After the defeat of the monster, the headmistress appeared and congratulated the winners. Although all of the praise landed on Algernon and Luke who were credited with defeating the creature of the cavern. Everyone else was seen as a lucky civilian who managed to ride the coattails of the artifact users to victory, but even so, the invitation to the party hosted exclusively for the finalists was extended to all of them.
Even though it only numbered around 60 people, the event was decorated and catered for a king's arrival. The majority of the guests were older men and women holding positions in the Conclave and military. Like Pecilia had informed Lucy, this was the real prize for winning the tourney, a night spent amongst Emora's most powerful. Lucy entered wearing a loose-fitting satin blue dress that fell to the floor and floated behind her. Traditionally, any winner was instantly greeted and commended for their efforts, but when their eyes fell on Lucy's plain dress and unfamiliar face they ignored her and waited for a more rewarding person to bestow their praise upon. Lucy tried not to mind the dismissal as she lost herself to the wondrous decor of the room. Bright blue and yellow bouquets of summer flowers mixed in with auburn leaves of fall as overhead crystal chandeliers basked everything in gleaming blue light. Even discarded empty wine glasses sparkled magnificently to Lucy while everyone else was too accustomed to appreciate the ubiquitous beauty.
Algernon was the only other admirer of beauty but his gaze didn't linger on hand-blown glasses but on a very quaint girl whose grey eyes glistened with just as much beauty as she beheld.
"How is your providence functioning?" Asked Conclave man Jevitina, who had roped the distracted boy into a chat.
"Fine," Algernon answered as dryly as his interest in the conversation. "Brunnel is being well seen to by my mother in my absence."
"The Black family has always done such a fantastic job of managing their districts," Jevitina replied, "Your father could have run this country into its next golden age if he stayed alive."
Algernon's throat constricted like it always did whenever his deceased father was mentioned.
"And he most definitely would have been an excellent headmaster," Jevitina droned on, too oblivious or too careless to notice the nerve he was hitting, "Too bad fate's plans are always so unpredictable."
Algernon inherently looked for something pleasurable to distract from the tender memory and watched Lucy with her hair gown to the middle of her chest veiled in the light of crystal chandeliers flowing behind her with every step she took on her way to Pecilia.
"Any other interesting things developing?" The Conclave man prodded, noticing Algernon's faraway gaze landing on the pair of girls.
Algernon immediately forced his eyes away. "No," He objected too quick for the man to feel it was a completely truthful denial.
Jevitina chuckled. "Denial is the soil love grows best in."
Algernon stared at him and tried to feign indifference. The man smirked. "I've heard the rumors," He whispered, turning his body in face of the two girls. "And she is rather gorgeous."
Algernon's jaw clenched wire tight. He looked to where the man was staring and met Pecilia's eyes. At first glance she was annoyed, but when Pecilia noticed worry as the dominant marker to Algernon's grimace she promptly strutted over.
"How's a beautiful lady like yourself without someone to bother her?" Brickwood teased playfully as he took over Pecilia's role as Lucy's conversational partner.
"Professor Brickwood!" Lucy blurted out. She hadn't been able to think of an apology good enough for her tourney actions but she tried with very sincere and rushed words "I am so sorry for what I did-"
"It's quite alright Lucy." The professor stated calmly over Lucy's panic. "In fact," Brickwood whispered, leaning closer to Lucy's ear so she was the only one to hear his words. "I thought coming up with such an innovative solution showed just how remarkable you truly are."
Lucy blushed at the hair's length of distance between them.
"Thank you for showing them just how right I was about you," Brickwood praised, lifting her hand to his lips and planting a soft kiss overtop her knuckles. "It's only a matter of time now before they start to see you as truly remarkable as I do."
Lucy wasn't sure how he had intended the words, but his tone and eyes felt as if he had just told her something scandalous and not at all appropriate for a teacher to be saying to one of his students. Lucy looked to see if anyone else had noticed, but thankfully no eyes were upon hers that she saw.
