In year 1679 of Her Majesty Elis Aphtangloa’s reign, the first standard-issue manaprinter was manufactured. This heralded the modern industrial revolution, and rapidly accelerated Tenebreimen’s ability to expand and unify the continent.

  —Science and Technology, page 287

  Despite setbacks in her actual studies—in no small part due to Arnen’s over-eager extravagance and love of simile—Lycoris felt quite satisfied by the end of the library’s hours. Her head was somewhat sore after an entire day of constant study and discussion, and her legs felt stiff, and she was quite hungry… On second thought, she felt anything but satisfied. But at least her mood had turned back around from the conversation in the middle.

  There was more idle chatter once Arnen arrived, but it was mostly about plans for the month of Solus and other frivolous topics.

  While they could stay on campus and continue to study—something Raine had likely privately celebrated in… whatever manner she celebrated things—there were no actual classes scheduled for the month. In the middle of it, on the summer solstice that existed on a day between the fourteenth and fifteenth of the month, Alephertz Academy held a festival where students got to go around with a partner and experience a day of merrymaking.

  The way it was described, Lycoris immediately thought of it as a midsummer’s street festival, like the annual Skyjelly migration. Though, the key difference was it was organized by the faculty rather than the Merchant’s Guild. Meaning, the servants of the students would all be required to remain on campus. It was also a time for alumni to arrive and see how professors were faring, or to greet and give speeches to the aspiring little tyrants.

  There was nothing keeping them at the Academy for the month, but because it was somewhat implicitly stated that unless there were more pressing private family matters that required attention, all of the student body would at least be present for the festival.

  But trips home before and after were apparently quite frequent and normal regardless, as the only other block of time that was completely available in the same way was in Aftglow, the thirteenth month of the year, and Carmillae, the first. During those months, the campus was closed down as nearly everyone who’d keep the ship running would return home with those they served. And of course on the final day of the year, the day in between, and the first day of the year, Moonsend was celebrated.

  It felt a little strange that Lycoris’s birthday fell on a day outside of the calendar as Vampires penned it, but if adding two extra days to the year meant the entire thing could be organized in a clear and concise twenty-eight day cycle, she could see the merits of it. Something like that would certainly be convenient for coordinating an army, though learning all-new names and drawing up mental comparisons between them and the twelve saints of The Goddess was mental overhead Lycoris didn’t want to deal with.

  Though weirdly, the fourth month of the year was the same for both. Lycoris never really considered it, but “Idral” was remarkably similar to Idra. It felt mildly foreboding, but she couldn’t remember much about Saint Hyudrus, nor was she in a position to ask anyone about it. There might’ve been a book on it in the library, or inside her mother’s head, but Lycoris wasn’t sure if she’d be willing to share even if she knew.

  Not that there’s any harm in asking, at least, she thought at the time.

  At present, Lycoris was waving farewell to everyone else as they walked away from the transport gazebo toward the cloister of dorms. There was something lonely about being the only one heading in the opposite direction, but it was unavoidable given the shape of the cul-de-sac and location of her little tower.

  Eventually she turned around and began walking down the path toward the tower that looked in sore need of an ominous peal of thunder, remembering that whatever dinner Athena and the Oxalis sisters were preparing wouldn’t be served until she returned. Considering how nice and fragrant the entire tower smelled any time they cooked, she didn’t want to torture them with waiting any longer than they needed to.

  “Your Highness, if I may speak to you for a last moment.”

  Of course, the instant she tried actually stepping forward, Arnen called out to her. He’d doubled back around and was wringing his hands with a touch of awkwardness. Gone was the entire overly flamboyant routine, which was something like a nervous tic he performed to mask his shyness. She could understand the struggle with making oneself emotionally vulnerable, but it grated on her all the same. Which is why Lycoris had asked him to tone it down, only… that just made it worse at first… but after spending some more time simply being in her presence as she studied quietly with the others, he’d settled into a mostly normal—if slightly nervous—attitude.

