sranks | we are the cursed we came from fire and ice

[Lorenz Hellman Gloucester has always been destined for greatness. Not that he expects to sit around and wait for greatness to come to him, of course, as that would be unbecoming of a noble. No, Lorenz is a man of action, and that is what has led him to the Officers Academy at Garreg Mach.

...Well, that and his father suggested it, and given how highly he still speaks of the academy, it sounds like it's a good idea. Lorenz had jumped at the chance to attend, and every day since he arrived he's reminded of why it was such a good idea.

He isn't the only influential member of the Golden Deer class, after all. While there are some commoners, there are some powerful potential allies (and enemies) here as well. The future king of Faerghus and the future empress of the Adrestian Empire are both here as well, and this looks to be one of the most influential classes Garreg Mach has seen in years, perhaps even in its whole history.

That isn't to say that Lorenz believes he ranks among the prince and princess, but he certainly does hold some sway in Alliance politics.

Anyway, Lorenz didn't come to the monastery alone. While the prince and princess (and Claude) brought their retainers, Lorenz brought his along with him as well. Things are a bit... awkward with Camilla, though.

To start with, she's related to him. Anyone can tell just from looking at them - purple hair stands out, after all. They don't look very much alike outside of their hair color, which is perhaps a blessing. Most people don't know that they are related. It's a closely-guarded secret of House Gloucester. As far as everyone else is concerned, Camilla is his servant.

Still... it feels strange to treat her that way. She isn't his sister despite their shared blood (his father has made that clear on numerous occasions), but Lorenz doesn't like the idea of treating her so lowly when she clearly holds the same bloodline. She even has the same minor Crest of Gloucester! It would be terribly rude to treat her as common-born.

So in the end he tends to treat her a bit differently when they're alone; it's awkward and certainly not the easiest relationship, but he doesn't mind her company any. Even if she isn't family, Camilla is at least an excellent retainer.

Classes haven't officially started yet, so as usual, they're free to roam the monastery grounds and get used to the place that will be their home for quite some time. Lorenz has (of course) commandeered Camilla's time for tea this morning, and he watches several students come and go as they sit at one of the nice little tables left in the garden.]

I had hoped they would provide us with a schedule for the start of classes by now. It seems as though we may have a few more days to ourselves before that happens.

[He takes a dainty sip of tea, nodding his approval.]

Excellent as always, Camilla.

[Hopefully he has enough of House Gloucester's tea to last him for awhile until he can get more shipped in...]

I trust you aren't too bored just yet?

[There's the barest hint of a smile tugging on the corners of his mouth; to anyone else it would look as simple conversation, but he's sure by now Camilla knows that it's his own (rather stunted) way of checking up on her.

Family or not, she is someone he considers important and it would be rude to treat her otherwise, regardless of company.]

[Morning tea with Lorenz is always nice, but they do have to part eventually; Camilla does have some snooping to do, after all, and Lorenz has his own business to take care of. They'll report back to each other later, as they always do, but for now...Camilla is free to roam the monastery, and she intends to roam with purpose.

There is much to do and see around the monastery, after all! Camilla can barely contain some form of glee at being able to see all of these things, many of which are very delightful despite their mundane functions. The garden where they grow just about everything is so lovely and delightful, the fishing hole is quaint and delightful...the marketplace is very lovely, and really, Camilla could get lost within the monastery easily.

What gets her interest the most, however, is the stables; Camilla can barely contain her excitement at the idea of being able to see the wonderful creatures of the monastery in their natural habitat. It's not like no one is barred from coming in, after all; Camilla is more than content to wander inside and take a look around, taking everything in with wonder.]

Oh, my...I can hardly believe my eyes, it's so lovely in here...

[Camilla is certain she isn't alone, but due to the way her hair is...styled...she doesn't see them. And quite frankly, she doesn't care; she fully intends to give a look to all of the creatures inside, and see their habitats. Perhaps maybe ask if she can assist in their care, but...

Patience, Camilla. She must have patience. Anything she does will reflect poorly on Lord Lorenz, after all.]

[Getting into the Officer's Academy was more of a success than Dorothea had anticipated. Just look at all of these people...those inside her house and outside of it were all some of the most prestigious people in all of Fódlan. Royalty, commoners, people from all walks of life...including one Dorothea Arnault, who curried favor with a noble in order to get into the Academy in the first place. It was crazy, wasn't it?

But Dorothea had her own mission in line at the Academy, really. It was all about securing a future, something to hold her over when she was old and gray, with none of her beauty left. There were quite a few fish in this sea, and Dorothea was a fisherman with a silver hook and the proper bait for any occasion.

