Chapter 5

Vinea sat with Lady Moira as the debutant ran wild in the room, checking everything ranging from makeup to music, to even the silk quality of his clothes. Somehow, Vinea believed that he would look better if he wasn’t something short of a bouncy ball, but you know. Who does Valerian de Astase listen to? There was no one, other than the chosen child and Lady Moira. The woman in question snapped her fan, gaining the blonde’s attention. “You utter piece of useless trash that is an insult to trash!”

“Yes, Sister?” Vinea almost cringed at the fact that Valerian knew who Lady Moira was talking to, and didn’t seem the least bit offended.

“Stop worrying so much about the thread count of your jacket! You have better things to worry about. Like how you can’t be trusted with a sword, so you won’t even have a fake one, your hair is a mess because of all your worrying, and Duke and Duchess Vystyra haven’t arrived yet! Mother is with them, you know”

Supposedly, today was the day that Vinea’s mother was supposed to die in that accident. So far, no news had come. Vinea was glad that her mother was alright. Currently, Duchess Astase, her mother, father, uncle, and aunt were on their way. They were supposed to have arrived a week ago, but the weather was too extreme and to ride in a carriage over the mountains, in rain during which you couldn’t see your feet. That just spelled trouble. But their trip was held back because of it. And today was the social debut of Valerian de Astase. Normally, a social debut would be important, as people finally were allowed to enter social gatherings and make friends who weren’t close to their families.

This year, this was even more important, as Valerian de Astase, the last son of House Astase, was finally debuting. There were only two people left in the three main houses who hadn’t debuted yet. Vinea and Felix. And apparently, it seemed that her entire family and Valerian’s mother would miss the ball.

The boy, as all, needed an escort, and traditionally, it was either an older sister or the mother for younger men. Since Duchess Arabella hadn’t arrived yet, Lady Moira was the escort, and how pretty she looked. Just like a doll.

Both brother and sister had their lips painted red, though Valerian’s wasn’t as dark as Lady Moira’s. Both wore matching clothes, in the colors of silver and blue to match their crest. Vinea wore a simple purple gown.

She wouldn’t be attending the ball, she was too young for that. And so was Reyna. But from what Vinea remembered, tonight was the night Reyna snuck into the ball and caught the eye of the Emperor and gained his favor, along with falling for someone. She didn’t remember who. She assumed it was someone different every time based on how she reacted to events and what she did.

But either way, there was a private party that the Emperor had held for the young debutant, and since it was the equivalent of a family gathering, Vinea, Reyna, and Felix got to attend as well. She would have liked to attend, but she would be a rule follower this time. She would not give anyone a reason to point a finger at her unless if she chose for them to do so.

Reyna wasn’t with them, right now, in the home of the Astase House in the capital. She sat at home, probably dressing herself up to attend in secret. But it was still clear that she was not wanted. She hadn’t even been informed that Vinea was leaving for the Astase manor, forget that Valerian had come personally to pick her up. She knew, probably. Vinea left behind enough hints to suggest it. It was like cold iron to burnt skin. Lovely.

There were running steps outside and some hushed voices were heard outside the door. They were essentially ignored by the nobles. There was a frantic knock at the door. “Come in!” Lady Moira called. In ran Fabian, holding a letter tightly. Lady Moira did not move an inch, seemingly unaffected by the commotion.

He hurried to the older woman's side and whispered something in her ear. The woman calmly stood up and stalked out. Nothing was giving anything away about the news she had heard, but the quickness of her steps suggested that haste was needed. Sharing a look with Valerian and Fabian who wouldn't meet her eyes, the three dashed after her.

Through the halls and down the stairs she raced. The trio watched from a window "Lord Vystrya!" The woman cried racing outside of the manor and onto palace grounds. The Vystrya Family and Astase Family had their capital homes on palace grounds, as descendants of royalty. And there was a plethora of people on palace grounds for the social debut. This was sure to cause a fuss.

Her brother stood with a horse ready and saddled up. He was about to mount it, when Lady Moira had called out to him. It was clear both were aware of their surroundings, or in no way would Lady Moira call her brother 'Lord Vystrya'. Though the two didn't call each other by first name, last names was also something they didn't do. This news was so urgent that Lady Moira, despite caring for societal rules, still called out for her brother. Both were equally worried, as they talked in hushed tones.

