บท 43: That's the way the cookie crumbles.
It's been a couple days since Louise was taken on as Princess Henrietta's attendant and many thing's had changed since she'd arrived at the palace. The first and foremost is the discovery that Louise was actually a Void Mage, a true descendant of Brimir who possessed the same magic he did.
Usually, this wouldn't actually mean much as Void Magic was a lost art, and with no documentation on how to use it, nor anyone who could teach it, Louise would be left fumbling around on her own trying to recreate the feats of Brimir.
Fortunately, Osmond had seen fit to send the Founder Brimir's Prayer Book with his letter. An artifact that to most would be blank, but for Louise, taught small lessons about Void Magic. To be honest, it was quite aggravating for Louise to have the almost-sentient book choose what she was ready to learn or not. She just wanted to master her magic as fast as possible now that she knew she wasn't a complete failure, but the book seemed to disagree.
Indeed, only the first page actually showed anything, and it was literally just a bunch of meditation techniques that it presumably wanted Louise to follow. These were supposed to help her control her magic better, eventually allowing her to use other elements, but that didn't make Louise any happier with it.
She hadn't actually learned any magic from the book yet, and had spent most of her time meditating... When she wasn't attending to Henrietta of course.
There was also Louise status as a Void Mage to take into account. Henrietta hadn't announced her existence yet, and didn't intend to unless her hand was forced. Void Magic was considered sacred to most of humanity, as Brimir was a revered figure who was the only known user of it.
If it became known that Louise was a Void Mage, she'd either be forced to leave for Romalia, or targeted by many, many assassins from both human countries, and the hidden Elven ones.
Henrietta was fearful for her best friend's safety, as even her status as royalty wouldn't do much to protect her, thus, the secret must be kept... This came with many consequences however, since Louise' capacity of magic couldn't be announced, everyone assumed she was still a failure of a mage, barely above a commoner.
In most circumstances, this wouldn't mean much, but now that Louise was Henrietta's personal attendant, the many noble families had started making inquiries into their relationship. Additionally, even the Valliere family didn't want Louise as Henrietta's attendant, as they wished to marry her off for political gain, now that she was regarded as a failed mage.
There were already rumours spreading throughout the capital of Henrietta and Louise' secret relationship. And while most would either ignore it or not believe it, it still affected her reputation, possibly endangering her position as future Queen.
Already, Henrietta and her more loyal subordinates had uncovered a few plots attempting to mar her image more, or even to assassinate Louise and make her look responsible. And while none of the nobles involved could be pinned with the crimes, they'd most certainly made it on Henrietta's shit list... The fact that the nobles didn't seem to care however, was a big red flag that things weren't as calm as they seemed.
Not everything was doom and gloom though. Louise and Henrietta's relationship had become far stronger than ever before. With both of them spending much of their time together, they felt more like true sisters than simple friends.
Both Louise and Hernietta were actually having a tea break when a Guardsman bursts through the door with a sweaty face and an anxious look on his face. "Your Majesty!" he bows deeply while still out of breath, "Fouquet of the Crumbling Earth has attacked the Magical Acadamy!"
...
Both Henrietta and Louise pause at this, both looking at one another with raised brows, "When has this occurred?" Henrietta questions, her back straightening as she dons her 'Ice Queen' facade.
"Barely an hour ago your Majesty! The damage to the Acadamy is extensive, but no person was harmed."
...
"Person?" Louise mutters, feeling as if his wording was off.
The guard nods, "The Acadamy Instructors and Students were all safely inside when this occurred, but the same could not be said for the familiars resting outside... The majority of them were killed, leaving only a few alive." he states.
Henrietta struggles not to release a tired sigh at this, she was scheduled to go attend the Familiar Exhibition. Though, originally this was just an excuse for her to visit Louise, she needed to keep her promise... Not that it would matter much anymore considering most Familiar's had been killed.
While she was thankful that no person was harmed, the deaths of the student's familiars would still cause a massive controversy. A large portion of the students belonged to foreign countries, and since familiars were considered life-long partners, people would begin to question the Acadamy's safety... Especially with the recent death of Guiche de Gramont.
The Acadamy was actually an incredibly lucrative source of income for the country, as tuition was quite expensive for foreign students. With its reputation becoming damaged, so to would the stability of Tristain's economy... That was not even mentioning the income the students brought to the capital whenever they wished to take a break from their education.
Henrietta shakes her head and waves at the guard, "Please request Cardinal Mazarin, Chancellor Bastien, and Finance Minister Lishman to meet me with me in half an hour. Also, have Headmaster Osmond send a letter on the damages to the Acadamy, as well as a list of any items that were stolen." she says, knowing that Fouquet was an infamous thief. The guard quickly nods before leaving, giving a firm salute as he exits.
Louise frowns, "Lishman? I know he's in charge of the Kingdom's finances but, I don't like the way he looks at you, Henri." she mutters, not wanting her friend to associate herself with such people.
Henrietta can only smile at Louise' concern, "Unfortunately, I'm not in charge of them yet. My mother allows the Council to rule for her, so until I gather enough support, or something terrible happens, this is all I can do."
Louise nods and whispers, "I know, I just wish things were different."
Henrietta rests a hand atop Louise' own, "Don't worry and focus on your studies." she smiles, "If your suspicions are correct, I'll be waiting for you to save me."
Louise dour expression morphs into a resolute one, "Of course! You can count on me, Henri!"
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