Of course, that wasn't all this was about...there was plenty to learn in the Officer's Academy, after all, and plenty of people to simply rub shoulders with besides that. It's that interest in rubbing shoulders with others that sees her out and about in the evening, going towards the dock to try and see if there was anyone to talk to...

And needless to say, there was. Dorothea has heard plenty of rumors about this one; he was one of the two von Krakenburg's that were in the monastery. There were plenty of nasty rumors that went around about the family; some said that their father was a little too free with his love. (which would explain all of the children) Some said that the family casually drank the blood of anyone who wandered into their territory to maintain eternal youth. (Okay, but then why is Garon so ugly? That's absurd.) Some say that none of them can be trusted, that they're going to betray the Empire entirely...

Dorothea? Well, all she's staring at is a man trying very hard not to brood, and failing miserably. Sure, maybe she could rub elbows with him and see if she could flirt with him a bit, but...well, Dorothea does have something of a heart. And maybe this guy could use a friend.

Xander's going to be swiftly joined by Dorothea, who looks to him with an easy smile on her face.]

Hey there! It's Xandy, right? [yep, a nickname already, get used to it] That's a look you shouldn't have on your face until the end of the week...are you doing okay?

[The Officers Academy has quite the reputation for churning out powerful students. It's really the only reason Felix is here. He certainly isn't here to keep an eye on a certain boar, and he's not here because his father thought it'd be a good idea for him to attend. He's here to get stronger, that's all.

So naturally, Felix spends all of his free time at the training grounds. Now that classes have started, he has less time to run through his usual drills or challenge anyone worthy to a sparring session. He doesn't really mind classes, though he'd rather be anywhere but dealing with Manuela or Hanneman. Byleth - as much of a weirdo as they are - happens to be damn good with a sword, and they've already beaten Felix into the ground on three separate occasions.

He's not good enough yet, but that's fine. He's got plenty of time to improve his skills, and he'll learn a lot from Byleth.

The training grounds aren't empty when he heads over after class today. It looks like one of the other classes let out early or something, since there's a girl swinging around an axe. Felix doesn't recognize her, but that's not really all that surprising. He only really recognizes the people from his own class at this point, and the other house leaders since it's probably important to remember them.

He goes to retrieve one of the wooden training swords, though winds up watching the girl's swings for a bit. There's a lot of power behind her strikes, the sort of power that he could see coming from someone like Dedue or the boar.]

Hey. [The greeting is loud, to draw her attention, but that's where any friendliness ends.] Spar with me.

[felix that's rude??]

[Their school days are going very smoothly, Camilla is finding. Sure, there are plenty of problems and plenty of worries as the week goes by; Camilla hasn't once stopped thinking about the implications of Xander being here, and the possibility that word of her survival could get back to their father. Were Camilla not attempting to do as much as she possibly could within the confines of the monastery, she'd be dwelling on it, and she absolutely cannot afford that. Not when there's so much to do, so much to keep up with as it stands, and service to her lord to be completed.

Most wouldn't notice anything different about Camilla; she's always tried to be a distant person in general, keeping people at arm's length and only helping when she felt it was needed or warranted. She also tried to be an exemplary servant in all regards; the perfect maid to properly serve her lord, and the perfect soldier to take care of matters he did not need to sully his hands with. And yet, there are always minute differences; tiredness being a particular marker of something on her mind she can't avoid. Particular fierceness during her drills in the training grounds is another...

(Her shortness with Claude is probably yet another, though Camilla always endeavors to keep it a polite shortness. She's not going to get close to anyone that her lord disapproves of, after all, despite how disarming he is. He's got smiles that don't reach his eyes, and were Camilla perhaps a touch more impulsive, she'd suggest a way to dispose of that scheming man.)

But it's fine. Camilla has never once been sloppy, or unable to hide her true feelings from the masses, so it's fine.

It's one of their free days when Camilla comes to the dormitories with several books in her knapsack, and a tray of tea with some freshly baked sweets. Lord Lorenz has requested some reading material for today, and also his afternoon tea; Camilla has seen it fit to provide both with the utmost care. As if she could do any less, after all.

(She's brought some reading material of her own, a few books on wyvern care and a beginner's guide to flying; they're personal, but she thinks Lord Lorenz will be pleased to see that she's not skimping on her own interests.)

Camilla knocks on his door as she always does; a few knocks in a certain melody, one her lord will recognize easily. Camilla has always liked keeping a certain secret code, after all, and she imagines it'll get him up from whatever he is doing.]

May I come in, my lord? I have brought your afternoon tea.