Algernon had seen the entire show. He took a glass of dark purple nectar from a passing waiter and gulped it down. His sour face afterward was not at all caused by the bitterness of the sparkling alcohol.
"Lucy."
Brickwood and Lucy turned to the source of the call. The headmistress was standing next to several well-dressed men and women as she requested her. "Come here, darling."
Brickwood nodded for her to go, smiling proudly at her back.
Lucy trekked over, with her hands clasped together. She was nervous to be joining the conversation of so many nobles but tried her best to walk with poise.
"Councillors, this is Lucy Lahue." Silvia introduced as she wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Lucy felt uncomfortable from the unexpected touch, but bowed her head politely.
"Lucy comes to us from a lower rank of society." The headmistress stated before the other nobles even had a chance to greet her back.
"Very low." Criticized a man with a very ornate mustache who scrutinized Lucy's minimal appearance. She also wore no jewelry which was very strange for nobles, as they wore an abundance to show off their standings. Algernon was one of the select few that could showcase all his wealth and power with just one weighty piece.
"But we have been pleasantly surprised by her ability to keep up with the other students." The headmistress spoke of Lucy as if she wasn't there. "She was even able to make it to the end of the tourney."
"No doubt due to an advantageous teammate." Said a different man, who looked down at Lucy from his glass of liquor.
The headmistress nodded in agreement. "Still it is an accomplishment for one so ordinary to stand next to greatness and not fold."
"Certainly." Said another of the nobles who gave Lucy a scrupulous look over as he judged her dress too simple to be expensive and too plain to be fashionable.
Lucy avoided their judgemental stares and stayed quiet in the hopes she could be excused from the conversation.
"Speaking of," The headmistress said. "Lucy, go fetch Algernon and ask him to please come join us as well."
"Certainly," Lucy repeated in the same tone the rude man had used. She found Algernon wholly disengaged from the idle conversation Pecilia was having with some nobles that had surrounded them. She had attached herself to Algernon's arm for more than just the concern of looking dateless, and though Algernon disliked the skinship at least he didn't have to overexert his already weak conversational skills when she was around.
"Algernon," Lucy called, interrupting his attempts at self-imposed silence. "The headmistress is asking for you."
Algernon looked Lucy up and down just as the councilman had, though he wasn't critiquing her choice of clothes, but veneer of sadness. He was about to ask if everything was ok when Pecilia spoke.
"Let's go, Algernon." She said, taking the lead and leaving Lucy to follow behind. With Algernon drinking, he was less inclined to be cold to certain people, and Pecilia was too vigilant to let that favoritism be noticed.
"Gentlemen." Pecilia greeted, beaming at Algernon's side.
"Lady Row." Said one of the noblemen. "It's a pleasure to see you here."
"I know it is, Councilman Peak," Pecilia chirped, with a practiced smile that perfectly hid her true opinions.
"And you as well Mr. Black." The man added. "It's an honor to finally meet you."
Algernon gave the man a polite nod as his only reply.
"As you all know Algernon is one of the greatest prodigies to walk the halls of Attwood in a thousand years." Acclaimed the headmistress proudly. "He rivals the powers and intelligence of the last good king if I dare say so."
The other nobles nodded along.
I wouldn't say so.
Lucy glanced around to see who had just spoken but saw no one even looking at her besides the stone eyes of a statue of the last good king. She thought she must have imagined the voice, slightly shaking her head as if to clear her mind.
"This country expects great things from you, Mr. Black."
"We're all hoping to see you live up to your name."
"And I have no doubt you will, just like your father."
"Right," Algernon said with his eyes averted to the ground. He couldn't differentiate their voices as they all overlapped into the same jarring sound, one he was tired of listening to.
Lucy compared the nobles' treatment of Algernon to herself. His black suit that she at first thought resembled a general's garb now seemed to look more like something a king would wear. Algernon garnered instant respect from everyone just for his name and Lucy couldn't help but envy it. She supposed if she wanted the same she would have to be reborn into one of the noblest families of the entire country. Maybe in my next life, she thought.
