I found it odd.
What, you ask? Many things.
The first was how badly I did with archery. I had never entertained the expectation of being brilliant on my first try, but for sure I did not expect to cause the flowerbeds to grow arrows instead of actual flowers. No matter how much Eloise tried with her inexhaustible patience, I never improved and the flowerbeds suffered. Though, I was pretty sure archery was not for me; I continued the lessons. I enjoyed Eloise's company, and it was a splendid exercise. It was also the second route in case I failed alchemy, which was turning into my best bet.
The second involved the etiquette classes. I still disliked them, but at least I did not hate them. Lady Sargosa was the competent type and had an answer for everything, even my reservations. A usual topic of disagreement was dancing and my lack of will to do it.
"No one would ask me or dared to." I defended.
Lady Sargosa would turn to me and say with a smirk on her face. "Really no one? My ladyship does not know anyone bold enough to affront you or your dear father?"
I do. Problem is that I do... I knew two troublemaker princes (and one would do it just for the heck of it)... and a dimwitted future duke... shit...
After that, though, I went on with the lessons to the pleasure of everyone except me.
The third thing applied to Jennifer and her watchful stares at Emmanuel. She had a serious expression and hid it whenever someone saw her. Came out of nowhere someday and I couldn't find an explanation. And Jenni, being Jenni, did not help with that either. She always avoided talking about it, employing her very well practised "end of a conversation" smile. Wide and detached, it ended all enquiries.
The fourth and last odd thing was Emmanuel, the fool himself. Besides being unaffected by Jenni's sometimes evil stare, he became a rollercoaster of emotions. He and Fanny were part of my cheering squad when it came to my archery attempts. Captains actually. Every time I failed, I could see his desolation. Same with every time I improved with alchemy, his eyes would tear up. He was odd... I would have thought he would be both sad or happy in the same way. It could only mean archery had been his solution to my alchemy efforts... which was strange since both would cause him to lose his head if the duke ever found out.
He was the oddest of the bunch...
Though none of those odd things stopped my alchemy studies. I did them anyway and always in the evenings, watched by Emmanuel and Fanny, and sometimes Jenni. This time, she was there. When I made my breakthrough. When, for the first time, I fabricated a usable alchemy object.
In the beginning, I thought about the possibility of making the end product liquid and having a mould created to shape it. However, fabricating liquids was out of my league. In the end, I opted for a solid shape, which brought its difficulties as well.
It didn't matter, for now. I had accomplished to produce a smoke rock (without filling the drawing-room with smoke- victory!). Spiky and grey, it was beautiful to look at. The moment I took it from the caldron, Emmanuel's complexion paled and he faced a wall murmuring under his breath as he beat his head on the cold (smoke-free) surface.
Fanny hugged me in animated delight, having forgotten about the "danger" alchemy was for me. Jenni was more restrained in her expression. Neutral was a better description. And while Emmanuel sobbed without actual tears, I analyzed the rock.
I knew my limitations. Even if people thought of me as inconsequential, I recognized I could never be the best in alchemy. Without a true master, I could only go so far. But what I had was enough. For now, it was. Even with the spiky shape and lacklustre shine, this was my beginning. I would getter better at those, but at this moment, I worked with what I had.
I needed tools to mould the rocks into bullets. Delicate tools. And I was about to ask Fanny about it, when the head maid came requesting her help for a task involving drapes. Emmanuel went as well, sad and dramatic as usual, making the head maid feel sorry for him. I scowled as they closed the door behind them.
"You cannot blame him for his reaction, Lulu." said Jenni, seated in a nearby armchair. Our afternoon treats were on the table in front of her, untouched. I went for a small bite on a cookie, not wanting to fill up my stomach before dinner.
"Maybe... Anyway, he is an odd fellow..." I said, enjoying the sweet taste of chocolate. I was getting better at baking. Maybe it could be an alternative way to gain money in the future...
"Uhm." said Jennifer as she peered into the window that led outside to an old tree garden.
I raised myself and went there, opening it up with ease. Jennifer's voice came with the first fresh breezes. "What are you doing, Lulu?"
"Going for a walk, it is too warm inside." I replied with a smile.
A furrow appeared on her face. "At night?"