Edited 2019-09-27 03:07 (UTC)

[The training grounds are perhaps one of Xander's favorite places here at the monastery. There's something nice about being able to focus single-mindedly on the repeated motions of swinging a sword or a lance. Xander isn't in here as much as the heir to House Fraldarius, but when he does have the time, he enjoys spending it training.

Today's a bit different, however. Instead of focusing on swords or lances, which are his preferred forms of combat, he's working on reason magic. He isn't particularly good at it, but Professor Hanneman was adamant that he should learn and that it would be useful with his particular talents.

His crest is what the professor meant, Xander knows that much. He's in possession of the minor crest of Macuil, which raises the power of magic attacks. It's the signature crest of House Krakenburg and one his father was all too pleased that he'd inherited. His mother used to say that he was one of the only ones of Garon's children who had inherited it. He's never really had any way of testing it since he wasn't taught magic back home, but now he learns to control its power, so here he is.

The training dummies are built to withstand magical attacks as well as physical ones, so there's no need to worry about him accidentally destroying it. Not that his spells would be strong enough for that anyway, they're almost laughably weak right now. The important thing isn't how powerful they are, though; the important thing is learning to cast and control the spells, and that's what he's hard at work on right now.

Thunder is the only spell he knows right now so it's obviously the one he's practicing today. It still feels weird to channel magic through his fingertips, but he's gotten surprisingly good at casting it on command by now. The crest's might flows through him as he releases the most recent spell, hitting the training dummy hard enough to roughly shake it for a moment as the after-image of the crest floats in the air. It fades out pretty quickly, but the burn of magic and the tug of power that comes with it leaves him smiling. It's getting easier and less overwhelming. He tries again, and again, and again.]

[Garreg Mach monastery is just full of surprises, isn't it. Not that Hubert expected anything different when he joined the Officers Academy with Lady Edelgard, but their class is certainly an interesting one.

As always, Hubert has been keeping busy studying their fellow students. Most of them aren't anything particularly noteworthy - either commoners with little reason to stand in Lady Edelgard's way, or nobles he has already investigated thoroughly. There is one notable exception to that, however, and that comes in the form of one Camilla von Krakenburg.

House Krakenburg is almost as vile as the rumors surrounding them suggest. House Vestra has lost several seasoned spies within House Krakenburg's walls and keeping tabs on the family isn't nearly as easy as it is with the other nobles in the Empire. Irritatingly enough, House Krakenburg still has plenty left to hide and House Vestra has been unsuccessful in determining exactly what is going on within those walls.

Not that he's surprised; his father placed more importance on his own station and betraying the Emperor than doing his duty. That won't be a concern once he's head of House Vestra.

But for now, it falls to him to handle what he can for Lady Edelgard so that she may eventually usher in a new age. She will change the world, and that cannot be done without a little help from the shadows.

From his studies, Camilla is no longer associated with House Krakenburg at all, outside of her shared surname with his classmate, Xander. While they could be cousins, the more likely relationship between them is that of siblings, and given their close age, that would make sense. Camilla's history has been infuriatingly difficult to get a good read on, but he does know that she left House Krakenburg and was taken in to House Gloucester of the Alliance. She serves Lorenz now as his retainer, and they spend much of their free time together. Given their matching hair color, the assumption is that they have some relation, although that isn't proven.

Most importantly, Camilla has been spending her time studying and tending to wyverns. It isn't particularly difficult to track her movements throughout the day when he decides to confront her. Late at night, as she's undoubtedly done with her time in the stables, he steps in, blocking her escape route.]

Camilla von Krakenburg, if I'm not mistaken?

[His tone is cordial, betraying nothing. He doesn't have any (visible) weapons on him, though his sudden (near-)silent approach might catch her off-guard. On the other hand, she is Lorenz's retainer, and given what he knows about her it wouldn't surprise him if she was aware of his presence even before he approached.

He doesn't continue, simply waiting for her response.]

[These months at the Officer's Academy have certainly been enlightening, to say the least. Between the near monthly attacks, the lessons they have been putting into far more use than Camilla herself may have expected in dealing with dissenters of the Church, and that kidnapping incident at the monastery, there's been no shortage of messes to clean up. The Golden Deer aren't a perfect house by any means, but they have been performing adequately on the missions that they have been given. Camilla would remiss to say that it was her lord and herself alone's efforts that have contributed; even in such a disjointed house like theirs, they have managed to come together when needed, just as one would expect.

Even despite the secrets that have been kept, the quarrels they sustain from time to time, and the responsibilities that they all must bear, they've gotten on decently enough. Well, outside of Claude of course, but he's always been secretive and hard to pin down.

