"Hahahahah!"
A calm afternoon was shattered by Spesavia's cackles.
Three heads looked up.
Aureum was by the window, while Hiems and Gemmo had been setting up the wooden bottles.
They had just come in from a walk around the stables. The young men who worked there didn't have anybody else to bring them lunch, and Hiems knew that. So during this quiet hour, the horses got to fascinate little Gemmo. Aureum just needed the air and sunlight. She would have gone anywhere.
"Mors returned! And as it could only be expected, he has nothing!"
The old woman grinned from ear to ear.
"Even Maledic is going to have a hard time holding onto all of us with no reason."
"Finally," Aureum said just at the same time Hiems spoke of his concerns.
"Let's hope you're right."
Aureum resisted the urge to glance at him.
"Gwammomo…" Gemmo said.
"Oh, that was nearly a word," Aureum said. "Good job, Gemmo."
Gemmo smiled and giggled.
"Pft!" Spesavia made a noise at Hiems. "It's a good start after all the nonsense I've been forced through."
"If your plan is to have them let you go, Spesavia," Hiems said. "It's a terrible one."
"I know that! You fool!" Spesavia spat. "Maybe they'll let you lot go. That would be for the best. And on that note, Aureum? Maledic wants you to be Vitreum's playmate for a while."
"Why?"
She knew that he was looking for friends for the girl, but Aureum was all wrong for it. She was too old, and with little background, especially so far from her home, and of a student of someone he currently kept imprisoned.
On one hand, she would want to curry favor, on the other, maybe she would have animosity against the whole household.
There has to have been a reason a bit more specific than availability.
"The girl begged for you two, but he—here she pointed at Hiems—is far too suspicious for Maledic to even consider it."
Am I not as suspicious? Aureum thought. No, what is meant is probably "dangerous."
"I've already agreed on your behalf," Spesavia said. "It's an excellent chance to assure the lord of our good intentions. And bury suspicions."
They were drowning in suspicions.
The image of Lord Maledic impassively watching her from that wheelchair arose unbidden. Aureum swallowed.
I don't know if he can be so easily swayed.
Cozying up to his granddaughter wouldn't be the simplest task. He would see through it, probably. But she also remembered how he smiled down at Vitreum.
He might be able to tell what's happening, but if I make him happy it might work anyways.
"I won't say no. It's worth a shot."
At least that is what she had said.
Later, waiting before his door, her feelings again became quite different on the matter.
This is insane. So what if he looks meek in front of his grankid? That doesn't mean he'll let me live if I make her cry!
Aureum ignored her panicked thoughts as she opened the door.
It wasn't the sitting room for once. This seemed to be Lord Maledic's own room. From the bed, and the fireplace, and the writing desk, it couldn't be anything else.
But it was too small. It wasn't even the size of Caducus' study.
She kneeled. Maledic sat facing the fire.
"I told you didn't have to bother with this," he said.
Aureum stood as she soon as she was invited to.
"Can I stand before you in every meeting? Or am I going too far?"
Her tone was on the edge of spite. She tried to force herself to calm down.
"As a student of Spesavia, you get certain privileges from me. Mostly because listening to her complain if you got sick from the cold floor would be tiring."
He rubbed his eyes.
"I don't see Vitreum," Aureum said.
"Ah? Was it not clear? I want to talk to you about being Vitreum's… friend."
You can just call me her playmate, or nanny, my Lord. I don't care.
She didn't have a problem with being treated like a servant by him. Or rather, whatever he chose to call it, it was the same treatment.
"It doesn't seem like there's much to discuss," Aureum said. "I'm willing to lend Vitreum some of my time. As she needs it."
Can I go?
Aureum's mission of fishing for favor had already vanished from her mind.
"It seems like you need very little motivation to see her."
"She's a friend," Aureum said.
She shook her head.
"I brought her into all this. I can't bear full responsibility for her, but if she's feeling lonely I can talk to her. Hiems seems better at playing with her. Of course he isn't a choice but—
Aureum clamped her mouth shut and looked down.
"Very well. I understand you also have mixed feelings about this. I don't need any more."
Aureum bowed. Ready to turn tail and go. She didn't even get to raise her head with that false notion alive.