  And she’d realized that he was a little bit of a dork. Much like a certain someone else who couldn’t figure out how to carry himself around a princess, she chuckled to herself, hand resting on the locket tucked under her blouse.

  “You may,” she nodded after a moment.

  Arnen looked almost surprised, as though he hadn’t expected to get this far. Naturally, nerves followed and, “Then let me not monopolize your time on this earthly plane before returning to the heavens and—”

  “Arnen,”

  “R…Right. Ahm, would you… care to accompany me to the Solstice Festival? It would be a shame to miss it. There are many opportunities to visit, but every year is slightly different. And I would be honored to be your guide for your first ever.”

  He smiled and leaned forward in a slight bow, half-way between offering his hand to her and clenching it into a fist.

  Lycoris stared up at his face, her polite smile curled just slightly too much on one side. At least he was trying; that was the important part.

  “I’m unsure if I should accept. I appreciate your offer, certainly, but I’m quite unfamiliar with these things, and should inquire with Mother first before making such a decision.”

  His smile waned, and he nodded reluctantly, “Yes, of course. I’m sure your mother is quite strict, isn’t she?”

  “Ahaha, yes and no. There’s some matters where I have an almost alarming amount of freedom, but,” Lycoris scratched at her cheek, “better to err on the side of caution. I’ll keep your offer in mind, at least.”

  She didn’t exactly see any reason to give a hard no. Especially if he was going to behave in a normal manner. He was nice, too—or at the very least, respectful. That was hardly a rare quality among Vampires addressing her, but he demonstrated it in a way that felt genuine, if mildly overwhelming.

  The boy nodded and plucked at his hair, twirling a lock to occupy his fingers as a nervous fidget. It made Lycoris want to reach forward and twist it into a braid to get him to stop, so he could focus on his swordsmanship inst—

  “In that case, I’ll patiently wait for your reply, Princess Lycoris. Have a good evening.”

  “…? …Oh, yes, right. I’ll see you tomorrow,” Lycoris replied without thinking. Before she could see what his reaction was, or rather without even considering it, she turned around and started walking half-vacantly back towards her tower.

  ＊

  Arnen watched her leave with pangs of worry. Every step she took caused his heart to tighten, as she almost looked in a daze without her usual pomp or perfect posture.

  He’d received a more favorable answer from her than he’d expected, in all honesty. Upon hearing that her initial plan was to simply stay at home, he sorely wanted to show her how enjoyable it could be. His initial guess was that nobody had the nerve to approach her about it, but it made sense that she’d have considerations the rest of them didn’t. The obligations weighing upon her were heavier, after all.

  When he’d first called out, she probably already realized what he was going to ask. No doubt she was sorely lacking experience with the simpler pleasures, considering how distracted she was by her considerations as future Exaltare. Her expression looked so pained as she clutched at her chest. Even just thinking about that smile made him want to rush after her and hug her from behind.

  But that would not only be just for his own self-satisfaction, it would also probably result in him losing a limb, and he was rather averse to unnecessary pain. Instead he bit back his concern and turned around. A gentleman would have walked with her back to her dorm, but she certainly didn’t need or even want the assistance, if her requests for him to calm his temperament were anything to go by.

  It’d left him feeling a little nervous, considering his older siblings had taught him quite strictly on how to behave like a proper gentleman while courting a lady… though it seemed such a thing would likely not pan out with Her Highness regardless.

  While every Exaltare sat alone at the top, they always had a confidant—if not a paramour. It was a little naive to assume that he could fulfill that role for the Princess, especially as young as they still were, but he wouldn’t deny his feelings their rightful outlet. To be even one part of her life was all he really desired, even if it were just a single chapter…

  With a small sigh and a troubled smile matching her own, he watched her stumble her way back and enter the warm inviting light of her tower, before finally turning around and returning to his own dorm.