The Battle of the Eagle and Lion is coming soon, and that's sure to be a spectacle; each and every one of the members of their house are coming into their own, and Camilla is no exception. Though she's definitely still getting used to fighting with axes as a Pegasus Knight; she's not as fond of the pegasi as she is the wyverns, but this is the next step in ensuring that she will be able to train wyverns eventually. It's a boon, to be able to fly so far out and descend upon the enemy in such short order, but it also allows her to defend her lord to the best of her ability.

Between that, her magic training with Lord Lorenz, and even taking up some brawling lessons from time to time, she'll have many ways to come to his defense as needed.

What she wasn't expecting, however, was their mission today; apparently, there had been monsters attacking some merchants on the road between Gloucester and Riegan territory, and at Professor Byleth's the Golden Deer and the newly recruited Flayn set off to take care of them. The mission was a lot harder than expected, to be sure; Camilla still wasn't used to dealing with such horrible beasts, but they saved the villagers and were set to leave.

Of course, Lorenz and Camilla stuck together while they started to walk away, but there was an interesting conversation going on between Professor Byleth, Ignatz, Raphael and one of the merchants. And it wasn't exactly a nice conversation.

The idea that His Grace could actually send monsters out against poor, defenseless merchants was...shocking, really, even if such a thing were a rumor. But even worse was hearing at least the beginning of the story of what happened to Raphael's parents, that there was the possibility that His Grace had them and the late Duke Riegan killed--

It was disturbing, really. They didn't stick along for too long; Camilla left when Lord Lorenz decided to, and as of this evening, she hasn't seen him since. Camilla still had work to do, after all, but even so it was...odd, really, to not see him out and about. She didn't even see him at dinner, which was odd, and Camilla was in the kitchen preparing an evening meal for him when Raphael himself came on by.

He was...perhaps surprisingly jovial, if worried about Lorenz in his own way. Mostly that he wasn't eating enough, so he asked her to make sure he got a proper meal today. And he did say something about telling him not to...'sweat the small stuff', as it were...? Camilla asked him to clarify, confused, but he explained what he meant; that he didn't blame Lord Lorenz for what happened. For any of it, really. That he was not his father, and that it wouldn't be right to hold him accountable for the sins of their parents.

It was something that got a pause out of Camilla, before she thanked him for his words. He left shortly after, and while Camilla set up the tray...well, she grabbed something sweet for him along with his dinner and evening tea. Maybe that'd help, just a bit.

Either way, she walks to her lord's room, knocking on the door with that melodic knock of hers.]

Lord Lorenz. May I come in? I have brought you dinner and evening tea... [...] If you do not wish to see anyone, at least allow me to deliver that much.

[The Battle of the Eagle and the Lion was an absolute success for the Golden Deer. There were certainly bumps and bruises along the way, but more than ever before, the Golden Deer have proven their superiority over the other houses by taking down everyone else. It's an exhilarating feeling, to triumph alongside her lord and her classmates; they have proven themselves worthy, and all of their training has truly come to bear fruit so lovely. And the feast that came with such a thing would surely be a sight to behold, that was for sure. Camilla was looking forward to it.

...After her trip to the infirmary, that is. Lord Lorenz had insisted that she go and get her head checked out, after all; Camilla herself had been doing quite fine in the battle, managing to take down Felix and a couple other students with ease that was almost terrifying to behold. It was all too clear that Camilla was at home on the battlefield, but she had proven reckless to the point of excess. It was when she decided to try to divebomb Hubert with her earlier injuries that she was defeated; only managing to get one hit on him before a blast of dark magic knocked her off of her pegasus, sending her careening to the ground and forcing her to retreat.

She had sustained some bruises and the like; her head had the worst of it, thankfully. Her arms and legs were bruised a bit, but still functional. Of course, that didn't stop both Professor Casagranda and Lord Lorenz from making a mountain out of a molehill, as far as she was concerned. Professor Casagranda did eventually let her go once her injuries could be healed with plenty of rest, but Lord Lorenz had begun insisting that Camilla get rest. To which Camilla happily said no; she wasn't going to miss this feast for the world. It was a bit of a petty squabble, really, if it could even be called that as they all went to the dining area, and her savior from this situation came in the most unexpected manner possible.

Claude.

He was more than happy to abscond with Lord Lorenz (though she could very well swear she saw an all too knowing wink on his face), and Camilla was free to do as she wished despite her bandaged head. She talked with a few of the guests--everyone had been invited to the feast, at Claude's insistence--and there was much to talk about. Complimenting Lady Ingrid on her command of her own pegasus, commending Lady Hilda on her hard work, making sure Raphael and Ignatz were both alright after their own defeats, avoiding Linhardt like the plague while attempting to chat with Caspar and promising him a rematch...

