Foxtails and Fairytales: Facades and Fables of the Phantom Prince

[Arc. 13] Ch. 3 New Students

[Elkwood]

"But she's so pretty and you aren't getting any younger." My sister berated me. Lydia Kinsley was about three years younger than me. She married a knight in my service and was often pestering me to get married or I'd end up one of the creepy older nobles waiting for young girls to have their coming of age ceremony in order to have a chance. That, or I'd marry a widow and take care of someone else's children with my bleeding heart and cause an inheritance war between my children and step-children. That wasn't uncommon, but I assured her that she needed to get her head out of those romance novels when she brought that up.

My sister, my mother and my father were gathered for a family meeting in a waiting room around couches drinking tea where I brought up the Prince's visit and Lady Ulster's offer.

"I am with your sister on this one, she comes from a good family. And she is loyal to the prince, your best friend, so as long as you don't have any falling out, you shouldn't have to worry about being betrayed." My mother, Grace Elkwood, was even more excited than my sister and was barely holding it back in her own way.

"If the reports come back positive then just get engaged." My father, Thomas Elkwood, remained practical. "The engagement should be long enough, while she is training to be lady of the house just keep an eye on her and cancel the engagement if it gets to be too much of a hassle." with that the room got colder as both my mother and sister glared at him.

My father cleared his throat. "At a certain point you will need an heir, the Ulster bloodline would be a valuable asset to the territory if anything else."

I looked over at my brother in law. One of my first Elkwood Rangers, a human knight who willingly wore the green hood and stood by the demi-humans, former slaves, and half-breeds for the sake of the territory and Kingdom. Bart Kinsley just nodded his head in subtle agreement with my father and showed his silent support in order to keep peace at home.

"Brother," My sister smiled sincerely at me and reached over to grasp my hand. "Dearest brother. I have faith that even if she does stab you in the back that you'll be too stubborn to die anyway." She continued to smile despite the scary things she was saying. "The prince is a powerful ally and I happen to really like Lady Ulster. She was always kind to me in the courts and made a point of including shy ladies in making friends and connections. Frankly, she is too good for my sweet, stupid, dunderheaded, ignorant, dense, paranoid, homely, elder brother whom I am utterly required to love by blood bonds. I advise that you act with the prudence and nobility of your station. Even if you have to fake it."

Rejecting the Prince and Lady Ulster was beginning to sound like a more dangerous proposition than accepting them.

*

[Sebas]

Oh no...

I watched as Talisa stood in front of me. Spinning around in her new Sorcery uniform. Once she had figured out that Shannon and Magus Kallit had been able to transfer into the class she had been right behind them. I've been putting off being honest with her but as she has gotten better at the language, she has also become more aggressive.

The whole 'seduce a man through his stomach' routine is getting old because it is so particularly effective. Her cookies are divine, and she could do things with roasts that would make Gordan Ramsey smile. The bacon she made darn near made me cry.

How is she a princess and a professional chef. It was also not fair how cute she was. She made all of my "protect the cute thing" instincts buzz even though she could break me in half if she sneezed wrong.

Even now her little wings flapped cutely like a puppy looking for attention or an innocent child looking for praise. Damn this cute creature.

I had to cover my face which was heating up before I exploded.