"I will not stand by as my mother's funeral starts from the carriage she was supposed to arrive in! Luke! Saddle my horse!"

"My lady, you can't"

"I can and I will. Stop me if you can Lord Vystrya, but I won't let my mother be buried without me, nor yours!" Lady Moira's black stallion came saddled, as her man servant lead it. She mounted it with little help and took off.

Adiran took off too, but his steed couldn't keep up with the woman. "Lady Astase! Wait! Lady!" Vinea had never seen her brother so frustrated. It was amusing, despite the situation. "Dammit! MOIRA! WAIT FOR ME!" Her brother called, steed galloping after her.

As the two disappeared, murmurs started from the onlookers. Those murmurs would soon become talks, talks into rumors, and rumors into gossip. How Adiran called out Moira's first name would be the talk of the town. Those two didn't deserve that.

"Fabian," Vinea asked, turning to her servant "What happened?"

"My Lady, it's not for your ears"

"There needs to be something important that happened, for Lady Moira to break conduct like that." Vinea had an idea about what might have happened, but Lady Moira's reaction meant something worse.

"My Lady you should not worry about it"

Valerian slammed his hands on the wall. "Tell me, dammit! My sister ran away on a f****n horse, screaming something about my mother's funeral! I deserve to know!"

Fabian jumped. Sometimes it was easy to forget that Valerian was older than Fabian, and that he was very naturally intimidated by him. "Yes, my Lord! There was an accident on the Northern Ridge, where the Duke's carriage slipped and fell down the cliff. All who were in it perished." He blabbed

All? Vinea was prepared for her mother's death. She thought her aunt and uncle deserved their deaths. But her father and Duchess Astase? They were supposed to live! "H-how did this happen?"

"The horses, they got spooked by a clap of thunder and the carriage slipped in rainwater. It tumbled down into the ravine." So this wasn't Lady Faybelle's fault? This was the spirit tampering with everything? Why?! It hadn't been even two weeks since she'd restarted her life! "Luckily, the Duke, who had been riding out and ahead of the carriage survived"

Vinea felt herself sag in relief, as she collided with the wall. Tears she didn't know she was shedding stopped in an instant. Sure, Duchess Astase had died, but she was prepared for any other people who died in the crash. Vinea didn't feel the slightest bit of remorse at the death of her aunt and uncle, who were, as Fabian said, innocent. That felt strange. She didn't hate the feeling.

"Are you saying that Mother is dead?" Valerian asked the boy. "Where is Father? And Brother?"

"He's already left for the grounds. Lord Flynn has no news of this. Neither does Lord Felix"

“Why didn’t they take me?!” Valerian hollored. “Why wasn’t I told!? Fabian! Get my horse saddled!” Valerian was rightfully upset. He was hiding his grief as Vinea had learned to do. She was certain he wanted to cry his heart out. There was no time for that. Both of them knew that.

“No! Get ready! You’re going to social debut!” She said.

“Didn’t you hear me? I’m not going! I have better things to worry about! Like my mother!”

“No. She’s already dead. No matter what you do, she’s not coming back” Vinea knew this was harsh. She knew this was something that Valerian should have figured out himself, that he should have time to mourn. But the debut started in less than an hour.

He stood there facing away from her, and then turned to her. He glared at her. Well, she’d seen that glare plenty of times, even in her hour of death. Before, it would have chilled her to her core. It had lost its effect now. He took a seat on a chaise. “And, who, dear Vin, will be my escort? My sister rode off into the sunset and my mother is impaled by the rocks at the bottom of the Northern Ridge. Your mother too, probably. Princess Sabrina can’t attend the debut as an escort, and the Empress is the Empress. How is that gonna work out? Are we going to summon an ancestor's ghost?”

Vinea was not phased by this rant. She knew Valerian wasn’t pleased. Who would be pleased at the news of their mother’s death? Vinea was a different story. She was pleased at the death of others, her mother happened to die besides them. But he wasn’t crying either. Seems like he was just in shock.

So much for following the rules. But what needed to be done needed to be done “No. You’re going with me”

“Are you insane?! You still have two years till your social debut! That’s social blasphemy!”