Of course, there was someone she was attempting to seek out that she simply didn't see. It took going back and asking Lady Ingrid, Lord Sylvain, and Prince Dimitri to see where Felix had gone, and she wasn't surprised with the answer; she'd have to go looking for him. Camilla thanked the three of them, before asking them what sort of food Felix liked...and well, she had to admit he had good taste. Garreg Mach Meat Pie was one of her favored dishes as well, but she wanted some of that for herself too; after today, she'd need to bulk up the slightest bit and ensure she could work it off. Whether Lord Lorenz approved or not.

It doesn't take long to find Felix, after securing two plates of food; the Meat Pie isn't the only thing she grabbed for both herself and him, as those spicy fish dango looked utterly delectable as well. So, with plates at hand and a familiar mop of blue hair spotted, Camilla walks over and clears her throat.]

You know, you do make it rather difficult to find you, Felix.

[No 'Lord'. Just Felix. She remembers their terms from when he won that match against her, after all.]

May I join you?

[The Battle of the Eagle and Lion was a victory for the Golden Deer. It's disappointing, but not indicative of their true strength. Lady Edelgard specifically told him to hold back; they can't afford to allow the Archbishop and the rest of the church see them at their full potential. Which is precisely why Lady Edelgard herself held back and why her tactics were not nearly as sound as they could have been.

With that said, Claude's tactics would have been an exceptional challenge even if Lady Edelgard had been at full strength. Honestly, Hubert would like to discuss tactics with Claude to learn more about how the leader of the Golden Deer thinks, but they cannot afford to let anyone know that they're planning something. So they accept their loss with as much grace as they can.

...Though Hubert did make the mistake of going a bit too hard against a certain someone. Camilla had caught him off-guard and he had reacted with the full force of his spells and while he had secured a victory for the Black Eagles, it had also resulted in Camilla being injured. That isn't particularly worrying - Professor Manuela has undoubtedly healed her by now.

Still, it would be rude of him not to ensure that she is recovering. Not that he particularly cares about being rude, but the last thing they need is to risk upsetting Lorenz. House Gloucester is one of the influential families of the Alliance, and with their ties to the Empire, it's only natural for them to want to remain in Lorenz's good graces. So he can spare some time to check on Camilla.

He finds her outside the dining hall, which isn't particularly surprising. Given how Claude has been practically glued to Lorenz's side this entire evening, Hubert can only assume that Camilla is not resting as she should be, and it isn't particularly difficult to realize that the dining hall is missing another purple-haired individual.]

Camilla.

[He announces his presence this time, though he's making no attempt to conceal his presence.]

[The Battle of the Eagle and Lion was certainly an interesting time; Dorothea wasn't exactly in her element, if she's being entirely honest. She can certainly work herself up and get in the spirit with the best of them, but...well, it's never been something she's liked. It's why even if Dorothea managed to snag a point or two for the Black Eagles, she got taken out pretty early on by one of the deer. All in all, it was a simple practice battle, and no lives were truly on the line.

That's what makes it fun that the Golden Deer have decided to share their feast with the other houses. Quite frankly, it's a delightful thing, and Dorothea has absolutely been wandering around and chatting up everyone in earshot. Brushing elbows with literally anyone and everyone is something Dorothea is more than happy to do, but she's mostly been seeking out the shy ones. Bernadetta off in the corner there, Marianne in another corner holding up the walls...

And on her trip through, she happens to spot Xander out of the corner of her eye and makes a beeline toward her friend. She's got food in hand and a damn good attitude, and she's more than happy and willing to use it.]

Hey, Xandy! Is this spot taken?

[Dorothea's tone is as friendly and bright as ever, and really, she's not going to wait for an invitation--she is absolutely going to join him, provided she can. She's certainly not going to let him be alone tonight, that's silly.]

[Linhardt von Hevring is nothing if not a stubborn man. That much is a fact of life about him; he may not expend his energy often, but when he does, it's because there's something worthwhile to pursue. It's why he does a lot of things; he naps because it gives him energy. He researches crests because it's one of the few things he can motivate himself to do, and it's an all consuming passion he loves very much.

And of course, he loves exploring the unknown crests and being the first to discover something. It's why he's sought after Camilla von Krakenburg for the past week or so; even among all of their peers, she's one of the few that there's no recorded history of a crest in regards to. Even Hanneman himself can't seem to pin down a single thing that implies she has one, though he has his suspicions. So, of course, it falls on Linhardt to get to the bottom of such things. And more than anything, he's very curious about who else could have been consorting with House Krakenburg. It's a research opportunity of a lifetime!