  ＊

  “““Welcome back, Your Highness.”””

  A group of voices greeted her as she absently unlocked the door and stepped inside. Lifting her listless head with its stupefied expression, she saw a trio of maids. Rather, she saw one maid, flanked by two girls each in casual clothes, but with cooking aprons over them. All three had bright smiles, and Lycoris felt her suspicion slowly scale the mountain of apathy inside her head.

  “…Did something happen?”

  “Nothing in particular!” said Cecily.

  “But Vanessa made something for you, and I ended up getting a touch carried away in my excitement,” Athena added with a scratch of her cheek.

  “She ended up preparing a meal fit for a banquet…” Vanessa sighed. Her hands specifically were the only pair behind her back, rather than folded in front of her.

  “Raine’s no good as a taste tester! Lyco, you gotta talk some sense into her!”

  “Now now, refer to Her Highness appropriately, Cecily.”

  “Somehow, the nickname stresses me out less than if you simply referred to Her Highness by her given name.”

  Lycoris’s melancholy over the loss of Mizar faded like mist as the three of them went through their routine, her eyes naturally wandering over towards Vanessa as she properly stepped out of her shoes and onto the wooden floor.

  “She just said everything tasted fine. It’s like she doesn’t even have tastebuds!”

  “And yet you won’t inform Her Highness of how you nearly ate an entire serving and called it testing, Cecily,” Vanessa sighed at her little sister while taking a step back to make room for Lycoris.

  There wasn’t much in the way of furniture on the main floor, just a single table that had been set out with enough seats for all five of the tower’s residents and a closet for coats off to the right. There was a rather luxurious feast sitting atop the table, along with immaculately set plates and silverware. Though it was just a campus dorm, it looked nicer than some of the noble manors Lycoris had visited… Not that she had visited a particularly large number of those.

  There was some sort of roasted animal flank drizzled in steaming scarlet sauce; there were bowls of some sort of orangeish porridge, scalloped vegetables, soups, and bright red sauces; there was even a small cake, frosted with dark purple syrup.

  Lycoris blinked at the literal feast. “I doubt she even put a dent into it though. That’s a multi-course meal, but how much of that is pure excess…”

  “At least we’ll have leftovers for a while,” said Vanessa.

  “No I mean… the blood is the only part that matters, right? I thought Vampires didn’t gain any sustenance from nor…Er, Human food?”

  “Wait, is that actually true?!” Cecily spun and stared up at the other two, a look of betrayal smeared across her face.

  “For Her Highness, yes,” Athena answered.

  “What?! How is that fair,” groaned Lycoris.

  “…I’m confused what Your Highness is upset over,” said Vanessa.

  “Athena—”

  “Explain!!”

  Lycoris and Cecily groused in unison, much to the amusement of the older women—though Vanessa seemed somewhat at a loss as to what the deal was.

  “Of course, Your Highness,” she bowed, “it’s simply a matter of generational efficiency. As Aphtangloa, both Her Highness and Her Majesty subsist entirely off of blood alone, while those with far ‘thinner’ blood, such as a generation six or above, require other forms of nutrients to balance out their diet. There’s actually plenty of liquid-exclusive nutrition supplements for those who—”

  “Why didn’t you say that before?!” Lycoris fumed.

  “Ah, well… That’s… I made no lies, though I suppose I omitted several details out of consideration for your condition, Your Highness. People consider eating either a novelty as I said, or an indication of poverty. An Ochros would never be caught dead with food in their mouth, for instance, other than as a token courtesy. …Though even that has led to some lenshounds dumping exposés on nobles out of misunderstandings,” she sighed, then closed her eyes, “If you so desire, I’ll accept any punishment you think suitable.”

  “Mm…” Lycoris lowered her gaze, “No, I understand. I knew right away that I couldn’t feel anything one could consider nourishment from that burger you fed me…”

  “Well, I think there might have been a different reason for that…” Athena muttered near silently.

