. Will I bring my retainers with me?”, I asked, trying to get the hang of this whole thing.

“Only the adult ones. Your apprentices are not yet allowed to leave the noble's quarter for work so they will have to stay behind”, he explained and I nodded. That meant only Damuel and Bernadette then.

“May Steifebrise of the Goddess of Wind Schutzaria's exalted twelve fill our wings with grace and speed”, I prayed for our little group that consisted of Ferdinand, Eckhart and Justus as well as Damuel, Bernadette and me.

Yellow lights rained down on anybody but me. But while Damuel already knew this prayer since I had blessed him like this over Spring Prayer regularly so had he had an easier time to keep up with me, everybody else stared at me rather openly.

“What kind of prayer was this, Myne?”, Ferdinand asked while he spread his wings tentatively.

“One to increase the speed of flight, Ferdinand. Damuel and Bernadette might have a hard time keeping up with our group otherwise, no?”, I asked and he smirked at me.

“In which book did you find that spell?”, he asked in an amused tone but I raised an eyebrow at him.

“In none. It's just a prayer. You pray and then magic happens, no?”, I asked, confused why he thought it was such a special thing when it worked like this all the time.

“Milady, you are rather the exception here”, Justus commented with an amused smirk of his own but I could only shrug. Or rather do the elegant noble equivalent of it and tilt my head slightly with a hand on my cheek.

“My, during my interview even Queen Magdalena seemed quite keen to talk about the benefits of prayer”, I said and Ferdinand sighed at that.

“It's not wrong to keep that up, Myne. It's the current trend originating from the Sovereignty anyway”, Eckhart confirmed that for me. Bernadette just smiled politely and hid a bit behind Damuel.

I knew it would take a while to get her out of her shell. But I was sure we would find a way to make this work for both of us. So far, she had at least not looked down on my former temple attendants, now officially servants. Wilma and Rosina had both looked so happy when I bought them that I had not dared to actually feel bad about that whole concept of buying people for long. The grays lived a life dictated by the whims of nobility anyway. In a way me buying them for my exclusive service actually improved their life and the risk they were at.

“This boost in speed is indeed impressive, milady”, Justus praised while we rested over lunch near some nice pond.

“Thank you, Justus, but it seems since you all are so very eager to use this increase to the maximum, we are still putting quite some strain on Damuel and Bernadette, no?”, I asked and let an apologetic smile drift over those two who seemed indeed already a bit exhausted.

“It is expected of a group to not fly faster than the slowest member, Myne, but in turn it is expected of the slowest member to fly as fast as can be endured to not slow down the whole group unduly”, Ferdinand explained to me and I nodded. That made sense in a way, even though that meant that we were only flying faster but not at less strain for my retainers.

“Myne, since we are currently away from prying ears, let me shortly brief you on what we actually intend to achieve today”, Ferdinand began and I saw the increase in attention in both Damuel and Bernadette while Eckhart and Justus seemed already aware of what Ferdinand was going to reveal.

“We are interviewing a potential apprentice medattendant for you today, Myne. The girl is your age, which means that she cannot officially work as your attendant yet, but she can still do tasks for you. There are plenty that even first year students will be able to fulfill and I am actually a bit worried about getting you enough attendants, Myne. Every single one that I approached so far refused on the grounds that Lady Charlotte is the far more desirable choice or that they will not be able to move out of Ehrenfest upon your graduation, since their houses have other plans for them”, he explained and I nodded.

“Wait, does that mean, you would follow me into another duchy, Bernadette and Damuel?!”, I asked quite surprised as I had not expected that at all from them.

“No, Myne, this is rather unlikely. I would expect them to start their family rather soon and Bernadette would then drop from your retinue to take care of their children. While that means her service to you will most likely be limited to a few short years it at least meant securing any adult attendant for you on short notice”, he noted rather dejectedly but I simply nodded.

“Oh, I bet your children will be super cute!”, I exclaimed and Bernadette smiled at me quite sincerely.

“I appreciate your understanding of our situation, Lady Myne”, she said while I was just glad that she had actually volunteered for the position still despite it being so undesirable for women to serve me.