"Of course, some things shouldn't be spoken about with children," Maledic continued, ignoring her bow. "Aes will be watching over her until I find an appropriate bodyguard. I hope you'll understand that I can't leave Vitreum unattended."
"I'm not going to teach Vitreum anything harmful," Aureum said. "Let me assure you of that."
"I see," Maledic said. "I'm less worried about what you might teach her and more about how recent events might be brought up."
"Oh."
He doesn't want Vitreum to know about how he threatened mine and Hiems' lives.
"I wouldn't bring up any topics like that unless I believed she was in danger," Aureum said.
She winced. That was too honest. But she continued.
"Children should be able to have a little ignorance, and she's already known a little too much from what I see."
"She is in no danger," Maledic said. "If my assurances can inspire confidence on that point. Tell me of anything that might affect her if you can. Despite her petulance, she isn't open with her worries like a child should be."
Aureum nodded. She wanted to leave now. But.
"What did Hiems do to you? To make you want to kill him? It might help inspire some confidence in me."
Maledic didn't respond. Aureum immediately her words.
I shouldn't have asked him.
Maybe she wouldn't die, but she might have just lost her opportunity.
Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!
"Have you still not even learned this?"
It was more inflection in his tone than she'd ever inspired.
"You give your trust too easily then," Maledic continued. "I have heard you two are on friendly terms now."
Would he have preferred us to be fighting? How is it any of his business!
But talking was good. Better than if he had told her to leave without any explanation.
"How can it be trust if it has to be proven?" Aureum said, and wetted her lips.
Maledic considered her words, but shook his head.
"Then why are you asking now? And, I've found trust that's proven is more sure than if it's not. Unproven trust is just your own wishful desires."
"I'm asking, my lord," Aureum said, gritting her teeth, "because I don't know your side of the story."
"You don't know the story at all, if you're asking about it in such a way," Maledic said.
Aureum bit down hard. Her lip bled.
"If that's all, I won't keep you," Maledic said.
He hadn't bothered to turn his wheelchair.
"Of course," Aureum said, her tone biting.
She bowed and left before she completely unwound.
Each and every one of them is just as arrogant as the last.
Every ascended sorcerer she'd met so far had that in common.
Her stomping steps were only ceased so she could kick an innocent tree on her way.
She didn't choose a victim to destroy. It was old, with a broad trunk. She could barely scratch it, let alone hurt it.
"Argh!"
Her cry of frustration was short.
Aureum didn't want more attention, after all. She sat in the grass, looking up at the sky.
I just want to be free.
But it wasn't easy.
She sighed and walked back. This time she dragged her feet.
What will Vitreum and I even do…?
Aureum tried not to overthink it.
Despite how much hung on it.
The first day they read books. They had the benefit of the Hidden Manor's library now, and it held many fairy tales. Instead of the small number they had back at the inn in Fluentem.
But, things weren't the same as back at the inn. That inn was a tiny space with little to do alongside a paper thin wall separating a world with far too much to do.
The start wasn't that bad. Vitreum seemed excited enough to see Aureum, and bounced around a bit while asking about Mendax. She didn't hate the library.
But she slumped when Aureum opened up the book.
Aureum kept herself stiff at Vitreum's nonverbal complaints and carried on.
Maybe if I keep trying, she'll begin to enjoy it?
Vitreum was always pretty high energy, but she didn't dislike the stories before. Aureum wasn't about to give up partway through.
"And the little raccoon went back home… Vitreum?"
"…"
The girl's head was on the table.
Vitreum, who used to love listening to these stories, now fell asleep during it.
Didn't I use reading to get her to sleep…?
Or maybe it was exactly the same. Gemmo was just different.
It felt like no matter what Aureum, or Hiems, or Spesavia did, the baby went to sleep and got up when he wanted.
Should I wake her?
Aureum didn't really want to. Vitreum looked so peaceful, drooling on the table.
So Aureum let that be a day of peace and quiet. She had a feeling the rest of the days wouldn't be. She nodded to Aes as she left.
"Tell Vitreum we'll try something else next time, and that I hope she slept well."
The first day for helping Vitreum was more a failure than a success.