Why not this one?
Lucy's neck snapped to the side looking for the voice that had suddenly become resoundingly clear as the nobles noticed the oddly distasteful behavior.
"Lucy." The headmistress scolded. "What are you looking at?"
"I thought I heard someone," Lucy said, suddenly shy as the critical stares returned to her. "My mistake."
"The commons are so endearing." Drawled one of the noblewomen. "you're all just so.... unique."
"Yes, unique." Said one of the men. "But one should never forget their standing." Pecilia recognized the man from her father's gossip. He was Councilwoman Grewshard's husband and a resounding advocate for segregation of the classes. "If we are too progressive with allowing the common class entrance, Attwood would lose the prestige and greatness everyone associates us with. And that would destroy our reputation in the eyes of the other nations." The rumor was he didn't come from nobility at all, as he so claimed, but was adopted by a noblewoman who faked a pregnancy and bought an infant off a poor farm woman.
"Of course." Affirmed his wife. Although she felt slightly bad for Lucy who was shrinking with every second the conversation continued. "But there is nothing wrong with charity work."
"You know I'm the first one to advocate for the less fortunate, but we have to recall they are in those positions more often than not because they are not of high enough caliber or ambition to get themselves out of it." Preached Councilman Ozwall. Pecilia knew him as well. He was often spotted frequenting brothels in the most impoverished areas, apparently, with a preference for the feeble young-looking girls.
The way he scanned over Pecilia and Lucy made Algernon want to hide them behind himself, and then gouge out his eyes.
"It is truly a noble burden to rule over the less." Added Councilman Ozwall's plump wife. "I mean the common people." She quickly corrected.
"No need for unnecessary pleasantries." Asserted Mr. Grewshard. "We're amongst friends." His smile fell on Lucy, but it was anything but friendly, as she knew. He was only reaffirming his position over her with his anything but subtle slights.
Lucy bit the insides of her cheeks but looked down, repeating the word inside her mind. Less.
He grinned, glad to see her compliant as in his eyes she had no reason to be upset. She should know of her place and be thankful for their generosity enough.
"What do you think of that, Algernon?" Asked one of the noblewomen, who had been shooting him seductive side eyes at every possible chance.
Algernon opened his mouth but closed it when Pecilia's nail dug into his arm. He clenched his jaw and readjusted what he would have liked to tell them. "Attwood was made by the last good king to cultivate the greatest minds and practitioners of this country, so that they could go on to bring the change and leadership this world needs" Algernon glanced at Lucy. "We should only accept those who can live up to those standards." Algernon looked away but didn't need to see Lucy, to know how his words hurt her. "Not those that drag it down."
Lucy bit the inside of her cheeks harder, but the pain didn't compete with the sudden break she felt in her heart.
"Exactly." Grewshard piped in. "Attwood is the best representation to the other nations of Emora's strength and potential. The king designed it to be so. If we start letting too many commons in the standards will lower and the other countries will see it as a shift in weakness."
"No one thought Emora was weak when the last good king ruled," Lucy stated, surprising everyone by speaking up. "And he had every seat in the school filled with students from all backgrounds and ways of life." She knew she should bite her tongue but she lost the ability to once her pride became insulted one time too much. "From this country and others."
The nobles looked at her in critical disdain, but it was the man born to common parents just like her that was the haughtiest. "He was also in possession of the powers of the gods."
Lucy stared straight back into the scowling man's eyes. "As well as the last man ever deserving of it." She reminded them all.
Algernon smirked but hid it behind a sip of his drink. Though he couldn't help his smiling eyes wandering over Lucy. Pecilia noticed Algernon's chipper mood and elbowed him in the side.
"If you'll excuse me," Lucy said with a bow to answer their affronted faces before leaving.