  Vanessa turned to raise an eyebrow at the maid. “You fed Her Highness a burger? Like, a burger-burger? From a fast-food chain?”

  “She was— she… I mean wouldn’t you want to try a burger if you’ve never consumeated anything of the sort?!”

  “I have no earthly idea where to begin with that.”

  “Exactly!”

  Lycoris rubbed her temple as she tried not to get a headache from the absurdity of the conversation. Even though she knew Athena was a noble, and an alumni of this school, it was hard to believe that she could’ve been the sort of person to have the same thought-provoking conversation about international politics as the strange circle of friends Lycoris found herself in.

  Cecily gently tugged on her shoulder. “Did you try crispy fries too, Lyco?”

  “Yes but… before the food gets cold, what is it you’re holding behind your back that started all of this, Vanessa?”

  Somehow, despite being the youngest in the room, she still felt like the only adult present.

  “It’s a present for Your Highness.” She pulled out the object wrapped into a sphere of paper, completely masking whatever it was supposed to be. “It might be best to set it aside until after dinner, it would be a shame to stain it immediately.”

  “Athena is quite proficient at cleaning bloodstains out of fabric and wood. Alarmingly proficient, really. Whatever it is, I’ve no doubt it’ll survive… though, I do see your point.” Lycoris tapped her chin thoughtfully, her eyes fixated on the wrapped up sphere.

  “Why not let her see now? I would die happy seeing the delight on Her Highness’s— oh, wait!”

  Athena immediately pulled out her phone, priming the camera app no doubt. Lycoris had grown accustomed to her almost ritualistic obsession with immortalizing every moment of hers. Probably in part because Lilianna would undoubtedly ask about it if she brought it up at all, and Athena would never leave the Exaltare wanting for anything when it came to one of Lycoris’s “Princess Moments.”

  “If you say so. Here you are, Your Highness,” Vanessa warily said as she handed the parcel over.

  Lycoris could understand her trepidation, considering it was a handmade good. Which is exactly why she took almost excessive caution with unwrapping it. Once she’d gotten partway, the head of a little myrh poked out at her… or more accurately, two button-eyes sewn onto a beak made of fabric.

  She quickly pulled it the rest of the way out, revealing the soft pink fluffy stuffed toy in full. It was a miniature facsimile of a myrh, and not just any, but Mira. His plumage was unmistakable after all. There were traces of hand-made unevenness to the doll’s overall shape, but it was immaculately assembled, and was both warm and smelled nice. Like strawberries and cream.

  As she stared in surprise, Vanessa shifted from one foot to the other somewhat impatiently and cleared her throat after the silence carried on for a little too long.

  “Do you like it? I noticed you didn’t have any sort of dolls or plushes in your room, so I’m not sure if you’re the sort of girl who likes them or not… Or, if Her Majesty forbade bringing any for some reason.”

  “I’ve never gotten anything like this in my life before…” Lycoris blurted out before thinking about what she meant or how it sounded. Not that anyone present would have interpreted her real meaning. It would have been a given that Lilianna never gave her something like that; they had only been almost a year together, and during that time Lilianna had treated her like a daughter, but never truly like a child. Maybe out of sympathy for her position as a former human.

  But it must have sounded like in the almost fifty years she’d been alive for, her mother had never given her such an intimate and personal gift. Technically, that was true… though she’d had a far shorter childhood than Vampires were accustomed to, and one with creatures Lilianna swore “weren’t even qualified to call themselves something as lowly as Human, even.”

  She looked up from the small plush, and saw not concern or anxiety, but bewilderment. Vanessa appeared to have no idea how to interpret what she meant, and was stuck deciding if that was a good thing or not. Maybe she thought Lycoris took it as a slight?

  “I-I mean, I love it!” She hugged the stuffed Mira against herself. “It feels just as soft as the real thing, somehow. And you made it by hand, just for me… that’s… special in a way I can’t really describe. Thank you Vanessa. I’ll cherish this gift forever. He even smells nice, and somehow is already warm!”

