the story of how (first name) became lady gizem.
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26 years ago.
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"a daughter?"
"you're telling me she died and just gave birth to a useless daughter!?" a man with (preferred color) hair yelled at the maid who informed him about his wife's passing.
"the duchy already has gizem! how could i compete for the duchy if i don't have a son!" he angrily marches down the halls of the mansion.
"but sir.. will you not see your daughter? she has not been named!" the maid went after him.
he stops in his tracks and shoves the made away to stop her from following him.
"you can kill her for all i care! she will not have any use for the duchy!"
the maid clenched her fist over his unruly attitude. she felt extreme pity towards the little girl with (preferred color) locks, "she's only a year younger than lady gizem.. how could he say that without meeting her."
the maid hurriedly went back to the newborn's room. every time the sun spots the babies skin, she would always happily smile as if she had no worries in the world.
"lady arin would've loved you so much.." the maid gazed over to the child.
"what can i do.. that bastard wouldn't even look your way.." she quietly mumbles.
"should i name you instead?" she said as the newborn laughed at her.
"lady (first name) seems to be a fitting name for you." she subtly laughed as she held the baby in her arms.
"arin would have given you the world.. as her loyal knight.. i shall devote my life for you.." the maid gave the little baby a vow.
the maid who made a promise towards the youngest nevis family member was one of the most feared assassin's in the kingdom assigned to protect lady arin of the nevis duchy from any physical harm.
since their duchy was beginning to fall ever since the death of arin's family, she was forced to marry into the amory duchy's second son, theon amory.
"lady (first name), i am merin, your loyal servant.."
"soon i will give you everything the amory duchy has to offer.." the maid saif once more as she carefully places the child back to her crib.
"i will raise you to survive in this cruel, wretched world."
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14 years later
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"there's another kid in the duchy?" (first name) asked merin, her maid, as she combs her hair.
merin smiles at her and looks over her palms that were too rough for a kid's touch. "she is your cousin, the daughter of the current duke of the duchy."
(first name) at age 14 has learned etiquette and was considered to be very smart for her age, due to merin teaching her everything she knows, the young lady soon mastered self defense. training has caused her to have calluses from her fingers up to the dorsum of her hands to form rather hard due to being thought archery and basic swordsmanship at a very young age.
merin has thought her to grow up to never relying on any man or anybody for help.
though the child, after letting her live under the amory duchy, her father was never one to meddle with her business.
she was given what most low ranking royalty received as a sign of respect from the nevis duchy.
though she was never considered a part of the ducal household of amory, she studied everything about it.
"why are you telling me this?" (first name) asks once more.
"lady gizem has requested your presence, lady (first name)." merin told her as she portrayed a slightly relieved expression.
her goal was to let (first name) make friends or rather, finally take on gizem.
(first name) noticed by the side if her eye what merin really meant.
she wanted to avenge lady arin, and by doing so, merin has gone a long way to shape (first name) as a successor.
though merin has never told lady (first name) about her plan to make her hold all of amory.
(first name) naturally sensed it. especially that she's pushing a meeting with lady gizem.
merin was not afraid of competition, she knew lady gizem in every way, how she acted and how she looked like.
she knew that (first name) and gizem looked alike all because the current duchess of the amory duchy was arin's older sister.
she molded (first name) to be like gizem in tougher ways.
as she swore all of this duchy will be inlaid upon arin's daughter.
"i would like to decline," (first name) told merin as ashe stood up taking a wooden sword from her closet,
"do not be difficult, you must meet with lady gizem, you are close in age. it would be nice if you finally made friends with someone who aren't old servants of the duchy," merin explained as she followed (first name).
(first name)'s (preferred hair color) hair was tied up in a ponytail as she was getting ready to head out to practice swordsmanship, "i was never raised to be friends with the future duchess. tell her to reconsider." she tells merin as she walks out the room, heading out.
"but lady (first name)!" merin ran after her as the lady walked a little too fast.