“So, we will interview this girl today? Why would she be the exception to anybody else? And you said she is a mednoble even?”, I asked, confused what kind of girl that might be.

Ferdinand seemed a bit uncomfortable to answer that as he looked away and coughed.

“Her family merely wishes to be compensated financially for parting with her, she would then move to my estate and live as my ward. As such it would fall to me to decide where she should seek employment”, Ferdinand said but I stared at him as his words sunk in.

“You would be buying her for me?”, I asked, suddenly feeling a heavy lump in my stomach and I felt my wings droop from the inhumanity of such an approach.

“It is not that different from when you bought your grays, Myne”, he commented but my throat felt too dry to swallow right now.

“It is also not too different from having somebody sign a submission contract”, I noted quietly and looked up from the ground as I noticed his face almost directly in front of my own as he had squatted down.

He patted my head, despite us not being in his hidden room but in front of his and my retainers right now and I could not help but smile a bit again.

“How bad that is depends on who you sign with, no?”, he suggested gently and I sighed as I leaned into his hand.

“Right. And you are the best after all!”, I proudly declared with so much sudden force that I spread my wings wide in consequence, causing both Damuel and Bernadette to jump out of my vicinity.

Ooops.

“My, Lord Ferdinand, when your inquiry reached us we were quite surprised”, the one who had introduced himself as the head of the house spoke after greetings had been exchanged and tea had been served. Notably by a girl of at least ten years, just judging from the length of her skirts. Her wings suggested that she was actually a proper mednoble, but her whole behavior seemed to suggest an attitude of a servant.

At first I thought her eyes were as gray as her hair but it seemed they actually got some of that blue of her wings as well, turning them somehow turquoise. I wondered how she looked when she smiled since her neutral smile did not show much joy.

“As you can see, Myne has passed her exam to be allowed to enter the Royal Academy as my adopted daughter and as such, I am looking for servants for her”, he commented and smiled at him with that inviting, divine smile that I had seen so often on him and that I by now knew was his defense in this noble society.

“Ah, and of course it would be most convenient to have said servant living with her constantly in your estate”, this noble agreed with some strange smirk that made me wonder what he was getting at. Wilma and Rosina also lived in that estate and it was indeed convenient that they did not need to commute.

They then discussed more of the tasks that the girl that I had by then learned was named Gretia was already able to perform.

I did not say one word during that whole discussion especially since it seemed that Ferdinand grew angrier the longer they talked.

Not that anybody of our hosts seemed to be aware of that. Gretia refilled everybody's tea quite diligently all the while and I sent her a smile when it seemed that they had arrived at an agreement.

But had they really just effectively sold their daughter to Ferdinand for three large golds?

“Do you wish to inspect her first, Lord Ferdinand?”, the head of the house asked as he took a small leather bag from Ferdinand that suspiciously clinked as if from coins and I was really really glad to not be at the receiving end of his most mesmerizing smile.

Eeep!

“I do not. Is she already able to fly?”, he asked and I felt his eagerness to leave this place behind.

“Unfortunately, no, Lord Ferdinand. I expect her to achieve that maybe around her second year at the Royal Academy”, he commented and Ferdinand stood from his chair.

“I see. Send her over to Ehrenfest then as soon as her belongings are packed.”

I was confused but it made sense that she could not accompany us if she could not yet fly.

“Ferdinand, why did you get so angry?”, I asked him when we were finally flying home and he sighed at me.

“They insinuated quite heavily that I wanted her as another mistress. Just like what they assumed of you. But since you are protected by the Zent's law till you are of age, they assumed that I wanted Gretia in the meantime. Absolutely disgusting.”

“But they don't know you, Ferdinand. They are just looking out to protect their daughter, no?”, I asked. Dad would have asked similarly indecent questions if he had just the most minor suspicion. Of that I was certain.

“No, Myne. They tried to drive up her value with those insinuations. Those comments were not about protecting her.”

The heavy frown on his face spoke volumes.

“I suddenly do not feel bad about you buying her anymore, Ferdinand. Imagine who else might have acquired her instead.”

“I'd really rather not imagine anything in this context, Myne. Let's not talk about any of this again.”