  “Of course Your Highness! He has a small pouch in the belly you can unzip. It’s for storing a heatable scent packet. You can swap it out with whatever you like, and if you don’t like that part, we can just replace it with normal fluff. I um, hope that it helps you rest easier at night…” Vanessa trailed off, clearing her throat in the silence that followed.

  Naturally, Lycoris immediately fiddled with the plush to find the source she’d pointed out, and then gave plushie-Mira another squeeze. “No, it’s okay! Although, do you mind if I go set him on my bed upstairs? I see what you meant about not wanting to get him dirty. I can fetch Raine at the same time.”

  “I’m already present,” replied the girl with next to no presence.

  Lycoris nearly jumped out of her skin when she heard the sudden voice of Raine, and looking around at the table once more, she saw the girl sitting at one of the seats unassumingly, a small book in her lap and her attention pulled up from it towards the group by the entryway.

  Rather than comment on how it was undeniably poor table manners to have a book present, Lycoris shook her head and sighed, cuddling the plush tightly in her arms as she brought it up to her room.

  Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

  ＊　＊　＊

  After partaking in a meal that was designed to appeal to her tastebuds, appetite, and dietary necessity in perhaps unequal parts, Lycoris was laying down on her bed with a full stomach—something she knew better than to do, but her new fluffy companion was too tempting, and she had an excuse besides.

  Once again Lycoris was on her phone talking to her mother, the return of their evening ritual feeling more natural than breathing these days. Though they didn’t converse every single night, that only made their conversations feel somewhat more precious.

  “—and he’s got a special heatable packet inside him too! It smells like strawberries.”

  She was excitedly regaling her mother with the news of her new gift, as it was the first thing that jumped out at her when Lilianna asked about recent developments.

  ‘We are delighted to hear that you are so happy with your gift. It seems we were correct to send the maids-in-training as support for Athena.’

  “She’s not incompetent you know…”

  ‘But her hands are tied by the rules.’

  “Why didn’t you mention that, anyways?”

  ‘You weren’t exactly on speaking terms with us at the time. We did not wish to test your mood more than necessary.’

  “Oh… Right.”

  ‘Is that all that you have been up to, dearest little flower? What about your studies, you mentioned working to remedy unfortunate results this year.’

  “Of course, I’ve been doing almost daily study sessions with Dahlia. Between her and Raine’s notes, I’m sure I’ll do far better next year!”

  ‘You will be at the top of the class.’

  “I um,” Lycoris hesitated, squeezing plushie-Mira tightly, “I’m not sure I can guarantee that. That was my first time ever taking a test like that after all…”

  ‘Hm, then perhaps you would benefit from mock exams… We shall see what we can arrange.’

  Though she wasn’t all too keen on the idea of disappointing her mother, or enduring even more being added to her mental checklist, it probably was a good idea to have her mother assist. Her friends were helpful, but they could only offer so much…

  “And I have to drag us back on topic a fair bit of the time. Though, sometimes the discussion ends up being surprisingly enlightening. For a group of children talking, I mean.”

  ‘Indeed? That comes as little surprise, as while you at times show remarkable maturity for your age, your peers do not lag so far behind you. And it goes without saying that they are more savvy about the current state of the world than you. It’s good to hear that you aren’t ignoring them out of any sense of superiority.’

  “Of course. Hard as it can be to wrap my head around, they have lived longer than me… Even Arnen has things to add, when he’s not… being Arnen,” Lycoris chuckled to herself, briefly thinking back to the boy. “…Speaking of, he asked me if I’d like to accompany him to the midsummer festival.”

  The other end of the line went silent.

  “Mama…? Are you still there?”

  ‘Arnen Mano, correct?’

  “Um… yes.”

  ‘Did you agree, Lycoris?’