As Lucy got farther away she played back the looks they gave her. She had seen the same ones many times before but now she was finally able to surmise it into one word. Less. She was simply less. Less by her birth, less by her upbringing, less by everything they had that she did not. It was almost a relief to finally realize it, now she didn't have to guess their opinions, but she still had to learn how not to let their insults become a part of her own self-perception. Lucy wasn't entirely versed in how to do that, so she took guidance in the way everyone else seemed to drown their concerns, in liquor.
Algernon watched Lucy walk away, but unlike the averse stares of the nobles, his eyes were softer and lifted by the start of a smile.
"A girl like that will never amount to anything." Scathed Grewshard. "Especially serving our country."
Pecilia nodded in agreement. All and more of Algernon's tension returned as he considered what the man might be referring to.
"I agree." Stated another of the nobles.
"Let's not be so quick to rule out anyone," Brickwood said, joining the conversation after artfully eavesdropping on the exchange. "You never know who might surprise you." He looked at Lucy and back to Algernon who was sending lethal daggers at him with his eyes. Brickwood smiled. "And who might be the exact thing this country needs."
Who you all need, Pecilia corrected in her thoughts. She felt the muscles of Algernon's upper arms tightly wound and looked up at him. His face maintained indifference, as the nobles all took turns reading over his expression, looking for any signs of his feelings on the matter. He feigned apathy well as Pecilia was the only one who could see Algernon squeeze his hands behind his back so hard they turned white.
All the while, Freya was off at the buffet, gathering as much in her stomach as she was in an empty sack she was planning to take back to her dorm.
Jasper mingled amongst the older female company of the party who were all entirely entranced by his young-witted playfulness. Some of their husbands raised questionable brows at him, but if ever he stepped too close to offending them a sudden charming smile sent them blushing like a young schoolgirl themself. Lucy watched the scenes play out fondly as she drank. She always knew Jasper was attractive, but really it was his open and funny personality that enthralled people to him.
Lucy recalled how Jasper too wasn't of noble blood but was still able to fit in just fine. It made her doubt herself for being perhaps too unsociable or unrefined, or just less. She was thankful that despite her many failings the waitstaff gave her the same treatment. It made it extremely easy to get a glass filled with the nectar of the gods in her hand and many more.
"Lucy," Jasper called worriedly, spotting his unattended friend as he came to get a drink for the woman he was flirting with.
"Jasper!" Lucy cheered, her cheeks red from the alcohol as she hugged him.
"Oh, ok, hello," Jasper said, pushing her back by the shoulders. "Lucy, how many drinks have you had?"
"Not many," Lucy answered. Though the exact number wasn't so much a factor in her lack of sobriety as the fact she almost never drank. And she drank it all rather fast in the hopes it would work faster, and the sweet nectar had just now hit her all at once.
"But more than enough," Jasper declared, calling for water from the bartender. "Drink this."
Lucy took the glass. "Thank you, Jasper." Lucy sweetly adored. "You're so kind."
Jasper eyed Lucy curiously. "Is something bothering you?"
Lucy felt rash tears form as soon as Jasper voiced his concern for her but bit her cheeks and forced them back. "I'm fine."
"Hey," Jasper soothed, grabbing Lucy's hand as he noticed the barely contained tears in her eyes. "How about I find Freya and some food and we can go celebrate on our own?"
"But you're be having so much fun," Lucy said, her doe-eyes in full display of her real emotions.
Jasper cocked his head to the side. "It's harmless fun to flirt with bored wives, but much more meaningful to be there for a friend."
Lucy smiled up into Jasper's comforting eyes. "Jasper." She affectionately called, reaching up to fix some stray silver hairs that hung over his forehead. "I'm so happy to have met you."
Jasper was surprised by the sudden touching but he smiled at Lucy. "You are too." He chuckled. "Now just stay here for a moment." He added before going off to search for Freya.
No more than a second after he was gone did another boy come to take his place.
"Two more glasses of nectar," Luke ordered from the bar hand. The man seemed to have whiplash from doing so much service in one area but did as he was told. Lucy looked at the drink as Luke put it into her hands. "It's always better to be drunk at these things." He advised on his fourth glass himself. "Sobriety leads to insanity in the sain when outnumbered by the former."