“So now you care about social rules? But barging into my room doesn’t count as breaking them?” She asked. This was going nowhere. If Valerian backed out, the prestige of House Astase would be put into question. She couldn’t have that. There had been plenty of cases in which people younger than that age were the escorts. And not for something as simple as the social debut, but for the debutante for the girls and the knighting ceremony for the boys, when both were allowed to go to social gatherings that adults attended. If she remembered correctly, either Reyna or the chosen child had been his escort to the Knighting Ceremony. How was her doing so now any different? “We need to keep the honor and the grace of House Astase and House Vystrya. My parents nor my brother are here, and you cannot be escorted by a male. Let the world know that our families are not to be broken”

Valerian wasn’t impressed. Instead, he had painted the same stoic look that Lady Moira usually held. “Fabian, dress Vin up in Vystrya house colors. Today shall be a day remembered in history. When children ignore their parents to keep face in the world”

Fabian nodded and whisked Vinea away. There was less than an hour still the ball started.

~~~~

Vinea stood outside the gates, waiting to be announced. Valerin stood with her, arms linked. While he wore the blue and silver of his crest, she similar colors of black and the same blue as the Astase’s and the Imperial House. To be honest, she only wore a black ribbon on her waist, and the rest of her dress was icy blue. She was required to wear the color to important ceremonies, as it symbolized that she was someone of higher status. There were only three other women allowed to wear such a shade of blue to an important ceremony. The Empress, the Princess, and Lady Moira.

“Don’t look anyone in the eye. Don’t mess up your expression. Don’t let anyone say anything to you. Don’t say anything to anyone. Don’t pay attention to anything that goes on in there.” Valerian repeated his rules to her. He had accepted his fate and gone along with it pretty easily. He’d picked out her dress personally. His goal was that she, despite everyone knowing who she was, would attract the least amount of attention. “Repeat it to me”

“Don’t look anyone in the eye. Don’t mess up your expression. Don’t let anyone say anything to you. Don’t say anything to anyone. Don’t pay attention to anything that goes on in there. Don’t smile. Don’t laugh. If someone steps on me, don’t react. Don’t dance with anyone but you. Stay at your sides at all times.”

“Good”

“You do realize that this is only going to start rumors, right?” She deadpanned. After that entire speech about getting her a ‘doll’ to keep rumors from starting. He’d played off the comment as a term to use as a womanizer. Clearly, Vinea found something off about it, but it was overlooked.

“My priority is keeping you safe in that den of blood crazed hyenas.” The blonde responded, pulling her forward with him as he entered. They used another entrance to the social debut ball compared to the others. They were too important to use the same entrance.

Vinea sighed at his terminology. But he wasn’t wrong. Those people were crazed for gossip rather than blood, and their laughter did sound like that of a hyena’s. She moved along with him. “You can dance, right?” He asked. Well, it was too late to answer that as the doors opened revealing them.

“Lord Valerian de Astase” The squire announced. Valerian even had a different squire than the rest of the debutantes. “Vinea vi Vystrya” He didn't give her name a title. She hadn't debuted yet, so she didn’t have the title of ‘Lady’ yet. But she still had more power than all of the other debutantes combined, and their parents. All eyes were on them, and it was understandable. After the fiasco earlier, it was certain that the news of the deaths of both of the duchesses had spread. Both of them kept a condescending face as the entered and made formal regards to the Emperor and Empress.

They were the last ones to enter, and after that, they made their way to the ballroom floor, where they would dance the first public dance of their lives. It was almost as if Vinea was debuting herself. She was much shorter than Valerian, but she guessed that it was only expected. She’d grow soon enough.

The music began playing, and the two were off, spinning and twirling. She could see why debutantes were usually accompanied by someone close to them, or else this could be awkward. She looked at Valerian and she could almost see him laugh. Almost. The slightest twitch of an eyebrow.

Valerian de Astase had the same icy blonde waist length hair that the rest of the Astases flaunted. Not gold like a prince’s but almost silver. And the same blue eyes that the dukedoms and the imperial family flashed. Something about their heritage being stemmed from the three ancient siblings who had taken over the country and turned it into an Empire. Not all who were born had the same eyes, but only those who sported them could lead the families. Valerian sported them, his older siblings sported them. The Imperial Family sported them. Her entire living family, including Reyna, sported them. The chosen child sported them.

