Lovely family
After eating in silence and hearing their lovely chatter I finally can exit the table after Father gets up from his seat.
And that's when it happens...that's when he mentions my name, the name of the daughter he named and the name he hasn't said in quite some time I might add.
"Kaelira, today is the day your fiance comes to visit if I'm not wrong." I don't disagree because he is absolutely right, I'm actually surprised that he remembers it but it just might be because of Orpheon and not because of me.
Orpheon visits on the same day every month and he always sends a letter when he can't make it that day.
But even though it's such a monthly occurrence I wasn't expecting Father to care.
"Send him my regards, I unfortunately will not have the pleasure to meet him but I hope you receive him with the outmost courtesy that is required of you." He doesn't say anything else, just continues his way out of the room not waiting for my response, he looked at me for a few seconds and avoided his gaze as soon as he had made himself clear.
Quite a scene in front of everyone but they are just as used to it as I am.
Father hasn't been a good father to me in a while. Always expecting me to conduct myself as courteously as possible and in a way that never tarnishes the name of Valendhart. That's his only expectation of me.
As soon as he leaves so do I not even looking at the three siblings who continue talking like they don't even notice me.
Maybe they really don't, maybe I'm that insignificant in their lives.
I exit the room and go straight to the garden in the direction of the greenhouse, that's where me and Orpheon use to spend our limited time when he visits.
Limited because he stays for twenty minutes before an 'emergency' occurs and then leaves and I'm left with the maids who lower their heads but still revel in my embarrassment, or at least I think they did until a year ago when I started to simply not care.
Now as I sit admiring the diversity of the flowers that adorn this splendid greenhouse I start to think of my plans.
The ones who'll make me survive this world.
The first one is quite unusual but I just want to try it. It is called 'Marriage idea' because it is quite unlikely that it will go well, that one has the time limit of a year.
It might seem weird that I'm risking my survival because of marriage but mother always enlightened the greatness of marriage, made it seem like a lovely dream, something to be wanted and desired.
And maybe I'm just a girl who wants to be loved for once, who wants to find love, someone to cherish and have beautiful children with, children that I'll love and care for in the right way.
I want a husband that cares not just because I'm his wife but because I'm the only woman in his eyes, the love of his life.
But those are just dreams of a foolish little girl, the only problem is that...that girl still resides in my heart and has been locked up for a while, I'll just give her this. I'll just try once for her and then I'll let go of these thoughts.
My first option of potential husbands will be the male leads, Allara will only choose one I hope and then it won't feel as if I'm stealing anything from her if I pick another.
It might seem stupid but the supposed male leads are the strongest, most powerful and influential people in this empire, if I want protection there is no one better than them.
Of course what I wish for is love, but if the things that happened in the novel were to occur, even if I try to go against them, I need someone with enough power to protect me from the male leads and my family, and there is no one better than one of the love interests itself.
It will be hard for them to like me and it might be unlikely that I fall for them but I'll give it a try just for precaution. They seem to be the best candidates for what I search for when in love, except the crazy over the top obsession I pass on that one.
There's only two I won't go for, Orpheon and the crown prince. The crown prince was the male lead in the novel and has already met Allara when young and gained interest in her.
Orpheon on the other hand is just Orpheon, a complicated situation.
I might have wanted him once but I learned from my mistakes, I could never force someone who does not love me to try to after so long. He doesn't like me and I understand why, there is no need to force something but what I am really afraid is that if I were to marry him it would be just painful and lonely. I already feel that way in here no need to repeat it. A cold marriage is not what I'm aiming for.
I'll try the other love interests but I'll not force something that isn't there, if that doesn't work then I'll just immerse myself in the social world for a while to find a great man if even that doesn't work I'll go straight to plan 'If you can't take it run away'.
That isn't the most brilliant idea but it's something. I'll remove myself from the Valendhart family with the approval of the head of the house and head to the countryside, to somewhere calm and peaceful.
That idea isn't the best, I've been a noble lady since I can remember and life as a single woman will not be easy, I'll be an easy target for disgusting eyes.
But I think I can defend myself a little if something like that happened. After all the daughter of house Valendhart inherited its ability.
The truth is this world is divided into three powers.
Magic, abilities, aura
Magic is used by mages, individuals who are born with a magic vessel inside their hearts and the affinity to the great arts.
They are divided in power by the size of their vessel the bigger it is the more magic the individual can hold and the bigger is their limit.
Once a mage reaches their limit they are drained of their magic. They reach the point of exhaustion just like it happens when we run out of stamina and then their bodies will have to replenish themselves with magic again.
Our empire has magic floating everywhere like a big fountain of power, but it is quite hard to absorb magic from the air only those deeply versed in the great arts are able to do it to an extent.
So for those who do not have these abilities they need to absorb magic from physical things that absorbed magic and retained it, those objects are called intermediators. It can be a flower, a tree or even a rock.
That's why the center of their power, the magic tower is a green place, with rooms full of nature where the mages absorb the magic that is retained in these elements of nature. A little complex but at the same time easy to grasp once you understand the mechanics.
Then we have ability users, like the house of Valendhart.
While mages are born without a pattern, without the affinity for the arts being passed from generation to generation ability users are different.
It's something that is passed from father to son, it's inherited, something that made illegitimate children quite easy to identify.
The abilities vary from house to house, our family for example has the gift of the movement. Telekinesis.
It was passed from father to Araddon and me.
Ability users don't have a vessel but something similar, we call it 'core memory', each individual is born with a certain capacity after they reach their limit their ability can't be any stronger no matter how much they try.
That's why in the same family we have users that can move mountains and users that move rocks.