"Mendax," Aureum said.
"Hiems," he corrected.
They sat idly in some little corner behind one of the buildings. Spesavia had Gemmo for the moment.
Vitreum had finished practicing the spear, and was taking a break. Hiems was looking at the book before him.
"Can't you give me some leeway? I met you with that name."
"Mmmmhmm. Not really. It was never my name. Just a title."
"So what, now you aren't 'worthy' of the title?"
"Now you're catching on. What did you need?"
"What do you do when you play with Vitreum?"
"I… play? What kind of question is that?"
"You seem to get along with her well," Aureum said, narrowing her eyes at him.
"Is there a point to this?"
"Teach me how to get along with her. I don't understand hooligans."
Hiems looked up at her in complete shock and disbelief.
"You are the queen of hooligans."
He stated it as if it was the grass being green or the ground being dirt. Simple fact.
"Really?" Aureum said. "I think you should try talking to more people before you crown me."
Hiems shrugged.
"I just play with her a bit like how I used to with my brother. Or… It doesn't matter, why can't you just do what you usually do?"
"She fell asleep," Aureum said. "You had a brother?"
"I still have a brother? What, was the book that bad?"
"Who?"
"You met him."
Aureum leaned back against the wall. Her mind pulled nothing, not a person, not a thing.
"Nivis?" Hiems said.
She leaned forward and put her head in her hands.
The day had been warm and sunny, but now she was burned.
"Nivis Nix?!"
"Yes," Hiems said quietly.
"Does that mean Caducus is your father?!"
Aureum stood up.
"Didn't you know…?" He said, looking up at her.
The book was forgotten, he held his hands close to his side as he watched her.
"Why would I know that?!"
"I introduced myself as Nix…"
"I thought you must have been adopted! That's common for young talents!"
"I wasn't. I was born into it," Hiems said.
He stood up, and dusted himself off. Reaching a hand out, he spoke.
"It seems I didn't reintroduce myself properly. I'm the son of the late lady Carnelia and the still-living Lord Caducus Nix. I am Hiems Nix."
Aureum didn't take his hand.
"But you're not a little lordling…"
I must be in shock. Of all the things I could point out.
"No, not really. Not in any way that matters."
Aureum rubbed her wrist and looked at the ground.
"Does it matter now?" Hiems said, reaching his hand into her view. "For better or worse, I've left all of that behind."
"You can't leave who your father is like it's a piece of clothing," Aureum said.
"Why not? I didn't choose him. He didn't want me. I left. Simple."
"Tch," Aureum scoffed
But she took his hand.
Now I know I'm an idiot.
"You thought I knew?"
"Yes," he said. "I thought you just didn't care."
"Sorry to break your impression of me," Aureum muttered.
His grip tightened.
"You're not responsible for my misunderstanding," he said.
"Then.. shall we say the same about mine?"
"No—
"Actually, I kind of like thinking that way."
She held his hand the whole way back, feeling red all the way through.
He didn't say anything. Which was good. If he had, she might have disintegrated right there.
I should hate him.
Should I? For his father?
Falling asleep after that was another matter.
He tried to kill me. He didn't kill me. I thought I was past that.
Is this going to come up everytime he makes me mad?
"Ughhhhhh."
This was trouble. It was stupid to trust him. She sat up in the bed and looked at him in the dark.
He lay still on his back, his hands resting on his stomach.
The room arrangement was inviting tragedy.
Darn it! I thought Lord Maledic was supposed to care about small affairs.
In some cases caring meant leaving small errors uncorrected. To make a stay as tedious as possible.
Maybe now I could ask him to fix it… No, it wouldn't be worth it.
Especially since catering favor was going so well so far. Not.
She kept watch over Hiems for a little longer. It didn't look like he would suddenly turn into a power-hungry monster. Not that those gave outward signs.
She went back to bed.
Hiems eyes snapped open. He slowly turned to look at her. She was still. He carefully turned his head straight again.
Of all things, maybe the most pointless thought came to his mind.
I forgot the book.
But he couldn't go back and grab it now.
The next few days were the same as before. Only, whenever Hiems touched her, Aureum pulled back.