Those eyes of rulers long past were a reason that she was supported as the spirit’s chosen child. Vinea, this time, would make sure to rip those eyes out.

Valerian stopped spinning her and let her go, as the second dance began, this one for only the debutantes. Vinea watched in amusement as a girl tried to gain Valerian’s favor, with that stoic face of his.

She started being swarmed by the crowd as a hand pulled her through it and towards the back where it was less crowded. She didn’t scream. She didn’t gasp. She didn’t cry. She wasn’t scared. Nothing could be scarier than facing your own death, that was for certain. Even kidnapping wasn’t that bad. Not to mention, it would take guts to try and kidnap Lady Vinea vi Vystrya when she’d come as escort to Lord Valerian de Astase.

“Vinea”

“Yes?”

“What in God’s name are you doing here?” The hand’s voice asked. This was Valerian’s older and Lady Moira’s younger brother, Lord Flynn de Astase. He, at age eighteen, was already knighted, and given the title of ‘Lord’ as Valerian had received today.

“Did you hear?”

“About how my sister rode off into the sunset with her starcrossed and forbidden lover? Yes, it’s impossible not to hear about it” Flynn was the nicer sibling as portrayed in society. From what she remembered from her adolescence, he had a boyish charm and the traits of a womanizer, though she didn’t remember if he’d ever snuck out with one of his targets, by choice, she meant.

Compared to Flynn, Valerian was a hyperactive blob.

“Well, we couldn’t have House Astase be shamed any more. So I decided to be the escort”

“Valerian let you? He didn’t let Fabian within ten meters of you for the first month that the boy was your servant. And he was only eight. You two were even younger.” The young man was skeptical, but that was to be expected. Valerian was oddly on nerve when Fabian had entered the household, saying that the boy ‘smelt like beasts’. Or that’s what she remembered. She had found it rude, seeing as to how he had bunked with beasts. “Then again, Valerian isn’t a stupid creature, even if he himself is a beast”

Vinea looked at the man with concerned eyes. She would never talk about Felix like that. Felix was her beloved little brother. Flynn called Valerian a beast. “What do you mean?”

“Don’t you remember the time he went berserk and attacked that maid who slapped you?” She’d been slapped by a maid before this? She didn’t remember “He cracked her skull with his bare hands. He’s not trusted with a sword despite having the skills to control it” Vinea remembered that. Complete animal instincts, that child had. Almost as if Valerian was the one who lived with beasts, not Fabian.

Vinea looked around the ballroom, mind automatically picking out certain faces who had lead to her doom. She vowed revenge on them all. But they weren’t her top priority, not yet anyway. She had bigger fish to fry. She spotted Reyna looking from far away. She had probably sneaked in with the other guests.

She watched as her cousin watched the debutantes with lust in her eyes. She wanted whatever they had. She wanted the honor and pride of being a debutante. For all eyes to be on her for once. Fret not, that was exactly what Vinea planned, for all eyes on her.

“Who now is a beast? Is it Lord Valerian? I would love to see a show of his, if possible!” A new voice was heard. Vinea almost jumped in shock. She’d never this voice before. No, she had. Late in her life, she’d met the adult owner of this voice. They were a mere child right now. Well, a debutante today.

Vinea whipped around to find a young man almost as tall and half the width of Valerian. He had shoulder length black hair and pretty amber eyes. “Vinea, this is Lord Winston, a debutant this year. And my former sociology student” Vinea remembered Flynn used to teach other members of nobility, because he believed that everyone should have basic education. That was a reason he favored the chosen child, who believed just that, but more extreme.

The amber eyed man bowed to her extravagantly, introducing himself “Ansel, investment of the Earl Winston, at your service”

Flynn laughed “You’re not an investment, you’re a ward and a son”

“Who’ll be leaving this year, thank you very much. Now, I’ll be able to live and work at the wizard tower, away from the Winston manor!" This person really didn’t like the Winstons, understandable. Vinea hated them too.

"You'll still have to come to society meetings, you know? That's why you debuted today" Flynn explained. Young Ansel really didn't seem to care. Instead, he ignored him and bowed to Vinea.

"Lady Vystrya, I send you my regards~" How did he know her name? From what she remembered, meaning what Valerian told her, Ansel had been late to the ceremony and only managed to get a single dance in, before Valerian had stormed out for some reason, returning.

