Noble Heroes

Intimidation

Marinette could have sworn she was hallucinating that day after lunch. Lila had been spewing some nonsense about how she was in line for the Throne of England for the entire time that the class had been eating. Afterwards, while they were headed back to class, Marinette stayed behind to clean up the mess that the boys had left.

When she entered the hallway, she saw something she wasn't sure was real. Elizabeth was pinning Lila to the wall, a katana to the girl's neck. "Don't you ever try to threaten me, Lila Rossi. I could end your entire charade within a single hour," the Duchess snarled.

Lila snorted. "Like you could. I doubt that you're even nobility."

Elizabeth's eyes flashed. She moved the sword a little closer. A trickle of blood ran down Lila's neck. Marinette glanced around to see if anyone else was witnessing the showdown. No one was there. "This is your first and last warning, girl. Know that I have more power in my pinkie than you will ever have in your entire life. If you play with fire, know that you will get burned."

With those words, Elizabeth spun and walked down the hall, her katana by her side. Marinette waited for Lila to follow after before she did the same. When she entered the classroom, Elizabeth was sitting in the back.

Lila was standing at Mlle. Bustier's desk, tears flowing from her eyes. "A-and then she held a sword to my throat and threatened me!!" The girl's distress was clearly fake, and yet Mlle. Bustier's eyes hardened as she looked towards the exchange student.

"That is unacceptable. Go ahead and go see Mr. Damocles, I'll send her along in a minute," the woman told the crying girl. Lila moped out of the classroom then flounced off towards the principal's office.

"Elizabeth, would you please come here for a moment?" The teacher inquired. The exchange student gave the teacher the slightest glance, then continued her conversation with Chloe. "Elizabeth Lancaster, will you please come see me?"

This time, the girl turned her cold gaze on the teacher. "You can wait. I am in the middle of a diplomatic conversation between the government of Paris and my duchy."

"Chloe is the mayor's daughter, not the mayor. She has no power in the government of Paris," Mlle. Bustier replied stonily.

Elizabeth's eyes hardened. "I strongly disagree with that statement. As the mayor's daughter, she holds a great influence on what happens in this city. So, if you will excuse me, I am in the middle of a conversation."

With those words, Elizabeth turned back to her conversion with Reba and Chloe. Mlle. Bustier huffed as she sat back behind her desk. She had never been so disrespected in her entire teaching career. She didn't care if said student was allegedly a duchess. How dare a student talk to her like that?

Marinette quietly walked back to her seat. Once she sat down, Chloe filled her in on the current conversation. Mari nodded, then leaned in closer to the group. "Your Grace," she started.

Elizabeth interrupted her. "Please, call me Eliza."

"Right. Lila is trying to get you in trouble for what happened in the hallway."

Eliza smirked. "I see. She'll fail. Everyone does against me."

"Eliza...what happened in the hallway?" Reba asked slowly.

At that, the girl grinned. "She tried to threaten me, so I used my typical intimidation tactics."

Reba frowned at her. "How many times have I told you that you can't hold a sword to someone's throat?"

"One thousand, four hundred, and twenty-seven."

"That was rhetorical. I know that I've told you before! You listen worse than Cel when on a caffeine high!"

Eliza just smiled calmly at her. "Elizabeth Lancaster, please come to the principal's office."

She laughed. "I'll see you on the other side. Don't do anything I would do!" She traipsed out of the room, glee shining in her eyes.