...Well, it would be, if he could get any answers out of her. He's been nothing if not persistent with his questioning, even if it's certainly gotten some tighter smiles out of Camilla. But it's fine, certainly; he's been able to rule out the possession of any crests that augment her physical abilities (because it surely would have been known by now), so that leaves magical ones. She's time and time again told him that she has no magical ability, but he can sense it from her. Honestly, he wonders why she tries to suppress her potential, and even when she walks away at such questioning, he can't help but wonder...

The idea of a relation to House Gloucester is about the furthest thing from his mind. Surely, there's some reason for her to hide her crest. Maybe it's like Marianne, where she believes that she's cursed for said crest. Either way, it is something of a mystery, and if Hanneman can't solve it, then he'd certainly like to try.

Because Linhardt is a dumbass with no tact whatsoever. Maybe he'd get better answers if he didn't catch her when she was clearly injured, but she seems fine from all of the hard work she's been doing...

That's not his priority now, though. It's time for an afternoon nap, as far as Linhardt's concerned, and he's picked a nice little place toward the docks to lay his pillow down and take a nice snooze. Professor Byleth had graciously given that pillow back to him, after all, and he was more than happy to put it to good use by snoozing the day away as he deserved to.

Linhardt's more than happy to be asleep, none the wiser to whatever is coming next.]

[Marianne von Edmund is not a bold woman. That much has always been obvious about her; she was so painfully shy due to her upbringing and everything that has happened to her. Every bit of her circumstances screamed at her to keep her distance, that her presence was a blight, that people would be far better off if she didn't exist at all. Even while she's been among the Golden Deer, it's been an inescapable feeling for her...

People have tried to bring her out of her shell. It's been a slow process, but Marianne has...gotten somewhat better. Hilda has helped immensely. Lorenz has too. All of the Golden Deer have, in their own ways, and it made her feel like she belonged in a way. That even someone like her could maybe lead a normal life.

Of course, Marianne still preferred to keep away from combat, unlike most of the other deer; she preferred to stay in the back and cast her healing spells, bringing them back from the brink time and time again. It was a fact of life for her, that this was what she excelled at. And of course, it would make her a target.

...Would, being the keyword; the Battle of the Eagle and Lion has proven one thing to Marianne, and that is if push comes to shove, she's not going down without a fight. That much got proven quite well when she wound up unintentionally knocking out one of the Black Eagles in a bid to keep herself safe, Nosferatu ensuring he was out of the fight as soon as he targeted her. She might have been a little too harsh, really.

It's been a few days. Marianne has been a little worried that he hasn't been recovering well, and against her better judgement--the one that keeps her away from people, she seeks Xander out. He's a pretty common face in the stables, and surely enough...]

Um...excuse me, Xander? Do you...have a moment?

[...Marianne already feels like she wants the earth to consume her whole, but listen. She's trying.]

[Lord Lorenz is missing.

It's only been a couple of weeks since the Battle of the Eagle and Lion happened, and things were finally getting back to normal. Finally back to an almost normal school life that Camilla could be pleased with, that her lord could excel in, and she hasn't seen him all day. He's not in his room, he's not in the gardens, he's not in the library, nor the training grounds or anywhere else in the monastery. Camilla has looked everywhere for her lord, asked around the monastery if anyone has seen him, and this is the most distressed she's been in her life, and it's clear in how she's rushing to and fro that this isn't good.

Lord Lorenz has been taken. That much is clear, because he would have told her if he intended to leave--he would have taken her with him just about anywhere, and she's failed at her purpose. The one thing she's had to do throughout her whole life is keep Lord Lorenz safe, and he's been taken from her so easily, and even worse, she's failed the one actual friend she's ever had in her life. It feels as if a piece of her has been taken, really; she can't even begin to think of what'll happen if she finds him, how she's failed him, and if he's dead just how much of a failure she'd feel like--

Her search takes her to the stables, and she sees Hubert--she's about to ask him if he knows anything about Lord Lorenz before he disappears, but Claude gets her attention instead and she turns to him.

She really doesn't have time for his shit, and though she greets him, there's a sense of urgency in her asking if he's seen Lord Lorenz. His words feel like ice when he utters them, that he did see Lord Lorenz this morning, but he was talking with Xander, and they stepped off of the monastery grounds. How could this have happened? Camilla feels her rage spike in an instant, and though Claude tries his best to get her to calm down--to be rational, to take a moment and step back so they can regroup with the others, Camilla ignores him entirely, even shoving him back hard when he tries to grab her to stop her from going into the stables.

It's not long before Camilla finds her stalwart companion; Marzia is only a monastery trained wyvern, but the wyvern has been a very close friend of Camilla's since the school year started. Camilla knew her quite well, and rode her when doing her Sky Watch duties. She hated to have to bother the wyvern, but desperate times called for desperate measures--]

Marzia, dear, I'm going to need to borrow you. This is incredibly urgent, so...please forgive me, for disturbing you.

