K03 ‖ Guardians of Heritage: History and Culture
𝕽𝖊𝖆𝖉𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝕲𝖚𝖎𝖉𝖊:
Italic words - the thoughts of a character / a foreign language is spoken
Bold and italic words - a lie, only when Princess Caitlyn's around
Bold, italic and underlined words - the timeline of memories, past, hallucinations etc.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
𝕿hey were named after the dead.
Charles Hyperion Exley.
A great number of kings of the entire European continent were given the name Charles. These countries include Albania, Austria, Bohemia, Croatia, England, France, Holy Roman Empire, Hungary, Ireland, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Scotland, Sicily, Spain, Sweden and many more.
Caesar Hesperos Hárfagri.
Caesar was the name of a Roman general and statesman by the name Gaius Julius Caesar. A member of the first Triumvirate, and later a dictator until his assassination in 44 BC, he played a critical role in the events that led to the demise of the Roman Republic and the rise of the Roman Empire.
Claudius Orion Hárfagri.
Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus was the fourth Roman emperor. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty who was limp and slightly deaf, Claudius's infirmity saved him from the fate of many other nobles during the purges throughout the reigns of Tiberius and Caligula, as potential enemies did not see him as a serious threat.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
Year 2039
Ever Realm Academy, Elderbourne Isle
Pale eyes stared at the screen as lean fingers typed on the keyboard without pause, fixated to the task at hand as the Princess of Norway tried her best to complete the assignment given by Professor Thompson, the history teacher. Familiar names of monarchs and tyrants who ruled the ancient ages of Europe appeared on the screen as she typed on, completely disregarding the two figures kneeling in front of her desk for the past hour or so.
One had dyed turquoise hair tied in a neat bun on top of her head, complimenting her Nordic charms while the other had long black hair that reached his lower back, pulled up in a high ponytail, allowing him to look like a character straight out of a Korean period drama. Despite the obvious differences in the pair, there was one thing they had in common, and that was being the Norwegian princess's servant for a decade.
Now, they are on their knees, facing the threat of being removed permanently from their posts.
Princess Caitlyn let out a long sigh, flexing her sore fingers as she paused momentarily. From her peripheral vision, she took note that the pair were still in the same position since they started an hour ago.
The lack of clicks on the keyboard allowed Valkyrie Hansson to grab the opportunity to talk with a higher probability of the princess listening, "We have failed you, my lady. We are not worthy of being at your service anymore. I will allow your highness to take my life as compensation for your anger." She declared boldly with gray eyes unwavering as she tried to meet the princess's ice cold gaze.
By her side, the princess's personal bodyguard wore an expression of regret and sadness as he cried out, "I'm sorry, your highness. I didn't have a choice! The doctors needed to do their job and save the old king." He mourned.
While the princess's lady-in-waiting spoke of honor and death in much valor, her bodyguard cried about his mistakes and showed his fear of what happens beyond the living.
Princess Caitlyn stopped working entirely and faced both her servants with much exasperation, wondering how their heads could possibly come to such delirious conclusions. She then recalled the curses she made months ago in Norway when her grandfather was at the brink of death. She sighed.
"Forget my words uttered impulsively in a moment of rage," Princess Caitlyn said. "It was in the spur of the moment. My grandfather —Thank Hel, she did not summon him to Helheim before his due— had already reprimanded me for my impetuous behavior and temper. I do not wish for your deaths to be a reminder of that."
"My lady," Baek Rang, the princess's bodyguard of South Korean descent, cried out in gratitude.
His co-worker, however, was still unwavering. "Your highness, I—"
"That's quite enough, Valkyrie," the princess snapped. "Don't test my mercy or I will consider making you mute to actually stop your nonsense. Both of you should focus on how to serve me better in the future. Get on your feet at once. We have much to do."
Baek Rang immediately sprang to his feet, skipping out of the office to continue his task of walking the princess's wolves around the school's vast grounds while singing praises of his charge at the top of his lungs. Valkyrie on the other hand, got to her feet with less vigor of the male, moving to make the princess a cup of tea and some cakes as her assignment will be preventing her from spending tea time with the rest of her friends.
Princess Caitlyn looked away from the glaring light of the laptop screen, squeezing her eyes shut as she rested her head in her folded hands on the table.
A cleaved head no longer plots, she thought. A man is useless once dead and she does not want the risk of losing perfectly good soldiers.
Many tyrants of old met their own demise in the form of their own paranoia and distrust by killing off their most trusted advisors and soldiers for the smallest mistakes. Princess Caitlyn will not allow that to happen to herself. She will have history to serve as her guide and her elders as her teachers.
She brought her head up and read the words written on the laptop screen. Princess Caitlyn remembered her grandmother's words at that moment. It is a curse to be named after the dead.
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The greenhouses of Ever Realm Academy serve as a refuge for not just exotic plants but also for the hobbyists and home gardeners of the upper class. For the students of Ever Realm Academy, these greenhouses are not just classrooms during botany classes but are frequented by the royalty and the nobility during tea time for a sophisticated and high class experience.