"Is that another lesson the last good king taught you?" Lucy asked, taking a sip of the orange nectar.
"No," Luke admitted, "That one I had to learn for myself."
Lucy's lips pursed together from the citrus flavor and the question she was working out how to ask. "Did you somehow learn of me before?"
"Hmm," Luke hummed, knowingly. "You could say I've heard of you."
"Was it from Aloysius?" Lucy urged, suddenly getting excited, while Luke's mood drastically dropped.
"I don't know who you're talking about," He said, taking a long gulp of his nectar.
"Is he not your brother?" Lucy asked hesitantly, noticing a dark shift in his friendliness.
"Not in any way I can see," Luke bitterly replied.
Lucy tried to reason what that meant in her hazy thoughts but came up with nothing but the sense not to press the matter.
"But my family doesn't make for good party talk," Luke said. "Does yours?"
Lucy's head tilted sideways as she thought. "Not really," She admitted. "But I only really have my brother. For the last ten years we've traveled the world. Not meeting too many people, or doing too many noteworthy things."
"Which is kind of noteworthy in itself," Luke said, and whispered behind his glass, "All things consider."
"I'm sorry, what did you say?"
Luke hid behind a smile. "But what of your life before your brother?" He pried, trying to test a budding theory of his. "Anything noteworthy there you can remember?"
"Well," Lucy started but couldn't complete her thoughts as nothing came to mind, no matter how hard she tried to grasp for a memory. "Nothing I can recall."
"I see," Luke said. "Nothing interesting yet to recall." He swirled his nectar around as he noticed a sullen dark figure stalk behind Lucy. "I wonder how long that'll last." Luke walked away, his vague words almost getting taken with him if Lucy hadn't just barely been able to make them out. She wondered why it elicited a curious feeling in the back of her mind but instead of stewing over it, she opted to drink. Lucy brought the glass to her mouth just as a hand took it away from her lips.
"Enough." Algernon said, scaring away the bartender with a glare, which he then lashed down onto Lucy. "Do you think getting drunk is going to prove them wrong?"
"It doesn't matter what I do." Lucy slurred, a small pout on her face as she felt all the sorrow they created in her so overwhelmingly now that the alcohol brought down the barrier that usually kept it concealed. "Since all they judge on isn't based on who I am or what I do, but only on the petty things I can't control."
"You could at least control yourself." Algernon clapped back, smelling the alcohol on her breath.
"I am in control." Lucy rebutted, her drunken pout turning more hostile. "Which means you don't get to control me." She said, reaching to take her glass back from Algernon, to then watch him pour it onto the floor.
Lucy gaped at him, her eyebrows drawn together scornfully. "You're so rude."
"And you should leave." Algernon declared, knowing she was far too drunk to be safe in this environment.
"Why?" She demanded, her voice cracking as it grew louder. "Why is it you want me to leave so badly? Is it really so unforgivable to be in my shoddy presence?" Lucy stepped closer and squared her shoulders like she was ready to fight for her place in Attwood.
Algernon's voice inherently raised to match the fight in hers. "Well, when you act out like an embarrassment what are you expecting people to think?"
Lucy took a step back as embarrassment rattled around her mind. She felt the stares of those around her and just noticed the conversation amongst the crowd had diminished to the point everyone in the room had been able to overhear them.
Lucy felt more shame than she had ever felt in her entire life as their revolted
gazes all agreed with Algernon. None of them even tried to conceal it. The alcohol tainted with shame turned to acid in Lucy's stomach and she quickly made for the exit.
All eyes turned to watch Lucy leave except Pecilia's and Brickwood's.
Pecilia smirked and raised a glass in support of Algernon's actions.
While Brickwood looked at his cousin and shook his head in taut disapproval.
Algernon ignored them both as he exited the party, not as rash as Lucy's departure had been but just as shame-filled.