"What do you fear, Jenni? That we get attacked by criminal apples? Vengeful peaches?" I raised my hand. "What is the problem, Jenni? Should I hate Emmanuel too?"
At that, she chuckled and took my hand. "Do you hate him, Lulu?"
"No." I got surprised by how fast I answered. "I am not sure what to think of him. Hate, however, is not what comes to mind. If I am honest, I have been more hateful to him than him to me." my steps were loud on the cut grass, making an uneven symphony with Jenni's shoes. A piece of music that got interrupted by her warm giggles.
"I suppose you are correct..."
"You suppose..." I agreed, nodding my head.
Jenni grew silent for a moment, no longer bearing a smile. Instead, she had a serious look on her face as she watched the ancient trees that covered the sky. "I know you said you are not sure, but... what is your take of him? What is your impression of Lord Emmanuel?"
I thought hard with my eyes on the grass. "I can say he is not evil... And no matter what, he has supported me in my less than proper ventures. If we can call it like that... He hates my practice of alchemy, yet even if I did pressure him, in no way did he attempt to stop me."
"It wouldn't work, anyway. You would never stop." retorted Jenni, amused.
"Sure. Though he could have made my life harder. He never hid a book. He never stopped me from baking or prevented me from gathering materials. Actually, my cauldron is always clean, and I have got a list of recipes to diversify my baking. Compared to Lady Beatrice, his grumbling and crying is nothing but annoying to my ears." I saw at the distance a stone bench, illuminated by torches, and I changed my route. "He gets nervous about my success. Prefers that I practise the arrow, even if I think that is more dangerous than alchemy. He is odd..."
We sit at the bench, which was under a tree that resembled very much the silver one at the entrance of the manor. Though the branches were big and covered our heads, they moved with the wind and we could see the sky and its bright stars.
"People can be mysterious." said Jenni after staring at the sky.
I nodded, watching her. "He is a special case. I think he gave me more recipes so I could make him different sweets." And we laugh. When we grew silent again, I came closer to her, my eyes burning in a soothing blue. "Jenni, what do you think of Lord Emmanuel?"
She never wavered. "After Lady Beatrice, didn't you mistrust him?" Jenni asked, patting on my hand.
I breathed... It was hard to take anything from Jenni... nobility and their sly ways...
"I thought about it..." I said truthfully. The fire on the torches dancing by my side and heating me up. "But Gobbie... I mean... father wouldn't fall for it two times. He didn't come with us, so he had to be especially careful with whom he chose as our caretaker. He wouldn't have sent us to a place where he was not confident of our protection." I looked around at the dark garden, barely illuminated. The shadows provoked by the torches created disproportional figures. It was a remarkable and chilly sight. "Besides... I don't... Emmanuel seems attached to us. Like family... Like an idiotic uncle."
"You are right. Lord Emmanuel is family. There are good reasons to trust him." Jenni had taken a fallen apple from the ground. Ripe and of a scarlet red, it gave off a shine against the light. "He saved you twice, Lulu. I heard the Temple has forbidden lord Emmanuel from entering the capital, at risk of serious penalty. Yet he still came to help you without a question and without pay. He wouldn't hurt you or me..." she punctured the apple with her nails, leaving half-moons all over it.
"Then why are you angry at him?" I said, thinking of the waste she was doing and how idiotic was Emmanuel. At least he should have taken some money... Maybe he got the manor...?
"We had a disagreement of sorts." She replied, her eyes on the fruit.
"Regarding what?"
She gave me an embarrassed smile. "He caught me while I spied on him and lady Sargosa."
My eyes enlarged, and my mouth opened. "No. Really?" when she nodded, I noticed her embarrassment was more for being caught than for doing something she shouldn't. "That is so... bad!" I laughed hard, while she hid her face with a hand. "What did you find out?"
She composed herself before whispering. "Not much... Only that they worked together as tutors before, and that Emmanuel for sure is older than Lady Sargosa."
"No way! Both are royal tutors?!" it shouldn't be shocking. If Emmanuel could teach future emperors, then Lady Sargosa could or should as well. She was more competent than Lady Beatrice could have ever dreamed of being. "Nothing more?"