[Camilla grabs her riding gear, setting Marzia up before Claude can rush in and stop her--once they're outside, Camilla commands her to take to the air easily, and though she hears someone shouting from below she's in no state to properly register it when her adrenaline is pumping this hard.

She has to find Lord Lorenz. Time is of the essence, and she imagines that Xander can't have taken him far. Camilla's eyesight is plenty good from the air, and as she and Marzia fly, she scans the ground below for any signs of where they could have gone. She imagines that he didn't act alone, so perhaps it was a group of people who acted with him, so she imagines he can't be that hard to find. That blond hair stands out far too much to not be able to find.

It takes quite a bit of time, and more than Camilla would have liked, before she spots something--Xander. He's by himself, certainly, and that makes her heart sink something horrible (Lord Lorenz could be dead, he could have just thrown his body elsewhere, or worse he just passed Lord Lorenz off to someone else) but it also means she doesn't have to hold back at all. There's no one else here, as far as she knows; no one in the monastery for miles, no villages, no one but the little brat of a noble boy she's glaring daggers at from below.

Camilla signals for Marzia to dive down, and she's not bothering with any preamble--the crest of Gloucester burns slightly in her hand as she casts Bolganone upon him from above, and a distant part of her is screaming at her that she's just giving him fuel for blackmail, should she fail.

But no. She's not concerned about that, nor failure, nor...anything, really. Camilla's sights are set on seeing Xander dead, and he did get taken down pretty hard by Marianne. She'll just burn him alive if she has to.

Camilla is definitely giving him no quarter, though, signaling for Marzia to fly at him so she can hit him with her axe--]

Xander von Krakenburg, you will pay dearly for this!

[Let's go.]

[A month ago, Camilla was led into a trap set by House Krakenburg and whisked away back to their estate. Any information he's tried to get on the subject has been woefully inadequate. He's fully aware that House Krakenburg keeps plenty of secrets, especially pertaining to their research, but given House Vestra's ties, he had thought he'd be able to get more information.

His father's spies have been tight-lipped, and the few who are loyal to him (and only him) aren't ones he can risk sacrificing so soon. He needs every hand available for Lady Edelgard's plans. So regretfully, he's just as blind as the rest of the students after Camilla's disappearance.

He's certain she's still alive, though. House Krakenburg wouldn't go to this much trouble if they only planned on killing her. No, they want her for some reason, and as much as it frightens him, he suspects he knows why.

His suspicions (and fears) prove to be correct when she arrives back at the monastery a month later, with white hair and pink eyes. He'd watched her return to her room, but after that he pulled himself away to speak to Lady Edelgard about it. She hasn't had much to say about Lysithea (despite Lysithea clearly trying to befriend her), so he's not sure how she'll take Camilla's presence either.

Things haven't been going well this past month. With Xander's return, the Golden Deer house has been exceptionally tense with all of the Black Eagles students. It makes sense; from the sound of it, the Golden Deer took off and stole some wyverns and horses to go rescue their friends. Then Xander returns like nothing's happened and everyone is expected to go back to their normal lives, just like that. So he can certainly understand where the Golden Deer are coming from, and personally, he'd greatly prefer to toss Xander to the wolves and let them rip him apart.

Someone so loyal to House Krakenburg will only prove to be a nuisance once Lady Edelgard begins to put her plans into action, after all. But Lady Edelgard has insisted that they act as though they don't know what's going on, so he bides his time and gives no indication of his distaste for Xander's actions.

Not that it has anything to do with Camilla's kidnapping, of course. This is all about who will prove useful to Lady Edelgard. Nothing more.

It's been a few days since Camilla returned. She's been out of her room more recently - Hubert hasn't been keeping an eye on her, at least, not intentionally. She's been keeping an eye on him, and it would be impossible to miss that she's been following him. It's gone on for a solid day now, and he's not interested in drawing this out any longer. If Camilla truly wanted to attack him, she could have found some point to do it. There must be another reason to her stalking.

So he changes his daily routine, and ends up by the docks as night falls. The greenhouse is closed and locked at this time of day, and there isn't anything else near here that will draw attention to them. It's late enough that the students have already retired to their rooms, so anyone passing by isn't an issue. In other words, it's the perfect time to confront her.]

Camilla. [His voice is even; he isn't speaking up. He knows she's close enough to hear.] Don't drag this out any longer, I know you're there.