  “I told him that I’d ask you first.” Although, Lycoris was beginning to doubt if she should’ve brought it up to Lilianna at all. She probably would have found out either way, in practicality. There’d be no way that pictures of Lycoris and whoever she accompanied wouldn’t be shared online somewhere. There’d be no way her mom wouldn’t realize when she didn’t stay at home.

  Admittedly, a part of that made her want to shut herself indoors and block the windows. At the very least, she made sure to remove any sort of social media applications from her phone just so she wouldn’t be tempted to see what people were posting about her. No matter what it was, it couldn’t be good for her mental health.

  ‘Do you want to accompany him?’

  “Huh?”

  Lycoris blinked. She half-expected Lilianna to flat-out refuse.

  ‘Do you want to go to the Solstice Festival with Arnen Mano?’

  “I…”

  She hadn’t thought of it. At some point she’d simply accepted that the decision wasn’t hers to make, and was waiting for her mother to decide what was best for her.

  ‘You seemed quite engaged with his conversation during Moonsend.’

  “He was… easier to talk to than the others. Or rather, he actually approached me and started conversing, rather than just awkwardly performing a perfunctory introduction before shriveling away… He also kind of reminds me of someone, I suppose… Maybe I just find the shyness amusing.”

  Lycoris decided against mentioning Mizar by name. Bringing up the hero probably wouldn’t do any favors for Arnen’s position, and she didn’t want him to be unfairly compared just because their attitudes were the same.

  ‘Hmm. I think a broader perspective would do quite a bit of good. That you have found means of endearing yourself to the future of the Idra is excellent, but that’s no reason to neglect the rest of the Seven.’

  “You think I should accept his offer?”

  ‘Only if you wish to do so, dear.’

  “I’ll give it some more thought, then. I don’t exactly have any other options lined up.”

  ‘We’ve no doubt that you only need overturn the closest rock outside of your room to reveal those squirming about at the chance to be by your side.’

  “Don’t make them sound too appealing now… also, wait, did you say seven?”

  ‘We did, yes. This is private information not to be shared with anyone else, not even your servants, but we have already decided on which family will be taking the place of the Vanas. Assuming they don’t suddenly fail our expectations as we observe them, at least.’

  “Wait, seriously? I thought that was something the Courts would have to decide on unanimously.”

  ‘If the choice belongs to many, then make the only good answer the one you want. Quite a simple concept. We were careful in setting up the lesser nobility and those beneath them for a reason.’

  “…What, did you somehow predict that I was going to show up and cause a massive political upset?” Lycoris asked in a deadpan.

  ‘Of course not darling,’ Lilianna chuckled through the receiver, ‘but it was quite a convenient opportunity for us. Saved quite a bit of trouble. Though it is, of course, worth being cautious that this wasn’t tied in to that Witch’s schemes.’

  “Mm… So, who is it?”

  ‘The name must remain a secret for now, else your expectations and foreknowledge might give away the details. Our darling little flower is still a child after all~’

  Lycoris sighed, but didn’t bother with a rebuttal. As unnecessary as pointing out her age was, she fully acknowledged that she was hardly the smoothest when it came to social interaction and subtlety. Despite the position she’d found herself in, Lycoris was still an honest knight at heart; the sort who wore her emotions on her sleeve.

  “So, um… other than that, have things been okay at home? You haven’t been missing me too much, have you? I was debating whether I should come home for part of Solus or not. It’d mean less time studying here with Raine, but…”

  ‘Hmm… Your studies are important. However, we would at least like to see you again. Perhaps a week? Or… even just a weekend.’

  Lycoris chuckled as her mother clearly grappled with the problem, thinking that it was perhaps a good thing to give her something more mundane to worry over for once.

  “Then it sounds as if we both have things to think over before the month ends.”

  ‘…It seems we do. We love you very much, Lycoris. Thank you for coming into our life.’

  “Y… Of course. Love you too, Mama.”