Jenni shook her head, and I knew she was not telling all the truth, but I said nothing about it. "Did Emmanuel punish you?"
"No. Of course not. I am just crossed that I got caught." She had her head back, enjoying the refreshing air.
I thought to myself, with some pride, that she was becoming a troublemaker. Not like the princes, of course, but not a naive girl who would fall helplessly in love with a future emperor and cause a rift between friends and empires.
"I am sure that your success in alchemy will cause him enough heartaches to compensate for him catching me." Jenni smiled with childish wickedness. "What follows now?" her head tilted slightly to examine me.
I let out a sigh before arranging my thoughts out loud. "Next step would be to replicate what I did today a few more times... when I managed that, then I could start thinking of testing with the muskets or pistols... However, before that, I need some tools. Precise tools..."
"Then maybe you should visit Mr Smith. He is the best blacksmith in town..." The voice of Lady Sargosa shocked us both. We turned to the passage we walked before to find her and Emmanuel standing there. He was too far behind, covered by the darkness to be seen clearly by any of us.
The lady turned part of her head to him. "It seems I need to explain myself..." She gave us a smile. "As you know, today is my husband's birthday..." I didn't, but the relaxed expression from Jenni told me it was a piece of information already shared. Just not stuck in my head. "Lord Emmanuel sent him a present and since he couldn't join us for dinner, my husband thought it was a great idea to march in here with a feast. He is a sentimental fool." said the lady with a warm grin.
"He loves you, so he's harder at heart than many..." murmured Emmanuel, as he reached closer, his face with a mischievous smirk.
The lady twisted her body to meet him, and I almost thought she was going for a kick in some pain sensible place. However, at the last minute, she thought better of it and used her cane to beat a tree next to Emmanuel instead. Lady Sargosa was an interesting character, yet that was not enough for me to forget her comment before. I watched Jenni and found no panic in her expression. All very odd...
Lady Sargosa looked at us as our silent response deepened. "Ah... I should explain that as well. I heard rumours of your alchemy, Lady Lucreatia." my body jerked up in shock. "Archbishop Feranibiche is from the same homeland as I, and we both share acquaintances. I hated him and so did many from around there. However, the news spread, since Feranibiche asked the Temples in the town for help in his raid against the Mountnero's."
I swallowed hard and noticed that Jenni had a glint of confusion in her eyes. She hadn't known that either.
"And I confirmed." said Emmanuel, with a dry voice.
THE BITCH!
I gave him murderous eyes, but he didn't twitch or get nervous. Maybe after my alchemy success, he was no longer afraid of other things. I got exasperated over his attitude, together with Lady Sargosa, who had her hands on her hips when she talked to him. "And here I was, trying to help you, Emmanuel. You really like to have people angry at you."
"I don't. Though, I find your statement surprising, since of all people you are the one who most enjoys berating me for my indulgencies." he crossed his arms, beaming. Emmanuel was enjoying playing with the old lady, as tight friends do.
Lady Sargosa, however, didn't share this feeling and lost her cool, putting her arms up and yelling something about old priests being fools and idiots.
"It is the same thing, Bianca." retorted Emmanuel, bravely, for once. Lady Sargosa gave him the same murderous eyes as I did. And I felt closer to the lady than ever. At last, someone who gets me. "Also, I confirmed because Lady Sargosa is trustworthy and she can help." he finished, having bent his knee to be on the same eye level as us, the Mountnero ladies.
"Then let's go inside to eat and talk about our trip to Aeribitina." said the woman, now going her way through the path.
"Wouldn't that be dangerous?" asked Jenni, her blue eyes darting from Emmanuel to the Lady.
"In Aerabitina, you girls are safer than in the palace." replied Emmanuel with a soft smile, while raising himself.
Not convinced, Jenni remained silent and pensive as we followed the adults. I, however, had the tingling feeling of excitement over my empty belly. For months, we had overlooked the city through our windows and now we would finally see it, close by.
We would be out of these long walls, and it would be fun!! (No troublemakers for a start!!)
What did you think?!! Hope you liked this chapter! It's the last of the year (or the first, depending on where you are living XD)
The girls are going to Aerabitina, and we will find more about the place and why the Duke chose it as a hiding place.
Have a great new year!! And see you Sunday :)