[He turns to look in her direction. He doesn't have any (visible) weapons on him, and he has his arms folded so he's not about to cast any spells. Even so, he's ready for the worst, should it come to that; the dagger in his sleeve is at his fingertips.]

[The Golden Deer always have the training grounds just before lunch, every day without fail. It's time for the students to spar against each other or Byleth, or have either Hanneman or Manuela check their progress with magic. It's practical training instead of staring at books all day or discussing theory and tactics, so that means it's Felix's favorite part of the day. Not that he usually sticks to sparring only during these hours, of course.

Felix arrives late today, already looking annoyed. Sylvain felt the need to stop him on his way to prattle on about something stupid and pointless, like Felix actually cares. But he's here now, and he immediately moves to grab a training sword. He can spar with Byleth any day, so instead he's got eyes out for only one person.

Camilla.

She'd returned recently, they said. She's still recovering, so don't be too hard on her, they said. So naturally, he's going to ignore all that and give her his best, because she'd be insulted at anything less.

He'd been told that her hair is white now, that her eyes are pink. He'd been told that he shouldn't ask about it either, which is probably the only unsolicited advice he's received from his fellow students that he'll actually take to heart. It doesn't really matter what happened to her. She's still Camilla, and she's still the best person to spar with because she won't hold back either.]

Good to see you're back. [And with the formalities out of the way—] Come at me.

[oh my god????]

[The ball is tonight, and needless to say, Garreg Mach has been teeming with a gaggle of nervous teenagers. Everyone is doing everything they can to get their affairs in order, or ensure that they can get their last minute cosmetics and the like from friends. Everyone wants to make sure that they look perfect. It's almost strange to see, but Camilla has seen plenty of it; Hilda's been going from the market to her room and back several times for different kinds of make-up (and she just saw Hilda dragging Marianne in for some...and Lysithea seems to be waiting for her turn. Cute.), Dorothea seems to be out and about with her outfit of choice and she looks as radiant as ever...

Really, there's so much to keep track of, and the ball hasn't even begun. Camilla's amused, really, that they're all treating this as such an important event, but she finds that she can't exactly complain. After all, she has gone into town herself to pick up some last minute touches for Lord Lorenz; he asked her to do so, and she's back with everything he could possibly need and then some. She's sure that he'll find some very suitable dancing partners once he's all gussied up.

Camilla isn't worried about herself in the slightest. Sure, it's been an awkward time attempting to even adjust to the idea of going to a ball after all that's happened, but her primary job is going to be looking after her lord and making sure that he's all prepared. She's just going to go to the ball in her school uniform and stand off to the side. As far as she's concerned, that's all she needs to do. Someone like her could never possibly get so dolled up for a ball, even if she did have someone she wanted to impress.

No, her first priority was ensuring her lord and brother was safe. And Once Camilla gets to Lord Lorenz's door and knocks that familiar, melodic knock, she speaks up.]

My lord, I'm back from the market! I was able to procure all that you needed--they were running quite low, so I suppose I was lucky...

[Surely, this night won't go stupidly at all.]

[The ball is certainly going to be a wonderful time. Lorenz and Camilla arrive together, but it isn't long before they split off from one another. He trusts that she'll be just fine on her own - though it's not like she'll truly be alone. With how gorgeous she looks, he's certain she'll be asked to dance repeatedly, and have quite a few people to chat with throughout the night. He'll keep an eye out for her, of course, but he does want her to enjoy herself.

A night where she doesn't have to worry about being his retainer is exactly what she deserves after all she's been through, after all.

Which leaves him on his own, of course. Not that he particularly minds, the other members of the Golden Deer house are all dressed nicely and he's quick to pull quite a few of them to dance, and then there's Ferdinand who is all too eager to join him. Really, it's such a wonderful evening and being able to forget about the rest of the world for one night is exactly what he - and everyone else, he's certain - needs.

But there is one person he hasn't danced with yet, which is almost a bit suspicious. He would have expected Claude to ambush him at some point. Though admittedly, Claude has been remarkably more tolerable since Camilla was dragged away to Castle Krakenburg. The less spoken of that day the better, but he has at least thanked Claude and the others for all their hard work in trying to get Camilla back.

Naturally Lorenz is able to pick Claude out from the crowd. He looks (stunning? gorgeous?) handsome tonight, and Lorenz lets all the usual wariness and confusion he feels around Claude vanish as he approaches their house leader.]

I'm a bit surprised you haven't asked me to dance yet.

[It's said primly, with one brow quirked as he draws to a stop before Claude.]

I hope you didn't get any ideas about lacing the punch with anything.

[...Well, of course it's gonna be Like This, some things never change. Still, that doesn't quite explain the smile Lorenz is trying desperately to suppress.]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject