Captain Reedsley’s home was surprisingly nice, until Pandy remembered that he was Lord Captain Reedsley. She didn’t know what kind of lord, but whatever he was, it was good enough to have a beautiful two-story home sitting on at least a few acres of land.

  There was a wall and gate – because who better than a soldier to know the world was dangerous and it was best to keep it out – and Pandy’s heart almost exploded in her chest when she actually recognized it. There was the ornate, swooping ‘R’ on one side of the golden gate, and when it swung open, it looked exactly like the opening shot from Gacha Love.

  In that shot, the ‘camera’ lingered lovingly on that bright letter R, and then the gate swung open as the intro music began to play. The camera zoomed up a winding country road to a house that was never quite clear because your view was moving too quickly. A swoop took you up to a second-story window, where you saw a lovely girl lying in her bed, white nightgown slipping from her shoulder, snuggling a toy…rabbit.

  The plush animal was something you never saw again, as the sixteen-year-old Clara put aside childish things when she entered high school, but now that Pandy thought about it, of course it was a rabbit. If she remembered correctly, it was brown with white spots – or possibly white with brown spots – and had the worn, well-loved look of so many toys that carried a child through from a toddler’s nightmares to adolescent dreams of romance.

  As the horses pulled the old carriage down the well-maintained dirt road, and the house came into focus for the first time ever, Pandy drank it in. Most of the story events happened at school, of course, but Clara invited a few friends – including any love interest whose romance flag had been set – over for the winter holidays.

  During the short series of events that followed, the player saw the dining room, as well as the kitchen, library, training ground, or drawing room, depending on which boy – or boys – came to visit. The rest of the house, other than Clara’s bedroom, was a complete mystery, and Pandy fully intended to explore every inch. Was it possible that a young Clara might even be here? That thought made her want to squee like a fangirl about to meet a K-pop star.

  Sure enough, as the captain pulled his horse to a stop, and Thaniel peered out of the window of the carriage, several people stepped out onto the front landing. The building itself was probably less than half the size of Lian and Thaniel’s sprawling home, and entirely lacking in ominous towers, but it had a fresh coat of white paint, and the red roof tiles were all intact. The steps were simple, entirely without aggressive statuary of any kind, but their level stone surfaces were inviting and, as an added benefit, safe.

  The first person to walk down these stairs was a man wearing what could only be a butler’s uniform. In fact, Pandy even knew his name. Dalton had been with the Reedsley family since he was only a little older than Clara, and had worked his way up from footman to butler. He had his own secrets, of course, but he was intensely loyal to his employers. He was also very aware that someone of his background would normally never have been entrusted with such a position, so he was very stiff and proper at all times.

  When Captain Reedsley dismounted by the steps, Dalton was there to welcome his master home. He accepted the soldier’s coat, laying it across his arm as if it weren’t covered in dust, and when he snapped his fingers, a boy appeared as if out of nowhere to lead the horse away.

  “Thank you, Dalton,” the captain said. “I trust my messenger arrived before us?”

  The second person on the steps spoke up. She was as soft as her husband was hard, with a round face, round eyes, and puffy brown curls piled high on her head. She had brown eyes that always seemed to be smiling, and wore dresses that belled out in broad skirts that could hide a whole hive of assassins, but seemed much more likely to spawn dainty cakes and iced cookies like some kind of enormous fabric cloche.

  “Young Frilam arrived some four hours ago, dear husband, and we’ve already made room for both of these poor children.” Her eyes, reminiscent of a warm chocolate fondue Pandy had spilled all over a customer at a particularly short-lived restaurant job, skimmed over her husband before landing on Thaniel’s wan little face peeking out of the window.

  Extending plump hands, Lady Alice hurried down the steps, her skirts sweeping from side to side, entirely concealing her feet, so it seemed like she floated down to stand next to her husband. As the voluminous barrier descended, a girl was revealed.

  Too young to be Clara, this girl appeared to be only a little older than Thaniel. Her hair and eyes were the same color as her mother’s, but she had a smattering of freckles across her snub little nose, and her slightly too-thick eyebrows were drawn together in a fuzzy little ‘v’ of annoyance or concern.

  This then, would be Geraldine, Clara’s younger sister, who was away from home during game-Clara’s holiday visit. Geraldine was mentioned occasionally, but in that way that indicated she was more of a background object than a real person. There were few details given about her, other than her age, though one of Clara’s key conversations with Prince Kaden was discussing their shared love of their adorable younger sisters.

  No longer a mere plot device, the youngest child of Lord and Lady Reedsley gripped the skirt of her pastel pink dress as if afraid it might follow her mother down the stairs without her permission. For all that Lord Captain Reedsley had claimed his younger daughter would be glad to have another child around, that very much did not seem to be the case.

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  There were two more men, younger than Dalton, standing to the side of the door. They wore uniforms consisting of white shirts beneath blue vests, and matching blue short pants with white stockings and polished black shoes. When Dalton turned and gestured to them, they passed Geraldine, coming down to begin unloading the heavy trunks and suitcases that were strapped to every available surface of the carriage.

  As they did, one of them brushed against the little girl, causing her to shift out of the way, briefly revealing the face of a fluffy gray kitten. It only lasted for a second, but Pandy felt as if the feline’s yellow eyes bored into her where she sat in Thaniel’s arms, staring out at their temporary home in giddy excitement.

  Pandy had come quivering nose to indignant whisker with a new enemy. In spite of its miniscule size and the pretty pink bow around its neck, Pandy somehow knew that this cat held a deep loathing for any furry creature that might enter the hallowed halls of its mistress’ home. Whether that creature was a wild field mouse or the cherished pet of an invited guest wouldn’t matter. That kitten was going to try to kill her. Of course, the joke was on the cat, because Pandy was already dead. Or at least dead-ish.

  Lady Alice flung open the carriage door, ignoring Dalton, who had stepped up to perform this action. Tears stood in the sweet brown eyes, and the woman held out her hands to Thaniel and Lian. “Oh, my dears. What a long trip you’ve had, and after such a terrible day. Come in, clean up, eat, and rest. Did Corbin even stop to let you walk around, or did he simply forge ahead with nary a will ye or nill ye? He’s a dreadful taskmaster, my Corbin.”

  She was like a broody hen, ready to mother any chick she saw, and while Lian was having none of it, Thaniel was more than ready to be mothered. He fell forward into the little lady’s arms, resting his cheek on her well-rounded bosom, tears already staining the soft yellow fabric of her gown.

  For a moment, Lady Alice actually looked surprised, and then her expression melted as she began to stroke the little boy’s wild, silky curls, humming softly in that way some mothers did. Not Pandy’s of course, because she’d instead chosen to leave her newborn daughter on a cold concrete step on a chilly fall morning, but Pandy had heard her classmates’ mothers do it when their children tripped and skinned their knees.

  “There, there,” Alice said softly, “don’t worry. Nathaniel, is it? I have a lovely room ready for you, Nathaniel, with lots of sunshine and the handsomest, softest bed you’ve ever seen.”

  Thaniel sniffed, looking up at his savior. “Just Thaniel,” he told her, and Lady Alice beamed, completely ignoring the fact that nose juices had joined the tears staining her charming yellow dress.

  “Just Thaniel, I’m so very pleased to meet you,” she said, then smiled down at Pandy, who was pressed between little boy and pleasantly plump woman, such that only Pandy’s soft ears, bright eyes, and pink nose were properly visible. “And who is this?”

  “This’s Bunny,” Thaniel said, lifting Pandy out of her warm refuge. Her back legs dangled so that she had to suppress an instinct to kick in a futile attempt to regain her footing. Fortunately, those instincts were quite thoroughly distracted when Lady Alice withdrew a sweet turnip from…somewhere. Perhaps she really did keep a smorgasbord tucked away beneath her skirts? Crumpets strapped to her thighs, and biscuits between her toes?

  “Ah,” Alice said as Pandy chomped into the turnip. Pandy had never liked turnips as a human, but as a rabbit they were one of her very favorite things. “I believe Frilam may have mentioned you, though he didn’t know your name.”

  The motherly woman smiled at Thaniel, eyes twinkling. “Bunny is the perfect name for her. She is the very essence of a bunny, in fact.”

  Thaniel nodded solemn agreement, and allowed Dalton to help him out of the carriage, clutching Pandy beneath one arm as he did. Normally, she would have protested the awkward position, but she still had a mouthful of sweet, sweet turnip, so she didn’t even wriggle.

  Lian was next, and his blue eyes were wary, but not resentful or disdainful. He held his book and Thaniel’s against his chest as if they were armor or a shield. Lady Alice took in the neutral expression and his white-knuckled grip on the books and simply held out her hand, back upwards as if she expected it to be kissed, not shaken.

  Lian didn’t kiss it, but he did take one hand off the books and accept the proffered hand, bowing over it as shallowly as he possibly could without actually being rude. “Lady Reedsley,” he said, voice flat but not quite cold. “Thank you for your hospitality…”

  More words hung there, unsaid, but Pandy wasn’t sure what they were. “However unasked for,” seemed possible, as did, “Such as it is.” Lady Alice didn’t seem to hear any of them, however, since she just smiled and wrapped her arm around Thaniel’s shoulders before guiding the little boy back up the stairs, leaving his brother to trail along behind.

  Geraldine and her cat had vanished at some point, and for a moment Lady Alice looked around in confusion, but then she recovered and said, “I have a daughter only a little older than you, Thaniel. Her name is Geraldine. She must be checking on tea. Our older daughter, Clara, is a bit younger than Lord Killian. Clara wanted to stay to greet you, but she’d arranged to spend the day with a friend. She’ll be back for supper.”

  “I’ll be staying with my brother,” Lian announced, as if anyone had challenged this fact.

  Lady Alice smiled serenely. “Of course! I’ve had adjoining rooms prepared for you, and there’s quite a large bed in your room, Lord Killian, in case you wish to allow Thaniel to sleep with you.” Lian didn’t seem to know what to do with that, almost as if he’d expected some effort to be made to separate him from his brother.

  Lord Captain Reedsley had spent all this time speaking to Dalton and the other two servants, but now he rejoined them. Gesturing toward the open door, he said, “Please, come in and make yourselves at home. They’ve held tea for us, so as soon as you’re ready, we can eat.”

  “What if we don’t want tea?” Lian asked, shoulders stiff.

  “We can send a tray up, or you can just lie down for a nap and rejoin us for dinner, or even breakfast,” Lady Alice answered easily. “You’ve had a dreadfully trying time, and we simply want you to be as comfortable as we can make you.”

  Once again, Lian didn’t seem to know what to make of this, but Thaniel leaned into the woman, the top of his curly head barely above her waist, even though she wasn’t particularly tall. “Do you have cookies?” he asked.

  Lady Alice nodded. “Cinnamon and apple, lemon shortbread, and a lovely butter cookie with sugar sprinkles.”

  Thaniel turned pleading blue eyes on his brother. “I want cookies. Can I, Lian?”

  Lian was defeated, and he knew it. The corners of his mouth turned up in a smile that was almost genuine. “We would be most pleased to join you for tea, Lord and Lady Reedsley.”

  The domestication of the villain had begun.