“I, as well, Lord Ansel Winston” She listened as Flynn and Ansel chatted, getting her thoughts in order. This was getting nowhere. She had lost sight of Valerian, meaning he had done the same. It was a wonder how he hadn’t flipped the entire venue from it’s roots.

Reyna danced with a debutant, who was enjoying asking random girls to dance. Well, there was a first time for everything. But Reyna seemed distracted. Disgustingly distracted. Just who was she watching? Who had she fallen for?

It couldn’t have been either of her brothers, they weren’t present, nor was it Fabian, probably. The Crown Prince was also out of the equation. He wasn’t a debutant. And he was, who Vinea supposed, the chosen child was destined for. She’d never know for sure, but that was her hunch. So that left two possible contenders.

From the corner of her eye, she spotted Valerian looking around. She was told to stay within his sights at all times. Oh, she couldn’t even imagine the scolding she’d recieve now. “It seems my escort is getting ready to leave. I, too, shall go now, my Lord”

“I look forward to meeting again, Lady Vinea vi Vystrya. Please, I shall be calling upon you soon.”

“Yes, I look forward to it! Goodbye! Goodbye Lord Flynn” She curtsied and hurried away to Valerian. Her mind ran wild like a horse.

Ansel Winston, a magician of the Council of Grim and later on it’s leader. Right now, he would be assigned at the palace tower, but at age sixteen, next year, he would leave the palace, finding its treatment of the chosen child disgusting. He was adopted by childless Earl Winston when he found a little orphaned Ansel performing some tricks to earn something. As a patron should, he taught the child everything he needed to know, before he debuted. Soon, after the appearance of the chosen child, Earl Winston would find his illegitimate child and kick Ansel to the curb. She wasn’t the only one whose life got destroyed.

From what she remembered, he had always been against that creature, at least within the time of her life. He’d always be trying to get her to abandon the cursed child. He’d personally seek her out and try to get her to switch sides, sometimes as if his own life depended on it. Now, she knew that it would have been a good idea to listen to him. It would be in her best interests to create an alliance with him.

“Lady Vinea” Valerian’s voice was gruff. She could see the vein protruding from his forehead. Even if she had been in the company of her brother, he didn’t know that. He probably thought that she’d been off, whisked away by some noble, no better than a con artist.

She bowed. “Lord Valerian” She took his arm. “Are we leaving now?”

“Yes. It seems like your brother has learned of the situation. Before he barges in here, we must leave. I have said my goodbyes. You had none to give. We leave”

Valerian was acting so different now. Maybe it was because he was suppressing his feelings, something he was not used to doing. He was a hothead, in the best of terms, and everything he thought showed on his face like an open book. Today, to keep face, his face was aloof, bored, calculating. Vinea felt his pain, but at the same time felt none at all.

She let him lead her outside and to the carriage. They boarded and let the driver take them to the Vystrya Manor. Valerian, despite still stoic faced, had tears welling in his eyes. His mother had died. So had her’s. She had been close to her mother, and even though she was prepared for it, her mother’s death still hit her like a rock.

Now that the impending danger of shaming their houses was over their heads, the fact finally set in. Both were left motherless. Painfully alone. Valerian was just as close to his mother as Vinea had been before the entire traveling back in time scenario and the chosen child fiasco. This was his first time experiencing his mother’s death. It made sense that he cried. She was his mother.

Vinea was surprised to find that her eyes were completely dry.

~~~~~~

Mikhaln Fact Point

Important Ceremonies

Social Debut - At age 15, both male and female debutants are able to enter the presociety of nobility, and allowed to establish their groups and cliques. They are able to attend formal gatherings arranged by other debutants.

Debutante - At age 16, girls are allowed to properly attend high society gatherings and such, anything that is formal.

Knighting Ceremony - At age 16, boys are knighted and become full-fledged knights able to fight in war. As girls, they can attend proper gatherings now.

Coming of Age Ceremony - At age 20, men and women are now considered adults, full-fledged members of society, and can now marry. It's an event that, unlike the prior events, takes place on a singular level. Each person who is of age will have their own ceremony. The amount of privacy depends on how powerful your house is. House Astase or House Vystrya would basically have to invite all of the nobles in the empire, and some in other kingdoms.