TBTS: Chapter 29
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About seventeen girls had reached the Imperial City, and the discussion about them had already started before their arrival at the palace gates.
Everyone who was anyone was now gathered in the great hall, standing before Darakhal Veir, the Jaw of Judgment Throne. They were loudly voicing their concerns, which were less like concerns and more like cascading complaints about the trampling of their noble honors by the mere presence of such "chaotic species" in the Imperial City.
Vienna was still in her private chamber, desperately dreading the moment she had to go out. It had been easy enough for her to handle the girls of the wild, their defiance was direct and simple. But to answer the questions, the sneering insinuations, and the political maneuvering of the nobles? That was a skillset she was still learning, and she felt profoundly inadequate.
She paced the rich carpet, restless and agitated. Her Lady-in-Waiting, Anika, watched her with visible tension.
"My Lady…" Anika began, concerned.
Before Vienna could reply, the guard outside announced Lord Vael and let him in.
"Lady Vienna," he said, his greeting stiff, devoid of any personal warmth but meticulously adhering to courtly formality.
"Lord Vael," she managed in return, but her voice faltered, seeing him after so long. She was his daughter, after all.
Lord Vael looked up without raising his head, saw Vienna's tired face and weak constitution, and instantly looked back down. A sharp, unexpected pain seized his heart, the same acute throb he hadn't felt since his wife died. He loved his wife more than anyone, but the rigid patriarchal system had forced him to maintain a facade of icy detachment. I am a man! And men don't have soft hearts! he used to tell himself. He'd held that conviction proudly for years.
But today, seeing Vienna's exhaustion, the memory of his wife's face superimposed itself over his daughter's. And with it, a terrifying internal statement ran through his mind: "You will lose her just like you lost her mother."
He stood silently, his hand placed rigidly on his chest. Vienna, seeing her father so numb and still, rushed forward.
"Father! Are you alright?" she asked, holding his arm.
Lord Vael instantly snapped back to reality, freeing himself from her tiny, weak hands and moving back a step, clasping his hands in front of him.
"My apologies, My Lady. It's the old age at play, I presume," he added in a whisper, ensuring the lie sounded sufficiently condescending. "I was here…"
"Father, you don't look good," Vienna insisted, worry lacing her voice.
Lord Vael raised his head up, fixed her with a disdainful grimace, and looked at her as if profoundly disapproving of her softness. When she didn't immediately comprehend his meaning, he spelled it out in a harsh whisper. "My Lady! We are in this very ROYAL chamber, inside this very ROYAL palace! And from here, when you speak with the QUEEN'S authority, I would rather you forget your personal connections and act as such!"
Vienna flushed instantly. She knew what her father was doing, he was taunting her, reminding her about her own order to address her as 'Her Ladyship' instead of 'daughter' while at court. Though he was technically right, the sharp delivery still stung hard.
"Yes… hmm… you were here, Lord Vael, for?" She recovered quickly, forcing her embarrassment down and projecting a tone of authority.
"Ah, yes…" Lord Vael acted as if the whole emotional exchange had been erased from his memory. "My Lady, you must know about the girls?"
"Yes, My Lord. And this very moment, I am contemplating how to handle that..."
"Handling them won't be an issue for you, My Lady. I am afraid your real problem are the nobles, waiting for you outside, who smell weakness and chaos."
"You read my mind really well, Lord Vael." Vienna offered a tired, yet appreciative smile.
Anika stepped forward, trying to defend her mistress. "My Lord, Lady Vienna hasn't slept for days, ever since the news of the girls entering the city came to her knowledge."
Vael looked at the Lady-in-Waiting, and despite controlling himself with fierce concentration, he couldn't help the scorn that dripped from his voice. "It's no use losing your sleep over such little issues, My Lady. If you won't sleep, how would you have the energy to pamper up these pampered nobles?"
Vienna came close, her youthful spark returning, and with a playful smile added, "It seems you are worried about me, Lord Vael!"
"NO! I am not!" he snapped, his hand shooting up in a dramatic gesture of defense, stopping her at bay.
She chuckled softly, then sat down on the couch. "I presume, then, that you must have a plan, Lord Vael. Since you are not worried, of course."
"Earlier, I was thinking that you should adjourn the court without conducting one, but seeing how even you are panicking, I think the earlier we solve it, the better it will be."
"So…?" she prompted.
"So, I suggest you tackle this head-on. On your own!" And saying this, a small, genuine, utterly naughty smirk came to Lord Vael's face, which he badly tried to hide with a cough before swiftly turning and striding out of the room, leaving behind a barely suppressed chuckle.
"Father!!!" Vienna cried out, then immediately dissolved into a fit of laughter.
"It seems my father is getting naughty now," she said to Anika in between laughs, wiping her eyes.
"My Lord has certainly… changed," Anika added, smiling warmly.
"I can see that…" Vienna sighed, her smile fading as she gathered her inner strength. "I cannot think anymore. I don't want to. Let's go out, Anika, and let's just see what happens."
.
.
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Everyone who was anyone was now gathered in the great hall, standing before Darakhal Veir, the Jaw of Judgment Throne. They were loudly voicing their concerns, which were less like concerns and more like cascading complaints about the trampling of their noble honors by the mere presence of such "chaotic species" in the Imperial City.
Vienna was still in her private chamber, desperately dreading the moment she had to go out. It had been easy enough for her to handle the girls of the wild, their defiance was direct and simple. But to answer the questions, the sneering insinuations, and the political maneuvering of the nobles? That was a skillset she was still learning, and she felt profoundly inadequate.
She paced the rich carpet, restless and agitated. Her Lady-in-Waiting, Anika, watched her with visible tension.
"My Lady…" Anika began, concerned.
Before Vienna could reply, the guard outside announced Lord Vael and let him in.
"Lady Vienna," he said, his greeting stiff, devoid of any personal warmth but meticulously adhering to courtly formality.
"Lord Vael," she managed in return, but her voice faltered, seeing him after so long. She was his daughter, after all.
Lord Vael looked up without raising his head, saw Vienna's tired face and weak constitution, and instantly looked back down. A sharp, unexpected pain seized his heart, the same acute throb he hadn't felt since his wife died. He loved his wife more than anyone, but the rigid patriarchal system had forced him to maintain a facade of icy detachment. I am a man! And men don't have soft hearts! he used to tell himself. He'd held that conviction proudly for years.
But today, seeing Vienna's exhaustion, the memory of his wife's face superimposed itself over his daughter's. And with it, a terrifying internal statement ran through his mind: "You will lose her just like you lost her mother."
He stood silently, his hand placed rigidly on his chest. Vienna, seeing her father so numb and still, rushed forward.
"Father! Are you alright?" she asked, holding his arm.
Lord Vael instantly snapped back to reality, freeing himself from her tiny, weak hands and moving back a step, clasping his hands in front of him.
"My apologies, My Lady. It's the old age at play, I presume," he added in a whisper, ensuring the lie sounded sufficiently condescending. "I was here…"
"Father, you don't look good," Vienna insisted, worry lacing her voice.
Lord Vael raised his head up, fixed her with a disdainful grimace, and looked at her as if profoundly disapproving of her softness. When she didn't immediately comprehend his meaning, he spelled it out in a harsh whisper. "My Lady! We are in this very ROYAL chamber, inside this very ROYAL palace! And from here, when you speak with the QUEEN'S authority, I would rather you forget your personal connections and act as such!"
Vienna flushed instantly. She knew what her father was doing, he was taunting her, reminding her about her own order to address her as 'Her Ladyship' instead of 'daughter' while at court. Though he was technically right, the sharp delivery still stung hard.
"Yes… hmm… you were here, Lord Vael, for?" She recovered quickly, forcing her embarrassment down and projecting a tone of authority.
"Ah, yes…" Lord Vael acted as if the whole emotional exchange had been erased from his memory. "My Lady, you must know about the girls?"
"Yes, My Lord. And this very moment, I am contemplating how to handle that..."
"Handling them won't be an issue for you, My Lady. I am afraid your real problem are the nobles, waiting for you outside, who smell weakness and chaos."
"You read my mind really well, Lord Vael." Vienna offered a tired, yet appreciative smile.
Anika stepped forward, trying to defend her mistress. "My Lord, Lady Vienna hasn't slept for days, ever since the news of the girls entering the city came to her knowledge."
Vael looked at the Lady-in-Waiting, and despite controlling himself with fierce concentration, he couldn't help the scorn that dripped from his voice. "It's no use losing your sleep over such little issues, My Lady. If you won't sleep, how would you have the energy to pamper up these pampered nobles?"
Vienna came close, her youthful spark returning, and with a playful smile added, "It seems you are worried about me, Lord Vael!"
"NO! I am not!" he snapped, his hand shooting up in a dramatic gesture of defense, stopping her at bay.
She chuckled softly, then sat down on the couch. "I presume, then, that you must have a plan, Lord Vael. Since you are not worried, of course."
"Earlier, I was thinking that you should adjourn the court without conducting one, but seeing how even you are panicking, I think the earlier we solve it, the better it will be."
"So…?" she prompted.
"So, I suggest you tackle this head-on. On your own!" And saying this, a small, genuine, utterly naughty smirk came to Lord Vael's face, which he badly tried to hide with a cough before swiftly turning and striding out of the room, leaving behind a barely suppressed chuckle.
"Father!!!" Vienna cried out, then immediately dissolved into a fit of laughter.
"It seems my father is getting naughty now," she said to Anika in between laughs, wiping her eyes.
"My Lord has certainly… changed," Anika added, smiling warmly.
"I can see that…" Vienna sighed, her smile fading as she gathered her inner strength. "I cannot think anymore. I don't want to. Let's go out, Anika, and let's just see what happens."
.
.
Join my Patron Accuscripter community today for just $4 and read 10 Chapters Ahead of the public release schedule!