"lady (first name) you can't just decline lady gizem's invi-" merin cut her sentence off as she saw (first name) holding gizem as if she caught her from falling.
"are you alright?" (first name) asks gizem who had the same hair color as her.
merin stared at the both of them, she knew they looked similar, but looking at the both of them at this exact moment made her realize, "..they look exactly the same.." she mumbled to herself.
their only difference was, gizem got her father's eye color. a golden hue.
"i- i am," lady gizem answers as she covered her face from embarrassment.
(first name) held her back to her feet, "thank you for catching me," as lady gizem mentioned her thanks.
"watch your feet," (first name) bowed and continued to walk away,
"w-wait! i am lady gizem, please spare me some time!" gizem ran towards (first name) as she only stared at her,
"to what do i owe you, lady gizem?" (first name) asked as she placed her wooden sword over her neck.
"i would love to get tea with you,"
merin hurriedly went towards (first name) and whispered to her ear, "please accept her invitation, lady (first name).."
(first name) sighed and looked over merin, "will that make you happy?"
"my happiness will always be present as long as i have you, lady (first name)." merin replied, as (first name) immediately faced gizem.
"lady gizem, it would be an honor to have tea with you, though i am unavailable for today," (first name) explained
"i can wait for you." gizem told her,
(first name) was hesitant to accept such a rash invitation, especially from a distant family member who she only met today.
"very well then, there is no stopping you since you've already made up your mind." (first name) told her as she began to walk away, "merin please handle the invitation."
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"ah you know how to brew tea," lady gizem praised (first name) as she offered to make her some lemon poppy tea.
"even though i have never been properly recognized in the duchy, i have received the same training as you, lady gizem. politics, etiquette, self defense. i can par with you just well." (first name) stoicly answered gizem's ignorance.
"you're.. capable of such great things.." lady gizem mouthed as she took a sip of tea.
"wouldn't it be great if you were born as me?"
(first name) placed the teapot down and smiled at her, "it would be great, wouldn't it be?" she jested as she saw gizem surprised.
gizem thought she would disagree and tell her that no one could compare to be as great as her.
(first name) noticed how she jolted over her words so she continued to make fun of her, "a future duchess should be well read, you on the other hand.. don't look much,"
"so what if i do take on the role of lady gizem?" (first name) smiles wider than before.
"maybe they wouldn't notice."
"we look the same, anyways."
gizem for the first time in her life, suddenly felt terrified over a young girl. it was no lie that she was truly gifted in every way, but to jest as if it sounded real.
"..be careful of what you say, some may consider this treason." gizem told (first name)
"treason? you started to joke around, i simply went along with you, lady gizem."
"or are you perhaps truly afraid?"
"lady (first name)!" gizem jolted and raised her hand over (first name) attempting to hit her.
"you're too slow, lady gizem." (first name) caught her hand as she slapped gizem in the face.
"this is how you do it," she smiled at her as gizem was mortified.
"t-this is treason! hurting a family member of the amory duchy!" gizem yelled out loud as (first name) looked uninterested.
'maybe i do want this duchy..' (first name) thought to herself as she stared over gizem who was throwing a fit.
it was already dark outside and gizem was in theon amory's territory in the duchy,
"it's best to leave at this moment, lady gizem." merin barged in their little tea party.
"the duke shall hear about this! you will be chased out of the duchy!" gizem panicked as she stomped her feet heading to the door.
(first name) intended to stand by the exit as she asks merin, "do you think lady gizem's dress would fit me well?"
"w-what?" gizem stuttered,
"anything would look great on you, lady (first name)."
".. anything, huh.."
"then i shall be taking the amory duchy!" she excitedly mouthed as she walked towards gizem.
gizem slowly backing away in fear as merin stopped her moving further back.
"w-we just supposed to have some tea!" lady gizem yelled out.
"you can yell all you want, lady gizem. this place has no workers to abide your word."
"don't act stupid with me either," (first name) glared at her
"you're only here to check if i wouldn't take the duchess's position from you." (first name) went in closer and whispered over her ear,
gizem's eyes widened as she was surprised with how she found out,
"i'll see what's it like to be lady gizem."
"..merin will take good care of you."
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"it's such a pity," (first name) mentions as she watched the blood flowing out of gizem's body.
merin took off gizem's gloves and hands it over to (first name). she looked as if she already all of this will happen as she also prepared golden hued contacts for her.
(first name) immediately after putting them on she looked over merin with stoic eyes, as she suddenly broke down, "lady (first name) nevis has been.. assassinated.."
"lady (fi-)," (first name) put a finger over merin's mouth.
"my.. i am lady gizem," she said as she smiled at merin.
her bloodstained dress and messed up hair were most noticeable as soon as she stepped out the room.
it was dark enough and the duke began to look for lady gizem all over the duchy.
spotting the guards marching towards the room, she immediately ran outside with tears on her eyes.
"father!" (first name) cried out as the duke of amory ran towards his child,
"gizem! what happened?!" he panicked as he saw the blood all over her dress.
"l-lady (first name).. protected me from an assassination.." (first name) cried as she looked over to the duke.
"an assassination? in the amory duchy? who dares!" the duke yelled out as (first name) kept in with the act.
'stupid...you don't even recognize your own daughter' (first name) thought to herself as she kept on going with the act.
(first name) grabbed the duke's hand as she dragged him towards the room.
merin looking devastated as she was holding over gizem. acting as if it was really (first name).
"..lady arin would never forgive me.." she had pain in her eyes as she held gizem in her arms, her dress filled with gizem's blood.
the scene was too much to take that the duke covered (first name)'s eyes.
"gizem.. please don't look,"
"father.. lady (first name) died an honorable death protecting me.." she told him,
"she is still uncle theon's child, please, give her an honorable burial on my steed.." she cried as the duke felt hot tears over his hand.
"..the amory duchy will forever be thankful towards lady (first name)'s act of courage.." the duke told (first name).
"we can never let the public know theon's daughter died.." the duke quietly mumbles to himself but was loud enough for (first name) to hear.
"stop!" merin yelled out, still hugging the lifeless gizem. "don't you dare take lady (first name) from me!"
"miss merin of the nevis duchy.. we will take good care of lady arin's daughter." the duke tried to calm her down as he looks back towards (first name)
"gizem, it's been a long day.. let us go." the duke urged (first name) to leave.
(first name) glanced over to merin one last time, merin glances back and manicly smiles in a glimpse of how everyone was acting.
and as soon as everyone left the room, and the original gizem amory's body was discarded.
she wipes away the tears from her face and returns back to her normal stoic expression.
"i have finally.. given her everything, arin."
that was the last time (first name) saw merin nevis
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4 years later
"the duchess of the amory duchy is impeccable.."
"within two years she finally stopped the ducal household's embezzlement.."
"not only that, she's physically astounding as well, gifted with swordsmanship and archery.. we couldn't ask for a better duchess!"
gossips on wherever gizem went spread like wildfire immediately after she assumed the post of the duchess of amory two years ago.
(first name) as she looks over her lemon scented tea swirls it around as she stares over her reflection over the liquid.
"lady gizem.. i finally have an answer to your question 4 years ago.."
"it's terrible living like you,"
"though it was true how i was.. and will always be.. the greater duchess." (first name) mouthed.
she drank the tea all in one sitting as she reads a letter from her old friend,
'lady gizem amory,
if given the chance of a new life, would you like to join me outside svart? the orphanage is more than willing to aid you.
it seems like i can give you countless opportunities to become someone else, but of course.. everything has a price.
i shall be patiently waiting for a reply.
regards,
balladeer.'
"..a chance of a new life," (first name) recited as she took a pen from her drawer.
"this duchy.. will go down with me as i begin a new life," she smiled as she continued to pour down some lemon scented tea.
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rel: (first name)'s backstory is the first chapter towards the three side chapters.
the story continues next on how (first name) studies law and how she actually ends up meeting kazuha.
hence the name = undrcvr.