Under the roof of the cooling greenhouse, a group of princesses sat around the tea table enjoying their time of leisure together with tea and cakes while admiring the clusters of azaleas, cinerarias, and cyclamens that decorated the greenhouse with their vibrant colors. Laughter filled the air as the ladies exchanged gossip and small talks with their friends.
"You should consider joining us in the Council, Princess Teuila," sweet Princess Aoife of Ireland leaned forward excitedly, grinning widely at the French Polynesian princess sitting across her. "You have so much potential, I just know it!" Her eyes gleamed brighter than diamonds under blue light.
The princess nervously poked at her honeyed scone, forcing a small smile while politely declining as she was focusing on building up her confidence. She whispered under her breath about considering debate or public speaking to enhance the people skills.
From beside her, Princess Megara of Greece whipped her auburn head and gave her an alarmed look. "I think you will pass out under the pressure and intensity of the debate room and the public speaking practice room is no better than a war zone for silver-tongued snakes and sales people." She ended her harsh words abruptly by pouring her attention to the plate of cake in front of her, stuffing her mouth to the brim, leaving Princess Teuila no room to argue.
"Then, I shouldn't try that?" Princess Teuila squirmed in her seat. "Maybe there's some other activities?"
"Oh! Oh!" Princess Aoife raised her hand to the air, nearly jumping out of her chair. "What about applying for the Publicist position?" She said expectantly. "Since Lady Aislin of House Monteagle is graduating soon, her partner, Inagawa Manzo, who will graduate next year will be alone!"
Aoife stared at the Polynesian girl expectantly with wide eyes and a grin on her face.
Teuila blinked several times, looking shocked at the suggestion. It never occurred to her that she could also apply for positions of graduation seniors instead of fighting for one. The princess felt silly thinking like that.
Unlike the rest of her company, she still shared a suite room with a fellow student and was not as knowledgeable of the school as her fellow royals who lived together at the penthouse suite were. It was obvious she would feel out of place at times like this.
"That—that sounds nice," said Teuila timidly. She shrank deeper into her seat.
However, her friend did not notice the change in her demeanor.
Instead, Aoife's eyes seemed to glow even brighter than the sun after hearing that. "I KNOW RIGHT!!!" she squealed in delight and proceeded to ramble in rapid Gaelic, so fast that no one could catch her words.
Teuila looked at her with a bemused expression, unsure if she should take note of everything she said.
Beside Princess Aoife, her sister Caoimhe was having a serious conversation with Princess Constantin of Romania and Princess Merida of Scotland.
"I seriously cannot believe you said that to them," Princess Constantin sighed, shaking her head at Princess Caoimhe.
Princess Merida leaned back into her chair, crossing her arms over her chest. "I still can't believe you actually dared to say that to a guest," she said in her unique accented voice.
"Oh, please," Constantin rolled her eyes, "she says that to everyone she tries to intimidate, especially towards the guys who try to woo her."
"True," Merida nodded solemnly. The Scottish redhead thoughtfully took a bite from a cookie that was as large as the palm of her hand.
Feeling annoyed as they talked as if she was not there with them, Caoimhe slammed her palm on the table and snapped at them, "That's enough. Are you two trying to console me or insult me?"
"You never need any of our consolidation. We are just trying to sort out what you said to them," was Constantin's casual reply as she took a sip of tea.
"Yeah," Merida added unhelpfully, "that was nasty, even for you."
Princess Caoimhe threw her arms up in exasperation, "Dear Lord, I was just talking about my hunting trips with dad. I just love shooting down rabbits, don't you? It's not my fault if they assume too much." She grumbled.
There was an extended moment of silence between the trio before Princess Merida spoke up again, "I suppose so. But—"
"Whether you like hunting rabbits or not, isn't the issue here, Merida," Constantin interrupted, putting on an air of importance. "The issue is, how are you going to get a guy if you continue like that?" She cried out with an exaggerated gesture, staring at her royal friend like she did something criminally offensive.
Another moment of silence took place and this time, out of disbelief.
"That's your concern?" Caoimhe deadpanned.
The Scottish beside her snorted in disgust, "Yeah, that was your concern? I thought we were talking about how Poposi is a school for prissy pink princesses whom we shall never mix with regardless of what happens in the future." Princess Merida said in between mouthfuls of cookies, waving a half-eaten cookie around, sending crumbs shattering everywhere.
"Honey—" Constantin wanted to correct the younger girl but stopped herself and instead said, "well, you have a point."
The Princess of Scotland shrugged, looking pleased with herself. She proceeded to stuff her mouth with more smaller-sized cookies, earning a horrified look from Caoimhe.
Constantin wasted no time and went back to the current topic of discussion, "But, Caoimhe, is it worth the punishment you received? I mean, my sister looked very angry when she talked to you and Caitlyn. I rarely see her that mad before," she said thoughtfully.
The Irish sighed heavily while her friend inched closer eagerly. Taking a long sip of tea, Princess Caoimhe took her time to say, "She wasn't angry with us, she's angry with those nobles who snitched on me. They chose to side with the outsiders."
Constantin scoffed in disgust, "They have no loyalties to our school. Such a disgrace."
Merida then leaned forward, "I heard they got suspended."
"They should be expelled," Caoimhe said, "I, for one, will be glad of that." She leaned back and waited as her handmaiden poured her another cup of tea. "That way, they would no longer be our problem."
After a moment of silence passed between the trio, the Romanian princess started again.
"You sure—" Princess Constantin said in a very suggestive tone that was poorly disguised. Most of them knew the tone well enough.
As such, Princess Caoimhe interrupted, "Yes, I am perfectly capable of finding my own match without your meddling. Do not ask me any more questions or you will add more stress to yourself and die. Do you wish to die, 'Tinie?" She had refused to turn to her side and meet the burning stares of the self-proclaimed matchmaker of ERA.
"No, honey. I wish to see this match that you speak of."
Spring season will be upon them soon and it was undoubtedly Princess Constantin of Romania's ritual to run around trying to matchmake everyone in school. Almost everyone in their dorm had been a victim of her crazy matchmaking antics, so much that they started looking for new and creative ways to avoid her entirely. Since Princess Teuila of French Polynesia had just opened up to them, the Romanian princess received strict orders from her older sister to leave the poor girl alone.
It was unfortunate for Princess Caoimhe who became her most sought after victim of the year.
"Whatever," said Princess Caoimhe. She wondered why would the older girl not worry about her own love life instead of others. She was also annoyed with herself for making friends with this princess. If she had known that Princess Constantin was such a lunatic, she would have ignored her entirely the first day they met. Alas, this was her fate.
Seeing that the Irish wanted nothing to do with the older girl, Princess Merida took the opportunity to budge in and asked, "You saw Caitlyn yesterday, didn't you?" She carefully observed the expression on the girl's face, watching as discomfort flashed in her kohl-lined eyes.
Taking a deep breath, Princess Caoimhe said, "I did. She still looks pale to me."
"Paler than usual?" Princess Merida pressed on.
That earned a nasty look from Princess Caoimhe.
The Scottish shrugged carelessly, "Just making sure your eyes aren't playing tricks on you." She then whispered to her handmaiden to fetch her another plate of snacks.
"She's still avoiding us, that's for sure," Caoimhe drawled lazily. "I doubt she'll be possessed to do something extreme like jumping off the building." She shuddered slightly at the idea, her fingers finding their way to the string of wooden beads hung around her neck, fiddling with the protective charms on the necklace. The thought unsettled her.
"Nah," Merida shook her head, "that's not her way of coping. She's more of the 'shoot an arrow to release stress' type of princess." She chuckled softly as if recalling a fond memory.
Constantin narrowed her dark eyes at her fencing partner, "How...did you know that?"
"She mutilated all the archery targets at the archery range," said Merida casually. "Pretty sure she vented out her feelings there because no one else has that sort of skill...other than me. I remembered the only one surpassing us in archery would be Prince Arafat of Saudi Arabia. His skills are simply immaculate." She praised.
Caoimhe rolled her eyes.
"At least we know that she's still sane enough," she said. "Her brothers are alive too, right?" she asked no one in particular.
"As far as I know," said Constantin thoughtfully, "My brothers said Prince Claudius started eating again but Prince Caesar has yet to move on from the idea of committing homicide."
Merida snorted, "He'll get over it. I always do." She said casually as if it was a daily occurrence, which in her case, it might be. Considering the fact that there is a detestable pest strutting the halls of her beloved home.
Caoimhe gave her another one of her infamous nasty looks while Constantin hummed.
She said absently, "It'll come true."
"What did you say?" Caoimhe asked sharply, her brows drawn into a deep frown.
Constantin blinked several times in confusion. "I didn't say anything," was her confident reply.
The Irish princess's eyes widened in alarm. She opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted by her sister's sudden cheer from across the tea table. Then, before anything else could be said or done, a ball of golden fur landed on their table, breaking teacups and sending tea pastries flying everywhere.
Everyone stood up from their seats in a flash to avoid having cake icing thrown at their faces as they watched a golden snub nosed monkey going on a rampage, doing its best to ruin their tea party. Some princesses were already escorted out of the greenhouse by their handmaidens while some like Princess Constantin and Princess Merida made it a challenge to see who catches the monkey first.
As Princess Caoimhe was leaving, she heard the clean-freak Princess Floarea of Romania mutter under her breath, "I hate that monkey."
The monkey's mischievous personality was known by all of them as it was a pet of a fellow royal whom everyone adored for his calm and charming demeanor. Unfortunately, his pet was anything but like him.
Princess Caoimhe laughed softly to herself as she walked back to the dorms, already forgetting the odd comment from Princess Constantin.
─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───
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