And then there's potential users, users that were born with great core memory but can only use a little of their power, they have to train their abilities, enhance them to reach their true potential, something that doesn't happen to everyone. Some are just born gifted and able to access their power at will.
However potential users can use their true power sometimes without working to obtain it, it just comes with consequences, like the reduction of their life span and it can also generate serious illnesses.
The repeated use leads to a painful death.
I just so happen to be in this category and my ability right now isn't the best even though my potential is quite vast.
My second plan actually involves me getting a job thanks to my abilities, that's why I'll have to start working on it, after all becoming a monster slayer doesn't really sound so bad when I get used to the blood of my enemies...and it also gives quite a great sum of money.
But moving on to the least but actually the strongest one Aura.
Aura is not inherited, it's not given and it's not something the person is born with.
Aura users are normal people who train their minds and bodies and work so hard that they become worthy of the glory of having an aura, it's difficult and exhausting but rewarding.
They have to have a purpose, something that moves them, that makes them want to be stronger, something that makes them worthy and then they have to prove themselves.
Train like they have never seen tomorrow, enhance the body, enhance the mind and prove themselves in real life , in real battles.
It's the hardest to get but the strongest.
An aura user is a glorious being, glorified by the people, praised by the masses, someone who worked and deserved what they got.
It is not handed to them is something they fight for and when they obtain it it tangles itself in their hearts and makes them something transcendent.
Those who fail to gain Aura remain as normal people with no affinity for the three great powers.
But oh well that's not for me, once you have one of the great powers you cannot have another.
Suddenly a maid enters the greenhouse at a quick pace while maintaining her head down and not showing any type of blatant disrespect.
"I'm sorry to interrupt my lady." She bows down further as a symbol of regret considering the possibility of interrupting me in my alone time.
She awaits my approval before continuing " It's okay, you can continue." I reassure her.
"Thank you my lady. I came to announce that the young duke of Ravenvond is approaching the mansion."
"Is he perhaps coming in a hurry?" I ask being perfectly aware of the answer.
"Uh mmm..." She looks a little confused on how to proceed looking from side to side flustered "Yes my lady, the guards at the front gate said his carriage was moving at a fast pace before and after entering the duchy".
Her honesty is quite satisfying, other maids might have been worried by my reaction to the fact that he doesn't seem to like his monthly visits.
I laugh softly "If the young duke is in such a hurry I have to go quickly, we don't want him to waste even a minute of his precious time" I say standing up.
I walk a few steps getting closer to the maid and suddenly, in the most elegant way that I can, I pretend to accidentally fall putting the back of my hand in my head to enhance my surprise.
"My Lady!" The maid screams seeing me helpless on the ground.
She tries to help me stand but I pretend to have no strength in my legs and go down again.
"What's your name?" I ask with my voice a little lower trying to pass it as if I am in pain.
"Ah ah Dhalia my Lady." The maid stuttered seeming quite flustered with the situation and moving her hands with no clear purpose just spiraling in her own head not knowing what to do.
"Well Dhalia I seem to have sprained my ankle and I am now unable to move as freely as I was a while ago. Could you help me stand and walk towards the front of the mansion to receive the young duke."
"Of course my lady." She says as quickly as possible and with my permission helps me and holds me, letting me use her as support.
"But my lady...if I may be slightly intrusive your dress has been stained from your fall." She trembles a little and closes her eyes in fear and apprehension.
It's not like I was going to hit her, she seems to be a little sensitive towards me or just nobles in general, I wonder the rumors that circulate in these halls about me that she could have possibly heard to react like this.
But her commentary just fermented my desire to delay myself from meeting the young duke just a while longer.
"Thank you Dhalia." I pat her head to reassure her a little that she did a good job "If it weren't for you I would be meeting the duke in this poor state. It seems that I might have to change, care to help me?"
"Of course my lady." She looks up at me for the first time and I think she might be feeling more at ease but then she lowers her gaze as soon as it landed on me.
I don't pay it any mind. The time will come when she feels a little more comfortable in my presence— or not.
We walk towards my room which is not a very smart idea because I have to be able to climb the stairs in the direction of the third floor while pretending to struggle.
But we made it, Dhalia was stressing all the way up but we made it.
I change myself with the help of the maids and in half an hour I'm ready.
Feeling satisfied with the time I go back to the greenhouse where the servants might have taken the young duke.
I wonder if he has already encountered Allara.
Entering the greenhouse I walk towards the sitting area with a slight limp.
"Good morning your grace." I bow down in a kind of awkward manner because of my supposed limp.
"Lady Kaelira may I ask why you're so late to our meeting." That's the first thing he says to me, doesn't it just show the love he has for his fiance. For the first time in a month there he stands in all his glory.
Orpheon Ravenvond, a man beautiful enough to cativate men and women equally, with his blue eyes sharp enough that he could slice mountains and with a body defined and muscular that is the envy of many gentlemen and the sculpture that many young ladies admire.
His black hair as the darkness of the night is soft and makes you want to be able to touch it.
But the energy he radiates gives him an air of untouchable beauty.
"I'm sorry your grace, unfortunately I fell down earlier, sprained my ankle and ended up disgracing my dress. I wanted to receive you in the best way that I could but ended up failing. I'm truly sorry but hope for your forgiveness after all it is the first time it happens." As I'm saying all of this nonsense a smile adorns my face, a gentle smile that I give my beautiful possible future killer.
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I'm sorry for the way the story is moving. I feel that I'm telling too little in so much words but it's only the beginning so I ask for your understanding. In these chapters I'm trying to build the setting of the world.